The Sun.
London, England, 1838-05-31 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

ILLUSTRATIONS OF CONSTANTINOPLE
AND ITS ENVIRONS.
Fisher, London, 1838.
These Illustrations are of a N. ery superior order of merit.
That portion of them which is now lying before us, are
exclusively devoted to Constantinople, and convince us that
Hope's descriptions in Anastasius, of that queen of cities,
are not in the slightest degree eXaggerated. The view of
the " Castle of Europe on the Bosphorus"' is as lovely and
romantic a landscape as poet's or painter's eye ever fsastcd
upon. The winding Strait, enlivened with countless sails
glittering in the sun-light, and bordered with villages and
old castles and cypress groves, stretches out in front like a
lake, and is bounded on the horizon by a low range of hills
cultivated to their summits. The jutting promontories, the
graceful mausoleums, and the abundant foliage in the fore-
ground, complete the picturesque of this scene. The
" Mosque of Sultan Achmet" represents the interior of a
magnificent structure,on the marble floors of which immense
crowds are kneeling, while the chief priest uplifts the sacred
standard of the prophet. This engraving is a highly finished
specimen of the art ; but the figure of the priest who is un-
furling the august banner, is thrown too much into the back-
ground. The " Cistern of Constantine" shows a diffi-
cult perspective managed with great skill. In the
" Cemetery of Scutari," which is the famous Turkish
burying ground just outside the walls of Constantinople, we
see realized the masterly description of Anastasius. Nothing
can be more impressive to the mind by its gloom, its extent,
and the utter solitude that appears to pervade it, than this
singular scene, studded with marble tomb-stones in all
directions, and with its vistas of sad yews and cypresses
stretching away as far as the eye can pierce. The veiled
figure in the fore ground, who is sitting motionless as death,
at the head of one of the tombs, has a very striking_effect.
She looks like a personification of Memory keeping watch
beside the grave of Love. But decidedly the best engrav-
ing in the series is " Constantinople from the entrance to
the Golden Horn," which furnishes us with a fine marine
view of the city. The Bosphorus is alive with the stir and
bustle of vessels of all sorts, from the English steam. boat
to the light tapering Turkish wherry. From the shores of
the Strait i ises up, terrace upon terrace, the stately Queen
of the East, with- her palaces, her pleasure gardens, her
cupolas, her gilded minarets, and the lofty mosque of St!
Sophia towering high above all. The designs for these
clever engravings have been all drawn by Allom, who took
them on the spot.

PORTRAIT OF MADAME VES7'RIS.
London, M►lacormick, 1838.

A portrait of this clever and versatile actress, which is
engraved by Robinson from an original painting by Chalon,
has just made its appearance. As an engraving the work de-
serves great praise, for it is finished with care, yet without the
least appearance of undue effort or stiffness ; as a likeness,
however, it is by no means the most correct we have seen ;
though the eye, and more especially the expression of the
mouth, bear a resemblance to the original that no one can
mistake.