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3SFo , 463, feBBirAKr 5 ^ 1859.] THE LE ...
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COTENI GiBDEN OPEEA.HOUSE. We have durin...
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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Wb Shouklfail In. Justice: To The Aistac...
Oi the honoured names found in . the catalogues of . fifteen or ¦ twenty ' years , ago few will be seen in the present exhibition . No L-andseer , Leslie , M aclise , Herbert , Dauby , Webster , Stanfield , now . Of all the Academicians Roberts is the only one , and Frost with Cook the only associates who exhibit here . But it by no means follows that the absence of the high and might y ones should leave the walls bare of meritorious pictures . Good store
of such by Linnell , Holland , Eddis , Cooper , Gilbert , Hague , Hay ton , will be found . Buckner ' s portraits are there of course , and Mr . Bant . exhibits . a ¦ ¦ charming work . There are also good and promising works by a . younger generation , among ¦ whom we may name Clarke , Cole , H . Moore , Liodendale , and Burgess ; among these , too , should be mentioned Mr . Wyburd , who has a charming little picture of Jocasse ' s wife , from Mr . Rogers's Italy . We shall be able to go more into detail on future
occasions . . SOCIETY FO . lt THE ENCOUKAGEMENT OF THE FlNE AKTS . On Tuesday evening , the first conversazione of this society was held at the French Gallery , Pallmall , at half-past eight o ' clock , when more than two hundred ladies and gentlemen were present , Mr . H . XDttley was called to tlie chair , and addressed the assembly on the nature and objects of the new society . The council have succeeded in obtaining suitable chambers at No . 58 , Pall-mall , for the meeting of members and the collection of prints and books ; and also in securing the use of the French Gallery , most kindly granted gratuitously by Mr . Ganabart , for the delivery of lectures and other public occasions . Among the lectures
proposed to be delivered were a series on " The Moral Poets of the Nineteenth Century , " and another on the Shakapearean and Elizabethan Drama , " by Mr ' John A . Heraud , the : author of " The Judgment of the Flood ; " a * series of popular lectures on music , with illustratiohg , by an eminent musical authority ; a . course of lectures " Ou Painting and Painters , Ancient and Modern , " by himself ; and a course on Anatomy , as applied to the Arts , by Mr . Walter , a zneniber of the council . Numerous subjects would be presented for their discussion at their different meetings of gr ^ at pra ctical importance tq the arts ; — questions , for instancy , of copyright , public patronage , original inve . nti . pn . in regard to style and national appropriateness , and the expediency of securing popular action in controlling and directing works of ijublic usefulness , . '• ¦ ' ,
The discussion meetings ( continued the chairman ) were almost of higher immediate importance than the lectures , for they applied directly to the arts of the present day ; and for want of meetings of the kind the arts had ofteu suffered great wrong , and the professors of them still greater injury . These subjects had indeed from-time to time been ventilated in the newspapers , and very powerful articles upon them were frequently published . But , without any disrespect to the journals producing these articles , it must be admitted as a gene- ' ml fact , that the journalists of the day were not to a
large extent conversant with matters of art . They did not consider it a province to which they should devote their original energies and thought , and they looked to being instructed by other parties from time to time ; very often it happened that the instruction they received was from parties having a direct interest in a particular view of the question . The consequence was that most of the papers appearing in the journals of the day on subjects connected with art hod been of a partisan character , taking opposite sides , between which and not in which the truth was too often to be found . In their
discussions they would have not only the opinions of men ( professionally engaged in the lino arts , but they would have those of persons outside these limits , which would act as a controlling influence over the prejudices or the ' particular objects of artists themselves . The subjects to be brought forward at their meetings were too numerous to mention in detail ; one or two , howover , would servo ' as illustrations , and show that thoy were such as ought to engage the attention of an intellectual society . The first ho would mention was that of " Copyright in works of art and design , " which had boon already very largely'discussed in the Society of Arts , and elsewhere , and also in the House of Lords when brought forward by Lord Lyndhurat ; as yot , however ,
country ; " for it was considered unworthy in a great country and a great age servilely to copy the art of any other age or country . A discussion had been lately raging between mediaeval and classical art , but when that was settled the real interests of architectural art would not be affected , for it was something quite beyond and apart from these that this country required . Italy had her quartocento and cinoocento styles :. France her Louis Quatorze style ; Spain , the Moorish ; and England , in a former age , the Tudor and Elizabethan styles ; and if all these had been appropriate to their own times and nations , why should not the great age of Victoria be equally entitled to distinction by a style of its own ? When intelligence had arrived at the highest point ,
when enterprise was greater , and carried on upon a grander scale than at any former period , was it not worthy of producing such a distinction ? Could public enlightenment and public intelligence be more advantageously brought to bear than in controlling and directing works of public usefulness ? . ( Applause . ) Another subject suggested for impartial and dispassionate discussion was the operation of Art Unions , which were , to a large extent , concerned in the encouragement and promotion of taste in this country . Tt was calculated that amongst the different Art Unions no less than 50 , 000 / . or 60 , 000 / . was collected ; and if this were annually laid out upon the purchase of works of art , it would no doubt afford a . great stimulus to the profession ; but it was found that not above one-third of this amount
¦ was actually laid out upon pictures , the remainder being expended upon prints , distributed for the purpose of attracting subscriptions , and upon the working ekpenses . These were a few of the principal subjects that would come under consideration , but the council hoped to be able to forward a printed formula to the members in the course of a few < day . s . These discussions would not be altogether resultless , for on each occasion a vote would be taken and the result made public ; and in cases where such a course was requisite , a memorial to Government would be forwarded upon any special subject on which an . expression of opinion , had thus been obtained .
