FINE ARTS.

MR. LANDSEER'S EVIDENCE ON ART.

THE conclusion of Mr. LAND/MEWS reasoned evidence, in this his Fifth Letter, seems a fitting occasion for us to express our hearty concurrence in his views and sentiments generally, and particularly in the useful sug- gestions towards a reform of the Academy contained in his present com- munication. Our able and experienced correspondent may be assured, that, as fellow labourers in the cause of art, his object and that of the Spectator is one and the same with reference to the Royal Academy,— namely, to render it an honourable, liberal, and enlightened institu. tion, worthy the confidence of the artists and the respect of the public; and efficient in extending and strengthening the influence of art, in protecting the interests of its professors, and raising the character of the British school.

In one particular of his plan of reform, however, we differ from Mr. LANDSIalt ; and in stating briefly wherein that difference consists, we shall perhaps make more evident the sincerity with which we coin- cide with him in every other article. We do not approve of a nicely-graduated scale of honours. Who is to draw the lines of demarcation: or, being drawn, what man would be satisfied with the rank assigned him ? The distinction be- tween Associate and Academician even is felt to he derogatory to the inferior grade. The object of honorary distinction, it appears to us, is to recognize preeminent merit, for the purpose of giving dignity to the professors of art in the public estimation—not to denote the degrees of their respective talent. The royal stamp (to adopt Mr. LAMM:Elea metaphor) should only mark the sterling ore—not determine its quan- tity. The analogy of military and naval titles does not, we think, boll good in this case : those titles denote rank, and the rank is for subordi- nation—for disciplined obedience to a central authority. A riband or cross of honour, indicating merit or distinction, but not defining its degree, seems a more apposite illustration. We would have but one rank of honours—the Royal Academicians ; and they should be elected by the unsought suffrages of u constituency. This constituency should be composed of the MISS of artists ; who might be termed Assts.. dates in virtue of their belonging to the Academy, but the qualification should be such as to exclude no artist of respectable talent. The students also would be eligible when they became exhibiters. There is one other point on which we appear to be entirely opposed to Mr. LANDSEEH, when in reality we differ with him but little—and this is the shilling admittance. Inasmuch as the Academy occupies a public building, and ranks as a national institution, the exhibition ought to be open freely to the public ; but if the Academy fairly re- presented the whole body of artists, and those who contributed to the exhibition benefited by the receipts, the nation would not grudge the use of the building, nor the public their shillings for a sight of the pictures. As for the students, let them pay for their instruction ; and let the professors be handsomely paid for doing their duty : but the teachers should be well qualified, and should be required to instruct efficiently. Let the artists have the full benefit of their labours, say we ; and not an oligarchy who elect themselves to honours, and to the privilege of lording it over those whose talents contribute to swell their power and importance.

MR. LANDSEER'S FIFTH AND LAST LETTER.

TO TIIE EDITOR OF THE SPECTATOR.

SIR—With such an extension of pecuniary mesas as would result from the

arrangement which I have taken the freedom to recommend, there would exist no occasion and no room for either narrow niggardliness or false semblance* be- tween the teachers, the parties instructed, and the public ; or the least cause

for the repression of that generous tone or glow of sentiment, which should pervade or surround, like a eircumanibient atmosphere, the sphere of art. And, gentlemen, when such liberal principles as these are recognized on your part, you will have acquired a right (which you can hardly be said to possess at pre- sent, without something of inequitable assumption) to examine into the efficiency and economy of the establishment in question. For instance, such details and propositions as the following, would fall under your inquisitorial power and your benevolent auspices, with the utmost propriety. You would, upon con- viction, probably be led to assume that professional merit in art, always essen- tially resides in the intrinsic excellence of the works produced, not in the mate- rials of production ; consequently, that the chemical vehicles of colours are of no critical account, and that practitioners of the art of painting in water co- -lours should be eligible to Academical honours as well as those who mix their colours with oil or with varnish. The electors, being discriminating judges of degrees of intrinsic merit, have no occasion to encumber themselves, or narrow their minds, or affront others, by the least advertence to such erroneous criteria or such evil-principled restrictions, as I have shown to exist in the present Academical laws ; which laws, while they hamper official determinations, re- press honourable aspiration. And the same reasoning applies to professors of the art of engraving. A highly-accomplished engraver, or painter in water colours, should be esteemed— in fact he is esteemed, but be should be acknowledged to be—in higher Acade- mical estimation than an indifferent or less highly accomplished painter in oils, and should be honoured accordingly. Comparative totalities of talent should be alone regarded ; which, in the estimation of competent judges, are of course smite independent of vehicle or other extriusicalities. Another evil-principled restriction, is discoverable in the prescribed mode of admitting new members. As a British Academy of Arts should, above all places, be the soil where original energy should freely germinate, and since, of original energy in art, all mean compliances are suppressive, every thing of this nature should be extracted, excluded, and for ever banished. 'Wherefore the existing law *should probably be abolished, which requires those exhibiters who may be ambitious, or who would accept, of Academical honours, to declare themselves candidates from year to year. There should be neither candidates nor canvassing. I believe the latter practice has sunk or is sinking into de-

