The Sun.
London, England, 1830-01-28 00:00:00

a successor to him the Academicians have had keep up the galling fire of his light artillery upon
a delicate and responsible duty to perform. the devoted head of Mr. Vansittart, when Chan-
They have executed that trust in a manner which cellos of the Exchequer, did not acknowledge
we think auspicious to the Institution itself, and the exhaustless severity of his peculiar powers ?
the arts which it was created to protect. Per- It is true that he never attempted to soar in the
trait-painting is certainly not the department higher regions of eloquence ; he had that cha-
which we like to see flourish at the expence of racteristic judgment of great men, which taught
the nobler interests of historical art ; but, setting him the true estimate and exact limits of his
that objection aside, we do not know how there ; own capabilities. If he had none of the genuine
could be a more judicious appointment. It is ardour of the great orator, neither had he any of
true the portraits of Mr. Shee do not iival those ' the affectation of eloquence. He studied not
he is the graces of diction—he was not ambitious of
of his predecessor, and, in some respects,
surpassed by one or two of his cotemporaries ; ornament—no classical allusions, no polished
for instance, in colouring by Jackson, and in se- imagery, adorned or weakened the homely cor-
vere purity of taste by Phillips. Yet have his rectness of his language—nor did historical
works great merit—they display an intimate knowledge, or various reading, give the charm
knowledge of the principles of art, an accurate of literature to his discourse, and enrich his
eye, a cultivated imagination, truth of expres- periods with the " spoils of time." His style
mon, elegance, and grace. But, it is not as an was simple—natural—forceful—neither rude nor
artist only that Mr. Shee has obtained distinc- I refined—always suited to his subject ; his len-
tion ; he possesses other qualities and accom- guage gave one the impression of a mind that
plishtnents essential to the dignified and efficient I disregarded embellishment, but could not under-
discharge of the dutiesof a President of the Royal value propriety. Hence, in his most jocular
Academy. He has cultivated polite literature I moments, when peals of laughter responded to :
with no ordinary devotion and success. His the apparently effortless flashes of his wit, he was
familiar acquaintance with the theory of paint- not betrayed into any of those coarse or vulgar
ing, and his skill in composition, inspire confi- expressions which arc by many supposed to
deuce that his official discourses will advance the heighten comic effect. His education and his
cause of art, and sustain the fame of the institu- I good sense were always as manifest as the powers
tion. We make no allusion to him as a poet, ;of his ridicule were inexhaustible. His- graver
for, though poetry and painting be sister arts, ! powers of debate were principally displayed upon
yet it is not necessary that the President should ! financial topics, and to such subjects he brought
wear their united garland. Of far more import- lan intellect of uncommon shrewdness, and a
ante is it that he who occupies the chair of stick judgment peculiarly clear. However intricate
an establishment should be distinguished by the the calculation, he did not embarrass himself or
good sense, the accurate judgment, the courtesy perplex his hearers by wandering through a
of manners, and the polished address, which are labyrinth of detail, and losingsight of principles.
