The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1820-05-11 00:00:00

TIM ROYAL CENOTAPH.

Mr. WYATT has just fiiiished the model for the
monumental group for the Cenotaph to the me-
mory of her late Royal Highness the Princess
CHARLOTTK of Wales and Size Coburg. The
Artist's desciipti )))) of his work has the merit of
brevity, and is as follows :
" la the lower part is represented the sacred corpse upon
• bier, at the mouth of the tomb, surrounded by figures
overwhelmed with grief, to indicate the lamentations of pets.
pie from alt quarters of the globe. Ii hos been endeavoured
to keep this part of the group as solemn as possible, to.
excite and accord with the sympathy of the spectator, and
to make the swinger contrast with the upper part of the
composition, where angels bearing the iatant, accompany
their sister spirit, who should seem to soy,
Lem!, lend, your "flues! I 011/11111 ! 1 fly!
0, C ! where is thy victory
0, Death ! where is thy sting
The Artist also states that—

6' The übjevt of this design is 10 commemorate the general
lamentation fur the early loss of a Princess, whose virtues
and superior mental eudawnieuts bad already endeared her to
the Diderot. Tu call that grief heartfelt and universal would
not be extravagant, fur uu that solemn day, when the loath
closed upon her sacred remains, whole congregations and
multitudes of the people wept as for the loss of all that was
hopeful and endearing. Mortals justly may lament so fair a
promise thus early snatched away."

That Mr. WYATT felt the interesting subject
which he has so well described, is very evident from
the fine model he has now produced to the public;
it is the answer, and the best answer to the inquiries
of those who with a laudable eagerness to see the
monument erected, have remonstrated against what
they considered the delay that has unavoidably
taken place in the progress of the undertaking. The
composition and execution of a work destined to
convey to future times the public sense of such a
loss as that incurred by the death of the beloved
Princess, must necessarily be the result of much
study, much laborious consideration. In the study
of such a work there must be as much to alter as to
conceive. The Artist has to encounter the opinions
of others, his own views fluctuate, and the very im-
portance of the work induces him repeatedly to
pause and consider, step by step, the course he is
taking. IVe rather wonder, therefore, that Mr.
‘VYATT has so soon completed his model, than en-
tertain soy surprise at the delay which has taken
place, and we have no doubt that if the same dili-
gence is used in carrying the remaining object of
the underisking into effect, the entire monument
will be completed in a much shorter period than
marked the progress of any other public work of the
came magnitude iii this country.
The lower figures, as our readers have perceived
in the Artist's description, are entirely veiled by
drapery, and some objection has been taken to this
mode of denoting the anguish of grief, as if it con-
cealed the expression of the group; but it has no
such effect ; the downcast attitude, the humiliation
inficird by the stroke of Providence, all the un-
utterable anguish of absorbed grief, is sufficiently
developed iii the figures; while the delicate folds
and arrangement of the drapery which encompasses
them, and falls in drooping lines to the base, like
the branches of the willow, produce a still end fu-
nereal effict, which is its the highest degree interest-
ing. Besides, the lower group is admirably cal-
culated to give full effect to the upper, which
consists of three figures—the centre represents the
beloved object of the nation's wit f, in the attitude
of uscriediug to receive the reward of her virtues.
She is represented as moving with all the dignity
and grace which we see in the principal figure of
some of GUIDO'S sitar pieces, but still with as
much of the display of that healthful vigour which
was the cheerful characteristic of her person in Ile,
as was essential to denote the abrupt termination of
her mortal existence in the spring time of youth,
and in the enjoyment of all her personal attrac-
tions. The supporting figures to the principal,
which is an excellent and exp►e►sive likeness of the
beloved and lamented Princess, as well as a good
delineation of tl►e contour of her figure, are two
attending angels, one of whom clasps the still-born
infant iu her arms. They form au admirable group
fur the upper part of a monument destined to com-
memorate so much worths ■nd will, when the
Cenotaph is erected, seem as it were to recede from
the eje with cigelic buoyancy. On the whole,
this model for the Cenotaph appeals to us a com-
plete work, and we ►hall rejoice to see it erected.

ROYAL ACADAMY.

(Castiosisal five 'former Pape%)

The principal portraits in ibis Exhibition are, as usual,
by Sir THOMAS LAWRENCE. The President has five this
year, which are in his best style. The portraits painted on
the Continent by Sir TMOMMI fur his MAJCsTY, are out,
we understand, to be publicly exhibited; they are to be
placed in Carlton Palace 84 soon at suitable arrangements
can be made for their reception. Sir WILLIAM Brrenzr,
JACII*OII (his portrait of Conoco in particular), Pnittirit,
Sntg, and Owen, do more than maintain their respective
characters. 1 hey have all made unusual efforts, end with
eminent success We have out room at present to enter
upon any ob tions respecting the architectural drawings
and miniatures, some of which are excellent, and display
great taste stud skill, and we shall take an early opportunity
of noticing them.