Nature and Art, June, 1867. 
THE TWO WATER-COLOUR SOCIETIES. 
193 
scattered fragments of wreck look like the slain of the 
battle-field, and they tell how fierce the shock has been ; the 
masses of rock have been very carefully studied. Mr. Haghe, 
the vice-president, is well represented this year. His j 
principal contribution is a pair of very fine drawings, to 
which he has given the appropriate titles of “ Lawless 
Times” (223) and “Peaceful Times” (234). The last of 
these is “ Cavaliere d’Arpino Painting the Frescoes in the | 
Cloisters of the Convent . of St. Onofrio, Rome.” The 
feeling of peace and repose could not have been better | 
suggested than it is by this quiet cloister and its pious | 
inhabitants, who have left the strife and struggle of the ( 
world to end their days in the shade of this retreat. The j 
decoration of the place by the Cavaliere — the incident selected i 
by Mr. Haghe — also helps to confirm the title of the picture ; ! 
for the cultivation of Art — and all human cultivation as | 
well — can only advance for the benefit of man in peaceful j 
times. The other picture tells its story equally well. A | 
lawless and armed band have entered a house which, from j 
its architecture, might be an Italian villa. Its inhabitants | 
are defending themselves as best they may ; and although 
succour is seen coming, yet the spectator is left in fear for 
the result to the lives of those attacked. The action and | 
painting in the figures of this picture are admirable, and | 
the grey tones of the architecture display Mr. Haghe’ s I 
peculiar forte. Carl Werner’s Egyptian subjects are very 
successful this year. Out of the many which he exhibits, j 
the first we come to in the catalogue (22) is a very good illus- 
tration of Mr. Werner’s powers ; he draws carefully, is almost j 
photographic in detail, effective and powerful in light and 
shade, and rich in colour — all qualities of the highest value J 
to such drawings. Mr. Tidey gives four large and well- 
drawn illustrations of the four seasons. “ The French 
Advocate for Woman’s Rights ” (82) is a happy title; the 
advocate seems as strong-limbed as she seems strong- 
minded. Mr. Hine has taken possession of the Downs, j 
and made them quite his own. What soft lovely greys he | 
gets over the simple outlines of this geological formation. ( 
“ On the Downs near Folkington, Sussex,” (310) is a good 
specimen of his powers. Mr. Hine is equally fond of the 
beach, where he likes to study cliffs, rocks, boats, sea-weeds, I 
and oyster-pots, &c. “ Coast near Beachy Head ” (204) is a 
highly successful effort. “ Nuremberg - ” (70) by Skinner I 
Prout, — 
“ Quaint old town of toil and traffic, 
Quaint old town of art and song, 
Memories haunt thy pointed gables 
Like the rooks that round them throng.” 
This is about as good a picture as Mr. Prout ever pro- 
duced — a busy scene brightly painted. “ Waiting for the 
Pantomime ” (295), by G. Green, is full of capital character 
and drawing. “In the Plaza de Toros, Seville ” (196), by 
W. W. Deane, is a picture showing great advancement ; small 
as the face of the queen is, the likeness is evident. Mr. Penley, 
who contributes such able articles upon painting to this 
periodical, is strongly represented by a large number of 
drawings painted in his best style. We most cordially 
advise his readers to go and see for themselves how well, 
and with what good effect Mr. Penley carries out the in- 
structions which he gives to others. Space will not permit 
a further notice of many most meritorious works in this 
exhibition. 
In the Oljd Water-colour Room, one of the first pictures 
which attracts notice is Carl Haag’s “ Happiness in the 
Desert ” (417). It is one of the very best works Mr. Haag 
has yet done ; the shadow of the camel from the sun and 
moon — both faint, the one dying and the other coming into 
existence, each neutralizing the other — is a particularly fine 
feature in this picture. If happiness is to be got in riches, 
the reported price of this picture would indicate that Mr. 
Haag can find “Happiness in the Desert” as well as the 
Arab family he has so wonderfully represented. Alfred W. 
