FINE ARTS. REPORT on the ARRANGEMENT of the PICTURES, &c., contributed by GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND to the PARIS UNIVERSAL EXHIBITION. HAVING been deputed by the Lords of Her Majesty's Committee of Privy Council for Trade to proceed to Paris to aid Mr. Redgrave with our advice as to the hanging and arranging the Paintings, Architectural Designs, and Engravings contributed by the Artists of the United Kingdom to the Paris Universal Exhibition, we beg to submit the following Report of our proceedings: On our arrival in Paris, we found that a long side hall of the main floor of the "Palais des BeauxArts" had been appropriated to the British Oil Pictures, and an upper gallery, on the same side of the building, to Water-colour Paintings, Architectural Designs, and Engravings. This appropriation has been made partly because the British works were mostly of a cabinet size, and partly because the allotted space was that part of the building the farthest possible removed from apprehended danger by fire; which danger is, however, now greatly abated by the increased precautions adopted by the French Government. The space allotted in the lower hall to the Oil Pictures is well lighted, and sufficiently low to prevent the necessity of hanging the works at a great elevation; it also affords the opportunity for all the works of this kind to hang in one continuity. The space, however, presented many obstacles to an agreeable arrangement of the pictures; it was broken into short lengths by numerous openings and doors, and interrupted by many projections. The light and space in the upper gallery provided for the Water-colour Paintings, the Architectural Designs, and the Engravings, are quite unobjectionable. There were, however, other difficulties to be surmounted in the prosecution of our labours. It might have been desirable to adopt an alphabetic arrangement, and to hang all the works of each Artist in close proximity; but this was found to be wholly impracticable, not only from the causes before mentioned-the divided nature of the space, but more especially from the extreme irregularity in the arrival of the works, many of which were not deposited in the building until the last week in April, while others by the same Artists had already been placed on the walls. This irregularity arose from the circumstance of the varied localities in England whence the pictures were obtained from the various proprietors. Notwithstanding, however, the hindrances and obstacles, we trust that we may safely report that a very satisfactory arrangement has been made of all the works intrusted to us; that all are well seen; that the space allotted to British Art has been occupied with the least possible loss of room; and the whole completed and in order, so that nothing on our part prevented the opening of the "Exhibition of Beaux-Arts” on the first of May, had other circumstances permitted the adherence to this date. It has long been felt desirable to exhibit a suitable collection of British Art on the Continent, where hitherto the works of the British School have been but little known. While we regret that the date determined by the Decree of the French Imperial Commission has prevented the exhibition of the works of many of our most eminent artists lately deceased, we still venture to believe that the present collection will redound to the honour of British Art. At the same time, impressed with the many excellences of the French and other foreign works in this collection, we feel satisfied of the general benefit to art that will arise from the assembled Exhibition. Each will learn from all; many prejudices will gradually be eradicated; and we may trust in future to a better appreciation of one another. In conclusion, we would venture to hope, that in the event of the British Government, as in the Great Exhibition of 1851, devoting a sum of money to the purchase of rare works contained in the Exhibition, the department of the Fine Arts, now, as a whole, for the first time, combined with industry in a universal Exhibition, may not be excluded from a proper share of consideration. THOMAS CRESWICK. HENRY WARREN. FREDERICK YEATES HURLSTONE. May 1855. REPORT on the ARRANGEMENT of the WORKS of SCULPTURE of GREAT BRITAIN and IRELAND in the BEAUX-ARTS EXHIBITION in PARIS in 1855. MY LORDS, To the Lords of the Committee of Privy Council for Trade. WHEN I arrived in Paris on the 10th of April last, according to your Lordships' request, in order to arrange, in concert with Mr. Redgrave, the Sculpture of the United Kingdom in the Beaux-Arts Department of the Universal Exhibition, its location in the Building was not fixed. One of two situations was offered by the French authorities. We had the option of a portion of the great Hall of French Sculpture combined with that of other nations, or of an apartment rather scanty of both space and light parallel