The Express.
London, England, 1858-02-26 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY SPECIMEN OF WOOD

CARVLNO.

We have seen a specimen of carving so remarkable
not merely for more than Indian patience and deli-
cacy but likewise for artistic excellence, that we are
confident nothing more than obtaining public atten-
tion for so extraordinary a work is needed to secure
for its at present unknown author well-merited emi-
nence. The art of carving in wood has recently
been revived to some extent in this country, but not
before such revival was needed, for, excepting almost
only in the exquisite productions of Grinling Gibbons,
it has met with undeserved neglect in England since
the Reformation. The performance to which we
allude is not, however, like most of the carving of
the seventeenth century, strictly ornamental or archi-
tectural. While equally elaborate it is on a smaller
scale, and more resembles the minute examples of
early German wood carving. Though like French
works of the eighteenth century it is the reproduc-
tion of a popular painting, the subject chosen being
Alexander Fraser's painting, "The Moment of Vic-
tory." The numerous figures and objects in this
picture have been reduced with the assistance of a
simyle drawing, and without a model, to a carving on
a piece of box-wood measuring only 9 in. by 8 in.
It therefore rivals in its quantity of detail the old
ivory tablets, votive, mythological, or devotional, and
we may easily credit t.4t it occupied Mr. Bryer, the
ingenious artist, no lees than 2,000 hours. The
alto-relievo of the foreground planes of the carving
is very bold and powerful, and in some instances the
detachment is nearly complete, the distance at the
same time being expressed with singular delicacy.
The moat difficult foreshortenings in the picture, as
for instance the naked feet of a climbing boy, is in
the wood extremely masterly. Textures of all
kinds are imitated with scrupulous nicety,
whether the soft breast of the victorious chanticleer
or a dilapidated cottage wall with the beams and
bricks showing through the broken plaster. The
minuteness of the work is in truth quite marvellous;
the very filaments of a peacock's feather being ren-
dered, one by one. As specimens of "undercutting,"
which excites generally so much astonishment in
wood carving, we may mention the feats of carving
a bird inside its cage, the varioul coils of a clothes-
line, and a cock detached almost completely except
by his slender legs. But a far higher merit than all
this we find in the truthful expression of the faces,
some of which are brimful of humour and drollery.
The most extraordinary circumstance in *con-
nexion with this work of art remains to be
told. Its author, Mr. Wm. Bryer, is, we have the
best authority for saying, entirely self taught. This
is, moreover, only the second or third work he has
produced sic amateur. In fact, not long since Mr.
Bryer was a baker in High-street, Southampton.
So much native and special talent, we trust, will not
be allowed to lie undeveloped for want of due recog-
nition, and we commend the artist in particular to
his Grace of Northumberland, the great patron at
present of wood-carving.

NATIVE CONTRITS.—A few Sabbaths ego seven
adult natives were received into church communion at
Monday, oas of the stations of the Ahmednuggur
It le not a little remar table that there should have been •
larger number of additions to the churches coonsoted with
the above mission, during the last year, than there had been
In say previous year. The number of church samehere sew
nerds 930, being about fifty In advance of the number th-
at the commencement of last year.—Beenday Garr-
-23.
ANOTHER COOLIE SAT? IN TROUBLE.— Ship
ChalleageOrmosey, from Bestow for Havana, before mo-
norail at Batavia Nov. 24, pat in on the 22nd for water
end media! moistened. like had 900 Coolies, about 160 of
whoa wade kid with a disease similar to scurvy. There
had bees • disturbthes en board, and the disaffected were in
frees. Oa the 24th one of the Coolies kaped overboard and
we. drowned.—Bortos Post.