The Press. — London, England, 1858-04-24 00:00:00

which are addressed to them. In the other case the Philistines are holding a festival in honour of Dagon ; they praise their god with song and dance, and call upon him to aid them in exterminating the Israelites, who, crushed and spirit-broken, seek the help of Jehovah. Why, here is contrast enough in the posi tions of the two, a difference of situation so great as to make the contrast of character almost impossible. And we must declare our conviction that no such delineation of character was attempted or dreamt of by Handel. The song of the Philistines is a bold, free-hearted, manly strain, very like many other jubilant choruses from the same pen. There is nothing particularly debased or idolatrous about it. Nothing, indeed, can be more beautiful, more touching, more appropriate, more admirable in every way, than the psalm of the Israelites, " Hear, Jacob's God," but then, unfortunately, it is not by Ha n d e l, but merely an adaptation of a six-part chorus from Carissimi's oratorio of Jephtha. But what shall we say of the magnificent finale which concludes the part where the opposing parties sing the praises of their gods in precisely the same words, and precisely the same noses, the names only being vat ied ? Alas for the dramatic character now ! Are the Philistines suddenly brought to the true faith, or have the Israelites apostatised ? Surely this sort of indis criminate admiration is a poor compliment to a great man. Had Handel so little genius, was be such a poor commonplace composer, that we need as cr ibe to him qualities that were not his, and applaud him for successes which he never aimed at? The part of Samson was undertaken by Mr. Sims Reeves, who appeared to be suffering from hoarseness, and did not sing with his usual ease and finish. Miss Fanny Rowland was the Philistine wo man; the parts of Delilah and Micah were intrusted to Miss Banks and Miss Palmer; and the part of the Israelitish woman, which includes the brilliant air " Let the bright seraphim," was sung by Mlle. M. de Villar. Mr. Thomas was a good, rough, vulgar Harapha, and the music of Marwah was most carefully and admirably sung by Mr. Ssntley, who is gaining rank in his profession every day. - rt T H tint arts THE NEW SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER COLOURS. The want of durability has long been alleged as a grave objection to the use of water colours; and the recent exhibition of the Turner drawings has most unfortunately exemplified the defect. There are many persons who are most unwilling to listen to any such warnings, and who will find you good special reasons fur every instance of decay you can mention; but the mere existence of a strong opinion en the subject, whether well founded or not, pro duces this result,—that the artists who attach them selves to water colours remain, and must remain, a sort of junior class in the school of painters. Most men begin their careers dreaming of fame and immortality, and such fine things; but though a young artist may have chosen his profession from ambition or a love of the art, be pursues it for a livelihood. And so it often happens that he soon almost leaves off looking forward at all, and though pleased if his pictures are praised, he gets to be well contented if they sell. To an artist in this position it matters little whether his paintings be durable or net ; they answer the purpose to which he has sacri• ticed every other—they supply his present emergen cies. One paints in water colours because be began with this medium ; he is at home in it, and not inclined to make a new beginning. Another is allured by the beauty of the transparent colours and the fine effects of atmosphere which they are so well adapted for producing. The style, too, is fashionable, and works of average merit find a ready sale, and here is a bait for all. But when an artist begins to be a little raised out of these temptations and to find the cares of the present not quite so pressing, if he be a true artist, he begins to look forward again. His copyrights are inquired for, and engravers make his compositions known to the people. When he feels that his work w4l be looked at a hundred—two hun dred—five hundred years hence, be does not grudge his time. But how can a man find in his heart to spend twelve months over a picture with even an apprehension in his mind that it may not last as many years? And will any one pay him for such labour —pay a large sum for that which he may live to see in ruins ? We ought, therefore, to be neither surprised nor sorry when we find the best water colour painters, in the very height of their success, suddenly withdrawing from their accustomed places. But their withdrawal has a bad effect upon those who remain. To be first in their own class is the limit of most men's ambition ; and when the best men ave left the class, second-rate merit takes the lead, and holds up its narrow notions and conventional forms as a Pattern to all new corners. This evil, however, we must put np with as we best may. It is only a few weeks since we heard that Mr. Lewis bad resigued the presidency of the Water-colour ° Ol43 tY, and would pai n t f or t h e f u t ure oils; and now ? at the opening of the New s9oititv we 00 that Mr. Absolon is not only missing from the list of exhibitors, but is no longer to be found among