The Sun.
London, England, 1846-04-25 00:00:00

EXHIBITION OF THE SOCIETY

OF PAINTERS IN WATER COLOURS,

The Forty-second exhibition of this society, which will be
open to the public on Monday, was opened for pirivate view
this day, at one o'clock, at the Society's Gallery, 13, Pall-mall
East. The number of paintings exhibibiteal is 820.
The President of the Society, Copley Fielding, has', as usual,
contributed largely to the exhibition. His landscape, No.
70, " Ben Cruachan," seen from the moors above Taynuilt,
Argyllshire, is one of the most beautiful specimms of this
master in the exhibition. His view, No. 10, " Dunoier, with
Minehead Point, Somersetshire," is also an exquisit e little
bit of landscape. S. Prout contributes several of
his fine architectural pictures. His " Hotel de Ville at
Oudenarde, Flanders" (204), is one of those magnificent
specimens of architectural drawing that no one but Prout
can give us.

Among the most eminent of the contributors to the e:lchi.
bition is Mr. George Fripp. His picture, No. 3, " Scene ,of
the Coast, near Lulworth," is a fine representation of the
bold rocky scenery of the Dorsetshire coast, treated in the
most artistical manner.

No. 66. " The Unwelcome Return," by Cattermole. The
return of a knight from the Holy Wars. He has arrived
within his own domain, and there is none to welcome him.
The trees in this picture are exceedingly beautiful.
_ . .

No. 58. " Irish Courtship ;" and No. 180. "Irish Reap-
ers meeting their friends after harvesting in Eng-
land," by Alfred. Fripp, are both gems of art.
The first consists of two figures, the lover and his
sweetheart. The anxiety which is expressed in his features
while he is pouring the tale of love into her ear, contrasts
admirably with the coquettish yet warm-hearted expreNsims
of her countenance—it is evident he is pleading
his cause before no unfriendly tribunal. The last is
a large picture, and the subject is treated in a spirit of
reckless joyousness which would not have been unworthy of
Wilkie. J. D. Harding gives us a splendid landscape (No:
118), "The range of the highest Alps, taken from the road be-
tween Como and Lucca, Como in the distance;" and Gusti-
nean gives us a most brilliant landscape, " Tanfield, York-
shire." (No. 15). We had marked out several others for no-
tice in our catalogue, but we must reserve them for another
opportunity.

NEW SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN
WATER COLOURS.—(THIS DAY.)
Like the old society, this society opened its annual exhibi-
tion at the Gallery, 53, Pall-mall, for private view, thie
morning, preparatory to the public exhibition on
Monday. While the oil painters seemed to have
given up even the attempt to paint a picture of a
high order of art, the water-colour painters, more particu-
larly the members of this Society, not only make the attempt,
but succeed in it. We have in this exhibition several pic-
tures of the very highest order of art, and first we
would mention, No. 132, "Christ raising from death
the daughter of Jairus," by Edward Corbould. This is
really a fine picture; the subject is treated with tree
artistic feeling. It is true, the expression of the coun-
tenance of the Saviour is somewhat wanting in majesty, but
that is a fault which is common to almost every artist who
has treated the subject. The finite can never compre-
hend or express the infinite. But the expression of the
features of the daughter of Jairus is exceedingly beautiful,
there is about it that sort of indescribable expression of calm
which is produced by pain that has ceased : the deep
' I anxiety of the mother, as kneeling by the side of the bed she
watches her child, and the humble adoration of the father
who, bowed down by sorrow, partially hides his face
in his hands as he kneels, are given in a
manner that proves the artist must riot only have
been an attentive student of the old masters, but
that he has drawn his inspiration from the same source from
whence they derived theirs—the study of nature. The
grouping is most artistical, the drapery is flowing and well
managed, and the colouring brilliant. It is a great picture.
No. 166. " The welcome of the boy King Henry into
London," is a painting from the cartoon on the same subject
by the same artist, which was exhibited at the Art-Union
cartoon exibition, and is very brilliant.
No. 195. " By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down;
yea, we wept when we remembered Zion," H. P. Riviere, is
a fine subject finely treated. The expression of grief in the
countenances of the women, and of despair and hatred in
those of the men, is very fine. The oriental cast of the fea-
tures is well preserved, and the grouping is admirable.
No. 100. " Wickliff Defying the Mendicant Friars," E. IL
Wehnert.—" While at Oxford, Wickliff was assailed by
severe sickness, and reports were circulated of his approaching
death. The mendicant friars, with whom he had for some time
been engaged in a sharp controversy, considered this to be a
favourable opportunity for obtaining a recantation' of his de-
clarations against them. A doctor from each of the privi-
leged orders of beggars, attended by some of the civil autho-
rities of the city, entered the chamber of Wickliff, detailed
the wrongs they had suffered from him, especially by his
sermons and other writings ; and as death now appeared near,
they concluded he must have feelings of compunction on this
account, and therefore expressed a hope that he would not
conceal his penitence, butiwould distinctly recall whatever he
had said against them. Wickliff listened to their address un-
moved; but when it was concluded, he started up in his bed,
and exclaimed loudly, I shall not die, but live, and shal
again declare the evil deeds of the friars.' The appalled
doctors hurried fram the room, and the prediction was ful-
filled." The manner in which this sabject is treated is good.
Wickliff, who is rising from his bed, is held, back: by a female
in attendance on him ; and who seems terrified at the scene,
and fearful lest he should, by his exertion, destroy himselL
At the head of the bed stands the leech, prepared to
administer some remedy ; and the friars are at the
bottom of the bed, retiring in a group. The varied
expression of the countenances of the friars is
admirable; in some terror prevails, and in others baffled
hate and smothered rage. Wickcliff seems a perfect incar-
nation of mental energy. This picture has but one fault
the draperies are not well managed, they are somewhat
wrinkly.
Aaron Penly gives us :some rich and glowing landscapes
which are exceedingly beautiful. When all are so fine, it is
really difficult to particularise. And on referring to our
catalogue to guide us, we find we have marked all Penly's as
excellent.
No. 63. " Dutch Ferry on the Meuse," by E. Duncan, is
a beautiful bit.
No. 54. " A Tiff," by J. Jenkins, is an exceeding clever
picture. It is a lovers' quarrel; they are sitting
back to back the lady sulky, the gentleman
somewhat impatient. He is looking over his
shoulder at her, but is evidently prepared to turn his head
away the instant she shall look towards him ; of
which, however, there seems little probability.
There are some exquisite fruit and flower pieces, among
which we would particularise No. 37, " Gathered in a hurry,'
painted by Mrs. Harrison, as particularly deserving of
notice. The lateness of the hour compels us reluctantly to
close this hasty notice, and to defer to another opportunity
our remarks on many other exquisite specimens of art in
this delightful exhibition.

