Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, CompleteVarious
General
Punch, or the London Charivari, Volume 1, Complete
Various
English wit and humor -- Periodicals
To prevent those visitors to this exhibition, who do not profess an
intimacy with the objects herein collected for their amusement, from
being misled by the supposititious circumstance of the highest prize
having commanded the best picture, we beg to point to their attention
the following peculiarities (by no means recommendatory) in the work
selected by the most fortunate of the jewel-hunters; it is catalogued
The Sleeping Beauty, by D. Maclise, R.A., and assuredly painted with
the most independent disdain for either law or reason. Never has been
seen so signal a failure in attempting to obtain repose by the
introduction of so many sleeping figures. The appointment of parts to
form the general whole, the first and last aim of every other painter,
D. Maclise, R.A., has most gallantly disregarded. If there be effect, it
certainly is not in the right place, or rather there is no concentration
of effect; it possesses the glare of a coloured print, and that too of a
meretricious sortincidents there are, but no plotless effect upon the
animate than the inanimate. The toilet-table takes precedence of the
ladythe couch before the sleeperthe shadow, in fact, before the
substance; and as it is a sure mark of a vulgar mind to dwell upon the
trifles, and lose the substantialto scan the dress, and neglect the
wearer, so we opine the capabilities of D. Maclise, R.A., are brought
into requisition to accommodate such beholders. He has, moreover,
carefully avoided any approximation to the vulgarity of flesh and blood,
in his representations of humanity; and has, therefore, ingeniously
sought the delicacy of Dresden china for his models. To conclude our
notice, we beg to suggest the addition of a torch and a rosin-box,
which, with the assistance of Mr. Yates, or the Wizard of the North,
would render it perfect (whereas, without these delusive adjuncts, it is
not recognisable in its puppet-show propensities) as a first-rate
imitation of the last scene in a pantomime.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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