Mr. Fahey's" Blue Bell Hill, and Kit's Cotty "Hawthornden," by W. Robertson, though a pretty picture, seems to us a shade less romantic than the place itself. C. Vacher, who made so great a sensation by his "Venice" some two or three years ago, exhibits now "The Bazaar Algiers," and seems to us to have advanced in his art. The scene is most real and life-like; the grouping is natural, and, because natural, graceful; while in the picturesque costume and richness of colouring appropriate to the place, Mr. Vacher is quite at home. The detail of this work is finished most highly. "Red Riding Hood," by Charles Weighall. This is a little gem which we longed to run away with. The very ideal of the fairy tale. A wolf, which we should rather expect to talk than otherwise; and a Red Riding Hood made up of infant beauty, and the innocence that is not folly. But our space is waning, and printers wait. Next month we propose continuing the notice of this Society, for there are many pictures deserving of praise, which as yet we have not named; among them those by A. Penley, C. Davidson, W. Bennett, Harrison Weir, Rowbotham, &c., &c. THE EXHIBITION OF THE NATIONAL No. 187. Portraits of Mrs. and Miss Block. The above are by those eminent painters, W. and H. Barraud, who are quite the Landseers of this Exhibition: their delineation of animals appears to us to be as near perfection as a command of grace, expression, and true drawing can render it. room No. 45. Galliotto the Astrologer, showing Louis XI. the first specimen of Printing; by R. S. Lauder, R. S. A. There is perhaps a want of depth and space in this picture: the characters represented appear not to have " to swing a cat in;" but probably, like "Mr. Dick," they "have no desire to swing a cat." The subject would be excellent for a bas relief, as it exhibits an abundance of ability and a command over the expression of character. No. 260. Mal-apropos; or, one too many, by │J. E. Lauder, R. S. A., is another fine subject inperfectly treated. Two ladies in a balcony are awaiting the arrival of a gay inamorato, one of whose expressive eyes is just seen peeping over the parapet. The flesh of the ladies, we think, is wanting in vitality. The arm of the fairer damsel of the two is stiff and chalky. No. 36. The Lake of Nemi, by R. S. Lauder, R. S. A., is a very monotonous and insipid picture, nearly all of one colour. Mr. Bell Scott (Hon. Sec.) has contributed ten portraits, which are very cleverly executed. Perhaps the two greatest and most striking pictures in the Exhibition are by L. W. Desanges. No. 71. The Crucifixion; in which a very fine effect is produced by an immense space of sepulchral darkness invaded by one bright break of light in the sky just above the crucified figures; and PORTLAND GALLERY, 316, REGENT STREET. No. 159. The Excommunication of Robert King of France and his Queen Bertha, which is a grand specimen of artistic power, although all the figures in the picture are too much on the same level: the principal personages are brought boldly into relief by a strong light, fine group faction. Among the first pictures in merit, as well as rotation, is No. 2. A Highland Ford (Lochaber), by that admirable painter, R. R. M'Ian. Painted with great ease, mastery, and nicety of touch and colour. It is a perfect transcript of a romantic scene in nature. No. 7. Portrait of Mrs. Hoole and children, by J. G. Middleton, indicates the hand of a master, and a true feeling for art. No. 11. Kendall Castle, moonlight, by J. C. Dibdin, is a small picture, but treated very skilfully. No. 31. The Graces. No. 21. A Border Sentinel. No. 94. A Hunting Party. Cardigan, Among the really fine paintings we must call especial attention to No. 57. Samson (a study), by E. Armitage. No. 58. On the Thames, looking towards Putney, by E. Williams, sen. No. 76. The Highland " Coronach," by R. R. M'Ian. No. 106. Marie Antoinette with her children escaping from the secret door from her apartment in Versailles, when the palace was attacked by the mob, by M. Claxton. No. 235. The Beauchamp Chapel, Warwick, by S. Rayner. No. 244. Captivity and Liberty, by Mrs. M'Ian. No. 283. A Scene from Cymbeline, by J. E. Lauder, R.S.A. No. 298. Border Tower on the Yarrow, by H. M'Culloch. Among those pictures which evince a culti No. 118. Horses-the property of the Earl of vated style and a true feeling for art, we may mention particularly prostrate, in a fit of delirium, with most agonising pain. The medical attendant perceived at once that there was no hope for the afflicted patient, and communicated his opinion to the family. Her sufferings during Thursday night were most distressing, and strong doses of medicine were administered to allay her pains; under the influence of narcotics, the patient lingered for some hours, and died at two o'clock on Friday afternoon, insensible alike to pain and those around her bed. The grief of the daughter was so poignant as to demand the anxious solicitude of the medical attendant. We are happy to learn that the afflicted young lady is surrounded by kind and affectionate friends, and that her mind is somewhat relieved from its dreadful shock. It is intended to bury the remains of Madame Dulcken on Thursday, in one of the public cemeteries; and although it had been determined to conduct the funeral in the most unostentatious manner, the professional admirers of the great talents and many virtues of the