The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-05-26 00:00:00

PAINTINGS AT THE EXHIBITION.

Noticing the paintings on view at the Fisheries
Exhibition the Daily News says
The most-striking of the paintings of British fresh-
water fishes are in the entrance hall, and amongst
them are nine oil colours by the late H. L. Rolfe, who
was admitted to be the first fieh painter of his time.
Thee() are in one conspicuous series in the left
bay fifteen pictures by a living artist, Mr. G.
Targett, of Salisbury, and of them it may unhesi-
tatingly be pronounced that they. have at least
no superiors in the entire Exhibition for skilful
colouring and minute accuracy. Those Christchurch
salmon were evidently painted precisely as the
fish lay, with their silvery vesture undimned, fresh
from the river Avon. The burly Hampshire trout,
gamest and sweetest-flavoured of English fario, are as
like as life, and have the splendid burnishing of the
fish as they gladden the angler's eye in the landing
net, though, all too quickly, the bright spots lose their
brilliant colours, and the exquisite tintings of the
whole body fade. The pike and other coarse fish are
also excellently done. The grayling are as good as any
painter has ever pictured them. But Mr. Targett
is not the only fish portrait painter in the Exhibi-
tion. Mr. H. G. Alfred, of Moorgate street, London,
is another angler-artist who exhibits. He has nine
pictures, some of them with fancy titles, and there
are two good sets of miniatures, and a faithful repre-
sentation of the Thames trout in season and out of
season. How well a fish subject lends itself to the
artistic use to which plates and plaques are now put
may be seen in the "Hooked at Last" of Miss Forbes
on the right-hard s'de. Mr. A. W. Cooper, whose
pencil has illustrated many first-class sporting books,
shows both oil and water-colours. In the entrance hall
Mr. Robert Barratt Browning's "Stall in the Fish
Market at Antwerp " may be said to occupy the place
of honour, and to be worthy of it. This fine picture is
too well known to require description. From his
comely market-women and their fishy stock-in-trade
the visitor naturally turns to his Gamaliels, the old
Dutch masters, who loved to put their best work into
the homely scenes of fish, fishermen, fishsellers, and
fish buyers. The Worshipful Company of Fish-
rn.ongers have been good enouA to send a number of
pictures from the grar.d collection in their hall at
London Bridire. There are eight notable examples of
Arnold von Haeken. Mr. A. G. Jardine, a member
of the Executive Committee, lends several paintings,
chiefly modern, but the most noticeable of his loans is
an Isaac van Duynen of much value.
The Fine Arts Gallery is rich in works by men who
have made -name and-Laing,. ege_JaVi JARt many
modern artists who-p-ainfingling pictures, and of the
few who do exhibit occasionally in the art galleries of
the metropolis, there are always some who prove that

their knowledge of painting and landscape is greater
than their understanding of fishing matters. In thi,.
category, of course is not Mr. Dendy Sadler. His
Academy picture of years ago, representing the eager
monk struggling with a hooked fish while a brother
admonishes him to be steady, was a masterly study of
the supreme moment of sport, a moment in which
anxiety ta come best off in the encounter was humor-
ously blended with fear lest the refractory might,
after all, suffer. Altogether there are eight of Mr.
Dendy Sadler's pictur,s in the Exhibition.

" A Fly fisher," by Mr. Pettie, ILA., has been lent
by its owner, and there are pictures by R.
Andiell, RA., W. H. Bartlett (" Return from the
-Seal Hunt "). W. J. Calcott ("Herring Smacks
Arriving "), Erskine Nicol, A.R. A. (the ever-popular
"Steady, Johnnie I " and 11 Piscatore) ; Greville
Fennell, the veteran angling author and artist; E.
Hayes, RH.A. ("Dutch Fishing Pinks" and "Life-
boat," lent by Sir M. W. Ridley, M.P.) ; J. E.
Hodgson, R.A. (" Salt-water Fisherman "), Colin
Hunter (" The Silver of the Sea ''), Mrs. Jopling,
R. W. Macbeth, A.R.A. (" A Sardine Fishery "),
P. Macnab (" Calm Reflections"), W. Mel'a,4. art,
R.S.A. (three examples), and Miss Clara Montalba.
The Duke of Edinburgh lends two, and Mr. C. E.
Fry one of Oswald H. Brierly's water-colours, viz.,
"Salmon Fishing in the River Altia, Norway ; "
" H.M.S. Racoon in Le wick Harbour, Shetland, with

fleet of herring vessels," and "South 'Sea Whaling."
The well-known engraved picture pourtraying the last
moments of a captured whale, by the same artist, has
been lent by the Prince of Wales. Amongst the
water-colours is Herkomer's "Got him."