The Press.
London, England, 1853-05-21 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

MAY 21, 1853

there Is an additional security for his ignoranee
on the point.
The Etymological Compendium: a Portfolio of
()Hybl,' and larentions. Ity William Pulleyti.
Third Edition, itevis.d and Improved by M. A.
Thorns. London : 'Pegg and Co.
IN this age of miseellaneons knowledge we need
not wonder at the number or the success of works
containing miseellaneous information. Among them
Mr. Pulleyn's volume deserves to hold a creditable
place. '1 he information it militants is abundant, and
quite sufficiently miscellaneous. varying almost lite-
rally " from predestination to slea-silk." Miscella-
neous as it is, however, it seems to he intelligently
arranged. is certainly very closely packed, and, so
far as we have tested it. perfectly accurate.

practically, it is not an argument, but an absur-
dity. We might us well say that all men are
composers. and a thousand other things ; music
is human, the musician is but a man ; painting
is human, the painter is but a man : prize-
fighting is human, the priAe-fighter is but a
man. We might push the argument very far :
all horses are racers, for racing is equine—the
racer is but a horse. The truth is. that all
men are not poets, nor painters, even
potentially. in the sense which our author
means ; for ho means that, neeessarily,
in the depths of their own souls they are as
capable, one as another, of conceiving or in-
venting the glorious combinations of art.
They are all perhaps capable (and this is the
utmost that can be predicated of aill, yet not
equally, of appreciating those ideas and those
combinations, so soon as they are elaborated
by more fertile and more vivid minds. We
might as well say that the pomegranate is of
every climate because pomegranate-growing is
terraqueons, and the pomegranate is but.
earth. It does not follow that because a person
admits a truth when proved to him, that he
could have discovered it without the aid of him
who had thus first divined it himself and then
made it clear to others ; nor that a man who
can understand an argument when stated
could have stated it of his own original mo-
tion ; nor that a man who can appreciate a
poetical or any other artistic combination,
when presented to him, had the same combi
nation already in his own soul. Otherwise
every admirer would be equal to him whom he
admires ; deferential wonder would actually
mean power; and (to carry this principle to its
logical extent) a strange innovation would be
introduced in the relations of the creature to
the Creator.
But let us entertain the reader with some of
the marvellous arguments with which this new
treatise is enforced. Having said that the
poet has "no other feelings and nOlid other
powers than those common to his brethren,"
and that poetry among mankind is at once
self-existent and universal, we find this sen-
tence : "As one man waxes wroth when another
in the same strait is unmoved, so what is poetry EXHIBITION OF tiEItMAN /der.
to one mind is not to another?' In other words, 'fin: tine arts belong to no age or country, or rather,
this self-eomplete and self-existing clement we should more properly say, belong to all. It is,
depends for existence on its recipient. therefore, with much satisfaction that we see an
Again, he says : " The definition (of poetry) exhibition of (lemma pictures opened in London.
" must put no school beyond its pale ; it must We should hail with pleasure an exhibition, on the
" ban neither the Oreek, nor the Gothic, nor plan of the so-called Crystal Palace, containing time
" the Asiatic ; it must open its arms to all contributions of artists from every part of the world.
Such a scheme would he much in the spirit of the
'• poetry alike—dramatie, epic, lyrical ; it must
aft
; and speculations on a vast scale ans now so
' apply to every variety of parole,. whether glow
conunon that we do not despair of seeing our hint
`• ing with all the colours of Shakspere, or &e. carried into effect. An exhibition on such a plan
How does this agree with the theory that could not be otherwise than favourable to the pro-
poetry is different, not in nature, but in gress of art, by the opportunities it would atlhrd for
degree only, from what is found in all men ? competition and comparison—a comparison which, if
If poetry be limited by degree. the definition our national partiality sloes not deceive us,wey maitre
must murk degroe, and must truce a limit of to predict would be very favourable to our own artists
excellence in a universal quality, short of in every department.
which limit there is no poetry, and beyond It is not less a proof of liberality than of taste that
which it begins to exist. so large a portion of the pictures in this collection
"The poet," he proceeds, - has net loftier have already been sold. Her Majesty has deigned
to be a purchaser, and Lord Ellesmere has exercised
" feelings or brighor visions than others.
his usual judgment in the selection of some of the
What then becomes of Mr. Dallas's axiom that
best landscapes.
it is in degree only that lie differs front others :'ln landscape villain.: a closer, or rather a mi-
We next have a suicidal illustration : "As heat is miter, imitation of nature is permitted than we
" found iu all bodies, poetry dwells with quick- should venture to recommend in historical composi-
" ening power hi every luau's soul ; but, only dons ; but we still think it is the general effects
" here and there, nnt &trap, however, where it of nature, the form and the colour, that should be
"may be hottest, it breaks out into visible fire imitated ratherother thaless n theimporta minute details in
the the flare-
Now, this fire, according to his theory, - breaks ground and nt parts of
"out' in the poet ; and the poet, we have senile. Throughout the whole of tese performances
learnt, differs; from other men, not in having a we see the same carattlness an teathe same labour ;
fire of which they are devoid. but in the warmer but there is also the same monotony of tone, the
degree in which he has it ; therefore, where it same want of atmosphere, and a general absence of
"breaks out " (in the poet) "it is hottest " (for `.ivacity. 'Phis criticism, we fear, must be repeated
in our
.examination of each separate performance,
Ire has it in a warmer degree)—and it is not for to each, in a greater or less dagree, is it applies-
where it is hottest that, at the same time, we lute, perhaps to none more titan to " Tho tionsl
must expect it to break out. Samaritan" (:il), by Professor Schirmer. The de-
nte other theory is that poetry is begotten tails of each part are elaborated with such excessive
of pleasure and begets it; while the grand minuteness that the relative distance of the objects
definition is that poetry is "the imaginative, is lost, anal cnet entirely destroyed. The figtuvs,
"harmonious, and unconscious activity of the which in this composition are important, are very far
" soul." Wso really have not time to treat these from good- There are two herot pictures by this
two propositions as we have treated the first artist,—oonshine" ( X)), and a and Storm" t 20),
on which they are founded. We must leave of which the last is the hest.
the work in the hands of w
the reader, ho, Mr. Oswald Achenbach contributes three pic-
tures—an " Italian Evening" (VI, a "Convent
besides what we have indicated, will leant
near Rimini" (2). and an "Italian Landscape"
from its pages that " stockstillness is not (unnumbered). This last picture, which has been
" pleasure,' and, further. this—" We do not purchased by Lard Ellesmere, is decidedly the
" understand Keats ; we do not understand best of Mr. Achenbach's works, and is also
" e
eemebi : erhas e never will." Indeed if among the finest landscapes in the collection.
he be thusp resoluptew not to comprehend them The cuutpositiou is natural and beautiful, and

