New-York tribune., 1873-01-29
ART IN ENGLAND.
WINTER EXHIBITION OF THE BRITISH
ROYAL ACADEMY.

PAINTING NON-ARTlSIlC.
,yaoN an OCCASIONAL CORRESPONDENT OF THR TRIBUBBl
LONDON, Jan. 4.-The custom of forming
Winter exhibition Of works OF deceased masters OF all
schools epocbs OF which examples can be obtained
has given the Royal Academy OF Arts new import
Ance 20 the public opened 10 students valuable
mine of study This exhibition, renewed from year ~
wear Is an astonishing demonstration OF the wea'H u
England In works Of that cosmOpolte art WIN"
would he current at their nominal Naiuo -
any part OF the civilized world. The hu"0e' "
tuporb examples of the work Of the greae sohOO'
which England contains be es''n"'ou - -
this series of displays much correctly thah py any
comparison OF her public collections with 'hose VI o'
countries as the pictures themselves are !" ''
stances hettar examples Of them respective in"S' ~
those in the national gallery. ANA "noh We 'V
mat the fashion az collecting old masters mas III So
eral gwen WAY 10 that OF investing IN modern anu Ni"s
e.hr5t,es and that the fortunes which are pnt INTO
,ctr today go into the pockets mainly OF the painters
and their tobetweens, we can conceive laInuy no O0
,,ercial value Of art in the modern English system
peope do not go into collection Oi this Kind to criti'
e schools or indvidnalshardy 10 carp at the taste
which so overestmates Dutch art or 50 fatuousy puts
a. ,hoddy representative the modern English realistic
.ehuo side nv side with Rembrandt Titan. Veasquez,
or even with Reynolds and GainSboroggh No more do
they purpose enter INTO archaeological discussion ana
debates as 10 the authenticity of pictures for when
there seems 70 since the critic OF The Times as
Hhenaas notice a. positively land with excellent ev
dencl assigns them Holhein But much less does one
50 merely to tell puoho whom the Atlantic divides
from the Gallery what pictures compose the collection
how uany times Titan is represented, and now many
VcIaequcz And dropping minor considerations, waving
the muescrpbe hight OF the art critic u utter his re
nectous and traditional baaaNs on the glow of Titan
and the repOse Claude, there general Impression
let by the examination Of the 2J oil pictures from the
Venetian ForeutuC Bologucse, well as the Dutch,
French, spanish, and early English schools that not
only the art hut the mental caber of the painter has on
the whole greatly and with toicrahle regularity dnm-
days Of Titan down TO those OF Augustus
l. Eec X A. who Is the latest of the elect ot Euglish
greatness work appears in the eNhOitlon III Is
not only executive power, in knowledge OF the Tools
of craft that The modem school ias, hut IN dignity
IL simplicity and subodinatou OF the painters estima-
ton of himself 70 hs consideration Of ms work. 1t is in
portraturc alone that the English school holds any kind
of comparison with the italian, Spanish or Dutch
schools; aud here, brief comparison OF the pS
traits Of Reynolds ana GainshorOugh with those or
Titan and of Rembrandt (whO Is InarVelously well
reprcscntcd as 20 quality win show that the modern
men had only a reflex Of the light and insight OF the
elder. sir Joshua had mastery touch-a singular
facility OF brush-and his hdndicrait suggests TuaD'
HE heads have q strength Of Characterization whlch
smncutly distinguishes them from any work OF to-day;
tut when you have seen dozen OF them you remain
nuder the impression that they related not through
TIE Nul bloO, you ltt INV ldtHc "eH VI
sparkling light to he not little frivolous beside the
grave equal never falterng and trivial execution
Titan and hls cOmpeeTs. The works OF the Venetian
OF the though they cannot Nc mistaken as 70
their authorship, have individual likeness than
natufe makes between and women of the race
and living under the influence OF national character
on the whole sir Joshua appears clever but not
profound observer with style which descends AZ most
points the verge Of manuerism. but with genuine
individuality and with certain super fetal qualities IN tie
highest perfection ever attained Gainsborough seems
more dicided nature, who more nearly forgets him
self IN his subject picture in this present
Exhibition attains 10 what seems 10 me the highest
range realistic porratrre considered simply as por-
trait This portrait Of Miss Linley, atterward Mrs
Sheridan one transparent OF faces,
painted with unaffected devotion to its indi
Vdual and most direct and legitimate execu
ton u seems Impossible for likeness TO be more satis
factory any attractive side Of the individual
could shown, perfectly to the mental qualities aI-
pear in the There is mastery portrait by Romney,
which comes the general level Of Reynolds and
ainsnoroueh than most people believed possible before
seenc it, hut with these three have the company OF
great men in English pOrrraiture as exhibited here
And when We 10 a more general comparison OF
these "a Older schools, lind All impassahe abyss
a division Of motive, OF artistic conception, which DO
modern work seems pass Portraiture is plainly with
The noderns the end aud highest good of labor aud the
art OF the thing got mp Backgrounds artificial
mud accessories treated with grave and thoughtful
fFi,k kerry known technically as "dOdging" Art gives
way 10 arhce throughout, and the gravity shown by
The Venetian the serious and majestic temper with
which he touches the most trivial part of the compO-
sitop the cxactitude with which il weighed and
pmi IN It's place is n striking contrast with the lcvity
with which even GansborOugh dashed in impossible
clouds and inconccyable Trees bits for Light here and
ior dart there To tie older men there was nothing uu-
important ana portrait Itself was only part OF the
sli,c,-the art with its completeness and comprehen
ffn all
al a how that were worth painting well worth
painting well tho head or the hand Besides the great
sastes had such cOnsummate power Of execution that
II never occurred 10 10 them 10 out OF their way 20
show H. while Joshua is perpetualy making tours de
fger 10 show how wcl he paint. II this true OF
the chiefs how much of the train which followed
and stiu follows, though 80 far behind that por
tfslfure hardly is art longer IN England
Another point is equally clear Ia reference 70
te beginning English art Is that il purely exotic
Hogarth (who represented herc) being the only In
dicenous painter Of his time. Reynolds and all those
who were considered great painters caught their mpra
ion from the manner, not the matter. OF the great
schools and therefore csugh it only superhcaIy and
,ecoud-handed In far they artistic IN their
purposes they aimed at ssmilating their work TO that
Of the Italian and Dutch schools. This is clearer
comparison the early English andscapss, and there
ere several pictures by Others which have,
caught the older completely. There ttill
othcrs Which show admirably steps by winch the
development OF the English landscape passed its
elimination in Tunnel every step displaying clearly the
influence of Claude POussn, Ray sdae, aud the various
Vans and Backs whom Ruskn poured such unDeas-
nrered coutumely. There two pictures by Turner,
one n close emulation o. the manner which Constable
InsGe popular. and the other IN the manner Of Wilson,
with several in progressive stages OF ms peculiar
There others IN that early conventional landscape
siye in which while the canons OF the great schools
were admitted the present realistic tendency and defer
10 actpaintng substitute FOR the art 20
have aready BEGUN thelr work To q Landscape painter