The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1843-09-12 00:00:00

THE EXHIBITION OF THE LIVERPOOL

ACADEMY.

The nineteenth annual exhibition of the Liverpool Aca-
demy of Painting was opened for public inspection yester-
day ; and, after a yet cursory view of the rooms, we have
to congratulate our townsmen on the general superiority
of the productions over those of former years ; and the
artists on the taste, talent, and industry they have here
displayed, in their honourable career of competition,—
evincing, in many instances, a marked improvement, and
giving assurance that the institution—if commensurately
and generously encouraged—will become a permanent
stimulus to the efforts of genius, and eventually lead to
that excellence which will render us as highly distinguished
as patrons of the fine arts, as we have hitherto been (too
exclusively) in the plodding pursuits of commerce. We
especially rejoice to observe, that our native artists—some
of whom have before excelled others who had elsewhere
earned " golden opinions"—have, in this instance, excel-
led their former selves ; and we would remind all who
would rejoice in the consummation we have ventured to
anticipate, that it is by individual and local talent, kindly
nurtured to maturity, that national perfection and emi-
nence are alone to be achieved. By the judicious arrange-
ments of the committee an opportunity is, this year, af-
forded to all classes to promote the grand object of the
originators of the Academy, and we hope and trust they
will cheerfully embrace it. The price of admission is re-
duced to half the amount during the evening exhibition,
when the paintings and other works of art may be seen to
great advantage—the rooms being splendidly lighted with
gas.

-We do not ourselves—as many of our contemporaries
do—assume to be, critically speaking, connoisseurs of all
the niceties of the nice art of painting; nor shall we, like
them, (in the notices we shall from time to time furnish)
obtrude crude and random opinions in high-sounding tech-
nical phrase, purposed to impress their readers with a
high and unanswerable sense of our acumen, but which ge-
nerally result in an exposition of their own arrogance, ig-
norance, or partiality. We think, however, we can dis-
tinguish the difference between a senseless daub and a
bright conception, highly finished, and strikingly effective
to ordinary observers ; and abhorring as we do " the cant
of criticism," we shall leave the public, should our re-
marks be impugned by those who erroneously consider
themselves better judges of paintings than of puddings, to
decide between us. We may premise that we have neither
space nor leisure to enter much into rninuthe, and that in
our opinion such exhibitions, which are intended chiefly
for the encouragement of rising aspirants of our own coun-
try, and particularly of our own town, invite kindly no-
tice rather than challenge acrimonious invective—though
we shall not in policy and justice overlook what may ap-
pear to us to be glaring faults or inconsistencies.
On entering the principal room, the first picture that
will attract the visiter—from its position, size, and excel-
lence—is No. 108, (opposite the door,) representing
" Dante, accompanied by Virgil in his descent to the In-
ferno, recognising his three countrymen, Rustitucci, Al-
dobrandi, and Guidoguerra," by G. Patten, A.R.A. In
classical and poetical conception. as well as in drawing,
colouring, and execution, this picture is justly considered
a very fine and masterly production. The figures are of
colossal stature. The aerial floating appearance of Dante's
former companions: and the anatomical accuracy of the
whole, are truly admirable,
A little to the left is Pi F. Poole's already celebrated
picture of the horrors of the plague in London in 1665.
The subject is taken from a passage in Defoe's narrative

of that awful visitation, and represents the famous Solo-
mon Eagle, the enthusiast, exhorting the people to re-
pentance. " Though not affected at all but in his head,"
says the narrator, " he went about denouncing judgment
upon the city in a frightful manner, sometimes quite naked,
and with a pan of burning charcoal on his head." A
variety of characters, young and old, are gathered around
him in the open air, in the various stages of the disease,—
some recklessly playing cards, others fearfully alive to
their danger, and others sinking more or less rapidly into
the arms of death. On one side is a figure of a fine fe-
male placidly reading a holy book, and, just above her,
another rushing frantically from a doorway in her night-
clothes, her aged and anguished mother endeavouring to
restrain her. On the other side a dead body is being
lowered from a window, and in the background another
is being carried on men's shoulders towards the dead-
cart, which is in waiting. One sister in the foreground
is dying on the knees of another. The glare of t )rches
adds to the varied horrors of the scene, which is certainly
repulsive ; but the painful feelings which it would other-
wise exclusively inspire, are more than redeemed by the
masterly combination and variety of suffering depicted,
and the commiseration which the contemplation of the
whole naturally inspires. One prominent figure, with a
bandage round his face, is said to represent Defoe him-
self; but this is somewhat apocryphal. The drawing,
colouring, and knowledge of character displayed are all
admirable; and we should say, that had Mr. Poole never
produced another picture, this alone is sufficient to entitle
him to the fame of a first-rate artist, whether in historical
conception or in execution.

No. 142, " Knox endeavouring to restrain the people,
at Perth, from destroying the altars, missals, and other
properties of the Unreformed Church," by J. P. Knight,
A.R.A., is also a fine picture, both in harmony and rich-
ness of colouring, and in artistic execution. The only
fault (if so it be) is the apparent want of energy in the
countenance and deportment of the great Reformer, who
appears, however, at the moment, to be speaking aside to
a spearsman or soldier of the day.

