The Sun.
London, England, 1851-11-28 00:00:00

SOCIETY OF ARTS.

On Wednesday evening the first meeting of the above
society for the session 1851-2 was held in the society's
house, John-street, Adelphi. There was an unusually
large attendance of members and their friends, it hav-
ing been announced that the first of the series of
lectures on the Great Exhibition, suggested by Prince
Albers, would be delivered at the meeting, the sub-
ject being, " The general bearing of the Exhibition
on the progress of art and science."
Mr. HOPE took the chair at eight o'clock, and after
a few remarks introduced
Dr. WHEWELL, who then proceeded to read a lec-
ture on the above subject. He said that in the obser-
vations he had to make he should confine himself
to the reflections which would naturally suggest
themselves to a mere spectator of the late Great Ex-
hibition, one of the millions who had visited it.
While it was still in existence and daily receiving '
some fresh accession to supply deficiencies, or
complete what was imperfect, it would have
been as unjust to submit it to criticism, as it
would be unfair to pronounce upon the merits of the
productions of the poet or the painter, while still
in the author's or the artist's hands, undergoing
the finishing touches, and receiving the final correc-
tions. Now, however, the Exiaibitton had closed,
and the work of the critic would properly com-
mence. The lectures which would be delivered be-
fore that society would supply the place of criticism,
and dealing in turn with the principal branches of
human skill and knowledge, explain the advantages
which had been made in them through the opportu-
nities afforded by the Exhibition. His own task
was comparatively a light one, as it dealt only with
general views. lle might truly characterise the
late Exhibition as a great and unexampled opportu-
nity of taking a survey of the existing state of art
and science in every part of the world. If they
could suppose an intelligent spectator to have tra-
velled from land to land, he would have seen many
wonderful specimens of the works of man, and by
combining his impressions would have obtained a
good representation of the progress of human art
and industry up to the present moment. But what
time, labour, and perseverance would he have re-
quired—what hardships to undergo—what access to
great and powerful men—in the accomplishment of
such a survey. A life would scarcely have sufficed,
with all the appliances and means which wealth and
power could give. Like the philosophers of
years in
of ancient
l such a
travel,
haeowd oyueldt,after all,
have hadl to
hows farpend allwould hisud
survey fall short of the simultaneous view afforded
by the Exhibition, while at the same time but one
individual could profit, even from such an undertaking
as they had imagined. Here, at one view, they had
placed before them the choicest productions of human
art in all nations and in all stages of progress from
barbarism to the highest civilization. From Otaheite,
which Englishmen had long been accustomed to speak
of as the general type of rude and savage life, Queen
' Pomare had sent specimens of cloths and mats, the
work of the women of those ishiuds, From LAbliiiu,