Select Poems of Prior and Swift. London: Parker

and SOH.
THE poetic grain eontaint3d in the works of two
tolerably voluminous writer,' of poetry are hero pre-
sented within the compass of a hundred and eighty neat
little pages, by dint of energetic winnowin... For such
a pr, icess, indeed, both Prior and Swift otte;ed peculiar
facilities. Their poems wear for the most part
a light, careless, and amateur air, and consist,
principally of short pieces. among s Welt are
many written solely for friends; many written solely
for themselves ; many trivialities, and many inde-
cencies. In such case the work of excision is easy
and summary ; awl the resulting sclection " cum
deserve no other praise than that which we con •
scientionsly accord to the present volume—that it is
done with judgment.

OUlt LIBRARY TAIILE.
The I;eenrille Corresoon.lenee. l'olA. 111 toed Ir. Murray.
-Voltaire: vi the t'ottrt awl t'abiolets .;1' I ;earge II f.-I.lttlse (sl* lalek•
in...:laun. Iltint mud Illaekett.
The Nix Thrashers' Sermons. liontley.
Nutes um tieitesis. .1. W. Furkcr awl S.
Notes qt. a Si.r Imre .IVvion. Niblwtt.
Birth 4 the 11':r OA. A roma. Allen lola C.%
Latin I:xereiges. .1. W. Parker awl son.
Latin Grammar. .1. W. l'arker awl Sot'.
t;oetlse's 1/pirtidet. .1. W. Parker and soil,
17w, Last 6/intiieg of t'onroeot;oa. 110awarla.
A Letter to the .4reaishop or Imblin oa :Jigs semoes Extiibihh.
meat. Rev. W. 6. Cookelley. Ridgway.
Treatise on the Law and Proetice of Patents. J. I'. Norm a%
11. Atlianta.
111111 cl-worth.

The Lonla and (•dayaoliq.

iint Arts.