the members. It is said that he means to follow Mr. Lewis's example ; and if this be true, the public will gain what the society loses. There are three pictures in the gallery this year which, on a rapid glance, will attract the first attention of most people— Mr. E. G. Warren's "Forest of Dean," Mr. H. Warren's " Song of the Georgian Maiden," and Mr. Tidey's " Field-day in the Last Century." They are in widely different styles, and not less distinguished by merit than by size and position. The first will be generally acknowledged the finest picture of the exhibition ; it was painted, as a friend of the artist has informed the public, entirely from nature, and has all the freshness and truth and life which dis tinguish an original study from a secondhand copy. It is impossible to write cold criticism about it : it is a very delight to stand before it; it seems to transport one bodily from Pall-mall to Gloucestershire, and place one upon that soft, brown carpet, the leaves of bygone years. You feel the warm sun, and rejoice in the cool shade ; look up to the clear sky and the beautiful green light which comes so gently through the soft, fresh foliage ; and gaze with perpetual pleasure upon the trunk of that grand old beech, with its graceful boughs, its rich mosses, and its smooth grey bark. We s hall feel the power of this picture when July comes ; what a contrast will it be to the hot and crowded streets of London. And what a con• trast is it now to Mr. H. Warren's Eastern court, which hangs near it. Here is a crowd of dark eyed, dark-haired girls, standing and lying, singing and lister.ing, dressed in blue and crimson and gold—here is a mass of rich shawls and gorgeous hanging., pillars and palm-leaves, jewels and fruit and wine; here is a change from the cool and quiet forest. It is a splendid and elaborate piece of colour, and a clever composition ; these are its merits. It makes no appeal to the feelings ; it is a mere scene of luxury and sensuality, and could hardly excite a feeling in any man's mind which he would care to acknowledge. The attitudes of some of the figures might be objected to, and the expression still more ; the tale is scarcely well told, Mr. Tidey's "Field day " is not a battle, but a picnic; a group of ladies and fine gentlemen, dressed in the costume of the last century, are taking dinner in the open air. It is very well drawn and the derails carefully finished, and the colouring is bright, if not perfectly true. It aims at nothing more than prettiness, and it is un deniably pretty. Everybody in the party is graceful and good-looking; there is the gentleman busy with the eatables, and the gentleman busy with the girls, and the gentleman who spills his wine as be jokes with the lady. It is a party of pleasure, and all seem pleasantly situated, and a pleasant picture they make. Mr. Tidey has three smaller pieces, of which " The Wanderer" is perhaps the most striking. It is boldly drawn, and there is something very genuine about the face, but nothing to awaken any one's sympathies. It looks like a real drawing from nature of an idle, stubborn, and conceited young man, whose folly has brought him to grief ; and we can only hope his sufferings may do him much good. Mr. Haghe contributes five pictures in his usual style,— mediteval halls and mediaeval figures—vaulted roofs and carved chimney-pieces—bearded faces, jerkins and jackboots—cloaks and caps and furred gowns. Mr. Cook's sea eces are as fine as ever; his "Rising of the Ground Sea " is a noble picture ; there is a grandeur about the rocks and a life and brilliancy in the waves, easily met with in nature , but seldom successfully represented. Mr. Corbouldhas only one picture of any importance, " A Miracle-play in the Fourteenth Century," and this is pretentious rather than good ; his other contributions are trifles, and rather silly trifles. Mr. Lee's rustic figures are always carefully painted, if rather feeble ; and Mr. Mole's large composition, " Good News," has a good deal of life and spirit, though defaced by some very careless drawing and slovenly execution. We have not room to notice a number of excellent pictures, and need not waste words upon Mr. Rowbotham's con ventional Italian landscapes, Mr. Bouvier's blue eyed simpering coquettes, with the same face six times painted in different pictures, and eleven times repeated in No. 163. We may pass by the carica tures of Mr. Campion, Mr. Howse, and Miss L. Cor haus ; but a word of praise is due to the charming studies of children by Miss Farmer, to Mr. Harri son Weir's "Christmas Carol," and to Mrs. Smith's " Prends Garde a Toi Mr. Sutcliffe seems to be the only member at all inclined to pre-Raphaelite principles. In his "Mill at Wensley" he has made a most earnest attempt to copy natural objects more exactly than he finds to be the fashion, but in his attention to details he has neglected the light and shadow, and even the aerial perspective of his sub ject, and produced in consequence a most unsuccess ful picture. There are plenty of persons ready, of course, to ridicule his attempt, and unsuccessful people especially must always expect to be laughed at ; lint if be his the courage and patience to perse vere in his study, and not" to be deteresel .by this year's failure, as he increases his knowledge and corrects his fat 44 he will find no want supporter. !! ; PRESS, APRIL 