The Queen's Pavilion

From The Literary Gazette and Journal of the Belles Lettres, Arts, Sciences, &c. 26 July 1845: 499

 

On Wednesday week we had the honour and pleasure of being invited to see the pavilion in the gardens of Buckingham Palace, which has been adorned with fresco paintings and other beauties of art by the command of her Majesty, and, we fancy we might almost say, under the royal superintendence of herself and Prince Albert. Mr. Gruner, whose admirable work on the fresco embellishments of Rome is on the eve of publication, received and shewed us the three apartments of which this little temple consists.

 

We presume that criticism was invited by thus throwing it open to the periodical press; but still we cannot consider ourselves at liberty to speak of such a production as we might of a public exhibition. But independently of this consideration, and the freedom of our remarks upon the competition in Westminster Hall, there is one other fact which rather disinclines us from playing "Absolute John" upon works of this kind. Fresco painting is a novelty in this country, and we confess it has often crossed our mind, that if the artists are inexperienced, so, at least in an equal degree, are their critics! But we are a presuming set; and seem to fancy we have a right to pronounce dogmatically upon every thing. Why the fit of diffidence has come over us near the palace, we cannot tell; but we feel that it would only be becoming to speak as if we might possibly be in error upon matters so imperfectly known to us by previous study or a more extensive acquaintance with the continental examples both ancient and modern.

 

The pavilion is smaller than we expected to find it, and the frescoes consequently of a limited size. Eight of them from "Comus," by Stanfield, Uwins, Leslie, Sir. W. Ross, Eastlake, Maclise, E. Landseer, and Dyce, are disposed of in the first room, an octagon, of 15 feet 8 by 15 feet 9 inches, and 14 feet 11 high from the floor to the vaulted dome, which is divided by 8 ribs, between each two of which the subject is seen in lunettes of 6 feet 3 inches below the cornice.

 

Stanfield's is a beautiful landscape on the right, splendidly wooded and brilliant with the sparkling fall of waters. The attendant spirit as a shepherd occupies the foreground on the left, and in the distance, the rabble rout are visible in their wild revels. "Mirth, admit me of thy crew," is no motto for them; the composition is chaste and charming, and worthy of the artist.

 

Uwins presents Comus and the Lady, a simple composition--the latter apparently soliloquizing, and the former listening to catch words, and partly hidden by the trees. It gently foretells the danger of the temptation; and has no striking feature.

 

Leslie's is in our judgment finely treated. The brewed enchantment is offered to the spellbound lady by Comus, and is rejected with all the indignation which innocence can express. A young satyr and bacchante is the foreground greatly enrich the scene, and add force to the incident.

 

Sir W. Ross. Comus is forcibly ejected by the two brothers, but escapes unscathed with his wand. It is rather a dramatic scene.

 

Eastlake's Celestial Pity, with angelic groups on either side, looks softly down on struggling Virtue. It looks better here than in the Royal Academy Exhibition.

 

Maclise is gifted with one of the grand requisites for fresco painting, a bold and firm hand, to dash off the outline in original vigour, without a necessity for re-touching, or hatching, or scambling, to conceal a weakness or blemish, which, reparable in oil, cannot be amended in fresco--for future times. In the present case, he has had no call to exercise the talent; and his fertile mind has, on the contrary, crowded the wall with characters, mortal and allegorical, full of beauty and charmingly grouped.

 

Also, in his own style, has Edwin Landseer revelled in the production of the changed countenances into brutish shapes of wolf, bear, tiger, hog, goat, and monkey. Teniers' "Temptation of St. Anthony" is not more imaginative than this; and never were animals more happily depicted, combining the utmost grotesque with the utmost truth.

 

And last, Mr. Dyce, a most appropriate termination of the series, and an admirable adaptation of design to fresco. It is the restoration of the lady and two brothers to their lordly parents; and nothing can excel the simplicity and gracefulness of the dénouement.

 

This piece superseded one by Etty, which was shewn us in the open air, and certainly appeared to be unworthy of his genius, if not unfit for modest decoration.

 

The floor of this room is highly polished, and the walls adorned with arabesques, medallions, masks, ciphers, and other graceful devices, so as to impart to the whole the single character (if we may coin a word after the German manner) of an ART-SHRINE.

 

The chimney-piece opposite the door is covered by a mirror which reflects the frescoes and partly the gardens in a very pleasing union; and on either side a door opens into the lesser apartments, about eight or nine feet in diameter. That on the left is illustrated by subjects from the Waverley novels, and is a feeling tribute to the memory of Scott. Among the artists who shine here, are the young brothers Doyle, the sons of the celebrated caricaturist, H. B.; and here also the panels, the floor, the windows, &c. are tastefully and suitable embellished with Scottish allusions. The other room is Pompeian in all its parts, and affords a most correct and interesting idea of the furniture luxuries of ancient times. The designs, the urns, the scrolls, and all the varieties of Greek and Roman beauty lavished on such refinements, are here faithfully copied, and the ensemble, besides offering a charming contrast with the other portions of the building, is in itself exceedingly pleasing. It is like going into a museum of precious antiquities.

 

In the end, after spending two hours delightfully with these attractive works, we departed with a deep sense of gratitude to the royal personages who had set this valuable example before the wealthy and noble of the land. The object in supplying an opportunity, on a small scale, of calling forth the genius of our national school to imp its wings in a new style of art, before it adventured upon the wider field recently opened to its view, was worthy of our youthful Queen and her Consort, who has shewn himself so desirous to promote the fine arts of his adopted England; and we beg humbly to offer them the thanks of the country for this liberal and auspicious act.