The Sun.
London, England, 1840-01-11 00:00:00

FINE A RTS.

PORTRAITS OF THE QUEEN, PRINCE
ALBERT, AND TIM: YOUNG PRINCES
OF LEININGEN. Colnayhi, London, 1840.
We have just seen three miniature likenesses of
the above illustriaus individuals which, we under-
stand, it is the intention of the Messrs. Colnaghi
of Cockspur-street, shortly to have engraved. These
portraits have been painted by Mx. C. Ross; and
in addition to their extraordinary fidelity as resem-
blances, they are in the very first style of att. In-
deed, j
deed, we had no notion, before we saw them,
that so much breadth and force of colouring
could be imparted to miniature painting. The
best—or at least the most effective and inte•
resting--portrait is that of the Queen. She is re-
presented sitting in a chair of state, above which
are emblazoned the Royal Arms. Her attitude is
full a ease and dignity, and the contour of her
countenance so strikingly true to nature, that no
one who has once seen the original, can fail at
the first glance to recognise the resemblance.
The head is just gracefully holt ; and there is a
play about the expressive mouth—a something
not. exactly a an-tile, but approaching to it--
that :haws that the Queen is engaged in
a light and cheerful trai
4n of reflection. To her_
left arm is attached
plain gold bracelet, on hich is a small miniature likeness of Prince Albert.w The
iiVilpery and subordinate details of this picture
are handled with exquisite tact, and the fl s,
tints, which in most miniature paintin are
too apt to be a smooth dead
white,gs like
the cold polish of ivory have as much mai,
warm, breathing life about them, as even Lawrence
himself could have imparted to his aristocratic
beauties, We could have wished, however, to have
.sieim the swell of the bosom a little more strongly de-
fined, by the deeperitng of the shades, The pit
of Prince .Albes is little, if at all, inferior t ortra o
this
master-piece, The likeness is a half-length one ; 1
and we are assured, on competent authority, is the.. ;;
mast correct that has vet appeared of the young
Prince. The features, are essentially German in
their charAPt?r the countenance not oval, but ra- 1
they Taunci ; the forehead ample—quite enough
ie ; and the expression Calm, pleasing, anti net
by any means wanting in intelligence. The por-
traits of the young princes of Leiningen are chiefly
to be oominended for their archness and spirit of
character. The colouring is rich without being
tawdry ; and the dog which one of the boys is
fondling in his lap is as bola and truthful a bit of
painting, as..if it had been executed by Landseer..
f.`ll:oheupspectatorof will no fail to observe the graceful
this picture. We know not when we
hash
.4e4-4 a collection of family portraits that will.
leader bear a close examination,

THE PROTES7' OF THE COUNCIL OF
SPIER S.
This historical picture, which is one of the cle-
verest ever painted by Catermole, is, we understand,
about to be engraved by Walker. It is in water
colours, and represents the famous meeting of the
Council of Spiers, at which Luther and his friend
Melancthon attended, together with some of the most, illustrious Princes and
,Grandees of Germany, the
Pope's Legate, several Dominician Friars—the
sworn enemies of the Reformed religion—and a
host of Bishops, Priests, arid minor German and
Italian Nobles. In the fore-ground, just facing
the spectator, sits King Ferdinand, in a chair
Al'
state ;. his attitude is that of deep reflec-
tion, and something of perplexity appears in his
countenance, as if he. had not quite made up his,
mind, whether or not to take a prompt, decided
iii the grcat ;elig part
ieus crisis that IrAj ri!,..en. Close
he"side him is the Pope's Legato, swelling with self
importance ; behind, are two mitred Priests; and
just under these appears the figure of a Dominican,
Friar, whose strungly-marked countenance expresses
world of -skill, dissimulatian, pride, and re-
ligious intolerance. We do not often meet with a
in,;re striking face than this. The deep-set eye, the
broad, knit forehead,,and the scornful lip, are pour-
trayed, oia.Haydon, with uncommon Vigor, and at
once rivet the spectator's attention. On the opposite
side, stands that illustrious Reformer, Luther,,
calm but resolute, attired simply in a black gowa.),
and gaping at the scene of pageantry with a, look
of subdued triumph that seems to say, ck Be the
obstacles what they may, I feel morally assured
that the seed which I have sown, will bring
forth fruit in due season, and that my re-
forms will must he Successful." The back-
, grouted is filled with a vast variety of figures, who
are atrangea with consummate talent, and add
greatly to the picturesque effect of the scene.
The colawin,p, throughout, though not deficient
tti richness and brilliancy when these are requisite,
is chiefly remarkable for its chasteness and sobriety
of tone ; there is none of that meretricious glare which we have observed in some water-eol.our drawings,
vviMe nature is sacrificed to efFect. The
chmoters, too, are all well discriminated ; and the
small groupe of Dominican Friars in the foreground,
show nearly as much breadth and vigour of execu-
tion, as if they had. been trashed off in oils. Were
we disposed to be Avid in our criticism, we should
say that 4 little more of marked character--more
of oar.nast attention--thrown into t 4.4 countenance
of Luther, would not have heei, amiss.

