1829.] 



Fine Arts' Exhibitions. 



573 



may deem explanatory of its spirit — always, 

 however, drawing liis illustration from, and 

 referring it to, some passage of tlie text 

 itself. The first seven plates, illustrative of 

 " the Tempest," are devoted to circum- 

 stances and actions which are supposed to have 

 happened prior to the commencement of the 

 play itself. No. 1 represents the witch, 

 Sycorax, causing her imps to confine Ariel 

 ivithin the cleft pine. There are no figures 

 in this plate which demand marked com- 

 mendation, as illustrating the true spirit of 

 Shakspeare better than volumes of commen- 

 tary or criticism : we allude to Sycorax and 

 Ariel. The drapery of the first is so de» 

 signed that the tigiure to which it belongs 

 seems to have just grown up, as it were, out 

 of the earth, as if she were part and parcel 

 of it — r" of the earth, earthy ;" — while that 

 of Ariel, though dragged away by the little 

 fiends that have momentary power over 

 it, seems to exhale upwards like a subtle 

 vapour. 



No. 2 represents Prospero seized by his 

 brother, to be hurried away from his dake- 

 dom. The remarkable portion of this plate 

 is the infant JMiranda, lying beside her 

 royal parent in unconscious sleep. The 

 effect of this is highly appropriate, and even 

 poetical : it speaks, as if by anticipation, of 

 all the after events. No. 3 is, perhaps, the 

 most happy of all the illustrations of this 

 exquisite play. It represents Prospero in a 

 small open boat, on the bare ocean, seated 

 between the only soiu-ces of his hope and 

 joy — his books and his infant. This is a 

 composition as beautiful in its simplicity as 

 it is poetical in its passionate truth. It 

 truly illustrates the spirit which suggested 

 it. No. 4 depicts the first operation of 

 Pros-pero's " so potent art," in emancipating 

 Ariel from the spells of Sycorax. The 

 triumphant escape of Ariel, v/ithout waiting 

 to see by what means the liberation has 

 been effected, or to return thanks for it, is 

 in the right spirit. Nos. 5, C, 7, and 8, 

 we do not greatly admire, because we do 

 not gather from them much of that which 

 we seek in them — namely, an illustration of 

 the spirit of Shakspeare's work. They all 

 refer to the early connexion between Caliban 

 and Prospero ; and we do not find any thing 

 in the Caliban that answers to the wonder- 

 ful creation of Shakspeare. The way, how- 

 ever, in which the gradual growth of Mi- 

 randa, from cliildhood to womanhood, is 

 made apparent in these three designs, is 

 very pleasing and effective. No. 9 is a 

 beautiful design. It represents Miranda, 

 now a woman, at the opening of the play, 

 lioliciting her father to save the distressed 

 ship from the " Tempest" which assails it. 

 There is a natural purity and simplicity 

 about this scene which are in no degree 

 im|)aired by the poetical air whicli is cast 

 over tlie whole. No. 10 is equally fine. 

 It shews Ferdinand, listening in rapt asto- 

 nishment to tlie wandering airs tliat greet 

 biin 08 he first {laces tlie shores of the 



" Enchanted Island ;" while Miranda and 

 Prospero watch his movements at a distance. 

 The listening air and expression of Ferdi- 

 nand are in the finest style of art ; and the 

 dawning wonder and dehght of Miranda, at 

 the sight of him, are no less appropriate. 

 We shall be glad to know of those who 

 object to this style of engraving, what addi- 

 tional expression could be conveyed to the 

 two faces now alluded to, by the addition of 

 tlie ordinary fillings up — the usual elabora- 

 tion of light and shades. No. 1 1 is devoted 

 to the same three persons of the drama, and 

 refers to the scene where Prospero charms 

 Ferdinand to obedience by feigned anger. 

 The alarm of Aliranda, and the astonish- 

 ment of Ferdinand, are equally well ex- 

 pressed. The httle aerial figure introduced 

 as pressing down the hand of Ferdinand, so 

 that he cannot (as he otherwise would) lift 

 his sword, is in exact conformity with the 

 object of these plates, to illustrate the 

 " spirit" of Shakspeare ; and more of the 

 same sort of illustration might have been 

 used with advantage — as every thing in 

 this wonderful production is, as it were, 

 brought about by spiritual agency — a cir- 

 cumstance which, contrary to the ordinary 

 opinion, makes the play more fitted for 

 stage representation than any other of 

 Shakspeare's productions. 



In Nos. 12 and 13, representing the 

 scene where Antonio and Sebastian© are 

 about to murder the King, and that where 

 Stephano discovers Trinculo under the cloak 

 of Caliban, we do not find much to admire. 

 No. 14, too, representing Miranda soliciting 

 Ferdinand to let her carry the wood for 

 him, though frill of simple and natural 

 grace, is faulty in respect to the figure of 

 Prospero, who, though supposed to be at a 

 ■considerable distance, forms one of the 

 group. Neither do we think that the 15th 

 and ICth plates, which represent the magical 

 banquet that is prepared for the King and 

 his train, and its removal, are successful 

 attempts — though the group of the King, 

 &c., in the first, is finely expressed. The 

 truth is, that the merely human portions of 

 Shakspeare — the simplicity of his females, 

 the nobility of his youthful heroes, the dig- 

 nity of his kings and rulers, those are what 

 Mr. Howard depicts with a true feeling of 

 the nature and spirit of his task. In the 

 humour and oddity, and also in the subna- 

 tural, and the supernatural, he is less happy ; 

 though in these he occasionally shews great 

 skill and judgment, and much strength of 

 imagination. No. 17, shewing Trinculo 

 and Stephano led astray by the music of 

 Ariel, we do not much affect ; but the scene 

 which (No. 18) is one of the finest in the 

 set, and answers admirably to the exclama- 

 tion of Ferdinand at the sight of the super- 

 human part of it : — 



" This 19 a rao«t majestic vision. 

 And harmonious cliariningly." — 



It is illustiativc of thpt scene in tho fuuiiii 



