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

powers. Women have long assumed the right to
wield the pen, and why should they not exhibit
,q,l 1 tn.ent in the ex-'rcise of the sister Thanks

p, At : •
originated the idea of an exhibition exclusively
feminine, which should bo the means of encourag-
ing artistic genius, and of bringing into public
nAice works in every way worthy of the honour of
exhibition.

As might he expects d, the subFets selected are
mostly graceful and tender. Childhood, fruit and
fi iwer, landscape, and architecture are of constant
recurrence. Some ladies, however, have taken a
bolder flight, and have grasped more diffi-
cult subjects. The very fist picture in the cata-
logue, "The Retaliation Shot," by Miss Thompsan,
represents a bandit with uplifted gun, taking aim
at his enemy. Somewhat ambitious in its scope
and design, too, is a large picture that at once at-
tracts the eye on looking up the gallery, "Bri-
tannia Rules the Waves," by Madame Jeric-
hen, in which Britannia, a colossal figure
in red robes, is pointing to the subject waters.
This production, although powerful, is, we must
confess, more pretentious than pleasing. Another
lady who has covered a canvas of great extent
is Mrs. Swift, who, in her picture of 'The Letter,"
has given us two figures of considerable size. The
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 ab'tut the latter that deteriorates from
the effect, but the air is natural, and the appearance
lifelike. To find the gems of tne exhibition, how-
ever, the visitor must not look at the largest
frames, he must rather turn to the exquisite
fruit and flower pieces of Miss Emma
Walter or the charming figures of Miss Agnes Bou-
vier. The latter lady, who bearsa name fast
rising in artistic celebrity, has a special aptitude
for the felicitous representation of childhood, as
shown in the scene of the " Picture Book," where
a rosy faced little one is smiling over the wonders
of "Tom Thumb," which 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 same
facile pencil meet us on the wails, all admirably
painted, one in particular, " La Petite Brunette,"
orming
cha,ming study. It there is a fault to
be 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 w hich so gifted an artist can readily
supply on another occasion. Miss Walter's ieuit
pieces might bear comparison with those by Lance.
Cne brilliancy of the colouring, and the natural ap-
pearance of fruit and flowers, must rivet the atten-
tion of the most careless passer by. The bloom
on the grapes in No. 63 seems as though it might
he brushed be any casual touch, while the bright
yet delicate tints of the geranium leaves are ex-
quisitely pourtrayed. A kindred taste is shown
by Mrs. Withers in her study of "Roses," No. 62.
l'he landscapes are numerous and tolerably sue"
cessful, though there is a certain stiffness about
many of them that seems to indicate an unpractised
hand. Miss Bertram gives us a careful " Sketch of
Kronbeig Castle on the Sound," and Miss RennY
portrays "A Forfarshire Den" with great spirit.
(here is a pretty scene, called " On the Look-out,''
ny Miss Georgina Swift, showing two figures 00
the sands. Mrs. Hussey has two companion pic-
tures, Nos. 118 and 138, representing "Evening on
thswater Lake," and " Early Morning on Dere
wentwater." They are somewhat ambitious at'
tempts, and not without success, but in the former
the reflection of the mountain in the lake is some'
what too prominent, while in the latter the pre-
valence of the morning mists is suffered to render":
it indistinct. "Awakened Sorrows, Old Letters,
by Margaret Gillies, shows considerable power;
the faces of the elder woman and her youthful corn-
fetter are well contrasted, and the sorrowful exprese
sion of the former is forcibly depicted. The length
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 of
the artist. "'The Brothers Grimm," ie a very clever
portrait, in which the large sized heads seem almost
nature. It is the woik of Madame Jericheu, the
same lady whose " Britannia" we mentioned above'
Miss Caroline Grierson has shown more ingenuity.
than taste in painting a lady with a black net veil
over her face. It is impossible not to admire the
skill of the painter, and equally impossible to like
the picture. It is not supposed that a branch °f
art in which a lady had acquired such a world-wide
reputation as Rosa Bonheur should be left untried,
and accordingy we have severe, sketches of animal
life. Miss Newcowen's "Shepherd Deg," Aire;
Keating's "Galantine,"and Mte Swift's" Bianche
are probably all drawn from lite. We alluded to
Nirs. Swift's gift for portrait painting, and it cer-
tainly extends to the animal world it B docile bat
for her portrait. To jaoge from the animatiott
Sparkling in her wo,idei fully brig,it eyes, she must
have found the task a tedious one. Very charming
too, is Mrs. Keating's " Song of Praise" on Semen
1., where a little Robin Reeibrea,t is singing na▪ g
;Doming song. The same laoy has painted with
care Lied faithfulness a pair of dead pneasants--4).°
easy task, as any one who has studien their beau",
fully varied feathers, may guess.
.Mdile.
contrihtves a charming picture, entitled " LA/
bird, lady bird, fly away home.' It is one of those
delightful scenes of childish life, in which the feint▪ '
nine pencil especially excels. It is worthy co notice
that the pre-Raptiaetite school has very few 101°
lowers. Miss Justina Deffell's " Rustle among the
Leaves,"and Mrs. Thompson's "Veutnor" are tinged
with its peculiarities. Ttie fair exhibitors are not
devoid of a sense of humour as is proved by some
of the clever sketches on the screen. Prominent
among these are Miss F.orence Claxton's " Scene
from the Life of a Governess," and the same ladi.
laughable illustrations of England versus Aastrallei
in which the various aspects of home and colorile
ball-rooms, the different meanings attached to
"'Wanted a Governess," and finally the lonely
spinster and hercat, in one hemisphere, and the 0.1
nary bachelor, with his dog, in the other are haPPIII,
contrasted. Miss Adelaide Claxton, whose clever
illustrations of one of our serials, will be fresh its
the recollections of its readers, is also among t.llO
contributors. Sculpture has also her votarle,r;
Miss Durant having contributed three very able and
elaborate marble bas-reliefs representing Thetis 0,4
Achilles. Thetis mourning over the dead body: t,
the hero is, perhaps, the best. Last, but not lea ,0,
of the works mentioned in the catalogue are
admirably executed bronzes, representing cattle eft,
sheep in various attitudes. They are all exceliefre
but one of the bulls and the " Brebis deboutl.
perhaps the best. It is surprising that the artete,
such successful works should withhold her row "1,40
We heartily congratulate the lady artists oe
high degree of merit which their exhibition Pro
attained, and which we cannot doubt will set
the support and countenance of the public.

