The Sun.
London, England, 1841-05-05 00:00:00

VOANINi; E4]DITION"..

FINE ARTS • • a) of The Annual Exhibition (the Seventy-thir
the
the Royal Academy was yesterday opened t° op
public for the season. It is, on the -whole Loy
average one—neither better nor worse than too
which have preceded it for the last four or bot
years, comprising several clever pictures,
001
I scarcely one—if we except Sir William NeVir
. .
exquisite miniature painting entitled the
~,'"or
mage"—of first-rate merit, whether in desiglii,
execution. We miss Landseer among the elhii
butors, and regret to learn that the cause o',er,
absence is ill health ; Sir David Wilkie, howolo
has contributed a few pictures; and so also 001
Stanfield, Roberts, Maclise, Lee, Chalon/ tlot
Turner; but not one of these able artistsl'oo
even Wilkie himself—can reconcile us to the
()f
of Landseer, who has been the great magneto
the more recent exhibitions. The paintings, of
upwards of twelve hundred in number; and
course many mediocre ones are to be I°",oe
among them, some of which we are sorry to
tio
occupying far too conspicuous a station on
walls, while others of superior merit are hung (1.
such a height that it is scarcely possible to qat
mine them with attention. We had hoped tPci,
this system of favouritism was at an end'
but we find that it is nearly as active as e/(1,
But to our notice. No. 9 is by Stan 0
It is entitled " Castello D'lschia from the Mni'l
and exhibits much of this fine sea-painter's 'it'd
force and truth of effect. The water is distnr,uoa
by a half-spent gale, and dashes wildly 4811 ;le
the eminence on which the castle is built, vi'lao
its towering front and solid battlements welro,
aspect of calm, majestic strength. The led
ground is vividly and beautifully coloured, flibe
affords a fine relief to the other portions of 'OO
picture. No. 10, "Portrait of William Ilarfi,sof
Ainsworth," is a flattering likeness of the an t."O
of "Jack Sheppard." It is not in Pickersgly
happiest manner. No. 38, "Going to the Pile's,
is one of Chalon's lively, animated skefeane
The scene is full of bustle, and exhibits serer
dextrous foreshortening. No. 45, " Midsulut
Nights' Dream," by Howard, is not -wit" The
merit, but, as a whole, the effect is stiff.
attitude of the sea-maid, in particular, wants
ease ease and freedom. No. 33, " The -n-
a-
Girl," shows more skill of composition
/0
colouring than appears in some of the 914;',,--t,16,
(Maclise) more ambitious productions. So. Vof
" Portrait of Sir Peter Laurie." The
.origin°Lo
this likeness has great reason to be pleased 11`55
'Wilkie fur the vigour and expression thatile„ of
thrown into it. No. 63 is a spirited portra"Q.
his Grace the Archbishop of Canterburh by led
Martin Archer Shee, who has not often a„ccluittj-co
himself with more success. No. 223, " Por,";
of the Temple of I)endera, in Upper Egypt, for
one of those carefully-painted oriental scene
which Roberts is so deservedly celebrated.
thing can surpass the subdued vigour and harnlo
nious beauty of the colouring. There are
L;
gaudy, meretricious effects of light and 8/18","j
the whole is toned down with exquisite gip's,
taste. It is one of those few stirring pictur-Ii
which, the longer it is beheld, the More it old
be admired. s -Indeed, it strikes the spectti,t.-0,
more on a second, than on a first survey.
242, " Poor-law Guardians—Board day—aPP if
cation for Bread," is a taking theme, nearlYA6,,
not quite, spoilt, from a want of earnest and".
cided character. No. 249, "An Equestrian jfve,
trait of Miss Hoare," by Cooper, is chiefly ,i'er
markable fbr the vigour and truthful man"o,
in which the horse is painted. The e
louring here is almost worthy of Landseerc o,
No. 255, " Coast of Dover," is a promising P
duction, from the pencil of an artist named , ,
neur. The water has that perfectly liquid sell
elastic character which Vandevelde knew so Ie
ve,
how to throw into his sea-pieces. No. 277, "-“1,0,
positing of John Beilini's three Pictures in
Chiesa Redentore, Venice," is one of Turnere
freakish productions. It consists of but thre
colours, blue, yellow, and green, which are coin;
pounded—or rather, are contrasted—in the otitle;
and most fantastic manner possible. No.
" Sir Roger De Coverley's Courtship," is
fr
Redgrave, who has missed Addison's notion °r
the old country Baronet, who certainly 'fere
intended him to look like a ninny, while malti%
love. The arch, half-averted countenance of
mistress is skilfully painted. No 300, "
land Scenery," convinces us that Lee (the artist)
is not so much at home in pourtraying the 10i;
misty, mountain scenes of the North, as t"
d;
tamer and more sylvan landscapes of Englan
There is a want of truth in the colouring. of ttl
picture. No. 312, " Hunt the Slipper at Neigil'
bour Flamborough's" is deficient in chasteil
ness and simplicity. The lights are B„4'
too staring, as if the artist's chief object or'"
to surprise and startle the spectator. Mr. Maelise
deals too much in exaggeration in the majority'
of his pictures, and is far too fond of glarifli
contrasts in his colouring. No. 428, " CeleSt;:.
City and River of Bliss," partakes in a high '';`e,
gree of Martin's usual mannerisms. No. 4'
" Mary Queen of Scots, and her Retinue
.te;l
turning from the Chase to the Castle of Stirling;
contains one admirably drawn figure, narnell,
that of the famous Regent Murray, who is riding
beside his Royal sister, and fully realizes our
notion of the man, as we find him drawn by
Robertson. No. 466, "The Sculptor's Triumpu)
is a showy, fanciful picture by Danby..
402, "Party at Ranton Abbey," is one of.Ciran' -
clever sporting sketches. The portrait of Lori.
Melbourne is capital. No. 539, " The Trial 0
Effie Deans," contains some striking effects 01,
light and shade. In the Sculpture Room---,11
mere cup-board, by the bye—the best statue 15
that of " Eve listening to the Voice," which is
replete with grace and. beauty of expression, find
harmonious symmetry of figure. Bailey is the
sculptor of this fine work of art.

