The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-16 00:00:00

Mr, Holman Hunt's Pictures,

There is now on exhibition at the new gallery,
16, Hanover-street, Regent•street, three pictures by
Mr Holman Hunt, of the greatest merit. The first
and most important is " The After Glow in Egypt,"
which represents an Egyptian girl standing in the
after-glow of evening on the banks cf the Nile.
The girl, a native of Ghizeh, near the Pyramids,
has been gleaning in the rich fields of bearded
Egyptian wheat, and now approaches us bearing on
her head a sheaf bound with straw and entwined
with poppies. Even the graceful, gliding mo
Lion of this child of the desert is not gentle
enough to hinder the shedding of the ripe
grain, and therefore she is attended by a flock
of Barbary pigeons, ore of which has alighted,
half hovering on the wing, half clinging to the
sheaf, looking eagerly amongst the corn in search
of grain. In this painting Mr. Hunt has wonder-
fully depicted the glories of an Oriental atmos-
phere, and the manner in which the figure of the
girl is dealt out is worthy the highest praise. The
flesh tints have about them all the native warmth,
and there is a brilliancy in the eyes that make them
positively life-like. The picturesque costume of
the girl falls most gracefully, and the masterly
manner in which the artist has treated this portion
of the painting, whether in respect to colour or
form, will not escape notice. "London-bridge on
the night of the marriage of the Pi into and
Princess of Wales" is a p,iating of a totally different
description; but the same wonderful management
of atmospheric effect is here exhibited. Tee appear-
ance of the bridge on the memorable occasion is
vividly portrayed, and the intense blue of the firma-
ment gives space and profound solemnity to the sky,
which deepens as the eye looks into i;. Through
the arches of the bridge runs the dark river, only
to be silvered and bscome iridescent as it glides
into the moonlight, and the high riding masses of
clouds meet on the horizon, so far as the firery vista
of lamps enable us to see into the glowing and
dim-coloured atmosphere of the distant end of the
bridge. The fire bearing
tripods, waiving banners
of Danmark, the crush, confusion, and excitemen
of the crowd, altogether produces one of the most
vivid pictures ever placed on canvass. "The Last Day
in the Old Home," illustrating the ruin of a noble
property by the spendthrift heir, who has brought
about the sale of the old home by auction from his
love of gaming. Th.a painting is finished, like its
two companions, with the greatest care, and
although it illustrates a most lamentable even', it
will be treasured by its possessor as a work of rare
merit and of the highest art.

M. BENEDICT'S MORNING CONCERT.—The pro-
gramme is now fully compleed, and the concert
announced by N. Benedict for the 20th instant will to
one of the most extraordinary ever presented to a music
loving public. It is quite impossible to quote even the nanvs
of the artists anxious to testify their appreci;ti'm
of the abilities of 111. Benedict by appearing
at his benefit, wo therefore refer our readers to the
programme itself, which, we have no doubt, astonished
and delighted them. It would be absolutely absurd to do
more than mention the bare fact that M. Benedict's emu-
cert takes place next Monday morning at the St. James's
Hall. The result of such an announcement will most
surely be a crowded, fashionable, and delighted audience.
HOME FOR ROMAN CATHOLIC FEMALE CONVICTS.
—An aEsociation has recently been formed for the
purpose of establishing a home for female convicts of the
Roman Catholic religion, to afford them a shelter on leaving
piison, to subject them to moral and religious training in
the tenets of their own religion, and eventually to enable
them to start in a new and honest career in our colonial
dependencies. A concert on behalf of this highly praise.
worthy object is to take place at the HanovJr- quer° Rooms,
un'ler the patronegecf the Duchess d'Atun ale and the leading
members of the Roman Catholic nobility. The musical
treat provided for the occasion is worthy of the object and
of the Natrona.