The Sun.
London, England, 1865-05-13 00:00:00

PRICE 4d,„
STAMPED sd.

Earl of Portarlington, the Marquis of Drogheda,
Sir Charles Coote, the Earl of Charlemont, and
Viscount Powerscourt. Titian is represented by
two fine works—" A portrait of a monk," from
Lord Portarlington's collection, and " A portrait
of Caesar Borgia," from the Charlemont Gallery.
The catalogue does not affirm with certainty that
this is an actual portrait of the Italian soldier and
statesman whose name has come down to us with
so evil a reputation, but it is undoubtedly the re-
presentation of no common man, and is stamped
with all those minute and characteristic signs
that convince us it must have been an admirable
likeness. Subtle intellect, sensuality, high
courage, and an iron will are expressed in the linea-
ments of that handsome,sharply-chiselled, and olive-
complexioned face. A superb portrait of a gentle-
man, by Moroni,' the rival of Titian, rivets the at-
tention of all who enter this gallery, by its reality,
truthfulness, and individuality of character. The
vigour of the drawing and the powerful colouring,
as fresh and vivid as that of many a picture not a
dozen years old, would be sufficient, even were the
artist's name unknown, to denote the hand of a
master. A few examples of Rubens, Vandyke,
Rembrandt, Georgione, Guido, and Andrea del
Sarto, and some early Scriptural pictures by Filippo-
Leppi, Bottichelli, and Signorelli—the latter lent
by the Marquis of Lothian—are among the best
specimens of ancient art in the collection. The
names of Canaletto, Tethers, Gerard Dow, Schnei-
ders, Vandevelde, Jan Steen, Watteau, and Greuse,
will. be sufficient to indicate the nature of the works
by those artists. There is one excellent Claude,
" The Landing of St. Paula "—an Italian seaport
bearing a strong family resemblance to some of the
Claudes in the National Gallery of London, and we
have also a really splendid Cupp, the subject being
his favourite "Landscape with Cattle," which at-
tracts very general admiration. The section of
this gallery, however, which is regarded with the
greatest amount of interest is that appropriated to
the works of Hogarth, Reynolds, Gainsborough,
and Romney. There is a charming portrait by
Hogarth of Lavinia Fenton, Duchess of Bolton,
almost as clear, as fresh-looking, and as bright, as
when it left the easel. The Earl of Charlemont con-
tributes two characteristic pictures of Hogarth's
—on, ";The Lady's Last Stake," representing
a fair gambler staking her honour against the
money and jewels which her lover and antagonist
had won from her; the other the celebrated " Gates
of Calais," by which sturdy Will Hogarth revenged
the little indignities he had received on French
soil. The portraits by Sir Joshua, of which there are
some half dozen, are in excellent preservation, and
the colouring has not suffered so much from time
as, unfortunately, too many of his best pictures have
done. The portraits of the Duchess of Leinster, of
the Countess of Coventry, and of Mrs. Seymour
Darner are admirable examples of the charming
grace and modesty for which his female heads are re-
markable. Sir Joshua's portraits of Kitty Fisher
and Mrs. Jordan are even more brilliant illustrations
of his power. There is a delightful ease and abandon
in the attitudes, great archness of expression, and a
freedom and decision of touch not often to be found
among our modern portrait painters. There are two
portraits by Romney—" Lady Hamilton" and
" Lady Edward Fitzgerald," the fair Pamela, whose
fate is invested with so much of romantic interest.
Both are lovely faces, and therefore especially suited
for the pencil of Romney, which was never used with
so much effect as when its subject was a beautiful
woman.

