The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-12 00:00:00

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SOCrET YOF IRS.
,IBITION OF TH PICTURES AND
STUDIES of WI LIAM ETTY, R.A.
ie Society of Arts in the Adelphi is now nobly
ring the debt which it has long owed to British
Ind artists. Barry, the greatest of English pain-
whose productions are as superior to those of
as the productions of cultivated genius must
ever be to the painstaking efforts of drudging medio-
crity, devoted the best portion of his life to the
painting of a series of pictures for this society, which
have ever since been the principal attraction of their
rooms in the Adelphi ; for many years the society
seemed to have forgotten its obligations to art,
but at length it is aroused, and is now en-
gaged in carrying out a plan for the forma-
tion of a National Gallery of British Art by -mews
of public voluntary contributions arising from dona-
tions and annual subscriptions, and flout the preceeda
a an annual exhibition of the pictures and studies
of one eminent living artist ; any profits which may
arise will be applied to giving the artist shock works
are exhibited a commission for a work, or in the
purchase of a work already painted, w hiLhwill be
presented to the National Gallery. The artist whose
works are this year exhibited are those of W. Etty,
R.A., and there can be no doubt but that this col•
lection will (as the Council observes) "kielleemed a
graceful offering to the fair lame of so distinguished
an artist, and that it will lead to a more just appreciern
tion of the power and genius of the British school in
the highest rank •of art." If we were called
upon to produce the nine pictures painted
by a modern artist the best calculated to lead the
world to a just appreciation Of the power and genius
of the British school in the highest rank of art, we
should, without hesitation, point to the nine great pic-
tures of Etty—viz., the Combat, the three Judith
pictures, Benainah slaying the two lion-like men of
Moab, Ulysses and the Syrens, and the three pictures
of Joan of Arc which are in this exhibition. These
pictures are alone sufficient to secure to Etty a place
among the foremost artists that the world has ever
seen. This exhibition contains no less than 138 pic-
tures and studies by Etty. W ith the exception. of " the
Youth at the prow and Pleasure at the Lelm,"twhich
is in the Vernon Gallery, and the study of which is
in the prevent collection, we believe that all
Etty's exhibited works are to be found in this collec-
tion, together with many that have been never
exhibited. Among these are the studies from many
of his larger pictures, and several commissions which
he has executed for various persons, which the public
hive now au opportunity of seeing for the first time.
These pictures range over a period of nearly thirty
years, from 1824 to 1848, and we heard it remarked
on Saturday, by several connoisseurs who were present
at the private exhibition, that his earlier pictures are
much superior to those which he has produced since
he has indulged in what they choose to de-
nominate "experimentalizing in colouring." Such
a mode of criticism is, however, very unfair.
It should be remembered that Etty paints
" not for a day, but for all time," and we are
old enough to remember when the very same reproach
was made against those master pieces of art which
are the subject of unqualified admiration in the pre-
sent exhibition, and which those same connoisseurs
now pronounce to be t qual to the finest productions
of Reubens. So when they shall have been toned
down by time will bethese later productions, which are
now the subj,ct of so much unjust, and we must take
leave to add, ignorant cr;ticisin. We shalt to:t at-
tempt to go into a critical analysis of this most in-
teresting exhibition, it is one which every lover and
admirer of art will visit again and again, one of
which, in a national point of view, every Englishman
may be most proud, and which may challenge a com-
parison with any similar exhibition of the works of
any foreign artist who has flourished within the
course of the last century. It is an honour to the
British School of Art.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
TATTERSALL'S.—YESTERDAY.
The settlement of the Ascot a' counts, although very
heavy, passed off in the most satisfactory manner; we
did not hear of a single case of default. In the course of
the afternoon a few small bets were laid on the St Leger,
and several, in rather large amounts, on the Derby of
1850 and 1851, at the undermentioned prices:—
LIVERPOOL CUP.
6 to 1 agst Sir R. Bigot's Essedarius—taken
NORTHUMBERLAND PLATE.
.5 to 2 agst Mr. Green's Melton
4 to 1 agst Mr. Pedley's Cossack—taken
8 to 1 agst Mr. S. L. Fox's Executor—taken
ST. LEGER.
500 even on Lord Eglinton's Flying Dutchman
10 to 1 agat Mr. B. Green's Lady Superior
10 to 1 agst Mr. A. Nichol's Nunnyktrk.
10 to 1 agst Lord Stanley's Uriel
DERBY, 1850.
18 to 1 agst Mr. Meiklam's The Italian—take
28 to 1 agst Mr. Henry's Pitsford—taken
30 to 1 agst Mr. Gordon's William the ConcliVor—t
30 to 1 agst Mr. Dixon's Blarney—taken
30 to 1 agst Lord Chesterfield's Penang—taken
33 to 1 agst Duke of Richmond's Compass—taken`
40 to 1 agst Duke of Richmond's Ghillie Callum—t
40 to 1 agst Mr. J. Scott's Cyprus
40 to 1 agst Lord Eglinton's Knight of Avenel
40 to 1 apt Lord Clifden's Sidus
' 40 to 1 agst Mr. Jaques's Mildew—takea
40 to 1 agst Mr. Bowes's Brother to Epirote
40 to 1 agst Baron RothFchild's Decoy colt
50 to 1 agst Mr. Watt's Tordesillas—taken
50 to 1 sgst Duke of Bedford's John o' Groat—taken
50 to 1 agst Lord Stanley's L;ttie Isaac— tskeu
50 to 1 agst Duke of Bedford's Odin—taken
DEES r, 1851.
10,000 to 150 agst Brother to Vats Tromp—taken
10,01. 0 to 150 agat Bobadil (the St quidilla colt)—taken
10.000 to 150 agst Chrktiana colt—taken
10,0u0 to 150 agat Brother to Nunnykiik—taken
Bobadil was sold yesterday at Messrs. Tattersall's for
660 guineas. He goes into John Day's stable.
HAMPTON RACES.
Subjoined are tilt: eugsgemcnts fur these races, which
come off tomorrow and Thursday, under the stewardship
of the Earl of Chesterfield.
WEDNESDAY.
The Surrey and Middlesex Stakes of 20 sm. each, 10 ft,
and 5 only if declared, with 50 added. Twu
(27 subs., 19 of whom pay 5 sows. each.)
Antagonist, 5 yrs, Bst 121b—Gardenia, 4 yrs, 84 41b
—Conveyancer, 4 yrs, 7st 101b—Mignon, 5 yrs, 7st 61b
—Minto, 4 yrs, Est 111b—Durdons, 3 yrs, sat—The Dark
Lady, 3 ) rs, sst 13ib—Chicot, 3 yrs, sst sib.
The Railway Plate.-
Testator, 3 yrs—Lepidus, 3 yrs—The Briar, by
Bramble, 3 yrs—Marlbrook, 3 yrs—Halloo, 4 y'r—
Amen, by St. Martin, 5 yrs—Busy foot (late Perspicuity),
3 yrs.