“The Old Water-Colour Society”

251As we linve elsewhere said, the last season bas been recognised by the Water-Colour Societies as more favourable to their interests than the preceding ; the lovers, however, of Water-Colour Art have not yet ceased to lament the losses which the elder institution has sustained by the retirement and death of some of its oldest and most esteemed members; for there are amateurs and palronä (and it in more the case with respect to water-colour than oil-painting) who see merit only, in one painter, perhaps in him from whom they themselves may have received instruction. For the living followers of Prout, Dewint, and Catter-mole, the walls of the society have no longer any charm ; they yet go to the exhibition, but it in their Inelaucholj, pleasure to contemplate what they call the vacancy of the exhibition, and compare its iusuificiency with their remembranco of what it has been. The exclusive character of this, like that of our other Art-societies, afforded occasion for the establishment of the New Water-Colour Society, which has deservedly enjoyed a great measure of public patronage; but the success and prestige of the elder society render their exhibition’room the desiderated Walhalla of water-colour paiuters, insomuch that the latter sometimes acquires strength from the former .—its, for instance, Topham, Duncan, Jenkins, and Dodgson, who formerly were members of the Xew Water-Colour Institution. Some who have seceded from’ the Old Water-Colour Society have done so with the view of election to the Royal Academy, which, according to one of its laws, declines candidates who are members of any other Art-institutions. Such a regulation has originated in the impenetrable stolidity of men who have been fortuitously placed in a false position, whose antecedents have never rendered them worthy of election to any other institution. The common sense of the thing in to require them on election to resign membership of other institutions. The operation of such a law in that sometimes meritorious artists receivc indirect encouragement stealthily to inscribe their naines during the “merrio montile” of May on the well-fingered register which lies in the closet on the left of the staircase of the lloyal Academy. They are, however, rejected, and as it would be an undignified proceeding to solicit re-election in the society which Uicj‘have thought fit to quit, they are thenceforward recognised of no brotherhood. The Society of Water-Colour painters has been always an association of landscape-paintcrs; and if we consider their constitutional tone we have no reason to regret that there has for so long a time been no influential section of figure painters among them. The days of tints and transparent washes were bright and sunny in the time of Girtin, Robson, and their contení porn ri es ; but John Yarleywith his “wash upon wash,” and “warm grey, and cool grey, and round touch,” with some others who affected a Poussin-like sobriety, did much towards twilight sentimentalism. Tho period of unfledged antiquarian and simple surfaces was past, and artists began to be extremely fastidious about papers, and their experiments introduced every degree, from smooth and solid antiquarian to the basest quality of the grocers wrapper. In looking over the three hundred and twenty-two drawings of the late season, examples of rough material were not so numerous as we. have seen them, but there are many failures in the ovcr-elaboration of the smoother surfaces. With respect to subject-matter, there in but a small proportion of foreign scenery, a circumstance which in creditable to the taste of the members, for, after all, we have at home every variety of scenery, and for freshness, and diversify, and efiect, there in nothing on the continent to surpass it. Of Italian scenery we are weary; those who devote themselves to it Italianise everything they touch ; the children of the mist propose to themselves infinitely greater difficulties than that which in ridiculously called “an Italian sky.”