The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-05 00:00:00

FINE ARTS.

TIIE ANNUAL EXHIBITION IN THE
SUFFOLK- STREET GALLERY.
On Saturday we attcnded the private exhibition
of paintings by the Society of British Artiste,
but the following remarks, although in type, have
been unavoidably postponed insertion in conrc'quence
of the extraordinary pressure of intelligence. The As-
sociation has in the present year completed its first
quarter of a century ; and the collection—numbering
in all 635 productions—certainly evinces no dimi-
nution either of ability or of industry on the part of
the members and associates. On the first hurried
and, comparatively speaking, superficial glance round
the apartment, it would be of course impossible to
obtain a proper estimate of the merits of the more
successful, or of the demerits of the less successful of
upwards of six hundred pictures. Especially is the
difficulty in the way of arriving at any such conclu-
sion enhanced when the rooms are thronged to such
an extent that, had it been July instead of March, we
should have used the stereotyped phrase, " crowded
to suffocation." The extraordinary number of visitors
assembled on Saturday in the Suffolk Gallery spoke
admirably for the popularity of the institution ; and
remembering the general excellence, and in some few
instances the real genius displayed by the artists
who are there the competitors for public appro-
bation, we cannot but augur well for the future
career of the society. Whatever we may say in our
subjoined brief annotations it must not be forgotten
that we are compelled to criticise under some such
trifling disadvantages as those arising from interpos-
ing elbows, and obstructive hats, and out-of-the-way,
and in-the-way, and this-way, and that-way bonnets,
shawls, muffs, chatellaines, Jenny-Linda, cardinals,
mantillas, and the rest of those inimitable contrivances
with which young ladies are decorated by the atten-
dant spirits of the toilet. We shall comment, there-
fore, only on those pictures which particularly at-
tracted our observation, and which we were enabled
to see more deliberately over the shoulders of the other
spectators.
Those who have watched the progress of this clever
and already distinguished association are familiar
with many names amongst its principal members,
which would honour the " roll" of the Royal
Academy. They will find that these eminent artists have
during the past twelve months been more than usually
industrious, and that in numerous instances they have
been more than usually successful. Pyne has again
proved himself to be a worthy contemporary of Turner
and Stanfield. Although there are four other contribu-
tions (Noe. 47, 91, 131, 233) from the same gifted
hand, of various and remarkable ability, we
can only particularize the following :—No. 35.
" Old Paper Mill, Berkshire."—A secluded
scene, painted with marvellous truth to nature—the
water limped and refractive—the air transparent and
modulated in density with the perspective—the sky
remote, and suffused with vapoury clouds—the earth
sprinkled with moist herbage and sedges. The red
of the old brick building glowing through the
branches gives to the painting a mellowness of colour
too frequently wanting in the works of our artist.
No. 274. " Lying to for Anchors off the South
Coast."—A small but marvellous sketch, showing the
sea breaking high up into surf on the boulder-stones
of a dreary and sequestered part of the coast. We
want the pen of Mr. Ruskin, the Oxford Graduate, to
do Mr. Pyne justice in this transcript from creation,
to explain with corresponding eloquence all that his
brush has done by dashes of white paint, spurting up
in acute angles, and expressing with the boldness and
facility of genius the foaming of the surge upon
the shore. Woolmer has, in like manner, contributed
six pictures, three of which we cannot do more than
enumerate, Nos. 110, 198, 426. The other three we
can only mention hurriedly as follows :—No. 211,
"Pygmalion"—in which the artist has endeavoured
to realise the masterpiece of a fabulous predecessor.
The figure of the maiden in ivory, blushing into life,
is gracefully conceived whatever the two petit-
maztres in art (whom we overheard) may say as to
the drapery being an indistinct compromise between
a tree and a curtain. No. 127. " The Destruction of
the cities of the Plain"—a wierd representation of that
ghastly episode in Scripture of the raining of fire from
heaven upon Sodom and Gomorrah—wiid enough in
idea and eccentric enough in treatment for John
Martin. Although the figure in the foreground of a
livid blue complexion, and the blood-red and hell-
black confusion in the heavens are rather fantastic,
the work is the remarkable vagary of a remarkable
artist. No. 370. " A thought from Boccaccio" is one
of the gems of the exhibition, and will not diminish
the reputation of Mr. Woolmer. In the half-
emersed forms of the virgins revelling in the
pool—in the deep liquid shadows—in the golden and
roseate glimmer of sunset on the treetops—you have,
indeed, realised here before you a thought from Bec-
caccio—a peep into the gorgeous dreamland of the
Deccameron. Salter has four productions—Nos. 229,
340, 491, and 96. The latter is the everlasting
