The Express.
London, England, 1847-04-26 00:00:00

line fits.

SIR ROBERT PEEL'S PICTURES.—Sir Robert Peel,
on Saturday lest, admitted, by engraved cards of invitation,
upwards of 500 noblemen and gentlemen to view the pictures
in his house in Whitehall-gardens. The Peel Collection of
Pictures has long been famous among critic and connois-
seurs, yet, of the many who talked about it, few, It may be
affirmed, had ever inspected the entire collection. One had
seen a Ruysdael under the hammer of the auctioneer; ono-
, ther a Cayp in the hands of a picture-dealer ; a third had
seen a Hobbima in the possession of the dealer who had
sold it to Sir Robert; and many remembered to have seen
the famous "Chapeau de Faille," by Rubens, on the walls
of the British institution. That the collection has been but
very seldom seen, is easily to be accounted fir. Sir Robert
has no gallery in London, strictly so called, and the pictures
he has brought about him are hung on the walls of the
family sitting-rooms. A general exhibition of them is not,
therefore, to be expected. A man's house ceases to be his
own when his rooms are open to the crowds of curious
and over-curious people who may choose to apply
for admission. Few would care to collect pictures if one of
the conditions of possession was the necessity of showing
them. Pictures should be seen, however, if they are worth
seeing ; and that this is the feeling of Sir Robert Peel, the
exhibition of Saturday last (if such it may be called) Is at
once a noble and convincing proof. Ws trust his example
will not be without its imitators. The Queen', collection of
pictures in Buckingham Palace is but very little known, and
we may say the same indeed of the celebrated collections be-
longing to the Marquis of Westminster, the Earl of Elles-
mere, the Duke of Wellington, the Duke of Sutherland, the
Marquis of Lansdowne, Lord Ashburtoa, Sir T. Basing, Mr.
Rogers, and Mr. Hope. A love for art is so much on
the increase among as that it is incumbent on every one
who possesses • collection of pictures (good pictures we
mean) to study when and in what way they eau
best be made useful in exciting or informing others, without
interfering with that privacy of " boa*" which every
Englishman so peculiarly and properly appreciates. The
highest praise is due to Sir Robert Peel for leading the way
in this good work of knowledge, end every commendation as
due to him as well, for not confining his hat of invitations to
the titled and the wealthy. It is not too muck to say that
every clam and erudition of art had its several representatives
in the meeting of Saturday. Indeed it would be difficult to
name any one who had a claim to be asked who was not
included in the general invitation. Painters, sculptors,
architects, and engravers, picture dealers, picture cleaners,
art auctioneers, print-sellers, collectors, even critics, were
present at the meeting. Warrion and statesmen too, were
there—the Duke of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel :
Chiefs out of war and etetenows eat et plow
men distinguished in every branch of literature and scienoe—
poets, historians, and engineers ; all, in short, who knew Lay-
thieg about art, or even pretended to understand anything
about it. Nor were ladies wanting (though few in number)
to enliven the appearance of the scene. Lady Peel was
there, with her two daughters, Lady Villiers and Min
Elise Peel, one esmasemorated on canvas by Sir Thomas
Loomis, the ether (mem neently) by Edwin Landseer.
Sir Ihhift Peal bra isms milection of pictures, sassiming
astir* of dem Ishenb—/huthit, Dutch, @abet& All
are fine: test Wind h • @he drawers of its Ars and style.
The Flemish sled Dula pistons are both atiffitehall ; the
English Metre ha dm mast part at Drayton-manor. The
Whitehall house is a vergflne one bride, though the exte-
rior exhibits me
t is promising. The rooms are
large and well= tied; the taste exhibited throughout
marks the abase: • =SS of refined tastes. Six rooms were
shown. The dm*, a kind of ants-room abutting from
the hall, is hung Miss collection of drawings, eighteen in
number, by Rubles sal Vandyek. Among the drawings by
Rubens are for mei* @bodies for th•picture, at Munich, re-
preseshes the " Fall of the Damned.' The The finest Vandyck
is the Crudfixiou " the finished study for the altar-piece
of the church of St' Michael, at Ghent. This leads to the
library ; bat the books were concealed for the occasion
(Ily enough) by a collection of prints, framed and
tr 4
anued: Prm the library the visitor was conducted to the
room, a noble apartment, looking en the river, with