. Some conversation then took place on these various topics , and was followed by . the performance of vocal and . instrumental music , in which the following artistes took part : —Mr . W . B . H . Harrison , Miss Hughes , Miss Binckes , Miss Whyte , and Miss Marian Wheatley , accompanied by Mr . W . M'Farren . The walls of the apartment were embellished by a collection of works of art , all of them of a choice anil select character . The purpose of this society is most commendable , and it will ho doubt receive extensive support .
Among the professed objects of the society , which , when carried into--effect , ' must exercise a very strong arid beneficial influence upon the future of art is the prize and testimonial fund . Although at first starting it cannot be expected , that the awards made should be of any great intrinsic value , we agree with Mr . Ottley in the expectation that " the artists of this country will not disdain to receive from the society a testimonial , however humble in its form , when they consider that it is an expression of sympathy and admiration from a certain number of independent minds gathered together in a society established professedly for the encouagement of art . "
The London and Middlesex Archaeological Council met on Thursday , when an interesting drawing was exhibited by Mr , Smither , Hon . Sec , of a recently developed portion of London-wall , The council afterwards dined with the London and Middlesex , Archaeological Club at Peel ' a Hotel , Mr . Thos . Lott , F . S . A ., in the chair .
, . THE H 12 KTZ COLLECTION . ( From the Critic ") An inspection of the collection enables us to speak in loss general terms of the Hertz collection than we have hitherto done . Its chief attractions are its goms , which are throughout Quo , and many very interesting . We may particularly note such as illustrate classic authors , those , whioh connect themselves with tho Trojan war , the sacrifice of Achilles on his departure , tho suicide of Ajax , Achilles with tho dead Hector , & o . The gods are , as usual , abundant , and many are very fine . There arc also many goms and rings that illustrate tho manners
and feelings of private life ; and though lega ' showy than other works of the glyphic Art , ava more curious and valuable as memantog of the thought of past times . Th ' ero avo very many small bronzes of a noblo character ill this collection , the most remarkable being a small Minerva of an Archaic design , precisely similar in character to tho oldest forms given to tho goddess . Tho drapery , us well aa the features , are all of tho primeval typo , and resemble the goddess as seen in tho famous uEginotlo groups at Munich . There is nlso a sjngulur silver statue of Mercury , with tho chlamyt picturesquely thrown ovor his shoulder .
The fictile vasos an ? generally , good , and mnny re- * markablo for thoir early and able drawings , possessing Ut onoo a certain perfection of conventional delineation whloh stamps thoiv ago as porfootly as any date could give a work ol' more modern time .
» o practical result had been arrived at , and tho fact was that there , wore two extreme parties , one demanding a groat deal and tho other willing to conoedo very littlo . Too much dlsouasiou , tlierofore , could not bo had with a view of bringing both to some agreement upon tho subjoot . Author subject would bo us to ' tho public patronage of art , and moro particularly , tho Government com » etfUonB , Wid thoir offoot upon art . " Nothing surely could . bo mores JUigltimato than that tho publio who advancod tho money for tho purpose should have a voice in too application of that money , uiul in tho selection of « iQ works . A thiril subjoot would bo » Tho possibility ° » suggeating and establishing , u stylo of architecture ana ttioUltooi-uvftl ornament uppropduto to tfio ftffo and
3sfo , 463, Febbirakr 5 ^ 1859.] The Le ...
