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Rh hand, though not yet deteriorating, shows signs of decline by his fixity of manner ; and the same must be said of Mr. Wellwood Rattray : we sometimes fear also of Mr. W. D. M'Kay. Mr. Pollok Nisbet's cleverness is growing more and more pen-and-inky. Mr. Patrick Adam, on the other hand, has brought back with him from Venice an entirely fresh series of pictures, which are not only sympathetic and pleasing — even beautiful in themselves, — but mark a phase of personal experience and development which leaves the man upon a higher plane, yet as open-minded and aspiring as before.

Among somewhat younger painters we could wish more space for sympathetic notice. The younger Erskine Xicol shows keen and loving fidelity of foi'e- ground observation in his ' Hayfield,' and grasp of characteristic scene and weather in his ' Highland Spate.' Mr. Cadenhead sends a 'Sunset' of truth and dignity ; his moonlight seems a little dubious, but it is on his side that the probability of truth in observation no tloubt lies. Mr. John Blair shows a rapid seizure of eifects of rain and sun in several pictures. There is true perception and emotion of landscape in Mr. Mihie's sombre yet glowing river, in Mr. Mason Hunter's sym- pathetic rendering of St. Andrews, and in Mr. John Muirhead's landscapes, which are grave and dignified, yet peaceful and luminous, and show, too, an unusual influence from antique masters. Mr. Sherwood Calvert's two pictures are also poetic, and in a more modern spirit. Mr. Walton's command of sunshine and shadow, in ' The Grandfather's Garden,' will not escape notice, although it is too strongly lighted to bring out its full effect ; his important and beautiful Ian dscape (420) will, however, have to be sought for upon the heights. For the portraits little space remains. Most people will derive by far the greatest pleasure in Mr. Otto Leyde's admirable portrait of the Hon. Mrs. Cheape, on which the painter may in every way be congratulated. Mr. Pettie's ' Hamish MacCunn,' Mr. Briton Riviere's lady violinist, Mr. Alma-Tadema's unpleasant doctor, and of course Mr. George Reid, are specially note- worthy. Mr. Arthur Melville and Mr. Austen Brown each send characteristic portraits ; Mr. Hamilton, a forcible head ; while, among younger painters, we can only mention Mr. Duddingston Herdman as following in the footsteps of a worthy father. Among the animal painters we could wish to congratulate especially our old friend Mr. Alexander, and with him a young new- comer, Mr. Walls. Patrick Geddes.

EAR after year the Water-colour Gallery in Burlington House is, during the Winter Exhibition, devoted to the drawings of the greatest of all masters in that lovely art. How long will the rich fruit of Turner's life's work hold out .' It is notable that, as years go by, more and more of the drawings, which have hitherto been regarded as practically inaccessible, because so jealously guarded by their possessors in closely-shut folios, or specially contrived glass-cases, come up to London, and for a brief space mock the fog-embittered existence of its inhabitants bj' visions of clear skies and glorious sunlight. This exhibition does not, perhaps, contain quite so many masterpieces as we have sometimes been peiTnitted to see, but it is wonderfully interesting, and for the first time we have all the work of a given period set before us.

It is a very short period. What with travelling and wandering about to find subjects, it must have been hard indeed to extract fourteen working days out of an absence of just three weeks. It was in the year 1819 that Turner is said to have left Farnley Hall (near Leeds), travelled by coach to Hull, sailed to Rotter- dam, then by diligence to Cologne, where his sketch- ing-tour began. Somehow or other — in those days of slow locomotion one cannot but wonder how — he worked his way, in more senses than one, as far as Mayence, sketching most of the noteworthy points on the road, and in exactly three weeks' time was back again at Farnley with a clumsy roll of fifty-one sketches. tied up with a bit of string, in his pocket. He did not treat them with much respect therefore — or perhaps he knew himself to be master of many a crafty method of restoring them if they suffered — anyhow they are as astonishing to us as they were to Mr. Fawkes, and serve largely to account for the ease with which the Water-colour Gallery in Burlington House continues to be filled. ' Why on earth have you come back so soon ? ' inquired Mr. Fawkes ; ' I thought you had gone for at least six months.' •' You said you meant to pay all my expenses,' replied Turner. That was what had made him hurry home. For a consideration of five hundred pounds Mr. Fawkes bought all his sketches, and would gladly have bought as many more. They are all done on white paper, which Turner stained grey by dipping it in a xessel filled with watei', coloured to the tint he required. This gave him a grey ground which could easily be sponged, or scraped when he wanted lights, nor did he scruple to accept aid ft-ora the use of body-colour. No question of colour ever interfered with the rapidity with which he was thus able to work — these sketches are only arrangements in a modified monochrome.

But we must leave the sketches, and take the drawings somewhat in the order of their production. To begin with, we have a group of five large and very early works. These are ' Conway Castle,' painted about 179fi, during the period when he still signed himself 'W. Turner,' — i.e. before he became a full member of the Royal Academy, an honour which fell