The British section, to supply which the National
Gallery and the South Kensington Museum have
been laid under contribution, affords on the whole
an excellent representation of modern English art
in landscape, portrait, and historical painting.
There is scarcely an inferior picture in the collec-
tion. We have specimens of Turner, Stanfield,
Roberts, Cooke, and Anthony, of Wilkie, Landseer,
Leslie, Mulready, Elmore, Philip, Ward, Maclise,
Herbert, Egg, Leighton, Holman Hunt, O'Neill,
Dobson, Thomas, Sant, Macnee, Knight, and Phillips.
Her gracious Majesty has kindly lent seven works,
including her own portrait and that of the lamented
Prince Consort, by Vninterhalter, Leslie's fine pic-
ture of " Her Majesty's Coronation," and the " Dis-
tribution of the Crimean Medals," by Thomas, both
objects of great attraction to the visitors, and two
exquisite Mulreadys, " A Cottage Interior," and
" The Wolf and the Lamb." These, as well as the
majority of the other paintings, are so familar to
your readers, that it is unnecessary for me to do
morethan mention their titles. Thus, we have Leslie's
" Sancho in the Apartment of the Duchess," " The
Widow Wadman," and " Les Femmes Savants—
Trissotin reading his sonnet," Wilkie's " Penny
Wedding" and " Maid of Saragossa," Mulready's
" First Love," " The Village Buffoon," and " The
Last In ;" Landseer's " Sleeping Bloodhound ;"
Leighton's " Dante," exhibited last year at the
Royal Academy; O'Neill's "Volunteer ;" Anthony's
magnificent study of " Beach-trees and Fern ;"
Stanfield's " Portsmouth Harbour ;" Maclise's
" Malvolio and the Countess" and " Noah's Sacri-
fice," admirable in their drawing, but cold and hard
in colour. There are two landscapes by Turner—
one a " Scene in Venice," painted apparently when
his style was first becoming tinged with the eccen-
tricities of colouring which disfigured his later produc-
tions ; the other a small picture of "Allington Castle,"
in his earlier and better manner, with wonderful,
almost magical, effects of sky and water, upon which
Mr. Ruskin might discourse eloquently for the
length of a column without saying a word too much.
There are two pictures, placed side by side, before
which a group of admirers are constantly to be seen.
Mr. Wallis's pathetic painting of " The Dead Stone-
breake," " Now is thy long day's work done," ex-
hibited a few days ago at the Royal Academy,
and Mr. Holman Hunt's extraordinarily vigorous
portrait of Mr. Wentworth Monck. The singularity
of the background—a window formed of that de-
scription of green glass termed " bull's-eyes"—and
the depth S and vividness of the colouring first
attract the attention of the visitors, whose curi-
osity is speedily converted into admiration at
the marvellous skill of the artist. The head
stands out from the canvas, the eyes are full
of fire and expression, the lips seem to move as if
he were about to speak. The subject of this fine
portrait holds in one hand a Greek book and in the
other a copy of the I imes folded up and tied with a
piece of string as if for transmission through the
post. The Irish artists do not show in much force,
which may be accounted for to some extent by the
fact that the exhibition of the Hibernian Academy
is at present open. There is an excellent painting
by Mr. M. A. Hayes, representing an annual custom
in Dublin—" The Trooping of the Guard on St.
Patrick's-day at the Castle," which derives special
interest from the fact that it was purchased by sub-
scription and presented to the late lamented Earl of
Carlisle as a testimony of the esteem and affection
with which he was regarded by all classes of people
in this city. Mr. Hayes's picture, which is a clever
and artistic work, contains portraits of Lord Carlisle
and of several of our local celebrities. A young Cork
artist, Mr. Shiel, sends a picture entitled " The
Angel of Prayer Offering," which evinces striking
artistic ability. He was unsuccessful last year in
getting it exhibited at the Royal Academy, an ob-
jection having been taken to its admissibility on the
ground that it comprised more than eight separate
pictures, thereby exceeding the number which any
artist Lis privileged to exhibit. The Angel is re-
; presented standing on the . steps of the Golden
Throne (the idea is taken from a passage in Reve-
lations), and swinging a censer, from which ascends
the prayers and supplications of mankind. In com-
partments round the frame are inserted pictorial
representations of prayer in all the exigencies
and circumstances of human life—the mother
pleading that her sick child may be spared, the
captive praying for release from his chains, the
simple heartfelt thanksgiving for daily bread, the