The New York herald., 1874-05-17
NEW YORK HERALD SUNDAY NAY H. ls74-QUlNTUPLE SHEET

and England should do it," The painting OF this
old mans head is indeseribabiy ane and the whole
composition and tone Of the picture Is excellent.
Mr.. Millais Is not quite successful as usual III
his portraits this year; and one in particular, OF
little boy, the heir OF the house of Rothschild, In
velvet Knickerbocker suit and with q scarlet sash,
is like dummy in taiior's window.
Mr.. WATTS r. A.,
is, perhaps, our finest portrait painter. This year
he has two magnificent heads-one OF John Stuart
Mill, calmly philosophic farseeing and conscious
OF power; the other OF the Rev. James Martineau,
the famous Unitarian preacher. gaunt. stern and
rapt, with the duty, which Ia the characteristic OF
his life apparent In every feature.
OTHER PORTRAITS
OF excellence In the Academy are those OF Sir
William FERGUSON, the eminent surgeon by Ru-
d0lf Lehman; OF John Bright, by Lawes Dickin-
son, eminenty Me-like, and in which the ironical
curl OF the under lip has not been omitted; OF
Lord Lawrence, by J. Z. Williams, good likeness
Of the eminent Indian official and chairman Of the
nrst London School Board OF the Rev. John
Henry Newman, by Mr.. Rawden, in which justice
is done to the strange. warm, ascetio features OF,
perhaps the cleverest man or his day; and OF the
late viscount Palmerston. by Sir Francis Grant,
very poor production.
Mr.. FIRTH, r. A.,
whose name Is well known In America through his
great pictures OF sThe Derby Day. and .The Rail-
way Station" sends canvas larger than either OF
these, representing the Roman Catholic ceremony
OF blessing the children In the main street OF
Bouogne. The bishop IN his gOTgeously embroidered
robes, the children who are hurrying forward for
the episcopal benedicton, the respectfully observ-
ant crowd and the staring English visitors. are all
most cleverly rendered. and the idea OF motion in
the procession Is wen given. Mr.. Firth has fancy
picture OF "Pamela," the heroine OF Richardson's
novel, and other less important works.
MIR. WARD R. A.,
seems to paint nothing but historical scenes,
either from the time OF Charles II. at the period
OF the French Revolution This year we have
Lady Rachel Russell pleading for ner husbands
life to the Merry Monarch, and. Of course plead
ing in vain. better example of Mr.. Ward Is tile
last slumber Of Marie Antoinette in the prison OF
the concieryerie on the night before her execu-
tion. There is great decacy and refinement in
the face and figure Of the unhappy Queen, and the
management OF o ray of light, which comes
through grated window is good bit of techn1-
cal skill,
SIR JOHN GILBERT, A. r. A.,
sends only one contribution, "A Field OF the Cloth
Of Gold" painted with all that dash and elan, that
color which nave SO long characterized this clever
painters productions. The dresses Of the two
monarchs Henry and Francis, the housings and
caparisons Of their chargers the gold and silver
armor OF Knights in attendance, the sheen OF the
tents and banners, are gorgeous In the extreme.
MR.. r. LEIGHTON, r. A.,
is the head OF tire quasi p0etcai, but certainly soft
and sensuOus, school. His pictures this year are
Moorish garden In the old city Of Granada, with q
quaint gateway in the background, dropping
fountain and beautiful brown skinned. turbaned
child leading two lovely peacocks one pure milk
white. His other landscape is a view Of the Jews'
quarter In Damascus. He has two very fine figure
pictures, one Clytemnasrra from the battlements
OF Argos, watching for the beacon fires which are
to announce the return OF Agamemnon, pale,
determined woman with bloodless cheeks and set
lips. and an antique juggling GIRL nude figure
throwing up golden balls, which is condemned as
being somewhat out OF drawing.
MIR. CALDERON, r. A.,
has two pictures; one 0 large one, representing
the Queen OF Beauty decorating the successful
champion in tournament who, it is to be noted,
though he has been through the heatof the Fray,
has not single dent on his armor, and looks as
though he had only just entered the lists. A far
better picture he calls 'Haf-Hours with the Best
Authors" representing three very pretty girls
seated on sofa and ottOmans, and who, oppressed
with the heat Of the weather and the duiness of
their novel, have fallen asleep.
OTHER ROYAL ACADEMICIANs
Mr.. Frost sends his usual crude nudities, Mr..
Hooke his blue seas and Devonshire hills Mr. Cope
his highly colored meretricious notions of shak-
speare, MIR. Harsley his rufiing cavaliers and
quaint Puritan damsels, Mr.. Faed his Scotch
peasants, MIR. Ausdell his Scotch shepherds and
goatherds Mr.. yicat Cole mis- sunny English
landscapes, Mr.. John Lewis his Oriental interiors
and glimpses OF street lie in the East, Mr.. Red
grave his rustic lanes, Mr.. Dabson his Scriptura
subjects and Mr.. Sydney Cooper his never falllng
Kentish cows.
In my next letter will glance at some very in
terestlng work by persons who have not yet at
tanned the dignity OF r. A.