claim the boor. The apparent facility of the handling is also very fascinating to an artist's eye.

No. 497. The Gloves nearly won. No. 508. Blindman's Buff. R. WESTALL, R.A. We are always pleased to see great talents devoted to the illustration of scenes of domestic life. Mr. Westall has here presented the public with two beautiful little drawings, from subjects of a wellknown and cheerful description, They would make an attractive pair of prints.

No. 517. Portrait of Madame Ronzi de Begnis, in the character of Fatima, in the Opera of Pietro Eremita. A. E. CHALON, R.A.There is no artist equal to Mr. Chalon in subjects of this description. He draws with great correctness and spirit, and decorates his figures with unrivalled magnificence and taste; especially when it becomes necessary to introduce any splendid foreign costume. He is then perfectly at home. We cannot, however, say that this portrait does justice to the original; a more beautiful countenance, and more simple attire, would have been, in our opinion, far more expressive of the personal and intellectual accomplishments of the present Prima Donna of the Italian Opera.

ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS.

No. 964. Part of the County Hall, Lancaster Castle, for trying civil causes, and electing Members of Parliament for Lancashire. No.969. An Architectural Composition, from an idea of the Hollow Way between Argos and Mycenae, on reading Pausanias, book II., Chap. 23 and 24. J. GANDY, A.-Two drawings of a very opposite nature; the one being of fact, the other of imagination; but both exhibiting Mr. Gan, dy's extraordinary and acknowledged talents: talents, which the country has reason deeply to regret, are not more frequently called upon in the execution of the various great architectural works of the present day.

No. 987. View of one of the Consol Offices, in the Bank of England, in its progressive state of construction. J. SOANE, R.A.-What a strictly architectural drawing seldom is, extremely picturesque and beautiful.

No. 955. View from the water of one of the Abutments, and one of the Arches of a Design for a Bridge. L. VULLIAMY-Simple and noble.

No. 1049. St. Peter's, Rome, from the back of the Colonade. S. PATERSON. A very bold, rich, and broadly-executed drawing.

We cannot quit the Library, without loudly remonstrating against the introduction of pictures in oil among the architectural drawings. This is a practice which has been gaining ground for several years; but we never saw it carried to so pernicious an extent as in the Exhibition of this year. The intermixture of pictures in oil with drawings in water-colours is always injurious to both, especially to the latter; but to architectural drawings it is destructive in consequence of the flatness of their tints, and of their seldom being made with any reference to general effect. We do hope the Academy will see the impropriety of this innovation, and will entirely reform it next year.

MINIATURES.

It is surprising to observe how little discrimination is shown in this very interesting part of the Exhibi, tion. Mingled with and overpowering, by the gaudiness and rawness of their hues, some of the most charming productions of taste and genius, are a mass of wretched daubs, which would disgrace any shop-window in the Metropolis; and which are, of course, wholly unworthy of a place in the Exhibition of the Royal Academy of Great Britain. Never surely was "humanity imitated so abominably!" From amidst this full crop of tares and thistles we shall glean a few ears of corn, al though they are almost choked by the vile weeds about them.

No. 674. Portraits of the Hon. Misses Drummond Burrell. MRS. J. ROBERTSON.-A Vandyke in miniature. Nothing can exceed the beauty and grace of the drawing, the sweetness of the expression, the harmony of the colour, and the dis position of the general effect. No. 729. Portrait of a Gentleman, by the same fair hand, is full of intellectual character.

No. 816. Portrait of a Young Lady. No. 834. Portrait of a Lady.

S. P. DENNING.-Mr. Denning's admirable miniatures show the great advantage which he now derives from his early and elaborate studies after Lawrence. They are finely drawn, and replete with grace and beauty. He must, however, guard against becoming a mannerist.

-

Squareness," as it is technically called, is a good quality; but it ought not to be too manifest.

No. 688. Portrait of the Countess of Blesinton. A. E. CHALON, R.A. -An elegant portrait of a bewitching subject.

No. 703. Portrait of the Countess of Denbigh. No. 819. Portrait of Miss Kirkpatrick. A. ROBERTSON. -Mr. Robertson's pencil is free from the slightest vulgarity. His male portraits have invariably the air of gentlemen, and his female portraits of gentlewomen. These are fine specimens of high finishing.