Wilkie's " John Kane " at one end, and six Sr imbues at
the other. The Wilkie is es-ideally improving in colour, and
looks well; but the " Dr. Johnson," by Sr Joshua, is the
tree Aire of the room.. This was the picture painted for Mr.
Thrals, and bought by Sir Robsrt at \Yemen Taylor's sale.
It is not only the finest head of Johnson, but, perhaps, the
finest head Sir Joshua ever painted. Johnson is supported
on the left by Burwell (a copy, we suspect, though a good one),
and en the right by Edmund Burke. Above the great
lexicographer is a capital head of the Prince of Wales when
young, and on either side of the prince the " Robinette"
and a " Lady and Child," both admirable specimens of the
master. The staircase leading to the drawing rooms, some-
what narrow and ill- proportioned, is tastefully ornamented
in the new style of coloured decoration. The little drawitig.
room (ter so we must suppose it to be called) is immediately
above the diningsnom, end here we begin to get a taste of
the tch and Flemish masters, though the attention at
first is chiefly engrossed by two full-length portrait. of the
Queen and Prince Albert, by \Vinterhalter, occupying the
whole of the upper end of the room. Over the fireplace,
which Las the window, is a large mirror, and on either side
of it four small pictures by Teeters, representing the Four
Season.. At the lower end of the room is a doorway leading
into the great drawing-room, or gallery, and on either side
of this doorway pictures are hung—a large and noble
Ruysdael on one side, and a large and equally tine (we
think) B tckhuysen on the other, with a row of small pictures
beneath- • Cuyp forming the centre on one side, a Teniers
(" La St; prise it tlicheuse") the centre cn the other. The great
drawing.: nom or gallery is indeed a noble apartment, with a
bay window at either end, and two lire-places, both on the
same aid... Here, then, is the collection of which so much
has been lid, and which deserves all and more than has yet
been said about it. There is no settling what to look at or
where to legin. That small Cuyp—a ruined cztle and
nothing more in subject, but everything else in point of
elocution— will at first attract, or perhaps that Hobbima
above it ; 1 it it is best to be methodical, and follow the
general arrangement of the proprietor himself. In the
centre of one side hangs that wondrous half-length
portrait by Ruben, of a lady in • hat, known
wherever art is known as the " Chapeau de Paille"
of the famous Fleming. It cost Sr Robert Peel
3,500 guineas, and is well worth the sum, fur it
is • maderp.ece of its kind, all light and life. Over against
it, on the in: er side, is • large picture by the same great
painter—" The Triumph of Silenus," a composition of eight
figures, life-else, and seen only to the knee ; this cost 1,1001.
There cannot be less than thirty thousend pounds' worth of
pictures on the two walls! Below the " &bona "is a Hob-
bema (a rare master, though one offerer in the same collec-
tion); and I. low the " Chapeau de Paille " is the famous
" Poulterer 's Shop " of Gerard Dow, a small but wondrous
picture, reek • ned by Sir Robert as cheaply acquired at
1,2701. Han: ing a little above the Gerard Dow, a Back-
buysen and a Ituysdael may be seen, with a couple of De
Hooghe's, an interior and exterior, most admirable ex-
amples of th.. master. Anything like order in descrip-
tion after ti is is really impossible ; the eye ranges
I delighted from Vanderelde's to Vander Heydea's— from
Micria the fatter to Mieris the son, from the last picture
Paul totter lived to paint, to a Terhurg or a Teniers, a
Wynants or • Wouvermans. Fresh beauties are discovered
at every turn, sod nothing can be passed over. At the
' further end ol the gallery is a sort of withdrawing room,
with four large pictures, " The Snake in the Grans," sod a
three-quarter portrait of Admiral Koppel, both by Sir
Joshua ; Lawrence's "Miss Peel (now Lady Villiers)
seated with a Dog," and Landseer's Miss Eliza Peel
standing with • Dog." This close hanging to Sir
Joshua is a trial for Lawrence and Landseer. Rnolds