and close to the gallery of British oil-paintings, with which it directly communicated by two doorways. After some consideration, deeming it, for various reasons, better that we should stand alone, and that our Sculpture should group with the other art-works of Britain, so as to better illustrate her school, with the concurrence of Messrs. Cole and Redgrave, I accepted the latter arrangement from the French authorities, on condition of being allowed to re-colour the walls of the apartment differently, and to make what further special arrangements I thought fit; with the permission also of occupying with statues certain intercolumniations occurring on one side of the gallery of British oil-paintings, and also of placing groups of statues and single statues at certain points down the centre of the same gallery, and of placing busts against the columns on either side of the principal entrances. The two latter propositions were at first demurred at by the French authorities, but eventually, by their kind permission, they were carried into effect. The staircase to the upper gallery, on the British side, was also granted for the arrangement of busts; in consequence of which I placed on the centre of the first flight of four or five steps facing the entrance a bust of His Majesty Napoleon III. by Mr. Park, and on the centre of the next landing a bronze bust of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, by Mrs. Thornycroft, and a few other busts and two relievi on other parts of the staircase leading to the gallery of British watercolours, engravings and architectural drawing and models; just within which room I placed a case of medals. In The collection contained in the special apartment of British Sculpture consists wholly of works of a poetic character. This room is lighted wholly by a line of upright windows tolerably high up on one side. The two side entrances, one toward either end, and which are opposite to the windows, open into the gallery of British oil-paintings. At first sight this apartment appeared very dark, but I judged that this was greatly owing to the sombre green with which its walls, like those of the rest of the Exhibition, were coloured. However this tint may suit a gallery of paintings where the wall is much covered, it does not appear calculated for a Sculpture-room, where so small a portion is hidden. Moreover its effect is harsh and cold, and it casts livid reflections on the statues, where cheering ones are more desirable; and these evils are enhanced where the light is scanty. With this impression, I judged that a different treatment of colour would do much toward lightening and adapting this apartment for Sculpture. accordance, the tint of its walls was changed to a warm grey, of an atmospheric character, that is, of a nature that retreats from the eye instead of advancing towards it, as do most violent colours, especially those wherein red has the preponderance. Its degree of force was regulated by the requirements of affording sufficient relief to the general colour of the statues in the case in which it was applied, and at the same time of being sufficiently light for their outlines to merge and soften into the background. Too violent a contrast of shade and colour in the background of Sculpture makes the statues look flat and stony, and gives to a marble figure an opaque appearance like plaster, whereas it is to be sought rather so to adjust the tints as to assimilate the effect of plaster to the soft and fleshy character of marble by rounding and melting the edges into the background. I had accepted the honour of arranging the British Sculpture on this occasion with a hope that such top centre lights and other requisites would have been available that I should have been able to put in execution a cherished plan of mine for greatly enhancing the effect of Sculpture by special arrangements of which much drapery forms a part, but on seeing the best advantages which could be afforded us on this occasion, I at once relinquished as impossible the idea of introducing it in this case, and addressed myself to do the best I could under the circumstances. In carrying out these arrangements, the Sculpture-room being lighted wholly from one side, opposite the doorways, the wall of which, therefore, appearing very dark on entering the room, I had it coloured much lighter than the other sides of the apartment, so as to make it look the same tint, and to give the room a more cheerful appearance; also there being no proper light under the windows, I placed no works whatever on that side, but left it wholly for passage and for couches and seats placed against it opposite the statues, which are arranged in little more than the opposite half of the room, not more being available as regards light. Between the doors the statues advance to the light in two bays or waves, retreating from it in the centre. At the ends of