67

the tone of colour solemn and consistent—is true
to nature also, though, perhaps, not to the nature of
Italy. 'rho whole strength of the effect is ce utered
in the middle aistanee, which is deep in colony, and
rAieved by a light foreground and a elem. sky. In
the foreground there is a gringo of two children*
killing a serpent kilo, serpent is far too prominent ► :
they ttr.. well drawn, and their attitude is natural.
We regret that their colour is somewhat feeble. Of
the other two landseape:i the best is " The Convent;'
thought we cannot congratulate Mr. Aelienbaeli
on
having KlitTeCtlesi in relidOring L Allan colour.
gravelly " sunset " is neither trite to nature no;•
betuttiful in art.
Mr. Antlr.‘as Achenbaelt contributes two pictures—
a Swedish Landscape" (:1:1), and a " Storee
It would not be fair to complain of the atntoiplierie
tone of a Swedish lantlseape for being cold ; the
artist proposed Ito doubt to represent the featnrets
of
the country under their usual aspeet ; but nature iti
\ ory eoentry lets endless variety, anti in Sweden,
though the prevailing colour may be cold and bleak.
the I thwnee of suteight must be to warm and
animate ; and in this Ovum., (as in twiny others of
the same collection) the sun shines, as through
smoked glass, with diminished lustre and a
feebler glow. A storm at sea is &Moult to render.
and not often vet, sueoessfol, though all
painter.; have made the etrort. It is treated ME.
Aeltenbaeh with power and effect.
Mr. A. Lou is one Or the artist• who... perfor-
mances have received the most solid and guttering
proofs of success. A large picture representing the
".1 time:ran " Mountain is one of the purehases
of
Lord Ellesmere, and we have heard a very large sum
named as the price. It midoniaedly possesses many
claims to admiration. The whole is finished with a
1411.41ab144 care ; and the detail of the snow 1111 l tin ants, IP:
well as their general effeet is very successfully given.
The manipulation of this seltool is totally different team
that of the Midi masters, and the result i
naturally no less ditferent. NVltile the trans-
parent colours in whielt the Initeli and Flemish
artists painteil nearly the whole of their pictures
gi‘e a melting softness and sparkling vivacity to the
whole, the opaque and solid panning t•fthe mo t ier-
mans renders every oltieet substantial, tangible, and
dull; these last, perhaps, despise the use of !Oozing co-
lours as a trick, and thus they olusittuily raise a barrier
against themselves, and abandon the readiest and hap
piest method of producing effect. In this picture of Mr.
Len, besides this &feet (for so we must call it ), we
have to regret that the foreground is feeble and
poor, wanting in effect, with a crudeness of colour
which we fear neither time nor mastic varnish will
overcome.
A " Scene in Norway" (12) represents on apprioaelt -
ing thundennorm with great truth anti power ;
oho
clouds rolling upwards disclose a distance of sparklitig
brilliancy, in admirable contrast with a woody and
rue kv foreground.
The "Norwegian Ffords" (27), by the same artist,
has great truth of colourint.t, with more strength of
effeet ; in both, howeNer, we have to regret it degree
of' heaviness and want of atmosphere in the ,Ity, and
of vivacity and force in the foreground. which ditui •
wishes the effect and neutralises the care bestowed

on detail.
Another Maitre. representing the same descriptio n
of seenery, is that which 1114•4 6411 purclutsed by the
Queen ; the cold grey twilight tor the arctic sunshine.
is ,riven with more than tho usual efliwt. We ii ro,
minded by these pictures orthe eloquent descriptions of
the northern regions in NI. de t!tistine's work on ltitssia ;
although the sun is shining brightly (its 'nightly as
it. shines in Norway) the storm is lowering in the
distance, and the water exhibits that black and
slightly milled surface that denotes the approaching
conflict, even before the winds are unloosed that are
to provoke it; the birds, too, are on the wing. direct-
ing their ominous flight to their resting places on the
mountain. We must not be sapposed insensible to
this truly poetical Inc:dine:it if we watt that we wish
a little more colour hall Steen given to the foreground,
and that the greens hal been somewhat enriched.
A " Norwegian Landscupe " unnumbered), by- Mr.
Bottom, a native, we believe, of the county, conveys
an indescribable wonvietion of its truth to nature,
even to those who do not know the country. A water-
fall on the left hand ti parses its spray, and softens
every object seen through its sunny mixt. The dis-
tance is clear and lucid ; a range of Know mountains
bound the horizon, and the foreground tints want
neither variety nor vivacity.
The "Twi Scenes in Southern 'ltaly." by Mr. A.
Weber (13 and 15), have merit, but we feel great
difficulty in making any discriminating remarks upon
works which all possess the sumo merits and the
same defects, ‘arying only in degree.
The' landsvapes are cow-Mb-rally in advance of the
historical elimpositions ; indeed these lust hardly
• deservt3 our attention at all. Landscapes have always
an interest when they represent some interesting
Mud, just as a WA portrait pOWietiSCS it its
the resunt-
blanee of all individual; but a bad historical picture
can lay no claim to notice. In the few historical
l pictures the collection contains there is the same

f
r

1

r .