60. Scene from the Merry W4es of Windsor,—" Sweet
Anne Page with wine ; Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Page behind.
Sir John Falstaff is about to kiss Mrs. Ford." This is
by W. F. Frith, a very young, but highly promising ar-
tist, and is very creditable to him in execution and finish.
He has admirably delineated the coquettish face of Mrs.
Ford, who is playfully humouring the old aniourous knight.
Bardolph, Pistol, and the fool, are all portrayed with an
equally happy conception of the dramatist, and a boy is
ingeniously introduced endeavouring to cheat the last in
tossing.

51. 'A
wild solitary Moorland Scene, by T. Creswick,
A.R.A. is beautiful in detail and distance. 67, by the
same, "The Way across the River," is also fine, and in
lively rural effect forms a pleasing contrast to the other.
No. 3, (over the door) is a fine large picture of the
death, in a Stag Hunt, by our townsman, Richd. Ansdell.
The dogs, some of them gored and dying, are beautifully
executed. This was recently painted, and the artist, we
understand, after witnessing the hunt, purchased the stag
and one of the dogs, so that he might convey a correct
likeness of the animals.

163. Portraits of a Lady and her two Granddaughters,
as large as life, is by Sir G. Hayter, painter to her majesty ;
but though good likenesses, the picture, as a whole, is
scarcely in the artist's happiest style.
114. " Fairies holding their Revels on the Sea Shore, at
Night," is a beautiful and admirably poetical conception
of the " gentle people" and their fantastic but innoxious
gambols. Some are flying in a serpentine line, and others,
that have alighted, are dancing as they proceed in a string
beneath a natural rocky bridge, through which the moon-
beams are beautifully glinting. This is by the unfortu-
nate It. Dadd, whose name has recently been before the
public.

Amongst the portraits one of the best full-lengths is that
of Josias Booker, Esq., by W. J. Bishop, professor at the
Collegiate Institution, and to be placed in the board-room
of that seminary. It is an admirable likeness, and in
every respect highly creditable to the artist.
44. A. Bacchante Reclining, by Philip Westcott. There
is something rich and mischievous in the figure and play-
ful countenance of this luxuriant female, well comporting
with the lines in the catalogue from which the idea is de-
rived. The foreshortening and life-like transparent ap-
pearance of the flesh tints are managed in a masterly man-
ner.

" The Waking Smile" of a lovely infant, (No. 17,) by
Thomas Crane, is one of the finest and chastest produc-
tions in the room. The expression of the face and eyes
is replete with juvenile health, innocence, happiness, and
beauty. 39, (by the same,) portraits of a lady, and gentle-
man, and a child on horseback, in a rural plain, is also
fine. This style of portrait painting, forming an entire
scene, is an encroachment upon the usual system adopted
by linners, and, we think, a pleasing one. The point-
lace tippet of the lady, and also her dress, are exquisitely
painted, showing the peculiar richness of the respective
fabrics.

No. 18, an ancient baronial interior, by Wm. Coiling-
wood, is powerful and effective.

.
73, a small moonlight scene, at Hampstead.with a black-
smith's shop lighted, in contrhst, by the ruddy fire, is a
highly successful effort, by Mr. S. Eglinton, the active
and zealous President of the Academy, whose anxiety to
promote the fine arts in Liverpool is beyond all praise.
101, a scene in Wales, with children at a spring, by the
same, is also a pleasing subject, and executed in a masterly
manner.

The Village Coquette, (89,) by George Lance, from the
vivid description in Cowper's Task, is animated and
clever.

No. 91, The North Shore, Liverpool ; 96, Hasting's
Beach ; and 122, Fishing Boats arriving at the same place,
on a windy day, by our townsman, Mr. S. Walters, a
member of the academy, are all spirited and excellent pro-
ductions of that talented marine painter. No. 153, Muscle
Gatherers, at Hoylake, by the same, is to our taste still
more pleasing. The figures on the far-extended sands,
and a stranded vessel, are admirably and interestingly de-
lineated, and the shore of Crosby is beautifully shown in
the extreme distance.

" The Favourite in Mischief" (140) a Blenheim spa-
niel, caught overhauling his mistress's bandoir, and de-
stroying the contents for sheer amusement, is well con-
ceived and executed. The offender has just torn a bank
note, and is holding up his paw and looking as if sensible
of his delinquency and half assured of forgiveness.
109, The Cobler cogitating the New Poor Law Bill, by
Westcott, is excellent, and would form an appropriate
memento in the board. room of the three Bashaw Com-
missioners. A scene from Gil Bias, (110) by A. Egg,
is on the whole good ; but there are some defects in the
drawing, particularly as regards the lady's mouth. 112,
Procession of Peasants near Naples on the festival of Pie
de Grotta, by F. Uwins, is a perfect gem, not surpassed
by any picture of equal size in the rooms. The grouping
of the figures in separate masses is most skilfully ma-
naged. and the Bay and distant burning mountain are
beautifully painted. 11l is a graceful portrait pftgenfitueee.l
young lady, by F. Crane. 157, by the same,
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