FINE ARTS. Illustrations of the Graphic Art; EXEMPLIFIED BY SKETCHES FROM THE NATIONAL MUSEUM AT PARIS. PORTRAIT BY VAN DYK. THIS is quite a domestic portrait. He seems merely a happy contented husband; he is newly ad and closely shaved; the blue tint of his black beard is seen upon the skin; the light spreads upon his cheek, and there produces relief by the simple, yet almost insensible gradation of half-tints, which conduct the eye from the luminous point even to the deepest shade, without the local colouring appearing altered in the slightest degree. This cheek is a model of what art can do, without employing far-fetched inventions, and without factitious contrasts; for here, as in the works of nature herself, the common eye does not perceive those deep shades which prompt to the question "Why is this so dark?" a question which excites the pity and contempt of the artist, and yet shows at the same time that art itself is in fault, for this question has never been asked with respect to the effects of natural light and shade. We must even open the eyes of the adept, in order to make him observe these shades even in nature herself, these demi-tints which she employs nevertheless in such a manner as never to give rise to the foregoing question. The attitude and expression of this picture are rather less simple than its tone of colouring, and it does not gain by repeated examination. The mau seems to be in the act of conversing; but all action in a picture, says the critic, has the evil of being permanent! It is not na tural that a man should be always employed the same way. That is to say, it is unpleasant Every time we look at a man's picture to see him engaged in the same act; when on the other hand, we can always easily conceive him engaged in a state of repose of indefinite prolongation!!! ALEXANDER SCAGLIA. This portrait has in general, by the admirers of Van Dyk, been considered as a com. panion to that of Cardinal Bentivoglio already given. The characters of the two subjects of the pencil are indeed the same. Each was a statesman and an ecclesiastic; but then, says the Parisian critic, this is of the second order, this is the curate and the secretary of legation; Bentivoglio has the air of giving commands-this of receiving them! This head is reflective he thinks deeply on what is said, but he is not the first speaker-he is standing in another's presence, but the Cardinal is sitting at home. This then is quite another character-his habits and disposition are different, and in this consist the skill and judgment of the artist: he has not drawn a Captain like a King, nor has he painted a simple canon like a dignitary of the church; this yfact, painting in character. is The general tone of this picture is also more tranquil than the other, the light is less brilliant, and there is less of that intentional and well appled glitter. That, however, has not obliged him to give less of the pencil's labour to the head; here the stuffs are perfectly beautiful; every thing is said, every thing is expressed, without departing in the slightest degree from the blackness of the general tint; but then it is Van Dyk alone who could have overcome the difficulty. After all it must be confessed that there is a defect in the general arrangement. The figure comes too near the frame; the feet touch it below; and this brings it too far forward; it is, in short, like a man stopping upon the threshold of a door and being framed in the door-way. This painting was taken to Paris from the church of the Recollets at Antwerp, and has beeu engraved in half-length by Paul Pontius. FUGITIVE POETRY. IMITATED FROM THE ITALIAN. SWIFTLY bounds the mettled courser; Swift the flying moments move; Haste, my beauteous maid, löle, Give the fleeting hour to love! To reward thy shepherd's truth. Frost and snow deform the year; Soon the infant buds appear. We but flourish for one summer; That elaps'd, no more can boast; Death entombs our hopes in darkness, When the light of life is lost. Ghosts in dreary realms of Pluto, Ne'er the kind affections move; They, immers'd in cold oblivion, Lend no more the thought to love. Since allow'd to taste of pleasure, Blameless bliss without alloy; While lole's young and blooming, Give the laughing hours to joy. We'll despise each idle rumour, Of the age, to Love severe, When the tresses silver'd over, Speak the grisly phantom near. Swiftly bounds the mettled courser; Swift the flying moments move; Haste, my beauteous maid, Jöle, Give the fleeting hour to Love! SONNET. THE midnight storm is high, and sadness brings Bears tribulation; and the hollow wind A sin to feel delight, the blast that blows Is quickly perish'd, and its breath forgot: Bright let the tapers beam: the ruddy fire With heightened røsiness exalt the glow Of woman's blooming cheek; and wine inspire The open heart's exhilarating flow! Who that is wise, would yield the passing hour To bitterness, when bliss is in his power? PHOEBE'S ABSENCE. My pastures with beauty are clad, Each shepherd and shepherdess mourns, THE RESCUED MARINERS. BY MISS BAILLIE. WHERE distant billows meet the sky, A pale dull light the seamen spy, As spent they stand, and tempest tost, Their vessel struck!—Their rudder lost! While distant homes where kiusmen weep, And graves full many a fathom deep, By turns their fitful gloomy thoughts pour tray! "Tis some delusion of the sight, "Some northern streamers pearly light!" "Fools," saith rous'd Hope, with gen'rous scorn, "It is the blessed peep of moru, “And aid, and safety come, when comes the day!" And so it is! The gradual shine Spreads o'er heaven's verge its lengthen'd line; Cloud after cloud begins to glow, And tinge the changeful deep below; Now sombre red, now amber bright, 'Till upward breaks the blazing light. Like floating fire the gleaming billows burn; Far distant on the ruddy tide A black'ning sail is seen to glide; Loud bursts their eager joyful cry, Their hoisted signal waves on high, And life, and strength, and happy thoughts return. FASHIONS FOR JUNE, 1812. EXPLANATION OF THE PRINTS OF FASHION. No. 1.-MORNING DISHABILLE. with natural ease, or with a little artful care is taught to twist in those beautiful ringiets, which formed the head-dress of those celebrated fair ones who composed the female part of Charles the Second's lovely Court; and such is now the most favourite way of dressing the hair. An high dress of fine French cambric or plain India muslin, richly embroidered round thebottom with a deep border; a demi sleeve, orna mented a-l'antique surmounting the long sleeve, which is finished at the wrist by a narrow ruffle; the bust adorned partly en militaire, partly a l'antique, to correspond with the demi For out-door morning costume, we behold sleeve he whole of the upper part of the dress these ringlets peeping from beneath the small ornamente! by a profusion of lace, and finish-cottage bonnet, now almost as we once beed at the throat by an old English ruff. Pea san's cap, with two rows of lace set on full, confined under the chin by a band formed of the same meterial as the cap, and terminating in a bow on the crown. Plain black kid or jean slippers. No. 2.-EQUESTRIAN COSTUME. Au habit of bright green, ornamented down the frout, and embroidered at the cuffs à-lamilitaire with black. Small riding bat of black beaver, fancifully adorned with gold cordon and tassels, with a long ostrich feather of gr en in front; or a green hat with black tassels and black feather. Black half boots, laced and fringed with green. York tan gloves. When this dress is worn as a curicle or walking costume, it is made as a pelisse with. out the riding jacket, and confined round the waist by a fancy belt of black and green. This habit was made by Mr. S. Clark, 37, Golden-square. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS ON FASHION AND DRESS. Fashion, says a modern author, ought ever to have nature for its basis; and we may ven. ture to assert, that never were the laws of nature and taste so well observed as at the present period. The disguise of powder long thrown aside, the glossy beauty of a fine head of hair is now properly appreciated as it waves No. XXXII. Vel, V.-N. S. fore observed, become a national bonnet: and An alteration bas now taken place in the make of the gowns, of great advantage to the bust; the front forms a point before, and is considerably lowered on each side of the bosom; short sleeves are becoming universal, LI |