The Express.
London, England, 1863-07-16 00:00:00

FINE ABM

TURNER'S LIBER STUDIORUM.
PROTOOMPIIILD BY MISS BERTOLAOCL —PASTS 1. IL,
J. HoGairra, 1863.

Turner's ambition, throughout certainly the
greater part of his career, was to rival and surpass Claude,
and thus we Sod him devoting all his energies for many
years to the production of a grand pictorial Index to his
works, precisely after the example set by Claude Lorraino's
`• Libor Veritatiii." The great French academiet of land-
scape, however, had a more reasonable Puss for doing his
book of truth than Turner ever bad, for he was plagued and
injured by imitators who lived by the spnrioni pic-
tures made up by selections from his original picture.,
while our " English Claude," as he is often styled, worked
' upon these engravings with a double intention of Mug his
pocket by eodleas reproduction, and of improving open the
original drawings. Claude wished to show that Done were
by his bard unless they appeared in the Liber Veritatir
Turner had no imitators to fear ; and as to copies, he was
hie own greatest copyist himself. There is this to be said,
however, in favour of his scheme, that he really did set himself
with the greatest ease sad skill—for be wee, it will be re.
mesahencl, an engraver by profession—to reviseand retouch
the plates as they were shown to him by the artists engaged
upon the work, Annie, Clint, Fading, Dew, Hodgson.
S. W. Swat* asp,. 'tit Tummy whole tunes
the great painter has displayed epos a beeper
in the fret:Caplet*, placing his own at the bottom. He
was himself the most critical and bard to plasm over his
own works, and this well-known fact of courts adds very
much to the value and importance of the etchings forming
the series. It is said, indeed, that the set his been sold for
no less than 2,000/., and the most ordinary sets are worth
more than 1001. The original drawings of many of these,
pert of Turner'sbequest, which are in the South Keosington
Museum, have been admirably well photographed—we wi 1
not venture to my copied, because that is impassible—by
Mr. Thurston Thompson and others, but it should be
observed that these do not of necessity repre-
sent the retouching which was bestowed by the
fastidious painter upon the plates. For this we have to go to
the eat before us, which has been very cleverly photographed
by Miss Bertolaoci upon a reduced scale of six isches by
four. The difficulties of obtaining good copies on any scale
of work so delicate as Tonnes are admitted, eves by pho-
tographers : to have surmounted thew as well as Miss
Bertolacci has done is most creditable to her skill, especially
when the object was to produce the etchings on so small a
scale. The tint generally given by the chemical
processes very closely resembles that of sepia, and
though here and there we could wish for a little less
depth of toot, yet os the whole we are disposed to accept
the copies as well accomplishing the purpose and aim of
the work—to provide a tolerably cheap and at the same
time reliable Wee/100 of the Liber Studioruni. Published
in monthly parts each will contain 18 subjects, taken from
very carefully-selected original plates belonging to various
collectors, who have lent them for the purpoee, le this
way the whole set of 72 will be obtainable for at guineas,
or about la 9,1. each Impression, the cost of the monthly
part being one goitre. and a half. To Mr. Hogarth's well-
known connoisasorship has been entrusted the choice
of the best etchings from which to photograph ;
and this is rather an important point in ream-
meadation of this publicatioo, became it is still known
that Turner was coustansly ulteriog the plates, and some-
times carrying his • estidious touches to such a pitch of fan-
cied rtflremert.. tbat nc datiSt.'; erlestroyedc.sof affects ort.a.-
bad better been left as they were Ant suggested to his mind.
Then, again, such was his medlars that hundreds of un-
premiers are to he seen which are mere ghosts of the Bring
work as it first left his heed. Amongst the subjects of the
first two parts there are" East Gate, Winchabee, Sussex,"
onset the most successful io tint ; • Inverary Castle," "The
lake of Thou," " The Tambourine Player," and" A Corn-
poeition," excellent examples of his Claude manner ; " A
Brisk Gale," " Bamagiste,' and " Calais Harbour," admi-
rable sea pieces; and Mount St. Gothard, showing the
painter's wonderful power to represent the grand aspect, of
mmustaiu scenery. A very interesting and a
addition to the hist part is the photograph copyprrinelirtit
well-km*o small full-length of Turner when advanced is
life, done by the late Count d'Orsay, probably at one of
' those gatherings of literary mid artistao celebrities which
Lady Blessington used to attract to Gore House in her
palmy day. Terser hail an inveterate horror of having his
portrait taken, though he painted it himself when a young
man ; but Count d'nrsay hits hit him off all unconscious,
while he stands stirring a cup of tea, and the Skims, is as
' direct sod uomiatskrable as any that d'Orsay ever did. We
have only to suggest that if in the List put some brief de-
*militias of the originals were given—and this will, we
imagine, be found almost indispensable when the photo-
graphs are shown, as they deserve to be, in some handsome
1
portfolio--it would render the work of Miss Bartolacci still
more acceptable and imeresting than we have the pleasure
to say it is now.

