The winter exhibitions of pictures have one striking difference from those held during the summer months—their infinite variety. This season especially there must surely be something to please everyone who takes any interest whatever in art, Burlington House as usual devotes itself entirely to the works of masters now deceased, but this year the term "Old Masters" can hardly be applied, for although some canvases date back as far as the fifteenth century there are likewise works from the brushes of Sidney Cooper, R. A, H. T. Wells, R. A. and John Calcott-Horsley, R. A. all of whom passed away quite recently.
Although the whole of Gallery LI and the greater portion of the great gallery are devoted to the works'of the Academy's: President of eighty years og", Sir Thomas Lawrence, I think the work which appealed to me most was Rembrandt's "Portrait of a Lady" lent by the Marques of Northampton, It is a half-length figure in " black satin dress with " wide lace collar for its only ornament. Perhaps its charm lies in its simplicity, or maybe in the wonderful flesh tints and the fascinating dimple, which in real life must have wou for the lady hosts of admirers. Tu any case I saw nothing else nearly delightful and could not help wondering why none of our leading portrait painters of to-day can get that wonderful life-like effect, for they certainly do not. In the same gallery (No. TIT) there is a' portrait i of James Byers (or Byres), a celebrated architect and antiquary, by Sir Henry Raeburn, R. A., and with it one had exactly the same feeling; the vitality in it was perfectly marvellous. I heard two artists discussing the colouring of Sir Thomas Lawrence's pictures at the private view and they both agreed that in their wonderfal colour scheme lay their great charm, One remarked how impossible it was to get the same colours nowadays. I wondered why, but suppose that in these days of general adulteration, print shares the common fate. The Lawrence collection includes some most interesting exam-Bits Vin (ent by H.Bf. the King) occu-les of the great painter's skill. Pope pies the centre of one of the walls in the third gallery. It isa full-length portrait of his Holiness seated in a chair; the red and white of the robes are as fresh in tone as if they had but just left the studio and over all there is thrown a yellow-tinged light, coming through from " gallery seen_in the hack-ground, which is most effective. "Cardinal Cansalvi" (likewise the propre ty of the King) is a_work of equal if not of greater powers. The Cardinal is seated in his robes, facing the spectator, holding his biretta and a bundle of papers in hin hand, a face full of strength of purpose. The catalogue furnishes the information that Cansalvi was created Cardinal and Secretary of State by Pope Pius VII and that in this capacity, he concluded the concordat with Napoleon in 1801; that subsequently he strongly opposed the French Emperor's pretensions, and was imprisoned for three years at Rheims; released at the same time as the Pope was allowed to leave Fontainebleau, he returned with him to Rome and resumed the direction of affairs there. Iconld not help thinking, as I looked at the face of the man—so keen and restless an' full of life—how long those three years of prison-life must have seemed.
Althoush lis men are undoubtedly fine, I suppose it is as a painter of "Fair Women" thatSirThomasis really excellent some of his ladies are more than passing fair but quite the most beautiful example shown in the present exhibition is his well-known "Miss Farren" the celebrated actress who subsequently became Countess of Derby. She must have been a most lovely creature, tall and fair with beautiful dark eyes. She is gowned in. white and wears a long white silk cloak trimmed with fur and a' white far boa, exactly like those so popular to-day. Tu her hand she holds a large feather fan, her hale is curled and powdered, and the whole effect obtained is dainty in the extreme, reminding one of a piece of Dresden China. "The Countess of Leitrim and Danghiter," and "Mrs. Maguire and Arthur Fitzjames," are two canvassies which struck me as being particularly charming but taken as a whole I think the entire collec tion is one of the most interesting ever got together within these walls. I suppose in no other country except ours would it be ble to obtain a loan collection of anything like an equal value.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.