deceased will join in the mourning cavalcade. To the brilliant and re English public has borne testimony at all our musical establishments in the metropolis for a long series of years. At her death, Madame Dulcken had attained only her thirty-eighth year. She was the sister of the eminent violinist, Ferdinand David, under whose care, at Leipzig, two of her youthful sons are studying for the musical profession, and give great promise of inheriting their mother's musical talents. The family of this lamented lady, consisting of one daughter and five sons, together with their bereaved parent, are plunged into the deepest grief by her sudden death. After a tour in the provinces and to Ireland, Madame Dulcken returned to London, at Christmas, apparently in good health, but much fatigued, and unable to attend her usual avocations. Her medical attendant (Mr. J. Chappell) on being called in, soon discovered symptoms of a dangerous dis-markable talents of the lamented pianiste, the ease, located behind the right ear, and causing great pain. By careful treatment, the pain was partially removed, and the patient so far rallied as to resume, contrary to medical advice, giving pianoforte intructions. This eagerness on the part of the impatient invalid to resume her professional pursuits occasioned a relapse, and, on rallying a second time, Mr. Chappell insisted on Madame Dulcken being taken to St. Leonard's for the benefit of sea-air and quiet. From the latter place she returned on Monday, April the 8th, freed from pain, although troubled with symptoms indicating the existence of an abscess. On Wednesday, we are told, a sudden change took place in the disorder, which, as proved by a post-mortem examination, caused pressure upon the brain, and subsequently death. These fatal symptoms were so little felt by the unfortunate lady, that so late as mid-day on Thursday last she was on the point of giving a lesson to a pupil, when the latter, being struck by a visible alteration in the usually bright and cheerful countenance of the gifted pianiste, immediately alarmed the family, and within an hour of the time appointed for the lesson, which she still expressed a desire to give, Madame Dulcken was Her first public performance in England, of which we have any record, was in 1829, at one of Ella's Soirées Musicales, under the patronage of Queen Adelaide. The next performance which most attracted public notice was Weber's Concert Stück, at the Philharmonic Concerts. The effect of her brilliant execution of this now stock piece of pianism was electrifying; and after this new triumph, her professional fame commanded numerous engagements, and obtained for her the largest number of pupils ever enjoyed by any teacher, foreign or native, in this country. To her musical talents she added the accomplishments and refinements of a linguist, and an extensive reading of the best literature in the German, Italian, French, and English languages. FASHIONS FOR MAY. Longchamps this year has disappointed the Legitimists and the Democrats; it was not sufficiently brilliant for the first, and too much so for the others. The weather was too cold for any great display of summer dresses, though there were a few elegant ones; but the chapeaux and capotes were all of a summer kind, and remarkably tasteful. The equipages were in general brilliant, particularly those of the English; but indeed their equipages always bear away the | palm. The English ladies' dresses were also, in general, in excellent taste. There were a good many on horseback, whose costumes were much admired; that of Lady S-- excited the most attention; it was in the Moldavian style—a petite veşte of dark-green cloth, entirely covered with an embroidery in passementerie, imitating guipure royale, and displaying the shape to the greatest perfection. The skirt, very ample and cut in a novel manner, fell in long folds, like an antique drapery. A grey beaver hat: the brim, low in front, and turned up at the sides, was ornamented with a long twisted ostrich feather. Cambric collar and manchettes, each closed by a double button of rubies. The cravat, plaided in red and green squares, was tied negligently, and fell in festooned ends. I think Lady S-- has set a fashion that is likely to be followed by the élite of the haut ton. The summer fashions are now settled, with the exception of those modifications that every month take place. Pardessus are this year of a small size: those of silk still predominate. There is more variety than might have been expected in the forms; one that is in favour, though not to a great degree, is the mantelet gilet, so called from bearing some resemblance to the waistcoats worn by gentlemen in Louis XIVth's time. Certainly the long corsage, basquines, and pockets in front, are neither pretty nor elegant; they are always composed of silk, and trimmed in a very plain style with narrow lace or passementerie. Chales-mantelets are more extensively seen, and are very likely to be much in request, particularly for young unmarried ladies; their form is very convenient, and they are light and graceful. They are always made of taffetas: those of glacé caméléon and mordoré are most fashionable. The garnitures are deep fringes, effilés, with headings à jours, or else ruches cut in dents de scie. form; those à la Duchesse, in light colours, are adopted only in carriage or half-dress; rosecolour of the bright shade given