The National Register. — 1812-03-01 (London, England)

NSL EY. We are told by Homer, in his short, but beautiful, hymn addressed to Aphrodite, that the Seasons or the Hours were the hand-maids of Venus; and Guiclo painted the Graces in that elegant ministry. Here a female artist, whose talents are well known already, has attempted to delineate the birth of the goddess of beauty, and took upon herself the task once allotted to the Graces, the Seasons, and the Hours; and indeed her efforts are entitled to a considerable share in our estimation. No one has yet been able to unravel the mystery, if there is any, concealed under the allegory of Venus being born out of the foaming waves a tile ocean, although it seems natural enough to suppose that it alludes to the rising of the beautiful planet of that name from the sea; but the subject was so pleasing that many painters have adopted and treated it in the different schools from Apelles down to Mrs. Ansley, who, following their example, bat evinced in Ler performance a superior knowledge of anatomical nicety, and whose outlines flow with ease and elegance around the well foreshortened figure. Yet we must confess that it is a new thing ; some, perhaps, will think it a ludicrous conception, to transform the shapeless inhabitant of the shell into the Goddess of Beauty and of Love, as there is nothing in the tenets of an— cient mythology to vouch the orthodoxy of such a metamorphose. However, the attitude appears correct and the positura happily imagined to avoid any objectionable display; but, perhaps, a little too mach of the mummy pigment and of waxy appearance may be obnoxious to the li critical eye, and we hope that the fair artist will pardon us for saying, that had she co! suited her own mirror half as much as she studied Titian and other masters, her Aphrodite might have gained considerably ie loveliness of tints and fre-Iltiess of complexion. No. 57. lu.eri ,r of a Workshop, and No. 61. Interior of n Cottage. By hi. artist seems to be well acquainted with the rules of chiar.oscuro, and made, in these two little performances, a great effort towards effect. His objects in the dark tints are still visible, and the • decrescendo of his lights into deep shades produces harmony. The study of Ostade and Bega will contribute to develope his talents in this department of the chromatic art. klo. 56. Macbeth before he murdered Duncan. By B. R. Horoo V' lien we saw, in the exhibition of last year, the performance of this artist (the subject from Romeo and Juliet), having stilt present in our memory the impression made there the year before by his Dentatus, we felt a certain doubt whether this votary of the historical muse could Ever soar higher in the spheres of painting. We experienced, indeed, some degree of fear lest, [elms like, he had felt already his faith' ss wings fail him, and, although the performance was not without merit, we were inclined to say of him, as Voltaire quaintly said of l.a Harpe, " ca hamme4a n'avoit Deane tragedie dans le ventre."—But we were agreably surprised at the aspect of hit candidate picture of this season, which by Its magnitude, its boldness, its importance, attracts, surprizes, and rivets the eyes of the spectators upon the animated canvas. The scene is awful: innocence and Majesty asleep—ambition and villainy teeming with murder. The composition is correct as far as it relates to the fast and the attitude of Macbeth suitable to the action. His head, whtehwonid do credit to one of the best pupils of Guertin°, is wellimagined and full of expression, and the foreshortening of his right hand masterly executed. The " surfeited grooms" are in character; the blood-swoln band of one, the turgid jugular of the other, shew that they " du mock that charge with snores r and the rePosing Monarch esti!,  .