The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-11 00:00:00

THE MANCHESTER EXHIBITION OF
ART TREASURES.

As the opening day approaches, the public will
be looking for an account of the progress which is
being made within the building for the gratifica-
tion of visitors. We can promise them that the exe-
cutive committee will not merely " keep the word
. of promise to the ear," but that they will produce a
sight without a parallel in excellence. Well may
Manchester be proud of its Art Treasures Exhibi-
tion, magnificent as it is in its material worth, in
its richness and its novelty. We have visited the
_palace, and are able to state that the motto
adopted by the committee, " A thing of beauty is
a joy for ever," is daily and hourly having a visible
meaning and interpretation at Old Trafford. For
a sight of a single specimen of the hundreds now
colleeting, people have travelled enormous
distances; but here will be seen, in one assemblage,
the greatest works of men

Whose names
In Fame's eternal volume live for ave.

ligor will the exhibition be, as some have assumed,
`simply a picture gallery, for treasures of a varied
kind will be exhibited. Many are already arranged.
Tile. Bernal collection, for instance, is now placed
itt glass cases, and there are to be seen rare neck-
, laces, a pope's ring, and curious buckles, reminding
eine, as Hartley Coleridge says, " of the enchanted
rings and amulets of romance." Then we shall
have also the best specimens of Venuses, Cupids,
Niobes, and Psyches to be found in the world.
In short, we may state that rich and varied trea-
sures yet undreamed of by many, are de,iiy. rising
'before the eye •in rich and glorious profusion.
The. presiding genius in this business is John C.
Deane, Esq., the chief commissioner,, under whose
personal superintendence all the arrangements are
being conducted. With regtrd to the interior decora-
tions,which are being successfully carried out by Mr.
-
Grace, of London,we may state that mottoes are i3eing
placed around the arches at the extremq ends of the
building. That at the east end is "tile one already
quoted, " a thing of be4utY.i."'„ a joy
dQs ..en - '
for ever," and
that at the' w
"To wake the soul by
tender strok.es of art."
on a back . These mottoes are painted
The cern grow-, _ _el enriched with wreaths of laurels.
grey _g it•divided into compartments of aerial
• • •
• , and th.e ribs.dividinf, the panels are in bronze,
ofith vellum tint and Votruvian and Grecian' orna-
mentation ; each rib -alternating, and having also
a very pretty ornamentation. The rivets through-
out the 'building are 'of gilt, and the ironwork
generally isbronee, relieved with gold. The walls
are of rich maroons with. freize ornamentation at
the top, and-a -label for. the name of the most
celebrated painters; whose works are to hang
underneath in chronological order. The roofs of
the side aisles and galleries are treated in a similar
Manner to the.roof. in the grand hall, and in the
• side rooms, the walls are of a tea green tint. At
the top of each pillar is the monogram " A. T. E.,"
in gilt, on one side, and a similar monogram
• 'reversed on the opposite side. The railings of
'tie galleries are finished in bronze, with gold stars
and crosses' in the centre, and the plinth is beauti-
fully inlaid, the prevailing colour being a light
citron. All the pillars in the building are fisted
- bronie arid gilt. Down the centre of the great
, hall, a space has been marked off 12 feet wide, for
" The procession to move along on the inaueuration
,!day.. At the entrance to the north transept, and
learlint into the Botanical Gardens, are the re-
freshment; rooms; and the apartments in which the
'Co•nricil hold their meetings. The gallery at the
. 'west end is now being cut through, for the purpose
of: making preparations for the reception of an
organ and orchestra. The work of arranging the
objects is progressing steadily and safely. The
great care with which the treasures are unpacked,
'and the orderly and systematic mode in which all
*the preliminary operations are conducted, con
:rant very, favourably with the confusion and bustle
'which prevailed prior to the opening of the '5l
Wavebeen received, only oi); i;r(Valiage has taken
place, and that is a teapot, which would, probably,
have been safely delivered had the reverend
gentleman to whom it belongs, and who persisted
