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PHOTO&RAPHIC VIEWS IN ROME AND VENICE . * We Lave before us about a score of views taken by the photograph in Rome 4 md Venice , presenting one of the happiest applications of the art ; while some of the views ave among its most perfect results . There is in all ordinary art , except of the very highest kind , a constant tendency to deviate from the correct type of nature into mannerism . An artist acquires a happy knack of giving some particular effect—such as the sharpness of . angles © r projections , which distinguishes the style of Prout ; or the smoothness of-effect wihieh belongs to Copley Fielding ; or , going into the opposite extreme , the concentrated vividness which Turner procured for a prominent object by strongly opposed tints and vagueness of texture at a distance from the centre . But in either case the artist who has succeeded in the particular trait , has a tendency to exaggerate the force of that trait and to
sacrifice the rest or the picture to a part . The inost sticcessful view-takers have been bred in the theatre ; and in Canaletto or Sta-nfield we may see the resort of the discipline which the artist undergoes in being compelled to produce such reality -as would deeeive the senses . It may be said that the finest painting can do more than excel the mature which it copies . A great artist , indeed , may omit from the picture accidental points that tend to < dinunisli its effect by disturbance , but he cannot do more , than nature herself does . He can only obtain an improvement by an abatement ; and the most < compleie picture , undoubtedly would be that which should , bring up every j > art ;' to as much perfection as the hand can attain . Here agaix » , there is another corrupting tendency—that to give the details a greater prominency than they really bear . The gradation , of foree in the shadow aatd tints of ¦ objects , as they are seen in nature , is so extremely getttle that is is very
-difficult for the painter to follow it ; and the eye so readily gets vitiated , as so readily tempered by strong prints and shadows , that it 13 easily drawn . away from the regular series of gradations . The greatest masters , indeed , copied natural effects . Titian could give minuteness and force , and at ifae rsame time retain breadth . This-combination is the graiad characteristic of the old masters : they preserve that breadth , which , at a comparatively distant view , masses the objects in a few simple forms , while they faithfully sfollow the details * still keeping them in their proper proportion of force . The old masters , and especially the one whom we have just named , are fully justified by the photograph , -which has shown us how the most minute -copying can . be attained , and even perfected , with the broadest light and shade . AirtGMigst the score of views that we 1 aave before us , there are several objects extremely familiar even to those who have not visited Rome or " Venice ,
from the frequency -witSi -which they have been pourtrayed ; We have , for instance , several of the remains of the temples of Jupiter Tonans , of Venus , an , d Vesta , and the arch , of Septimus Severus , —mere relics of the ancient struc-* ure soiaaetimesremaining as models of beauty for succeeding ages ; -we have the men and horses on Monte Gavallo , one of which has been copied , improperly enough , as " Acbilles'" in the Park ; we have the Rial to , the Ducal Palace , and St . Mark ' s , at Venice . But in no former style of view-taking has the oreality- of the building , the absolute form of the statue , the strict identity of effect , been laid before the spectator at a distance as we now find it through the photograph . Here , nevertheless ,- —while you can count every brick , while you can point to the literal exactness a £ each particular line in the contour of a statue and in the marking of the details—to each letter in the inscription on the pedestal , you have , at the same time the breadth of light and shadow , which gives the effect of the whole ; and still you have the proportions of size , of tint , and " effect , " which place you almost bodily in
¦ the scene . On the Colonna Antonina , you can trace many of the wellinown groups in the ascending spiral . In the front of the new Posfc-ofiice , included in the same view , and again in the Piazza of St . Mark , you see the details of every window ; the legs of the chairs before o » e of the caffes ; and , nevei'theless , you have the effect of the whole , as if you stood with your back to the cathedral . A bas-relief by Gibson , representing Phaeton-r-an imitation of ancient sculpture , —is here before you in such relief , that the hand itself moves to touch the form ftnd test its substance ; but always with tho same breadth . In the picture of the Rialto , the shadows are as soft as Copley Fielding could have made them : but Prout himself could not have translated the details with more sharpness , nor could a Mieris have equalled the minuteness . In the Ducal Palace again , -while the peculiar and massive forms of that extraordinary building are presented -with great force and grandeur , you have at once a Rembrandt effect of light and shade , and a -closeness and force of detail that far excel Ciinaletto , The happiest specimon of all represents the old church at Homo , whose ¦ ¦
name we forget , opposite to the Temple of Vesta : it is one of the smaller views , and presents by no means one of the most striking specimens of architecture ; but as a specimen of photography it is perfect . " Here , again , there is the same breadth of light and shadow with the same minuteness . It is interesting to note the sharpness and accuracy of line with which the minuter forms such as certain iron rails , can be traced into shadow , and even through the shadow which at first appears entirely to submerge them . In shortf these specimens of photography , while they justify the old masters , give at once the most faithful views that can be rendered of objects at a distance , and the most sterling lesson which the landscape painter can derive in the elements of accurate drawinsr and broad effect .