There are some writers—Fuller, Sir T" for
Browne, Burton, Izaak Walton, Sir Thomas Overbilaiiot
example—who must be read with the adjuncts of Yeot
paper, long s's and obsolete spelling, if you would ca

the lull aroma of their quaintness.
CAMPBELL'S " Hollr/kILINDEN.”—EveiY of
c(shman remembers C(impfe It's noble po' 11. sir
" Hohenlinden :" but few perhaps had considered, opt
ice'
Edward Cust led the way, how en tirely t hat. poem n'iBrePgdo
sents all vie circumstances ut the battle which i Ings
so fatuous. It is about Hs near to (act 'ts is Days: I(
brated picture ot Bo :apar(e cros ibg Ape em a Pr'tt ?,;(1,
cuarger to the reality ot the passage of the St•
he essence of the poet:cat Hohenlinden is a nii-Int vir,°
3ut the true bathe of 11:,i eritinden begin xt Olght jest
('cluck in the morning. It is. va-iy t oat tide, vice" fron'
fl(iws swift and dark in winter, uati: flows niany mites viclit
Elohenlinden. It does, indeed, wash the walls ot I*-1-old
and banners may have t.vay.d port those walls ; ri.,:je(us°
(heir waving have had less influ-nce upon the hvtia,,,,::oll
invisible, through distance, trona the scene ot it. imi,clo
:eature common to the real and the imaginary '4r, t,
was the snow, which fell heavily kith g, aithoug— Oe"
not cover the ground before, the battle. P.-(rhaps it'ato3
never heard that slush and mud were the tillwa °t Fr„%girlig
Elohenlinden, and that Moreau won the battle by J-
Toggle
.ecurately how long his assailant would sticK and 13,:iiblet°
in the boggy forest-paths, where it was no more
rush to glory than it is to gallop over an Alpine 11(d.'