looks like an old master, all warmth and depth;
while Lawrence and Landseer look cold and chalky by his
side. Lord Clarendon's collection of portraits by Van Dyck
has paused into other hands, and the Houghton gallery of Sir
Robert Walpole has been long located in the cold climate of
St. Petersburg. That a collection like thin may remain
permanently sett' ed in the family of its founder for genera-
tions yet to come, must he the wish of all who feel an inte-
rest in art, the reputation of English taste and English
liberality.
OLD WATER-COLOUR SOCIETY.—The forty-third
annual exhibition of the Society of Painters in Water-colours
(the old Watercolour Society), opens this day, at the gallery
of the society, in Pall-mall east. Mr. Cattermole
is unfortunately absent, and Mr. 'larding and Mr.
Frank Stone have recently withdrawn from the society, and
entered their num s for election into the Royal Academy.
' Yet in point of general excellence the 43rd exhibition is not
unlike the 36th or 37th, or indeed any exhibition of the
society within the last ten years. Land.capes abound, and
the same men seem to occupy the same places with almost
the same pictures. Copley Fielding is here with his downs
and sands ; Bentley with his sea pieces; Nash with his "old"
English mansions ; Trout with his old continental buildings;
Hunt with his boy., and pigs, and pies, and birds' nests;
De Wint with his broad touches, and Cox with touch,.
occasionally still be der. The subject pictures (so celled)
are still few in nun :Kr, and those few without excellence or
even promise. Mr. Cristall is in water colours what Mr.
Howard is in oils, s nchare.cteristic though clever ; and all
that Mr. Richter has attempted he has done before,
and in a manner eq tally pretty and equally insipid. The
president, Mr. Copl y Fielding, is • prolific exhibitor, ex-
hibiting forty-three different works in a collection of 317.
All are excellent in their way, but among so many there
meet inevitably bee °erten., monotony of style anti treatment,
He seems to have been most at home in Welt., and in Sussex.
One of the best is No. 22, " View of Snowdon from the
Mountain Road between Pont Aberglaslyn and Tsn--
'rich." The mountain mingling with the sky is admirably
given. Equally excellent is another view of Snowden (No.
141), seen from the r Inds of Traeth Mawr. The " Arundel
Castle " (No. 150), is somewhat yellowish; but the " Distant
View of the South DOW= and the Weald from near Cuckfield
in flumes," though lan ambitious in its inanner embodies
the several exc. Hendee of his style, and in • smaller
Mr. Proust exhibits ten pictures, all of the
degree of uniform ex ellen*. Mr. De Wint has sent the
same number, one patticularly good, " View on the Witham,
near Lincoln " (No. 125). Mr. Evans, of Eton, has four—
" A day in the Forest of Athol' "(No. 27); another with the
same name (No. 67); "Return to the Castle Blair Atholl "
(No. 90), and " Eton " (No. 39). The " Return " is a
very fine picture, the finest of the tour, though hung too low
to be seen to advantage. Joseph Nub has seven ; Gastineau,
twenty-six; Cox, fourteen; Hunt, fifteen ; George Fripp,
twelve • Bentley, twelve; and Frederick Taylor, eleven. Mr.
Coca best work is his " Bolton Abbey" (No. 16), broad and
Gainsboroagbish, and Mr. Haat's best work his " Tramper "
(No. 160), a woman with a basket, resting.
THE COSUORAM s, REGENT-STREET. The new
series of views with which this exhibition has re-opened,
in truthfulness of design and effective execution, are,
perhaps, equal to those of any former year. The s'sbjecta
are varied and well seleced ; and the " dioramic effects,"
produced in some cases, give variety and action to the pic-
ture. The sunshine effect, for instance, in the view of Mont
Blanc from the village of Chamoony, is a complete illusion.
There is a want of taste displayed in the use of such a sub-
ject as the " Dreadful catastrophe on the Greet Northern
Railway in France ;" but otherwise the exhibition is SSA.
cloudy worthy of commendation, in puticular the views of
the Interior of the Church of St. Gudnle, at Brussels, and of
Mount Etna. _ _

