The Express.
London, England, 1858-06-21 00:00:00

FINE ARM

EXHIBITION OP WORKS OF ART-
MANUFACTURE.

A very attractive Exhibition of works of art
araufssare, either deigned or executed by students of the
Moola of art in (emotion with the Department of Science
Wed Art, bee been opened to the publicat the Museum, South
Zemsiegton. The indelitigable Mr. Henry Cole maintained
• sheet taw since the desirability of some such Exhibition,
knit to &bin • positive test of the actual working
wile dile art instruction afforded by the elaborate machl-
Vim et lie Depettaint. But we were not prepared to me so
pm. • usellsades of the experiment. The result is w-
ail* Imp anseuesging, and indicates considerable proper
Y esvonal description, of art-manufacture in which we did
seal low to advantage in the Great Exhibition of 1861.
however, remains to be done, bat we trait we are ma
Se Vet beck. The subject generally is treated with much
kadffillent by Mr. Wallis, in an introduction to the catalogue
.thb inhibition ; we may therefore, without further pre-
lude, tars to the objects exhibited. •
• few of the specimens of glass are flue, yet there is, coos
pared with old Venetian, something sharp and crude, some-
thing ageestat and to set one's teeth on edge, in all modern
glass. The most remarkable works exhibited are in the
class of easamica—the fins of the late Mr. MI" at 11Mise
e Teen, beerier eerily the pain. Truly weemkellal•see the
Urge imitations of lilejoilos, Pam, were, and Limoges ame.
male, for their perfect resemblance to the old works in style
and character. The visitor sheadd notice particularly the
large vases and tuxes, the mesadSorat jardiniere purchased
by the department; several of the famous tiles ; the *emu,
with portraits of her Majesty and the Emma of the
French; • pair of Moreeque dishes, a large Wolk* dish,
with the Judgment of Paris; and • large Indian bowl.
Many other interesting productions in porcelain, Parise, and
terra-cotta are contributed from the Staffordshire Potteries,
Baralem, de. The works of Messrs. Kerr and Bina; of Wor-
cester, form a most importantcolleadon. Severgof the separate
porcelain slab, or plaques display Dome very fair examples of
enamel painting, but in this we are still terribly behind the
French, and they themselves are by no means where they
were in the time of the Empire. The most elaborate illus-
tration of cabinet-work is afforded in the Louis XVI. cabinet
by Messrs. Graham end Jackson, exhibited in the Paris Ex-
position, which gained the gold medal, and was much
lauded by Mr. Nib, Wyatt In the Report. In the clam of
metal-work three " Art Mantelpieces," contributed bygdr.
Potts, of Birmingham, deserve the very highest praise, for
the boldness of their successful attempt at introducing a
higher class of artistic design into the electro portions of the
composition. The Sheffield grates and fenders, some of the
best of which are sent by Means. Benham end Sone, evince
surprising improvement upon the designs of ten years since.
The ecclesiastical and other ornamental metal work by
llesars. Hart and Sons forms one of the features of the
Exhibition. The cease( Messrs. Elkington's electro-deposits,
particularly some of the oxidised compositions, deserves
especial attention, Here we have • charming branch of art.
Industry, for the development of which we certainly have to
a treat extant to thank the Department.;i ;The bronze
statuette of William the Conqueror, and other works by Mr.
Armistead, are promising. In furniture and wood carving
Mame. Trollope's satinwood garderobe and carved wine
cooler are salient objects of interest; and very remarkable is
an ebony sideboard, which was designed in this country, bat
carved by the natives of Ceylon. The lace and linen damasks,
the silk; ribbons, and trimmings, and the printed fabrics,
we commend to the ladies. We mould not help admiring,
however,some of the delicately printed Paisley silk shawls.
Lastly, easing the arsenic paper-hangings with a shudder,
there is a wet interesting aeries of sixteen coloured pho-
togeaphs from portraits of the Tudor family, DOW executing
for the Nimes' Chamber, In the new Palace, Westminster,
fa the tali' eohosi of the Dependent, by Mr. Bitrchett,
the hod salins owl sews of the easiest.. To faithful
Plwinsitrialesallits•Meteninmst. pas the IMMIONWIN
• I 111.1116111 es Ytelerel easmostedus les been eesslit to be

added; ban we hays the gold backgrounds emiiched by
indeed or 'accented diapered ornameat while soft, character-
istic of the set of kw oratories back.