in our plate, and trimmed with black lace, are most in request. There are also several mantelets of a smaller size, made with short scarf ends, and points behind; these are generally of dark colours; dark blue taffeta glace de noir is much employed for them. Some, with the fronts squared at the ends, are trimmed with very broad black lace, surmounted by several rows of ruches composed of ribbons, with a single satin stripe at each edge. The shapes of chapeaux and capotes may now be considered decidedly settled. The oval form, so generally becoming, is continued; the brims are always very open, and very full trimmed in the interior. The vogue of fancy chapeaux is and will be very great, but paille d'Italie and paille de riz will preserve a supremacy of good taste and distinction. Crape, gauze, tulle, and lace, will also be très distingué, particularly the latter. Straw will be much in request for fancy chapeaux; it has already appeared in pailles dentelles, pailles crenelées, pailles arabesques, and pailles festonnées. Capotes are this year prettier than ever, particularly those of taffeta covered with crape, gauze, or tulle, disposed in puffs, bouillons, and coquilles, the fulness arranged in different manners. This style is exTaffeta is the material most used for par- quisitely light and cool, but it excludes all ornadessus; but there are also several composed of ment on the exterior, except a follette of marapoult de soie. Some have the corsage part close bout. Rose colour, white, azure blue, and fitting at the back, and the fronts loose-the citron, are the hues most in favour for crape, skirts are always short; others are made so as tulle, and gauze chapeaux and capotes. A good partially to display, or entirely conceal the shape, many of the latter, composed of crape or tulle, according to the manner in which they are put are bouillonné in a very novel style, the bouillons on. The most elegant of these pardessus are being arranged in zigzags, with a narrow white trimmed with two rows of broad rich lace at the blonde lace, set on with very little fulness, runbottom; the sleeves are decorated to correspond; ning irregularly among them; the exterior has the lace falling over and nearly covering the arm no other ornament, but the interior is decorated has a very rich effect. Pardessus of a less with tufts of mingled white and red rose-buds. dressy kind are frequently trimmed with flounces Others, with the material laid on plain, are deof the same material; they are in general very corated on each side of the exterior with a broad, and either cut in sharp points, or fes- bouquet of the flowers called cheveux de Vénus. tooned in deep-embroidered scallops, or edged Chapeaux of paille de riz and d'Italie are this with a narrow chicorée, or a petit plessé of rib-year more generally trimmed with flowers than bon, which also edges the heading. The most feathers; if the latter are employed, they are novel of the silk pardessus, and I think also the usually follettes of marabouts, or bouquets of most elegant, are of silk entirely covered with têtes de plumes. Blossoms of the almond, the embroidery, and trimmed only with a very broad apricot, and chestnut trees, are in great request; fringe of rich but light workmanship. These so also are sprigs of acacia, honeysuckle, and pardessus are beginning to be much in vogue; deadly night-shade; and, above all, roses of they may be made in dark colours, and are every kind. Violets, daisies, forget-me-nots, mostly so for the promenade;; but for elegant and tufts of the tips of lilacs, are in great vogue half-dress they are white, pink, and a delicate for capotes. I should have cited also sprigs of shade of green called vert d'eau. Several of the Spanish lilac, both white and blue, for chalatest pardessus that have appeared, are half-peaux. tight to the shape, and rather long before. The garnitures for these are brandebourgs, passementerie, or effilés. Those with tight corsages, and skirts of a half-length even all round, very full trimmed with effiles, are in great vogue, both in elegant promenade and carriage dress. The first figure in our first plate is the most elegant model of this kind that has yet appeared. Others, on the contrary, are quite of the mantelet Light-blue crape, or tulle over taffeta, are much in request for chapeaux; a good many are trimmed with sprigs of larkspur, or else with a narrow wreath of myrtle, terminated at each ear by a moss-rose, from which a shower of very small buds, mingled with foliage, descends on the brim. Blonde lace is a good deal employed for trimming crape and tulle chapeaux. The first figure of our first plate presents a mo del of the latest style of these trimmings: I may also call the attention of my fair readers to the chapeau of the fifth figure in our first plate: it is, both for the form and the style of the trimming, one of the most elegant models of rice-straw chapeaux that have yet appeared. Paille de riz, intermingled with other materials, is very much employed for fancy chapeaux and capotes; it offers an exquisite imitation of lace in various patterns, and of shells turning one over another, and forming with plain bands of it, and full ones of other materials, as ribbon, blonde, &c. &c., some of the prettiest chapeaux and capotes; they are lined with taffeta or coloured crape, and trimmed with knots of plaided ribbon in the colours of the lining. Some of