The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-10 00:00:00

FINE ARTS. itellisalities. Original conception is a still rarer &Mai.
, ass and in virtue of it we must call attention to Mr.
THE BRITISH INSTITUTION. • Hipplefe picture entitled "At Nazareth, A. D. 30," and
illustrating DODO of the dramatic incidents of our Saviour's
The "sprang" exhibition of pictures by living
life which have been so often treated, hut simply the
artiste—as distinguished from the exhibition in the autumn text--" And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years
of works by the old master+ and demand British artiste— of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph." Christ
opened this morning to the public. The present eaMbilann is represented following his father's trade, a girl bring' a
contains a mesa of Ter/ mediocre performances, many very 1, small chest, and she shades her eyes as if conscious of the
dbappointing works by artists who heretofore gave promise , divine presence, though the light streaming round the head
few pictures by the better known contributors, and scarcely ; of Jesus is explained by the aperture in the roof where the
the work of incontestably original genius. Yet the exhibi-
i doves flutteringly nestle.
Lion will well repay careful inspection by the visitor into- f Mr. Hemsley's " Come Along" (5), we have seen surpassed
by former efforts. Mr. D. Hardy's "Reaper's Luncheon'
ruled in the progress of English art from the very great
number of small unassuming pi tone by men hitherto ! (25), is sunny and mew, also "The /Art Drop'
little known, which have abundantly sufficient promise to (285) but in both the old people are unnecessarily prim and
be collectively very encouraging. I pretty. The " Spring Flowers" (123), by Mr. Peoria, con
The reader is doubtless aware that this exhibition has tains some capital "interior" painting. " The Sister of
very materially altered its character of late years. Whether Mercy" (51), by Mr. Pope—an elder sister endeavouring to
this is the result of mismanagement, or whether it is the administer consolation to a younger—is refined in sentiment
natural consequence of the levelling effected by • much more and appropriate in treatment.,Mr. ~
extensive cultivation of art, we will not now inquire. Certain (458) °vierss a promising commando! the "material" doll
it is that this gallery is much less exclusive than formerly. painting, end indicates a good eye for colour. Mr. Colby's
Instead of being the favourite depository for the less ambi- i thinly painted "List Days of Pompeii" (341), suggests un-
tiou works of Royal. Academicians and the aristocracy of favourable comparison with the French painter Boulanger.
the profesaioti, it is sow the asylum for painters who would We like Mr. Colby's " Study" (341) of • huighing head tar
scarcely find a charitable reception eleewlarli. This year better. Mr. T. Jones Barker's verities of Resign Chaplin's
only two contributor have received the academic diploma— heroism Is planting the colours of the filth on the Tale.
Mr. Frost, A.ILA., who sends a very Min and very Dohs- Forts is mechanically executed, and only up to the level of
portant " Venus and Oa** (471), and Xi: J. OA who reertamaigese hook igalarattoo.
Portrait (we presume) of • child (No. 11414. seareall *ldaho ! "A Summer Song" (201), by Mr. G. D. Leslie, the sou of
by the careless reckless superficial bravura of its ereoulaes I the deceased Academician—a medieval damsel presumed to
his motet election. be singing to her lute the old ballad quoted—would serve
Amos( the usual contributors to this gallery, Mr. Gilbert bettor as an illustration of spring, for surely these ure not
he. perhaps chiefly distinguished himself by his capital the full rich dusky greens of "summer." There are some
illustration of the meeting of " (lading Wolsey and the good passages of pointing in the sedgy hanks of the stream
Duke of Buckingham" (73), in the first scene o and the flowery mead. In " Fish Girls Shooshooed near
ed the first act of King Henry VIII. The Copesleges " Nub Mr. Leslie breaks new ground, and
Cardinal with his long procession of attendants, I his staring rawness of colour may not be so misplaced in
having just satisfied himself from his escratuy that the i the Danish climate, but certainly if the faces
Duke of Buckiogham's " examination" is ready, caste is and many other portions had received more attention
peeing a look of haughty menace at the duke. This the the promise would have been greateras the work of a young
proud noble returns with interest. His attitude, indeed, as , painter. For coarse, broad humour Mr. Haylbis " Glad-
ba firmly plants himself, his rigltharm a-kimbe, his chest stone's Peculiar" (608), and " Hard Bargaining " (442), are
inflated, his eyes scowling defiance, and his head relieved scarcely to be surpassed.
