The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-03-31 00:00:00

~~,

THE BRITISH PRESS.

THE EXHINITITIOILO
AP
RTigrs.SOCIETY OF
(Cootit;ned from the British Press of *"

the Britian . Monday.)
33. tribtrater, front Place Fell—J. GLOVE a.
Mr. Glover has here selected a scene richly adorned by
the hand of nature, and his glowing pencil has done justice
to its beauties. A luminous warmth is thrown over the
whole, b) the sunny light which beams upon the mountains,
and the tangled variety of the foreground adds extremely
to the picturesque
.effect.. The liquid transparency of the
water is well managed. Indeed it is obvious that the artist
has bestowed great pains on this picture ; and he hu suc-
Vlgi
to ao combining his subject as to fill it with matter
egst interesting and attractive contemplation. The tone
is not yet sufficiently subdued—most likely from the want
of dine to-give it that finish of which it is still susceptible,
and which no oqe knows better than Mr. Glover how to
impart to it. We regret that there is no living object,
either man or animal, introduced in the scene. The eye
feels a something wanting, and the want is—animation.
33. Portraits of eke flier darghters.of A. H. Brooking,
Esq. Collector of his Illqicsty's Customs, St. John's, New-
foundland—G. I. L. NOBLE.
The works of this artist are new to us, and we hope to
' see them more frequently. He has here drawn together a
family of which a parent may well be proud. The coun-
tenances are of the best expression; they are such as a phy,
siognomist would pronounce favourably of at the very
first glance. Mr. Noble bears about him the stamp of
original genius, and bids fair to attain the summit of his
profession. He colours with clearness, and it is easy to see
that he draws with great fidelity ; his style is pure and
classical, and if he goes on improving he will nut be easily
surpassed.
53. An Historical Portrait or the Emperor of Russia.—
J. R. A.
We congratulate Mr. Isrcirirresirr'On this triumph
—for at his advanced periutrof -life it is indeed a tri-
umph—over the insidious. atticks of Time, who usually
makes sad havoc with the manual as well as intellectual
powers of men of genius. This veteran has displayed
in this picture as much intense reality of feeling, and
kas thrown as much expression into every part of it,
is though his enthusiasm had been in the freshest omen
of its youth. The anecdote which is made the foundation of.
this portrait of the Russian Emperor we do not much
regard ; we read these tales of imperial sensibility
with that wholesome portion of scepticism which accom-
panies us in all our wanderings through the regions
of romance. However, we have no further concern with
this tale of " the susceptibility of delicate feeling," at
POLLY HONEYCOMB Call it, titan as it is represented on
canvass by Mr. Northcote, and here it speaks to our fed-
ings with great eloquence. We have no time for thought or
reflection on matter of fact. Our incredulity is dispelled
by the ascendancy of the Royal Academician. We yield,
in short, to the power of his pencil, what we should have
refused to any other authority. The figure and features of
ALexasintit are well given ; the countenance is full of
expression, and that expression is appropriate ; his atti-
tude in stooping forward from his horse, to the apparent
corpse, is well contrived to evade that stillness which un-
avoidably attends an equestrian figure. The bone itself
reminds us strongly of Vandyke, in the celebrated por-
traiture of Charles 1. The subject of the picture is not
pleasing, inasmuch as it is connected with painful asaocia-
' dons; but the picture itself is well painted, and betrays no
symptom of declining years ; such examples of protracted
vigour are extremely rare.
64. Dead Game.—R. BLAKE.

Mr. Blake's pencil has here given
" To mute and to material things"
a fidelity of delineation, that in the same line of art will
bear competition with the best storks of the old Masters.
In felicity of imitation, and brilliancy of tint, we remember
no picture of WELNINX Or GERHARD Douw that excels
it. The peacock is an exquisite piece of colouring: the
feathers are wrought up to the full richness of their
emerald hue, without the lea* appearance of labour; the
lustrous sweep of the traim, with its mass of radiant gems,
falls without the least stiffness, and is given with as much
exactness as it is in the power of painting to give it. All
the minor detail of the composition is well attended to.
admix.ble will establish Mr. Blake's repute.
tion ;it will do more—it will elevate the reputation of the
British School.

