le Dean

The Newcastle and Gateshead Whittle Water-works have made great progress towards completion. The earthwork of the reservoirs at Welton has been executed. The store of water which they will contain will be about 250,000,000 of gallons, the present consumpbread pov zahol flod aft meyzo less than 1,000,000 gallons per day. Of the tion of Newcastle and Gateshead being rather daugiau negu syill gäkt linza naú twelve miles of iron aqueduct pipe, upwards of

Fig. 6.

-eight miles are laid.

What is High Art?

how much of high art, or rather high purpose, has emanated through the royal commission. He inferred, that out of much pretension there may be found a very few good works tending to promote the advancement of art. A more extensive acquaintance with the nature of mental emotions, and a greater variety in mental expressions, were mentioned, as being essentials for progress, and that to pourtray mental capacity in accordance with the character depicted, is the essence, or high art, as being beyond the capacity of imitative skill. An example such as "The Last Supper," by Leonardo da Vinci, would, it was said, impress an ordinary spectator, at the first glance, with the natural variety shown in the whole scene; yet the distinctive expressions of each personification are rendered in consonance with the event depicted.

AT a meeting of the Decorative Art Society, on October 27, the second part of a paper on the above subject was read by Mr. Dwyer. In resuming, he wished it to be understood that his plan of treatment sought rather to embody and classify on broad considerations, than to judge of art in its details. Doubtless many differed from his opinions, and he had found prejudice to be the greatest difficulty to overcome in attaining to a proper estimation of art. We ought not, be said, to rely on a floating opinion, that this work is beautiful, or that commonplace, this high art, or that low and vulgar: we should not be contented to receive all such dogmas as truth, without attempting to understand why or how far the intentions of The decorations for the new palace at Westart are evident to ourselves. Simplicity with minster, according to the comprehensive syspurpose, he said, constitutes perfection in art; tem laid down by the Fine Arts Commission, and although they are the most rarely de- it was observed, afford an unexampled opporveloped, they are most readily recognised by a tunity to artists for gratifying the desires of all spectator. He then inquired, what constitutes who venerate painting only in its noblest workhistorical art? Is it represented by battle ings. He hoped that the term decorations scenes, massacres, processions, or reviews? would not continue to be misunderstood, misHe was of opinion that, in its true and nobler interpreted, and restricted in its meaning, as sense, we ought to find a combination of cha- hitherto, by artists in general:-that the time racteristics in persons, time, and place, har- bad returned when all branches of the arts monising with the event represented, and would be thonght honoured in their application associated with mental attributes commanding as decorations. He would ask, what had lately reverential attention, and exciting an appro- been the general estimation of a painting on a priate feeling of emulation in the beholder. It wall? why, mere ornamentation. Whereas, if is rarely, he observed, that such desiderata are stripped from auch a position and framed as a supplied in painting, and the accredited substi- picture, it would have been recognised as of tutes are too generally mere portraits and fine art, or high art. Again, he remarked, gatherings from old prints. The recent exhi-artistic workings in metal, such as jewellery, bition at Westminster Hall, professedly of would, if in marble, take rank as fine art. historical art, would, he said, afford examples to convince us how far these principles have been understood and how applied. The picture of "Alfred inciting the Saxons to prevent the Landing of the Danes," displayed a high purpose,-an attempt to show in a simple fact what our navy once was, and lead us to respect the man who by his genius improved the defences of our country and laid the foundation for our present commercial greatness. Thus, there appeared much food for a reflective mind. On the other hand, "The Battle of Meeanee" could only excite a feeling of horror, and would, in his opinion, be more fitted for the Horse-guards than a decoration in the new palace at Westminster. In "Richard Coeur de Lion forgiving Bertrand de Gourdon," a moral lesson might be discovered -an embodiment of a noble principle in Christianity; while, on the other hand. "Edward's generosity to the People of Calais during the Siege of 1346," was too problematical in such respect. Attention was directed to a scriptural picture relating to the "Seven Acts of Mercy," in which the conditions of sickness, hunger, and the houseless, were expressed through the medium of English associations. This the reader considered praiseworthy, as appealing in English garb to English understandings, and thus rendering art more sympathetically urgent to good moral actions. It would be instructive, he said, for all to examine

These false distinctions, the reader contended, had led to an overflow of followers in certain divisions of art called professional, whilst in others, deemed industrial, an equally evident scarcity prevails. A skilful designer for manufactures, he argued, is as much an artist as the painter of landscapes or portraits, and, in his opinion, the designer required for his purposes abilities both mentally and manipulatively superior to the other. He instanced Holbein, who, as a painter of portraits, imitated admirably, but as a designer, he invented nobly; -Quentin Matsys, who, being recognised by artists, owing to his great abilities as a painter, displayed yet greater genius in his ironwork as a blacksmith; but, had he not painted, his name would not have been remembered by artists. Is it just, it was asked, to estimate art thus by clean hands, as it were? or, is it right to place imitative skill above ideal and constructive genius? It was remarked, that the public requires instruction before sound inferences, upon what constitute great excellence in the arts, can be popular, or an understanding of the parallels in artistic achievements can be fairly sustained. Successful works in art emanate only from a congenial source, and the taste of a nation must always influence their production. He had been much impressed by the opinion, that whatever is truly great or practically useful is always based upon simplicity, while that which is imperfectly

