362 Art Subjects and their Treatment. 



enthusiasm of the Jews, are facts recalled from the past, and 

 made parts of our actual and vital present in the strains of the 

 Oratorio, but the artist only puzzles our eyes with ineffective 

 grouping and monotonous tints. 



Biblical subjects, then, are a failure in this exhibition. It 

 ought not to be so, because they have the immense advantage 

 of being known to all, and in their poetical ideal aspects are 

 perfectly independent of the critical discussions that agitate 

 and perplex our times. 



Let us next look at the historical and political subjects 

 upon which our artists' pencils have been engaged. Latest in 

 the date of the scene, and foremost in attracting attention, is 

 Mr. Frith' s representation of the " Marriage of the Prince of 

 Wales." The artist did not exercise any choice in the selection 

 of this theme, and with all his skill he has only been able to 

 add to previous proofs of the fact, that Court ceremonials, 

 however interesting to spectators, have little to commend 

 them to the artistic mind. With regard to other historical 

 pictures, we may presume that their subjects were selected 

 because they possessed some qualities of incident or suggestion 

 which the painter desired. The list of pictures of this class is 

 not long, and the mere recital of the titles suggests some 

 curious thoughts. Lucknow and Cawnpore furnish Mr. Jones 

 with themes from the Indian mutiny, which he proposes to 

 work out on a larger scale. " The Battle of Edgehill," selecting 

 the moment when Prince Rupert, aided by the desertion of Sir 

 Faithful Fortescue from the Parliamentary ranks, makes a 

 successful charge, supplies a text for Mr. Cooper. Mr. 

 Wynfield represents the " Last Days of Elizabeth" when she 

 was ' ' mopish and melancholy" ; Mr. Millais has a " Joan of 

 Arc" j Mr. Ward tries the old story of " Bizzio's Murder," 

 taking the time when Buthven enters the little chamber at 

 Holyrood, and says to the Queen, " Let your man come forth — 

 he has been here too long." 



Mr. Millais, in addition to the " Joan of Arc," gives us an 

 ideal scene of the Bomans leaving Britain. Mr. O'Neile depicts, 

 after a fashion, the pretty incident of Canute stopping his boat 

 to hear the monks of Ely sing. Mr. Storey exhibits Henry VIII. 

 taking his part in public games ; Mr. Clay shows Charles IX. 

 surrounded by his courtiers, and instigated by Catherine de 

 Medici to join in the massacre of the Protestants by firing at 

 them out of the window ; Mr. Lacy represents Garibaldi depo- 

 siting a wreath on the tomb of TJgo Foscolo, at Chiswick. Mr. 

 Prinsep takes his subject from the flight of Jane Shore; 

 Madame Jerichau has a simple, pathetic picture of a wounded 

 Dane attended by his betrothed; Mr. W. J. Grant portrays 

 Marie Antoinette endeavouring to win one of the opposition 



