The Express.
London, England, 1857-06-15 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

THE TURNERS IN THI NATIONAL GALLERY.
One great English Muter is adequately
rep
seated in the National Collection of Paintings.. This
truth has been forcibly and pleasingly impressed
upon us by some howl spent, on Friday and Satur-
day last, in Marlborough House. In the apartments
on the first floor of that edifice a large addition to
the Turners previously collected there was on those
two days opened to private view. It is simple jus-
tice to Mr. Worn= to state that, by judicious selft-
tion sad arrangement, he has done as much sea mere
mortal can, in a building not originally destined for
the exhibition of works of art, and emptier'', an-
saseeptible of being adapted to such a purpose, to aid
the public in forming a correct estimate of the
value of the great legacy bequeathed to them by

Turner.
It is not oar intention at present to attempt a cri-
tical estimate of the pictures last exposed to public
view. Our profound admiration of Turner's genius
has been often expressed, and may be again ; for the
theme is a tempting one. Our sole object in these
few remarks is to announce to the public the addi-
tional source of delightful contemplation that has
just been placed within their reach. Three at least
of the English painters of the earlier part of the
nineteenth centuarryy may boldly be said to be dos
tined to • ly—Wilkief Etty, and Telmer.
And of these three the last-named is
the greatest. If any one who hasla=l2
judgment of Turner by the ingessions
ceased from year to year at Na sesemshe
Exhibition incline be cal in qnsties tie jetties of
this opinion let his "14 devote e lbw lens to •
dispeasimate study ed the meet dills to the
Turners in litoiste Hems lho 'dhoti's
embraces worts else osseie e aft • TM Ed
recent u 1860. We lees thews milts of "may
of the artist's pegmes soil of every style his
and self-t. .*amltitioa attempted. They
who made merry with the tuseouthalmes of ihmer
during kis life bah suspected the prier eallielikelte
anew of beauty that was shut op in thet
agodaly casket. Even his works ONE 01111
and at distant intervals could owner so
adequate idea of what was in him. It is only
when walking amid the accumulated labours of his
lith that an approximate notion of the full extent of
his genius dawns upon us. His whole life appears
Is bow been devoted to unintermitting labour with
a view to achieve mastery in his art. To this end
be watched the phenomena of nature at all hones
and in all seasons. To this end he examined nar-
rowly whatever had been accomplished by his pre-
dator/re, prying and reflecting in order to detect
the secret of their manipulation. This labour, how-
amok outh have been comparatively in vain had he
est `mimed with the very highest omits for
folk, end eeproducing objects of vivid hasty.
Ifs mite wilds mind re curiously revealed ha some
ef pastier, which mend properly be idled
mph', o heitatioes of great meatin, but rather ro-
d them. It is with thee works so If
=.11.111; keg Ni earnest eontausplation of Os
el some great miter, had acquired hi
=11.5.1, of seeing nature through his
era Or we sight say that, after a pro-
longed of exedissoo, he had said to himself
la ow warrant tasmsat, " I will show the world
Sot lam opal Oh uses in his own way." In
the Ihediarewie-frems collection there is cute land-
, scope which, load we seen it elsewhan, without
lan artist's name, we should hem eel s&
tatingly pronounced to be a Wiles--ela •
first-rate Wilson too. The " Tenth Phipo ef
Egypt" is in like manner painted under this
tiou of Pavan. Others of Turner's washy Mit
this collection and elsewhere, we have ONE lilarld
with this peculiar character. This erigereses to peer
torte into the secret thoughts and workings of Ms
great predceemors—this power of divining them,
sowtslbated greatly no doubt to develop the ards•
deal smstery of Turner. He turned from the star
of nature to search out how others had pourtrayed
her ; and he turned from their creations to find in
mature materials for others that should equal
them. His life was one long aspiration
after artistic pre-eminence. A happy life no doubt
ha led in his secluded hoes—haunted, haunted, possessed
by rhinos of beauty, and cessions that he was en-
dowed with the power to Sow them on his canvas.
Wbstrser welds sir, et sum had to show in their
stondoot 11111111111,ses thsir boars of most rapt slum-
brous limmtg, es gond! of Turner dared to attempt,
sag sour morassrefully. This may seem to be a
bold sestice, bat a few hours spat in Marlbo-
will vindicate its literal awaratay. We
oelht tothe churning of this trams " The
y”
liftesa sems;Wr2l;x4ut
tiothese tiftesseisetentli with which
mssmiag
me weir rod 092) ; Ltd ta the dam g Senors pia
Om wide asks one room to
a slars wain cas evald*lthetelealliever
.rs piled& Palma and Briar" (512), " MA=
at idea Amami Babyl (KS), and .
Apia. • PM. They who have
osisnoll timmadass eft • =me of Turner's mat-
tes), se sarsed ship ',these works, and others
at Or same chef, mug floe tarn to a class which
bap beau a fertile Nara of bad jokes. They will
have a key to the artist's object in painting " Shade
end Darkness" (101), and " Light and Colour "
Tappings6, the Furnace e "
$5l), ananddhise" Whalers."'
instructive works in this collection are some at
Turner's unfinished paintings. Perhaps the richest
Ni at the same time most delicately beautiful
emanation from his pencil is one of these—. Chiches-
ter anal " (560). When, in addition to Turner's
=irlea the drawings and studies which he
to the Nation arc rendered easily
acesesibk, his influence on the education both of
artists and amateurs will be unspeakable. His
works extend our conception of the possible in art,
and are always inspired by a present and pervading
sense of beauty. But his works must be studied in
the same spirit that he studied the works of others
—with a view to understand and appreciate, not
merely to make servile copies of them. One great
lesson the Collection teaches : that to become a Master
in art the student must devote himself entirely to
it, and rely solely upon his own inspirations.