No. 722. Portrait of Miss Paton, of the Theatre-Royal, Covent Garden. W. J. NEWTON.-Mr. Newton has been very successful in transferring to his ivory the feminine softness, mingled with intelligence, by which this lovely and accomplished young actress is distinguished.

No. 827. Portraits of two Children of R. Pollen, Esq. W. C. Ross.— Children are delightful creatures; and any picture in which they are introduced, if only tolerably executed, becomes interesting. How much more so when the infantile character is represented with so much truth and vivacity as it is in this animated little composition.

No. 704. Portrait of a Lady. S. J. ROCHARD.-A spirited and richly coloured whole-length. Mr. Roch ard seems to have studied Sir Joshua Reynolds with great benefit to himself.

In the depth and vigour of his effects, and in the breadth of his execution, he appears to us to be unexcelled in his branch of the profession.

trio of sisters, who all evince great talents.

No. 803. A Head. J. BURGESS. -Nature herself.

No. 860. Portrait of a Lady. G. H. PATTEN.-We were much pleased with the sunny purity and clearness of the half-tints in this clever little head.

ENAMELS.

No. 620. Portrait of Canova: enamel after the original, painted at Rome, by J. Jackson, Esq. R.A. in the collection of F. Chantrey, Esq. R.A. No. 621. Duncan Gray: enamel after the original, by D. Wilkie, Esq. R.A. in the collection of Lord C. Townshend. C. Muss.-In force and richness, and above all, in that most important quality resemblance to their originals, Mr. Muss's enamels unquestionably transcend any thing that has ever been produced. They are perfect fac-similes of the works of which they are copies, and which they render immortal.

No. 506. The Duke of Wellington: enamel, after the original, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A. No. 509. St. John: enamel, after the original, by Sir Joshua Reynolds. H. BONE, K.A. Two very beautiful and highly finished enamel paintings. The first is a faithful imitation of one of the most characteristic portraits that ever was painted.

No. 533. Magdalen: enamel, from the original picture, by Guido, in the possession of Walter Fawkes, Esq. Farnley Hall, Yorkshire. J. LEE. -This is also a very fine enamel. The tones of the flesh are remarkably soft and mellow. '

"Here waving groves a chequer'd scene display,

And part admit, and part exclude the day;

There, interspers'd in lawns and opening glades,

Twin-trees arise that shun each other's shades.

Here in full light the russet plains extend;

There, wrapt in clouds, the bluish hills ascend."

The introduction of the venerable figure of his late Majesty, in this his favourite haunt, has a very appropriate and pleasing effect.

No. 221. Solitude. G. BARRET. —Mr. Robson's "Solitude" is amidst rocks; Mr. Barret's is among trees. Each is admirable in its way.

Nos. 232. 236. Studies from Nature. W. NESSFIELD. -There are several larger drawings by Mr. Nessfield in this Exhibition; but we were especially struck with these charming little studies. They evince an accurate eye, and a practised hand. When Mr. Nessfield can communicate to his distances and middledistances, and to the tout-ensemble of his composition, as much truth and gracefulness as he has given to these fragments of fore-ground, he will rank with our most accomplished landscape draughtsmen.

No. 239. Drinkallia. J. STEPHANOFF. "As soon as a traveller arrives at Drinkallia, he must drink, or be carried before a magistrate to render account of his obstinacy."

Very humorous; and most delicately touched. The figure of the sober culprit is remarkably happy.

No. 261. Boats on the Thames; Gravesend in the distance. No. 265. Boats on the Thames, Evening; Greenwich in the distance. D. Cox.

Two brilliant little drawings. No. 263. A Picture of Youth; or, the School in an Uproar. H. RICHTER.The original drawing, of which this is a copy, or nearly so, was the ornament of one of the earliest Exhibitions of the Society; and its not having been immediately engraved has been a matter of surprise to us ever since; convinced as we have always been, that, if justice were done to it, it would prove most popular print. We are glad to find by the Catalogue, that this

