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Leader (1850-1860), 4th December 1852, Edition Country of 2, Page 22

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    • Cmtmtmml Marcs.
    • M K.. .AL'UmtT HMTTTf'H ASCKNT OV MONT ItliANC, KVIORV KVKNIN(J,nt IOi f ;ht o'clock.
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      Defacement Of Pictures At The National G...

      done , and the officials are alarmed at a new " outcry . " We trust that it will be loud enough to affright them from their work . Amongst those who go to look , indeed , are many who are not the most experienced or the most clear-sighted ; it is not possible for every man , however quick or accomplished m other things , to pronounce upon questions of the kind ; and many , who feel their usual credit for sagacity somewhat at stake , fall into the natural asylum for perplexed intelligences , assume a compromise as the practical form of " impartiality , " or fall to balancing supposed motives , and are misled by insinuations that this or that man has personal objects . This , however , is not impartiality , but evasion of judgment . The case , we believe , is capable of being put into so precise and tangible a shape , that tlie man most unfamiliar with technicalities may grasp it , so long as he does not suffer himself to be led off by general expressions or vague comparisons . It is strictly a matter-of-fact , and ought to be treated as such . The pictures injured are nine— " Embarcation of the Queen of Sheba , " " Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca , " " Landscape with figures , by Claude , " "View in Venice , " and " View on the Grand Canal , " by Canaletto ; " Consecration of St . Nicholas , " by Paul Veronese ; " Angels Weeping over the Body of Christ , " by Guercino ; " Conversion of St . Bavon , " by Rubens ; and " The Plague of Ashdod , " by Nicholas Poussin . A tenth , and that one of great importance , seems to have been touched , " The Raising of Lazarus , " by Sebastian del Piombo . Some of the more striking traces of the decorticating process in the nine pictures , are described by Mr . Moore : — " The words * La Heine de Sala va irouver Salomon , ' written by Claude himself , on the quay to the right of the ' Embarcation of the Queen of Shcba , ' were distinctly legible previous to the last vacation . For this we have the authority of the official catalogue ; and I can , for once , testify to its accuracy . Some of these words are now utterly illegible . The unmeaning scratches left to indicate where they were mark the audacity , not the forbearance of the operators . The same maybe said of the ' Marriage of Isaac and Rebecca . ' In the Guercino , the lower portion of the outline of the angel ' s face in the centre of the picture is all l > ut rubbed out , so that face and neck , until lately relieved from each other , are now confounded in one unintelligible mass , ' The View in Venice / by Canaletto , scoured into a jumble of near and remote objects , offensively huddled together on the same plane , suggests , by the excessive rawness and spottiness of many equally white objects , a bad representation of a snow scene . In the ' St . Bavon' the features , modelled in transparent colour in the final process of the work , have been almost effaced from some of the heads , which now look like repulsive excrescences of badly imitated or diseased flesh . ' The Plague at Ashdod' has fared little better . So violently have some of these pictures been scoured , that scrumblings of their own body pigment are perceptible on their surfaces . "

      rain without mist , and that there is as little distance as there is sun Much the same difference will be seen in the damaged " Queen of Sheba " if it be compared with the undamaged picture , by Claude , to the left of the door as you enter . One is lit up with sun ; the other is the watery sun of a Scotch autumn . In like manner the Paul Veronese can be more distinctly traced in its outline , where the opaque colours were of a light species ; but in the dark parts , the removal of the transparent colours renders the picture more obscure than it was before , while the richness of its golden hue has gone . The reason is , that . with the " dirt , " the " cleaners" have removed those delicate and transparent colours -with which the artists finished their works .

      These are palpable effects , which most men can trace for themselve but even the more general consequences are comprehensible without a ' technical profundities . Canaletto was a scene-painter , and his pictur ^ have the characteristics of a man practised in that branch of art : they ^ precise in outline , illusory in point of distance , literal in colouring . The somewhat lack aerial perspective ; but it will be remembered that in Ital ^ the much greater clearness of the air diminishes the effect of aerial t > spective in proportion to the distance . On the other hand , Canaletto V remarkable for conveying the local colour of atmosphere in . a sunny climate . Now let the spectator compare the damaged pictures with on of Canalefcto's in its true condition , and he will see that the damaged pie tures have a sombre , hard look , like an English scene on a day of steady