DREADFUL FlRE.—Yesterday mornino; be"
tween the hours of twelve and one, a 'fire, attended with
the loss of two lives, property, and serious injuries to the
surviving parties, broke out in the lower part of the pre-
mises of Mr. Burling, a marine store dealer, Back-lane.
Whitechapel. From the firm hold the fire had got previoaa
to its discovery by a police-constable, all chance of escaCe
for the inmates by the street-door was impossible. Mt.
Burling, on being apprised of the fire, alarmed his family'
and called on them to follow him and drop from the foot
and back windows. Mrs. Burling, her daughter, and the
lodgers, fAlowed the advice given by Mr. Burling, yvh°A'
front his fall, unfortunately has broken both his strides an:
his right thigh ; his wife also, from dropping on glass
bottles into the back-card, was dreadfully cut abort bet
hands and face; and the daughter and other inmates, with
the exception of two of Mr. Burling's sons (one agec
eight, and the other thirteen years), escaped with slight
injuries. Shortly after the outbreak of the fire the engines
of various fire establishments arri‘ed, but notwithstanding:
all the exertions used on the oceasion, before the hour ,
two the scene of destruction was complete. Not the least
portion of Mr. Burling's property could be preserved.
After the ruins were somewhat cooled the firemen beet
their search after the lost children, when, about six o'clock,
the little suff.rers were found at the back of the first
floor, under a portion of their bedding, but so dreadfully
burnt that they could be scare( ly recognised by those 042
had known them when elite. From the information ob-
tained from one of the survivors, it appeared that the Pre:
vious night the family retired to rest about eleven o'cicci,d
at which time everything appeared perfectly safe, and
it not been from the timely notice given by Op police; "
would hare brim impossible for any of them to esosPes

LITERATURt.
I THE GRAMMAR OF THE ENGLISH
GUAGE TRULY MADE- EASY 1144
4 USING, BY THE INVENTION,
PHREP HUNDRED MOVEABLE FAA.
OF SPEECH. Br GBoßoft Londorryt-'6,t
This is an attempt to make the ilitricaeief'
grammar intelligible to tie eye, and a suecessti:
attempt. Why the Art of learning to use "0-,
mother tongue correctly, or of karraing the
rest use of any other language, should be ge'
rally repulsive, is more referal)le, we '
the manner of teswhing It than the art
Were our mother tongti itione
and an explanation given of th:J,:.4iyeral
of words and of their adaptation to-91M ttnet
without any reference to any otherjangua,,g"
fi
thing, as is done by this writer,'tgere earl ljc,
doubt that it m:gbt easily be learntond be P'`,l
sant in the acquisition, UnfortunaJejy,
that is not the way that grammar_ktaught, 114
the way in which the art was fordia. nut 501 e,
very learned persons imported hither the 011°,
and the terms employed by some 'Opier peep
,4
and to the utmost of their abilit :endeavo",',,o,
to drill our language after that particular fael'Alvai
making youth learn terms and apply rulesrd
in reality belong not to it. Mr. Mudie,
perhaps going to the root of the e'ol
points out in his preface a greai' varietY,4
thults committed by the writers' of seli)-y
grammars, which be avoids, and presents the
ject to his readers in its simplest. form. 01.
practical and visible grammar consists of 3c,,
tection of moveable words, by Which he ill
trates the use and employment of every 1041
speech. We do not object to making scienee"fir
art easy and pleasant, for we have never 6°4
prehended the wisdom of compelling rim
rising generation to learn the faults a 1149.
i
errors of their predecessors, as well as the vti.
elusions in which those faults and errors i'eo
mately terminated, and ought then to have ale
rejected. Neither science nor art is valuitio,
for its difficulties, but for its results, and wilth
ever and whatever enables us to attain these
the greatest ease and pleasure is, pro tant°;;
public benefactor. On this ground, we ,
Mr. Mudie has done a public service, which 'we
be peculiarly acceptable to the your%, arid
cordially recommend his little book to their 04
tention, and to the patronage of -purto 8
teachers.