The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-03-23 00:00:00

111kUllY-LdNE rIIE4TRE.
•
The splendid lustre made for this Theatre by
Mr. Comaws, of the Strand, wav lighted ul► oit
Saturday night. !' is rolutbn,ed Of 17,000 pieces
of gl.►a., and iv ext►rmrlc beautiful. Tile dull
circle, in addition to the light diffuleed by this bril-
liant luminary, will also have the bettelit at a ruw
of lustrev.
•
BkITISH
INSTITUTION.

Nu. IX.

If we occesionelly recur to some of the wo-ks in
the Institution, which we briefly noticed at the
opening of the Exhibition, it will be fur the pur-
pose of going snore into the detail of their merits,
of answering any objeciions tiro may he taken to
them, or of expl the opinion which the a-
rectors of the Institution may pronounce .1;.011 the
pretensions of the Artists. The gradual expansion
of the public taste, end of that feeliag fir the
Fate Arts which is essential for their developeinent,
becomes every day more manifest, and much of it
may be traced to the exertions of the Institution.—
The sale of Pictures becomes every day inCreiteing.
end though we have occasionally to lament that
some of grest merit reinsin nosold, yet. on the
whole, the public attention is at much alive to the
subject as can well he expected—looked we have
herd that some Pictures which reiss.iin with the
Artists would have found a sale, were not the
prices a little above the mark that °sight to hoer
beesi fixed in the peseta. state of the Arts. This' is
bad policy. for the price must in general keep
pace with the patrouagr, and it is too soon to expect
(except from a few munificent individuals) that
splendid support which the Arts were wout to re-
ceive in the more fortunate eras of their existence.
We have already alluded to the rapist sale of
Pictures in the present Exhibition, particularly those
of the younger Artiste—to assist the efforts of the
historical Painter is the primary object of the lust'.
tution; but elevated compositions in lauslecape
sometimes have a strong claim to its notice and
fostering encouragement. There are some of tisk
clan in the present Exhibition.
Mr. ALLSTON'S Ekes has all the sublimity of
solitude that Rousseau could fancy. or SALVATOR
ROSA paint. The whole character of the screw is
desolation and sterility ; the forms and effect's in
parts are rugged, perhaps to a fault ; but, as a
whole. it must be considered as a sublime Wert
emanating from strong feeling, by powers of a high
order.

The Angel Uric! by this Artist has been pur-
chased by that mussificetif Patron of the Fine Arts,
the Marquis Of STAFFORD. at • price of one
hundred and fifty guineis, and our Readers are
already aware, that the Directory; of the Institution
have presented the Artist with 1.50/. is a testimony
of their approbation 'of his performance.
We are sorry to find Mr. HOFILAND.II historical
landscape of Jerusalem still unsold—we sincerely
hope, that, like Mr. Matertw's Jashests it will nut
be fated to pass with ointment admiration through
successive Exhibitions, and then return to the Ar.
tilt% painting room. Mr. HOFFLAND has been
eminently successful in this picture, and he has
evidently much improved by studyiug the finest
works of CLAUDE. His work pommy' the meg-
nificence of Jerusalem, surrounded in the distance
by mountains, under the effect of the extraordinary
phenomena which attended the crucifixion. The
Artist has largely availed himself of all the super-
natural appearances which history records as the
accompaniment of that awful event. The picture
receives its light from a supernatural emanation
from the Saviour, and this light presents a fine
contrast to the darkness that covered the land—from
the same divine light he has thrown n ray upon
Bethlehem. The architecture exhibited will be
justified by the probability that Herod would natu-
rally adopt the Roman and Greciau architecture to
ornameut a Roman provinCe. A linefridria is con-
veyed of the, destruction of the Temple, by enve-
loping . its centre with clouds and lightning. The
Pharisee and Disciple in the fore-ground, with a
burial place, and the rising of the dead, display a
fine and fertile imagination; and the manner
which the whole subject is handled affords • Irma
of the powers of the Artist to e.:rry to the confines
of Art the expression of a sublime subject, to which
uo human effort can do adequate justice. There is
an awful sublimity in the whole Picture, and there
is a moat judicious use of the supernatural light,
which discloses in every direction forms of classic
grandeur and sublimity.
Some persons have injudiciously imagined that
the present of loot, given by the Directors
.of the
Institution to Mr. BROCZEDON. was as a token of
their approbation of his large Picture. This is not
the fact. It is perfectly well understood, that the
Director* abstained from giving any opinion on the
merits of the Picture, and gave the money as a
reward to the acknowledged industry and zeal of
the Artist in his profession, and as et encourage-
ment to his future efforts, as well as a recognition
of his rower* when employed on a work of less
extent. The public need not be told, that when
an Artist actually arrives itt great proficiency,•his
labours, if 1w choose to exercise them, will suffi •
ciently repay him—it is on the road to excellence
that a helping hand is wanting, awl this the Direc-
tors of Ow Institution extend to the young Artist.
Dr. Johnson has forcibly described the character
of that patron who saw you struggling unheeded in
the waters, and when you remelted the shore r. en.
cumbered you with his help." The eitablisliment
of this Institution is to encourage those whir clis.
close merit in the pursuit of a toilsome study, and
to prevent them, iii their progress, from piuirs2 in
obscurity and difficulties.