      When the decortications were made five years ago , we were told that the pictures would " recover ; " as though time could re-execute the finishing process of a Titian or a Rubens : the spectator can now see how far the " Peace and War" has recovered . It has , indeed , recovered some of the dinginess that it had lost , but the painting which it lost has gone for ever . It may wait another couple of centuries without ever being revisited by the warm hand of Rubens . It might be supposed that , in the present state of picture-cleaning knowledge , the alternative for the owners of ancient pictures lay between toleration of obscurity induced by time , and dilapidation . But that is not

      exactly so . Careful and tender cleaning , properly so called , without invading the surface , may do much to preserve pictures . On the other hand , when , dirt has once eaten into the substance , it is not to be extirpated , even , by abrasion , as we see in the water of the other damaged Claude—excoriated , without losing all its dirt . The practical question is this , will you prefer to see the work of the great master unnmtilated , although as if through a glass dimmed by time , or will you tear off the glass and the surface of the picture with it ? We believe that most sensible men would say , let us retain the picture unmutilated . Well , at the National Gallery they are mutilating the pictures which are the public property—mutilating raluable property which can never be restored .

      1170 The Leade R. [Saturday ,

      1170 THE LEADE R . [ Saturday ,

      Political Parties In The Days Of Anne.—'...

      Political Parties in the Days of Anne . — 'Tis strange here , and on a foreign soil , and in a land that is independent in all but the name ( for that the North American colonies shall remain dependents on yonder little island for twenty years more , I never can think ) , to remember how the nation at home seemed to give itself up to the domination of one or other aristocratick pai'ty , and took a Hanoverian king , or a French one , according as either prevailed . And while the Tories , the October Club gentlemen , the High Church parsons that held by the Church of England , were for having a Papist king , for whom many of their Scottish and

      English leaders , ( inn churchmen all , laid down their lives with admirable loyalty and devotion ; they were governed by men who had notoriously no religion at all , but used it < ia they would use any opinion for the purpose of forwarding their own ambition . The Whigs , on the other hand , who profw-sod attachment to religion and liberty too , were compelled to send to Holland or Hanover for a monarch around whom they could rally . A strange series of compromises is that lOnglish history ; compromise of principle , compromise of party , compromise of worship ! The lovers of English freedom und independence submitted their religions

      consciences to an Act of Parliament ; could not consolidate their liberty without sending to Zell or the Hague for : i king to live under ; and could not find ninoiigst the proudest people in the world a man speaking their own language , and understanding their laws , to govern them . The Tory and High ( Jhuieh patriots were ready to die in defence of a Papist family that , had sold us to France : the grcui ; Whig nobles , the sturdy Republican recusants , who had cut , off Charles Stuart ' s head for treason , were fain to accept a king , whose title came to him through a royal grandmother , whose own royal grandmother ' s head had fallen under Queen Mess ' s hiitchet . And our proud lOngl ' iHli nobles sent to n . petty ( Jenniin town for u monarch to come and reign in London ; and our prelates kissiul the ugly hand * of his Dutch lnistreKseH , : in < l thought it no dishonour . In Engliind you can but belong to one party or t'other , mid you tuke the house you live in with nil its encumbrances , it « retainers , its anti (| iu \ discoinfortn , ; nnl ruins even ; you patch uj > , but you never build up anew . Will we of the new world . submit much longer , even nominally , to thin mitient Kritinli superstition ? There nns signs <> l" I he times which make me think that ere long wo tilmll cm-o h . h little n )> out King ( Jeorge hen-, * r « C 1 >/ V I * KH . iukI jieei-rt tt'mpoial and peers spiritual , iih we do for ^^ ^ J ^ -r ^ -7 C ~\ Kintf Cluml " <> r llu ' l ) niitlM - Tiiackkiiav ' h Ksmoml . M /^ f ^ tX ^ l ^ 1 ^ i >^ r \ ^ ' ™ JN Wintiok . I hhw Ktna in its winter c / ta-W iSli " ' k ^/ S ^ cA ' r at ihl ' l' < 'K mili "tf <»* ' M «« : l » . ' < <> - Three-fourths P / s'fiafft >~> ji ^ hJirm tllc mountain , namely , tho whole of the naked und Kflbi'i

      almost the whole of the wooded zones , lay beneath an unbroken covering of snow , while at the base all the fields were clothed in the brightest green of spring ; peas , beans , and flax , were already in fall blossom , the flowers of the almond had fallen , and given place to the leaves , and the fig-leaves were beginning to unfold ; the meadows were decorated with hyacinths , narcissuses , crocuses , anemones , and countless other flowers . Etna stood there as an enormous cone of snow , with its base encircled by a gigantic wreath of flowers . —Scnouw ' s JUarth , Plants , and Man .