understood is usually overloaded with techni- where could all meet on neutral ground to calities. The simple outltnes of Greek and Etruscan vases, he observed, have caused, perhaps, more obstruse geometrical investigations into conic sections than even the planetary systems; yet, in his opinion, geometry had not been brought to assist art in their formation. He had prepared a few drawings, which were exhibited, to show how simply the most refined forms are obtainable. From the beautifully curved outlines of leaves generally, he had been induced to make a few tracings, and he had been greatly surprised by the slight modifications necessary to impart that practical result-fine art design.

He next spoke of ornamental art, which class, he said, includes works by Raffaelle, P. Veronése, Tintoret, Rubens, Le Brun, Verrio, and other eminent painters. Sculpture he considered to be the ornamenting accessory to architecture. The ornamental designer has no status with the general public. The application of embellishment is almost unlimited, and nothing which consists of a combination of forms should be deemed beneath the range of art. Art, it was said, has but one general purpose and effect alike intelligible under every aspect; nevertheless, the broad distinctions in its practice, originating in human pride, have sapped its energies, and dissevered its entire frame into fragments, each of which is striving to maintain a separate existence and identity. Mr. Dwyer contended, that as all divisions or kinds of art are for the most part decorative, so then a combination uniting one branch with another, and strengthening all, would be most valuable.

It was then remarked, that it is among the applications of art which have been most perverted and misinterpreted, that remedies are necessary; that the fine arts, as we heve been instructed to name them,-architecture, sculpture, and painting, are each imperfect and incomplete one without the other, and that, nevertheless, their association requires to be presided over and directed by the comprehensive purpose in the result or effect, which is decorative art. As an instance of what he intended to imply, he referred to the new British Museum as a fine specimen of architecture, but quite out of place, and having no harmonious association with anything surrounding it. This had not been the case with the style of building it was displacing, nor is the same deficiency evident in the new palace at Westminster. Indeed, the suggestions which have been entertained with reference to the bridge are proofs of a far better taste in that quarter. These examples, he said, also show that art is inevitably influenced by contingencies.

discuss and diffuse mutually a more correct appreciation of the beautiful? It would be remembered that each class has its own means and processes to attend to, but even where so many classes have one and a similar purpose, a mutual concentration and co-operation must be conducive to a general success. In conclusion, he hoped the term "decorative art" would soon be better understood as a combination of all pertaining to high art, fine art, and industrial art, in their general purpose of the embodiment of beauty and perfection with all things material.

IS BAD WORK TO BE PAID FOR?-This is a question, says the Iris, which frequently arises in Sheffield, and one which it is often exceeding difficult to decide, especially as to work sent out to be done. In a recent instance, a quantity of stuff for files was given to a workman to cut, and instead of doing them properly himself, he employed a boy to cut the round part and a man to cut the flat, and the work was badly done. The wages were therefore refused, and a proposal was made that the workman should pay the worth of the iron and take the files for his wages. This he refused to do, and summoned his employer for 25s., which the mayor restricted to 20s., dismissing the summons, but ordering that sum to be paid, as he conceived that, though badly cut, the employer "might manage to get rid of them in some manner:" rather an equivocal recommendation, surely, from a magistrate. The defendant was by no means satisfied with the decision, especially as this was but one out of many instances in which he would be obliged to "get rid" of bad files "in some manner.'

AMERICAN ARCHEOLOGY.-Accounts from America assert, in rather a confused and unarchæological manner, that the remains of a primæval nation have been excavated on a mountain in the Kerr tract, about two miles from Lower Sadunsky, in Ohio. They lie at the depth of about forty feet from the surface, and consist of quantities of bones, weapons, and pipes. They are assumed to be extremely ancient; and the weapons, &c. vary considerably from all that have hitherto been discovered. It is remarkable that an immense number of lamella of talc have been dug up, with singular inscriptions. The head of a pipe is also extremely curious, and has some figures carved on it which might without much difficulty be rendered "1461." This, however, must have belonged to a very remote period.— cannot possibly be the case, as these relics Literary Gazette.

The reader remarked that there remained the great distinction between art and its appliSOCIETY OF ARTS.-A charter of incorpocation to arrange. In the one is the object, in ration has been obtained from the Queen at the otber the means. He had now approached the instance of the president, Prince Albert, the main difficulty in his subject: how to hold for that society. An exhibition of works of the balance with justice to all interested in the decorative art and ornamental design, similar progressive developement of the arts. With to that of last year, will take place in the great the Royal Academy of Arts and its accessories room of the Adelphi in the month of March on the one hand, and the industrial arts with next; and the exhibition of the Mulready their commercial importance on the other, paintings is promised for May.