The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-21 00:00:00

NEW SOCIETY OF PAINTERS IN
WATER COLOURS.
The eleventh annual exhibition of this Society opened on
Saturday fur private view, and it will be open to the public
this day. The exhibition this year is superior to that of
last year in the merit of toe pictures, indeed we might
almost be justified in saying that it is the best exhibition with
which the Society has yet presented us. The pictures are
314 in number, and by far the greater number of them are
of great merit—really good pictures. At the late hour at
which we write it is impossible to do more than merely
indicate some few of those which struck us the most
forcibly. The gem of the exhibition is certainly the
Prisoner of Gisors, by E. H. Wehnert (61). "In the
tower of the ancient ca4le of Gisors in Brittany are still
remaining some fragments of rude sculpture in bas-relief.
with which a state prisoner ornamented such parts of bis
dungeon walls as were sufficiently lighted to enable him to
watch the progress of his work. Tradition informs us
that these bas-reliefs were executed with a nail."
The fixed and unutterable. look of melancholy
imprinted on the features of the prisoner, as he sits con-
templating his work with a nail raised in his left hand
ready to give the last touches to a bas-relief of the
Crucifixion, his right resting on his bench, and grasping the
rough stone which served him as a mallet, is beautiful in the
, extreme. It riminds one of Sterne's description of the captive.
No. 81. Ferdinand visiting Rubens at his studio in Ant-
werp, by Louis Heghe, Is a line subject, which has been
treated in a most a; f ist-like manner.
No. 112. Pope Gregory freeing the Saxon youths from
Britain who were exposed to sale in the market-place.
at Rome, is a beautiful illustration of an interesting passage
in the Ecclesiastical History of England. It was the pur-
chase of these youths which led to the mission of St. An-
gus.iiie and the conversion of England to Christianity.
No. 151. The south-west Tower of Rouen Cathedral by R.
K. Petison, is one of those fine architectural drawings of the
buildings of the middle ages, with which S. Front was
wont in days gone by to delight us.
Dinant on the Meuse, No. 152, by the same artist, is a land-
scape of exceeding brilliancy. It might almost be taken for
an early drawing of Turner's.
The grouping of No. 191, Pilgrims to the Holy Well, by
F. W. Topham, is exquisite.
No. 239, the Village Water-course, by J. M. Youngman,
might take place as a landscape beside some of the happiest
efforts of Gamsborough.
The subject of No. 257, John Knox exhorting Mary
Queen of Scots to attend the Protestant Communion, has
been admirably treated by W. H. Kearney, who has pro-
duced an excellent historical picture. There are various
other pictures of a very high degree of merit.
a notice of which want of space compels us to
omit for the present, but we cannot conclude without
expressing our opiaion that this exhibition reflects the
ighest credit on the art and the artists of England.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.
BETTING AT MANCHESTER.—FRIDAY.
The absence of several members at Newmarket has caused
bush;ess to be very fiat here. The three first favourites for
the, Chester Cup have been touched upon to a trifle, and Ould

Irvisn,l to a large sum.
THE DERBY.—Idas, Alarm, Weatherbit, and Winchilsea,
were ale in force.
Two THOUSAND GUINEAS.-7 to 2 laid agst Weatherbit
to 501.—offers to take 5 to 4 about Idas-5 to 2 about Win-
chilsea, and 4 to 1 about Kent's lot.
CASTLE HOWARD STEEPLE-CHASE.—THURSDAY.
Sweepstakes of 5 sous. each, 3 ft., with 25 added; four years,
lOst 91b; five
years, list Clb; six years and aged, l2st ;
thoroughbred, 51b extra; winner of 501., 71b extra. Four
miles. (17 Subs.)
Mr. F.A. Milbank's The Hawk, aged...(Mr. C. Raynard) 1
Mr. Simpson's Aggravator, aged
Mr. Green's Ragman, aged
Nine others ran. Won easy, by three lengths.