The Sun.
London, England, 1856-05-05 00:00:00

DINNER AT THE ROYAL ACADEMY

OP A It IS.

The Royal Academy of Arts gave a sumptuous ban-
quet on Saturday to inaugurate their 88th annual exhi-
bition. These festivals are at all times peculiarly attrac-
tive. When Ministers of State, dignitaries of the Church,
the highest occupants of the judicial bench, the chiefs of
our army and navy, the ieading members of both
'branches of the Legislature, the most eminent represen-
tatives of science, literature, and commerce, and cele-
brated men of every shade of political opinion, all meet
together on the neutral ground of a love of art, and
inn in paying a common homage to the triumph of its
votaries, the spectacle presented cannot fail to prove
eminently instructive and gratifying. But following so
closely upon the proclamation of peace, under whose
benign influence the liberal arts best flourish, the bril-
liant gathering of Saturday last possessed features of
more than wonted interest and fascination.
The Exhibition was thrown open to the guests at two
o'clock, from which early hour numbers began to drop
in, to avail themselves at their leisure of their enviable
privilege. As six o'clock, the time appointed for com-
mencing the banquet, drew near, the assemblage dis-
persed through the different saloons very perceptibly aug-
mented, and groups of distinguished visitors were seen
engaged in animated discussions on the merits of the
particular portions of the collection which most chal-
lenged their appreciation or provoked their criticism.
The picture which, perhaps, arrested the most general
attention was Mr. Hunt's " Scapegoat," the scene of
which is taken from Oosdoorn, on the margin of the
saltincrusted shadows of thin Dead Sea, and has the
massive mountain ranges of Edorn as the back-ground.
The po aer with which the artist has succeeded in con-
veying by his pencil the awful sense of desolation con-
sonant with this fine Scripture subject was the theme of
eloquent eulogy on the part of more than one member
of the episcopal bench.
The banquet was held in the east room, which, when the
guests had assembled, presented a specimen of singular
magnificence. The walls, covered with the choicest speci-
mens of the most eminent academicians, afforded to the
cultivated eye an intellectual feast well calculated to di-
vide attention with the material attractions of the festive
board. The finest effect of all, however, is that produced
when, at the signal of the Queen's health, the jets of a
hundred gas-burners suddenly pour their dazzling blaze
upon the astonished guests, revealing to perfection the
pictorial beauties with which the resplendent apartment
is so lavishly decorated, and offering a coup d'oeil in gor-
geousness and grandeur wholly unique, and of which the
academicians may well be proud. On those who witness
for the first time the transition effected by this instan-
taneous mode of illumination, the sensations awakened
are those of mingled rapture and bewilderment.
The chair was occupied by Sir Charles Lick Eastlake,
the president of the institution ; and the company—in all
little fewer than 200—comprised his Excellency the
Prussian Minister, Count Bernstorff, Viscount Palmer.
ston, the Lord Cnancellor, Rod Granville, the Right
Hon. H. Labouchere, Sir Cr Wood, Lord Panmure,
Viscount Hardinge, the Right Hon. Vernon Smith, the
Lord Chief Justice of the Quien's Bench, the Lord Chief
Justice of the Common Pleas, the Lord Chief Baron, Sir
J. Romilly, Sir A. Cockburn, Sir R. Bethel!, the Earl
of Aberdeen, Lord Londesborough, the Marquis of Lans-
downe, Lord Ashburton, the Earl of Derby, the Mar-
quis of Aylesbury, Earl Jersey, Earl Grey, the Bishop
of Oxford, the Bishop of Lichfield, Lord Lyttelton, Ad-
miral Sir E. Lyons, Lord Overstone, the Marc;uis of
IsT,.rthampton, Lord Dufferin, Earl Stanhope, Lord Ha-
venswortb, Earl Somers, Earl of Shelburne, Lord Stan-
ley, Earl of Westmoreland, E trl of Cawdor, Earl of Car-
',Aryan, Lord de Tablay, the Marquis of Westinin,ter,
the Chairman of the East India Company, Chairman of
the Board of Customs, Mr. Walpole, Mr. Wilson, Mr.
Cardwell, Mr. G:adstone, Mr. Disraeli, Mr. H. Drum-
mond, the Marquis of Granby, Lord Goderich, Mr. C.
