The Express.
London, England, 1859-11-17 00:00:00

FINE AB7B.

BRITISH INSTITUTION.

Upon the claw of the exhibition of pictures by old
mutes at the Gallery of the British Institution, Pall-mall,
it hashes costomary, as our readers are probably aware, foe
• few of the contributors to allow that peewee to remain for
a short time to afford artiste, who nay so desire, an opportu-
nity of copying them. In reviewing the °opt's, which an
to-day visible by card, we will not discuss at length the mass-
don of the advantages or dfmdvsnt•gm of copying the pas;
Milers of et. Doubtless the prudes is attended with
danger. Bat it is for the most part iI411:140111 only to those
servile imitators whose want of originality would be apparent
even in their imitation of nature. Conducted with iatelli-
gence—with the aim at discovering the more subtle qualities
in a great original of exproaskin and colour, composition and
effect, sad with due allowance for the influence of time—
copying can, we think, hardly be other than benefice]. Sir
Joshua Reynolds recommended and adopted the practice of
merely making sketchy memoranda of the peculiar
merit or meritorious part of any particular picture. Bat
many other great authorities contend that copying may be
safely carried much further than this. By doing so the
student has opportunities of making experiments with a view
to acquiring the knowledge of the processes of the meter,
and what were the particular methods be employed st sue-
cessire stages to produce the ultimate effect.

With two or three excepi ion', the pictures left this year are
not especially eligible for study. There are, notwithstanding,
perhaps so many as forty copies more than usual. The
superbly toned female study by Sir Joshua Reynolds, entitled
" Coatictigstlen." has attracted the greatest number of
nudists, yet the textural richness of the impute of this
picture is extremely difficult to imitate. And, as any
passage derive their charm from the master having taken
advaatage of aocidental effect, much pumps are seemly to
be exactly copied, because clue imitation of them must necee-
eerily be by illegitimate means. The copy of this picture
by Mr. Paul, though rather spotty to parts, and not
gland with sufficient boldness, is by far the beet. Next to
thistle • copy by Mr. Johnson. Mr. Paul bee also mode an
excellent copy of the unfinished portrait of Min flainabo-
rough, by Onnaborough. There are several other pictures
by Gainaborough, which have been copied with fair moms,
by Mewl. Johnson and Jerome, Mies Todhenter and Emma
Novello. The last lady has imitated the painter's handling
very closely. Mr. Jerome is apt to obtrude a mousiness of
his own. This is more apparent in • copy by this artist of
a female portrait, by Frank Hain though there is generally a
clever imitation of the dashing execution of the original, the
handsets quite unlike in character. Mr. Dixon has made a
creditable copy of this and another portrait, by Frank Hal.
These copies, however, are not entirely free from exaggera-
tion, which is the besetting sin of copyists. The dirty brown
tones of the original are still less pkanant in Mr. Dixon's
versions. If copyists Venture upon alterations at all they
should strive to supply emendations. The elegance of Van-
dyke's "Virgin and Child" has been moat snocessfully repro-
duoed
by Mr. Haab= ; and a small copy, hy Mr. Clarke, is
praiseworthy.

The original landscapes are not numerous. There are good
copies of Gaspar Pouasin by Messrs. Reins& (with inten-
tional variations) and Aglio. Miss Player hoe made a free
and pleasing copy of a rather large landscape by Van Doyen.
Mist Player has evidently aimed at what too few copyists
attempt, namely, realising what must have been the freshness
of the original when it left the reel of the painter. The
love of nature, would, however, it might be supposed, 120,2"
'My lead a tone artist to follow this worse. ADe Keeling
has been aldlially copied by Mr. De Lots.

CRYSTAL PALACE. 081 FINILLT9I3 DAL—.
Witotzeos9, If ow. 18.—Admistriese es psysteat, 698; ditto
by MINNOW tickets. 420; total smites. 1,018.
COMMON OINNIAL OMNIBUS COMPANY (LI-
Trak recelpta for the week ending Nov. 13,
10,4991. N. 9d.