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m&m V?; 1855.] TRR LEIPEB, 259
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BOOKS ONOTJR TABLE. 2>fli3wTa^ burgh Rev...
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THE EXPOSITION OF THE FINE AKT» IN PAHIS...
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A Strong-Minded Heroine. Grace Zee. A Ta...
weakness , bu * not being , able to get over it . She returns the compliment , but without an atom of amM ^ jievHeakDess ; with every appearance , on the < , 0 Htmryr / jS a- fat as extexnals go , of disliIs 4 Hg the man of her choice most cordially-. Various chances and changes , fortunes and misfortunes ,.. understavd \ p 8 $ aa & misunderstandings , affect the loves of both lady and gentlema ^ -but through two whole volumes and a" half of the book their relative sexual positions towards each other never change . Chapter follows chapter ; and slilf " Miss Grace Lee" is the impersonation of womanly strength , and " Mr . John Owen" the impersonation of manly weakness . Towards all the rest of the world he is , in firmness and energy , a perfect Napoleon of private Iffe ; towards " Miss Lee he is the most miserably undecided and sel £ -reproachfulry- compliant of men . There is no species of small amorous persecution to which ie is not subjected . If he gets up in one scene , and kicks at . his-treatment like a lier o * he is-snre to be dowi * on his knees in the next , begging pardon like , a coward . He tries to , forget tlas ferociously coy , this gr imly moral mistress of his * and to make himself
happy;the poor kicked , persecuted , limp , dangling wretch!—by ottering marriage to a pretty widow , in the first place , and to a pretty school-girl , in the second j but he is not man enough to carry matters to fair hymeneal extremities , even under the hottest provocation . He breaks off both matches — wanders after "Diana Vblumnia Amazonia Monte-Christo Lee" ( who lias fairly run away from him altogether , tp have the pleasure of making him run after her and beg pardon-again for the hundred and fiftieth time)—ftnds D . V . A . M .-C . L . in a relenting , compliant Jiamonr at . last , and { it being the end of Vol . III . ) gets her to . marry hiaii Even then ^ . aU the weakness is on his side , all the strength on hers . " Miss Lee ' s" feelings are affected ; her "dark eyes £ 11 with tears ; " but she is quite vigorous enough to give him a kiss on the forehead ,, nevertheless , in sign that it is all made up , while he , lLmp to the last , has only heart enough to return the compliment by letting his head sink on her shoulder . Miserable " Mr . John Owen ! " we know what a married life yours must have been , in spite of all that the biographer of " Miss Grace Lee" can tell urto the contrary . . ¦
_ . . . . . We have made merry—perhaps rather irreverently—with the absurdities of this book . But although we believe , to speak now in sober seriousness , that Miss Kavanagh ' s two principal character * are ridiculously false to nature , and consequently total mistakes in . art ; and although we cannot congratulate her oo the manner in which she has managed the construction , of what . little story there is in her novel , we are by no . means blind to the fact that she ; has a real " call" to her vocation , a genuine capacity fox wj & ing a good book , if she will only give herself fair play . In this very ncwelv someof the minor characters— ' f the old priest , " and " therich ,. eccentric okl maid * ' especially— -show true observation of nature , and delicate accountIf Miss
dexterity iw turning that ^ observation to good literary . Kavanagh will only clear her nrind of ideal standards of female perfection . and independence ; and of absurd transcendental conventionalities on the subject of love ; if she will let her observation guide ^ ier imagrnation , go where it may , and will test what she does boldly , while she is doing it , by its truth to the honest realities of human life ; finally , if she will devote . a little more time than we suspect she has devoted thus far , to the construction of the story before sitting down to write it , we believe she witl be able to produce a novel which will throw Grace Lee altogether into the shade , even in her own ; estimation—a novel which we shall be only too glad to welcome with the wannest words of praise that can be critically bestowed upon * it .
M&M V?; 1855.] Trr Leipeb, 259
m & m V ?; 1855 . ] TRR LEIPEB , 259
Books Onotjr Table. 2>Fli3wta^ Burgh Rev...
