1808.] 
core) 
MONTHLY RETROSPECT OF THE FINE ARTS. 
The Use of ali New Prints, and Communications of Articles of Intelligence, art requested. 
ere 
WHOLE length portrait of the 
A Right Ton. Wiliam Pitt, now en- 
graving by Mr. Bromley, will be com- 
pletely finished in afew days. It is very 
highly spoken of; and, from the beautiful 
drawing which was exhibited at Mr. Bow- 
yer’s, Pall Mall, we have every reason to 
think it will be worthy of the high repu- 
tation this artist has justly obtained in 
his prefession. 
Oriental Field Sports, being a complete detawed 
and accurate Defcription of the wild Sports of 
the East ; embellished with Forty Eugravings 
from the Desigus of Captain Thomas Williwm- 
son, who fap: upwards of Twenty Years in 
Bengal. The Drawings bz Samuel Howett, 
and engr ox by the first Artists, under the 
Direction of Edward Orme. Price ad 
Guineas. 
This is a most beautiful and vbhiadite 
work. Each plate is accompanied by a 
page or two of illustrative letter-press, 
and exhibits a variety of subjects highly 
interesting, and entirely novel to an Eu- 
ropean eye. The prints are finely drawn, 
and well engraved in aquatint, and ex- 
tremely well coloured. 
The British Institution opened for pub- 
lic inspection on Thursday, February 14. 
Lhe general appearance of this Exhibi- 
tion is not, perhaps, equal to the two 
preceding it; but it is certainly more 
orginal, On the prize-pictures it would 
be invidious to be severe; but it is the 
general feeling, that the picture by Miss 
Reinagle, which obtained the third prize, 
ought t to have bad the first. Of two pie- 
tures of equal merit, the one historic and 
the other landscape, i it would certainly 
be just to give the preference to the his- 
toric picture, because it unquestionably 
requires a higher order of yenius to per- 
form the one than the other ; ; but when 
the landscape possesses more of the ge- 
nius and powers requisite for that de- 
partment of the art, than the historic’ 
picture.does, a good landscape is surely 
more estimable than an inditferent his- 
toric picture. But it is not our province, 
in any degree to censure the decision of 
the British Institution, who could have 
no other motive than the laudable one 
of endeavouring to revive the declining 
genius of historic painting, and in their 
hope of doing a great good, they per- 
haps did a little wrong. 
Ne, 101, Jupiter’ and Antiope. S. 
 Sloikard, i, d, ‘his is a very € exqui- 
site cabinet picture, The form of Ane 
tiope is delicately and beautifully pre- 
portioned, and the character full of 
sweetness and fascination. The colour 
ing of the whole is astomtshingly rich and 
splendid. Perhaps if tlie shadow over. 
the breast of Antiope had been less blue, 
it would have improved the general har- 
mony; but it is “a picture that will sup- 
port the reputation of this highly-gitted 
genius. 
No. 19,28, 54,60,68. R. Westall, R.A. 
—a«\s these pictures have been before ex- 
hibited, i£ is unnecessary to be minute- 
in the description of them. They are 
five most fascinating productions, and 
beam wath all that taste and feeling whicl 
alinost invariably mark the productions 
of this artist. 
5S. Drummond has twelve pictures, 
many cfthem.of great merit. His drown- 
ed Sailor is a good picture, but wants ef 
‘fect and strength of marking: a little 
more decision and firmness OF manner 
would remove that misty in¢listinctness, 
which too often characterizes his pic= 
tures.— No. 7, Pharouh’s Daughicr pleads 
ing jor Moses, has some good eta but 
is deficient in historic dignity. The girl 
that holds the child is very ill drawn.—- 
No. 84, Inside of a Milk-house, has greas 
merit, 
Miss Sprisbury has displayed great taste 
and delicacy in ten pictures,—WNo, 72, 
the inside of «@ Kampshire Cottage, is a 
most charming producnon—Nr. 243 
Lhe Chrastinas ‘Dinner, is a very pleasing 
and interesting Companion to it. 
No. 25, Fishermen, J, Linnell, 
chaste and beautiful li ietle picture. 
No. 27, The broken Pitcher, T. Stew- 
ardson, is an imitation of Opie, and 2 
very successful one, 
No. 93, Lhe Rattle, W. Mulready, 
a most exquisite little picture, and nis 
disputably the best imitetiou of the Fle- 
mish school in the gallery. ‘ 
Wo. 96, The insolent Visit of Thomas 
a-Becket to King Henry fi. This pic- 
ture obtained. the frst prenuain of 100 
guineas given by the British Institution, 
1807. It is painted by J. Pocock; but 
in composition, colouring, or gusto, it has 
no resemblance to Vandyke, to whose 
picture of Theodosius it is mended as a 
companion, It bears a much stronger 
appearance of being “i. dunitation “of 
W esiall. 
No. 
