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THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY,
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would stand quite alone in her support of Italian freedom of action , andi tier position would have -been . exceedingly-onerous * The treaties of 1815 have ; not been so well maintained as to induce overwhelming' anxiety that the parties to the Paris contract should again be called tog-ether in the face of the present contradictory and perplexing elements of disunion . Scarcely-one' of the signatories of the Vienna pact has failed personally and individually to violate it in spirit or in letter . That Austria has done so most unblushingly has been said and repeated so many times of late that ¦ we need employ but few-words in pointing out the fact . The treaty of 1815 was specially intended to limit the occupation of Austria in Italy to the Lombavdo-Venetian territory . In spite of the stipulation to this effect , she occupied the Duchy of Modena , the city of
Placentia , and virtually reigned over the larger portion of the peninsula . According to the treaty in question , Lombardo-Venetia , though ceded to Austria , was to enjoy the immunities and franchises of an administration , if not independent at least individual and national . It will not be forgotten , —the rather that Verietia , unfortunately , still remains beneath the Austrian yoke , and but too truly confirms our testimony—that so far from the above stipulation being observed , Austria reduced Lombardo-Venetia to a simple province of the monarchy , deprived it of all local life , treated it with gross severity , overwhelmed it with taxation , cha ged iVin short , into a theatre of war , whence menaces were continually issued to the whole of Italy , and which imperilled the safety of neighbouring countries . But not only in Italy did Austria violate the treaties
of 1815 . They were equally set at nought by her in Gallicia and Cracovia . Russia acted in opposition to them with regard to Poland ; Prussia in the Grand Duchy of Posen ; France and England in Belgium ; Switzerland in Neufchafel . Their violation has twice been acquiesced in by the whole of Europe . In 1830 ,. at the fall of the Bourbons , and the recognition of the sovereignty of July . In 1852 , on the re-estublishinent and recognition of the Napoleonic dynnsty . We have said these changes were acquiesced in by the whole of ' Eurppfei but we should have made an exception in favour of the Duchy of Modeha . The worthy Duke , Francis IV ., whose relentless severity towards all holding liberal views , has scarcely ever been surpassed , and his equally enlightened son , Francis V ., both refused to acknowledge any Government in Fiance
after the expulsion of OirAKtES X . ^ We see , then , how utterly without reason and value have been the outcries raised during the past few months against ¦ Italy ,-for seeking to rid herself of the despotism by which she was oppressed * and choosing her own sovereign and form of government . Treaties have been constantly invoked which have long since been torn to shreds and cast to " the winds whenever they have proved in any degree embarrassing or inconvenient . Why , then , should Europe be alarmed at a fresh modification of those treaties ? Let Italy now be suffered to take her afliyii-s into her own hands , and show to the world that Italia fara da se is no mere empty boast . Austria has so much business of other kinds in hand that she is not likely to interfere directly ; although she has already violated the engagements she entered into at ViUafrancn , by recruiting in Vienna for the Pontifical army . The world-renowned pamphlet , " Le Pape et Ic CongrZs" -has given the old Roman fox , according to Dante ,
" Quella volpe cbe eiede in Vaticano , " so much to do in trying to retain possession of the territory she still holds , that ' she would " be ' little able to utter any effective protest against the simple recognition of accomplished facts . In the kingdom of the Two Sicilies the sovereign finds it hard enough to hold on J > is progress-stifling , light-excluding course amidst the imminent dangers of moral " volcanic eruption which hourly threaten his throne and dynasty with perdition , so that he doubtless would remain a quiet spectator , of the adjustment of Italian affairs . Having thus disposed of the many difficulties and opponents in the way of the formation of the kingdom of Italy , we trust , before long , to see the Italians settled , contented , and prosperous . If ( his is to be secured only by the surrender of Savoy and 'Nice to France , this transfer may prove to be the key to the French enigma which has throughput proved so puzzling . ¦
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npHE seventh exhibition of the Photographic Society has com-. A- menced . To those who remember their earlier displays , the manifest advance , in every respect . / which this one indicates is very grent . The number , as well as the skill , of the exhibitors , and their productions , is higher . No toss than two hundred specimens , chiefly those . which had arrived latest , were unable to find apace upon the walls , and were consequently dismissed to the limbo of " upstairs . " , The gloomy dinginess of the ooitp-d ' coll is relieved ; this year , by one or two coloured works of a larger size than usual , apd by a more generally pictoriul . effect in the unooloured . The first thought , on than
entering , is now " pictures j groups , " rather , as once , " specimens ; preparations . " It is pleasant , perhaps from the rarity of the thing , to bo abloto give unqualified praise . Nearly , ivll , taovertheless , of > the pun-copies of . prints and , drawings in this exhibition seem to us well-nigh perfect . Mr . Thubbton Thompson ' s yoproclnotions of sketches by Rad ^ bm-b and Michkl Anqk ^ o ( Nob . 15 and 60 ); which wo recognised at onco as from tho Taylor Building * , are marvellous m their accuracy . Tl > o rough texture of the antique papqr , with every stain and tear , is roprpaonted in blank and wliito , » o as to defy any but the closest inspection . Nos . 29 , 38 , 210 , 211 , 222 , 223 , are nil copies of dmwiiJK's by Homibjw iu tho Royal Collection at