---
On Wednesday morning last, the two colossal
statues of the Ville de Paris and the Seine, destined for the
piers of the Pont du Carrousel, in Park., were taken out of
the atelier of M. Petitot, at the Barriers d'Enter, and set in
motion towards the bridge, by means of wooden rollers, and
• mechanical apparatus. The removal was continued all
' day and night, but the statues did not reach the Quai Vol-
taire before Friday morning. Two other statect, represent-
ing Industry and the Arta, are also to be placed on the
bridge.

ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. RONSini'A Opera Bufa
" L'ltaliana in Alpert," was produced at Covent-garden on
Saturday evening. We had considerable doubts as to the
policy of reviving this almost forgotten piece, and our mia-
givinp were justified by the result, its success having been
very far from brilliant—a thing the more to be regretted, as
this was the occasion of the debut of Signor Revere, who
has oome to England with the reputation of being the
greatest basso cornice in Italy. The ' Italians in Algiers "
was one of Romini's earliest productions; indeed, setting
wide one or two juvenile pieces, it stands wooed in the list of
his works, "Taticredi" being the first. It was composed when
Rossini was only 20, and was first performed at Venice in 1812.
It had great antes, from the novelty and freshness of its
style, and from the gay buffoonery of its subject being of a
kind that the Venetians could understand and enjoy. But
ita sneer's, even in Italy, was hut local and temporary, and
it has never anywhere held a high place among its author's
works. It was first performed In London In nix, one re-
peated five or six times in the course of the season. It was
revived in 1829, with Madame Peearatii, Signor Denial,
and Signer De Angell, in the principal parts. tot, not-
withstanding the excellence of two of these performers, it
was coldly received, and speedily laid aside. It then slept
again in oblivion till its second revival, on Saturday last,
when it certainly had the advantage of a strong cast, and
an excellent performance. The great obstacle to the
swam of this opera is its dramatic inanity—its utter
ellsniknlism of interest, feeling, and even common sense. It
is a men extravaganza, containing some of that broad fun
sad ituatrow which, in Italy, may be entoyed from its pa-
tisomialp,but which, everywhere else, will seem forced, cold,
sad Widish. The story (if story it an be called) is some.
this. to this effect . a certain Dey of Algiers, Mustapha by
nimatt, has an Italian wife, of whom he has got tired, and
whom he proposes to get rid of by bestowing her upon an
Italian slave, Laidoro, and sending them tb their own coun-
try. At the same time he orders the captain of his corsairs
to eatch another Italian beauty for him. The new beauty is
saight accordingly, and brought to the wrilio, along with
a male companion caught a ith her, the buffs of the piece.
The relation in which this pair sten to each other
'is not explained ; but Made* is in love with Isa-
bella, while she laughs at him in return, and passes
him off upon the 86y as liar uncle. Isabella, and the Italian
slave, Laub's', ramp* each other ; they are old lovers,
and plan an escape lefilliser -an easy task, es the dey is
represented am imenilligilsol as. To please his mistress,
he Myelin, bee wide with the dignity of a kaimakan,
and is see* he n her hand the investiture of
an I
uresaity
&way width she cab • papalaci. A burlesque
areaway talice borrowed from the semi in the
" where Monsieur Asserdain is
wads a the Italian captives In the place
are eimeliell, anew die pretext ofjoiniag la the ceremony ;
and the Idris body sot Ml Isperi A vend sad make their
maps, leaviag tie dey 10 Warm is his cost-off wife -
whichwuroeimitethh:etiand:f.h67.7hue:etnteoett4oitantwutt"llll.lLiimmuhli Ititee"'bllidlh:is-117:lin:iadvot
doing Italian dui•allt The 11/.4' b TW4g not
one of the chemise; for wbova eye a Earthae4
too meek at her ewe in etery ilpbs to be ea mem a trie
4:,,,r,
...... ..,. . .