DRAMA.

HAYMARKET.

Mr. Buckstone's benefit took place at this theatre
last night, and closed the second eve years' union during
which the house has been open under the present manage.
merit. The audience, it is almost needless to my, were
crowded and enthusiastic, and if the performances had bees
les excellent than they were, they would probably have
been received with good-natured applause. Charles the
Tieelfth and The Bengal Tiger were the chief pieces
played, and Messrs. Buckstone, Wigan, Compton, /dm.
Wigan, Miss Keeley, and Mrs. Howard Paul, were the chief
performers. Several of the old Haymarket names were left
out of the bill—we twat because their owner were more
agreeably occupied than in acting in the dog-days. Mr.
Buck/tope's speech, as usual, was very successful.

ROYAL AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

WORCESTER, WEDzrzsDAT.

The annual country meeting of the Royal Agri-
cultural Society has been opened here to-day. This week
is devoted to the Wide of machinery, which are only tete.
riding toe limited number of practical agriculturists. The
great bulk of the etteudaoce is during the cattle and imple
meat show, which will open on Monday next. The show-
yard is located at a convenient distance from Worcester, on
an estate of Sir Thomas Sebright. It is 46 acres in extent,
and a special branch railway has been run into it from the
West Midland and Midland line, for the convenience of the
heavy traffic. Besidi s the ground actually occupied as
show-, and there are about 120 acne of land engaged in the
immediate neighbourhood for the trials of steam ploughs and
cultivators, di deice machines, mowers sad teepees, so that
the area of ground taken up altogether is greater than on
any former occasion of the country meeting.
The experimental trial today extended over a con-
siderable area. First there was the trial of 'team engines,
earn-dressing machine., corn and seed separators, corn
sowers, fixed and portable steam thrashing machine!,
barley trummelers, Sc., which took place at the trial-
yard in the show ground, to which the public were
admitted by ticketa at 5•. Then the steam ploughs and
cultivators were tried on some stiff land about three
miles dietatit, an I also at Perry Wood Farm. about a
mile from the aliow- aid. The results of these trials
will be made known at the end of the week or on Monday.
Tney will be continued daily. The implement, have rill
arrived, but will u t be open to the public inspection until
Monday next. It is believed to be the largest collection
ever brought together under the auspices of the ltaygl
Agriculturel S arty, end occupies about one third of the
area of the slow-yard, which is 40 acres in extent, beiudes
120 acres of try. I ground, light and heavy soils.
The stock will arrive at the show-yard by Saturday night,
anti the general exhibition will be open to the public on
Moeda), at 10s. lid. each. Os Tuesday and Wednesday
the adutiseion fee is reduced to 2e. tid. ; and on Thursday
and Fr. day it will be Is. From present indications this is
likely to be one of the largest meefaugs the society bee ever
held in the country. Lolgiugs are being charged for at an
exorbitant rate, but there are many towns in the neigh-
bourhood, such as Malvern. Ledlxtry, Bewdley,
Kidderminster, Stourport, Evesham, Pershore, and Upton,
where a refuge may be found by visitors. The city is
being decorated with Begs and other modes of rejoicing,
and the town council have voted 100/. towards this object.
The guarantee fund robed by the inhabitants for defraying
the general expeuees of the visit amounts to nearly 5,0001.
There will ►lso, during next week, be a dog show, a pout-
Ivy show, sad a horticultural show, for which large prior.
are offered.

CIIYHTAL PALACE. —ONI SHILLING DAY,—WEI).
lIIHDAT, July 15.—Adroimium on payment, 4,670; ditto
by oesson tickets, 1,014 ; tots!, 5,714.