Whittier could not only describe in pleasing verse the scenes of every-day life, with their kaleidoscopic change and mutation: he had also a certain measure of the prophetic and romantic in his writings which distinguish a true poet from the mere versifier or clever rhymer who can, by force of application or natural ability, turn easily flowing lines of descriptive verse, but who fails to hold aside for us the dark veil which separates our grosser nature from the spiritual world beyond it. Although Whittier fails to describe for us the superb colour and melodious harmony of Nature, yet, by this same prophetic power and his power to catch something of the spiritual life, he was worthy to rank as a disciple of the great poets in this respect, such as Shakespeare, Goethe, Dante, Milton and Coleridge. The great Creator, in his scheme of the mighty universe, makes very often rough compensation for seeming deficiencies, which works in mysterious ways a blind man often having keen hearing; a deaf man acute vision. If Whittier seemed colour-blind to the glorious charm of Nature, he could yet delineate with such pleasing line and truth the scenes and incidents around him, that the pictures thus drawn by his magic pen were recognized and appreciated, not only by the people of New England, but by the whole English-speaking world, and, though not knowing a note of music, as he himself said, and thus deaf to all its glorious charm, he could yet, like Burns, play upon the pulsating and reciprocating chords of the hearts of the people and write sweet hymns, which, now set to music, are sung, and will be sung by thousands, long years after some of the sweetest singers and musicians the world has ever known are but a memory.

E

PERHAPS the most interesting fact in the evolution of the graphic arts in England during the last quarter of a century, has been the revival of the art of painting in coloured crayons, otherwise called pastels. This form of art was invented, or first developed by French artists, about the end of the sixteenth, and the beginning of the seventeenth centuries. A drawing in the Louvre is dated 1615. From that time onward, we find crayon drawing becomes more and more practised by the painters of France, till we reach the really great epoch of Pastel-the eighteenth century. Of its extensive use at that time many evidences remain. Every visitor to the Louvre can recall the wonderful portraits by La Tour, Chardin, Nattier and others. It did not attain the same popularity in England, though its excellences as a method of expression were fully appreciated by some of our best painters. John Russell, contemporary with Chardin, produced admirable work; the pastel portraits of Reynolds fetch high prices to-day, as do those of Romney. Later still, exquisite drawings were made by Sir Thomas Lawrence in crayon. Up to this time, not much landscape was executed in this medium, and its use was in this country chiefly confined to portraiture. With the French, however, it was already much used for rubbingin the passing effects of landscape. From the perfection to which the art had attained at the close of the eighteenth

century, it might have been thought that it would take a permanent and indisputable position as one of the chief forms of technical practice. Its peculiar qualities satisfied the art worker, and just then it happened to please popular taste, so that its future must at that time have seemed full of promise. Since those days, it has gone through a succession of vicissitudes, a decline and fall, that until recent years seemed to be final, and without hope of recovery. Why this was so, it is a little difficult to say. It may appear something like prejudice to say it, but we seem to trace the sinister influence of the Academy in its banishment, as a too successful competitor with oil. Obviously, the pastel portrait was less costly than oil, and obviously, Academicians chose the more elaborate and expensive medium. A notion got about that it was not a durable process, that it was too fragile and fugitive, to have any commercial value, and not permanent enough to be worth the attention of collectors. But though the public had ceased to recognise pastel, yet a few artists remained who were aware of its resources, and refused to heed a popular delusion. In France, a small group of reformers insisted upon championing the cause of the neglected and almost forgotten art. A society was formed, of which Victor Hugo was elected first president, he having practised pastel as an amateur. In England a still smaller group of artists led by Mr. Whistler gradually succeeded in forcing recognition of its merits. To their persistent efforts, the rehabilitation of pastel is due. Neither the indifference of other artists, nor the undisguised contempt of the mass of picture buyers, could kill their faith in it, nor check their desire to place it once more in the position it had formerly held. There is certainly something to show to-day, as an outcome of their striving a certain number of converts among the artists, and a small section of the public, won over, so far as London is concerned, to tardy, or furtive, recognition of it in some of our exhibitions. That nursery of original art, the New English Art Club, has always admitted pastel, so

does the newer International Society of Painters. Out of this movement has sprung the "Pastel Society," founded in 1898, an association that would appear to be at once select and strong. The annual exhibition, confined to members only, is held in the Galleries of the Royal Institute from the middle of June to the third week in July. The first members included G. F. Watts, R.A., G. Boughton, R.A., Messrs. Clauson, Guthrie, Bertram Priestman, Muhrman, Mark Fisher, Edward Stott, and Wm. Stott of Oldham; and in the first exhibition of the Society, many members of the Société de Pastellistes Français, M. Besnard, M. J. E. Blanche, M. Hellen, M. P. Roll, M. L. Lhermitte, and M. F. Montenard, whose leadership in the French art world is unquestioned, were among the contributors.

And, in correlation with this revival, the old crayons of comparatively limited range, have been improved upon, by the manufacture of the delightful soft pastels, in an immense variety of tints. A box sorted for landscape may contain as many as 400 pastels, and even this is supplemented by a smaller box of 100 crayons firmer than the pastels and intended to be used for fine touches in completing a drawing executed in the soft crayons.

It will be seen that by blending of these tints every minute and intermediate shade is procurable.

Pastel can be used in a varied and delightful way, from the artistic to the stupidly laborious, from the freest of sketches or merest suggestion to the elaborated picture. The sketches of Mr. Whistler, are true pastel notes, of effect summarised with great skill and feeling.

What are the qualities and characteristics of the pastel medium, which make it so desirable and delightful an addition to our resources of pictorial expression?

They are somewhat difficult of definition, so much depends upon temperament in these matters. Why does one man find pleasure in water-colour, and none in oil, or

the reverse? Why do so many people now-a-days, find their interest growing in the arts of etching, of lithography, in the revival of the woodcut, and of pastel, yet to whom the Autumn exhibition of "selected oil paintings,' is the most stodging of entertainments, a weariness to the flesh! What most people will agree in saying is, no doubt, that the chief quality about a pastel, worked out with anything like finish, is the richness together with the velvety bloom of the colour. This is a peculiarity of the material, viz., the peachlike bloom of the surface. Of course this is not the case with every pastel drawing. It depends on the kind of paper used. There are many kinds of paper for pastel work. That which produces the bloomy peachlike surface is a fluffy paper rather soft, in texture. There is pumicif paper, especially suitable for sketches and things rapidly dashed in; anti-ponce, suitable for portraits and more highly-finished works; canvas, primed with plaster, and vellum. Many of the most exquisite drawings of Sir Thomas Lawrence were made upon vellum, but these were chiefly in red and black crayons only. Mr. Francis Dodd, a young artist of marked originality and promise, has done excellent work in pastel on common brown paper. It will be seen that such a medium offers almost unlimited freedom to the artist. It can be used in every way desired, from the briefest note or memorandum, up to the most laboured and highly-finished picture, combining all the depth of oil painting, with other qualities peculiarly its own. The old masters used it to produce highly finished works, which rivalled oil paintings, in every thing except the time required in the execution of the latter.

In modern days pastel is looked upon mainly as a means of securing effects of light and colour, which would otherwise be too fleeting, for the more tedious processes of oil or water-colour.

It must be admitted, that when your pastel picture is