like a thunder cloud against the bright amber hangings
which close the vista of the corridor, is Weed the great
point of tbe picture ; and reconciles us to some very incor-
rect proportions and some carder painting. Seldom, how-
ever, is Mr. Gilbert so *netlike; se in the whole of the
right-hand portico of the picture, and he has been amply
rewarded. It is altogether one of the beat Shakesperisn
illustrations this prolific artist has given us. As for some
of the technical qualities of the painting—ths certainty and
brilliancy of the execution, the boldness of the impute, the
rich glow and power of the colour—they are no lees than
masterly ; and when we recollect the rapidity with
which Mr. Gilbert's paintings as well as his draw-
ings on wood must necessarily, from their number, be
executed, the fecundity and versatility of the artist's talent
are nothing short of astonishing. Mr. Clark, who first
attracted notice in these rooms, but who is better known by
his picture of the "Sick Child," exhibited at the Royal
Academy, is • painter of • very different stamp, yet of the
highest merit. It would be difficult to define the nameless
charm of perfect naturalness, or to overpraise the modest
reverence of the handling and the quiet silvery tone, in
"The Return of the Runaway" (28). The simple incident
is already known from an excellent cut in a recent number
of the Illustrated London News. A boy, whose early par
Mon for the sea is indicated by the marine drawing, pre.,
bably of his own performance, on the wall, has returned is
his smart sailor dress, and with the honourable stripe ea
his arm, to the humble home from which he sea ,
away long since. But be is so much growl sea
altered that he is not immediately recognised by his peseta-
His mother rises, with quickest instinctive apprehension In
her pale yearning face, bat the old gentleman, etertled by
the hand on his shoulder, looks up from his paper (which he
has probably been earthing for news of his boy) only in
temporary bewilderment and helpless inquiry. The touch-
ing truth of expression in this unpretending picture we con-
fidently commend to the reader's sympathy, be he who he
may, for here is the "Touch of nature which makes the
whole world kin." Mr. Morgan places himself at once very
high among the painters of genre by his picture
of "The Jury" (1). Saving a slight tendency to
caricature, common to young pantries, who go
honestly to nature, Webster himself in his had time
could not have selected more humourous variety of
character, nor, saving also • slight want of control over the
movements of the brush, could that painter (whom Mr.
Morgan has evidently studied carefully) have realised with
greater felicity the diverse expressions of these twelve men,
according as their situation influences their several idicaym
cracies. Hereon the vain man, and the modest man ; the man
who openly chuckles sympathetically at the villthy, and the
solemn puritanical nue ; here are the generous genial man
who must tell the joke to his deaf neighbour, and the severe
selfish man with the handkerchief spread to protect his
respectable bead from the draughts ; here are the stupid
stolid man sitting apart, and the over acme individual
equally isolated ; bereeare the sanguine and the sympathetic,
the nervous and the bilious.
Among an unusual number of small cabinet subject pic-
tures, the " Counterfeit Coin" (141), by Mr. W. H. Knight,
deserves early mention for its carefulness and the skilful way
in which the story is told. A little girl, in making a pur-
chase, has given a piece of silver to on old fish-fag, who
finds it, bad, or, judging from her villanous
grisly old visage, more probably substitutes a
"counterfeit" for the real coin ; the consequent dispute
has attracted some bystanders, and their several expressions
are remarkably true to nature and suggestive. Mr. Holy-
oak's name is so little known that he may be almost said to
make his debut with "Shylock's charge to Jessica" (311).
