Sherbourne Castle, engraved by Vertue, representing Queen Elizabeth and Court on her journey to Hunsdon House.* The Morton portrait of Mary Queen of Scots was unfortunately not there, but the Duke of Portland contributed a most valuable full-length of her which was very similar in point of personal appearance to the Morton picture and her monument in Westminster Abbey. We must pass Essex and Sir Christopher Hatton, Raleigh with the map of Cadiz behind him, Lord Burleigh on his mule, and, pausing a moment before the Chandos portrait of Shakspeare, remark that, although now so totally faded and worn out, that canvas possesses a longer and better supported history than any other of the so-called Shakspeares in existence. It is particularly interesting as the actual commencement of the National Portrait Gallery originated by Earl Stanhope. A very curious full-length picture of Queen Elizabeth standing on a map of England, with the City of Oxford between her feet, is a singular performance and very characteristic both of the style and conceits of the period when it was painted. James I was only represented by a small full length (and they are very rare) from the Earl of Denbigh's. Buckingham was several times represented, but once in particular in an oval from Apethorpe. Of Charles I, numerous repetitions were to be seen, especially the large family group belonging to the Duke of Richmond, once in the Orleans gallery, and a duplicate also of the picture at Windsor Castle. A magnificent specimen of Dobson, the successor of Van Dyck, belonging to the Duke of Northumberland, represents the artist himself grouped with Sir B. Gerbier and Sir Charles Cotterel. The Earl of Craven sent some fine pictures of the Palatine family, and the Earl of Clarendon a magnificent full length portrait of Monmouth. Great painters and great subjects from this period become too extensive for any special enumeration. It is, however, worthy of note, that the series included even men of our own century, many still living; and that Mr. Murray contributed largely from his gallery of literary celebrities in Albemarle street. Dance, Copley and Hogarth appeared to great advantage in portraiture; witness especially, the Captain Coram by the latter. Lely, Kneller and Honthorst had also contributed largely No. 64 of the Portrait Gallery. See the accompanying wood engraving drawn by G. Scharf, Jun., and contributed also by Mr. Murray. + When Earl Stanhope first proposed in the House of Lords the establishment of a National Gallery of Portraits, the late Earl of Ellesmere offered at once to contribute this picture, which he had recently purchased from the Stowe collection. No. 98. QUEEN ELIZABETH'S PROGRESS TO HUNSDON HOUSE. Painted by Mark Garrard, Contributed to the Manchester Exhibition by Lord Digby, from by their works to perpetuate the beauty and fashion of the beauties of their day. Thornhill was only represented by one picture, and that a very fine and touching portrait of Sir Isaac Newton in his old age. English Art commenced therefore at the upper end of the northern range of galleries devoted to modern paintings, starting from the eastern extremity of saloon D. The earliest and very old fashioned names of Dahl, Aikman, Jervas, Vanderbank, Wooton, Richardson, Hudson, Ramsey, and Hayman deserve mention, because well authenticated, signed and dated pictures retained by the families for which they were painted were to be seen here, and afforded the most valuable guides to those who might desire to note artistic ability and styles to the greatest advantage. Hogarth, whose name recalls very different associations, showed also with great power. His admirable portrait of Captain Coram has been already mentioned. His Sigismunda,t contributed by Mr. Anderdon, was an instance both of the false taste and criticism of the day and of the artist's misapprehension of his own powers. There was no specimen of his series of moral paintings such as may be seen in the National Gallery and Sir John Soane's Museum; but the pictures of Southwark fair, the march to Finchley,§ and a scene from the Beggars' Opera as first performed in 1729,|| belonging respectively to the Duke of Newcastle, the Foundling Hospital and Mr. Murray of Albemarle street, exhibited to a great extent the fashion and manners of the day under the painter's fullest powers of satiric portraiture. Wright of Derby claims recognition for the truthfulness of his portraits, and few indeed could be pointed out of greater interest than the picture of Rousseau by candlelight when staying at Wotton in Derbyshire, now the property of Sir John Boileau. Wright's later fancy of painting fire-light subjects was extensively illustrated by Lord Overstone's grand picture of the siege of Gibraltar.** Wilson, in his rich blue calm scenes charmed to a great extent. His Niobe, contributed by Mr. Wynn Ellis, the Vale of Llangollen, belonging to Mr. E. Lloyd, and a landscapes painted for John Hunter, now treasured by Mr. W. Entwisle, were certainly among the most pleasing. Wilson also appeared as a portrait painter in one picture contributed by the Royal Academy. Gainsborough burst upon No. 30 of the Modern Masters. + No. 21. No. 31. § No. 26. || No. 25. T * the world by means of this exhibition in quite a new phase. Hitherto the public generally had only known him as a painter of rich and bold landscapes. Here he rose in figure painting to such an extent as fairly to divide the palm of attraction with Sir Joshua Reynolds. His Blue Boy, long known to artists as the practical result of a frequently repeated anecdote, held the post of honour in these northern galleries correspondent with that of the Windsor King Charles on horseback among the ancient pictures. Lord Westminster did indeed render a great service to art by permitting this fine work to grace the Exhibition. Scarcely less gracious was the contribution by Mr. Graham, of the full length portrait of Lady Lynedoch,† which formed the pendant to Sir Joshua Reynolds's Mrs. Pelham feeding chickens belonging to Lord Yarborough. Gainsborough's portrait also of Mrs. Siddons§ when very young, possessed of course a strong double interest. Had Lord Westminster also bestowed on the Manchester Exhibition Sir Joshua's sublime work of Mrs. Siddons as the tragic muse, he would have established a fair balance in favour of Reynolds compared with the "blue boy." His Lordship is certainly fortunate in being the holder of two of the very finest pictures England can boast by these masters. And before passing entirely away from the works of Gainsborough, I may be pardoned for quoting the remark made to me by a foreigner of very high rank and deeply versed in the study of pictures generally, because it may serve to illustrate one at least of the impressions conveyed abroad by the late exhibition; "we have seen to-day that you possess in England a portrait painter well deserving to rank with Reynolds, and whom, hitherto, we have only known on the continent as a landscape painter-Gainsborough." Of the Sir Joshuas both on these walls and in the Portrait Gallery, it is impossible to offer any particular selection; suffice it to say, that besides those already named, Lord Spencer, the Marquess of Hertford, the Royal Academy and Mr. Tollemache contributed the finest specimens. Copley again was an artist little known to the generality of picture-viewers. His death of Chatham in the National Gallery has, it is true, long been exhibited to the public; but at first sight it is an unattractive picture, and seems merely to present a mass of heads. At Manchester his picture of the Death of Major Pierson, contributed by his son Lord Lyndhurst, held a very high position; so, likewise, did an * No. 156. + No. 157. No. 155. § No. 74. No. 112. |