The Express.
London, England, 1853-05-02 00:00:00

4:r.

TILE ROYAL ACADEMY DINNER.

On Saturday last the president and council of the
Royal Academy of Arts entertained a party of noblemen
and gentlemen of distinction at the rooms of the association
in Trafalgar-squAre on the occasion of the opening col " The
Exhibition." _ _

The company assembled some time before the dinner
hour, and inspected the pictures in the several reruns which
are to be thrown open to the public to-day. The dinner,
which was provided by Messrs. Willis of the Thatched-
house Tavern, and which comprised every delicacy that
could he furnivhed, was served in the eastern apartment.
Sir C. L. EASTLAKE, the president of the academy, was
of cums in the chair.

The Bishop of LONDON, chaplain to the academy, said
Among the company were the Prussian nil Sardinian
Ministers, the Lord Chancellor, the Archbishop of York,
the Earl of Aberdeen, Lord J. Russell, M P., Lord Pal-
merston, M.P., the Earl of Clarendon, Earl Granville, the
Duke of Argyll, the Duke of Newcastle, Mr. S. Herbert,
M.P., Lord Harding, Sir C. Wood, M.P., Sir J. Graham,
M.P., the Duke of Wellington, Mr. Cardwell, WP. Sir
W. Molesworth, M.P., Lord Campbell, the Muter of the
Rolls, the Lord Chief Baron, Mr. Justice 'Lanni, the
Marquis of Anglesey, Mr. T. Baring, M.P., the Governor
of the Bank, the Sari of Carlisle, &c., ece.
The usual loyal toasts having been duly honoured, fol-
lowed by the " Army and Navy." to which the Marquis of
Anglesey, Lord 'Jardine, and Sir James Graham severally
responded,
Tin PUISIDENT proposed " The health of the Foreign
Ministers who had honoured the Academy with their pre-

