1831.] Fine Arts' Publicalmis. 689 



part contains. Front View of the Bismah Kurm, Cattermole and Taylor ; Inte- 

 rior of the Bismah Kurm, Cattermole and Winkles ; and Skeleton Group in the 

 Raraeswur, Cattermole and Kelsall. They are exceedingly curious, and beauti- 

 fully executed. 



Richmond and its Surrounding Scenery, engraved hy W. B. CooJce. — " Rich- 

 mond," says the prospectus, " and its vicinity have never yet appeared as an 

 illustrated work, although universally acknowledged to possess superior claims 

 to picturesque beauty and historical records." We are glad to see that what 

 has been long desired has been at length attempted — and attempted in a style 

 that leads us to hope for a happy result. The first part contains twelve engrav- 

 ings executed by Cooke, principally from designs by Harding. The tint of the 

 fraper is not to our taste — it gives the landscapes a yellow-feverish look. But 

 the views have been selected with an eye well acquainted with the beautiful 

 localities of Richmond, and are, for the most part, portraitures which few will 

 fail to recognize. Another part, similar to the present, will complete the work. 

 Having taken our glance at the pictorial part, it remains for us to notice the 

 pleasant and perfectly con amore style in which Mrs. Hofland, who has under- 

 taken the literary department, has executed her historical and descriptive sketch 

 of this prettiest of metropolitan neighbourhoods. To read her account of it by 

 the fireside is almost as good as sauntering through its green walks and wind- 

 ings, on a July morning : and having said so much, we are sure there are few 

 who will omit to avail themselves of an opportunity of reading Mrs. Hofland's 

 apostrophe to Richmond. 



The Dream of Eugene Aram, by Thomas Hood, with Designs on Wood by William 

 Harvey. — Mr. Hood's " Eugene Aram" is already popular ; but if it were not, 

 these designs of Harvey's would make it so. They do ample justice to the 

 fearful and melancholy imagery of the poem. Eugene is of course the principal 

 feature of each design, and the circumstances under which he is represented 

 excite, by turns, pity and horror. No poet can hope to have his verses more 

 poetically illustrated, nor can any artist expect to have his designs more admir- 

 ably engraved than these by Messrs. Branston and Wright. We can hardly 

 select one for preference — from the touching frontispiece, where Eugene is 

 questioning the child, who is reading the "Death of Abel," to the closing 

 scene, in which the murderer is walking manacled through " the cold and heavy 

 mist." It is not easy to look at any of them unmoved. 



Tlie National Portrait Gallery is rapidly exhausting the list of the Illustrious 

 and Eminent Personages of the Nineteenth Century. Several of them are com- 

 prised in the two parts before us. Prince George of Cumberland is a well- 

 executed engraving, by Dean ; though we cannot quite concur with the bio- 

 grapher in his estimation of the importance of his subject. Prince George is a 

 prince of course — but princes are not prodigies. Our recollection of Lawrence's 

 portrait of the Earl of Aberdeen prevents us from admiring the specimen of 

 solemn insignificance here presented. Lord Eldon's is a well-engraved portrait 

 from Lawrence, by Robinson. There is a good-nature and earnestness about 

 the head, if nothing more. Of the rest, the portrait of Mr. Moore is the most 

 conspicuous, though rather hardly engraved. The face has, we suppose, a sort 

 of Irish meaning ; but nature, which has done every thing else in the world for 

 the poet, according to his admirers, cannot be said to have given him the look of 

 a genius. 



History and Topography of the United States, illustrated with a Series of Views. 

 — To the value and excellence of this work we have frequently borne testimony. 

 Twenty-five numbers of it have already appeared. The last five of these con- 

 tain engravings, from drawings taken on tlie spot, of Harper's Ferry ; State 

 House, Boston ; Shannondale Springs, Virginia ; View from Mount Washing- 

 ton ; Arcade, Providence ; Capital of the United States, Washington ; and 

 several other illustrations of the architecture and scenery of America; together 

 with neatly engraved maps, &c. At the literary claims of Mr. Hilton's history 

 we have already glanced ; and we purpose renewing our notice of it when we 

 have it in a complete form before us. 