known to be characteristic of the gentleman to He stripped calculation of the difficulties which
whose merits the sufrrages of his brethren have it opposes to public debate more readily than any
done justice. It is necessary that -the person other person. He seized at once those points
holding such a situation should not only be ca- which reason could hest grapple with, or satirical
pable of making a respectable figure within the talent expose ; and no man could make political
sphere of his professional exertions, but should : arithmetic so amusing, or relieve the dry and
also have those acquirements which may be rigid formality of financial statement with such
expected from the representative of such an ! point and vivacity of illustration. It is said that
Institution by its Royal Patron and the pub- his stile of speaking was merely colloquial ; it
lie. It is still more necessary that he should I was frequently so—yet when most colloquial it
be one who, besides the knowledge and the man- I was evident that it was the emanation of a supe- I
tiers requisite for the office, possesses a generous rior mind, and possessed the charm which is
devotion to the interests of the Arts—a disposi- I only derived from the immortal resources of
tion to cherish and foster talent—and call forth : genius. There were times, notwithstanding,
the energies of genius by judicious encourage- when he treated great questions of policy with a
ment. Such a man was Sir Thomas Lawrence, reach of thought and an energy of expression
and therefore is his memory revered by the mem- which showed that he could clothe the ideas of
bers and students of the Academy, who felt his the statesman in the language of the orator. On
loss like a family bereavement. The character such occasions, indeed, he did not attempt so-
which we have always heard his cotemporaries norous periods, or call to the aid of his reason-
give to Mr. Shee makes us confident that the ing faculty the splendid images of an inspired
spirit of enlightened enthusiasm for the excellence imagination—yet his diction, destitute as it was
of art which pervades his writings will govern of all artificial construction, had the power, and
and direct his actions in the Chair of the Aca- . produced the effect of eloquence. To his prin-
demy. Some allusion has been made to hint as I ciples as a politician he showed a steady ad
a Roman Catholic ; but we hold, and have al- herence. His connection with the Addington
ways held, that the sanctuary of science and the Administration injured his popularity, but we
arts, which civilize and embellish life, should know not one of his party who had more public
never be invaded by the angry incursions of po- virtue. We are not now inquiring whether his
litical or religious warfare. The circle of their opinions were right or wrong. It is enough for
peculiar influence should exclude whatever may us to know that, in an age remarkable for the
disturb the peaceful labours of genius—and there, I violated vows and broken faith of public men,
above all places, should fame and distinction be he did not sacrifice on the altar of a sordid am-
bestowed by the sole consideration of merit and bition his claims to the confidence of his party,
the passionless discernment of public opinion.— or forfeit in the public estimation his character
Morning Herald. for honour and integrity. Had he gone down
The character of Mr. Tierney now belongs to the grave before the infirmities of age had in
some easure rwn im from th conicts
to history. Death, which dissolves friendships,
of political life,w hisithd dea h ath would havee prealuflced
should also extinguish political animosities. Men
a greater sensation ; but under no circumstances
who occupy an important station on the theatre
can his fame be transient whose memory is as-
of public life are seldom rightly appreciated until sociated with events and recollections that give a
they quit this earthly scene. The bustle of po- sublime interest to the most extraordinary crisis
litical contention, in proportion as it stimulates of his country and of the world.—lbid.
the passions, obscures the judgment. Flatterers Mr. Shee, we are informed from all quarters,
and partisans offer them the homage of unde- has been chosen President of the Royal Acade-
serving praise—opponents heap -on them un-
my,—much to the credit of the exertions of his
merited censure ; one party admires or glosses
over their faults and their errors—another exalt- friends, we make no question, but very little, in
gerates their defects. This is, in some degree, our humble opinion, to that of' the taste and
the condition of all contemporary fame—but judgment of the Academicians. Who is Mr.
more that of politicians than any other class of Shee ? He has been established, says an Even-
celebrated men. When the curtain of life falls ing cotemporary, thirty years in the exercise of
the reign of a purer opinion begins ; the claims his profession in the metropolis ; and, we may
of genius—the motives and the merits of human
actions, pass under the review of a less impas- add, so have many other worthy persons, deal-
sioned tribunal. The prejudices and the inte- . ,in coals,
ingoil, and tallow. But it is said that
rests which opposed truth exist no longer, and lie is a goon portrait painter ; and so we believe ;
public character receives the honour or obloquy but portrait painting is an inferior branch
that follows the irrevocable sentence of the his- of the art, and there are . many artists su-
torian. There never was a time when the con- perior to Mr. -Shee in that department.—
flict of principles and the excitement of party ran But, says our cotemporary (we quote from
higher than during a great portion of the long the Courier), " the duty of a President requires
Parliamentary career of Mr. Tierney. He a combination of natural and acquired advan-
entered public life at a period when a race of tages, in the person who hopes adequately to
great men appeared on the arena of politics and perform it—an accurate and scientific knowledge
the world was preparing for great events. The of the principles of the art he professes to ex-
languor that had followed the American war was plain—a perfect mastery of its practical details—
succeeded by the energy of a new era ; new clearness and arrangement in his method of corn.