ante on this occasion."
His Excellency the Chevalier BUNSEN, who was very
cordially welcomed, acknowledged the toast. He said—ln
rising to return thanks for the hosour you have done to the
members of the diplomatic body here present, I express not
only my own personal feelings, but also those of my excel-
lent friend and colleague opposite, the Marquis d'Aseglio,
Sardinian envoy, and of his illustrious relative on my
right, to whom you, sir, have so nobly alluded—that
illustrious and successful statesman of a country
dear to all here present, to all friends of huma-
nity and of the fine arts—he, the noble patriot ant the
favourite son of all the muses. (Cheers.) During
the many years that I have enjoyed the privilege of spend-
ing some happy hours within these sacred precincts of the
muses, breathing the genial air of humanity and of peace,
I have had a grewiog conviction that art, as art, is becom-
ing more and more appreciated in this country, and that the
standard of art has been rising both among artists and the
public in a most striking manner. (Hear, hear.) All I
have seen to-day has confirmed me in this conviction, and I
wish you, and the Royal Academy, and the country joy for
it--Cheer, hear)—particularly because I believe that this
riling appreciation of art has a very sound foundation—
(bear)—that it, it rests upon a greater and more general le•
knowledgment of the real basis of all genuine feeling for art.
, But art must be true—that is, must not spring from fashion
se from certain conventional rules—that every work of art
mast be produced and admired for its own sake. (Hear.)
one necessary consequence of such a growing general feeling
Miad be that a greater liberty is granted by the public to
Or artist in expensing his artistic thought. (Hess.) And,
Weed, if the artist is led by this orinciple, he will steer his
way between the conflicting cries--" Imitate nature and
imitate the old masters." There is no absolute truth in either
of these maxims. First, as to the imitation of nature ; well,
the sun does that in our photography; but what a poor
artist he has turned out to be. (Hear, hear.) Wh
he is bid to reproduce the noblest object of art, the human
face, he fails—the life is wanting ; he only succeeds twben
the human face has paued through the creative mind of
the artist. (Itear.) He can copy a work of art, but not
artistically reproduce a work of maitre. (Hear.) And now
as to the old masters; if those of classical antique art are
meant, they are undoubtedly the models for all ages ; but
have we not proofs without end that they may be copied
without life and spirit ? Again, as to the masters of the
great historical school of painting, which begins with Giotto
and ends with Raphael, is it not still more the same ease
with them ? Imitate the one model as well as the other,
as far as you feel them your own, with truthfulness, and
you will work in their spirit. (Hear, hear.) To enter
deeply into their unaffected simplicity, into the purity of
expression, the grandeur of composition—that is what
Raphael did, and even Michael Angelo, that Titanic, Mei-
nal genius. (Hear, hear.) It is because I perceive a masked
progress in that direction, that I am particularly delighted
with the present exhibition.
I The Pne-duerie then gave the health of the noblemen
nadgentlemen who had honoured the Academy with their
preeenee.
The LORD CUANCELLOR said he bad not the good fortune
1 of one of the most distinguished of his more immediate
predecessor', upon a similar occasion, when he could bout
that he rose to address the Academy the son of an artist of
no mean celebrity—(cheers)—neither could he attribute to
himself that which many on whose behalf he had to my them
few words could appropriate—that they were, either hydeis
possession of galleries, or by patronage intimately connected
Ida the art which the members of this society adorned ; bat
effienantances had placed him in the situation in which it fell
to him, according to usage, to acknowledge the honour dem
to the noblemen and gentlemen present—(hear)--aull Is
doing so, he wished to express his opinion, that upon no pa-
rlous occasion had there been an exhibition more calculated
to call forth the admiration and pride of those who were pre-
sent. (Cheers.) Perhaps, if we wished to appreciate the
advantages of art, it might be well that one not connected
with art should be the person to return these thanks to the
Academy ; for we should very little appreciate those ad-
vantages if we confined them to thou who possessed collet-
tieekof pictures is their own mansions. (Hear.) The cul-
tivation of art was one of the most efficient means of hu-
manising and elevatiag the mind. (Hear, hear.) We were
accused sometimes of beiag a nation of shopkeepers, and
if by that was meant that we were a nation whose pride
and whose object it was to cultivate and improve the
material welfare of the community, by the interchange
of commodities, by industry and commerce, we need not
shrink from the appellation; but we ought not to over-
look this—that, in the pursuit of wealth, there was a danger
that we might lose sight of nobler interests. The poet Lad
said—
" The world is too much with us ; late and soon
Getting and spending we lay waste our pow'n."
If, therefore, there was any nation by whom pre-eminently
the nobler pursuits of literature and art ought to be culti-
vated, it was that to which the appellation put alluded to
applied—(hear, hear)—and it was with the most unfeigned
satisfaction we should learn that the patronage of art was
not now confined to monarchs and to nobles, but that
the manufacturers of Manchester and Glasgow, the mer-
chants of Liverpool and Belfast, felt as deep an interest
in, and contributed as largely to, the patronage of work.
such as adorned those walls as the highest in the land.
(Cheers.) He felt sure that, in rendering the thanks of
those who had been invited to that assembly, he might ex-
press the hope of all, that this exhibition, eminent as it
was, might yet be bat the precursor of others that might
rival, and in time outvie it—(Hear)—and that so, rising se
this country had in commerce, it might not be heldedbond
in art—(Heart hear)—a result which would be ESS/111
listed by that institution, the prosperity of whisk he would
take the honour of proposing—namely, " The Royal AM.
demy of Arts." (Cheers.)
The PRESIDENT, in returning the respectful thank* of
the members of the Academy, would take Abe opportunity
of expreedog their acknowledgments, and those of the pow
Simon of the fine arts generally, upon another geemed-a•
nolusor= due, next to her Majesty, le New Om
WS en nt. In November lost brife
I=os the hem the throne, addressing the Beneeed
wee glossed to say that the advamenient d Me
Are Me and of poetical science would be molly temp
uidthe how se worthy of the attention of a pest
sod sWies. (Hear, hear.) As this imagism
se was understood to have referent,* a
scheme yet to be considered by parliament, he need Met
advert to it further, except to congratulate the friends of
art on so distinct a recognition of its national value and for
penance. (Hear, hear.) In connection with this salgoot he
sew beged to propose the health of the nobleman et the
heed et-her Majesty's government. (Cheers.) He gra.
mold not to speak of the consistent public career in win*
that noble earl had been so long distinipaioded—(bent,
hear),—but he would remind the assembly that tits asses
of the Heel of Aberdeen had been quite as fusilier Be the
levers of art as to the political world—(hear, heserhi—end
that even in early life his lordship already occupied a pee
esin.nt place among those to whom we were faisteleifint
last appreciation of Grecian architecture. (pesos,)
The Earl of Anzaneste, who EH received with midi
sheering and great respect, said—ln acknowledging tbe
honour which yon have conferred upon me, psehlV
may venture on this occasion to remark that it has nom
my happiness for a great many years, very nearly, indeed,
for half a century, to attend these meetings, with scarcely
the intermission of a single )ear. (Hear, hear.) Daring
a great portion of that period it was my duty and pleasure
annually to return thanks for distinctions conferred from
that chair upon societies over which I then had the
honour to preside ; and after resigning the direction of
these societies to younger and samommgelist bonds, I very
little expected to he again called epos to poehrat this duty
in the position in which I am now passel (Hear, hear.)
Sir, I can only trust that the interests of set will not suffer
in the hands of my colleagues and swat. (Hear, hear.)
On the contrary, we may perhaps hops, that by oar earnest
endeavours we may be enabled to sestethate somewhat to
assist its progress. (Hear, per.) A geed beginning has
already been made, to which you have referred ; and we
have only to continue in the same souse. (Hear, hear.)
I think it is a circumstance full of haps and encourage-
ment, that for several years I consider it may be said with
truth that the public of this country, in their appreciation
of art, have advanced the government and the parliament
itself. (Hear. hear.) I beg to thank you for the honour
which you have conferred upon me. (Cheers.)
The l'itzetorna next gave the toast of " Success to the
Dublin Exhibition."
Lord Dusrutiot acknowledged the tout,
The PRESIDENT next proposed " the Interests or Litera-
ture," and selected for the representatives of the world of
letters the Dean of St. Paul's and Mr. C. Dickens.
The Dean of St. Par L'a briefly returned thanks and
consigned to Mr. Dickens the completion of the task.
Mr. DICKENS then addressed the President, who, it
should be mentioned, occupied a large and handsome chair,
the back covered with crimson velvet, placed just before
Stanfiekl's picture of the Victory. Mr. Dickens, after
tending his acknowledgments of the tout, and the honour
done him in associating his name with it, said that those
acknowledgements were not the less heartfelt because he
was unable to recogni,e in this toast the Prisidiut's usual
dig et' raltedness, since English literature could scarcely be
remembered in any place, and certainly not in a school of
art, without a very distinct remembrance of his own tasteful
writings—(cheers)—to say nothing of that other and better
:art of trisaaelf, which =fortunate': was not