The National Register.
London, England, 1809-06-11 00:00:00

1-1 "I; IITS.

LA NDSt'A P 1.4 AT Tt7l: ENIIIIIITIOV or THE ROY A L
At A DIAIY, s0311:11S1:T 110 t SE.

'Historical Paintitm be esteemed the most Feblime depart.
meet of thr. Art, •fill may Lawlscapes, diversified and busied
with grntliws CirtlreQ, be Ft: t 11055CkS the most genera! in
W e herotter im•tnatly :Kg:minted 11 ith the woods, streams.
tilomitaioss, plains, awl rocks, ni parts oft hat name tv hich we
all revere ; and we care iiote whether the seelieS they rePresent
aetnall vel ist, or are the cotnhinat ion of piclurmiee !Imes. Ass
accurate view is fry-fluently cold and data : ate alw;t s desire
nature, but we seldom ate pleased i:h any particular features
of nature. The poet and the artist must study the creation in the
a-zgrewite.: it 4 general principles, its general characterietick, iu
general henatio. or varieties, must fill their minds with precepts
and images: thus directed and enriched they may depend on
their own exertions; they may give scope In tIIP powers of the
imal:sim,:ion. and bx blending together the moq delightful parts
of various views, they may sometimes produce a more pleasing
-effect, than any with which nature in one coop Wail ever in-
dulges us. This exercise of our judgment and of our taste seems
particularly designed for the extent of our mental faculties: it
elevates (v., for we think we create, when we only combine;
and believe we emhellis.!• nature %hen we do no more than dmi
her in the best taller own apparel r while the cdvantage romi•ts
lo this, that we we, by such endeavours, approaching (-woke-
ally nearer to that standard of taste which is the model of na:use
herself.

The Landscapes of Dr. tontherhourg demand and compel our
attention. The rich, animated, boldness of tint which distin•
guishes them beyond any others. would fascinate the e3e esen
were their general merit less determinable. The Land Stgrri,
wall an orerturned LVagg,,on, &c. (No. 7), is a masterly per-
formance, yet it recats to our recollection au excellent piers
by the same artist, exhibited tunny years ago. We say nut this
to detract from the Fuhiect now before us. It is possible to de.
pi et the represent:Ohms of nuinerous land storms tv holly dissimi-
lar from each other, anti the attempt rather testifies the oprielice
than the poverty of the artist's ideas. The heavy gloo:a that
Swells round a liTfty castle, and seems to come forward in ore
vast sombrous mass law a magnificent eifeet. The flow of vivid
light through this mass on the fore ground object, and the tem-
pestuous force of the wind which eTery libeamNit of liaise 01)•
jects assist to display, are certainly among the happiest etiorts
of this e teellPot artist. Nat far from this painting 'we find it
exqui,;itelv cooir“,ted hy A Landicape, with a Waterfall: g
ail.'r Rio.. To prodnee a calm and cool yet hril;iant
elfect, la etiteemeii ow, of the landscape painter's greatest dillicul-
h tie... The clear hlne:,, and chaste greens of evening are liable to
verge into combination of hue undPr the touch of the
mus t sk ar:i,ts: the lung shadows also, Is hick in the decline
of day are too silvery and grey to strengthen the general effect,
are often ill-tnnuaged ; and even in the 'piece before us, we can-
not but allow that :kir. Dc Loutherbourx °wilt more to the feli-
citous seledion of his objects, for the 1433tre he has produced,
than tO any natural energy of combined tints. A few more
parted clouds might havejudicionsly broken his breadth of blue
sky ; while the over-brilliant flush of the L% titer Might have givers
way to the glitter of the rain drops on the fon ge, which, with
all their lovely freshness, have not sufficiently that tricklinz
glossiness so remarkable after a shower. This is, however, a
beautiful picture : and if it has not all the excellencies of this
master, it is because the suiject is somewhat beneath the mag.
nificence of his
Unfo:tunateiy for Mr. CA iT,COTT landscape coiled the
tering-place, is suspended too near thrfe lerid piere9 of DE
4 •
MOVTIiZn3QUR G. The leading cliarr..ctcristie of Air. Calcotts