CHAMBERS' EDINBURGH JOURNAL
CONTENTS
THE ART SEASON.
BILL WILLIAMS.
HYGIENIC CHANGE OF AIR.
THE DEVICE, OR IMPRESS.
A COUNTRY WEDDING IN FRANCE.
NOBLE INSTANCE OF TURKISH GENEROSITY AND HONESTY.
LADY BETTY, THE HANGWOMAN.
THE WILL AND THE WAY.
PAPER-MILLS.
LINES TO ——.
PROCESS FOR PRODUCING TAPERED IRON.
CONDUCTED BY WILLIAM AND ROBERT CHAMBERS, EDITORS OF 'CHAMBERS'SINFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE,' 'CHAMBERS'S EDUCATIONAL COURSE,' &c.
| No. 444. New Series. | SATURDAY, JULY 3, 1852. | Price 1½d. |
THE ART SEASON.
Returning with the circling year, and advancing pari passu with themultitude of metropolitan musical attractions, comes the more silentreign of the picture exhibitions—those great art-gatherings fromthousands of studios, to undergo the ultimate test of public judgmentin the dozen well-filled galleries, which the dilettante, or loungingLondoner, considers it his recurring annual duty strictly to inspect,and regularly to gossip in. As places where everybody meets everybody,and where lazy hours can be conveniently lounged away, the exhibitionsin some sort supply in the afternoon what the Opera and parties do inthe evenings. Nearly all through the summer-day, they are crowded witha softly-rustling, humming, buzzing crowd, coming and going perhaps,taking little heed of the nominal attraction, but sauntering from roomto room, or ensconcing themselves in colonies or clusters of chairs,and lounging vacantly in cool lobbies. At energetic sight-seers, whoare labouring away, catalogue and pencil in hand, they starelanguidly. They really thought everybody had seen the pictures; theyknow they have: they have stared at them until they became a bore. Butthis sort of people, who only come once, why, of course, they supposethis sort of people must be allowed to push about as they please. Butit is a confounded nuisance; it is really.
The great army of art amateurs, connoisseurs, and the body who areregarded in the artistic world with far greater reverence—the notedpicture buyers and dealers, have come and seen, and gone away again;after having lavishly expended their approbation or disapprobation,and possibly in a less liberal degree, their cash. After the first