" Judgment of Paris." But worn out though the
theme has been by his predecessors, Mr. Salter has
contrived to throw a charm over the symmetrical shape
of the goddess with her back towards the observer.
Herring has eight of his inimitable portraits from
the farm-yard, the kennel, and the stable. He
becomes every day more valuable to us, now
that Landseer is depicting more frequently
the " human face divine," and now that poor
Bateman is dead—the creator of that admirable
incident, " Give a poor dog a bone." The contribu-
tions of Mr. Herring are NO3. 23, 45, 99, 115, 148,
293, 338,415. The "Farm Stubble Yard" is wonderful,
though comparatively small in dimensions, the horse,
the pigeons, the pigs, all are life-like. Mr. Hurlstone,
Mr. llassell, Mr. Shayer, Mr. Zeitter, Mr. Montague,
Mr. Allen, and Mr. Boddington, are conspicuous
among the contributors for the number, and a few of
them for the merit, of their productions. Nor has
Hill been deficient in either quality. His four paint-
ings from rural life are indicative of the steady de-
velopment of his powers as an artist, and are expres-
sive of his love for the sylvan scene and rustic joys of
the Welch and the Bohemians. Three of them are
cabinet pictures, of single figures, as vivid almost as
reality :—No. 243. "Boy scaring away birds." No.
400— " Child and Kitten"—a new illustration of the
old expression, " Cupboard Love." No. 418." Welch
Rustic"—one of those graceful village girls of Taffy-
land that the artist paints so entirely con amore
—but the repetition of which may ultimately
depress him into a mannerist. Better than
these immeasurably is No. 67, " A Revel," by
the same hand. Mr. Bill has here made a
bolder venture than we can call to our recollection in
his former compositions. And while we regard it as
the most ambitious picture he has yet painted, we;look
upon it also as perhaps in several particulars the most
successful that has yet come from his easle. The
scene is simple enough, but its very simplicity readers
it picturesque : a party of gipsies dancing under the
green branches of a wood to the " tweedle-dum and
tweedle•dee" of a second Twangdidillo—a bundle of
faggots blazing in one corner—a couple of dogs (such
comical, natural, impassible dogs !) looking on, one
with his paw round the neck of the other—a little
touch of coquetry or love making in one direction—
in another, immediately in the foreground, an exqui-
site group gathering round an infant in the arms of
its young mother. With one exception the
picture is complete—and that exception is what
appeared to us to be the somewhat feeble and
watery colouring of the green vista through
which the dancers are receding. Yet, taken alto-
gether, the picture is admirable and life-like in its
animation. We doubt not that it will very materi-
ally increase Mr. Hill's reputation. We like
strangely that odd illustration of alpassage in the
delightful diary of rare old Mr. Pepys. "My wife
this day puts on first her French gown, called a Sac,
which becomes her very well," says the gossip. Mr.
Noble has produced a capital picture from that brief
but suggestive memorandum. One of the best
among the portraits is that by Mr. Williamson (No.
201) of an old lady. Nor must we on any account
omit to mention No. 253, " Falling in with a Wreck
the Day affer a Storm," by Mr. J. Denby, which is a
brilliant and effective composition, going far to prove
that artistic genius is hereditary. Many of the con-
tributions to the exhibitions would merit observation
from us had we the opportunity.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
THE METROPOLITAN STEEPEE CHASE
ENTRIES.
The Handicap Steeple Chase.
Proceed, Victim, Knight of Gwynne, British Yeoman,
Switcher, Pullaway, The Commcner (late Prince
George), Donnybrook, Farnham, Miss Burns, Dicky
Misfortune, Maurice Daly (late Flycatcher), Sparta,
Pathfinder, Chaldean, The Doctor, The Rover (late
Cruickshank), Aliboran (6 yrs), Liberty (late the Hack),
Spring Bok, Valiant, Bold Davy, Hope, Wharfdale
Maid, Oily Gammon, Tipperary Boy, Chatham, Rachel,
Charity, Wolverhampton, Johnny Boy, Falcon, Agita-
tioe, Hind°. (late The Dove), Mignonette.
Nominations for the Free Handicap.
Zara (late Petticoats), Pullaway, Pride of Kildare,
b g by Elves, Beswick, Red Lancer, Outcast, Pathfinder,
Kilkenny, Mosque, The Young'un, Tho Windfall, The
Israelite, Johnny Boy, Duncan Grey, Saturn, The
Witch, The Rover, The Painter, Knight of the Wheel
Cate Rufus), Mandarin, Judy Callaghan, Debutante,
Counterf,it, Sparta, and Vulture.
THE NORTHAMPTON HANDICAP.
With reference to the non •receipt of the result of this
race yesterday week, we have ascertained that it arose
from " Wolverhampton" having been inadvertently
inserted in the message imitead of Wolverton, the station
to in the first instance, it should have been for-
The agents of the Electric Telegraph Company
were
warded.
blameless in the matter.
which,

SCOTTISH MIDLAND.—We hear that, at recent
meeting- of the directors of this. company, they resolved
ki
to ptosecute the branch to rriemuir during the sum-
mer. Should this prove to be the ease, it would, we have
no doubt, be very beneficial to the company, as there is
un immense traffic in goods to the West from this place.
—Dundee Advertiser.