The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-02 00:00:00

PAIATERS IN IVATER COLOURS.

The annual 'exhibitions of the slighter works of
our principal artists break in very pleasantly on
the monotony of these winter days, and to judge
from the numbers- who on Saturday thronged the
private view of the Pall Mall Gallery there are
plenty eager to avail themselves of the earliest
opportunity of inspection. Those who were fortu-
nate enough to obtain a good view had no reason to
complain. The exhibition is of more than average
excellence, and although we miss the names of some
eminent artists, the majority of the members have
se►it in several contributions. The names of
Maclise and Millais and of Rosa Bonheur are con-
spicuous by their absence. The president has con-
tributed eight pictures, all more or less finished. No.
11, " The Race of the Two Routes," a desert scene,
with camels and travellers in the foreground, is one
of his characteristic Eastern sketches. No. 289,
" The Finding of Moses," is brilliantly coloured,
and in striking contrast to it is No. 161, " The
Great Boulder above Brienz, Switzerland," a land-
scape scene of great beauty. Landscapes, indeed,
predominate in the gallery. We have every variety
of sunset and moonlight effect, trees, mountains,
village greens, and barren coasts. The sea pieces
are scarcely less numerous, but the spectator can
hardly quarrel with so much beauty and vigour.
Mr. Hine is more than usually successful. Two of
his pictures—No. 187, " Sunset," and No. 57,
" Moonlight"—are very beautiful, and wonder-
fully skilful in their atmospheric effects. No. 38,
"On the Adur Littlehampton," and 294, "Winter
Sunset-Worthing, must also be classed in the
first rank. The exquisite finish of these works
his not prevented Mr. Hine from being a liberal
contributor. He has no less than eleven studies,
large and small. Another landscape painter, whose

pencil has been singularly happy in its delineation
of " the warbling woodland and resounding shore,"

is John Magford, whose " Sundown West Coast of
Scotland," No. 127, can hardly.be passed unnoticed.
Mr. Pidgeon's "Study at Burnham Beeches," No.
189, Mr. I\l'R-swan's . "Devonshire River," No.
190, " Mr. Bennett's " Windsor Forest," No. 358,
Mr. Mole's " Northend, Hampstead," No. 293, Mr.
Foley's " Ching Bridge," No. 253, Mr. NlThymper's
" Thames at Evening," No. 117, and Mr. Mitchell's
"Scene on the Lyd, Devon," No. 277, prove that
we have no lack of artists willing to illustrate
the soft and varied beauties of our English scenery.
Mr. Pidgeon has a very graceful illustration of
Tennyson's world-famous brook, winding its
chattering way through haunts of coot and
bern. The same artist's " Oaks in Marl-
borough Forest" are admirable. Every forest
king stands out with lifelike vigour. The studies
of particular effects, such as Mr. Bennett's " Gleam
of Sunshine, 106, Mr. Absolou's " Autumn," 70,
and Mr. Shalder's "Shadow," 341, are many of
them excellent. Some of our artists, as may be
supposed, have gone further for their subjects.
Venice, of whose amphibious attractions the painter
and the poet are never weary, is, of course, the

them of many pencils. Mr. D'Egville has given us
some fresh and picturesque illustrations, of which
No. 95, " San Giorgio dei Greci," is, perhaps, his
best. No. 136, the memorable " Castle of Chinon,"
by G. B. Campion, draws many gazers, while close
beside it hangs a gorgeous vision of Syracuse, as she
might have been when Nicias and Alcibiades were
striving for her conquest. Charles Vacber's pic-
tures, once seen, can scarcely fail to be recognised
by the peculiar glow of the background. As best
befits his style ho chooses his subjects from beneath
warmer heavens than our own. " Sunrise over the
Lego di Garda," "Evening in Upper Egypt,"
" Remains of a Munidian city in North
Africa," such are his favourite subjects, and the
glowing tints and dreamyr shadows, which
would in the colder north be out of place,
harmonise with the scene and its accessories. The
sea-pieces are many of them very fine. One of the
best is No. 91, " A Wreck Buoy," by Edwin
Hayes, who has another similar title, " Felucca off
the Bell Buoy," No. 373, and a pair of charming
small pictures, 385, "Blowing Fresh" and "Snow
Water." "Near Hastings—a Storm," by IV. Ben-
nett, and Mr. Philip's "Beat of the Atlantic" are
scarcely less vigorous. Coming to the figure paint-
ings, the critic is at once arrested on entering by a
large painting by Guido Bach, No. 10, " Joy and
So:row," the meaning of the title being not alto-
gether clear. More happy is the effort of the same
artist, No. 142, " A "Gitana— a Study," not far from
which hangs a charming sketch, No. 123, " The
Gleaner," by W. Lucas. Mr. Lucas has another
and most life—like figure, 'The Holly Gatherer,"
No. 163. His works indicate talent of a high
order. Some of Augustus Bouvier's soft-faced
damsels smile on us here and there, though
we are glad to find he no longer confines himself
exclusively to one department. No. 87 " The
Cameo ;" No. 431, " The Old Rope House ;" and
No. 426, " The Entrance to the Glen," show more
variety of subject and treatment than we have often
seen on his canvas. Mr. Lusson Thomas's " French
Fish Girl," No. 237 ; and " Gossips," 337, promise
well for the future. Mr. Welmert has several
carefully painted groups, the most noticeable of
which is No. 276, showing George Fox, the founder
of the Quakers, insulted in his prison by his gaoler.
"Mr. Luson Thomas's, " French Fish Girl," No. 237,
and " Gossips," 337, promise well for the future. We
meet seine five architectural drawings and interiors,
and Louis Haglie sends a gorgeous sketch of the
Investure of Louis Philippe with the Order of the
Garter. Mr. Wood's " Interior of the Chapel at
Haddon Hall," is goad ; as is also Mr. Chase's
" Nave of Fountain's Abbey," another study by
Mr. Chase." The " Hall of Justice Bruges" must
not be overlooked. Harrison IVeir has only
one picture, but that is :a gem of its kind.
Surely never were " foragers" more keenly on
the watch than the bright-eyed rabbits immortalised
in No. 54. No. 247. " Dash of the British Horse
Artillery," by G. B. Campion, is full of spirit, and
the horses are Capitally drawn. The ladies are by
no means backward in the . race. Mrs. Dutlield's
roses arc perfect in their way, but she has a dange-
rous rival iu Miss Fanny Harris. Sarah Setchel
has some clever sketches on a larger scale, one of
them a happy illustration of a scene from Crabbo.
Dliss Emily Farmer's "Play," No. 169, is remark-

able for the ease and naturalness of the figure, wh
Miss Louisa Gorham shows us the very model 'of
mischievous kittenhood peeping out of the prisoning
hamper to gain his " first experience in the world."
Mrs. Harrison has accepted the doctrines of pre-
Raphaelitism con amore. Her " Spring" is a won-
derful harvest of blue bells, and her " Tomb of
Lycidas," 184, is oppressively gay with memoria
flowers. Mi,s Emily Farmer h:ts also a pair of por-
traits, "S irrow —Thrth." No. 4 )), which form no
unfitting companions to Vie memorable " Jean q ii
pleure et Jeauqui lit." Many other andies of
great beauty and merit are to be found among the
worksof Carl \Verner, Messrs. It iwbotham, Itiehacd-
son, and CAttermole, and the glimpse we get of the
autumnal gallery prepares us for some really valu-
able and excellent works in the more elaborate exhi-
bitio❑ of the spring.