Seldom has an artist made • comparative first appearance
with so important a picture. The composition is bold and
original, the colouring very pure and effective, and the inci-
dent well described. In the "DialogosDiverace" (600), by Mr.
Long, we have • picture of Spanish life notably in advance
of anything the painter has previously exhibited. The
varied conversations indicated in the title are a warm dis-
pute between a younger and an older priest, whose black
ill-omened garb and long shovel hats blot the warm peaceful
evening sky—an altercation between a boy and a female
fruitseller, • few stolen words between a mounted mu.
'tooth and • signora at a balcony, and a teteratfite be.
tween another pair of lovers seated in the race's of
the esplaniole promenade. The whole foreground
lying in broad shedcw, boldly relieved against
the evening sky, is given with great power and knowledge
et effect, and the whole scene is pregnant with finely-felt
local colour. While upon the subject of Spanish life we
must regret, after Mr. Dina, recently exhibited picture of
a similar class, and which evinced • profitable study of
Mr. Phillip, the falling off in the comparatively panty and
confused " Andalusian Peasants departing from • Yenta"
(520). In the " Convent Shrine" (171), Mr. Wyburd has
painted • nun kneeling at her vesper devotion, with two
reverent peasant girls standing near under the chalet-like
eaves of the convent. There is much careful painting hem,
and the effect of the distant moonlit lake and mountains
turned to • lovely emerald green through the yellow lamp-
light is • very truthfol and original effect ; but with due
appreciation of the artist's perception of beauty the faces
are too similar in type, and a certain feminine:over-delicacy
pervades the work to its detriment. The last remark ap-
plies to the same painter's pretty @leaping ratan%
" Nadirs" (184). Mr. G. Smith's "Leisure Hour" (134), •
yeueg sailor lying on • bank, and lovingly watching • mo-
dust maiden examining the shells he has presented, is very
pleasing in feeling, and contains some refined drawing in the
hands, but the colouring of the figures is rather out of bar. RWRISINTATION 07 LZICIEffER.—R will be ye-
amanbared that Mr. P. A. Taylor represented one of the
mony with open air effect, and the "motive" of the picture
seems slightly reminiscent of the " Sonnet," by liulrrady,
ie the Sheepshanks collection. Mr. Nichol is certainly •• vs ehrererglar
conteeding sections this time last year, ad he became
in the borough. .As Mr. Biggs was con-
sem of the liberal party to represent the ad-
perfect master of Irish character and expression. The yawed ascii:, • movement in in progress for the nomi.
sheepish lover and the saucy wench in Na 631 tells its own . nation of Mr. P. A. Taylor, as representing the radical
droll tale as forcibly—and without the artist's usual mica- . Party. This, it is understood, will be acquiesced in by the
entire liberal party, for the sake of union, a similar m-
tore—as "The Empty Frock" (554 j, appeals to us patbeti. rioieueeeee being e;titeretood se forthcoming from the radi-
ally in the bereaved expression of the poor lone woman call in support of the moderates whenever • double election
gulag so piteously through the hole in her cabin, the lower may occur, ea that the seat now occupied by the conserve.
meaelas of her free almost writhing with the agonising re. tivea may ha recovered to the liberal unity. la the course
oellectioa of her lost child. We recognise the "S
neral
it atadiewsodalapuMbuor. imetuisP'A.
loi‘aythloer
Mal" invaluable power of seizing expression in prvelsto• prevails that this election will be • walk over.
the " Debeherre (329), of Mr. Y. Hardy, jun., simple as CIITITaL PALLOR Hair-a-CnOvni Dng.
is the theme. This little picture has good technical Sarummv, Fmk B.—Admission on payment, 632 ; ditto by
qualities, but expression must ever rank higher than man season tickets, 3,372; total, 4,004.

MUSIC.