auetude ; which may be hailed as a sign auspicious to liberality and creditable to the present members. The conferring and receiving of honour between indi- vidual members and the collective body, should, if I mistake not, be regarded as reciprocal; and every member as bringing, as well as receiving, an accession of honour. The having sent works for exhibition which have been admitted, shou:d be understood at once as probation, and us sufficient announcement; and

the new members should not be chosen, as at present, exclusively from the "candidates" of Me preceding year, but from among the ex h(biters of any, or

rather of all preceding years. For the restrictive law obliging gentlemen to

"write their names as candidates on a paper left for that purpose in the Aca- demy during the month of May preceding the election," there seems to be no rational occasion. It only places assurance and submissiveness before modesty and independence, while it affords no test of merit or assistance to feeble judg- anent ; and precludes frorn all chance or possibility of success at the elections those exhibiting students who may happen to be abroad or otherwise absent from the metropolis, during the month of May preceding the election.

On some points, the gentlemen of the Committee have asked witnesses for .exemplification. Though it has not been called for here, it may perhaps be

permitted. I shall therefore add, that it seems to be more owing to their .obnoxious and obstructive law, than to any other assignable cause, that we have not the pleasure of reckoning Mr. JOHN MARTIN among the members of the Royal Academy ; for certainly none will pretend to hold rational argument in proof that all those gentlemen who have been admitted since Mr. MARTIN booked himself as a candidate, are his superiors as artists ; and his moral cha- racter is quite unexceptionable. Next, gentlemen, you will probably have discovered, from what has been already submitted in evidence, that the appointed Teacher of Perspective—if to teach, and not merely to seem to teach, be the actuating motive—should sub- stitute geometrical instruments and practical instruction, instead of vapid In. turing,—perepective being in facka science of lines, and not a fit subject for lecturing. In this respect there has been retrogradation in the Royal Academy. EDW ARDS was the teacher half a century ago, and taught thus practically and efficiently. Next—but I may not forget that I purposed brevity—and to avoid the tedium of compromising or qualifying expressions, I shall therefore at once say, let there he a School tf Anatomy at head.quarters, where the osteology and myology of men and animals may be advantageously studied, occasionally through means of dissection and of drawing from dissected subjects. The Professor of Aua- tomy should, of course, attend in this school when necessary. Neat, let there be added to the present scanty list of real Academical pro- lessors, a Lecturer on Engraving, a Lecturer on Antiquities and Costume, and a Lecturer on Landscape painting. And let it be considered whether it would nut be conducive to our national progress in this latter art, were there— during the summer season, perhaps, for four months or so—proper apartments taken and provided, in the neighbourhood of good landscape scenery ; sometimes .at Hampstead, sometimes on Windsor Forest, and sometimes (perhaps) on the banks of the River Wye, or among the Cumberland Lakes ; where a rudimental school for drawing and painting landscape from Nature may be farmed, and students in this art find the necessary accommodations; for which purpose, the apartments need be by no means expensive. The Professor of Landscape, or other teacher of Academic rank and competent power, should ttaide for the

time at this projected encampment (for it needs bs little more) as visiter for the season.

