The Express.
London, England, 1857-05-02 00:00:00

nungra VIEW OP THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

The present Exhibition is quite equal to, if it
does not in some respects slums, its predecessors.
If there are no great pictures in the highest accep-
tation of the term, there arc at the same time but
few bad ones. In most of the artists whose produc-
tions we have seen in previous Exhibitions we can
discern not only the wish to shake off conventionality,
and aim at originality of some kind, but an evi-
dent power to do so; and for persons who like
ourselves have visited these rooms for years_past; the
thane is both apparent and gratifying. Far math
of this, we believe, we have to thank the at our tins@
much abused school of pre-Raphaelites : not that us
pin our faith to all the rules that it may please that
school to lay down ; but few will deny that it is
mainly owing to the penevering efforts of its fol-
lowers that Nature, in all her exquisite detail, is be-
coming matter for a careful and reverent study with
oar artists. We beg such of our readers as may
doubt this to make a tour of the rooms, and after
a Beaching examination of the pictures they contain
—whether by known or unknown artists—to say if
there is not among the many a_pereeptible move-
ment in advance even of the last Exhibition.

It is bas IMP tail soma well-known names
hema amsse the list d exhibitors—Sir Charles
Pastlass, Webster, awl Ward from amen the
Academicians, and oat at this Academy nay many
others, Mr. Holman Hat amag the misir. To
the superior attraction that Mrasebeator has eared
to many of our artists this absence is to be
attributed. Nevertheless, in spite of we
hays an exhibition of contemporary English art
which this country may regard with pride as not
only full of great promise but of a most creditable
performance. As it is our intention, however, to
give several notices of the pictures now exhibiting
wisainst content ourselves at present by indicating a
brie the more prominent, not only for the talent
kihplay, but from, the reputation already Re-
wind hy the artist. We therefore propose making
di=survey, as a mere preliminary to a more
criticism.
We begin with • picture in itself a gem, and one
that scarcely needed the name of Mulready to be
attached to it to command immediate public atten-
tion. " The Young Brother" is a picture, as we
learn from the catalogue, " painted for the gallery of
tan:sented to the nation by the late Hobert
m
, Esq., in pursuance of his will ;" and there-
for*, is bil=n a measure our own property, it has
a doll chin precedence of notice. It is •
&wan *tare—indeed, as charming a picture as
immtabor to bare seen even from Mr. Mul-
mats -dallightful pas& It represents a girl,
or tales woman, Arse back is turned towards
as eisississ a Oak who, loaning over her
shindig, b amtigdm man a good-natured
caindied:b. ISM Si reedy to crow with
as happyeast_
_shad itself. It is an
ensidispistre—lltarastifish to a degree—coutain.
in. nistif di dr media and Ist kw of the faults of
dr =dm The arising is adoliable throughout ;
Ile peintirgatits Ilea is parr; end the hair, that
ddr Oda eigssially, is a miracle of art—it looks
oft as Issioard &ors bright as a sunbeam in con-
trast to dm viossta seder which it rests. It is a
rally piste% with so sessoary detail omitted, vet
aloft obtraird said siding overdrawn. The
goal& reprenisimid are dm* villagers, and not
aassyht biotin with impel ible skins and bright
petticoats. It is a picture to make the
spectator's heart glad, and one that the nation may
be proud of possessing.
The next Academician upon our list who has dis-
tinguished himself most successfully this year is Mr.
Dyce. Ins picture, both in colour and drawing,
is a chef crceucre, and illustrates beyond any
words that we can use the sapid progress that
the new school is making. The subject Mr.
Dyco has selected is "the young Titian pre-
paring to make his first essay in colouring," by
drawing the Madonna which he coloured with the
juice of flowers. This is a wonderful picture, exhi-
biting power of the highest description. The face of
the boy is excellent in expression. The clear, stead-
fast eyes, the resolute mouth, with the firm, close
lip, the easy attitude of the figure, are all alike ad-
mirable, while the Madonna itself is most skilfully
painted; and every detail of the picture—whether
shaking leaves or waving gram, delicately RNA
' flowers or rugged tree bark—is carefully finished.
It is a picture that you gaze at, examine, and pm,
to return to gaze at and re-examine, and raa
leave it, to return and return again.
Not so with Mr. Maclise's " Peter the Great in the
Dockyard of Deptford," which is exaggerated in
drawl —in many instances false in colour, and
decidedly unpleasant in the general effect. Almost
all the faces will be recognised by those who aro
familiar with Mr. Macliae's pictures. Then am
the name eyes, the same hair, the came 11th
painting, the same exaggeration of limb ; sza
though the painting of detail in this picture is care-
ful toe degree, it is both hard and cold. It is na-
ture without a soul. The Czar himself is a failure.
Ile is more like a young Orlando than the eccentric
young bear of Muscovy. The figure of Wil-
liam lIL, is better, but hard and wanting in expres-
sion. And the women standing behind the Czar are
of that large-eyed, red-lipped, stereotyped class with
which Mr. Maclise and his imitators have ren-
dered us so painfully familiar. Some of the
figures are well painted. Thu matzo group
of the dwarf, the black, and the monkey,
relieve the composition mightily ; bat the gsnsrs
effect is harsh and strained, all as gogissamm attls
tudinising, and there is a want of good harmany
in the picture.
Mr. Stanfield has come out well this year, though
he will have much to do to surpass, even if he
reaches, the mark he gained in the last Exhibition
by his superb picture of the Abandoned," in which
we learnt how mach of true pathos may be ex-
pressed through an inanimate object. The four Tic.