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Of the honourednames found , in the catalogues of fifteen or twenty years ago few will be seen-in the present exhibition . No Landseer , Leslie , Maclise , Herbert , Danby , 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 mighty ones should leave ihe walls bare of meritorious pictures . Good store
of such by Liunell , Holland s Eddis , Cooper , Gilbert , Haghe > Hayton , will be found . Buckner's portraits are there of course , and Mr . Sant exhibits a charming work . There' are also good and promising works by a younger generation , among whbnf we niay name Clarke , Cole , H . Moore , Lidfdendale , and Burgess ; among these , too , should be iiieiitioiied Mr . Wyburd , who has a charming little picture of Jocasse ' s wife , from Mr . Itogers's . Italy . We shall be able to go more into detail on future
occasions . SOCIETY FOB . THE ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE FINE ARTS . 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 . Ottley was called to the 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 . Gambart , 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 " Shakspearean and Elizabethan Drama , " by Mr " John A . Heraud , the author of * ¦ * The Judgment of the Flood } " a series of popular lectures on music , with illustrations , by an eminent musical authority ; a course of lectures " Oh Painting and Painters , Ancient and Modern , " by himself ; and a course on Anatomy , as applied to the Arts , by Mr . Walter , a member of the council . Numerous subjects would be presented for their discussion at their different meetings of great practical importance to the arts-rquestions , for instance , of copyright , public patronage , original invention in regard ti > style and national appropriateness , and the expediency of securing popular action in controlling and directing works of public 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 powei * fid ¦ articles upon them were frequently published . But , without any disrespect to the journals producing these articles , it must be admitted as a general 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 tlieir 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 fr om 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 had been of a . partisan character , taking opposite sides , between which and not in whioh the truth was too often to bo found . In their discussions they would have not only the opinions of men [ professionally engaged in the line arts , but they % vou ] d have those of persons . Qutsido these limits , which would act as a controlling infiuonco over the prejudices or the particular objects of arttota themselves . Tug subjects to bo brought forward at their nicetinga wore
too numerous to mention in detail ; , one or two , however , would servo | as illustrations , and show that they wore such as ought to engage the attention of an intellectual society . The first ho would mention > vas that of Copyright in works of art and design , " which had UQQtt already very largely discussed in the Society of Arts , and elsewhere , and also in the House of Lords when brought jbrward by Lord Lyndhurst ; as yot , however , no practical result had boon arrived at , and the foot was that there wore two extreme parties , one demanding a groat deal and tho other willing to concede very little . muoh
• Loo discussion , therefore , could not bo had with a vlow pf bringing both to soino ngrogment upon tho subject . Another subject would Uo as to " the public patronage of art , and maro particularly tho Government comnqtitlons , ittnd their ofFuot upon art . " Nothing surely oouldjjo more legitimate than that tho . publjo wl > o advanced the monoy for the purpose should have a voice in we application pf that money , mid in the selection of iiM > works . A third subject would bo » Tho possibility « 8 iigg « Btln § nut ! uatubUalilng a stylo of architecture « na architectural ornament appropriate to tUo age and
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country ; for it was considered unworthy in a great country and a great age servilely to cbpy 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 cincocentd 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 wa 3 greater , and carried on upon a grander scale than at anj- 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 . It was calculated that amongst the different Art Unions no less than 50 , 000 £ or 60 , 000 ^ . was co llected ; 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 expenses . 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 days . 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 subjecton 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 niusic , 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'JFarren . The walls of the apartment were embellished by a collection of works of art , all of them of a choice and select character . The ; purpose of this society is most commendable , and it will no doubt receive extensive support . .
Among the professed objects of the society , which , when carried into effect , must exercise a very strong and 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 . "
Thus 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 Arehwologiqal Club at Peel ' s Hotel , Mr . Thoa . Lott , F . S . A ., in the chair .
