The Sun.
London, England, 1830-07-21 00:00:00

ROYAL ACADEMY.

We understand that a letter has been for-
warded, by command of his Majesty, 'to the
President of the Royal Academy, desiring him
to state his opinion in what manner, the Fine
Arts may be most effectually promoted, and Mr.
Shee, it appears, has thought fit to lay this com-
munication before the Council of the Academy,
and consequently it may be expected that the
collective wisdom of the body will be exerted on
this occasion. Let us hope, however, that if
Government has really in contemplation any
measure for the advancement of the arts, every
suggestion emanating from the Royal Academy
will be received with extreme caution, ar.d sub-
jected to the severest scrutiny. Whatever that
body may profess, it is notorious that any scheme
of change or reformation is most unpopular
amongst its members,—a feeling natural enough,
perhaps, to men who are revelling in a lucrative
monopoly. But surely it is now high time that
some authority should interpose, and that steps
should be taken to put an end to a system, in
which the interests of a whole profession, and
the honour of national art, are laid at the mercy
of a petty corporation, whose interest it is to
resist and destroy all honourable competition,
and who regard the institution over which they
preside in no other light than as it supplies
them with an exhibition-room, or bazaar, in
which the public attention may be caught and
concentrated, by every illiberal artifice, to their
own stalls. We adverted, in a recent paper, to
one of the fixed canons of the Royal Academy,
which gives to its members the right of securing
all the places within range of the eye to their
own works, leaving the rest to be disposed of by
the porters. This exposition, we have reason
to know, excited no small degree of surprise in
the public mind, which will not be diminished
when it is stated that this practice, however
monstrous, is but a negative part of the griev-
ance. The secret and despotic authority exer-
cised by the committee of arrangement enables
them to gratify, without risk or responsibility,
every suggestion of personal pique, professional
jealousy, or insolent caprice ; and instances
might be adduced in which individual artists
have been persecuted with a systematic malig-
nity which stops at nothing short of the entire
exclusion of their works from exhibition, and
almost their expulsion from the profession. The
next exclusive privilege appropriated to them-
selves by these disinterested legislators, is the right
of painting on their pictures during three days pre-
vious to the opening of the exhibition, so as to
adapt the effect to the light and situation in which
they are placed—an enormous advantage, the
obvious injustice of which, unless participated
by all the exhibitors, it is needless to point out.
Then comes the important day assigned to what
is called the " private view," on which occasion
Ministers, Ambassadors, and noblemen—all
those whose rank and opulence make them the
natural patrons of art—are invited to inspect the
exhibition ; and wilt it be believed, that until
this day is over, no artist, unless a member, is
allowed to varnish his picture's, or even to cleanse
the dust from them, nor indeed at any time
afterwards, except by a special permission from
the President ? Can deliberate injustice, can
gratuitous insolence go farther than this? And
the artists thus treated are invited by public ad-
vertisement to assist in furnishing art for this
exhibition, the annual receipts of which amount
to between 5,000/. and 6,000/. ; the disposal of
which, by the by,
is wholly unaccounted for.
The It. A.'s perhaps will assert,' that they bare
fought their way to those glorious pi
prerogatives; and that they bold them In li