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ART NOTICES.

EMBELLISHMENTS OF THE JUNE NUMBER.

"OPEN YOUR MOUTH AND SHUT YOUR EYES."-The class of art to which this subject belongs, is that known among connoiseurs by the technical term "genre pictures,"-works of the familiar, conversational, domestic sort; a class, perhaps without exception, the most extensively popular of all, especially in this country and in England. The higher and nobler branch of historical painting has always stood first in the estimation and encouragement of the Italians, and of late years of the Germans too, possibly, for the adornment of the interior of their public edifices. But the "genre picture" is for beautifying and enriching the walls of home, for the parlour, study, or sitting-room; and in whatever land the genial influence of the domestic virtues is most felt, there will this style of art be most encouraged, together with portraiture.

The scene of the embellishment now under consideration, is by the gothic entrance to the open court of an old collegiate building, and at a stand for the sale of fruit placed against the wall. The girl who keeps it has evidently just sold a dish of cherries to a youth-apparently one of the students-and is in the act of pouring them into his cap. He, meanwhile, is occupied in playing off a well-known trick upon a younger companion, who, with closed eyelids, and mouth wide open, and no doubt watering with expectation, is confidingly waiting for the delicacy. But we see, although he does not, that this is destined to prove "a slip between the cup and the lip," for his amused tormentor pops the bright bunch of cherries into his own mouth, and merely touches with a finger of the other hand, the disappointed lip of his friend.

Sharpe, the author of this work, was for many years among the most popular painters of this kind of subject in England, and many of his works having been engraved, are tolerably well known here. One of them, the "Barber Politician," has been a particular favourite. The style of his colouring was rich and agreeably harmonious; his method of composition and effect may be in a measure judged of by the engraving.

"LESBIA," our second plate, is from a picture by Frith, and forms one of that artist's beautiful illustrations of characters in the writings of the poet Moore. It may be presumed that the poem is sufficiently familiar to most readers, and need hardly be copied here entire, especially, too, as it is mostly devoted to "Nora Creena," for whom the keen-witted lady is merely used as a foil or set-off.

"Lesbia hath a beaming eye,

But no one knows for whom it beameth;
Right and left its arrows fly,

But what they aim at no one dreameth.

"Lesbia hath a wit refined,

But, when its points are gleaming round us, Who can tell if they're designed

To dazzle, merely, or to wound us?"

TOBIT AND THE ANGEL."-The third plate of this number is from a celebrated picture by Rembrandt van Ryn, so called, from his birthplace having been on the banks of one of the branches of the Rhine, near Leyden. He was born in the year 1606, and lived to the age of eighty. In point of originality of style, he was beyond comparison the most remarkable artist that has ever appeared, not excepting John Martin, whose ideas of effect are clearly derived from Rembrandt. His most striking characteristic is intensely powerful effect in light and shade; and next, picturesque arrangement and variety of composition. But the splendour of his effects and groupings cannot conceal the meanness and gross vulgarity of his personages, who are always and uniformly utterly destitute of dignity. This glaring imperfection is no less conspicuous in his scriptural, than in his more commonplace subjects; nor were the costumes of his figures more consistent with the time and place of the piece, than the character of the figures themselves. The painter who, in depicting the

classic story of "Pyramus and Thisbe," represented Pyramus clad in modern top-boots and small-clothes, like s horse-jockey, perpetrated no worse anachronism than Rembrandt's ordinary practice exhibits, even in his most serious moods. How great, then, must have been the other merits of this artist, that notwithstanding such defects, he should have achieved so mighty a reputation, the glory of which has never yet shown symptoms of waning. The prices paid for his works, long since astonishingly high, continue on the increase; and when the last of his paintings shall have perished under the sure hand of time, the printed impressious from his numerous engravings will still survive to preserve and justify his fame. It is greatly to be regretted that the method of engraving called mezzotinto, had not been discovered before his time, because of its peculiar adaptation to the effects which he always aimed to produce. What he accomplished in engraving, with such rude and imperfect means at his command, suffice to show what wonders of effect would have resulted, had he possessed the facility which the mezzotinto manner would have afforded him.

Rembrandt is represented as being excessively fond of money, and appears to have valued fame chiefly as a means to pecuniary gain. It is related of him, that on one occasion, in order to sell off his stock of pictures aocumulated on hand, and at the same time enhance their money value, he pretended to have died, and procured the ceremony of a mock funeral. The desired end being aocomplished to his satisfaction, the facetious painter resumed his post at the easel, chuckling over the success of the ruse, and proceeded in the production for his customers of "a few more of the same sort." It would appear that a spice of personal vanity was not wanting in his character, if we may judge by the number of portraits of himself which he engraved and published. Of these there are no less than twenty-seven. J. S.

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STILLING'S PNEUMATOLOGY. Edited by the Rev. George Bush. J. S. Redfield; New York. For sale by Zieber. 286 pp., 12mo. This seems to be a volume of American notions-Rochester knockings, mesmerism, &c.,-done into German metaphysics. It professes to reply to the ques tion, what ought to be believed or disbelieved concerning presentiments, visions, and apparitions, and contains, first, a very large array of instances of supernatural appear ances in all ages of the world, and secondly, a formal theory by which these are all explained. This theory oo cupies some ten or a dozen pages near the end of the book, and is a condensed abstract of the present science (?) of mesmerism. Those of us who have been in the habit of laughing, or scolding, at our good old "Pilgrim Fathers for having had so much imaginary trouble with the "witches," will have to reconsider our opinions. Perhaps the "Salem Witchcraft" was no sham after all. We recommend to the American editor, in his next edition, to quote largely from Cotton Mather's Magnalia. The records of the New England colonies are a perfect mine of facts (!) which the mesmerists have not yet even begun to explore. We would not be surprised if "broomsticks” were once more to come into fashion, as the most approved method of clairvoyance!