the room also the lines of arrangement are waved. A waved line of arrangement was adopted to avoid the abrupt and mutually interfering effect of statues, when numerous and near together, coming at once upon the eye in a straight line. By a waved line, the statues are in turn presented in various views in passing through the room, and each has its front to itself as the spectator comes opposite to it. The works are placed on separate pedestals, of varied height, to meet the requirements of each work. Each work of the forward line may be walked round and seen in various views, and those few only are placed against the wall which present but front views, or require a low angle of light. The waved line afforded the means of accommodating each statue as to its front or the side whence it would receive the most favouring light, and also of adapting the angle of light to its requirement, giving, for instance, a more vertical light to the upright figures, and one more horizontal to those in recumbent positions. These waves of arrangement left in front certain spaces, which are occupied by Mr. Baily's "Eve at the Fountain," and Mr. Gibson's "Hylas and the Nymphs." Mr. Macdowell's " Reading Girl" occupies also the point of another line that projects into the third space, which was obliged to be so arranged on account of the scantiness of room at that end. The walls of the Sculpture Room being of a warm grey, the pedestals are covered with a cloth of a full green, as also the couches and seats, and the floor is painted of a dark reddish brown. I could not ge it stained. According to the permission that statues might be arranged in connection with the oil paintings, such works were chosen for the intercolumniations as were in some degree architectural, as Mr. Foley's "Hampde and Selden," which thus form a pair, one on either side of a doorway, entering on the centre of the British Gallery of Oil Paintings. Other statues occupy certain points down the centre of the Gallery. There occur three times in the British part of the Gallery, doorways, opposite each other, being the meeting of four ways. At two of these a symmetrical group of upright statues are placed, back to back, facing the four approaches. "The Concordia," by Mr. Marshall, a figure emblematic of the alliance between France and England, being one of these, and facing the principal entrance from the French side. Such figures were chosen for these groups as lost least by having their backs hidden, and although this arrangement was suggested greatly by the small amount of room at our disposal for Sculpture, yet it did not appear to me that any of the works so placed were injured in effect in consequence. Had, however, the Gallery been wide enough to allow of such arrangement without impeding the free circulation of the visitors, on which much stress was laid by the French authorities, I should have separated the statues in these groups more from each other, and supplied in their common centre a background of drapery, arranged in sovie simple ornamental form. The third crossway is occupied by Mr. Gibson's "Hunter." Four other statues, singly, occupy four other points down the centre of the Gallery, opposite doorways existing only on one side of the way, no place in the centre being occupied by a statue except opposite a doorway. "The Houseless Wanderer," by Sir Richard Westmacott, is one of these, and occupies a point in front of one of the entrances to the Sculpture Room. Six busts are also placed on pedestals, close to the columns of the three principal entrances. The pedestals in this gallery, as also those of the busts on the staircase, are covered with a cloth of a full red. In all cases tickets have been affixed, with the name of the artist, and the subject, in French and English. On the green pedestals in the Sculpture Room these tickets are of the warm grey of the wall. On the red pedestals, in the Gallery of Paintings, they are green, of the same colour as the wall there, the lettering, in all cases, being in gold. The Sculpture Room contains thirty-five works, viz., thirty statues, two poetic busts, and three relievi. The Painting Gallery accommodates twenty-five works of Sculpture, viz., two groups of four statues each, and five single ones down the centre; also six statues in the intercolumniations, and six busts close to the columns. Arranged on the staircase are ten works, viz., eight busts and two relievi; and in the upper gallery is placed a case of medals. The examples of Sculpture from the United Kingdom thus amount to seventy-one. The arrangement of the Sculpture was completed by the 1st of May, with the exception of the nonarrival of two works, which were delayed at Dunkirk, but for which pedestals were ready and fixed. I beg to add, that I met with the greatest civility and kindness on the part of the French Authorities, and though several of the arrangements we desired differed from their own conceptions, they gave way on each point. I have the honour to be, My Lords, Your Lordships' obedient Servant, JOHN BELL. F 733 Chiens de bergers dirigeant des moutons, Appartient 736 Turning the Drove. The property of R. Platt, Esq. à M. R. Platt. ANTHONY, M., 18 Monmouth-road, Bayswater. 