FINE ARTS.
THE ROYAL ACADEMY.
THE proceedings of this self-constituted body occupy so small a share of public attention, and the selfish apathy of the artists renders the subject so unprofitable for discussion with referonee to their interests, that we had not intended to notice the recent election of new Academicians in the room of BEECIIEV, Rossi, and WILKINS, being heartily sick of alluding to the wriasglings of this knot of petty intriguers for pelf and power : but it seems to he expected of the Spectator to give an opinion on the matter ; and therefore we must say, that as regards the election of Messrs. MACLTSE, HART, Ulla WITHER/NGTON, to the dignity (?) of ILA., it has as little of injustice as the act of an irresponsible and self- seeking set of men can well have. Maxi-Isles extraordinary talent will more credit the Academy than their diploma can honour hint ; and if artists more worthy than Messrs. HART and Wrrunniatormat might have been found in the list of Associates, others less meritorious could have been chosen : in any case the great body of artists must be in- sulted, and, as ILA. is an influential title with the vulgar many, injured pro tanto.
The selection of Associates to be made Academicians, however, is of less importance (conventionally speaking) titan the choice of artists to be Associates : for this simple reason, that the Academicians must be chosen from among the Associates ; and the Associates being only twenty in number, while the Academicians are forty, an Associate most be destitute indeed of merit or of talent for intrin:ue who cannot pro- cure himself to be eventually made an R. A. If he is an indifferent artist, he may he a good man of business, a clever talker, or keep a good house and a well-spread table, and have the ear of a lord ; all or any of which are recommendatory qoalitiss, and much better than that impracticable and troublesome qualification original genius. To be sure, the Academy does not suffer much inconvenience on this score.
The death of Sir JEFFERY WVATVILLE makes another vacancy in the list of R.A.s ; and poor Ihiarox's place is not yet filled up—supplied it cannot be : then there are some ten or it dozen others who cannot be expected to last very long. Whence are these gaps to be stopped ? It were easy to find as good artists as many of the old R.A.s, among even the present meagre show of mediocrity that constitutes the em- bryo or Academic corpusculum ; but to render the maturity of the body respectable, the infusion of young blood should be vigorous and sprightly, or it will soon become sluggish coagulum, stagnating in the torpid system. The old members have been dropping off so fast of late, that a few years will have almost produced an entire new set of men ; and the young ones bid fair to last—fur your Academician is proverbially long-lived. Then, as new talent springs up and demands recognition, and no vacancies occur in the Academy, discontents will arise, and the old squabbles for empty honours—that, however, make full purses—be resumed again : meanwhile the painters are busy cabal- ling when they should he studying.
The remedy is simple : throw open the rank of Associates to all artists of respectable talent, character, and standing ; then there will be a goodly array of clever men in each department to select from : and as the Academicians will not yield up the right of election, let them give the Associates the power of bestowing that honorary recognition on whom they think fit.
But it is wasting words upon a stale and wearisome topic ; and we dismiss the thankless theme with a query—Who is to fill IIII.ToN's office of " Keeper;" that is, Professor of Drawing in the Antique School ? In this limb of the Academic body we perceive symptoms of incipient unsoundness that will need the searching Pi-vim; to the firm and skilful wielder of which we recommend the case. A remark has been made in a suspicious quarter, to the effect that "the students would naturally be prejudiced against any successor to their late able teacher," the esti- mable Illiarou. Why should they be ? This looked like paving the way for an unsatisfactory appointment. And then appeared an intima- tion of the probability of Mr. GEORGE JONES, who succeeded STOTBARD as Librarian, hieing nominated to the office. We have lately heard Mr. Josies's name frequently mentioned; but with his talents as an artist we are so little acquainted, that we are necessitated to inquire, " Can he draw ?" Perhaps some one of our readers will answer the question.
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