: • •a

slightest interest. Her lover, Lindero, is a mere nonentity.
The Dey is such an arrant idiot that there is no amusement
in seeing him made a fool of. There is something comic in
Taddeo's jealousy of his =straw, mixed up with his drend or
bring impaled by the D.y ; but these traits are so faintly
indicated by the dramatist and composer, that the actor so
obliged to make them int, Eigible by sheer buffoonery. In
mceet to music, the opera contains many pretty things,
which would have been very effective had they
belonged to a better drama; the proof of which is,
that revaal of them have become stock.pieces iii the
concert-room. The choruses are full and resonant, the con-
certed pieces are well constructed, busy, and animated ; and
some of the airs, though without passion, are melodiota and
graceful. Lindoro's cavatita, " Languir pc r tins bells " is
full of freshness, and was charmingly sung by Salvi ; but it
was literally theouly thing which gave him any opportunity
of ahowing his vocal powers —his dramatic powers he had no
opportunity of showing. The duet "Se incliner'. a prender
between Alustaplus and I.indoro, has long been
used at asserts "So Plato in corpo rate,' " tin
segreto d'imprinasa," &c ) to make the audience laugh with-
out well 'Hoeft Ise what' and the arpeggios, or baUeries os
the bass, inoomk esidss with the smooth cantilena of the tenor,
have a pleasing abelt. Minor Marini (who made kit first
appearance in the character of Martapha) sang kis part of
this duet (and indeed all the music he had to sing) admirably.
His face was masked by a most exaggerated beard • but he
reamed a tall and portly man, with a capital bus void..
Mdlle. Alboni, who personated Isabella, was placed at dis-
advantage by her aria d'intrata, " Cruda sorts, amor
tiranno," which is a weak composition. The snbsequent
duet between Isabella and Taddeo, " Ai caprices della
este," which served to introduce Signor Rover*, the
new basso comic°, is Feely and dramatic, and was ex-
cellently sung by both performer.. Isabella's sir in
the second act was the only thing which afforded
Madlle. Alboni the means of displaying her superb
contralto voice and finished execution. As to Signor Revere,
we do not consider ourselves enabled from his performance
of Taddeo to form any estimate of his powers. We shall
wait till we see him in Figaro, Leporello, or some other part
worthy of a great performer of his class, merely saying that
in the part unwisely chosen for his stand he wax unable,
either by his voice or his bunitur, to make any impression
on the audience. The foul-ensemble of the performance was
excellent, and we found a compensation for the insipid non-
sense of the scene in the rich and grateful harmony of the
full pima, and the light, graceful, rad brilliant instrumen-
tation which characterises the earliest manner of the
compose.
SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY.—The fourth (and
last) performance of Mendelsohn's "Elijah," is fixed for
Friday neat, when Herr Staudigl will sustain the part of
Elijah, which was performed by him when the oratorio was
originally produced at Birmingham.

gat IDrama•
OLYMPIC.—The amateur performance in aid of the
funds of the Printers' Pension Socic'y, which:took place at
this theatre on Saturday, was successful in every respect.
The actor., especially these in the " Poor Gentleman," filled
their parts with a spirit and correctness which would have
given them a respectable rank in the profession had
they belonged to it. Their success was most signal
in a pecuniary point of view, (or the house was crammed,
and there is no doubt that the funds, to increase which they
troll the stage " for that night only," will be handsomely
augmented by their efforts. Prince Albert, who has re-
cently become the patron of the .oci •ty, retained a boa.
The performances concluded with " List the Labourer."

UNIVERSITY AND CLERICAL NEWS.
Oxman, Anat. 21.—As Mt TM DOOM or BAMMOR
or N. sal be pertomil Slabs tempi di New Taday
asitt4: welcome
dWiallu
Omar. Its/M isles d taadas d des
Arai.ls sialses at owl .Wpanardri, batarass
les ail tvlstreas V Übe on Thursday, the
101 b AEI l•
Ceres Omen Clataant—As *Woe ton scholarship in Ms
Grow Ids Dim as raft lbs 7111 of May. Candidates must be
Nam a/ the at lie* sise under 19 years of am With the
asaseery ors abo required to present • Latin
epistle Is orb dealer '
ne Ben. Jean ierite, 8.A., Probationer? Fellow of Magdalen
Calks.. Ms Ism ailmetted an actual Fellow of tint society.

