ROYAL PICTURES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2736, 22 August 1906, Page 69

ROYAL PICTURES.

— Buckingham Palace and Windsor Castla* ■ j Collections. — The second of the t\jjo Imperial folio* 1 dealing with the royal collection of pointings at Buckingham Palirce and Windsor Ca3tle has now been issued by the Finer , Arts Publishing. Company (.William HeineI matin, London). The plates are again ear- ' ri«d out by the photogravure process, iit brown ink on cream-toned paper, each one * being in its own envelope, on which the accompanying descriptive text by Mr Lionel Cust is printed. The whole of the? engravings are enclosed in a grey winged? portfolio with gpld lettering, the completed' work constituting a pair of the handsomest. volumes evor issued from the press. The present portion deals with selections' from the treasures at Windsor Gastle, which, although a royal residence since th€»duy* of William the Conqueror, was not" uutil the reign of Charles H furnished.' oedecorated for actual use by the King. Thar firsf catalogue of" pictures at the Castlas was compiled' at die- end 4 of' the reign off" ' James Hi in 1688;. and- some of them xra, still on the Oastle walls, including those by Van Dyck. Neither George I nor George II liked Windsor George 111 did; but iti was ao unfit for a. royal residence that the King and Queen n*d to live in a hous© II liked Windsor. George 111 did ; but ifc Windior into the fine pile it is to-day King Edward VH, however, has completely rearranged all the works of art throughout, the Castle md at Buckingham Palace, and) under his personal supervision has made them official residences of the Sovereign | worthy of the British Crown and nation. ! Sir Peter Paul Rubens is represented by four works only, but amongst them aro the glorious portraits of himself and of his first wife, Isabella Brandt, co remarkable for the beautiful drawing, especially of tho ri^ht hand, and opulent colouring An- - geli's well-known picture of the late Queem I Victoria at the age of 80 is reproduced, \ her ifaje6ty. in widow's cap and black; gown, leaning her face on her. loft hand; i The exigencies of rhe situation were such* ' a* f-o display the Hungarian artist's skillf rather than the full strength of his- art. 1 Winterhalter was also a Court painter of th*s same calibre ac Angeli, skilful, bafe raiher more Baahy and melodramatic. Thee British school js worthily represented by Gaiitfborough it was fortunate that ther royal ooilecior* took a. liking to Gainsborough). Sir Joshua Reynolds, Hogarth". Hoppner Sir Thomas Lawrence, David Wilkie, and Millais. the latter by one cani vas only, a portrait of Princess Marie of ' Edinburgh. Tl'e Van Dycks are all por- ) traits but one. "Saint Mertin of Tours 1 Dividing .his Cloak witb a Beggar." His four pictures of Charles I arc remarkable for -heir wonderful facial resemblance, agreeing with each other < xactly, whether full profile, or three-quarter views. The Italian school is the weakest in the collee- , tion, Antonio Canale's "Ascension Day"I boing perhaps the worthiest example. ! Amongst the Dutchmen Wouvermann is ! prominent with "The Farrier's Booth," I purchased by George 111, Rembrandt by his admirably'Conoeived portrait of his mother, painted between the years 1629 and* 1630. This canvas was given to Charles. I by Robert Eerr, first Earl of Ancram, said was done when the painter was at the height ofc his fame. In the French roll, the best of a somewhat poor gathering is Ben- ! jamin Constant's grandiose portrait ofc Queen Victoria (the figure almost swallowed! up in the throne at the House of Lords), with a- tricky effect of light on the face- ! Hatw Holbein is represented by four porj trsuts, splendid specimens of draughtsman" ship, and even in their simple brown _ re* productions suggestive of rich colouring* It is to be regretted that the royal coU ! lectors did not appreciate landscape eumy j cientlr, the most characteristic English art; the very few examples at Windsor and L'jJckini^ham Palace only apparently having? secured their pla<>es in tho collection bjK mere chance However, in spite of a few dra-wb.~t.ki., *hi» volume*, will be a. =oure<J of infinite pleasure to tho^e fortunaW. enouft to lje able to possess thenu

— According to the latest statistics 1715 »hilidien died in England and Wales from hums and 494 from scalds. Of the 1715 deaths, more than 1000 were the result of unprotected gratee, *nd in 412 cases the victims wore flannelette*

1 i — The Burials Committee of the W.andsworth Borough Council has recently re1 ceived a number of complaints that flowers ' on graves in the Putney Vale Cemetery I had been destroyed. The destruction ba§_ been traced to rabbi t*