Windsor . For all practical purposes they might be the drawings themselves . It is with peculiar pleasure that we watch the development of photography in this direction . This is the real popularising of art ,, to be able to give to the many , not imitations , not selections or adaptations , but the things themselves . We cannot feel the same pleasure in the photographs from paintings . They fail , to our eyes , in the cardinal point—likeness . The feature , of course , in this line * of the exhibition , is the elaborately coloured copy of the cartoon of "Paul at Athens' * ( No . 838 ) . Mr . Thompson's name is authority sufficient for the photographic work being as good as may be ; and a first-rate colpurist , we are assured , has been engaged for ten weeks before the cartoon , in the incessant and laborious endeavour to make the work , in colour as well as form , a fac-simile of the original—we cannot think he has succeeded . The result leaves a painful impression of chalky gaudiness , which the small size of the copy ( in relation to the original ) rather increases . A better attempt , We cannot but think , . may be seen on the other side of the road , at Messrs . Colnaghi ' s . Tliis photographic copying of paintings is somewhat of a-test , as in No . 22 , a copy of a painting by J . Nash . Most are familiar with Mr . Nash's hard bold style , and angularly vigorous chawing , obtrusively inviting observation to the fewness and strength of the touches , the brightness of the colour , and the artfulness of the contrasts . Here again the glory has departed , and nothing but but the obtrusiveness remains . The picture is nothing but a ghastly skeleton . . . . ¦¦ \ We cannot com riiend the photographs from her Majesty ' s collection , Nos . 24 and 48 . -They seemed to us confused , and too black and white , as Well as small . More unfortunate still are the copies of the " Leisure Hour , " by H . Weir , and Mr . Philips ' s " The Muff ' ( No . 200 ) . Every stroke-of the brush is represented in light and shade , so as to give the whole picture a painfully streaky smeared look . The sad proud face of the Andalusian belle , with its trembling lips , is a hash of black splashes , and the delicate touches which , in the original , so well represented the tears quivering on her eyelashes , are depicted in the too faithful photographs as little mounds of paint , each casting its own decided little shadow . Decidedly the best copy of oil painting we noticed was No . 444 ., by Mr . Hehincx , the well-known photographer of Regent-street . All this gentler man ' s copies of engravings , also—which are too numerous fur specification—seem to us most admirable . The portraits are , of course , innumerable . Messrs . Mauix and Polyblank transplant to these ' walls ... many-of those -portraits of famous folk that have so long gladdened shop-windows . Mt Hekbjjrt Watjeuxs claims a special notice fur the fine posa niuL general pictorial effect of his portraits , and also for the clearness and sharpness of his ' details . He has a remarkably fine porti-ai ^ of a man very difficult on many accounts to depict forcibly—Lord Brottgham . The venerable legislator is admirably rendered . Nos . 525 and 363 , by Mr . A . Heath , attracted our admiring regards from their faultless portraiture ( we speak in all seriousness ) , both With and without colour , of a most faultless pair of whiskers A magnificent little boy , too ( unnumbered , but hung on , the left ot the . secretary's chair ) , standing on an arm-chair , with his sturdy little feet half hidden in the soft spring cushion , is a great tent in the difficult art of catching a child ' s expression at its best . To our mind , however , photographic portraiture is not , and we don't well see how it can ever be , first-rate . It is , after all , only a fixing of the transient expression which the photographer or tho sitter thinks the finest . It cannot be , * ' As when a painter , poring on a face , Divinely , through all hindrance , finda the man . ' Behind ifc , and so paints him that his face The shape and colour of a nalnd and life laves for his children ever at its be 6 fc And fullest , " Where , as in the group of portraits , No . 2 ( with the exception of Mr . Lane ' s gentle and loveable face ) the texture of the skin is exaggerated into something like disease , the effect is leprous and horrible . Let us protest against the comic and theatrical photographs . ' It is simply repulsive to see people grinning nnd staring in groups , in order to be " taken off , " It cannot be really comic , and the attempt to retain the limbs in a passing gesture , or tho features convulsed under a temporary excitement , bocoinos more affectation . ** Miss Atkinson as Lady Macbeth" ( No . 645 ); " Mr . Robinson and Miss Heath as Romeo and Juliet" ( No . 501 ); " The Lady who looks Lavinia" ( 4 . 62 ) , a . nameless lady who , wo trust , is libelled by the sun ; " Ophelia" ( 4 , 30 ); " The Lady of Shalott " ( 44 , 7 ); a variety of strange things called " Studies" ( 501 ); tho stiff groups of " Country Girls" ( 4 , 29 nnd 4 , 08 ); and the deadlylively comic group of " TheMagistratos" ( 880)—are fair examples of how even good workmanship is unable to carry off what is so essentially vulgar . , ... i i . a One group we must except , as most oh « ractensbic , and not opon to the above objections ; we moan that of " Villnge Carpenters ( 4 , 13 ) . It is simply a gronp of four portraits , and the amiiHing element in it is the diffbrent forms and degrees of embarrassment m the four honest fellows who have been induced to stand lor their IlnPTIARHftfl With tho landscapes we , must conclude . As good ns dull purple and white can bo , are Mr . Lyndon Smith ' s two views in and near Wharfedale ( 23 ) and ( 4 , 7 ) . The clearness of the work is exqi unto and the gradations of distance prove how much . belter t « '" Ptf ^ J moist nir is for the finer effects of aerial pftrspeotive , thnn ft ^ JJg and brighter cH ' inato ; such as that , for nwtmico , i » wl » oj Mi .. Itniva took his views of tho Holy Land and Kg-ypt . No . 50 is a most
Untitled Article
Jan . 21 , 1860 . J Tk& I ^ a ^ e ^ 65
The Photographic Society,
THE PHOTOGRAPHIC SOCIETY ,
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Jan. 21, 1860, page 65, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2330/page/13/
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