738 Hêtres et fougères. Appartient à M. T. Rought. ANTHONY, M., 18 Monmouth-road, Bayswater. 737 The Glen at Eve. The property of E. A. Butler, Esq. 738 Beeches and Fern. The property of T. Rought, Esq. ARMITAGE, E., 4 Grove End-road, St. John's Wood. ARMITAGE, E., 4 Grove End-road, St. John's Wood. 739 La bataille de Meeanee. Appartient à S. M. la Reine. 739 The Battle of Meeanee. The property of Her Majesty the Queen. [General Sir C. Napier, at the head of 2,500 regular troops, gained, on the 17th February 1842, a complete victory over the Beloutchee army, ten times more numerous, and brought the provinces of Sindh under the dominion of Great Britain.] BOXALL, W., A.R.A., 14 Welbeck-street, London. 740 Portrait of J. Gibson, R.A. 741 Portrait of a Lady. BROCKY, C., 27 Berners-street, Oxford-street, London. 742 Venus and Phaon. The property of W. A. Brooks, Esq. 743 Psyche. BROOKS, THOMAS, 24 Campden Grove, Kensington. 744 The Awakened Conscience. The property of C. Lucas, Esq. BROWN, F. M., 1 Grove Villas, Church End, Finchley. 745 An English Fireside in 1854. 746 Chaucer at the Court of Edward III. The property of R. Dickinson, Esq. BUCKNER, R., 3A Cleveland-row, London. 747 Portrait of Master Barkly. CARPENTER, MRS. W, British Museum, London. 748 Portrait of an Old Lady. 747 Portrait du jeune Barkly. 748 Portrait d'une dame âgée. CHALON, J.-J., R.A. 749 Une journée d'été: le Matin. Appartient à M. A.-E. Chalon. 750 A 751 Une journée d'été: le Soir. Appartient à M. A.-E. 751 A 750 Une journée d'été : l'Après-midi. Appartient à M. CHALON, A.-E., R.A., El Retiro, Kensington. 752 Sérèna. Appartient à M. A.-E. Chalon. [En traversant certaine contrée, Sérèna s'y endort, accablée de fatigue et de chagrin, et à son réveil se trouve entourée d'anthropophages. La Reine des Fees.] Le paysage par J.-J. Chalon, R.A. CLINT, A., 1 Devonshire-street, Portland-place. CHALON, J. J., R.A. 749 A Summer's Day: Morning. The property of A. E. Summer's Day: Afternoon. The property of Summer's Day: Evening. The property of A. E. CHALON, A. E., R.A., El Retiro, Kensington. 752 Serena. The property of A. E. Chalon, Esq. [In travelling through a certain country, Serena, overcome by fatigue and by grief, falls asleep, and on awaking finds herself surrounded by cannibals.] The landscape by J. J. CHALON, R.A. CLINT, A., Devonshire-street, Portland-place. The property of 753 Une soirée calme; Galles du Nord. Appartient à M. 753 A Calm Evening: North Wales. J. Scott. COLLINS, C., 17 Hanover-terrace, Regent's Park. 754 Souvenir de Bethleem. [Mme de Chantal portant des secours à une pauvre femme en couches, se rappelle la naissance du Christ dans une étable à Bethleem.] COLOMB, G., Phoenix Park, Dublin. COOKE, E.-W., A.R.A., 9 Hyde Park-gate South, 756 Rouge et noire. Appartient à M. W. Wells. 758 Lougre français donnant dans la passe de Calais. 759 La corniche, golfe de Gênes; effet du soir. Appar- J. Scott, Esq. COLLINS, C., 17 Hanover-terrace, Regent's Park, London. 754 A Thought of Bethlehem. [Madame de Chantal, in paying a charitable visit to a poor woman in childbirth, is reminded of the birth of Christ in the stable at Bethlehem.] COLOMB, G., Phanix Park, Dubli 755 The Black Valley, Ireland. COOKE, E. W., 9 Hyde Park-gate South, Kensing 758 Ronge et Noire. The property of W. Wells, Esq. 758 A French Lugger running into Calais. The property 759 Painting, COOPER, A., R.A., 19 New Millman-street. COOPER, A., R.A., 19 New Millman-street, London. Engraving, 760 Déroute des troupes de Charles Ier à Marston Moor 760 The Rout at Marston Moor. The property of J. Cres- &c. (1644). Appartient à M. J. Cressingham. singham, Esq. 761 Deer Stalkers. 761 Chasseurs de daims; Ecosse. COOPER, T.-S., A.R.A., 2 Dorset-square, Regent's 762 Groupe de vaches dans le parc d'Osborne. Appartient à S. M. la Reine. 763 Une matinée dans les prairies de Windsor. COOPER, W., Crouch End, Hornsey. 764 Le Christ et la Samaritaine. ["Jésus lui dit: Femme, crois-moi, le temps vient que vous n'adorerez plus le Père, ni sur cette montagne, ni à Jérusalem." -Evangile selon St. Jean, ch. 4, v. 21.] COPE, C. W., R.A., 19 Hyde Park-gate South, Kensington Gore. 765 Le roi Lear. Appartient à M. I.-K. Brunel. 766 Florence Cope avant dîner. 767 Jeune fille en méditation. Appartient à M. J. Sheep COOPER, T. S., A.R.A., 2 Dorset-square, Regent's 762 A Group at Osborne. the Queen. The property of Her Majesty 763 A Morning in the Windsor Meadows. COOPER, W., Crouch End, Hornsey. 764 Christ at the Well of Samaria. ["Jesus saith unto her, Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when ye shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem, worship the Father."