AMERICAN PROVISIONS.—The arrivals of flour and
various other descriptions of provisions at the ports of London and
Liverpool, the latter especially, Atom the United States of America,
within the past two or three days, have been of so extensive and im-
portant a nature as to be worthy of particular notice. The arrival;
have been from New York, Baltimore, and New Orleans in particular.
THE ARMY.—The Ist division of the 10th Hussars,
leave Gravesend for India en Monday next, The 2d division will
leave the same place on the Ist and 2d of the ensuing- month ; and
the third and last will take their departure on the 6th of May.
THE DISTRESSED NEEDLEWOMEN.—His Royal High-
ness the Duke of Cambridge has been pleased to send a donation to
the committee for the ball in aid of the funds for the Distressed
Needlewomen's Society, which will take place at Willies Rooms, on
Friday next, May the let, and requested his name to be added as a
patron on the occasion.

. FIRE AT BAYSWATER.—Yesterday morning, about
ten o'clock, a fire was digßovered in the upper part of a young
ladles' boarding establishment, belonging to the Misses Mathews,
situate No. 16, Westbourne-street, in the rear of Hyde Park-gar.
dens. Within a few minutes of the alarm being given, the Pad-
dington parish engine arrived on the spot, and was soon got into
the building; shortly
operation, but by this time the fire had got such a arm hold of the
arrived, which
roof, that it was considered impossible to save ay
afterwards, however, fresh engines were got to
work, and aided by a plentiful supply of water, ill the course of all
wkohuerleanodf
tahhealupfptehredlooworerarkpdarrteeoff
is totally
oblluily ding Wag Saved, but the
Consumed. The fire was
found to have orignated from the bond timber which supported the
roof, and which came into the kitcben chimney of the WUOInIng
shltipipsetdatfreonmfrtohmis
house. The loss is estimated at upwards of 8001.
Upwards of 7,000 tons of
NOVEL IMPORTATION,—
sraevpetelmhabvere
last. It
theietybetOuLhoantdoLon wlshthiteofg
•
and used to beautify the parks ngsinlcselanth°d
and gardens of Lendon.—Neto York
papr. _

AN IMMENSE SERPENT.—Yeterday's Bhaskur gives
the following regarding an enormous serpent captured at Seebpore,
across the water :—" A serpent was lying within a jungle, near the
turned round upon the
hohse of Baboo Rarnruttun folder, when a jackal, believing it dead,
made an attack on the body of the' monster, whereupon the latter
its body. This was accidentally witnessed by a man who happened
to be on a tree hard b jackal, and in a short while devoured half of
y, and who on that raised a cry and collected a
number of villagers, by whom the serpent was captured.
monster measured 14 cubits in length, and two in circumferenca."—
Delhi Gazette.

On the 21st inst. BIRTHS.
a daughter. , in Belgrave-square, Lady Cecilia Des Vasa, of
On the 20th inst., at Pope House, Upper Tooting, Mrs. J. De
Pariente, of a son.
On the 21st inst., the wife of the Rev. A. F. Boucher, of Whom
Vicarage, Staffordshire, of a daughter.
On the 21st inst., at Dorking, Surrey, the lady of Heathfleld
Young, Esq., of a daughter.
On the 21st inst., in Cavendish-square, the lady of Herman Stern,
Es
On q., of a daughter.
the 21st inst., at Thurlow Cottage, Lower Norwood, Mrs. W.
Nichols, of a daughter.
On the 21st inst., at Clapham, Surrey, the wife of George Heath-
cote, pf a son.

On the 224 inst., at Camberwell, Mrs. Townsend Charles Dance, ef
a daughter.

On the 22d inst., at Upper Clapton, Mrs. S. Searle, of a daughter.

MARRIED.

On the 16th inst., at St. Paul's Church, Bristol, Mr. T. 11. Cramp-
ton, of Bath, to ➢iiss Bell, of Brnnswick-square.
On the 20th inst., at Jersey, at St. Clement's Church, Captain
Henry Francis Slater, of the Royal Artillery, to Miss Katherine
Walcott, daughter of the late Rev. William Garrett, of the Island of
Barbadoes.