ROYAL WATER-COLOUR SOCIETY.—AN ANSWER. go TEE EDITOR OF THE "
SPECTATOR:1 S111,—Your correspondent, "IL W. S.," charges me with being " incomplete and inaccurate " in my knowledge of the details of the construction of the Royal Society of Painters in Water- Colours. Let us see how he substantiates this charge. My knowledge is, he says, incomplete, because I am (he thinks), " unaware that there is no defined limit to the number of Asso- ciates." May I ask what proof of my ignorance of this point is to be found in my remarks, and, moreover, why the absence: of a definite limit to this number of members is inconsistent with the " possession of voting or other powers equal to those held by
a strictly limited number of members ?" But even if this were so (which it is not), his words on this subject are inaccurate
and incomplete instead of my own, for I never spoke at all about the voting or other powers being equal, but of the fact of the associates having no share in the government of the Society,—a manifest absurdity, since they constitute half the body. But "R. W. S.'s" letter is not only inaccurate and illogical in this respect, it is also misleading, for it would lead any one to suppose who is unacquainted with the facts, that the number of associates was much greater than that of the members, which is not the case, nor does it state the fact that they have no share whatever in the management of the Society. In this respect I hope you will allow me to quote the words of the Athenceum, published on the same day as your correspondent's letter :—" It will surprise many of our readers to learn that the associate exhibitors of the Old Society' [sic], from among whom the members are chosen, have no other advantage than the exhibition of a certain number of their works in inferior places. They do not vote for new associates, nor for new members, nor for officers, nor for a President. In fact, though the Royal Academicians reformed themselves many years ago, and rights and privileges, as well as duties, were awarded to the A.R.A.'s, the associate exhibitors at the Old Water-Colours [sic]—some of whom remain in that condition all their lives—are what they were at the beginning of the century."
With regard to the second point of "R. W. S.'s" letter, ray answer must be somewhat different, for here, owing to the absence of private knowledge as to the actual wording of the " Old Society's " regulations, I have fallen into a verbal
inaccuracy. I said it was a "still more vexatious rule." I should have said a "still more vexatious practice," for it appears that the actual rule of which I spoke has been abrogated, and is no longer in existence. But whether this rule has been abrogated or not, the practice undoubtedly remains, and remains in full force, and is in fact, as I challenge "R. W. S." to deny, the common mode of election in the Society. I should be greatly interested to hear how many acting associates {I do not refer to honorary members) of the Society have been during the last twenty years elected without submitting drawings for approval, and I trust on this point " R. W. S." will not neglect to inform your readers. It is, at all events, universally believed amongst artists, that sending drawings is a practical sine qua non for election; and till I have some more definite
information on this point, I shall continue to think and say, that, though the rule be nominally withdrawn, the practice remains, to all intents and purposes, unchanged. It does not require any "ghost come from the grave to tell us " that, if the general practice is to send drawings to be voted upon, an artist who did not so send, would have very little chance of election from a conservative body like that of which we are speaking.
I repeat, with emphasis, that the rules and practices of this Society, as at present constituted, are antiquated, and greatly inimical to its own interest ; that the only way by which it can escape gradual extinction, is by radical and immediate reform ; and that the first step in the right direction would be to throw the election for a new President—which is just about to take place—into the hands of the associates as well as the members, and so ensure a head to the Society who should be in harmony with the whole body of its associates.—Apologising for the length of this letter, I am, Sir, &c., HARRY 441:ILTER.
P.S.—Since writing the above, I find the following notice in the catalogue of the Old Society for the present exhibition. It is such a curious confirmation of the usual practice in elections, that I subjoin it in full. Your readers will notice no word is said implying that there is any choice in the matter of submit- ting drawings as a preliminary to election :—
" To CARDIDATES FOR AssociArEmnr.—Notice.—The election of Associate Exhibitors takes place in March. The second Monday in March is the day appointed for receiving the drawings of candidates. Farther particulars may be obtained of the Secretary."
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