ASSOCIATES OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY.
TO THE EDITOR OP THE SPECTATOR.
Sm—On Wednesday evening last, the three vacant chairs at the Royal Aca- demy were filled up, by the election of Mr. Jona CHALON, Mr. Devrn Ro- DEBTS,* and Mr. HARDIVICKE ; that is to say, these three artists were pre- ferred to all others on the rich list of Associates.
Calls this for no comment ? does it not manifest that a petty faction now rules the Royal Academy as certainly and as fatally as did another such faction in the bygone days of FARINGTON and the Gcoacss ? The present ruling faction consists of a set of inconsiderate though not in- considerable artists, called " the Sketching Club," who meet in rotation at each other's apartments, and do that in a hurry which, most of all in the pro- ceedings of art, requires deliberation—that is to say, compose—attempt to transfer the matured thoughts of others into pictorial language. A subject is given out from some standard poet or historian, which subject is previously unknown to all excepting him whose happy turn it is to announce it ; when all the members of the club set to and severally form the best pictorial compo-
sitions their respective talents enable them to produce in the course of the evening's sitting.
Were this playing at art a legitimate mode of improvement, doubtless it would long ago have been adopted by the Academies of Europe, and we should ere now have seen poetry and music cultivated upon the same rapid and refined principle, and perhaps have witnessed the erection of the mill to make verses, which was long since proposed by the Spectator of the days of ADDISON and STEELE.
This, however, is the constant principle and practice of the aforesaid Club ; and if it is not aiming to do that in a hurry which, most of all in the proceed- ings of art, requires considerate reflection—if it is not " wasting of strength on strenuous idleness "—I leave it to the Chancellor of the Athenaeum to say what is.
Such is the constant principle and periodical practice of the faction that are the present lords of the ascendant at the Royal Academy ; that, by constitut- ing a majority, rule it at all elections, and of course ruled at that of Wednes- day evening last : and as this mode of introducing their own members at what passes for our national establishment of art is going on with increasing influence at every election of new memb rs, it requires little of the spirit of prophecy to foresee that the Royal Academy must more and more become a seminary of mediocrity—the bead-quarters of a dull faction of low-brewed, sketching clubbists, where the Dunciad Goddess will exultingly boast, "Here stands my opium, here I feed my owls."
And is there no remedy for this existing and this impending mischief?— None that I know of; unless, instead of affixing the royal signature to the Academic diploma after such an election as the last, her Majesty were to write, as when the Royal veto is exercised on presented acts of Parliament, " The Queen mill consider of it." This would check the evil : or the LANDSEERS might have an exhibition of their own, inviting, perhaps, all those artists, Aca- demicians and others, who have sufficient spirit and independence and liberality tooin them.
I have the honour to be, Mr. Editor, your constant reader,
• I am far from condemning the election in tato. There is at least one unexception- able member chosen. It is the principle, or perversion of principle, that I think cen- surable, and wish to expme.
[We have no doubt that our correspondent is correct as to the predominant influence of a clique in the Royal Academy : it has always been so, and always will be, so long as the great body of artists are excluded. But what matters it ? the artists only are injured, and they cannot complain of a tyranny they have not the spirit to resist, and that they alone can overturn. We are not sur- prised, scarcely sorry indeed, to perceive this state of things : the worse the evil becomes, the more likely to work its own remedy. But VERAx would oppose one clique by another—Las:means versus CHALONS : that is not the way to reform abuses.
The origin of this batch of R. A.s is this : JOHN CHALON was elected by his brother's influence, Mr. HARDWICHE by the influence of his good dinners, and DAVID ROBERTS by virtue of his talent : them are many other artists whose claims are equal, not to say superior to those of Mr. ROBERTS, but they are not equally persevering or successful in search of the honour(?)—En.]
Previous page
