The Sun.
London, England, 1858-05-10 00:00:00

ROYAL ACADEMY.

(THIRD NOTICE.) "i"
t.;''
Another survey ef the noble exhibition of paint
ings now on view in Tralfalear-square impresses us
with the satisfactory convictien that if sole° among
the Royal Acadamicians have be, n either it ,d lent
or other wise occupied, some also have been at once
industrious and successful. To Mr. Frith and to
Mr. Egg belong the chief triumphs of art noti
in the collection. To Clarkson S anfiel I, and
David Roberts belong the credit of simply sustain-
ing their already eminent reputations. Each con-
tributs to the gallery four works of considerable,
if not conspicuous excellence. In each iust ate:,
the four works are strikingly characteri-tic. Mr.
Roberts delights, as usual in his gorgeous architec-
tural interiors : No. 14 representing the high altar
of the 'Venetian Church of " San Giovanni e
Paolo ; " No. 159 "The Basilica of San Lerenze ;"
No. 366 that of "San Giorgio Maggiori ;" and No.
485 " The Ducal Palace of Venice." Mr- Stan-
fi ld's quartett of sea-stapes consist of No. 18,
" Old Hallam! ;" No. 141, " The Fortress of
Savona" ; No. 359, " The Castle of Ischia ;" and
No. 497, "The Hollands Diep—tide making"—
the last of these, delicious to look at, radiant, re-
freshing. Among the younger contributors Mr.
Wallis this season wins l ss than we had hoped he
might have done upon our admiration. His de-
liueation in No. 462 of "Henry Martin, at Chep-
stow Costly," though thoughtful throug'tout, is not
by any means, to our fancy, sati-factory ; mkt
while No. 562 is a powerful artistic c intribution t -
wards the realization of one of the politic d day-
dreams of Louis Napoleon namely, "The Extinc-
tion of Pauperism ;" No, 3( 9, " Sir Walter
Raleigh in the Tower" is anything rather than
worthy of the painter of the library of Montaigne,
or of the death-bed of Ctiatterton. The little chill
blowing bubbles in the dungeon, while his captive
father is engaged there writing his History of the
World, is but indifferently contrasted with R deigh
himself, who gazes up from his student-labours
with a look rather of vacancy than of
abstraction. Mrs. E. M. Ward allows her
artist ambition to take a higher flight than even
in No. 360, pourtrayitig an incident borrowed from
Hepworth Dixon's Life of John Howard, to wit
the great philanthropist's " Farewell to England,"
when ho took leave of his tenants (humble villagers)
at Cardington. Frank Stone, leaving for once his
charming Sentimental Prettinesses, gives us in No.
204, "The Missing Boat (Pas de Calais)," a very
beautiful seaside picture, full of animation and ten-
derness. It is altogether, both in genuine natural
feeling and in the vigour of its execution, among
the very best things his artist-hand has yet pro-
duced. Mr. G. Jones, R. A. , adds another to his
already numerous illustrations of the heroic crreer
of the conqueror of Scinde. No. 240, depicts,
atter the usual fashion of our veteran war-painter,
(with marvels in the shape of smoke and flame, and
zranite) the famous desti ucion of the Fortress of
Emaum Ghur—the merunrable explosion eff,cted
on the 15th of January, 1848, under the direction
of the chief engineer Major Waddington, of whose
deed of daring Sir William Napier has written with
eis iron stylus, in his annals of the Conquest of
icinde—" It was a grand action ! He would have
done better to have reserved his heroism for a
gr- ater occasion—hut it was a grand action !"
From which casual mention of the name of our
erear military historian—the British Livy of the
Peninsula—may we not cast one cursory glance
here for a passing moment down into the cool dark
recesses of the half subterranean chamber of the
Academy, to which the handiwork of Sculptors
ot England are annually doomed on the opening of
the May Exhibition. There in No. 1181, will be
found on its appropriate pedestal an example ot ti ,e
iiotean genius of this. honoured an-I venerable
Master at once in Arts and Literature. This is no-
thing less than a classic bronze statuette, represeni-
wg in a heroic form, with the garments nearly
!mint off it and the barbed allow sticking deep iu
the side—hceret lateri lethalis arundo—the trag:c
" Death of Alcibiades." To the title of which
noble work of art as worded in the catalogue, will
be found appended the name of Lieut.-General Sir
W. Napier, a name which will, of course, be there
perused with surprise by those net previously
I acquainted with the fact that this eminent man,