C —Mc Majesty boo been pleorsil to appoint Fleury Jame
lA (1844), Fellow and Tutor of trinity-bell, to the
Gloomy of the aril in., vacant b, the resignation of
. Gib" LL.D.

liar's sat. Leamox.—Tars Iherarsanom or Purges.—The
n4ass midst la abilliats in the medial day absent of this W-
aits*" woe aliellidsi am Illeoday br Oho, of London.
fallsolmis et sadism and prim ma of tbs year
Cargos Moir—Peter We. tisteagrfaus—Ciaorga Robert Cubltt.
Junioe—astay Hyde Salter. John Wasootse Anthony =
Lake. Ashanti—John Coo Lys*. —Wilburn
Lake. Clembay—James Vans. Nasals —John Cox Lynch.
borgere—Wager Mandell GilL lii Ut lannml Jame' Assu-
an saw. Illdwitery—ilamnal Jams. Ammer Saltero
I. Pew Mao;.
reilllylLamet.e. "WKS.er
W Altelielas—WlßlOn
ICI
Mary OAL
yh W•lgg. MEOW
selrtlw-
2. Wallas Omsk. 11001.=1
MU= limy Cook. Wa Jelin llamas Midge ;
R. OWN WOW= Daniell William S. awry Beady Jammu.
Lb's Palos—l. John heertoa O;dle; I. Kneel TM....
Aarealmai—Jeba Thomas Arlidge, Pater Rada, Welter lieltsraticil

Thome es Paranowneou.-11. P. Gates, Eq.. of
Me hes appointed secretary to the bishop, and a notary Zit
efame.
Loam Cnoach.—lt la rmosored that Mr. Ward, of Litton 800,
W ekes his .most kr the now* of the lime.-e Gallery le the
dam* Ptak ae pow at the Bete family. came nno et. pow.ios
the Mete. Tide ereedoe Wee Me chancel from the March.
sed Hs Yin sellhed ee a t er-eare. It le aloe` thee ea at-
Imp b Meet 111 all mode Sparolindicy orheirtaleo mar end
MIMI dr
Bleasetm.—lblaqterteke Iterverv) hear thee meseerlel beet lie
elm/ Is ete .t to pre.ested te Whop of the Omsk spirt
tbArtstotent of the re, arm Wedelhooes to the endelleasory of

Theorems enr Canmem—lt Y in mmlineWiation to build a church
Isserin'resead, 1111,141, r boolleflat. Mop ne.
Psznonown.—ftw. J.Apldia, Is WarkaaP V., Nitta: dlo. lin-
Cisi.NßL. with : pat, the Duke of Nesseetle. Rev. F. E.
loft, Keep L, /Imbed, Lincolnshire; dlo. Llneols; $7l. :
1111 L, the s>< Res. C. Lawford. to Winterbourne
ado V. I with teskloce ; and Berwick St. James's V.; 64E;
uric{ : pot, Lord Ashburton. Vcn. T. J. Ormond,
rIMrYO R. se.. Haeleeton C., Norfolk: dlo. Norwirh ;
the Duke of Norhlk on the presentation of the Bishop et Nec-
daY P. Bush, W loath Luffenham R., itutlindshire; Els.
Peterlavosts ; 4231.: pit. Res. J. Bush.
Vsesnems.—lioylake P. C., Cheshire; dio. (pester; 1001.: pat.
the /Swims of Chester; Roe. J. Lonwoceille, promoted. Longwood
P.C., Huddersfield ; dio. Ripon ; 1301.: rat., the V. of Hu Wen:geld ;
Rae. J. Coates dec. t NcoPo V., Hunts; dio. Ely; 1631., with re-
sidents: pat., the lard Maas:am ; Rev. J. Atpleton, promoted.