copy has been made for the express purpose of its being engraved. It is, indeed, a lively and powerful delineation of that period of gay thoughtlessness, and innocent mischief to which the cares and anxieties of the world induce most of us to look back with a sigh of regret. Never was hubbub more completely personified. Availing themselves of the temporary absence of their master, about a dozen fine, noble lads, of the right age for frolic, are repaying themselves by every description of license, for the previous restraint to which they had been subjected. One of them, having assumed the Dominie's seat, dress, and office, is affecting, with great pomposity, to hear the lesson of an impudent young braggadocio; who, with his arms a-kimbo, appears to defy the terrors of ferrule or birch. Another little vagabond, who has crawled up behind the mock-master's chair, is emptying the contents of an ink-horn on his scarlet cap, a feat that seems to be highly relished by the leering and winking bystanders. In the fore-ground of the drawing, the sly and sudden twist of one end of a form has sent several fellows, who were amusing themselves on the other end of it, sprawling on the floor. The distress of one of them is of a very ludicrous nature. A fine rosy-cheeked apple has been whirled out of his hand by the jerk, and is making the best of its way in a direct line to an aperture in the boards, which yawns.to receive it. In vain does its disappointed owner stretch his arm and fingers to their utmost length to intercept its progress; it is evident that in a second it must disappear for ever; and he contemplates the approaching and inevitable catastrophe with a look of unutterable despair. In one corner of the room there is a "battle of the books," grammars, vocabularies, and dictionaries are furiously flying about in all directions; and some of them are letting in a little necessary air by demolishing two or three panes of the window. In another corner, a fancied jockey, with a garter for a bridle, is riding a cockhorse, at the rate of at least twenty miles an hour. Behind the door, a young artist, whose own head is eminently beautiful, and seems to

have been suggested by one of Raphael's in "The School of Athens," is making a drawing in chalk, although not Italian, of the Pedagogue, to which he has of course imparted an abundant portion of ugliness. Cautiously stealing in at the door, and unperceived by any of the rioters except by one terrified urchin, who endeavours, but to no purpose, to apprize his com-rogues of the appalling fact, is the Pedagogue himself; whose irascibility is evidently excited to the utmost by the horrible din which salutes his ears, and who grasps his slender rattan with an eager ferocity which threatens speedily to convert the shouts of mirth and exultation, into the wailings of pain and woe. The accessories of

this admirable drawing are equally deserving of praise. Some of them manifest truly Hogarthian humour. Among these is an open copy-book, on the leaf of which is repeatedly inscribed, what no doubt was the

master's favourite sentence: "Zeno loved silence! Zeno loved silence! Zeno loved silence." On a slate, shattered by coming in contact with the knee of one of the overthrown heroes to whom we have already alluded, is written “ Vulgar Frac tions.

We must now take leave of this very interesting Exhibition; repeating our best wishes for the prosperity of the Society, to whose genius and talents it bears such ample testimony.

IN the course of the last month, the Gallery of the British Institution has been opened with an assemblage of pictures by Sir Joshua Reynolds, and a selection from the Italian, Spanish, Flemish, and Dutch Schools. In our next number we purpose mentioning some of the most beautiful of these works of art; and in the mean time we think our readers may be gratified by the perusal of the following preface, which we extract from the Catalogue of the Exhibition, and the tone of which, in our opinion, does great credit to the Governors of the Institution.

"Ten years have elapsed since we offered to public inspection the paintings of Sir Joshua Reynolds; and if at intervals of the same period, we were to present an Exhibition of his works, we are convinced it would prove most useful to the painter, and gratifying to the public.

"Taste and fashion seldom perhaps go hand-in-hand, but they ne ver were more at variance than when Sir Joshua was in the full exercise of his powers; female dress was never more unfavourable to the painter's art, than at that period; and yet female beauty was never represented with more fascinating charms, than by his pencil. The truth is, that he was one of the greatest masters of grace and elegance that ever lived: he touched

་

nothing which he did not adorn;' and his works prove to us, how much more depends upon the artist's skill in treating his subject, than upon the subject itself.

"His practice we have before us; his theory will be found in those excellent discourses which he delivered at the Royal Academy, which can never be read by the lover of the arts without interest, the scholar without delight, or the painter without instruction.

"Some of us remember the kindness of his heart, and the complacency of his character:-these dispositions led him in the practice of his art, generally to select subjects which belong to the gentler feelings, and the kindlier affections of our nature; but the examples here presented to us fully shew, that the most forcible expression of the strongest passions was not above his reach.

"We are proud of our countryman; we rank him among the most eminent painters the art has produced; we honour his name; and we hope others may be led into the same path, and may be excited by his success to similar exertions.

"The liberality of the possessors of ancient pictures has enabled us also to exhibit to the public some distinguished works of the Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Flemish Schools.