The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-22 00:00:00

powers. Women have long assumed the right
wie:d the pen, and why 6liould they not eshibi
talent in the exercise of the sister or'. Thank
are due to the enterprising and gifted ladies wb
originated the idea of an exhibition exclusive!:
feminine, which should be the means of encourag
ing artistic genius, and of bringing into publi
notice works in every way worthy of the honour
exhibition.
As might be expected, the subjects selected ar
mostly graceful and tender. Childhood, fruit ant
flower, landscape, and architecture are of capstan
recurrence. Some ladies. however, have taken g
bolder flight, and have grasped more difff
cult subjects. The very that picture in the cats.
logue, " The Retaliation Shot," by Miss Thompsat
represents a bandit with uplifted gun, taking airc
at his enemy. Somewhat ambitious in its ecopi
and design, foo, is a large picture that at once at:
tracts the eye on looking up the gallery, "Bri
tannic Rules the Waves," by Madame jerice
ban, in which Britannia, a colossal figurt
in red robes, is pointing to the subject waters
This production, although powerful, is, we mug'
confess, more pretentious than pleasing. Anothel
lady who has covered a canvas of great eaten'
is Mrs. Swift, who, in her picture of " The Letter,'
has given us two figures of considerable size. Th,
meaning of the scene represented is not very clear,
and the faces, though well painted, are inexpressive.
Another figure piece by the same hand, " Portrait
of Miss Townley," would seam to indicate the pos'
session of considerable talent for portraiture. There
is a mistiness about the latter that deteriorates from
the effect, but the air is natural, and the appearance
lifelike. To find the gems of the exhibition, how-
ever, the visitor must not look at the largest
frames, he must rather tura to the exquisite
fruit and flower pieces of Mies Emma
Walter or the charming figures of Miss Agnes Boa'
vier. The latter lady, who bearsa name fast
rising in artistic celebrity, has a special aptitude
for the felicitous representation of childhood, fie
shown in the scene of the " Picture Book," where
a rosy faced little one is smiling over the wonaers
of "Tom Thumb," whinta an elder sister more
gravely reads aloud (No. 99). Another equally
successful group by the same artist is" Coming from
the Farm"—where the little figures are trotting
down the country lane, carrying the tin can
with due solemnity. Other sketches by the stare
tacite pencil meet us on the wads, all admirably
painted, one in particular, " La Petite Brunette,'
-orming a charming study. If there is a fault to
he found amid so much beauty, it is that there
is a slight sameness in the faces. Each picture,
s: en by itself, is perfect. but looked at after its
fellows, there is a lack of variety in the expres'
sion, a defect which so gifted an artist can readily
supply on another occasion. Miss Walter's fruit
pieces might bear comparison with those by Larl°'
The brilliancy of the colouring, and the natural er
pearance of fruit and flowers, must rivet the atter
tion of the most careless passer by. The blown
on the grapes in No. 63 'seems as though it might
be brushed by any casual touch, while the bright
yet delicate tints of the geranium leaves are ea'
quisitely pourtreyed. A kindred taste is show°
by Mrs. Withers in her study of "Roses," No. 62'
The landscapes are numerous and tolerably sue'
cesaful, though there is a certain stiffness Oat
many of them that seems to indicate an unpractised.
hand. Miss Bertram gives us a careful " Sketca of
Krenberg Castle on the Sound," and Miss Renoir
portrays "A Forfarshire Den" with great spirit;
There is a pretty scene, called " On the Look-out,
by Miss Georgina Swift, showing two figures 031
the sands. Mrs. Hussey has two companions
tures, Nos. 118 and 138, representing "Evening °
Utswater Lake," and " Early Morning on Der'
wentwater." They are somewhat ambitious at'
tempts, and not without success, but in the former
the reflection of the mountain in the lake is sorer
what too prominent, while in the latter the pre
valence of the morning mists is suffered to rendef,
it indistinct. " Awakened Sorrows, Old Letters,
.
by Margaret Gillies, shows considerable power'
the faces of the elder woman and her youthful coin'
Porter are well contrasted, and the sorrowful expre°..
sion of the former is forcibly depicted. The level
of the arm round the girl's neck is too great, and the
position somewhat awkward—faults which do not
prevent the gazer from recognising the ability C.',
the artist. " The Brothers Grimm," is a very clever
portrait, in which the large sized heads seem elneoet
nature. It is the woik of Madame Jerichau, the
same lady whose "Britannia" we mentioned a•oo!°'
Miss Caroline Grierson has shown more ingenuityi
than taste iu painting a lady with a black net ye/
over her face. It is impossible not to admire 0°
skill of the painter, and equally impossible to like
the picture. It is not supposed that a branch°
art in which a lady had acquired such a world-gild:
reputation as R. 84 Bonheur shosid be lett untried'
and according y we have severe sketches of onitow
life. Miss N •wcowen'e "Shepherd Dog," .titre;
Keating's "Galantine,"ann Mrs Swift's" Blanolle
are probably all drawn front life. We alluded to
Mrs. Swatt's gift for portrait painting, and it cent
vainly extends to the animal world if Blanche 6°o
for her portrait. To judge from the animetl%
sparkling in her woedertutly bright eyes, she 03°
have found the task a tedious one. Very charnl
too, is Mrs. Keating's " Song of Praise " on Seree,o
I. where a little Robin Redbrealt is singing I),,iti
morning song. The same lady has painted 071'0
care and faithfulness a pair of dead pheasantsi,
easy task, as any one who has studied their beau/4
fully varied feathers, may guess. Mdtle. 1311,
contributes a charming picture, entitled "
bird, lady bird, fly away home." It is one of ttl°
be
delightful scenes of childish life, in which the feint
nine pencil especially excels. It is worthy 01 n°l/1, 00
that the pre-Raphaelite school has very few °he
lowers. Miss Justine Deffell's " Rustle among tea
Leaves,"and Mrs. Thompson's "Ventnor" are Huger
its peculiarities. The fair exhibitors are°
devoid of a sense of humour as is proved by e°o
of the clever sketches on the screen. Promine
among these are Miss Florence Claxton's "Re%
from the Life of a Governess," and the same I°ll,
laughable illustrations of England versus Anstra
j
in which the various aspects of home and 01° to
ball-rooms, the different meanings attached
i•
"Wanted Governess," and finally the Jon;
spinster and hereto, in one hemisphere, and the 6 or
tary bachelor, with his dog, in the other arehel'Pf
contrasted. Miss Adelaide Claxton, whose elele
r
illustrations of one of our serials, will be fro bb joe
t
the recollections of its readers, is also among
oh
contributors. Sculpture has also her votor
Miss Durant having contributed three very ahlB Bid
elaborate marble bas-reliefs representing Thetis B
of
Achilles. Thetis mourning over the dead bed yeti
the hero is, perhaps, the best. Last, but not '`oao
of the works mentioned in the catalogue are 04
admirably executed bronzes, representing cattileot,
sheep in various attitudes. They are all exe°l,,
but one of the bulls and the " Brebis debout o 3
perhaps the best. It is surprising that the a° oe,
such successful works should withhold her °eV
We heartily congratulate the lady artiste o 0 100
high degree of merit which their exhibitioondre
attained, and which we cannot doabt will se
v