distinguished simultaneously as the brother and
biographer of the Conqueror of Scinde, and as the
far-famed historian of the wars of the Peninsula,
handles not less deftly the brush of the painter,
the tools of the modeller, and the pencil of the
draughtsman' than the pen of the annalist, a
pen that has long since written upon tablets more
enduring than bronze, are peremnitts. Tne inci-
dent here, however, recorded by him in animated
metal is precisely the very incident we might sup-
pose a Napier thus gifted with the sculptor's art
would have selected for commemoration. It is an
occurrence, moreover, eminently wo; thy of being
thus commemorated. It will be remembered as
the event transpiring shortly after the Athenian
general's banishment when he took refuge with
Pharnabazus, and when certain hireling assassins,
having. previously fired his house, slew him with
darts while he was attempting to escape—his death
occurring in the full vigour of his manhood. From
the first glance at the statuette, it might be sup-
posed to represent a mere ordinary athlete or
gladiator—but on looking at the features more
closely, there may be recognised the !comely,
thou 'h distorted lineaments of the once prosperous
as well as superb and princely Alcibiades. Re-
turning to the pictured walls upstairs in the warm
and cheerful daylight—our attention is caught
while passing through the North Room, an apart-
ment chiefly devoted to architectural drawings and
designs, by a painting in many respects as grace-
ful as it is instantly recognised to be ambitious and
.it,ractive. It is No. 1104, by E. Crowe—a pic-
ture suggested to the artist by a charming incident
described in the last volume (xvi., p, 405) of
Household Words.. It occurs in an article entitled
"Stepping Stones," in the course of which the
writer has brought once more into the light of day
a buried iraginext of a forgotten correspondence.
It is the portion of a letter addressed by Sir Charles
Wogan to Dean Jonathan Swift :—"I had the'
honour of bringing Mr. Pope from our retreat in
the forest of Windsor to dress (1 la mode, and in-
troduce at Will's Coffee-house." Admirably his
the artist realized the scene of Pope's introduction
to Dryden. The picture wound assuredly bee me
Popular if reproduced, as it deserves to be, in the
form of an engraving. Horsley's double painting—
coupled in one fratne—No. 350. "Flower Girls,
Town and Count-y"—will be examined by every
visitor to the Gallery this season, or we are much
mistaken, withnothing short of genuine delight and
admiration. The contras, is perfect, and it is ex-
quisite: the fresh, lima, lovely, blooming flowers,
faces, atmosphere, in the " Country," where young
girls and younger children are gathering prim-
roses and bluebells—,he care-worn, prematurely
wrinkled, and mournful features of the bouquet .
sellers at the door through which are crowding the
quaint and motley figures of the masqueraders.
A distinguished young artist, who has given extra-
ordinary promise in his contributions to the last
two or three of these annual exhibitions at the
academy, J. M. Carrick, presents to view upon its
walls this year, as it will be remembered by many
he did list season, not simply remarkable promise,
but high and great achievement. One work of his
alone will be found in the present collection, but it
is a work worthy of him—No. 847, " Near Grtat
Marlow, Bucks, '—a work wotthy of a painter
whose teacher is Nature, whose studio is the green
countryside—one who, at least in spirit and aflec-
tion, lays his brush upon the canvass as tenderly,
and, it might be said, even as reverently, as ever
Paganini laid his marvellous bow upon the violin.
Mr. Carrick has again demonstrated, through the
dyes taken from his palette—that it is, with a true
artist's eye, with that of a poet hardly less than
with that of a painter, that he surveys whatever
scene may attract his admiration, detecting with
the instinct of genius all the hidden beanties of a
landscape. Another single picture, from the hand
of another artist of rare accomplishments—No. 564,
"Milking Time in the Mountains, near Dolgelly,
North Wales," by H. B. Willis, demands a glance,
and something more than a passing glance, of de-
lighted admiration. It is a pastoral view that
might appropriately be selected as a vignette for
the Georgics. It recalls to mind, as we gaze at it,
that dulcet couplet of Gay's in the first canto of his
charming "Rural Sports" :

