258 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND AKCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



[JUL¥, 



pUiceil its Hrtist among the six selected. It is a work the merit of 

 which is iiicontestible, and which forms with the Fates of Arinitnge 

 and the Loviilty of Redgrave the trio of leading worlis. I'.irlicnlar 

 criticism is unnecessary. 



No. 54. The Death of Abel, by Marshall Claxton, i;iOO ^idditionMl 

 premium niiin of last year, has some good foreshortening but wants 

 interest and eftecf. His other fresco, 59, the building of Oxford Uni- 

 versity, exhibits figures too brown, and a want of shades, but relieved 

 by vigour and simplicity. 



Salter's Study, 21, is not worth much. 



No. 58. The Battle of Bosworth Field, by Alex. Blaikley, is hack- 



nied, and wants interest, but it is a fair cartoon for su|jer(icial decoration. 



No. GO. The Parting of Sir Thomas More and his Daughter, a 



fresco, by S. A. Hart, is one of the fine works, but has scarcely reached 



the intensity of the subject. 



Wat Tyler, No. 61, by W. B. Spence, is one of a common run of 

 cartoons, an indifferent subject, some tolerably drawn figures, and a 

 decent allowance of extravagance. 



John Bridges, who gained a £100 premium last year, has a fresco 

 which is to be classed with the superior works. It is Milton dicta- 

 ting to his Daughters, 62. It does not, however, carry out the sub- 

 ject to its best. 



Peace, a fresco, by J. C. Horsley, one of the selected, has the 

 merits and defects of No. 63. 



The Death of St. Thomas a Becket, 64 and 67, by John Cross, we 

 also mark as a good work. The figure of the archbishop is imposing. 

 No. G5 we may safely pass by. 



No. 66, by William Dyce, is a fresco representing two heads, a 

 work conceived in the antique style, but destitute of the antique spirit. 

 We are assured the Commissioners must have been rather dazzled by 

 prepossessions to place Mr. Dyce among the six selected. 



E. T. Parris last year received a premium of 100/. We confess 

 we are surprized after his long practice at finding no better work 

 than his King John, No. 6S. This may be very useful as showing 

 how gaudy fresco can be made, and is a good vvork of the class, but 

 then the class is meretricious. King John here beats King Solomon 

 or King George the Fourth, in all his glory of purple, crimson and gold. 

 H. J. Townsend, who received a 200/. premium last year, has sus- 

 tained his reputation by his Puck's Mission, No. 69, one of the best 

 works in the room. 



We have some respect for the Messrs. Foggo, so we shall allow our 

 personal feelings to weigh down our strong objections to Nos. 70, 71, 

 and 72. 



The remarks we before applied to Mr. Buss are equally justified 

 by his fresco. No. 73, the Convc rsion of King Ethelbert. It decidedly 

 raises his reputation. 



No. 74, fresco, is tlie Knight, by Daniel Maclise. Mr. Maclise is 

 one of the six selected artists, and our readers may perhaps be curious 

 to know what No. 74 is. We repeat, "The Knight, by Daniel Ma- 

 clise." All Maclise's merits, with all Maclise's well known defects. 

 He is the same in fresco as in oil. We think however the Commis- 

 sioners are justified in their choice. 



The fresco No. 75, by J. H. Nixon, is the tame Henry reading the 

 Bible in Old St. Paul's. 'A cartoon, by Thomas Sheraton, No. 76, wants 

 mind and interest. We thought Mr. Sheraton could do something 

 better. 



Love, a fresco, No. 77, by Augustus Egg, is a young artist's subject 

 with French colouring and sentiment. In a lady's boudoir it would be 

 considered a fair work. 



Pickersgill's fresco. Sir Calepine rescuing Serena, is on the motif 

 of the National Gallery picture. His 100/, additional premium last 

 year seems not to have done him much good. 



Mr. Severn also received a premium of 100/. last year. His Eng- 

 lish Bible read in the Churches is a fresco, totally unworthy of him. 



Mr. Rippingille received last year one of thc'additional premiums, 

 <; decision which we in some degree doubted, we think however his 

 fresco. No. 80, Luna and Endymiun, a superior work, which raises his 

 character much. The management of the floating figure is excellent. 

 The cartoon of the Angel of the Pillar, No. 81, by John Bell, the 

 sculptor, is a laudable effort, and does him credit. 



Nos. 82, S3, and 84, cartoons, occupy what we suppose is the con- 

 demned hole, in accordance with their character. If Mr. F.M. Brown 

 is extravagant in No. 7, in No. 84 he shows a want of discretion, 

 which would incapacitate hira from employment elsewhere. Adam 

 and Eve are most ludicrous caricatures, which would excite any one's 

 laughter. 



SCULPTUKE. 



The sculpture is arranged in the middle of the hall as the painting 

 IS around it. 



No. 85, lord Bacon, by John Henning, jun., has some dignitv, but 

 is more meritorious for its frill. No. 86, the Descent of Mercury, bv 

 Mr. Patrick Park, is a decidedly clever and original work, but spoiled 

 by conceit. The Statue of Chaucer, No. 87, by Thomas Plumley, is 

 finely conceived. Leopoldo Bozzoni has two Apostles tamely but 

 smoothly executed. No. 90 is Captain Cook, by W. G. Nicholl. Mr. 

