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278 nature such as that of Mr. Joseph Henderson (26'2), is as far as most people go ; such pictures have their evident constituency, and their usefuhiess is not to be denied. To exceed this is indeed at first perilous, since, taking for instance say the adjacent sea-piece of Mr. Macgregor Wilson (283), this perhaps hai-dly reaches a sufficient level of excellence to have the same chance of purchase among the smaller circle of higher culture. Hence, indeed, mainly the old tragedy of artistic dis- appointment, never perhaps commoner than now. Never commoner, also, was a slight modification of this, that when a painter of real ability has won himself name and place, he should be strongly tempted to remain at that precise level. From Mr. Colin Hunter we expect and obtain the Colin Hunter sea (156); Mr. David Murray, too, cheerfully hastens to supply us with his well-known article. And although we must admit, in the latter case, a considerable freshness in choice of subject (205), one none the less feels convinced that some day some ingenious American will counterfeit us the well-known touch by adapting some complex pattern-weaving machine to handle the brushes. Hapjiily, however, public taste is rising, and the painter's chances of recognition of good work rising with it. Fresh observation will find many to welcome it. Mr. Fred Brown's warm effect of level sunlight [' When the Evening Sun is low,' 282) cannot fail to touch many a recollection of summer evenings ; nor will Mr. Coventry's fresh little pictures of 'The Tide Light ' (748) and ' At St. Monance ' lack admirers. Indeed, his larger sunny sea, 'A Summer Day' (722), figured in our last month's issue, taken with Mr. Macgregor Wilson's shore as pendant (619), show ns that the younger painters, as yet unspoiled by success, are not reviving old impressions of nature for show, but gathering fresh ones for love. Of maturer sympathy with nature, we have never happily been without standard examples among the senior painters, notably in Mr. Wingate and Mi-. M'Taggart. The true Wordsworthian feeling of the former, learned in the same school of life, is well rendered in his ' Winter Twilight,' while from his well- contrasted colleague we have two jo3'ous idylls of the sea, in which the merry bathers are as good as any old world water-gods, and the children wading in the foam as gladsome as Aplirodite and her maidens. With a real sentiment of nature, Mr. Wellwood Ratti-ay's picture (217) must be admitted to fail somewhat in selective power, and consequently in interest ; Mr. A. K. Brown gives us an effective loch scene (60), and Mr. Robert M'Gregor exhibits an advance upon his average work, especially in purity of colour (j;.g. ' Spring Cabbages ') without loss of his familiar quali- ties of tone. Mr. Denovan Adam's Highland cattle (' Evening,' 265) are well worth noting as a good ex- ample of what we so rarely see, a really imaginative animal painting, the wild timid creatures hurrying to shelter as the last streaks of lurid sunset disappear behind dark masses of tumultuous cloud. A good ex- ample, of course on more familiar lines, of the value of animal life as an element of expression in landscape is afforded by the sheep in Mr. Hartley's pleasant ' Evening ' (337), or again in Mr. Brownlie Docharty's noteworthy pastoral, 'With the Flock,' in which naturalistic truth and poetic idealism are happily blended with no inconsiderable decorative skill. From Mr. James Paterson we have unfortunately nothing to equal his gleaming river and other exhibits of last year; the ' Happy Valley ' is too much of an over-enlarged sketch, while his pretty but conventional ' Echo ' unfortun- ately suggests its name in another sense. Mr. Nairn's 'Moonrise' (99) shows high qualities, decorative and ideal, in which Mr. Hornel's ' Weedcutter' (473) is also full of promise, as well as Mr. Whitelaw Hamilton's ' Gipsies ' (523), and Mr. T. C. Morton's ' Cattle ' (537). Mr. Pirie's ' Bull endeavouring to bay the Moon' (109) must however be mildly remonstrated with. Mr. Henry's cui-iously original indoor ' Gloamin' ' decidedly rewards the slight effort of making it out. But first so far among this youngest school, who it is to be regretted as yet do themselves too little justice, must be reckoned Mr. Roche, whose ' Legend of King Wen- ceslas' is as pleasant in colour as it is fresh in conception. Many however will feel that the composition tends to break in two, as if page and king were in separate pictures, and for this and otlier reasons will prefer his winsome lassie (' Miss Loo,' 9)- For her delicate and pleasing colour, her mixed look of arch gaiety yet modest pensiveness, we may take her as muse of this fresh school of painters, and watch her further development with friendly eyes.

Patrick Geddes.

S 'a boon and a blessing' to the luckless denizens of this sunless, fog-haunted London of the last many weeks, come the two admirable exhibitions of the works of dead painters at Burlington House and at the Grosvenor Gallery, bearing direct witness to the truth of the doctrine of compensation.

The latter cannot, of course, in point of interest be compared with its forerunner, whose marvellous Rembrandts, in particular, have roused a fresh furore of wonder and acclamation; but comparisons, however tempting, are inadequate and ungrateful, and should never be made. It is enough to say that the fortunate possessors of portraits by Reynolds, Romney, and Gainsborough; of landscapes, subject-pictures, and marines, by Constable, Wilson, Crome, Morland, Wilkie, and Cotman, have spared their treasures to make beautiful, for a while, the walls of the Grosvenor Gal-