Michael Angelo Hayes exhibited a painting of the Battle of Alma in 1855.
An review in The Atlas, Saturday 16 June 1855, of the exhibition of the New Society of Painters in Water-Colours shows how quickly artists depicted battle scenes from the ongoing war, and exhibited them alongside conventional biblical, floral, romantic, topographic, landscape and other subjects.
The (unnamed?) critic is waspish in some of his descriptions, including of Laporte's painting:
"The Heavy Cavalry Charge at Balaklava" (348), M. A. Hayes, is a spirited and interesting version - a faithful one apparently (supposing such things can ever be faithful) of the brilliant passage-at-arms chosen for illustration. "British Horse Artillery - Alma" (42), G. Campion, is also a clever sketch in the same kind; while G. Laporte gives us his conception (he could scarcely have been on the spot) of the "Charge of the Light Brigade " (181), which does not transcend greatly one's own uninspired notions of that unspeakably awful business.
I have found very little about George Henry Laporte, other than his dates (1799 - 1873) and that he is known for horse paintings and hunting scenes. One source says he was active/lived in Germany; but to me his scenes, and perhaps his chief market, appear to me to be British.
FINE ARTS
New Society of Painters in Water-Colours.
THE exhibition of this society improves every year in galena excellence; the number of indifferent or mediocre works on the present occasion is very limited, while those which rise superior to the rest are necessarily capital performances. L. Haghe, who was absent last season, makes an important figure this. "Le Benitier" (63) and " St. Peter's Feats"' (248) are two scenes from the great church at Rome; one representing some peasants from the Campagna beside the famous. colossal figures of angels or Cupids which support the basin of holy-water; the other, a similar group in conjunction with that interesting specimen of fading classic, or early Christian art - the bronze statue of St. Peter - here decked out in pontifical garments, and receiving Papal kind of homage in relation to its kiss and sleeve-rubbed toes.
The truth and magnificent execution of these pictures need no eulogium, though perhaps the extraordinary gigantic scale of St. Peter's may be better appreciated from the first than the last example, which embraces a wider view of the building. The "Post Office at Albano" (78), and the "Convivial Meeting of the Brewers' Corporation, Antwerp" (103), are no less highly-wrought and striking instances of the artist's power; the latter, if of little historic value for the future, being in all probability of more picturesque account than a painting of any assembly of living brewers would be.
The minor designs of Mr. Haghe are derived principally from the cavalier and covenanter period, in which he is great; groups of those doubleted and breastplated heroes we have somewhere read of, who call when thirsty for a stoup of wine, and preface all they have to say by the expression, "Ay, marry." IL - Corbould's chief effort is "Paul and Silas in Prison" (229), a drawing full of technic merit; and as a concept Lion of the subject, so far original as to recall nothing of the way the old masters were accustomed to deal with I such matters. Mr. Corbould, however, is more at home. in the " Stile" (7) and the " Flight of Fair Ellen" (266), which are pretty and romantic enough, understanding by the
term romantic, a certain remoteness from fact and nature.. "How the Blacksmith won the rich Painter's Daughter" (52),. iN the old story of Quintin Matsys, very cleverly and agree. ably told by the artist. J. Absolon has adopted another old. story, and done it considerable justice, his " Genevra" (99) being prettier than most Genevras we remember to have seen. The " Girl at a Well" (129) is another attractive picture, of lesser pretension, from the same hand. E. Wehneres Romeo and Juliet" (88) fails to realise Shakspeare's characters in any high degree, but this is an accident to which painters generally seem more or less liable. H. Warren's "First Sunset witnessed by our first Parents" (82) should perhaps be classed with the landscapes; it is a somewhat gaudy affair, and the attitude of Eve is not so graceful as it is original. "Fetching Peat" (108), J. H. Mole, is unaffected and pleasing in character.
Lee, Rochard, Brocky, Green, Bouvier, contribute several pieces of various degrees of merit; and there is a humorous subject by H. Warren, the painter of the Paradise just mentioned, "Incipient Courtship' (297), which, albeit verging on caricature, is not altogether unsuccessful. Why does not Mr. Bouvier invest a few shillings in procuring a model to sit to him - just by way of experiment? Artists equal in ideality have found, we believe, looking at nature occasionally helpful and expedient - a sort of check upon any downward tendency towards mannerism.
"The Heavy Cavalry Charge at Balaklava" (348), M. A. Hayes, is a spirited and interesting version - a faithful one apparently (supposing such things can ever be faithful) of the brilliant passage-at-arms chosen for illustration. "British Horse Artillery - Alma" (42), G. Campion, is also a clever sketch in the same kind; while G. Laporte gives us his conception (he could scarcely have been on the spot) of the "Charge of the Light Brigade " (181), which does not transcend greatly one's own uninspired notions of that unspeakably awful business.
The landscape department is exceedingly rich this year, and we can safely promise much delight to those of our readers who will visit the exhibition, from an examination of the various transcripts from nature with which it abounds. McKewan, Bennett, Whymper, Fahey, Edmund Warren, are eminent in mountain torrents, antique woods, and many a fine umbrageous view; the works of the latter professing a solidity and brilliancy rare in water colour, or, indeed, any other mode of landscape painting; "The Castle of Berry Pomeroy" (107), is a splendid instance of this artist's manner. Rowbotham and Vacher have several charming scenes, Italians chiefly; among them the "Pass of the Brenner" (46), by the former, may be pointed out as very grand and beautiful, and the "Etna" (173) by the latter.
Aaron Penley, with much beauty approaches the artificial in style, the water in the "Lake of Geneva" (151) being more like Claude than nature, terms no longer held synonymous; while in his "Place Fell, Cumberland" (188), a heavy shower is introduced, slightly suggestive of the heavens raining mud, instead of water. Hardwicke, Lindsay, Oliver, W. Telbin, P. Mitchell, are names deserving mention as connected with many meritorious pictures; S. Cook exhibits an effective drawing of "Tintagel Castle" (127) and one of " Sir Francis Drake taking the Galleon into Dartmouth" (133); T. Robins some acceptable sea-pieces. Of architectural views the principal are those by J. S. Prout, the " Melrose" (73), " Haddon" (28), " Hall of Justice, Bruges" (273); and others by J. Chase; " St. Germain l'Auxerrois" (162), D'Egville, " View at Honfleur" (196) G. Howse, &c.; excellent and interesting examples of their class. There arc, as usual, some remarkably clever drawings of "Ducks" (3 - 302); Harrison Weir, "Fowls" (317-323), C. Weigall, and admirable specimens of still-life, flowers, &c., by Margetts, Mrs. Harrison, and Fanny Harris.