      Cmtmtmml Marcs.

      Cmtmtmml Marcs .

      Money Market And City Intelligence. Brit...

      MONEY MARKET AND CITY INTELLIGENCE . BRITISH FUNDS FOR THE PAST WEEK . ( CLOSItfO PltlCKS . ) Satur . Maud . Tucs . Weihi . Thurs . Frid . Bank Stock 223 223 * 222 } 3 , » m- Omit . RimI 100 J KM )* 100 & 10 <> l 100 J 3 per Cent . Con . Ann . 100 } 101 } 101 * lOlfc 101 J 3 per Cent . Con ., Ac . 100 J 101 } 101 } 101 lOlj 3 } por Out . An JM 101 103 $ 103 & 103 } Niuv 5 per Ccnl . H Long Aim ., 1 H ( I () 0 7-1 ( 1 6 7-K . « i India Stock 277 275 277 Ditto u <) min ,. eH ) oo ... h : » h : j hu m m Ditto , under . CHMH ) H 3 H 3 Er . UillH , - C 1000 71 p 72 ]) 72 p 72 }) 01 ) p Ditto , £ 500 70 i » 711 p 72 p Ditto , Hmall 70 p 7 ! 1 p : 72 p

      "Fo It Hi Un Fundh. (Last Okficiai. Quot...

      "FO It HI UN FUNDH . ( Last Okficiai . Quotation txjking tiik W « kk undino tliukhday icvhnino . ) AuHtriim 5 per CViiIh . ... HI ) Mexican 3 per Outs 2 f » llray . ilian ft per Cciilx . ... 10 'iJ Peruvian , lH-lil 104 Hra / . ilian Now-1 1 porClH . !> 7 £ Peruvian 3 per (' cut . Del ' , ( ilj Hra / . ilian Now , IHUi ) & ;»!> 103 PortiitfUUHO -1 p «« r Cents . 3 HJ ; DuiiiHli 5 pm-CcntH 10 ( 1 KuHNiaii 44 p « r CVntH . ... 10 * 4 Dutch 21 per Oiitn 07 } HpaniHli 3 p . Cents 5 I-JDutch ' ! per Cunt . Certif . OB HpauiHh Passives , Conv . Oft Dutch 4 per Cunt . Certif . . Spanish Com . Certif . of Account , December Hi OH } Coupon not funded ... 3 J Granada Deferred 13

      M K.. .Al'umtt Hmtttf'h Ascknt Ov Mont Itlianc, Kviorv Kvknin(J,Nt Ioi F ;Ht O'Clock.

      MR . ALimRT SMITH'S ASONNT OV MONT ItliANC . KVIORV KVKNIN ( J , nt IOi ; ht o'clock .

      Ad02213

      rtl'll I ( H , t > fi , \ V UK I I * Jill I'd H » ( 'III ( 111 II-1 ' « ' » " m r n """" ' *• ' . / """ J from Mleven till Konr . Area , ^ h . ; ( Jallery , Ih . A Mornii . fr Perforinitnco every ( Saturday , ut Three (/ . 'loeli . l ^ iYPTIAN MALL , Piceadilly .

      Ad02207

      riMIIfl mCST MATTING AND MATS Of * 1 COCOA-NUT KNHtlO . Tho Jury of < Hiimh XXVIII . ( Jrc . at Kxhiliition , awarded tint I ' ri / . o Modal to T . TUICliOA H , at wIioho wurclioiiMci ( -ly , Luilijatd Hill ) piirclmHcrH will find an iiMHortiiuint of Cocoa-Nut l ' 'il » r < i inanufacttiroH . unoquallod for variety mid oxrrllonro at tho moHt niodorato prictiH . Catalogues frcn l > y poHt . ' 1 ' . Troloar , Coaou-Nul Fit > ro Muuuiuuturcr , 42 , Ludgtilo JJ . il ! , Lumluu .

      Ad02212

      HH HE PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL X STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY Book Passengers and receive Goods and Parcels for MALTA , EGYPT , INDIA , and CHINA , by their Steamers leaving Southampton on the 20 th of every Month . The Company ' s Steamers also start for MALTA and CONST ANTINO pin m , tto aotk , u » a vigo , oporto , LISBON , CADIZ , and GIBRALTAR , on the 7 th , 17 th , and 27 th of tho Month . For further information apply at the Company ' s Offices , 122 , LeadenhaU Street , London j and Oriental Placo , Southampton .