~ When the big-ndder'd cows with patience stand,
Wailing the strokings of the damsel's hand."

As already intimated, we may observe again, in
reference to another and a very distinct departatennt.
of the Exhibition, that embracing its ample sr_rearet
Portraits—the walls of the Academy for 18J8evei,i
if po.:s9fble, more abundantly supplied
with effigies of well-known,
The
eapit painters of
nameless, Lath« s and Get. tlemeonr.
retained respectively among. the pdo,rpinr
and by Mr.
our time by Sir J. Wat.ou
G'"rnalize in our first
retfihreearcitineenutelye
Grant we took occasion
year'sto more
remarkablesignalize
collection.
notice of the present
contemporaries compete with
A few among their
verythemselves i n
difficult the
samebranch
nal-
parently simple
• but illpart from its merits as a
life (taken at the period of his
co ; n st, ihdee r
profession.a b 1 e credit
sojourn inEngland
~ his character
in
ambassador) "Jung Bahadoor s ' portrait as
Epixoctueirieencfyro,smsoit.
as i
uattnedbain
876.,
by T. Brigstock,. cannot but 13,
epxaamined with lively interest—representing as it
does the magnanimous and heroic Prime Minister ot
Nepali], who
.is now so nobly assisting tile British
army in Indr3. at the head of 10,000 Ghoorkas.
reality
Another portrait of interest is one representing, in
the form of a pretty little snub-nosed ureh n, the