monotony of colour, the same heavy shadow of which
we have complained in the landscapes—the same
want of vigour and effect—with a still greater defi-
ciency, a want of fancy.
►► The Battle of Naseby," by Mr. Camphausen, is
the most important of these works in size, but it pos-
sesses little other claim to notice. The moment se-
lected for representation is when the Lord Caine-
wath so suddenly turned the king's bridle, and with
It the fortunes of the day ; and when the king, more
strangely still, submitted to his dictation and thereby
lost both kingdom and life. We were unfavourably
reminded of the same composition by Patrocel, fa-
miliar in England by a well-known engraving, but
handled with much more truth, spirit., and picturesque
effect. Mr. Camphausen has not mounted his ca-
valiers upon the wide-chested, well-fed steeds of
Flemish breed, with their long tails and flowing
manes, with which Vandyke and Velasquez have
made us familiar, but has substituted for them, by an
anachronism which is inexcusable because it is without
temptation, the blood horses of the present genera-
tion, the least picturesque animals that walk upon
four legs.
An " .Ecce Homo" (:Ni), by Professor Miicke, is
stiff and inanimate; the subject, t►o, re Ores the
presence of some of the Roman soldiers and the ac-
cusing Jews.
A female portrait (1), by Professor Sohn, is exe-
cuted with care ; the drawing is correct but feeble,
and the shadows are thick and inky.

WATER-COLOUR 'EXHIBITIONS.
[Third Nato.]
THERE is a fashion in the tine arts as in all things
else. " The accidents of nature," which were inter.
dieted by Sir Joshua Reynolds, supply the most
striking subjects of our modern exhibitions. " Sunrise
in the Highlands," by Mr. lL Fripp (No. 32), and
a " Stormy Sunset;' by Mr. C. Bentley ( No. 72),
are fine representations of nature's granderetfects. lbut
in the former the shadows of time foreground are con-
fusedly blended with the lights, and thus the effect of
sunlight is lost. It is true that the sun is low in the
horizon, anti darts but. a sickly ray through an atmo-
sphere charged with vapour : the shadowA, therefore,
would of necessity be feeble ; but, however feeble
they may be, whenever it. is intended to convey the
idea of sunshine their outline must be clearly de-
fined.
The" Stormy" Sunset would be very fine, if the pain-
ter eoubl have fringed his ragged clouds and painted his
crimson streaks with actual light. As a transpa
rency (we mean nothing disrespectful), with a light
behind it, to make the sky luminous, this drawing
would have the lustre which time painter meant to
give, but which is denied to mere surfaeo-painting.
Beyond a certain point it is impossible, with such
means as the colour-box supplies, to combine bright-
ness of light and richness of cAonr. The further
the artist recedes from white the nearer he ap-
proaches darkness, and the more diffiettlt it 'pommies
to establish a due subordination of the lights of the
landscape to the lights of the sky. It was this vain
struggle against the inadequacy of his materials that
hurried Turner in his later works into so many ex-
travaganees—extravagances which disappeared when
the picture was turned into a monochrome by the
engraver, and left only his wonderful chiaroscuro and
composition for our admiration.
A still wilder "accident. of nature" is presented us
by Mr. A. Fril) in his " Pompeii " (No. 165). The
storm is raging, and somewhat opaque and duskylight-
ning is Hashing from the cloud ; the effect, however,
of the whole is too violent, the contrast too strong, anti
the 1 igh t too insulated. We cannot see from what, part of
the murky sky the illumination proceeds: the position of
the shadows proves that it, cannot be from the
light-
ning. The market-place is represented as a reedy
swamp, while a water-snake scarcely less than St.
t ;eorge's dragon is the sole tenant of the foreground.
No doubt this is a poetical conception of the "city of
the dead." But Pompeii stands on a gentle cmi-
neuce, and most of our readers know by experience
that. after time heaviest rain its light, porous soil is
immediately dry. Had the artist wished for majestic
ruins or deserted villages standing in swamps, he
might have found them on his way from Naples at
Garigliano, or at N infa in the Pontine Marshes.
This is an infraction of the truth of "fact" for which
we pleaded the week before last. in our remarks on this
exhibition. Close by we observe another instance of its
neglect. (No. Itti). Mr. C. Haag represents a Capu-
chin preaching to a kneeling audience beneath the
three columns of Jupiter Tonans, where never friar
preached and no congregation could find room to
kneekif indeed they were desirous of hearing the sermon
in such an unusual attitude. Friars preach at stated
times in the Colosseum, because it is a church, and a
regular pulpit has been constructed in it. But they do
not preach at pleasure under any of the ruins that will
supply a striking baekgromel to the painter. What
should we say to a 'Roman artist who chose to en-
liven a view of Beigrave-square with a foreground
consisting of a noble audience on their knees to Mr.
Bennett under the trees of the garden ? We do not

