The National Register.
London, England, 1812-04-05 00:00:00

A PRI L .5.

FINE ARTS.

BRITISH INSTITUTION.

No. 151.. A Grecian Landscape: Composition. By GA SPA n GABat-
ru.t.—To a classical mind, to a heart that feels the delights of rural
scenes as they are described by ancient and modern authors, nothing
can be more pleasing than the present picture. It brings hack to the en-
chanted soul all what we have read of Tempe, of the yaks of molnit
Ikeipois, and of tuneful Arcadia, where pastoral life was so desirable
that the Gods themselves envied or shared the situation of the happy
shepherds.--The clearness of the waters, which, like a faithful mir(or,
in multiplying the surrounding objects, increase the ph asure of the be-
holder; the calmness of the sky; the verdant shades of the thick-set
groves; the coolness that seems to breathe under the lofty tree;, and on
the enamelled margin of the crystal lake—all remind us of the b.:autiful
exclamation in the Georgics:—

O übi campi,
Sperchiusque et virginitnis bacehata Lacznis •
Taygeta! o qui me gelidis in vallikus Haerni
Sistat, et ingenti ramorum protegdt umbra ?
Which a modern poet has imitated in the following manner:—
Oh !-lead me to some cool, sequester'd vales,
Where, from the groves, the p►:rest.air enhules

The wholesome smell of turf, the breath of fluw'rs,
And scented shrubs self-plaittd in the how'rs;
Where sleep unbought refresh the wearied eyes,
And cloudless days to clear nights yield the skies.
Where dropsy watchmen, stagg•ring as they go,
Bawl nut the hour they themselves hardly know ;
But chanticleer, true her.ll,l of the sun,
Tells me, at once, the day's wurk is begun ;
Where no hoarse tribes of Jews, the butt of scorn,
Disturb the silence of the peaceful morn ;
But soaring larks, ill heav'illy'nu
Call me to share the pleasures of the day.

The composition, which we attempted to deacribe above, and which
has called forth the foregoing quotation, dues great honour to
GABRIELLI as a landscape-painter.
No.T. At Old IVontan reading, a book to her Ihia bat.a. .By A. C EL-
Ll.—That a good wife should read to her husband, that the hushan,!
should be attentive to the silver tone, the accented ir.fle:e.ous,
note at the end of every period, a delightful 71L'int nto of Loa: aing-
school musical readin?, : all this may be very edifying, very pleasant,
but it does not make here any thing interesting; and, imi.t.rd, it may be
all very well, for aught we know tp the contrary, yet it rcqoires the skill
of a GevAan-D6vv, a MIX 18, or NET-SCHER, to become a good picture,
and Mr. CELLI, whose talents are worthy of better themes than GM
WHIM! and Dried Herrings (Nos. 10,183), hatt not yet arrived to that
nicety of Flemish and Dutch high-finishing which makes amend,' for
lowness of subject.
No. 108. A View of part of Loch-Cahrine, Scotland. By P.
MYTH. This is really a pleasing little performance. The skies are
beautifully displayed, and the light sporting clouds, that float so ger.ti
on the sapphire expanse, remind us of Cuyp : the rest of the picture is
equally well executed. We are sorry to find but one effusion of Mr.
NASMYTII'S pencil in this Exhibition.
No. 84. The Woman taken in alalter:i. By J. Tat/Mat:Ll .—Amongst
the numerous pictures which we have seen here and on the continent
upon this subject, none ever pleased us so much, and told the history so
Plainly, so completely as one of Giacomo TIN TOR F.TI 0, Where CliriA
is represented as if just rising from the attitude of writing on the ground,
and the woman standing in sincere compunction before him, whilq the
abashed accusers silently retire one aft,. r another, and leave the place.
The meek and benevolent countenance of Christ, the humb:e at.d de-
jected appearance of the woman, reminded us most impressively of the
beautiful observation, " that when all the accusers slowly moved off,
they left behind, together and alone, Cowl' and MERC —Pi-Tel/ion et
:li,ericordia, the contrite Sinner and the forgiving Judge. We sin-
cm:ly wish we could say as4nuch of the performance before our eyes
f. r ;-.:itices a great deal of genius and talent in the artist, and ni..l:e sin
1;0 ni.an euhject for admiration at!l praise. The figure of onr
:s ra;Lle, Ed: of and ay; noi raturAly fit to inspire:
T!,e ,!,.• .-Npostles •;••,.s. rAlier witnesses of the tr.:•?,:..:•
41; the is a :;ea,ini tone, an,: t!ic

t

• 210

rest of the mechanical parts,Which constitute a good teak:elutes*, are
appropriate and just.. But all this will not redeem a fault which, we are
very concerned to say, is of the greatest moment : the fact is sot wade
out. A young woman, with a greater display of innocence upon her
face than we shotild expect from the wanton wife who defiled the purl/
of the connubial couch, is kneeling at the feet of Christ who seems in the
act of blessing her ; and several personages who may be taken for some
Philosophers of Athens, as well as for Jews, stand in several attitudes,
but with very little contrast, to fill up the scene—Certainly this is too
undecided, too general a sketch of the interesting story; and, even at
the moment, when the source of all mercy opened itself upon the since-
rity of repentance, something more characteristic should have met the
eye of the spectators. However, and without disguising what we .have
heard frequently observed in the room, namely, that the feet of Jim
are not of the same size, even with due allowance made for perspective;
and that the neck of the young woman is not correctly drawn, we
are not afraid to declare that this is a very pleasing picture, and would
be an ornament to any chapel as an Altar piece, ibd so disgrace to any
gallcry of modern pictures. We beg our readers to consider attentively
this painting, and they will find that, if there is any apparent severity in
our observations, it is grounded upon our strong conviction, both of
tLe intrinsic merit of the performance, and of the eminent talents of the
.-`lrti,t who produced it.

No. 116. atil 117. Lanscnpes. By T. BURDIN. We cannot help being
pleased at the tight of these performances, as, by their easy and bold
stile, they bring back to our recollection that of a great favoirite of the
chromatic muse, Sir GEORGE BEAUMONT. There seems to exit such &
similarity of
_handling the pencil, that we have not the least doubt that
Mr. Bu DZN had the good sense to study the peculiarfarc of the inv.
Mous Baronet ; yet we do not advise him to work merely for effect.
A painting is a fuc simile of nature ; in nature, it Is true, when objects
are seen zt a distance, they become proportionally confuse and indefl•
nite, but when you approach that forest, that meadow, which appeared
at first, as an emerald plain, an ocean of venture, you may tell every
leaf, every blade of grass ;•not so with Landscape, when the Artist
aims only at what is called " effect ;" all what we descry, when at dis.
tance, vanishes, like a vapour, as ♦tee come nearer to the canvass; and
the disappointed bt.kolder tie-Lams with La Fontaine, In his fable, "Les
batons flottant,."