The Sun.
London, England, 1828-01-28 00:00:00

THE FINE ARTS.

3IOIKEYANA, OR MEN IN MINIATURE.
LONDON: 182 S.

Mr. Landseer, in his present humourous Etch-
ings, has followed up Lord Monboddo's plau-
sible notion that all men were originally monkeys,
but that in process of time they wore out their
tails. He has here, however, very judiciously
restored them that appendage, which of course
improves their appearance, while it detracts little,
if at all, from their resemblance to man. The
first engraving, entitled " I hope I don't intrude,"
is a witty and characteristic satire on pert med-
dling coxcombs, who are deeply acquainted with
every one's business but their own, and Are supe-
rior to the monkey—solely in the profounder
depth of their stupidity. The second is a hit at
politicians : it exhibits one of these quidnuncs
(for au excellent illustration of whom see
Murphy's farce of the " Apprentice") busily
engaged reading the official accounts of the
Battle of Navarin, and speculating in spec-
tacles on its immediate and remote results.
There is a silly self-satisfied look about this
monkey politician, that brings his whole character
at once before the eye ; and, except that he has
the advantage of beauty, we know of nothing to
distinguish him from the exceedingly intelligent
class of bipeds he is meant to represent. His
Lord Burleigh-like shake of the head is truly
characteristic. The third etching represents that
interesting portion of humanity, a village
pedagogue, who holds a blubbering young
monkey by the collar, with the manifest intention
of driving knowledge into him through the
medium of that invaluable instrument, the birch.
The appearance of' the schoolmaster, with the
pen behind his ear, and his quaint coat tails,
floating in ample luxuriance behind him,
is appropriate, without being exaggerated :
his countenance, in particular, expresses the
precise quantum of intelligence we should
expect to meet with in a country school-
master. In the fourth etching, Mr. Landseer
aims his satire at the turf; the picture, however,
is not sufficiently intelligible, not even with the
assistance of the motto; which is .affixed to it, we
presume, upon the good old principle of the
Greek artists, who were in the habit (and not
Without reason) of inforrning the spectators by
lines written underneath, of the nature and qua-
. lity of their paintings ; least • peradventure a cow
might be mistaken for a castle, a man for a
monkey, or an ostrich for a summer-house.
'With this single exception, we have nothing to
urge against, but a great deal to say in praise of,
Mr. Landaser's Monkeyana. The humour is
broad certainly, but in this age of unna-
tural excitement, what more delicate style
of wit has a chalice of success ? Our modern
wags, in the superior quality of their facetious-
ness, have long since given the go-by to such
poor insipid wits as Addison, Cougreve, Far-
quhar, and Sheridan, who had nothing but na-
ture to recommend them ; Mr. Land :leer gives
into this prevailing taste, not however obsequi-
ously, but with just enough spirit to please the
admirers of the modern, without disgusting those
of the old school of humour.

THE LORD CHANCELLOR.
Mr. Colnaghi has published a very spirited
likeness of Lord Lyndhurst in his robes, as Lord
High Chancellor of England.
The acute discernment so characteristic of his
Lordship's countenance, blended with an air of
arch shrewdness; thinly disguised by a grave, yet
familiar expression, is happily caught by the
artist, and as happily conveyed by the engraver.
Perhaps the expression of the mouth is not suf-
ficiently pourtrayed, the lips wanting that under-
tone of vivacity and smirking cheerfulness so' ha-