THE WORKS OF HORACE. By Professor Lincoln. Appletons. It is difficult to speak too highly of this admirable edition, which is certainly destined to become classical. It is equally difficult to know which to praise most, the judicious selection of the matter, its lucid arrangement, the scholarly elegance that pervades the whole, or the stainless splendour of its appearance. To turn over its pages is a perpetual feast, equally to the eye and the mind.

N. B. A large number of reviews and miscellaneous no tices have been crowded out this month by the press of other matter.

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FIG. 1, is a fichu or chemisette of the duchess style, embroidered upon India muslin.

FIG. 2, is a cap of English embroidery, in the form of a capote.

FIG. 3, is a cap of inserting and bouillionné muslin, and of Valenciennes inserting, the crown being of the former, and the face and cape of the latter. Brides and trimming of white moire riband.

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FIG. 4. Morning Walking Toilette.-Drawn bonnet of satin covered with tulle; the border is of blonde, arranged in narrow volants above and below the edge of the face. Under-trimming of white flowers at the sides.

Robe of blue silk, corsage with basques or small skirt, divided in several places, three on each side, by incisions extending almost to the waist, but closed in front; the whalebones of the corsage extend nearly to the bottom of the basque. The sleeves are quite close-fitting near the shoulders, but much larger below; they are demi-long,

FIG. 4.

MORNING WALKING TOILETTE.

and open behind to the elbow, exhibiting handsome loose undersleeves trimmed with two rows of point d'Angleterre; on the outer side of the opening, there are three openings, the contour of which is followed by the general edge trimming. Upon the skirt of the robe are three broad flounces, cut round into large flowing waves or dents rivière. The opening of the corsage, the basques, tho sleeves, and the flounces, are bordered with a trimming of gathered satin riband, No. 4. Embroidered fichu trimmed with the same lace as the undersleeves.

FIG. 5. Reception Toilette.-Coiffure; hair turned back over the temples, clearing well off the forehead in such manner as to leave the point clearly marked in the middle. Two large and long corkscrew curls, starting from behind the ears, fall to right and left upon the neck. A little puff of white lace is placed upon the hair very far back; this is trimmed below, on one side by a noeud of green and rose ribands, mixed, and on the other, by a graceful branch of moss rose, of which the buds and foliage rest against the cheek. Robe of white silk, spotted with branches of roses, buds, and foliage. The flowers upon the skirt are small near the waist, but gradually increase in size toward the lower edge. The corsage is décolletés square, quite low in front, but much less so behind. The corsage is cut in such fashion as to form upon the hips a small return, or narrow basquine, of rather less than an inch in width, which continues to the middle of the back, widening a little, so as to become rather more than an inch at that point; the point in front is very much elongated, and every edge of the corsage is doubly, but very finely embroidered. The sleeves are cut rather longer behind than in front. The skirt is very full, and the plaits at the waist full and open. The skirt is plain; the

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trimming of the corsage and sleeves consists of two volants of lace, gathered and sewn head to head. They are so arranged as to lie open upon the breast and shoulders, but turn as they approach the waist, until they fall one upon the other, in the same direction, and thus form an edging for the little basquine, which they follow all round. The sleeves are straight, and one of the two rows of lace which edge them, is turned up, while the other, and wider one, falls upon the arm. A chemisette of plaited muslin, terminated by an embroidered edging, appears a short distance above the corsage. Narrow cerise bands, with long ends, around the neck and wrists.

FIG. 6. Dress for a Little Girl of Six Years.-Hair parted and smooth upon the head above the line of the ears, curled below, falling in ringlets upon the neck toward the shoulders. Frock of white taffetas, body straight and gathered, skirt plain, with wide hem, pantalets of embroidered muslin, gaiters.

FIG. 7. Walking Toilette.-Drawn bonnet of crape, covered with crêpe lisse; the border of the face is of blonde, separated by a gathered biais of crêpe lisse; on each side, at the junction of the face and the crown, is a bunch of pink flowers without foliage.

Robe and mantalet of gray gilk stuff, with many fine satin stripes. The corsage is close, high, and with basques bordered with narrow, stamped velvets, of the same shade as the robe. The mantalet is trimmed with three rows of the same velvet, and with a fringe from eight to ten inches broad; this fringe is at regular intervals gaufred, the intervals of plain alternating with the gaufred, at about every inch or inch and a half.

One of the prettiest novelties of the season is a morning toilette for a young bride. The robe is of white silk, with a full, plain skirt. The corsage is open in front, and bordered with a revers of lace; at the base of the corsage is a basque formed of a broad volant of lace. This basque is about ten inches wide behind, and at the point of the corsage in front, about four inches. The sleeves reach to the elbow, and are trimmed with two volants of lace, surmounted by gathered satin riband, No. 4. The chemisette

FIG. 6.

DRESS FOR A LITTLE GIRL.

is made of alternates of Malines lace and volants of the same; it is décolletée, and square in front.

Front hair in full, puffed bandeaux, surmounted by a garland of small white flowers and green foliage, seen between each puff of the hair. A long veil of Brussels application, entirely covered with designs, is fastened under the garland, falling behind, and at the sides.

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