Royal Academy, sixth notice

RA Exhibition 1875, landscapes, sixth notice.

Rossetti, William M. "The Royal Academy Exhibition." Academy (July 3, 1874): 20. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.

This essay addresses the landscape paintings of the exhibition. Rossetti points out that unlike other subjects in the exhibition, "the verbal description of landscapes is seldom an attractive operation to writer or to reader," and therefore he will condense his commentary.

His first commentary focuses on a work by Sir John Everett Millais. Rather than using his typical description of the colors, subject, action and story, Rossetti offers a stanza by Campbell to express the effect of Millais' work. This is yet another textual hermeneutic similar to the use of catalogues with explanations to make clear the meaning of an art piece, but with one important distinction: the catalogues allow the painter to express intention and design in order for viewers to understand the meaning in a painting, while Rossetti's use of text in the form of verse is to allow readers to experience the effect of the painting.

It is significant that once again, Rossetti leads his notice with a very favorable review of a PRB-movement artist like Millias.

He addresses Hook and what the artist terms "Hook-scapes," with Rossetti enthusiastically reviewing several paintings. The remainder of the review considers other works briefly, some achieving only mention, but significant among them are the names Henry Moore, Alfred Hunt, Macbeth and Pickering.