son of Said Pacha, and grandson of Mahomet Ali
the boy-prince who, if he lives, will be the future
ruler of the Egyptians. As to the illextrione
unknown figuring away upon the walls in broad-
, cloth and broader crinoline—it is extremely
gratifying ~.,to discover -in, one , (No. 184)
`John Thomas, Fasq.," an 1 in anothe (No. 206)
"John Snook, Esq. " to eoterebote one gentle-
'man looks with hie hand nu his hip, and how
another get tleman is obliging enough to present
to view the inside ofliis fereshortened. Of
the ladies—to whom as we write we raise in token
of homage the bumper of ink in our stand-
, drsll we would wish to speak with all be-
fitting respect and admiration. Happily in
doing so we should be paying rather a regard to
truthfulness than to mere oourtly gallantry. The
flattery, if there be any, rests with the artists and
not with the spectators. Some of the fair.faces
here depicted are really exquisite in their
loveliness. Many of them are obviously life-
life. Most of them. are strangerseto the rroXXot
or, as we express it, the many-headed. A few''
will be recognised upon the instant by those
farhili,ir well the purlieus Of Mayfair in the
this year
height of the season : among • the portraits
so recognised, for example, being No. :191.
" The Most Noble the Marchioness of London-
derry." Glancing aside, however, from the por-
traits—who
of
wp-
againaused hat
a visitedhd y etth
again
gain
Academy
wonder and
delight before one of the most ex raordivary of all
the remarkahls pictures in the collection, the work
of an acknowledged end renowned master in the
art, No. I'll. J. F. Lewis's " Kibab Shop, Sen.
tari, Asia Minor"—the pieura with that cane
trellis-work screen in the window through the
meshes of which are caught glimpses of the all
but dancing foliate of the trees beyond. The pic-
ture, with the criental fowls clucking_and peeking
in the foreground—the wonderful microscopically
depicted foreground with its littered morsels of
grain and greenmeat. Sauntering through the
room appropriated to the display of drawings and
miniatures, we find an old favourite to the public,
T. Carrick, as well represented es ever by the pro-
ducts of his refined and delicate pencil—not the
least interesting of his eight brilliant mniatures
being No. 675, " HOD. Thomas H. Peters, of New
Brunswick," who we are told, was " one of the last,
if not the last, survivor of the Royalists who left
the United States for the British provinces after
the American war of Independence. " Mathew Noble,
contributes downstairs, in the sculptare-room--
four additional evidences of his artistic genius—con-
spicuous among these being No. 11G2, his " Pre-
paratory model for a colossal bust of H.R.H. the
Prince Consort, to be executed in marble for the
city of
.Matichester." Four works, too, from the
hand of another sculptor, of very rare accomplish-
ment, deserve, or rather demand a careful exami-
nation, last but not least of these either in
value or importance being No. 1327, a monu-
mental medallion, nobly and exquisitely de-
signer]. It would hardly be fair to an artist
of rising fame to pass again out of the
doors of the Academy without awarding one
passing sentence of commendation to H. O'Neill's
worthiest work of all—yet—no. 384. " Eastward
Ho ! August 1857"—the farewell of some soldiers
on a Transport Ship (away for the war), from their
wives. mothers, sisters, sweethearts, children t It
is a painting full of tender feeling—one that it
would be difficult to view without emotion—so true.
is it to the he trt-brimming, eye-moistening reality.
AsAsa corollary to which picture, there is No. 531.
" Retribution," by E. Armitage, absurly mis-
printed in the catologue Miss E. Armitage. A
colossal Britannia grappling a Benal Tiger by the
throat with one hand while preparing with the
other to plunge the avenging steel to its heart—
the Tiger r 'ging in its impotence, Britannia gigan-
t c arid irresis ible. Tempting us to linger still in
comment over the collect ion there are of course other
attraction, such as, the angelic child-faces of Sant,
the broadly humorous drolleries of Solomon, that
bewitching maternal picture of Cope, No. 52.
" Upward Gazing," the delicious portrait landscape
No. 67. the "Ford across the river," painted by
Creswick, with Cuyplike Cattle straying over the
stream, from the pencil of Sidney Cooper, the bril-
liant Baltic View of Carmichael, and the Ruth of
Pickersg 11. Enough, however, has here been said
in our third summary of this splendid Academy
Collection,

BEBE OBERT.HER'S MORNING

CONCERT.

This concert took place on Saturday morning at
Willis's Rooms, and was attended by a crowd of fashion.
able visitors, who appeared to thoroughly enjoy the
beautiful music] provided for them. The concert may
be considered as being essentially an instrumental one,
for the vocal portion was of minor excellence, while the
performances on the harp, violin, violenc 110, and con-
certina were of a high-class character, and eminently
satisfactory. The opening trio, for harp, violin, and
violencello, was played by Herr Oberthiir, Herr Jansa,
and Herr Lidel, with great brilliancy and finish ; and
the sweet airs in "Lucia di Lammermoor" never received
more able treatment. Miss Freeth gave Mendelssohn's
" Prelude and Fugue in E minor." as a solo on the
Pianoforte, and exhibited considerable promise. Her
style, at present, evinces more power than delicacy,
more skill in manipulation, than refinement in rendering;
but these are virtuous faults in a young pianists, which
time and experience will doubtless soften. The steadi-
ness and accuracy with which she gave the Fugue move
anent merited the applause it received. A solo on the
violoncello by Herr Lidel, illustrating Rossini's en-
trancing theme, "Cujus Animam," was among the moat
conspicuous of the performances. Herr Lidel possesses
the valuable qualification of clear, full, and perfect
"tone," seldom striving after electrifying effects, but
satisfying those nice and educated ears which prefer
sound musical expression to florid execution. A harp
solo, by Herr Oberthiir, was very exquisitely played,
and his imitations of gushing water in " La Cascade"
was charmingly sweet. The Nocturne, for three harps,
by Misses Chatterton, Vining, and Freeth, was given
with spirit, eliciting warm applause, which the young
artists richly deserved. Signor It-gondi, on the con-
certino, exhibited great precision of touch and fluency of
execution, and in his duet with the violoncello created
con-iderabte enthusiasm. The concluding arrangement
of Irish in,-todi-s for harp and piano was brilliantly
given by Herr Oberthur and Miss Freeth, and the whole
concert went off with successful eclat.

