The Sun.
London, England, 1840-05-05 00:00:00

EXHIBITION OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY.
The annual Exhibition of the Royal Academy com-
menced yesterday for the season at the rooms
.of the
National Gallery, in Trafalgar-square. The pictures
are very numerous, and many of them are of superior
merit : and it struck us, on a hasty glance, that there
were not quite so many portraits as usual. The rooms
were crowded at an early hour, and about two o, eloek.
the throng became quite suffocating, so that it was true
possible to do more than just take a cursory view of
the paintings. We shall content ourselves therefore at
present with briefly noting down our impressions of such
of the pictures as we were 'fortunate enough to get a.
peep at, and return from time to time to the subject, as
leisure and the state of our columns will permit. No.
162," Equestrian Portrait of Queen Victoria, attended
by Viscount Melbourne, the Marquis of Conynchamaw
&c., is by Grant, and is chiefly deserving of notice for
the excellent likeness of Lord Melbourne. which is one
of the most faithful we have seen. That of the
Marquis of Conyngbam, who is hastening forward on
horseback to the Queen, with his hat raised above
his head, is not so striking—at least, not on
a first glance. Her Mejesty's figu. e is grace.
ful, and full of easy dignity ; and it is .plain to see
that the courtly artist has not forgotten that it was a
Queen who was the subject of hie pencil. No. 174,
" Banquet Scene in Macbeth," by Maclise, represents
that striking scene in the play, where the conscience"
of the usurper takes the alarm at the sudden appear-
ance of the Ghost of Banquo. The apparition is re-
presented by a dark, scarcely definable shadow, which.
in the murderer's eyes only,- aseames the form of the
murdered. The figure of Lady Macbeth, who has just
risen from her chair of state, and is endeavouring to.ex•
plain to her guests the cause of her husband's agitation,
is meant to be impressive, but it wants height aid dig-
nity. The outstretched arm, too, is thick
.and sins wy—
far too much so for a woman. Macbeth is better pour-
trayed, especially as regards attitude ; but the expres-
sion of his countenanc: is far too much exasg: rated.
Some of the details of the picture are w, rated up with
skill and spirit—indeed Maclise is never deCc'ent in
spirit, whatever other faults he may possess—but, as tt
whole, we cannot rank it among the artist's most sue►
cessful productions. No. 203, " Slavers,
typhoonthrowin
,overtmerd the Dead and Dying, a canting enst
is one of tamer's most on iecountable treas. of fancy.
Nothing is to be made out in this non-lescript work
of art, except a parcel of fishes swimming torvaeUs some
dead bodies. Of the colouring we can sly nothing, for
assuredly we have never yet seen anything like it in na-
ture. No. 266, "Study of a Group of Menntaineers
returning from the Vesta of Monte Vergine," deserves
praise for the grace and harmony of the grouping. No.
273, " The Bye-road," reminds us of one of those floe.
sylvan English landscares which poor old Constable seas
so fond of painting, whose spotty manner Creswicle has
imitated too closely. The perspective in this picture is
handiei with considerable dexteiity. No. 292, " The
Droinos, or Outer Court of the Great Temple at Edfou,
in Upper &DV." is finely represented by .Rolarts. The
sand and dust of the desert, in pertieulea, which th:,,kb,
covers the entire Court, are drawn ssith singular adher-
enCe to reality. No. 311 is one of Landseet's spirited
arimel. paintings. It is entitled " Lasing down the
Lan'," and pour trays a group of dogs busied in solemn
and earnest conclave. No. 327, " The Letter, or the
last i'aini'y News," is full of that animated expression
which Reinagle knows so well how to impart to his male
and female faces. No. 328, " Punch," by Webster,
exhibits some genuine comic humour, and some felicitous
spec:aiens of grouping. But the scene of the pictare
should have been in town, not in the country, for Punch
is no traveller. No. 343, " Avignon,' exhibits a
striking view of a broken bridge thrown over the
Rhone, close by this fatuous city ; the lights and
shadows on the broad stream are admirably de-
picted. The former, more psrticularly, are very bril-
liant in (fleet.
sNo. 360, " Northwick Park," by Lee,
is not in this clever landse,ape painter's happiest man-
ner. It is stiff and formal in aspect. No. 374, " Park
Scenery," by the same artist, is better. The gnarled
old oak in the foreground is a highly natural bit of
colouring. No. 894, " Bathsheba," is remarkable for
the beauty of the flesh tints. No. 438, " Brigands
visited by their friends," is a rocky, mountain inudscape,
amid whose recesses a band of brigands are assembled.
There is much vigour of expression in this picture, and
the
.colouring throughout is just and appropriate. The
printer is No. 441, " The Slave Trade,"
is an Impressiv2 subject, cleverly handled by a French
artist named I3iard. It is one of the ablest pictures
in the Exhibition. The unconcerned manner of one of
the slave-dealers who, with the stump of a pipe in his
mouth, is branding the flesh of a negro, is pourtrayed
with infiaite skill ; and equally successful is the colour-
leg of the het, sultry, atmosphere, which realizes all
that we have heard and read of African temperature.
No. 461, " Neapolitan Fishing Girls surprised Bathing
by Moonlight," is by Turner. It is not colouring—.
bas the burlesque of colouring, and resembles nothing
so much as a large slovenly smear, dashed at random
across the canvass. No. 226," Going to Church," is a
picture, full of promise, from the pencil of Colman.