THIS niCUTZ COLLECTION . ( From the CritioJ ) An inspection of the collection enables us to speak in less general terms of the Hertz collection than we have hitherto done . Its chief attractions are its gems , which aro throughout fine , aud many very interesting . We may particularly note such as illustrate classic authors , those which connect themselves with the Trojan Avar , tho sacrifice of Achilles on his departure , the suicide of Ajux , Achilles with the dead Hector , &o . The gods are , as usual , abundant , and many are very fine . There aro also many goins and rings that illustrate the manners
aud feelings of private life ; and though loss showy than other works of the glyphic art , aro more curious and valuable as momoutos of tho thought of past times . There aro very many small bronzes of a noble character in this collection , the most remarkable being a small Minerva of an Archaio design , precisely similar in uharaetov to tho oldest forms givon to the goddess . Tho urapory , as well as the features , aro all of tho primeval typo , and resemble the goddess as seen in the famous -flSglnotlo groups at Munich . There is also a singular silVor atatuo of Mercury , with the cblumys picturesquely thrown over his shoulder .
The fictile vases are generally good , and many remarkable for their early and able drawings , possessing at once a certain perfection of conventional delineation which stainps their ago as perfectly as any date eould glvo a work of more modem tiiuo .
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No . 463 , ffEBBUAire 5 , 1859 . ] THE LEABEB , 183
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CO VENT GARDEN OPERA . HOUSE . We have during the last week again had the pleasure of hearing Mr . Balfe ' s Satanella , and find little cause for altering a line of our previous criticisms . We find that an enormous load of absurd dialogue having been excised , and , in fact , the gems of the opera set closer together , it is how 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 performance are how so smoothly and . delicately shaded by both band land 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 Pyne renders these , as well as every elaborate difficulty in the music of her part , with 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 our own to give , " and Mr ; St . Albyn in " Oh , would she but name the day , " continues to distinguish himself as a facile singer , with a voice of gobd timbre , and a very clear enunciation . The charming choral and concerted : morceaux with which Satanella . is studded are now delivered with mechanical precision ; and in its present form the opera may be pronounced a 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 agrgregate very considerable . But the management have , as we predicted while their undertaking was in embryo , been 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 on 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 .
DBDRTT LANE TBEATKB . 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 auguries , whispered at street-corners and proclaimed- ore rotunch in tavern clubs , Mr . Smith is as persevering in his solvency and success as some other entrepreneurt . are in the reverse . ' But a few weeks ago and it was announced that his tenancy of Drury Lane was to end speedily , arid that 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 lost week , and Mr . Smith rides safely in smooth water , wituinsjide the breakers that were to effect his shipwreck . Wo now learn that he is soon about to open his theatre for the performance of Italian operas . M . Benedict is to be the musical director and conductor ; Signors Mongini and Graziani are engaged as tenors ; Signors Fazotti , Badiali , and another Grflziani , as barytones 5 and among the ladies at present enrolled aro MadUe , Titions , Weisaer , and Vaimeri , with the Signoras Sarotto , and BrambMa ,
HAYMARKKT THEATRE . The last appearance for the present of Mrs . W . O . Foibos , tho American actress , of whom we nave spolcon in previous numbers , took place on Saturday in The Honeymoon . 'This very pleasant comedy , comprising tho parts of tho Duke Arama and Juliana , so popular witli " stars" or Mutants of either sex , ia oontmually before the public , and never fails to please . Tho latter part gavo Mrs . Forbes an opportunity of enhancing the favourable impression wo received from hor performance of Julia in The ffunoh " baak , She looked and acted well , both as tho BuporoUious , high-born , heroical , man-hating ?• Miss Cruiflor" of tho first act , arid as the amiable contrast matron of the Others . Hor gradual acceptance of tho inferior social and domestic position to wluou the JDu / to Aranxa reduces her in his wife-taming pro-
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Leader (1850-1860), Feb. 5, 1859, page 183, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2280/page/23/
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