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THE KING'S EJTVAL . On Monday last the St . James ' s Theatre opened , under the management of Mrs . Seymour , with an English p lay and an English company . The play was The King's Rival , expressly . written for the occasion by Mr . Torn Taylor and Mr . Charles Reade . The company includes among the lady-members Miss ( Jlyn and Mrs . Seymour ; and among the gentlemen-members , the very worst collection of actors we ever saw in anj" - theatre not situated on the Surrey side of the Thames . In trying to offer any estimate of the dramatic value of The King ' s Rival , we labour under -the disadvantage of having seen , a play so badly acted by the principal male performers in it , that we aTe doubtful whether , in common justice to the authors , we ought to criticise it at all . If we may venture to form any opinion , under the most adverse
stage circumstances , we sLould say that the first three acts of The King's Rival struck us as being the weakest parts of the play . The last two acts were really interesting . They contained some "excellent situations , and some very clever and telling scenes . The play may be described as a dramatic picture of the Court of Charles the Second . T 3 ie " King ' s Rival' * is the Duke of Richmond ; and the lady who is the object of the rivalry is the famous Miss Stewart—transformed , however , by the authors , from the loose , indolent * caird-house-building lady described by Be Grraxtunont , to a perfect pattern of virtue , and a very Griselda of affectionate endurance . This violation of historical truth is , as it appears to us , a mistake in . Art . Miss Stewart , as represented in the play , is the conventionally virtuous lady of the stage . She is loved . —she is wrongly suspected—she is cleared of sus
picion—she is happy at last . Miss Stewart , as she really was ^—unworthy of hoaourable love , yetvnnning that love by her own irresistible attractions —securing it , and yet not being fully certain of it—always in danger of being justly despised the moment she ceased to be adored—would have been a more original dramatic figure in the stage composition . However , it is our business here to speak of the play—not as it might have been written , but as it is written . The third act is , in every sense , the doubtful and perilous act of the drama . ; The fourth saved the play ^—the striking situation at the end being thoroughly worthy of the unanimous applause which followed the fall of the " drop-scene . " The last act , too , was full of clever dramatic writing . The interview ^ between Charles and Nell Gicynne is one of the most successful scenes in the play ; and the final speech is the best we have heard for many a long day on the English stage—the best , because thewriters have had the sense and courage not to make it ridiculous by making it a " tajr . "
The actinjr , so far as the ladies were concerned , 'deserves the warmest praise . The hearty good-nature and gaiety of Nell Gwynne were represented by Mrs . Seymour with an ease , sprightliness , and unflagging spirit which won—and deserved to win—the sympathy and admiration of the audience from the moment when she first appeared on the stage . Bliss Glyn , in the part of Miss Stewart , acted admirably from the first scene to the last . We beg especially to congratulate her on the almost complete absence of anything like stage conventionality in her performance . She was natursil , tender , womanly throughout the play—graceful without affectation —and impressive without effort . She gave the actors who were engaged with her in the scene a lesson in their art which they niight all have profited
by—but they were incapable of profiting by anything . A ho more gracefully and naturally Miss Glyn acted , the more Mr . G . Vandenhoff and Mi . T . Mead ( as ^ Charles the Second and the Duke of Richmond ) roared , rolled their eyes , strutted , stamped , attitudinised , crossed the stage , and bid for gallery applause , which we are most uaulTeetodly rejoiced to say they did not obtain . Tho actors of less prominent parts were less positively offensive—we will treat them with all possible ' tendorness , and utter no critical words in relation to any one of them . B , ut if tho speculation at the St . James ' s , Theatre ; is to prosper ( and we most sincerely wish it may prosper ) , the truth must be told as regards the male members ot tho company generally . Unless Mrs . Seymour engages some new actors who really can act , all that she can do , and all that Misa Glyn can do , and all that Mr . Tom Taylor and Mr . Charles Roade can do , will not avail to give the management of the St . James ' s Theatre tho high place which we yet hope to see it hold in the estimation of the ploy-going public .
