The Press.
London, England, 1856-05-10 00:00:00

MAY 10, 1856.

can say nothing in praise of the colouring, the ex-
pression, or the general execution of this work,
which is in each of these qualities below any of the
oases previous productions. One glaring fault, the
agggorated stature of the lady, strikes every eye. If
she were to stand upright, seven feet would not
oeasure her height. " Autumn Leaves (No. 448)
shows a manifest alteration of style, an advanca
from the distinctly Pre-Raphaelite minute elabora-
tion of detail to a more general, and therefore more
-uthful, representation, without any loss—indeed,
ith an actual gain of natural effect. In the heap of
dried foliage which the girls aro burning the indivi •
lual leaves aro not as usual imitated with that exces-
re exactitude, that almost photographic minute-
ness, which has hitherto characterised the still-life of
Millais's works, and which seems to us the great
alit, as it is the most distinctive peculiarity, of the
'loot to which he belongs. The sentiment of the
tory is well given—the past sunset, the dim twi•
tht fast stealing o'er the scene, and the dead leaves
the autumn gathered up to be burnt ; but is not
melancholy expression of the girls, though cor-
A, to bring out the sentiment of this scene,
Ise in fact? Who does not remember the
'stems mirth such a bonfire at such an hour
the day invariably creates ? A portrait of a gen-
:man (No. 293) gives us a very little boy, not
imarkable for any physiore'moraical indications of
ill or breeding, sitting down with a book of
tetches on his knees, and looking out of the picture
'nothing particular." " L'Enfant du Regiment"
ie. 553) is "pretty." " The Blind Girl" is crude
id hard, and its faults of execution are not balanced
Ally remarkable sentiment. H. Hunt has four con-
anions, of which the chief, " The Scapegoat"
o. 308), is certainly the most extraordinary, of
works. The picture is meant to illustrate the
At, "Surely lie bath iorne our griefs." In the fore-
ground the " scapegoat," which was sent into the
wildemess by the Israelites on the day of atonement,
loaded with the sins of the p.ople, stands panting

struggling knee-deep in the salt marshes on the
'ores of the Dead Sea. The mountains of Edom,
iged with the exquisite roseate hues cf an
:astern sunset, hound the horizon. The soil shines
tli a dazzling saline whiteness which gives singular
iminousness to the picture. Though this exces-

we brilliancy produces an almost theatrical effect,
..t, by common consent of travelled authorities, the
local truth of Mr. Hunt's work is remarkable and
,idoubted. There are fine points in the senti-

tent ; the dreary, hopeless. expression in the
imal's eye, the bowed-down attitude, as if it
~ere sinking under an invisible but intolerable
mrden, are highly suggestive of the meaning which
is intended to convey. Two of the three remain-
works (Nos. 873 and 885) are studies from
scenes in the Holy Land.
To leave the " Painting of the Future," and
come from men and goats to dogs, Sir E. Land-
seer's •• Saved" (No. 247) is full of power. A
.;ewfoundland dog lands a child whom he has
rescued from drowning. There is one inaccuracy,
however : the child's garments are, or seem, as
as if he had been lying in the sun for a wbole
; whereas it is clear from the panting joyfulness
. the dog, and the insensibility of the child, that
Loth have only just emerged from the sea. In
Highland Nurses" (No. 208) we have a group of
toes licking the death-wound of a fallen stag. Both
iese pictures exhibit that remarkable truth of
imal expression for which the artist is so re•
iwned; but there is visible in both a great care-
,ssness of touch. The first is dedicated to the

umane Society, the second to Miss Nightingale.
. M. Ward has one fine picture, " The last parting
Marie Antoinette and her son " (No. 75). The
happy Queen, still beautiful even in premature
looks calmly down on the boy, in whose face the
struggle between grief and shame is cleverly ex•
pressed; the King's sister stands behind the chair
the Queen, apparently appealing to heaven, while
beautiful fair-haired girl clings to her mother's
land; in the doorway stand the members of the
,volutionary committee, full of brutal impatience.
le fine point of this picture is the power with which
delicate features and refined expression of the
isoners are contrasted with the hideous savage

Isual ferocity of the jailers. The story is well
told, the colouring sound and pure, and the drawing
gond.

We propose to resume our notice next week.

Ebt r a ut
PRINCESS'S THEATRE.
SECOND Visit to this theatre has only confirmed us
I. our first impression—that the effect of snch a
ase-en-scene as Mr. Kean provides in his revivals of
.iakespeare is, in the highest degree, injurious to the
,pectator's interest in the drama itself. The beauty
if the scenery, the magnificence of the architecture
Ind furniture, the richness of the dresses, the
lances, the processions, claim so large a share of
attention that he has but little left to bestow

MAY
can say n
pression,
which is tt
vases pri
exaggorst"
she were
measure I
shows a
from the
Lion of tie
truthful, r
with an ac
dried folio
dual leave
sive exec:
whit
Dlr. bliilai
fault, as ii
school to
story is I
light fast E
of the au
the melon
rest, to
filse in
boisterous
of the day
tleman
remarkabl
birth or '
sketches o
g " nothir
(No. 553)
and hard,
by any ren
tribution s,
(No. 308)
his works.
text, "Sur
ground th
wilderness
loaded wii
and strugp
shores of
tinged w
Eastern st
with a daz
luminousr
sive brilli
vet, by cot
local truth
undoubted
went ; tl
animal's
were sink
burden, al
it is inter
ing work!
scenes in
Tu
come fror
seer's 4. S
Newfound
rescued ft
however:
dry as if
day ; whei
of the do;
both hay(
" Ilighlan
does lickit
these pici
animal
nowned;
lessness
Humane
E. M. Wa
of Marie
unhappy (
age, looks
struggle t
pressed ;
of the flu
a beautifi
hand; in
revolution
The fine r
the delica
prisoners
sensual
told, the
gond.
We pro]
A SECOND
in our fir,
mise-en-se
Sliskespe:
spectator':
of the sce
and furn
dances, th
htyatt4;uu