t artists
have not sent any pictures for the last few years, and particularly the
present, when amongst the absentees might be cited Ingres, Horace
Vernet, Ary Scheffer, Delaroche, etc., who it appears were all employed
by the King or government; the consequence was, although there was an
immense mass of large historical and scriptural subjects, it was what
might have been called a most sorry display. Amongst the number one
alone evinced a superiority of talent, and that was the taking of
Mazagran by Phillippoteaux, which really had considerable merit, and the
artist it appears passed some time in Algiers, and therefore was enabled
to give a faithful representation of the inhabitants of the country. Of
miscellaneous subjects, or what the French call _tableau de genre_,
there were many most exquisite pictures, amongst the rest, the Miller,
his Son and his Ass, by H. Bellange, which was so full of character and
expression, that it needed not language to tell the tale; there were
also several other pieces by the same artist, possessing equal merit.
An Assembly of Protestants surprised by Catholic Troops, by Karl
Girardet, was a most superior picture in Wilkie's best style; Reading
the Bible, by Edward Girardet, also exceedingly clever; but one of the
most delightful pictures in the exhibition was by Gue, of Raymond of
Toulouse reconciling himself to the Church; I never yet saw any
performance of that artist but evinced some great merit, either the
finest imagination, the most beautiful execution, or the utmost truth to
nature, according to the subject he undertakes. I should certainly
pronounce Gue as one of the best artists who now send their pictures to
the Louvre; one he had two years since of the Crucifixion, at the annual
Exhibition, which certainly was a most sublime composition, the approach
of night, with a slight glare of parting light, was most admirably
represented, and gave a sort of wild gloom which so beautifully
harmonised with the nature of the subject; he had also introduced the
dead rising from their tombs, which contributed to augment the solemn
tone which pervaded the whole picture. However lightly or frivolously
the mind might be engaged, one glance at this exquisite painting must at
once strike awe into the beholder; it was true that there was a great
similarity with one on the same subject, in the Louvre, by Karel
Dujardin, but not sufficiently so to say it was borrowed, or to detract
from its merit.