ia packing his own specimens, known as much
about packing as he does about preaching.. •The
arrangement of the Bernal collection, an 3 of the
Soulages collection, has been entrusted to J
Webb, Esq ; and Mr. Madgwick, from the Society
of Arts, has been sent down to assist in the ticket-
ing and verifying of the magnificent Bernal tree-
, , sures. The Sonlages collection has not yet arrived,
'brit is•expected daily, The, water colours will be
arranged by Edw. Holmes, Esq., in a range of rooms
at the west end of the building. These rooms are
admirably lighted, and the various specimens will
be seen to , great' advantage. We noticed
amongtt . the arrivals two magnificent water
colours contributed by her. Majesty, of scenes
in the Highlands, one entitled "An evening
in the Highlands." The hanging of the
collection of historical portraits has been entrusted
to the judicious care of Peter Cunningham, Esq.,
who will also superintend the hanging of the
series of miniatures in the gallery near the south
transept. , this important work he is being
assisted, by a staff of experienced " hangers,"
supplied by Mr. Wm. Agnew. The ancient masters
will be "hung" by Schaffe, Esq. ; and A. L.
Egg, Esq., A.R.A. has undertaken the hanging of
the masters of the modern school. The royal
contributionsearrived on Saturday night, and were
landed safely in the exhibition within two hours of
arrival. The specimens from Hampton Court
were received on Tuesday, and are partly unpacked.
We may here mention the admirable arrangements
• which have been devised for receiving the treasures
into the exhibition. A siding from the main line
of railway runs up to the south transept entrance.
Here the packages are received by Mr. Deane, 'and
are at once taken into a temporary enclosure,
formed in the centre of the building, within
which is a staff of receiving clerks. Here the
packages are opened under the inspection of • Mr.
Deane, and the specimens are carefully examined.
They are then placed in the hands of workmen
wearing.gloves, who deliver them to the heads of
the departments in which they are to be exhibited.
The cases in which they come are then properly
marked, and are conveyed to a store in Liverpool
Road, where receiving clerks are stationed,' and
•every case is numbered and classified, so that each
package can be available at any time when asked
for. 'The arrangements for unpacking are under
the superintendence of J. B. Waring, Esq., and
Mr. G. Redford. An experienced staff has been'
engaged to unpack the fragile works of art which
will be placed in glass cases between the pillars on
either side of the central hall. These glass cases
are of a very superior kind, having been' specially
constructed by Measrs. Holland and Co., of London,
upholsterers to the Queen, upon-models approved
bk the authorities at Marlborough House:'
• The Bernal collection and the Sou!ages
collection will be placed in the 24ft. bays.
on the right side of the great hall, and on
the left side cases will be placed in the bays
containing ObjeCts of art contributed by private
individuals, which will be. arranged according to
the eynopsis prepared by,' Mr. -;Waring. The
armoury will be effectively grouped near the stairs,
and close to the east and west transepts. The
collection of armoury from the Goderich Court has
already arrived, under the care of Mr. Owen. It
'is now undergoing the process of complete cleans-
ing, a diffidult work, which has been judiciously
',confided to the care of Mr. S. Pratt, of New Bond
street, 'London. 'We visited his workshop, and
were much struck with the extraordinary change
prOduced'by the labours of himself and assistants.
The sight in this shop was of a very novel and
amusing character. Here was an English pikeman
resting on his head, there was a grand Tiirkish
setafikier minus his arms, legs, and head; and in
another corner lay an attendant upon the Great
Mogul in a similar predicament. In connection
with this . department we saw lying about,
a beheading sword of the time of Charles
I. ; a glaive of a Chinese Tartar, used at capital
punishments, a very formidable looking weapon ;
some curious specimens of oriental guns, cross-
bows or prodds, halberds and spears, of different
periods. The wooden horses on which the mailed
knights are to be placed are for the present standing
in a room called the stable. Here we saw about a