SI. Pike Puol, Derhyshire.—J. WlLsosr.
This picture is touched with a firm and spirited pencil ;
the sky, is 11
too,we_ attempted, because the effect intended
to be produced is not easily attained. In the present in-
stance the streaky colouring of the clouds is somewhat too
metallic ; the yellow has a brassy tinge, which detracts
from the general effect; but this is a single fault sur-
rounded by many excellencies, and which we should not
have noticed, but in an Artist whose reputation makes it
worth his while to amend it. In truth, we observe a too
general inclination in the pupils of the present day to
make their skies too brown ; it is a defect which impairs
the beauty of many landscapes, in other respects of very
high character.
62. View of Spoleto, on the Clitumnus, Daly ; from a
Sketch ho Cart. Melville Grindley.—T. C. HOLLAND.
Mr. HOVLAND'S landscapes convey at all times a lively
impression of nature; they carry the eye of the spectator
into the open air, and have, at the same time, great deli-
cacy and sweetness of tone ; they never pall upon the sight,
which is the strongest possible test of their intrinsic merit.
85. The Electric Shock.—P. Stm now.

This is a performance of very superior merit ; we per-
ceive, however, that it is not quite finished; it will no
doubt be yet heightened into still greater effect : at pre-
sent the hand of the youth in the centre is too webby; we
ascribe this defect, which is easily remedied, to the finish-
ing touches not having yet passed over it. The introduc-
tion of family portraits into pictures of this class is an im-
provement in the art which we cannot appreciate too
highly. The picture before us approaches to historic
painting ; an artist accustomed to subjects of this descrip-
tion has, if he excels, attained to great superiority ; he is
enabled, at any time, to step out into the highest walks of
his profession. The character of the figures is given with
great nerve and vigour of tone; the eyes beam with light,
the contrasted expression of the different countenances is
impressive and appropriate. The circumstances, too, are
well connected with the subject, and, taken as a whole,
this picture may rank high by the side of some even of the
best productions of British art.
(To be continued.)

PARIS Sli IP CANAL—The ?gent of a canal from Havre
de Grace to Paris, has, it is sad, received the Royal sanc-
tion, and a great English capiudist has offered to provide
one million sterling towards its construction. It is pro-
posed that this canal shall be from twenty-seven to thirty
feet in depth, and of corresponding width, and a vary large
basin is to be made in Paris. -

One of the longest and most superb passages in Paris,
is in a very forward state, which will open a communica-
tion between the rue Neuve de Petits Champ, in front of
the Bank, and the rue Vivienne, in front of the Royal
Treasury.
Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the East
India House, when the following ships were taken up, and
thus stationed, viz. Coldstream, Guildford, Albion, Childe
Harold, Bassorah Merchant, Broxbarnebury, Malcolm,
Java, Lord Hungerford, and Berwick, for Bengal direct ;
Cambridge, Lady Kennaway, James Sibbald, and Mait-
land, for Bombay dittst. The following Commanders took
leave of the Court previous to departing for their respective
destinations, viz. Captain William Hay, Charlet Grant,
Bengal and China; Captain Christopher Bitten, Princess
Charlotte of Wales ; Captain George Probyn, Minerva, and
Captain George Mason. IVarren Hastings, Madras and
Bengal. Captain William Manning was sworn into the
command of the ship Thomas Grenville, consigned to Ben-
gal direct.
DREADFUL EXPLOSION.—On the 221 instant the fol-
lowing melancholy oecurre,tee took place at the colliery at Kirkby
Park, in Nottinghamshire :—About eight o'clock in the morning
most violent explosion of inttaturnable air, commonly called wild.
lire, happened in ons of the coal-pita there, by which Chas. Brad-
' dow, an industrious man, with a flintily of seven children, and his
wife far advanced of the eighth ; Benjamin Bradtlow, his eon, and
three other youths, the oldest not more than twelve years of age,
fell a sacrifice to the fiery element. Several others were severely
injured, but hopes are emertainel of their recover An inquest
was held on three of the buck's on the Md, before Thomas W nett,
Gent. Coroner, when a verdict was tiONSIXii OW their death was
mustily orcezioael from the explosion as elm,: --Barton Ga:rett