After so long an interval as has elapsed since the last exhibition of this Society, we might have expected a better show than that of yesterday at the Philharmonic Hall,
with a gaily painted proscenium. There tage of which has now been fitted up were only half " hundred pictures altogether on show, the work of fourteen exhibitors, and of those fourteen, one belongs to Hankow, and one to Nin; d all are ladies, except two. It is impossible to believe that there are not many more than ten ladies and two gentlemen in Shanghai who have drawn or painted in oil or water during the last six months; and possibly before the next exhibition, the Committee of the Society will have devised some means of collecting a larger and wider representation of the graphic arts in Shanghai. What there was in the show was decidedly good on the whole, and there was not one picture which had better have stayed at' ome, but the collection was meagre beyond question.
Mrs. Muirhead who, we think, has not exhibited in Shanghai before, sent the first five numbers on the catalogue, of very unequal merits. No. 1, Freshwater, Isle of Wight, was ce_itally painted view of the singular Arch "Rock, and the other four were nice, if not particularly striking. Mr. Heath's Garden Scene, i, No. 6, shewed that the painter had worked hard and honestly to produce his result, but this gentleman's colouring is not faultless. Miss Fraser's pair of Ornamental Shells, No. 7, were decidedly pretty, and her two water-colours, On the Great Ouse, Nos. 8 and 9, were quite above the average. Miss Reis has devoted herself this time entirely to flowers, and the Christmas Roses, No. 10, and Honeysuckles, No. 12, were beautifully done. Mrs. Scott sent the next five numbers, the first, No. 13, being a Painted Screen, with chrysanthemurns on one panel and foxgloves on the admirably grouped and coloured. No. other, a really charming piece of wo1 specially well done. The three copies, Nos, 16, 16 and 17, were equally masterly, Mrs, Scott having realised the Japanese touch to perfection in the Kakimono. No Jess than twelve of the exhibits were from the facile pencil of Mrs. Rees, and it is evident that we have now a portrait painter among us, who, whether she idealists her sitter, as in No. 24, or realises him, as in No. 23, paints at once what are excellent likenesses as well as charming pictures, and is equally at home in interiors and ex-tenors. The same firm touch, boldness of handling, and perfection of colouring are found in all her original pictures, whether portraits, outdoor scenes, or flowers (No. 48); but we did not like her copies, No. 25 to 28, nearly as much, though the Harvest Field, No, 95, wasa very attractive picture. The Ferry, No. 20, was so good, that we should have liked some change in the cloud in the top corner. Mrs. Deighton-Braysher's two copies in oil, The River Daiya-gawa, Winter, (No, 29), and On the Clyde, (No. 30), were the best things that we have seen from this brush, the latter being painted with special care and appre: ciation. Miss Knights' two Bubbling Well Bat the subject of the former was singular: pictures (Nos. 31 and 32), were meritorious,
ly uninteresting. Her other original picture, Chrysanthemums, (No. 34) was an excellent piece of work, the drapery and the flowers being admirably done. Mrs. Yorke's study of Pheasant and Chrysanthemums was a capital picture, as a aludy, bold in handling, well drawn, and striking. in colour. Miss Shaw's Basket of Pansies, (No. 38), looked a little flat, for want of a more strongly contrasted background, but the careful labour in the drawing of the flowers was not a bit thrown away. Mrs. Allen sent four water-colours, all well drawn, but all a trifle heavy in effect, the best being the forest view, (No. 40), On the Road to the American Bungalow, near Kiukiang, Mrs. Allen's colouring is max terly. Mr. Daniel's The Thames, at Clifton Hampton, was an attractive picture, the largo tree in the foreground, the foreground itself, and the cows being carefully finished. (No, 44), The Village of Clifton Hampton, was also very good, as were the trees in No. 45, Shottesbrooke Park, but the lawn in the last was impossible, and the sky not 0 carefully done as Mr. Daniel's generally are. Mrs. Nickels sent two copies. The original of No. 46, Enjfin Seuls, was by no means a faultless picture, but' Mrs.
jckels' rendering of it was very good, particularly, the "drapery and dress of the lady. 'The crayon drawing of horses' heads, No. 47, was one of the best. things in the whole exhibition, and it would be dificult, to give it anything but praise, Mrs. Lieder's original Winter Landscaj (No. 49) was a very nicely painted little snow scene, while the Summer Landscapo (No. 50) was a very well executed copy of A lange wood scene, in oil, most effective, and capitally painted. The arrangement of the pictures, on screens and easels, left nothing to be desired, and the whole exhibition, though it might have been larger, did credit to the love of art in Shanghai, and was one of the best the Society has ever given.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.