FINE ARTS.
THE CASE OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY.
Ma. Hume's blundering attack upon the Royal Academy, in the House of Commons this week, covered himself with ridicule, and pointed a moral on the danger of zeal without discretion. But a laugh at the ex- pense of the Member for Montrose is not so rare an amusement as to divert attention from the merits of a question, even though it has the misfortune of being taken up and unskilfully handled by him.
The case against the Royal Academy was not stated by Mr. HUME ; and the encomiums passed upon the body by Sir.Rortsar PEEL and Lord JOHN RUSSELL are beside the question. The Premier defended the Academy on the ground that they acted according to the regula- tions of the charter by which they were incorporated, by appropria- ting their funds to the maintenance of decayed artists and their widows, and to the instruction of students ; and that they were indebted to Government only for the apartments they enjoyed rent-free. An in- stitution that wants nothing of Government, and gives Ministers no trouble beyond the agreeable one of attending an annual dinner to pay and receive compliments, will never lack defenders in Parliament ; and accordingly Lord PALMERSTON said " ditto" to Lord Joss. The de- fence seems triumphant ; being directed to a point whence there was no attack.
No one accuses the Academy of receiving money from Govern- ment : they get quite enough from the public. No one accuses the Academicians of not giving pensions to themselves and to each other's widows; or of not paying members of their body for holding offices and teaching students. The gravamen of the charges brought against the Royal Academy is, that they act unjustly towards the mass of artists, who contribute to the attractions of the exhibition, but are excluded from the honours, emoluments, and advantages of the institution. " The dissatisfied parties," says Sir ROBERT PEEL "are at liberty to take their revenge " : and then he sneers at the Suffolk Street failure. This only proves that the artists have not the remedy in their own hands •, for the prestige, title,and influence of the Academic body, make rivalry hopeless. But in a particular branch of art which the Academy does not coun- tenance—water-colour painting—the prosperity of two societies proves that there is sufficient talent out of the Academy, and not recognized by it, that can maintain its independence without being indebted to Go- vernment for rooms rent-free, or having the privilege of giving each other " Royal" titles. The value of the vaunted " education " afforded by the Academy may be tested by comparing the present state of the English school of painting with that when REYNOLDS and GAIBSBOROUGH flourished. These principles and precepts which the first President of the Academy so eloquently expounded in his lectures, and so ably exemplified in his works, arenot illustrated in the practice of the present day : they have gradually fallen into desuetude, until scarcely a vestige remains. The present school is more foreign than English: the deficient instruction of the Academy has driven students to Italy, Germany, and France, to acquire that practical knowledge of their art—the anatomy of the 4nre, especially—which they could not so readily gain in this country. What the English school wanted in REYNOLDS'S time was drawing: had that want been supplied, and the sound principles of REYNOLDS been reduced to systematic practice in the Academy, English art might now have arrived at something near perfection, instead of being in a state of transition, in which the good qualities of REYNOLDS and GAINS- BOROUGH are in danger of being sacrificed to the attainment of correct form mid minute detail. What power the training of the French ate- liers gives is seen in the instance of ARMITAGE ; as also the baneful in- fluence of the mannerism of that school. THOMAS'S style exemplifies the better influence of German education. But had the Academy really and effectively performed the duty they profess and get credit for doing, there would have been no need for students to fly to foreign countries to learn the rudiments of their art. For it should be borne in mind, that our English students do not, as RAPHAEL, ROBENS, and other great painters did, acquire a complete mastery of the pencil before set- ting out to study the works of other schools : they go before their hands are expert or their style formed, and learn to paint not like Englishmen but like foreigners. It is sufficient to condemn the Academy as a school of art, to state the fact that anatomy is superficially and imper- fectly taught ; and that no specific amount of skill and knowledge is required of the students ; who learn to draw before they enter.
As regards the election of members, the Academy have found it ex- pedient to select young men of talent, for the sake of maintaining the popularity of their exhibition and the credit of their body. But the establishment of the Society of British Artists materially influenced the
improvement in the conduct of the elections : several of the first memo hers of this Society are now Academicians. The distribution of di• plomas, and the management of the annual exhibition, concern artists more than the public. As for the shilling admission, it would be well if for a day or two in the week the admission were open free ; but since the Royal Commission has opened a free exhibition in Westminster Hall, there is little cause for regret on that score. And for the matter of pensions, there are two artists' funds whence those who are not Aca, demicians may receive relief in time of need. Indeed, the artists have in one way or other managed to supply for themselves the deficiencies inherent in the constitution and perpetuated in the management of the Royal Academy : the architects and the artists generally have each their " Institute " ; the Water-colour Painters haveiheir " Societies "; and now Lord PALMERSTON (the eulogist of the Academy) calls upon Government to supply the Sculptors with a gallery ! Strange proofs these that the Academy is worthy of the confidence of the artists and the approbation of Government and the country, when all its func- tions are so imperfectly fulfilled that it requires half a dozen other in- stitutions or societies to do what it was founded to accomplish ; and the principles of art preached and practised by its first President—the pride and glory of the English school—are neglected and forgotten. But the occasion for assailing the Academy has gone by. The great evil was that its vis inertia acted as an hindrance to the progress of art : it was a stumblingblock in the way. Artists have gone round about, and yet managed to reach the goal of success ; and above all, a Royal Commission has virtually superseded it, by entering upon those duties that should have been assigned to the Royal Academy, had it been a living, active, progressive institution. Seeing how judiciously and liberally the Commissioners have acted, and the enlarged and enlightened views and impartial spirit they have manifested, we rejoice that the Academy was passed by. Had it been concerned, the thing would have ended in a job. As it is, the rising generation of artists are supplied with a stimulus that will urge them to aspire to a worthier distinction than that of exhibiting pictures "on the line" in Trafalgar Square, and writing " R. A." after their names. Power of mind and ability of hand are now the means whereby artists must attain eminence; not skill in intrigue, or in flattering fashionable sitters with fine speeches and florid colours. The Academy is no longer worth public considera- tion, even were its abuses greater than they are. It cannot now stop the great movement that has begun. We only hope it will not affect to aid what it regards with jealous eyes ; for it would only interfere to do mischief.
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