      Ad02211

      CAWSON HILL MINING COMPANY . Shareholders in this undertaking are referred to tho Leader of the 27 th November for a full report of the First General Meeting . Persons desirous of becoming Subscribers can obtain a prospectus and fullest particulars upon application personal ,, or ny post , to tho Purser , at tho offices of tho Company , No . i , orown Court , Threadnecdlo Street , City .

      Ad02210

      TO NEWSPAPER PROPRIETORS AND EDITORS . —A Younf ; Man of Liberal Volitu : s ami cm - HiiloraWo practice in writing for tho Press , ia domrous o > " curing an on a ornont on a Newspaper , to winch he would . u tribute a Weekly Leader or Leaders on tho topicH of U 10 < l » y . ^ Specinipna of Btylo in composition , roforencoH , &<•„ w freely furiiiKhed . . l Ail . lro 8 » K . ^ ribe , ( rare of A . P . White , 31 , Dundia Street , flbiHgow . ^_—

      Ad02209

      A WARPED a PHTZE MEDAL J ™™* A C 1 . AHH X 1 X .-TO TIIK CAKP . KT a KA I ) h ,. - ¦!« JA . VlCTOltlA PKLT CMUIMSTINO . -Tho 1 > A I'KNI " »] w LBN CLOTH COMPANY bo * to inform . th « t" !' "'X , , „ ,-new patterns in CAIU'KTH a .,, 1 TAKLK « ^ ? ^ rn-nt HC 1 . H 011 are now out , and will be found far » lI P ^ . " T ) l ( , they have hithorto produced , both in Htyle and ™"'^; iu Public nm be HuppluMl at all r .-Hpcotaf , o Cnnu t - Lo . ulon and the country . The Company doe . n it . * . > ri () r caution ( ho I ' ubliti a itiiiHL parties who are «« ' »^ ' , ,., „„ . deHcriplio . i of p ooilH an lelted car | . ct » , wbich will nol , ) ilitv ; parmonwil . il ( heir n . anufiuiture , wither in Htvl < 1 » ' '" , (( ,, | l , y an . l that ( he K enui .. en .-HH of tho tfoodw can a way H n « | ^ l )((( h purehi . H . M-H , aH the Co . npiuiy ' H earpol . H ur « all Hi . an p . <) N (" eudn of Hit . pie < : < % " JIovaj- Vm : tohia ( Jabi'KTIn «» . I ft ( .. with the royal arnm ii . the ,-cntre . I ' " "X AU " >»« 1 " - torieH are . n ' t Klmwood MillH , LeedH , and " ' " ^ " ' ,.,... ' , Cheiip-WholeH . ilo Warehouw , at H , Love-lime , VVoo < l-H "' i , , Hi < le . ~~

      Ad02208

      r IM 1 . 10 T « > V ^ A L E X uTlJ ITI ON ^ Jjj " ^ L ii «« wly-inv .-nted , very HmiUl , V ° T / . dim-en , mi "" " ; POCKIOT ( iLAHH , tho m / . « of a walnut , « ""^ ,, iH f ,,, in « i ,, | , jecl , s at , i < liHl . » n « o of JV 0111 four to Hvo . ni 1 . h , w ( to l , o ii . vnliiiil > l « to V . K'l . torH , Hpo . lHn .--H . <_ ' ; ' ' , ^ A n , ) W »¦!<¦ lu-eporH . l ' r . ce MM ., ^»^ ^ r " ' ' i ^ oHHOHHinK mi . « I « ' "' ' „ .., ' t important inve-. tion »\ f ™ XZ \ l \ X ™» t ™ W !^ ordinary poworn , Hint Home , -H "'<•'" ' "• J . tlII-u ' M Ui « 't ' . "' , will HhoV , liMtine . l . . lupiUT - H Moo . ih , » " , ^ UI 1 ( T ur « <• " '' DuuMe HtarH . They H ,. perm-d , ' , yv . M-y tlin I 1 . „„ , „ , A . ¦¦ - 'ii ^ r ^ rer ^ o ^ few »» , Albomurlo ytroot , l'io « ud » Ily , oppowlto U «« x «

  • Citation
    • Leader (1850-1860), Dec. 4, 1852, page 22, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_04121852/page/22/