Hunt wants the great range and power of Turner ; but 
there is almost no man of the present day who can get 
some of that great painter’s qualities of aerial grays, 
flickering softness, light, and colour without muddiness or 
blackness. Still one cannot help wondering at such a title 
as “ November 11th, One o’Clock p.m.” (16). It reminds 
one of the inimitable parody which Professor Aytoun, 
under the name of “ Mr. Dusky,” made uponRuskin’s style 
of writing; in fact, one of Mr. Dusky’s criticisms was 
upon a picture which he at first thought represented a 
scene under the conditions of effect which would indicate 
that the hour of the day must be “ two o’clock p.m. ;” but a 
more minute inspection made it clear that this was an error, 
and that the true time represented was twenty- three minutes 
past two p.m. This was out-Ruskining Ruskin, and Mr. 
Hunt’s title has a very strong resemblance to it. At the 
same time it must be confessed that it is a very wonderful 
picture. The clearness and brightness of effect is unrivalled 
in the room. So fine is the work of every part, that one 
cannot help regretting that the foreground had not been 
differently treated : it looks like a child’s work ; it is poor 
and unfinished. Compare it with the foreground of “ Dur- 
ham, from Pelaw Wood ” (258), by the same artist, and it 
will be seen that he can give force and effect to that part 
of his picture. This last will rank, and that with great 
advantage too, beside Birket Foster’s “York” (263). 
Fine as Foster is at foliage, he would find it difficult to go 
beyond the group of trees in Hunt’s picture. “ The Old 
Breakwater” (150) and “ Old Shoreham Bridge” (156) are 
about the finest works which Mr. Foster has ever exhibited. 
T. R. Lamont’s two pictures are well drawn, but there is a 
scratchy look about them which, were it got quit of, would 
greatly improve the effect. “ The Puerta de la Sangre, 
Toledo ” (92), by E. A. Gooaall, is a very good drawing. 
Most people will very naturally be pleased with the title 
and the subject chosen by Mr. Bradley, namely, “ The 
Happy Mother ” (201). 
“Crimea — Sounding a Retreat” (71), by Frederick F. 
Shields, is well drawn and painted ; it is no fancy picture, 
but very real in its character. The bugler belongs to the 
97th, and it is scarcely fair to any regiment to select it 
as an example of retreat. The 97th did retreat from the 
Redan ; but it was with no dishonour. They were the first 
who entered that work, although their colonel and major 
fell, the one mortally wounded, and the other dead, in the 
attack. 
There are a great many works in this exhibition whose 
quality and character scarcely require to be noticed ; such 
as John Gilbert, T. M. Richardson, Frederick Tayler, E. 
Duncan, James Holland, &c. &c., whose reputation we are 
all agreed upon ; but a new man has lately appeared among 
them, about whose powers there is the very widest possible 
difference of opinion. According to his admirers, his 
pictures are about the only works which can be called art 
in the present day : in fact, art is not the word, they are 
shrines at which to worship, and the artist is a prophet, or 
at least a canonized saint. With others this admiration seems 
one of the greatest delusions of the time ; they are lost in 
wonder at the bare idea of such works being even included 
under the term pictures. Believers in Spiritualism, the 
Davenport Brothers, Mrs. Thwaites, or Mr. Burne Jones, 
would seem to some to be equally ridiculous. Here are High 
and Low Church in art. Here are the extremes ; and who is 
to decide ? Well may the outer world doubt all rules of 
criticism when they find artists themselves so wide in their 
judgments. Mr. Burne Jones’s works are certainly curious 
l productions ; and it is said that the members of the Society 
were very much astonished at themselves when they first 
i saw his works upon their walls. Possibly there is a certain 
j want in modern art, and it is too much made up of light 
' and shade, drawing and composition, mechanical power and 
i dexterity ; possibly it altogether wants the higher and 
more spiritual qualities of relationship to man’s moral and 
religious nature. Mr. Jones does make an attempt at these 
higher attributes, and the devotion of his ardent and 
worshipping admirers may be interpreted as a protest 
against their absence from modern art. Whether he has 
attained them, or will be the star of a new school, or not, 
we will not try to decide; time itself will make the point 
' clear. 
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