A CRY FROM AMONG THE PHILISTINES. [To THE EDITOR OF
THE " SPECTATOR.1 SIR,—During the last feir years in which the Royal Academy held their Exhibition in Trafalgar Square, the very excellent plan was adopted of opening the doors during the last month from seven till ten in the evening at half-price ; but last year, and this at Burlington House, they have substituted the practice of admitting the public all day for the last week at the same reduced charge, the galleries closing at their usual hour of seven.
Now, Sir, there is a very large section of the public to whom this alteration is a great evil. We who are engaged in houses of business found the old arrangement -a great boon, for the loss of which the new half-price week is no compensaon whatever. The difficulty with us is not so much to spare the shilling as to spare the time, and though we may as a favour (and by no means an imaginary favour in the height of the London season) obtain leave of absence to pay the pictures one visit, yet the influence such an exhibition is calculated to exert upon us—the cultivation of that " sweetness and light " which we in the small and unceasing
worries of business peculiarly need—has little chance of being felt in a single hasty scamper round the thousand or more works of art sent to the rooms for our inspection. Our painters and sculptors do not embody their highest ideals of form and colour in stone or on canvas that they may be looked at thus, nor do they bestow their best teaching on such observers. We want to be able to enjoy the noble works of Millais, Leighton, and Watts ; of Mason, McWhirter, and Graham; of Landseer and of Woolner, with that freedom from the necessity for hurry which the possi- bility of a practically unlimited number of evening visits would give us.
The education of the people will never be duly provided for till there is abundant opportunity given for the mental culture of those whom Mr. Arnold finds so deficient in that grace, during the hours when alone they can seek it ; and we appeal to you, Sir, as one of the captains in the army of the children of light to come down to the help of the many unwilling dwellers in Askalon and Gath, and fight this battle by our side. The time must come when the other annual Art exhibitions and the National Gallery, as well as the Museums, will be opened in the evening, but the loss of what has once been enjoyed is more keenly felt than the want of untasted pleasure. We learn in the recent debate on this subject that in the construction of new buildings, arrangements can easily be made for lighting without any kind of injury or danger to their contents. If this has not been done at Burlington House, surely it ought to have been. The time for action this year is now past, but I venture to hope that the Royal Academy authori- ties will find themselves able in future seasons to restore their old privilege to the people, or there will be many thousands who will bitterly regret the migration from Trafalgar Square to Piccadilly.
Previous page