BOOKS ONOTJR TABLE . 2 > fli 3 wTa ^ burgh Review . 2 parts . The Travellers Library , 7 ft and 77 . . Longman , Bxown , Green , ana Longmans . The . Development of the BeUguxu Idea in Judaism , Christianityr and Mahomedanism , ce ** id * md in . Twelve Lectures on the Mistory and Purport of Judaism , delivered in Magdeburg , 1847 . By Ludwig Philippsohn . Translated from the German , ¦ withJNotea , by Anna . Maria Goldsmid . Longman , Brown , Goreen , and Longmans . Elememts of Geometry and Mensuration ; with . Early Exercise * , designed for Schools and Adult Classes . Geometry as an Ant . By Thomas Lund . B . D . Part 2 . Longman ,. Brown ,. Green ,, and Longmans . The Gotten Colony on Victoria in-1864 j with Hemarka o * the G # & 03 t ° f * A « Austra tom . Gold Field * By George Henry Wathen . Longman , Brown , Green , and Longmans . The Amtobiottrapky of Frauds Arago , translated from the French . By the Bav . Baden
EowftlL J & A ., & c The Travellers' Zibrary , No . 78 . Longman , Brown , Gxeen ,. and Longmans . Atftobmffnaph »< of James ^ SUk JBuekinghamf including hie Voyage * , Travel * , Admenturts , Speculation * , Successes and Failures , faithfully and frankly narrated ; interspersed with Characteristic Sketches of PuUio Men with whom he has had intercourse , during a period of more than fifty years . With a Portrait . 2 vola . Longman , Brown , Green , and Longmans . Jitters on * the Phiheophyofthe Human Mind * By . Sarauol Bailey , ( first Series . ) Longman , Baoron , GUeea , and * Longmans . Amelia ** IMerty and . Government Questioned . By Thomas Ityle . Longman ,, Brown , Goreen , and . Longmans . Poetical Enigrm . By Frederick J . . Walthewv Clarke and Beeton . Tim Step + mothetr . By G . P . R ~ Jam « s . ( Padour Library . ) Thomas Hodgson . The . Family Feud * . By Adam Hornbook . G . Routiedge and Go .
Th * Youth ' sMagaxme * Joha . F . fiHiaw . ¦ Skttehts , Legal and Politioml . By the late Sigh * Honourable Richard ImIot SheiL Edited , with . Note * . By M . W . Savage . 2 Vols . Hurst and BlacketC The Historical Pocket Annual for 1865 . By Dr . Borgel . Trubnor and Co . JloygtsJustimttm-. J *» . 2 . 0 . Groombrid ^ and Sons . A * JEr ** n tkalAJa ofd living Statesman . By a Conservative . Waod and Look . Iimmaic and Modern Gitetk compared with one . Another , and with Ancient Greek . . By James Clyde , M . A . . Simpkia , MknlwU , and Co . Two Itotagraphie , and Panoramic Sketches , rcpresenUng the Advanced Ltnesqf Attack , and the Hussion Defences in Front of Sebaetopol , wit / i a Dotcnptton and Hemarks . Tko Sketches by Captain M . A . Biddulph , R . A ., Acting as Asuistant-Enginoe * OSBxm in , the Trenches . , , Chapman and HaU . Soldiers and Sailonam Jftace . as in War . By Herbert Byng HalL K-S . J > . Chapman and Hall .
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The Exposition Of The Fine Akt» In Pahis...
THE EXPOSITION OF THE FINE AKT » IN PAHIS ; LiEITEB . 1 . Ok the outskirts of the Champs Elys ^ es—not far from the Crystal Palace of the French—a vast new building i s rapidly assuming a finished appearance . It is intended to contain the . Exposition of the Fine Arts for 1855 , which wilt be in some sort a supplement to the Universal Exhibition . Here foreign , painters aad sculptors are invited to measure themselves with the French on . their own ground . What is passing in . other parts of the world I know net , but . in Paris the activity is great . The- ateliers are closed to all but intimate friends , and every one is resolved to appear in his best colours . Art is determined to show that it has progressed as well as Industry .
