(_To the Editor of the Mirror_.)
Sir,--I have recently had the pleasure of visiting the British Institution,
and hope the following remarks on a few of the best works will prove
acceptable to those of your readers who are interested in the Fine Arts.
It is customary at this Institution to open, every autumn, a school for the
study of painting, in which students have an opportunity of copying the
best productions of the greatest masters. The present school opened a few
weeks ago, and furnishes some exquisite specimens of art, which were
selected by the directors as examples for imitation. In general the
students have been very enterprising this season, and their copies, if not
quite equal in every respect to the charming originals, are nevertheless
very meritorious and masterly attempts.
_The Holy Family_, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, is a remarkably fine specimen
of colour, and has been successfully copied by Messrs. Boaden, Fisk,
Child, and Inskipp. Small copies, in water colours, have also been done
from it by Miss Sharpe, and Miss Fanny Corbaux. Much praise is due to
Mr. Morton, for his whole length _Portrait of a Gentleman_, after
Vandyke; and Messrs. Simpson, Higham, and Middleton, deserve high
commendation for executing the best _fac similia_ of Rembrandt's
_Portrait of a Lady_. The _Landscape with Boors_, is a delightful little
picture by Teniers, belonging to his Majesty: numerous attempts have
been made to imitate it, but not altogether with success. Mr. Hart's
copy, however, is extremely clever. Poussin's _Landscape and Figures_,
has engaged the pencil of Mr. Burbank, who has produced a most elaborate
copy in water colours. Mr. Foster displays considerable ability in his
_Hobbima;_ and Messrs. Lee, Earl, Watts, and Dujardin, have equally
excelled in their copies from the cattle piece by Cuyp. In De Hooge's
picture, the _Exterior with Figures_, we are delighted with the
representation of a fine summer evening: a peculiar warmth is diffused
over every object, and the lengthened shadows indicate sunset: of this
work, Mr. Novice has executed the best finished copy; Miss Dujardin's,
however, is exceedingly good, and contains much promise. Another
splendid example of art is a _Large Landscape_, by Gainsborough, good
studies from which have been made by Messrs. Watts and Child.
Two small views on the Grand Canal at Venice, by Gwardi, have employed
the talents of Miss Dujardin, Mr. E. Child, Mr. Watts, and Master
Pasmore. But it is impossible to enumerate, in this hasty notice, all
the arduous undertakings of the students: suffice it to say, that they
have gained another step towards pictorial fame, and that their copies,
from the works of Rubens, Wouvermans, Murillo, Canaletti, Titian, &c.,
are honourable testimonies of their exertion to excel.
_October_ 19, 1829.