the most admired are lined with white taffeta, and decorated with a sprig of white lilac at the side, or else they have two tufts of violets of Parma placed on the brim. Others are quadrilled; the grounds are iron grey or poussière: in the centre of each square there is a petit bouquet broché in blue, cherry, or pink. Scotch plaid taffetas are of all colours; others are striped; and some are moirée; The taffetas Fontange are much admired in halfdress: the grounds are blue, white, or a bright shade of green; the patterns are wreaths of flowers of all colours, mounting gradually from the bottom nearly to the top of the skirt, and encircling the border of the flounces. Others, prettier and more delicate, are striped in large white stripes, strewed with little bouquets of roses, daisies, or other delicate flowers of all colours. Shot taffetas are very extensively seen: the most numerous are green on rose, orange on blue, white on grey, &c.; they are trimmed with flounces cut out at the edges, or ornamented with an embroidery in open work. I have already spoken of silks for evening dress. I may add to them the taffetas écossais, and Pom beautiful, representing gerbes of flowers of colours that mingle well together. Some are of gris noisette, with large bouquets of full-blown roses in a variety of colours; others of light green, with tufts of white or red lilac, rhododendron, and hawthorn blossoms. Taffeta capotes, of drawn shapes, are a good deal adopted for the morning promenade. Se-padour, and also the soies chenées; they are very veral are trimmed with ruches of gauze ribbon; others have each runner ornamented with a very full narrow ruche of taffeta ribbon, edged with a small satin stripe: a good many are of rose colour; the ribbon is the same, but the stripe black. Some are trimmed with ribbon only, others with a bouquet of roses, with black foliage. Several capotes are of blue taffeta glacé de blanc; the ruches were edged with a narrow yellow satin stripe, and the exterior decorated with tufts of blue and yellow flowers mingled. The interior of each sort is always trimmed either with coques of ribbon or tulle. Pallaisons, as coarse straw chapeaux are called, are beginning to be a good deal seen in early morning dress, and are expected to be very much in vogue for the country, to which our élégantes will now soon be hastening. Some are lined with white taffeta: others are ornamented with a torsade of straw and white ribbon laid upon the brim; it is terminated by two large close choux of ribbon. The brims of these chapeaux are always a little larger than the others. Coques of ribbon always ornament the interior. I have already spoken of the flowers most in favour; but there are so many others fashionable, that I cannot pretend to enumerate them. Feathers are seldom adopted but for half-dress or carriage chapeaux. Ostrich feathers, mingled with marabouts, are a good deal employed for crape and rice-straw chapeaux; they form long panaches, either entirely white, or else shaded in such colours as blend the best. Another very graceful style of arrangement, is in bouquets descending in long gerbes on one side of the brim. A third mode of disposing them, is in tufts of petites tétes de plumes shaded in pink and white, or green, or yellow and white, intermingled with small feather foliage of the same colour. The novelties in Spring silks are this year very numerous, and more than usually pretty and elegant. I may cite among the taffetas for promenade and half-dress, those with light blue, green, and white grounds, strewed with delicate bouquets, or small flowers, or light sprigs. Promenade robes are as yet composed only of silk; but there is no doubt that as the season advances the various kinds of half-transparent materials, such as barege, mousseline de soie, &c. &c., will be brought forward; it is expected also that muslins, both white and printed, will be in great request, but by no means to the exclusion of summer silks, particularly of taffetas. Plain silks, and those glacé in quiet colours, divide the vogue with more showy ones, even in public promenade and half-dress. The redingote form is decidedly preferred for the promenade; they are principally trimmed with passementerie. Brandebourgs are in great favour; those on the redingote in our first print are the most novel. Robes are fashionable, though not so generally adopted for the promenade; the trimming is generally flounces, if any is worn, but I think the majority have no garniture. Skirts are now quite short enough in front, and of a convenient length behind for the promenade. Demi-trains are continued, both in half and evening-dress. The width of skirts, both for robes and redingotes, is as great as ever, and likely to continue so this is probably the reason why the latter, though not so general as robes in half-dress, are still very fashionable. Some of the most admired are composed of taffetas écossais; the corsages, tight to the shape, are made with small falling collars, and revers encircled with dentelle de soie of the least showy colour of the silk. Pagoda sleeves ornamented with the same lace. These redingotes, instead of being fastened down the front in the usual manner with twelve small buttons, are closed by the same number of little broches. This kind of trimming, besides its novelty, which for fashion is always a great consideration, has the advantage of being very con |