The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1847-09-21 00:00:00

EXHIBITION OF THE LIVERPOOL ACADEMY•

FIRST NOTICE.

In commencing our usual detailed notice of this Exhi-
bition, we are naturally led in the first instance to the
painting which the Committee have deemed worthy of
the prize of £5O. It is in the second room, No. 272
" The South Sea Bubble, a scene in Change-alley, in 1720,"
by E. M. Ward, A.R.A. ; and although subjected to com-
petition with the productions of artists of a very high
rank, amongst the most able of which we may mention
D. Maclise, R.A., there are few persons, we think, will
be inclined to complain of the decision of the Committee
in favour of this picture. The subject will be best under-
stood from the quotations given in the catalogue :
"The crowds were so great within doors, that tables with clerks
were set in the streets. In this motley throng were blended all
ranks, all professions, and all parties—churchmen and dis-
senters, whigs and tories, country gentlemen and brokers.
An eager strife of tongues prevailed in this second Babel;
new reports, new subscriptions, new transfers, flew from mouth
to mouth ; and the voices of ladies (for even many ladies had
turned gamblers) rose loud and incessant above the general
throng.—Lord Mahon's History of England."
" Our greatest ladies hither come,
And ply in chariots daily,
Or pawn their jewels for a sum
To venture it in alley.—Ballad of the time."
In its treatment the artist has displayed great power, not
only of painting, but of invention and description of
character. The foreground—that portion fronting Garra-
ways,—is occupied by an anxious crowd, whose features
and manner express every degree of human folly and
cupidity, from that of the rustic gull to the confirmed
knave and cheat. The windows of the coffee-house
behind chew the inside to be similarly crowded by parties,
some glancing over the prospectuses of the various bubble
projections of the period, and others engaged in buying or
selling. On the left of the foreground is a pawnbroker's
shop in which one of the " greatest ladies," mentioned in
the ballad, is endeavouring to pawn some trinket, to ven-
ture the money in the mad gambling which is going on ;
and on the right is a closed countinghouse, the occupant of
which announces that circumstances have compelled him
to close the establishment. A countryman, with up-
clenched fist is evidently dealing out threats of assault
and battery against the defaulter, and a clergyman at his
back appears also to be a sufferer. Descending the steps
from the front of the counting-house in question is an
interesting couple—a military officer and his young wife,—
whose looks of wretchedness tell a tale of utter and hope-
less ruin. A similar tale is told by two haggard beings—
a male and female; who are crouching on the pavement
underneath the window of the pawnbroker, the former,
by his wild eye and excited attitude, evidently engaged in
suggesting to his companion some scheme to retrieve their
lost fortunes. There is in fact a story in every group in
the pictnre and almost in every face.
The whole of the figures and details are very carefully
worked out. The leading figure in the foreground—a
beau of the period intently engaged in perusing the pros-
pectus of a perpetual motion company—is admirably
finished, the rich material of his costume seeming to stand
out from the canvas. A jolly-looking, but by no means
intellectual, country gentleman, near him, is equally well
painted in a different style. The Jew pawnbroker is a
study ; in fact every prominent figure in the picture is in-
vested with a distinct individuality and character, whilst
the whole is in perfect harmony and keeping. The rich-
ness and gaiety of the costumes of the period have aided
the artist in the lively effect produced.
That there are drawbacks we do not attempt to conceal.
The background is not so carefully managed as couldhave
been wished ; and there is an evident want of variety in
the features of the groups given. For instance, if the
reader will glance at the female seen to the left of the
principal foreground figure, he will find that another close
behind her (whether male or female is difficult to tell),
wearing a powdered peruke, has precisely the same face;
and there are no less than five other prominent female
faces in the foreground (one a little page) which must
have been taken from the same study. The same fault,
but in a less degree, is to be noticed in some of the male
countenances. As a whole, however, the painting is one
of great merit ; and the drawbacks noted are trivial when
compared with its general excellence.
No. 1. " Pandora." G. Patten, A.R.A.—We adhere
to our opinion of this attempt in a high class of art. The
invention is poor, and the working out worse. Of course
there is some good painting in the picture ; for instance,
the flesh of the naked figure of the goddess. The whole,
however, strikes us as revolting to good taste, without any
excellence of design or imaginative talent to redeem its
other faults.
No. 57. "The Burial of Charles Ist." A. Johnston.—
We noticed this picture in our last as likely to be a close
competitor for the Academy prize. It is finely painted,
and worthy of the artist. All the fault that strikes us up-
' on a more leisurely examinatic n of its merits, is the fact
that the figures appear to us to be out of proportion to
the size of the apartment. It is, however, indisputably
a painting of great merit..
No. 77. " Ordeal by Touch." D. Maclise.—We have
thus far noticed the pictures witnessed by us in the hasty
walk through the rooms, the result of which we give in
our last, because hasty notices frequently require revision,
and sometimes correction. We have heard of this picture,
especially, very conflicting opinions ; and have, in conse-
quence, bestowed upon it more than usual attention. Its
wonderful talent we admitted at once, and expressed our
opinion of it unhesitatingly in our last. It contains some
splendid painting ' • and, in detail, is proof to the most
microscopic eye. But, as a whole, we retain our opinion
of its faultiness. The figures in the background are over
prominent, wonderfully painted though they are ; and of
chiar' oscuro it has absolutely none. The lights, too,
seem to be disposed just as it suited the artist to throw
them upon his various figures, and with an utter disregard
to nature. In short, we never remember seeing a picture,
otherwise worthy to be called great, in which the ordinary
rules of art were more resolutely set at defiance. The co-
louring is most unnatural—witness the pink flesh of the
dead body—and altogether we cannot consider it other-
"wise than as a great work marred.
53. " Sir Guy and the Palmer approaching Excesses at
the porch of the Bower of Bliss."—Vide " Faerie
Queene," book 4, canto 12. TV. Huggins.—This beau-
tifully painted picture, the work of a very talented towns-
man, who, we observe, has been admitted to the rank of
an associate of the academy, may be considered, in its
subject, a companion of his last year's contribution. The
poet's idea is finely given, and the artistical* effects well
worked out. It is a more pleasing work than its fellow of
last year. But we may suggest to Mr. Huggins, in all
kindness, that beyond the display of appreciation of the
beauties of one of the noblest of our poets, such subjects
do little for the painter in the present day. Whilst we
trust that a congenial mind may be found willing to store
up such a painting in his collection, we should have
rejoiced to see the same talent displayed in a direction
more likely to be profitable to the talented young artist.
Mind, we do not advocate the doctrine that an artist
should paint down to the taste of his time ; but we find
that every successful artist, in times gone by, consulted
that taste in some measure.

