The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1821-05-21 00:00:00

FINE ARTS. - .

'BRITISH INSTITUTION,
PALL-INALL-
Tbe Summer F.shibition, the private view of which was
°posed es Saturday, consists of • selectios, most rare sad
valuable, frees the works ef the Italia's, Spanish, Flemish„,
awed Dutch &boots. • detailed *Wire of all the 'amnesia'
works of CLAUDE, TITIAN, RUSKIN, MURILLO, Rata
BRANDT. GUIDO, TIMOR., TINTO/LOTTO, N. and G. Potts. •
•Is, Rino•lL, Gosateno, Coy!, Bova, and twenty
others, whose same* are carolled in the archives of fame,
would be impracticable at present.
N 0.4. Portrait of Fredsrige ds likossole, by Stn. DEL
PIONISO (a recent purchase of the Marquis of LAN/DOWN),
is awing the most attractive objects of •laciest portraiture.
The face is the utmost perfection of the Ann seam
No. 15. Gado'. de Foie, and N 0.49, Raphael, both ►g+
Gioatztona, will be viewed with great delight. The felt
-symmetry and manly Ineaments of Iltrinnat. are presessoll.
and informed, with a pervading spirit and thought obit*
nose but a genius like his own could give them.
No. 25. M. Cecilia, by Dominican°, is a piece of ie.'
estimable value. From what combinations of th.iught sad
feeling could the musters of those times have derived such
images of spiritual rapture and reiuement? It was nut
fees the experience antis' lives—few of theta were mu-
rabbis is practice, cad nose of them appear to have suffered
fremthe mortificatious of their religion ; and yet how they
have exalted the human soul in most of their pieces above
the grossness of t►e animal frame which cucumbers it.
Here is, fur instance, _in Nu. 77, A Magdalen, by GUIDO,
which represents • female of full form and stature, her hue
symmetry overcast with • livid hue, the evident result of
bitter abstiseuee and self coercion—the uplifted face still
denutes the throes of conscience, slid the feeling of ill.
secured redemption—the eyes are-grown oigid with inces-
sant compunction—the muscles, which sympathize with the
actioa of the lachrymal ducts, have become habitually in.
fisined-i-tbe spirit struggles with the defalcations of the
body; but there is an incipient hope which has just learnt
to dawn through the veil of sorrows—a glimmering of celes-
tial joy tinges the superior division of the fact, and forte's
the fulfilment of blissful visions, in tennis " wheat gold
cannot corrupt, nor thieves break through and steal." This
is Christiasity ideatified, and one glance at it would do more
to make Mr. CATIALC regret his 'unbelief than the prisou
which he now inhabits.
Nu. 75. The Ruperew Olko—and N0.•139. Caligula.
display the taste of TITI•W in its highest character. The
air of majesty which he has imparted to them is beyond any
thing to be seen is ►is pieces of mere limey.
No. 60. Diana retaining from Me Chase, is in the best
style of Rlnalts. TikO subject is sullied by the demeasour
sf the Satyr. The Goddess and the hound realize OVID'S
conception of them.
There is • little landscape piece by RIDISILANDT, N 0.21,
wbkh is particularly deserving the attention of students, as
they will seldom have a■ opportunity of seeing the same
width of names so pleasingly and ingeniously occupied.
Rummies River Viers, Mill Sireame, cad FaUisg
Water*, in Nos. 30,67, sad 119, are entitled to strict obser-
vation from all who either relish or attempt to paint the
irregular surfaces of nature.

The peculiar genius et Modulo, which delighted iu
forst rather thmenblimily, Is discoverable is all its propen.
silica, by Nan:Joseph with the Infant Saviour ; 73, Tobit
and the Aiwa ; wed 76, Abraham and Isaac. His penciling
was powerful, as may be seen by the breadth, surfaces, and
height which be gives le the mountainous composition at
his small pieces. His religious figures, too, are beings of vigor.
one eseegies, bet they want the dignity and grace of the ha-
liana With respect to the last-mentioned piece, what poverty
of conception is manifested, if the mere design be contrasted
•ith the picture which Mr. Wen painted of the same sub,
ject. His were important being's in their forms and aspects
fit for the progenitors of t►e stock of Jesse, by which the
Deity was to become hatarnale. Moilizt.o's Abraham is an
age-woes churl, before whom the sun, Isaac, is trotting up the
mount in the uowinulog watituisness of childhood ; and the
Artist deserves to be cited from his grave to ensure why ha
deemed it necessary to paint the clothes of Jacob's father as
ragged as they seem to be. The picture is still biomd
price, and it might not be difficult to raise an argemen
in our days of abundant theorist's, to prove that Mumma
was right to trust nothing in the physical represeatat ion of
his subjects. His Assumption of the No. 88, is a
piece of very exalted character ; and Nu. 83, the same sub-
ject, would indicate that it was one of his favourite
.His Dead Christ, No. 95, is a piece of solemn and myste-
rious horror.
No. 56, The Tribute Mosey, by the indefatigable
GUESOINO, is a sublime piece : the head and face of
Christ are fell of the celestial meekness and forbearance of
the Godbold, and stand its contrast of inexpressible glory
was► the dull and jealous sophistry of the hoary mass of law,
marehisig out the enroll& of a criminal conviction. The
works of this Artist, though there must lie abundance of
them somewhere, are tint frequently enough before the pub-
lic. He is a fine study fur the young aspirants who are to
fuund the English school now, if ever England is to have a
school.
Two Arable Pieces, Nos. 122 and 140, by VANDER
,CApsgs„s, will be greatly admired for their truth'', (.01011.61z.
There are two fine piece, of H , 118 and 129, mingled
with a rich eollertioa of Gasemito Poutste's and 14 OUVER•
MAN'S. There is s little piece, No. 133, of peat spirit, by PT-
HARSH, which will be prized as a just and forcible transcript
of safest. There are two pircix by K. DU JARDIN (Noe 6
and 111 which are of the same character. They are contiguous
to a piece of Cons (No. 10) and one of Tensest,' (Nu 8):
• they teem to have borrowed the rich Snooty glow of the
former to enliven the sober tints taken from the latter.
There is a Landscape, by BOTH (Nu. 55), which display@
• that master', glory in its full ►chance. A brown autumnal
'heat•haa.ripeued the surface of a far-spread landscape, in
which the eeparatedivisious are gradually throwu out from
earl, nubs with the.aeust unobtrusive boldness.
Not amine the least attractive objects i• No. 116, Mt.
Wszes picture of Christ Healing the hith in the if cap's.
-The chaste eolourirg has acquired more harmony since it
was firm exhibited. The. engraving. from it, which has
been so long on hand, is nearly completed. There are two
manlike given of the plate, skewing its state is March
lied year, sad May of this year. The plate is to be finish-
ed in July, and promises to he as complete imis
ample in that branch of art, as the spirited taste and libe-
rdoir ef the Inatitutioe could have produced. It will 'en- •
lainly be a wink of deep, solid, end accurate executive;
and whoever possesses the print will be well informed
rs to the design, ecianpoeitivo, and grouping of the picture.
We were oprpensed to learn that the rub.crtptioo• for tlte•
plate are flirt yet full. This 1111.61 be owing to the delay of the
work, which has probably prevented the tender of the pro-
m...is in many instances. That ohjeetion, however, will
he speedily done away, and the advaistsgr of soon posses.-
int, a print by one of the fast cup:mere of the age,
horn m•e of the best pictures of the age, will, nu doubt,
I,V,Thin the numbers by which the aub•crebers are limited.
o day the gallery will be open to Nut public, and a greater
1,. it they are never likely to enjoy.