FINE ARTS.
THE ROYAL ACADEMY.
THE four vacancies among the Academicians were filled up on the 10th instant, by the election of Sir John Watson Gordon, and Messrs. Grant, Creswick, and Redgrave.
The position of the first-named painter as President of the Scottish Academy virtually entailed this election, as it did the conferring of knighthood. We do not imply any disparagement of his claims on other grounds, only that the matter was settled irrespectively of them. But, one election being thus retained for a portrait-painter, it follows natu- rally that Mr. Grant's should be viewed in connexion with it. And here we fully admit and affirm the paramount right of the highest talent ; this no casualty can affect. But should it not in such a conjuncture be clearly higher than any other? The question brings one or two names forcibly to mind. Probably there are not two opinions regarding Mr. Creswick's claims : yet with him again we must pair Mr. Redgrave. As a painter of human life and emotion, we cannot recognize his competition with at least one of his Into colleagues : as a landscape-painter we are the first to do him honour ; but here he ranks in the same class as Mr. Creswick.
Thus is the highest form of art left unrepresented among the Acade- micians elect. Let us hope good things for the next choice of Associates. There is one eminent among them, who, sated with past injustice, is said now to refuse advancement ; one eminent not among them, who is said to refuse election. Let us hope that the solecisms (to use no harsher word) which make such reports credible will not be reenacted.
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