FATAL AcciDENtr.—This moruing, a fine
youth, 14 yard of age, was, with oth bo skng
6n the Surrey Canal, when he WI into theys, waterati and
was drowned. A number of ons endeavouring to
save him, 144 IRvul y met With pers
similar fate, but were
•
now caud'''ate for histrionic honours is about
to uPP(''" at Covent-garden Theatre, in the arduous
:daract( rof Hamlet. The name of the new tragedian is
Moore, from the Dublin Theatre.

LONDON:
SATURDAY, JANUARY 11, 1140.

The Anti-Corn-law meeting held at Liverpool,
9n Thursday, was eminently successful. An amend-
ment
to encourage ships, colonies, and commerce,
in preference to repealing the Corn-laws, found few '
supporters. Another amendment to petition for a
fixed duty instead of a repeal of the IAW had only
one hand held up for it. We regret that we are
compelled much to abridge the account, given of
this important meeting by the Liverpool Mercury,
at which the Mayor presided, attended by a great
ammber of the most eminent merchants of the town,
both Whigs and Tories. We have preserved,
however, almost entire, the excellent speech
Of Mr. J 0117? MURRAY, de scribed as a work-
ing man and a Chartist, with a view of
requesting all our readers of the working classes to
give it an attentive perusal. It cuts up by the
roots the delusive fallacies by which they have
been led to stand neuter in this great and holy
contest, or even to take the wrong side. We offer
no comment=, we only beg the working men, who
are still opposed to us, to read Mr. MunttAY's
speech. The League should send it all over the
empire in a separate form
'To the Edinburgh meeting, elsewhere recorded,we
cannot refer with similar feelings of satisfaction. At
that the Chartists were more numerous than the Anti-
Corn-law men, and compelled them to retreat from
the platform. The Scotsman shows that the op-
position was planned, and that the Chartists were
brought from time neighbourhood of Edinburgh,
" to put a damper on the rascals"—(such is the
language used by an advocate of the Charter)—
and force them to adopt it. Our Tory Contem-
poraries exult at the defeat, and speak of the
Chartists hooting the Anti-Corn-law men from the
pilttform, and " passing resolutions in favour of
Uni 7ersal Suffrage," as " the people relieving
themsebves of one fallacy." The Standard takes
credit to itself for having contributed to re-
lieve the Chartists from the delusion that
the Corn-laws are injurious to them ; but
we see no evidence of its success. There is no
such opinion prevalent amongst the working men ;
i they almost universally condemn the Corn-laws,
say " it is of no use petitioning the pre-
but they
sent Legislature to repeal them," and they demand,
first, a Parliament of their own, that they may make
short, and certain, and permanent work with the
Corn-laws after their own fashion. It the Standard 1
i khave by its arguments, as we believe it has, eontri- '
41 halted to bring them to that conclusion—if it
% have taught them that no reliance can be or
0:Iglu to be placed on the Legislature, of the Exe-
cu Li,
~.t Got eminent, if it have by a continued advocacy
of a bru.kal system of coercion, as the only pos-
sible means of governing the people, much contri-
buted to bring. about the total alienation of the
i maSses from all
customary authority, whatever
pleasure that may
1 aii.4ord to Republicans, or to men
who seek greatness through promoting pubic dis-
order, it ought to be no
cause of satisfaction ID its
1 _
Conservative patrons.. Whe: Sir ROBERT PEa
was last in office, Ireland was his
g'neatest difficulty.
tShould he now seize power, he-ill fit,:d the condi-
tion of England an insuperable obstacle to his sue-
CCM His silly partizans in the press, however,
exult at the wide spread disorganization.
We remarked this day week that " when the
citizens of a town cannot assemble together to peti-
;—, • - _ ____