subjects of political warfare had arisen, and municating the fruits of his own study and ex-
changes of established Opinions and institutions perience—amid an agreeable and impressive elo-
were about to take place, which have since sub- cation, to secure the attention of an audience.
vested all the sober calculations of human wisdom, To all these accomplishments the claims of Mr.
and made history itself partake of the wild- Shee are, we are informed, indisputable ; and
ness and novelty of romance. His was not a they must have had their full weight in directing
genius to create such an era, yet among men the choice of the Academicians." Granted
whose fame rose amid the stormy elements of that all these qualifications are required in a
moral and political disturbance he obtained President of the Royal Academy, and that on
distinction which has associated his name with these grounds Mr. Slice is superior to: all the
the imperishable recollection of their talents, other artists of the day ; and what follows ? Why,
their errors, and their glory. Originally destined that the Academicians elect a President simply
for the Bar, he had become nominally, a member because he understands the principles of their
of that profession, where the acuteness and art, and can develope them with greater do-
vigour of his intellect—the pointed fluency' •-quence and perspicuity than any other. But,
of his language—and the energy of his cha• let us ask, is this mode of proceeding either
racter, must have obtained for him reputation agreeable to the charter of the Academy or the
and influence. Like Mr. Canning, he was character which it ought to sustain ? In our
seduced from the path of steady and profitable opinion, the Chair oh the Academy is due not
industry, and in fortune, though not in character, to a portrait painter, or to a fluent speaker, or
may be said to have become the martyr of that
ambition which fascinated and betrayed him. It to an accurate expounder of the principles of the
art ; but to him who hag outstripped his com-
is not our intention here to state those par- petitors in the career of fame, and can safely
titulars which constitute the detail of a biogras challenge all of them to a trial of talent
phical notice—those will be found in another part and genius—to the man, in fact, who is known
of our columns—our observations are confined as the first painter of the age, both in
to his public character. We believe he was some conception and mechanical execution ; and
years a silent observer of the proceedings in Par- who, by his occupancy of the chair, would shed
liament after first enjoying the honour of a seat , a lustre on the Academy itself. Such a man is
in the house. At the period of the secession of Wilkie. His name, his genius, and his talents
Mr. Fox and other Whigs from Parliament he are known and appreciated through all Europe.
continued at his post—and it is no dubious Shee's reputation is confined to the metropolis
evidence of' his capacity for debate, that he rose _yet the one has been elected, and the other
into eminence by collision with Mr. Pitt. The I sent to his studies as unworthy of the high
highest testimony, indeed, was borne to his ' station ! Poor Wilkie, we lament thy fate in
powers as a Parliamentary speaker by the irrita- I this matter ; but thy fame in after ages will amply
tion which his arguments and raillery produced i compensate thee for the blot which has thus
rg-
in the mind of the haughty Premier. It was norantly been cast on thy genius !---Morning
observed that no man, with the exception of Advertiser.
Sheridan, deranged so much the temper of a
Statesman who generally possessed, or affected, a i The Commissioners of Woods and Forests
stern composure of character, and "on whose have, we understand, been in treaty, on behalf of his
STY, for the purchase of the extensive property of
brow sat patient courage and considerate pride."
T..ll.r:Lraorr, the opulent brewer, at Pimlico. His Ma-
Nor is it surprising that his mode of attack shays-, it is said, objects to the quantity of smoke issuing
shout have been so effective—for Parliament swat the brewhouse in the immediate vicinity of the New
never had within its walls a debater who PrilaCe. There is a difference, however, in the price
commanded a richer and more ready flow of °
red and that d .inanded of 500,0001. In the event of
Caustic humour, or a delivery better calculated the purchase being made, it is in contemplation to form au
to wing the shafts of sarcasm irresistibly to the elegant square of tirst-rate houses, and to cause a spacious
througbfare from Westminster to Pimlico, so much wanted
mark. Who that saw him, night after night, at present,
-