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¦» - — — , —¦ - —~—>—¦— - * Published by CJjuaoppp Spitbovor ,, Piazza di Spngna , Rome . Agent by appointment , Tnilaior and Cq .
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Tit 10 Form's Council . "—Ilia Grace tho Archbishop of Tuam proceeds to Rome at tho closo of this wools , on tho invitation , of hia Holiness , to attend tho groat mooting of tho prcLAtcs . of the church , whera tho Irish biorarclvf will bo represented also by hia Graco tho Archbishop of I > ubHn and Ins Graco tho Archbishop of Ata&ii&U , Pximato . TjfcM Ba , wio JfyiBisT is vaa Wjttfrnu . —Wo understand that oAioiul inquiries have boon prosecuted as to tho boat station on our coast where a portion of tho Bultlo Hoot now under Sir Charles Napier ' s command mijflit paaa tho winter , ami that u . strong recommendation Ixiia boon , given in favour of tho Oromjirty Firth . Tho likelihood it ) , therefore , that somu alx or oight Uitooi-baWlo ships inay Ho at Oromarty for some months in tho « nsulng vyintor . —Invornaatt Advertiser . KsoAwn ow a Convict . —Joseph liniph , tho mrm who waa aontoRood to twenty yoari' transportation for u
robbary at Grinnby , and who oaoapadl from Lincoln CiiBtlo a ulxort timo ago , escaped a sooinid timo from Lincoln Oiistlo on Monday lust , and has not ainoo boon hoard of . Timfi J&OY . AX , M . UtlSKS AND THIS MoVHVAGllli . — Tho LorU # of tli 3- Admiralty havo ismod an order , dirootitng the Royal Maruxos to grow tho mimstauhoa , in order tilwit tUcsuo ahull bo » o dbtlnotion botwoon tho British soldier aud the marine , who arc constantly joined in tho aumo aorvloo and nlna . ro tho nama honours and dangors . Suo-ruau lliuuTd and Lokd lSoi-tNTox—There ha » boon a feast at Glasgow , conDoaratod to fcho eaiwo of wlxnt are onllod " Suuttitjh Kiglits , " and in honour of Lord EtfUntoin , tl * o champion of tho eauso . TJ » o banimot wa » trivon by tho National AssooiivtionL for tha Vindication of Scottish Righta , and to moot tho invited Riiost , woro , aiming othor . t , tlio ]> uko of Momtro . io , Sir Thomas Gludttouo , Sir Arclilbnld Alison , Mr . J . B « ir < l , KA * ., I * rof « Jor Aytoun , and 00 ' on . From tho spoooboa
it appears that tho Association means to go or , and " place its roqucata before Parliament , and at tho foot of tho throne , believing it will not bo long boforo ita "wlsho * will be accorded to them by tho good feelings of the pooplo of England and the matronly solicitude of their . Ko . yiil mirttrens . " Mn . KounuoK . and thio Shrkpiklo Mkktint . 1 . —Tlio iSfpaotator atxya : —At a recent Shofllolil meeting , whicli Mr . Roobuok was invited to aittond , ho attended not ; ho sont a letter , but tho lottor waB publltthed not 5 it m supported to uontiist of rou . tont ) why tho indopoudunfc mombor would not attend to play the game of Ituridin by attempting to defeat tho Western Powers in tboir use of tho Austrian alliance ; and heuoe , no doubt , ita nupprossion . la that tlm « ly thoaia to be counted umon $ rit tlio lo » t works of litoruturo ? Can it not bo publiohod ? What have tho SholHold poojilo dono -with their copy ?
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^ 54 THE LEADER . [ Saturday ,
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Leader (1850-1860), Oct. 7, 1854, page 954, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2059/page/18/
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