I might indulge in very serious speculations on the consequences—good or evil—which must necessarily flow from this marriage of two branches of human labour so very distinct For the present ,, however , let us not annoy the future overmuch with impertinent questioning . There are points of noore immediate interest to talk of- —facts to record which , even if they were less pregnant than they are , would be worthy of attention from us ,, because others have none to beatowr . With the exception , of a-few gossiping . paragraphs ^ in . which , statements , for the most part incorrect , on pictures and otter works in progress by crack masters , and on the intentions of Government , are put forward , one of the most singular fact * in ihe history of Art is allowed to approach in silence . novel characterwhich shall
The Fine Arts Exposition of 1855 has quite a , I endeavour to bring out . la the first place it must be observed that , so far as France is concerned , it has absorbed the ordinary annual Exposition—a fact of no little significance , howe ver natural it may appear at first sight . In truth , the solemn occurrence of the Universal Exposition , has compromised—though most people , taken by surprise * have not become aware of this circumstauce ^—the . result , at present sanctioned by the experience of a quarter of a century and by undoubted success , of the struggle carried on by all real independent artists , for a long series of years , to obtain annual Exhibitions . It was in 1830 , ia one of those rare and fleeting moments when the voice of the greater number i » listened tc > when , disinterested . and liberal motives , usually not conversant with public affairs , have full , sway , that this great boon , was won . The benefit tbence arising to the corporation of artists , the increase of their independence , this stimulus supplied to progress was enormous . Young men who had until then looked at fame from a distance—just as a hopeless adventurer may eye the charms of a high-born lady he can never even speak to—suddenly found them
position-totally changed . Art seemed at least to have reached its . flams ot Promise . At . any rate , in the annual Expositions , the young and independent eehooL . of which ; Fjance now legitimately boasts , had its origin . Without tbia assistance , whatever" they may now think—1 say this advisedly—the elite of French , paintecs would , never have reached their present glory ; and , kept in the . background by a jealous corporation , would not have met with the valuable encouragement furnished by the public and by the State that enabled them to chow the strength they possessed . The regular recurrence of these Expositions , exciting and « nlightening-public opinion , alone enable *! rising genius to struggle against the authority of an , official school , the traditions of which , it deserted and the discipline of which it contemned . It was at that time appeared- ^ -undex previous circumstances they could scarcely have appeared—Gericault , Sigalon , Bonnington , Leopold Eobert—so prematurely lost by the new French schoolwith . Messrs . Ingres , Schefler , Horace Vernet , Delaroche , Delacroix , Decamps , Isabey , Eoqueplan ,, Gudinj . Meissonier , Corot , Jeanron , Bousseau , Dupre , Diaz , e tuttiquanti , who now adorn the sal ons and fill the shop-froats of picture-dealers with their workswhich taste or fashion instantly bids for .
, ,, . It is probably well known that the annual Exposition was interrupted during the past year ; but it may not have occurred to many that , after the great exr citement of the Universal Exposition , tilings will not fall back into the old channeL " Genius * wW " tcM ~ to " : resTln - "' 54- } -lt-wiU-pTobably-be ~ tcld--to ^« st-in : ' 56 . We may well say , then * , that an institution ,, which all who have studied the history of art beyond the current years know to have been most biboriously struggled for and hardly attained , is greatly compromised . A little acquaintauce with , the administrative spirit—so much deepened ia intensity during this period of authority and non-discussion—so influential on the destiny of the most precious things ia Fxance—will increase the alarm of all who feel interested ia such matters ; There is every reason to believe that the Expositions will no longer be regular , but wilL depend entirely on ministerial caprice aad
con-TfiQi 611 C 6 The explanation . is < simple enough . The annual Expositions have always been looked on with an evil eye by authority . Art in France is subveitfwnnd—supported by Government contributions , as are all theatres and all religious sects ,, not to apeak of certain newspapers . Perhaps in this , case necessity legislates . The French people lay particular stress on their artistic superiority , winch flatters their vanity , and at the same time enables them to add . so much , extensive value to their works all round the circle of production . But their aristocracy is not rich , and their bourgeoisie is passably stingy . Suppout , therefore , must come from the State . That is admitted on all hands . JBut , unliappily , wihen we speak of Government contributions—that is to say , of contributions comina from aU—we speak at the same time of money passing through the hondaof a Saw . Wo would not suggest the vulgar notion of positive unfaithfulneiia—thatis a . weanon we leave at the disposal of reactionary parties fighting ot
against democracy ; but the spirit of justice and the inteUigence ug- «¦ " ? " £ tors of tha pnbUcfunds in this particular may well bo called in auestion- They IS to do- go « l to tlieir friends ; and are usually not very nice in their choice . M ^ rasssiri ^ jrr ^ ssgas ^^ SBB ^ B ^^^ S ^ in the material results thereof , begin to regret thoir cjn ^ gj . ^ { JSr '^ JSrS S 5 SHSSfES 3 aS % abov ^ Tenumcratca ! These gentlemen wl > o won celebrity in Expositions , and by
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), March 17, 1855, page 19, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/cld_17031855/page/19/
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