PROPOSED FREE EXIIIIDTIoN OF I.PTU EX.

TO Toe EDiTon 01• 'I'll SPECTATOR.

Stu—Feeling the deep importance of luau i lig a preps r place for the 1.;:vbibition of Sculpture. and having, on the opening of every axbilatioit, heerit complaints

of the secondary pasition sculpture was made to resoled to test the public-spirit of scolidors, and to satisfy my own mind whether ale' enniplaint was or was not that of the hody of the art in Loin:on ; awl %%heftier or nut that hotly was contented with the present position of sculpture. lit eutis,quence, on the I Ith of this month, I addressed the folltovieg. circular to every sculptor I could discover in London—in all about filly.

" fieere.. rem, No. 8, Dais...v.:it:, 11:11 llav 1340. Sir —The proper Exhibit pot a sculptor, being or xa.a car ibe or the ari, *he anti or Ow public, :toil the itn■gress lit ,In• semi It I earie,tlyes• treat ■■•■ir •t. ■Ii a per itainary merlin; in my it, die pro• prtety and pntett...dOdt■ ui e..,:ahlisiting a ,oldely or ,coil Los, and td nu ehliibitlua lit works of tut hi >c t pinny.

I'vrate

" I addr..ss 111,, 1..nte,t to every scolplor I think or ill Loadon.

" I \ ,e1,■111t,

that' of ele..th1:2. Sillt11.1111y Evenitt4, itch in...t.od.

To this ha ;L. Sei.eTATou, Mut. genii:hien;Lni oilier

letters were recetoed, tn... excusing attend:Ince but isbing sinyess, full of hatred and contempt of the whole lusty of the waiter's brother artists.

Under I In se mortifying circumstances, the sl:tjotil■• er scalp-

tors in London, by their apathetic indill'itrenee to this in elf at once

decided the question in the affirmative, 't \VItathei or not the I..nli• 0:01.11AtOTS were satisfied with the conduct of the different exhiditions;” :111.1 I therefore dissolved a meeting, which emild Lenny be said ft, hater a Ite!tilliiillg,111-lely eon. tenting mysellli. stating what I intended to have propascil• had my fellow artists entered inio 1111' ricers whieli I :MI4110011 tin CMII'Vy ill I Int' i.”1111N1I,I!!; resolutions.— " 1st. From the manner in whieli Sculpture has lieref Mine been exhibited, it is the ;Tinton of thi meeting, that the dignii.y of that ;Jest art has suffered in

public t,timathei, and that much injury has been nu the sculptor;

also, that the want of a place truly adapted for the oxhihi,ion of sculpture iS intensely kir, and ever roust be a bar to the improvenemt of the artist soul the advancement of the at t.

" Yd. 'That the s,eily ors olio compose this meetiue cofipe-

rate to remedy this tall impediment to improv,mient, :•nd sfre...,..11.1y to

support that Hue at a future tnetl'ovg rtir colliTtivv wisdom of the body may resolve on, leiving for its object notliihe; It so tliall the advance- mem Or the art and the felvantage of the " Ild. That to attain this object, five sculptors be requested til prepare Te90. Snit authorized to call a meeting, and to invite alt st ulplors int attends &sieve:um of the views embodied in them mid that as ear!.,• a d tylived on as inay be consistent with a due consideration of the Of' course, Mr SPECTATOR, these my views were merely read to the nine respondents; and the impossibility of so small a niiiiiher !Ming any fining in so important a matter hying decided on, the subject was (11,ipp Such, Sir, is the result of tau attempt to unite the try ly our sculptors for pur- poses of mutual improvement and consequence ; and if it ha; dew• nothing more, it has most ihaeileilly shown the total want of cothusias n among sculp- tors in Ibigl ;ad iu IS40, which is of importance to r...tionl. 1,-1 in tat longer

lienr complainis injurious treatment, when artists It tee twit Inr tatergy nor

spirit to hell. uncut-rives. What secret imeire 11 is coin this dieJaccful

apathy to their true interests? NThetiter fear, that in no ensuing e•i;tiliittun their works would lie rujected or ill used, by being cull.-.rued iu ;; declaration such as this, be the canse or not, 1 do not knew, and will leave to every mans own heart to determine; only begging your attention to one or two observa- tions impertant to the subject.

No sculptor executes a work but to he seem and the more thoroughly it is studied the more it demands :t perfect li.4.1t the t tsaI

es, mil the back

of a statue in the round, are equal in point of nttr, caiWt1 ; and tl pl.. an'.. mayas well he three parts covered up, as such a shine glared ts;!!I is•. to a Wall, or without the power of being turned on 'es : f he h ;le of a work so

misplaced will thus remain util.:nown to the I, it iti it . spa:trent,

me, I am astonished at the shortsightedness so prevalent, that sculptors do not see the necessity. of leading the public to an appreciation of their art, by cooperating to show it. and of supporting an exhibition on the principle 1 have an often urged, viz. that of every artist paying for his place, and doing away with speculation on catalogues, admitting the public free as into their own studios, and thus standing before the world as liberal-minded artists, inviting attention to their works, not repelling it : indeed, this would become a school of art—a true academy ; and, as near as human nature would permit, mercenary and interested views would be sacrificed at the altar of fame and honour. 1 could fancy this: hut, Mr. SPECTATOR, is public virtue extinct ? and are mean- ness end subserviency known now as prudence and politeness? and is the power of making money mistaken for the power of doing good ? and the general principle of living fur others, and posthumous thine, sneered at as the dream of an idiot ? I could say much more on the subject, so full of painful interest to the true lover of his art ; but suftieient is said at present to convince the impartial ob- server of the great disadvantage the sculptor labours under in the proper exhibi- tion of his works, even alter he has encountered the difficulties of his severe studies; and 1 am certain every one must view with astonishment t he want den- thusiasm among sculptors: a body of men who will do nothing fia themselves, have no right to condemn the putilie fin want of love to their art, or to accuse the public of want of knowledge in their art, when they will do nothing to in- struct them. Alas till sculpture! If you think this letter may lead to it consideration of the subject, I beg von mill not only give it insertion, but lend your powerful aid and assistance to the development of the principle. And I am, with much respect, Mr. SPECTATOR; your obedient servant, P.vrale PARK.

[The failure of this attempt to better the condition of the art and the prospects of the sculptor is matter for regret, not of surprise. The slavish dread of the power of the Academy, and the interested hope of attaining a share of its power and influence, paralyze the energies of artists; and they are content to complain of and abuse the Academy instead of redressing their own grievances, until the prospect Of an Associatcship steps their mouths. Perhaps, had the meeting been planned and packed by a lord, or some distinguished patron, a better attendance might have been had ; but the idea of meetimr at the studio of a brother artist, and he a young one, filled the timid with alarm and suspicion : Mr. l'AEK being bold and ingenuous himself, thinks others are so too. Nevertheless, we expect that his suggestion will ultimately be adopted—so far as firming a society of sculptors ; but the principle of afice exhibition will be opposed by the Academy so long as they live by the shillings: money is the content that consolidates their power. We have long formed and often expressed the opinions Mr. PARK now entertains of his brethren.]