Next, in order that various knowledge may be set before the students, and that mannerism may he avoided, let it be considered whether all the various Professors of the arts had not better be changed every thiee years ; or be sub- 5ect to annual reelection, or both. Next, let the office of Antiquary to the Academy, which at present is merely nominal, be rendered real and efficient. Sir WALTER SI oar, upon the only occasion when we were honoured with his company at an Academy dinner, delicately admonished or reproved our Acadeniical remissness in this respect, by saying jocosely, when his health was given from the chair, " When I accepted the office of Antiquary to the Royal Academy, I was told it was a sinecure, but egad ! I find myself called upon to make a speech." I fear, how- ever, that the adamaition was not felt, or at the most, not to any efficient purpose. Let there, then, be a bond fide Professor of Antiquarian science, appoiated, like the Professors of Architecture, Anatomy, Sic. with an adequate remunera- tive salary, whose ostensible duty it shall be to deliver annually (perhaps four) lectures of a critical and instructive character to the students, and such other members as may choose to attend, relative to the arts, sciences, and sculptured, painted, and architectural, remains of antiquity, with a view to the elucidation of history and the advancement and diffusion of knowledge ; the public being admitted by tickets in the gift of the members. Enough has probably been already submitted in evidence concerning the um. zealous, mechanical, conventional routine, and semblance of imparting instruc- tion, with which the duties and purposes of a national academy of arts have hitherto been, I may almost say, compelled to be performed at the Landon Royal Academy; all ascribeable (as I humbly presume to think) to the narrow foundation and want, not only of generous impulse, but of adequate remunera- tion assigned to the teachers ; more especially when the pelican character of imparting honest instruction, is taken into the account. If more than a system of semblances has resulted from such an establishment, it is more than sound legislation had a right to expect, especially in our maromonolevoted island. That the assigned present remuneration fees of the It.A.s are but paltry, as compared with those of other public offices, nod with church livings, and are tit only for the stingy and penurious pay of those of "Nature's journeymen" who do not their work arch; and that they are by no means adequate to the remuneration of frank and liberal instruction, imparted to the aspiring dis- ciples of British art, may be seen in our printed "Abstract." Now, unless instruction be libel/illy imparted, and be at least justly remunerated, it cannot be expected to flow in a genial current ; and I conceive that in the view of legis- lators it will not—cannot—be expected to be so imparted as to lead on to great- ness. And when we reflect on the motives which Britons have for advancing those arts of social adortinrent and moral delight, where talent should be kept on the stretch, and chiefly that the divine principle of origination, which we term genius, must be hailed or evoked, while the utmost attainments of an existing generation of artists are to be rendered as nearly as possible rudimental to the next,—I humbly conceive that the considerations I have presumed to submit should not, and will not, be deemed unworthy of the serious regard of legislative wisdom.

And now that there are excellent individuals among the R.A.e, and that a new reign is auspiciously commencing, the time seems opportune for the acoom- plishment of, either the improvements which I have done myself the honour to propose, or any other to which the deliberations of legislative wisdom may lead. Introduce but the elastic spring, and I think the expansive energy will be found existing ; and though at present languid, easily animated to healthful exertions. Even when you shall have restored to the Academicians their natural right over the honourable produce of their own professional labours, the public will be much indebted to those among them who conscientiously perform the duties of instructing the students—niuch more to those who pm form it zealously. I by no means propound the present suggestions and observations as any thing more. If they should be thought to evince that the R. A. is improveable—and if they may be received as the substance, a little amplified, of my answer to the question put by the Chairman of the Commons Committee, our present pur- pose, Mr. SPECTATOR, (for I believe that yours and mine are one and the same,) will be answeied ; arid, aware of the adage that, "one mend-fault ill worth two find-fault,," I would cheerfully give any assistance within my ability toward the arrangement of a digested code for the better future government of this important national establishment, as it should be esteemed, (I mean upon principles congenial with those which I have here in part unfolded,) so as to harmonize or systematize the whole.

A main object has been, to show that a principle of liberality should pervade laws for the government of an Academy of Arts. Most other laws are fat the detection and repression of crime; laws for the production and reward of merit should, I imagine, be framed upon quite other principles. Those who may be appointed to administer them should be invested with large discretionary powers ; and especial care should be taken that only men of discretion should