 Rivers does not shine in Richard I., No. 91, which is unworthy of 

 liini, his Statue of Rennie the elder is however a redeeming work, but 

 is only on a small scale. No. 92, a Statue by John Ternouth. 



Hamilton and Carleton MacCarthy have given infinite spirit to St. 

 George and the Dragon, No, 93, one of the most striking and merito- 

 rious groups. It however shows haste, and wants finish. There are no 

 muscles under the horse's skin. Caractacus No, 94, by J. D. H. 

 Browne, is a fair work, but not rising above the herd. St. John the 

 Divine, by G. Templeman, is a dandified affair, but manifesting ability. 

 The last Prayer of Ajax, by James Legrew, No. 97, only requires 

 of us that we should say, " it is lifi-," being one of the choice works of 

 the hall. R. C. Lucas has 98 and 99, both fine works, and the latter 

 to be classed among tlie best. King Canute the Great wants dignity, 

 but the subject of Lilla is novel in itself and in its treatment, impress- 

 ing the spectator, though we do not absolutely concur in the arrange- 

 ment, particularly of Edwin with his arms extended. Chaucer, No. 

 100, by W. Calder Marshall, is fair. William Scoular has a Shepherd 

 Boy, and Adam and Eve lamenting over Abel. We need not say 

 more. Nos. 103 and 104, by Henry Sibson, are costume portraits, to 

 show off tailoring and haberdashery. Sophronia and Olindo at the 

 Stake, No. 105, by A. H. Ritchie, is a work which we like for its 

 treatment, though we doubt its admissibility in the Palace of West- 

 minster. It is a su;)erior work. 



John Bell is oi:e of the three selected sculptors. His Eagle Slayer, 

 No. lOG, is a work which would give him reputation did he not pos- 

 sess it already, and it fully justifies the Commissioners. The attitude 

 is striking, but the arrangement of the drapery is indecent, it would 

 be better if there were none. No. 107, we pass over. Its artist W, 

 F. Woodington, has another subject, Wilton dictating to his Daughters, 

 which is fair. No. 109 is Sir Thomas More, The Hesitation of Pan- 

 dora, by J. B. Howkins, has as much expression as can be communi- 

 cated to sculpture, and is among ouV favourites. No. Ill is Chaucer, 

 by John Hancock. No. 113 is Boadicea, a group, by John Henning, 

 jun., who deserves credit for his exertions. King William IV., by 

 C. B. Robinson, No. 114 must be meant for the Royal Exchange. 

 Nos. 115 and IIG are Statues of Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury, and King 

 Charles the First. No. 117, Alfred the Great, by F. S. Archer, is 

 fair, but is not Alfred. Benjamin Spence deserves credit for his group 

 of the Death of the Duke of York, 118. Hercules and Lycas, 119, is 

 a vigorous composition, by Henry Timbrell. No. 120 is a Statue of 

 Alfred, by J. S. Westmacott. No. 121, Bacon, by Thomas Sharp, but 

 the countenance interesting. John Francis has thought fit to send a 

 Statue of Prince Albert, and David Dunbar, jun., of Mr. Robert Burns. 

 The Newton, by William Jackson, has good expression, but is not 

 equal to No. 132. Frederick Thrupp has two works, Nos. 125 and 

 127, both works of considerable merit, a Hindoo throwing a Javelin, 

 which is however not a Hindoo, and Arethusa reclining. No. 128 is 

 by R. G, Davies. 



Lough is almost the only sculptor of eminence who has exerted 

 himself for the present exhibition. No. 120 is a large group repre- 

 senting a wife, during the wars of the roses, discovering her husband's 

 lifeless body on the battle field, with the charger standing over it. 

 The charger occupies perhaps a position too prominent, but his ex- 

 pression is tine, and the whole group tells its tale. Mr. Lough's other 

 group. No. 139, is on a still larger scale, and also historical. It is 

 Edward I. creating a Dying Warrior a Banneret. This is a grand 

 work, and shows what can be done in large groups in a national edi- 

 fice. No. 130, Charles the First parting with his Children, by Henry 

 Mares, is made ludicrous by the king being robed iu a flowing bed- 

 gown, a most womanly affair. We must not however contest that the 

 artist has ability. No. 131, Cardinal Wolsey, by Thomas Grimsley, 

 is well expressed, but No. 132, Newton, when young, by Edwin 

 Gahagan, isan admir.ible specimen of refined and poetical portraiture. 

 Milton reciting to his Daughters, by James Legrew, No. 131, is one 

 of the choice works, showing how to infuse expression and truth into 

 a subject so often treated. Jane Shore, by John Bell, No. 134, is a 

 fair work. Bede is a portrait. 



Carew has exhibited his Falconer, 136. We should be glad to give 

 him due credit for it, but it is too well known ; No. 152 makes up for 

 it. Richard Cceur de Lion, 137, by J. S. Westmacott, is good, but the 

 king is made too old. Hollins has sent for exhibition a bit of a tomb. 

 Wyatt's Cceur de Lion is an equestrian figure Hfe size, the warrior 

 being mounted on one of Wyatt's horses, which he keeps for the use 

 of such George the Thirds, Wellingtons, and Cceur de Lions as may 