-Gospel of St. John, iv. 21.]. COPE, C. W., R.A., 19 Hyde Park-gate South, Kensington Gore. 765 King Lear. The property of I. K. Brunel, Esq. 766 Florence Cope at Dinner-time. 767 Maiden Meditation. The property of J. Sheepshanks, Esq. 768 Arrival of Cardinal Wolsey at Leicester Abbey. The property of His Royal Highness Prince Albert. Mother and Child. The property of J. Sheepshanks, Esq. 769 770 Mother and Child. The property of J. Sheepshanks CREGAN, M., P.R.H.A., 26 Kildure-street, Dublin. 771 Portrait. The property of R. Atkinson, Jun., Esq. CRESWICK, T., R.A., Linden-grove, Bayswater. 772 A Welsh Glen. The property of the Right Hon. Sir J. Wigram. 773 A Mountain Torrent. The property of J. H. Hippisley, Esq. 774 Passing Showers. The property of D. Salomons, Esq. CROSS, J., 27 Park-lane West, Camden-town. 775 Richard 1er (Coeur-de-Lion), pardonnant à Bertrand 775 Richard I. (Cœur de Lion) forgiving Bertrand de de Gourdon. Appartient à la Commission royale d'encouragement des Beaux-Arts. 777 Le canon du soir. Appartient à M. Robert Stephenson, M.P. DESANGES, L.-W., 16 Stratford-place, Oxford-street. Gourdon. The property of The Royal Commission for Promoting the Fine Arts. DANBY, F., A.R.A., Exmouth, Devonshire. Calypso lamenting the departure of Ulysses. property of Mrs. E. Gibbons. The 777 The Evening Gun. The property of Robert Stephenson, Esq., M.P. DESANGES, L. W., 16 Stratford-place, Oxford-street. 778 Le roi de France Robert excommunié par le pape 778 The Excommunication of King Robert of France for Sixte IV pour avoir refusé de répudier la reine DOBSON, W.-C.-T., 5 Chalcot-villas, Haverstock-hill. 779 Tobie et l'Ange. Appartient à M. J. Eden. * 780 Charité de Dorcas. Appartient à M. L. Pocock. DUFFIELD, W., 14 Bladud's-buildings, Bath. 781 Fruits. Appartient à M. E.-E. Antrobus. DYCE, W., R.A., The Oaks, Norwood, Surrey. 782 La Vierge et l'Enfant-Jésus. Appartient à S. A. R. le prince Albert. 783 Le roi Joas lançant la flèche de la délivrance. Appartient à M. S. Walker. 784 Rencontre de Jacob et de Rachel. Appartient à M. Felix Pryor. EASTLAKE, Sir C.-L., président de l'Académie royale de Londres, 7 Fitzroy-square. 785 Le Spartiate Isadas repoussant les Thébains. Appartient au duc de Devonshire, K. G. [Sparte était en imminent danger d'être prise, lors qu'Isadas, fils de Phobidas, s'élanca nu du bain sur le champ de bataille, armé seulement d'une epee et d'une lance. Sa jeunesse et sa beauté, joints à ce qu'il était entièrement privé d'armes défensives, inspirèrent aux assaillants aussi bien qu'aux défenseurs de la ville l'idée qu'il devait être quelque divinité gardienne, peut-être Castor: son courage d'ailleurs complétait l'illusion; il abattait un homme à chaque coup, et quoique partout engagé là où le danger était le plus pressant, il ne recevait aucune blessure.] 788 Pèlerins arrivant en vue de Rome. Appartient à M. G. Vivian. 787 La Svegliarina. Appartient au très-honorable lord maire. 788 François de Carrare, seigneur de Padoue, échappe à la poursuite de Galeazzo Visconti, duc de Milan. Appartient à M. J. Morrison. EDDIS, E.-U., 57 Harley-street, Cavendish-square. refusing to divorce his Queen, Bertha, at the command of Pope Sixtus IV. DOBSON, W. C. T., 5 Chalcot-villas, Haverstock-hili. 779 Tobias with Raphael on their Journey to Media. The property of J. Eden, Esq. 780 The Charity of Dorcas. The property of L. Pocock, Esq. DUFFIELD, W., 14 Bladud's-buildings, Bath. 781 Fruit. The property of E. E. Antrobus, Esq. DYCE, W., R.A., The Oaks, Norwood, Surrey. 782 The Virgin and Child. The property of His Royal Highness Prince Albert. 783 King Joash shooting the Arrow of Deliverance. The property of S. Walker, Esq. The property 784 The Meeting of Jacob and Rachel. of Felix Pryor, Esq. 785 EASTLAKE, Sir C. L., P.R.A., 7 Fitzroy-square, Isadas driving back the Thebans. The Duke of Devonshire, K.G. The property of [Sparta was in imminent danger of being taken, when Isadas, son of Phoebidas, rushed naked from a bath into the battle, armed only with a sword and spear. His youth and beauty, added to his being entirely without defensive arms, inspired both the assailants and defenders with the idea that he was some guardian deity, perhaps Castor: his courage completed the illusion; he struck down a man at every blow, and although everywhere engaged where the danger was most pressing, he received no wound.] 786 Pilgrims arriving in sight of Rome. The property of G. Vivian, Esq. 787 La Svegliarina. The property of The Right Hon. the Lord Mayor. 788 Escape of Francesco di Carrara, Lord of Padua, from the pursuit of Galeazzo Visconti, Duke of Milan. The property of J. Morrison, Esq. EDDIS, E. U., 57 Harley-street, Cavendish-square. 789 Noémi et ses belles-filles Ruth et Orpha. Appartient 789 Ruth and Orpah. The property of Lord Overstone. à lord Overstone. G |