It is emphatically pleasant. From a Fine-Art point of view, it is "the
winter of our great content." Only a few weeks ago we had an Exhibition
of the Young Masters, and very-much-alive English Artists--to wit, the
students of the Royal Academy--at Burlington House, and now Sir
FREDERICK LEIGHTON has waved his wand, and has given us a transformation
scene in the way of a collection of works by the Old Masters and
Deceased Painters of the British School. And a very good show it is, and
very grateful we feel to those who have for a time stripped their rooms
in order that we may enjoy a sight of their treasures. Very restful to
the eye and soothing to the spirit are these grand contributions by the
Old Boys. They may say what they please about the progress of modern
Art, but _Mr. Punch_ is of opinion that many of these fine specimens of
CROME, GAINSBOROUGH, JANSEN, MURILLO, MULREADY, &c., are bad to beat.
How time slips away! It only seems the other day that these Winter
Exhibitions were started by the Royal Academy, and yet the present one
is the twenty-first.
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MUSICAL NOTES.--When the Oratorio of _Nineveh_ is performed again,
with incidents in the life of JONAH, one of the features will be a
magnificent wail in a minor key.--There is to be a banquet given to
musical Dr. TURPIN. It was graceful on the part of the Archbishop of
CANTERBURY to make this excellent musician a Doctor--the name of
TURPIN being more closely associated with York than Canterbury.
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