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

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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
°Ol43tY, and would paint for the future 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 shall 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.

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PRESS, APRIL 24, 1858.