BREAKFAST.

It is not necessary in order to acquire a great reputation in painting, to represent either heroic or tragical subjects that produce strong sensations; or even graceful scenes of Venus and the Loves, that cause sweet emotions: celebrity is equally attainable by representing familiar scenes. But it then becomes necessary to know how to give, with great fidelity, the simplest and most ingenuous expressions.

It is what is seen in this picture, wherein the Painter, Wilkie, has represented a family at their morning meal : nothing can be more simple, nothing truer. The interior of the apartment displays neatness and comfort, without ostentation. The mother bears all her attention to one of the most important operations of the breakfast table: she has put in the teapot the necessary quantity of green and black, and a maid servant is inattentively pouring the water on it but nothing can take off the mistress' attention, who will tell her to stop, exactly in time. The son holds a newspaper, which he is carefully reading, for the purpose of planning the day's tactics, when on Change. The old gentlmann, the father, puts all his attention to avoid spilling the boiled egg he has just broken: he sucks a part, and the remainder is to be eaten with a spoon, that he holds in his right hand,

It is useless saying how skilfully this little picture is coloured. It is painted on wood, and forms part of the Marquis of Stafford's Collection. It has been engraved by C. W. Marr.

Height 2 feet 6 inches; width 2 feet 3 inches.

LE COLIN-MAILLARD.

Qui ne se rappelle d'avoir joué à colin-maillard dans sa jeunesse, et qui ne se rappelle aussi que, si les inquiétudes du pauvre aveuglé donnent souvent occasion de s'amuser, les agaceries multipliées des assistans donnent encore plus de sujets de s'égayer. Le peintre a donc bien saisi l'esprit du jeu : car, en nous représentant le pauvre Colin cherchant à mettre la main sur un grand gaillard qui se blottit sur un banc déjà rempli de monde, il nous fait voir une petite fille qui s'est jetée par terre pour ne pas se trouver à la hauteur des bras. Un jeune garçon, au contraire, paraît vouloir retenir une jeune fille, qui cherche à se lever pour fuir, et cette lutte pourra bien la faire prendre. Un petit garçon, pour favoriser la fuite de tout ce groupe, cherche à retenir le colin-maillard par la basque de sa veste, tandis que sur le devant un jeune homme, à genoux par terre, tâche d'attirer l'attention du joueur, afin de le turlupiner. Deux autres jeunes gens se sont emparés de la plus jolie personne de la troupe, et veulent la pousser vers le colin-maillard afin de la faire prendre. Plus loin on voit de petits enfans qui, croyant avoir bien besoin de se garantir, courent bien fort', tandis que l'on ne pense pas å eux, un

troisième enfant vient de tomber sur un chien.

Il faudrait un long article pour faire apprécier tout le mérite de ce charmant tableau, dont la gravure est fort estimée, et donne non-seulement la composition, mais aussi la finesse de l'expression, et presque le coloris du maître. Ce tableau a été peint pour le roi Georges IV, il a été gravé d'après ses ordres par Raimbach.

Larg., 3 pieds; haut., 2 pieds.

BLINDMAN'S BUFF.

Who does not remember in his youth having played at Blindman's-Buff, and who does not also recollect, that, if the uneasiness of the poor blind buff often affords an opportunity of great glee, the multiplied enticements of the company produce yet a greater cause of merriment. The painter has admirably well hit the spirit of the play, for in describing the poor Buff endeavouring to lay hold of a tall fellow lying close on a bench already crowded with people, he shows us a little girl who falls upon the ground, so as to be out of arm's length. A lad, on the contrary, appears to be willing to detain a young girl endeavouring to rise to run away, and this struggle may be the cause of her being taken. A boy, to help the flight of the group attempts to seize the buff by the skirt of his waistcoat, whilst in the front is a young man kneeling and endeavouring to draw the attention of the player in order to puzzle him. Two other young men have laid hands on the handsomest young lady in the company, trying to push her towards the buff, that she may be catched. Farther is to be seen some little children, who, thinking to be in a great want of screening themselves, run very fast, whilst no one thinks of them, a third child is just fallen upon a dog.

A long article might be necessary to set a just value on this beautiful picture, the engraving of which is so greatly esteemed that it not only offers the composition, but the delicacy of expression and almost the coloring of the master. This picture was painted for King George the fourth, engraven according to his orders by Raimbach.

Breadth, 3 feet 2 inches; Height, 2 feet 1 inch.

and