ROYAL FREE HOSPITAL, GRAY'S INN-ROAD.--The
number of patent, relieved at this hospital during the
week ending May 8, 1858, was 2,215, of which 730 were
new case?.

_CITY OF LONDON HOSPITAL FOR DISEASES OF THJI
CHEST, VICTORIA PARK.—The number of patients
relieved at this institution during the last week was
1,203, of which 176 were new cases.
AUSTRALIA.—The large and fast-Railing clipper-ship
Donald Alackay sailed from Liverpool yesterday (9th
lust.), having on board a fill cargo and 430 passengers.
THE MEDJIDIE DECORATIONS.—Two boxes of the
Medjidie dtc ,rati ins were delivered o❑ Saturday at the
the Admiralty, Whitehall; but it is understood that a
further brief delay will take place iv their distribution.—
Unitod Service Gazate.

W e regret to announce the serious illness of Mr.
Page', one of the principal surgeons on the staff of St.
Bartholonie,N's Hospital. It is only a few weeks since
this gentle Ilan was appointed ono of the surgeons extra-
ordinary to the Queen, on the death of the late Mr.
Travtr-.
THE COMING ECLIPSE.—Sir John Pakington, with
prompt and sagacious liberality, has offered to place
vessels at the disposal of science for the observation of the
great eclipse of September nex:—the points for seeinga
which to astronomical advantage lie in South 4.mixerel
foreign
and particularly about Lima. An astronomical e p
di-
tion may perhaps be organised ; and,
astronomers are invited to join the expedition.
THE LATE Dn. FORBES
st,e,rnsseowf thtilBOYLE. —The; Court of Direct
hoavimefsroolvedlgtho
ark the high
C m
of the value of Dr. Royle's
unwearied and enthusiastic services,
, of bin' in the new Industrial
erect a marble burst
denhall-street. Considering the im-
ch
mense in Lea
en; East
entertainln d a
of bis labours in relation to the
merles importance
manufactures fir d productive resources of India, a more
suitable place for this tribute to h:s memory could not
have been chosen.
have pleasure in stating that the
I3la BEN.
new
bell fir the clock tower at Westminster has been
taken out of the mould in a perfectly sound state, so far
as can be ascertained on the closest inspection, although
it Rill be impossible to know this with complete cer-
tainty until it has ban swung. It has been struck as
it laid on its side, and from the sound emitted its
makers c.infidently expect that the tone will be power.
ful, rich, and ('ear, and that the desired note will be
attained. It is at present undergoing the process of
cleaninir.

SUPPOSIM \ RaßEsCtir.
iswT aibut eei brig r
.131;,g13,iika ruciedtubs
il
nti:,poopnfoesFishguard,supposed
the
elhaveat,
s
jheaemntlsos‘tV nand et'hille
storms. She was bound from Liverpool to Waterford,
and her beat and a panel belonging to the cartain have
been washed ashore a few miles to the north of Wexford,
ith a quantity of wreck. All hands must have perished.
They belonged principally to Fishguard.
THE VACANT CHYMISTRY CHAIR AT EDINBURGR:.
Several candidates are in the field for the chair
of ebYruistry in Edinburgh University, rendered
vacant by the death of Professor William 9re
Regius
and Pro.
Dr.
gory, including Dr. George Wilson,
lessor of Technology in that university,
.
Thomas University.
T Anderson,be FP:; Professor
i fiarinst°tog Dr.
patrons (the Town-council) to offer the cb
c.,nsiderable favour, but the patrons have
step they will Wm
Faraday, a suggestion which bas been
resolved
dittho
Wt. me time to =raider what
ohrasofbeeehr mionotartYerdin tilnaggre