The Sun.
London, England, 1863-11-30 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

THE SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN WATER
COLOURS.

The second winter exhibition of sketches and.
studies by the members of this society was opened
to private view on Saturday, and excited some
degree of interest in the artistic world. The
exhibition does not, of course, possess the attrac-
tions or display the powers of a gallery of finished
works, but in many of these unfinished and in-
complete performances may be traced the hand of
the chiefs of the art. The names of Hunt, Taylor;
Birket, Foster, John Gilbert, Carl Stang, end
others meet the visitor repeatedly in the cata-
logue, but without assistance he would be able to
detect the works of their pencils on the walls. The
variety of style and wide range of subject will
surprise and gratify those only accustomed to stud)"
ing the works of each master in his own particular
line. Few things are more interesting to a real
lover of art than to obtain admiseion behind the
scenes, as it were, of the studio; to learn what
was the first impression made on the artist's
mind by the view or the landscape he afterwards
rendered famous. It is curious also to notice the
different kinds of effect which fascinate different
painters, and to observe how far each thinks it
necessary to carry his artistic note book. No less
than 400 sketches and studies are exhibited, a
great proportion of which were secured at the
private view at which great numbers of visitors
attended, and from which they appeared to derive
great satisfactiou. To the student
an
especially, such a visit must have been instructived amateur
as well as charming, and to judge from the exhi-
bition of Saturday there is no fear of our English
School of Water Co,lours suffering any deterioration
in our time.

THE GRAND DIrtrIER OF THE INNS OF CouRT
VOLUNTEERS took pia ct in the Middle Temple Hall OttSaturday evening. The• preference given to the MiddlO
Temple Hall to celebrate t his event (says the Court Jour-
nal/ is due to the great pra ltigo which the Inn has obtained
as the •fashionable Inn of th, ‘3 day.
NEW MONUMENTS.-14r. Foley is to execute a
memorial for the late Prince Albert at Dublin; and Mrs-
Thoznycreft an equestrian stat, ue for Halifax. A commis'
sion has been given to Baron Marochetti for a memorial
' statue in bronze of the late Sir G eorge Cornewall Lewis, to
be placed in front of the Shire Ha 11 at Hereford. A "aorta'
ment to the French and English soldiers who fell in the
fight of the 28th April, 1760, hasbee la erected on the Plateauof Sainte Foy at Quebec.
AN "Orlgival
portrait" of S, liallspeare is said to
have been for some time in the pa ssession of an emi-
nent surgeon of Norwich. Mr. Hain P, ”iswell, whohas been:
to examine this amongst many other a eserted portraits 01
the great dramatist, will describe it in hi, s forthcoming vo-
lume, "Life-Portraits of Shakspeare. Ti le volume will be
accurately illustrated by photography. appearance es
the bust at Stratford taken by this means is described
being something startling.
THE VOLUNTEERS AND THE LIFEBOAT CAUs7
—The officers of the Ist Middlesex Engineer
Volunteer are making arrangements to give au aree..te,,.u_
theatrical performance in St James's Theatre in inid Colonel
funds of the National Lifeboat Institution;
regiment'
Macleod, of Macleod, commanding officer of the ,ll
and Major Harvey are making every effort to carrio
this respect the benevolent wishes of their brother
and the proprietor of St. James's Theatre, Air. Mitch'
ltiii
Bond street, and other friends of the Lifeboat Society', h`
also promised the humane undertaking their ‘d.
valuable co-operation,