3 SFo , 463 , feBBirAKr 5 ^ 1859 . ] THE LE APE B . " .: . " . 183
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Coteni Gibden Opeea.House. We Have Durin...
COTENI GiBDEN OPEEA . HOUSE . We have during the last week again had the pleasure , of hearing . M : r . Balfe ' s Satanella , and find , little cause for altering a . line of our previous . criti ? cisms . We find that an enormous load of absurd dialogue having been , excised , andj in fact , the gems of the opera set closer together , it is now as delightful as it was . originally wearisome . The perfection attained in every department by constant repetitions is , of course , most noticeable . Several "ballads which , made but slight impression on their first public perrforrnance are now so smoothly and delicately shaded
by both band and vocalists as to reflect perfectly on to the listener ' s ear the musical thoughts of the composer . The " Power of Love , " which we hear could not a few weeks since be printed fast enough to supply the demand ^ is the kohinoor of the opera . The next favourite is ^ the beautiful " Let not the world disdaining . " Miss Pyrie renders these , as well as every elaborate difficulty in the music of her part , wita such fluency , that she seems but to converse in song . Mr . Harrison was excellent in his airs " When fortune frowns " . and " No prize can fate on man bestow . " Miss Rebecca Isaacs sang delightfully the graceful ballad " Our hearts are not bur own to give , " and Mi \ St . Albyn in " ¦ Oh , would she but
name the day , " continues to distinguish himself as a facile singer , with a voice of good timbre , and & very clear enunciation / The charming choral and concerted morceaux with which Satartdla is Btudded are now delivered with mechanical precision ; and in , its present form the opera may be pronounced « credit to the composer and a great feather in the cap of the enterprising manager . . The ; cost of producing such a work upon such an enormous stage in so high a style of finish must have been enormous . The sacrifice of the apparently petty gains derived from farming the offices of box-keepers ,, cloak-room attendants , and others , must have been in the
aggregate ' very considerable . But ~ the management have , as we predicted while their undertaking -was in embryo , beeu repaid all these expenses by a discerning public who have nightly crowded the theatre during a" run " of unusual length ; and we believe we are not wrong in adding that a considerable margin of profit has also been secured by the treasury . The Pantomime , in which the Paynes . father and son , proved themselves , as we observed pn reviewing the Boxing-night amusements , the grand masters of their art , is amusing , and not too long . The transformation scene , a la Louis XV ., is , in our opinion , the most elegant and truly artistic work of ts class produced in town this season .
DRURV L . ANE THEATRE . Mr . E . T . Smith , the well-known lessee of Drury Lane , is one of those peculiar notabilities who vex the souls of the quidnuncs . Ever at something new , ever successful , he has survived more Impending crises than almost any public man we can call to mind . In spite of sinister adguries , whispered ; at street-corners and proclaimed ore rotu / ndp in tavern clubs , Mr . Smith is as persevering in his solvency and success as some other entrepi > eneurs are in the reverse . But a few weeks ago and it ¦ was announced that his tenancy of Drury Lane was to end speedily , and tliht ' the crash must come at last , for a strong
party were resolved upon both points , and would commence operations by raising the rent of that establishment upon him . At the meeting , however , their little plan fell through , as we announced last week , and Mr , Smith rides safely in smooth water , witliinside the breakers that were to effect his shipwreck . We now learn that he is soon about to open his theatre for tho performance of Italian operas . M . Benedict is to be the musical director ana con > ductor ; Signors Mongini and Graziani are engaged as tohors ; Signors FajsoUi , Badiali , and another Graziani , as barytones ; and among the ladies at presont enrolled are Madlle . Titienn , Weisser , and Vauneri , with the Signoras Sarotta and Brambula .
HAVMARKET THEATRE . The last appearance for the present of Mrs . W . 'C . Porboe , tho American actress , of whom wo Have spoken in previous numbers , took place on Saturday in The Honeymoon . This very pleasant comedy , comprising tho parts of tho Z > ukc Ar < m * a and Juliana , bo popular with " stars" or dMutanHs of either aox , is continually before tho public , and never fails to pldaso . Tho lattor part gave Mrs . Forbes an opportunity of onhnnoing the favourable impression wo received from her performance of Julia in Tho & unoft- < baok . S )» o looked and acted well , both as tho supercilious , high-born , heroieal , man-hating ?• Miss Oruisor" of the first aot , and as the amiable contrast matron of the others . Her gradual acceptance ot tho inferior social and domestic position to whipw tho Vuko Arcmxn reduces her in his wife-taming pro-
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 5, 1859, page 23, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_05021859/page/23/
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