THE PRESS.

approve entirely of Mr. Haag's arrangement of light
and shadow in this picture, though we perceive it is
a favourite with him and with some other artists. A
cast shadow divides the subject into two strongly-
defined masses of equal light and shadow. This
is, it deed, a sure method °lmmuring breadt4, but it is the
breadth of the rouge et noir table. Moreover, in this
shade Mr. Haug has placed his brightest local colours
and his most interesting details—in fact the very group
whose dramatic propriety we venture to question.
This we think a defect. It is an endeavour to com-
bine two opposite and irreconcilable effects—the eye
would gladly rest on the mysterious shadow, but is
painfully led on to penetrate its recesses by the at-
tractive details.
There are many remarks on what is called Italian
colour and composition which are suggested to us by
Mr. Iltuttee and other pictures in the exhibition, but
our limits oblige us to reserve them for some future
occasion. One observation only we will add.
Admitting that the greys of English shadows are
less pure and less ptuide than those of Italy, we
would ask Mr. E. Duncan, whose picture (No. 12$)
we very much admire, whether the greenness of his
greys does not appear excessive, especially when his
works are placed in close juxtaposition with those of
other artists'
Among the figure-painters wo regret the ab-
sence of Mr. Lewis and the retirement of Mr.
Cattermole. But the quantity of pictures of history
or "genre" is considerable, and the quality high.
No. 77 is a great etiiirt, and claims the indulgence
which to a great effort we willingly accord. It repre-
sents that touching scene in Shakspere where
Itiehard 11. calls fur a glass to see himself in his
humiliation, and in treating it the artist must encoun-
ter the disadvantage of representing a subject of which
no positive delineation can ever reach the vague
images of beauty said pathos which Shakspere's
verses conjure up to the int:t:;ination. The attitude
of the King is rather theateical, and so is the group-
ing and the cost lune. We do not believe bishops
attended in the House of lords dressed as if they
were about to perform the high mass, and with aco-
lytes bearing crosiers ; but, if they did, an acolyte
in the foreground ought at least to be candlilly painted.
Mr. C. Haag's figures and hen Is show very great
talent. We shoal I not lie greatly surprised if this
gentleman gra Wally tiler itlon-d landscape for figures.
Many of the pictures in "yt'nere" are excellent, highly
ingenious in sentiment, and graceful in exe-
cution. By way of a sample, we will only mention
" I I allway biome" ( No. 155) ; "A Little Botheration"
(No. 121 ) ; and " A Letter from the Diggings" (No.
1111). Mr. Hunt has got a new model. We have
never seen his " Young Rustic " (No. 200) before ;
and beyond this iwe will not mention his works, on
which we have no particular remark to make except
to oiler our tribute of praise.
Indeed, for our own sake, not less than of those
whom we have ventured to criticise, we must protest
against the inference that in our notice we have dis-
tinguished all that we consider most worthy of public
attention. A critique oar an exhibition like the pre-
sent, which should undertake to distribute praise
wherever it was due, would far exceed our limits,
were it as concise—and it certainly would be as dull
—as a catalogue. Faithful to our original intention,
we Intro rather endeavoured to throw out such hints
as may (if confirmed by the judgment of abler cri•
tics) be of use to the artist.
The New Water-colour Soeiety does not appear as
yet to have obtained its fair proportion of public
favour ; but, as it, contains a great deal of beauty and
skill, we do not doubt it will quietly work its way.
Mr. Lewis Haghe's woks form the chief attraction
among the figure pieces. His " Happy Trio" (No.
45) immediately draws our attention ; but we cannot
persuade ourselves that the brilliancy of the colour
of his two principal figures is sufficiently hanno-
nised with those of the rest of his picture.
Among the landscapes there are many of great
beauty and truth. In a notice that must necessarily
be so short, we should be unwilling to single out any
name if we did not desire to suggest a word of ad-
vice. We particularly admire Mr. Bennett's wood sce-
nery, anti think the greyness of his tones admirably
true; but we would suggest to him the policy of
varying his subjects a little more, and of contrasting
his cool greens in many of his pictures with tints of a
warmer quality. Let bins take care how the public
fasten on him the epithet of " cold ;" wo know how
tastelessly and unreasonably it is often applied, but
it. is most injurious in its effects on the artist's point-