52. "The Village at Night." T. Creswick, A.R.A.—
One of the most delightful pictures in the exhibition.
The church and village in the distance, reposing in the
moonlight, contrast beautifully with the liOit from the
village forge, the group of idlers around which is most
characteristic. The whole is most artistically managed.
20. "A Portrait of John Swift Esq.," by P. Westcott,
is an excellent likeness. It is excelled, however, as a
painting, by
41. " Portrait of Barton Haigh, Esq.," which is a
most characteristic likeness, with more softness of outline
and finish.

78. " Death of Marc Antony," by Charles Elder, is a
large picture, with little merit of invention, although in
parts well painted.
86. " The Plough Team," by Wm. Shayer, is a beau-
tiful specimen of the artist.
96. "Market-place at Settle." W. G. Herdman.—
We scarcely know to which of Mr. Herdman's paintings
in this exhibition to give the preference. The fact; how-
ever, that this picture was bought in the Royal Academy
exhibition, London, by his R.H. the Duke of Cambridge,
is a compliment of no mean order to the artist, and is
deserved by the painting itself, which is a fine effort.
We should not lose sight of such a fact in estimating the
merits of Mr. Herdman's other works, or in forming an
opinion of Liverpool art in general.
126 " Scene from the Taming of the Shrew." Augustus
Egg.—We cannot think that the painting is worthy of
the painter. Certainly, he has triumphed over some of
the difficulties of the art in its execution. He has
brought into contact colours which it is hard and unusual
to bring together effectively. But the subject of the
painting is not well worked out ; and, on the whole, the
picture is a failure.
105. " The Fiery Cross." J. Drummond, A.R. S.A.—
We have seen this picture outrageously praised ; but,
positively, we cannot see a scintilla of talent in it. it
tells the tale most obscurely, and is, in point of drawing,
very mediocre.

129. " Portrait of a Lady." R. B. Falkner.—This is
a picture, and, we doubt not, a portrait at the same
time. It is, in every respect, a most graceful composition,
flowing and easy in outline, and altogether a delightful
production.
148. " Quitting the Manse." G. Harvey.—The painter
of the prize picture in the last exhibition has not been so
happy in his effort this year. The leading figures—the
minister, his mother (we presume, for she is old enough)—
are finely painted. Many of the figures in the foreground
are also well painted ; but we cannot help noticing in
each a pandering to the Scotch vanity, which arrogates to
Scotch people the exclusive possession of an enormous
development of forehead. The figures in this painting,
if their enormous frontal displays be indicative of much
brain, must be presupposed to be philosophers; the chil-
dren may be suspected of water in the head. The picture
has, however, other more important defects. The land-
scape in the background is bad—unequivocally bad ; and
the whole is too much divided in its details. Two or
three pictures (with the exception of the pastor and his
family, none of them good) are spread over the canvas
without an intelligible uniting link.

OBJECTION TO VOTERS.—We are sorry to find that in
each of the wards an immense number of objections have
been made to the municipal voters. The majority of these
objections have been raised without any reference to the
proper qualification of the parties, and such wholesale pro-
ceedings cannot be too much reprehended. We are glad
to find that the Conservatives have done all in their power
to prevent more notices hang served than were absolutely
indispensable. Indeed, in some instances, they offered to
waive their power of making any objections at all, if the
Radicals would do the same, but all such offers were de-
clined; and when the Conservatives discovered that the
Radical party, in every ward, were sending their notices
indiscriminately, right and left, they were compelled, in
self-defence, to object to all their opponents who did not
possess a proper qualification. We possess the best proof
of the truth of what we say ; and, if our statement be
denied, we shall be able to publish, next week, a cor-
respondence on the subject which has taken place in St.
Anne's ward, as a sample of Radical impartiality.