24, 1858. THE FIFTH EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS BY ARTIE!' OF THE FRENCH SCHOOL has just opened, and in the number and general merit of the pictures is at least equal to the collections of previous years. It pre sents a curious contrast to the galleries of our native artists in the small proportion of landscapes which it contains. Landscape-painting is no doubt more widely and successfully cultivated among us than among the French, but we may take a lesson from our neighbours in careful and correct drawing of the human figure ; the greater beauty of our country is probably the reason of our superiority in the one branch, but there is no excuse for our shortcomings in the other. It would be well, too, if the directors of other institutions would follow the example set by the committee of the French Exhibition, and be a little more rigorous in their rejection of inferior works. We should derive far greater pleasure from the study of good pictures if we were spared the labour of seeking them out among the crowd of worthless attempts by which they are generally sur rounded. There are not many historical paint ings exhibited at the room in Pall-mall this year. Three pictures by Comte, two by Ary Scheffer, and one very inferior production by Lagardon, are about all that can be reckoned in this class, even if we take it in its wider sense. The first has chosen for his subjects "The Trial of Lady Jane Grey," " Benvenuto Cellini receiving the visit of Francis 1.," and "Jeanne D'Albret buying the poisoned gloves." They are not works of a high order; the execution of the details is better than the design of the prin cipal figures, which is somewhat scholastic and arti fioial, and not distinguished by much originality or intellectual power. Just the reverse may be said of Scheffer's " Faust with the poisoned cup " and " Marguerite at the Fountain." Here in each case the background, the draperies, and, in fact, all the accessories, are carelessly and roughly executed, apparently with the view of drawing the spectator's whole attention to the central figure—we might almost say, to the head of the central figure. Mar guerite is hardly youthful enough, and her face, though symmetrical and well drawn, has very little character about it ; but the head of Faust is wonder fully fine, noble in form and feature, seamed and fur rowed, and corroded with sorrow. After these come innumerable studies of every day life, small pictures fur the mos: part, generally well drawn, and almost all with a certain life and esprit about them. This is a class of paintings in which French artiste especially excel ; and here Meissonier, of course, claims the first notice. He sends this year two very small studies, one of a " Courtier," the other of a " Gentleman reading ;" both are good specimens of his wonderfully faithful and minute style. Between these two is placed a slight but spirited sketch by Decamps, representing a group of gipsies round their fire. Edouard Frere sends five of his charm ing little studies from peasant life, of which the " maid" and the" Cradle " are perhaps the most pleasing. The small events and occupations of common life among the middle class of society supply a circle of subjects to Duverger, Fiche!, and Seignac. " The New Dress," " The Letter," "The Duet," " The Lest New Prints," are simple studies from the life, but full of grace and quiet truth. " The Return from Nurse," by Plassan, is in a more ambitious style, the expression both of mother and child ex tremely good, and the picture painted with a delicacy and finish worthy of the old Flemish school. Conture's "Italian Shepherd" is a bold, rough sketch ; and the " Disconsolate," by the same artist, a coarse and rather repulsive study of the nude female figure. Schlesinger's "Masters are out" is a cleverly painted group of servants amusing them selves before the drawing•room looking-glass in the absence of the family; there is a good deal of humour in the figure of the black footman. Van Seben sends what appears to be meant for an Eng lish school; the children be seems to have studied carefully from Webster and Mulready, but somehow or other they wear wooden shoes. Dubufe contri butes three portraits, and Saint Jean two studies of flowers and fruit. Rosa Bonheur has a large portrait of a sporting dog—a very fine and bold sketch of a very ugly brute. A more finished and attractive picture by the same accomplished artist is No. 7, a pair of oxen drawing the plough. The action of the animals, the richness of the colour, the life and freshness of the early morning, are alike ad mirable. The cattle-pieces of Rosa Bonheur are the first things looked for by every visitor to the gallery. A few words will suffice for the landscapes. The French have not yet bad a Turner to break through established forms, and still attach themselves too much to the old mannerisms. There are one or two " grand landscapes " in imitation of Poussin, and one or two sea-pieces, after the style of the Dutch painters ; but there is some study of nature in the pictures of Lambiner and Sohampheleer, and the corn-fields of the latter have considerable merit. Sebron has sent a careful painting of the pburch of St. Jacques, at Antwerp; and Wyld, a IggP view adt the " Grand Canal at Venice,".-not the pott4 Venice of Tuyner r but the liters). Teak, of Cemil•