12 APRIL 1851, Page 19

FINE ARTS.

THE ROYAL ACADEMY.

THE sanguine-tempered in Academical matters received checkmate on the 29th ultimo: so, at least, we must regard it until the pending election of Associates, or some other such event of mark, shall enable us to consider matters from a wider point of view. Mr. Charles Landseer has been elected to succeed Mr. Jones in the Keepership of the Academy. 'What can the Progress party say to this? What, unless Rano wledve that no appreciable advance has been made in principle; and trace in tb■s election the same spirit, neither more nor less, that first placed among the eligible him whom Academy-balloters delight to honour. We speak of Mr. Land- seer solely as the producer of certain exhibited pictures ; and as such, we believe that no choice could be more unsatisfactory to the general body of artists, or, it is to be presumed, more distasteful to the students. Let us commend it to the Keeper's majority to decide which, between master and pupils, is to incite the other to improvement by example of at least decent mediocrity: a curious problem, but not a pleasant one.