Dickens, Dean of St. Paul's, Sir W. Erle, Governor of
Bank of England, Mr. A J. B. Hope, Sir B. Hawes, Pro-
fessor Faraday, Mr. J. Forster, the Lord Mayor, Sir R.
Murchison, Professor 0 werr, Mr. A. H. Lavard, Sir E.
L. B. Lytton, Master of Dulwich College, President .of
the College of Physicians, President of the College of
Surgeons, Captain Peel, Ur. Panizzi, Colonel Sir H.
Rawlinson, Sir E. Tenuent, Mr. E. H. Bailey, Sir C.
Barry, Me. A. Cooper, Mr. T. Creswick, Mr. W. Dyes,
Mr. W. P. Frith, Mr. F. Grant, Mr. J. P. Knight, Mr.
C. R. Leslie, Sir ,E. Landseer, Mr. C. Landseer, Mr.
W. Mulready, Mr. D. Maclise, Mr. H. W. Pickersgill,
Mr. D. Robert., Sir W. Ross, Mr. C. Stanfield, Sir R.
Westmacott, Mr. T. S. Cooper, Ssc.
The cloth having been removed, and "Non Nohis
Domino" sung by the vocalists, according to new music
composed by Mr. W. Dice, R.A.,
The PRESIDENT rose and said—My lords and gentle.
men, I have the honour t ) propose to you that toast
which worthily inaugurates the festive meetings of Eng-
lishmen—l mean the health of her Majesty the Queen.
Her Majesty has already honoured the exhibition with
her presence, and on the occasion of her visit was pleased
to express her satisfaction with the character and merit
of the productions this year submitted for public in-
spection. (Cheers.) I give you "The Health of her
Majesty the Queen."
The toast was enthusiastically responded to.
The PRESIDENT—I have now the honour to propose
"The Health of his Royal Highness Prince Albert, his
Royal Highness the Prince of 'Wales, and the rest of the
Royal Family." His Royal Highness the Prince Con-
sort was to have been present this day at the ceremony,
fortunately postponed (fortunately, I inean, on account of
the weather) of laying the first stone of the Wellington
College at Sandhurst. The occasions have been frequent
on which his royal highness has himself undertaken
duties and public services of a similar description—ser-
vices which be performs willingly and so well. On such
oceasions'his Royal Highness the Prince of %Vales and
the younger members of the royal family are often pre-
sent. In witnessing such ceremonies they learn that
their exalted station involves important duties, nod have
at the same time the advantage of the most admirable
example for their performance. (Cheers.)
The toast was duly honoured.
The PRESIDENT—The toast I have to propose is "The
Army and Navy," connecting with the army the name
of the Commander-in-Chief, and with the navy that of
Admiral Sir E. Lyons. (dear, hear.) Two years ago
it was the universal wish that the allied arms might win
the best trophy of successful war—an honourable peace.
That consummation has, under Providence, now been
attained—and if England, strong in her armaments
and in the spirit of her people, rose from the struggle
rather warmed to the enterprise than tired of it, she is,
I trust, not the lest ready to welcome the blessing of
peace, to cultivate the arts of peace, and turn her atten-
tion and ambition to those glories, the attainment of
which peace can best promote. (Cheers) Our present
duty is to offer the expression of our admiration and
gratitude to those warriors in both services, from the
highest to the lowed in reek, who have shown no less
fortitude amid privation and suffering than intrepidity
and valour in the field. I, therefore propose to you
" The Army and Navy."
Lord HARDINGE, in returning thanks, said—Our troops
are, in short, in a state of preparation for war that was
never Were exceeded. I will only add that with the
excellent feeling and high discipline now prevailing in
our army, I am now persuaded that it will ever be
ready to fulfil whatever duties its Sovereign may call
upon it to discharge. (Cheers.)
Sir E. LYONS saed—My lords and gentlemen, I beg to
return you my most sincere and hearty thanks for asso-
ciating my name with this toast, and for the kind and
encouraging manner in which the services rendered by
the Navy have been recognised. I say "encouraging,
because nothing can operate on our sailors as a greater in-
centive to duty when serving their country abroad than
for them to know that their actions are apprecieted by
their fellow-citizens at home. I believe that the British
navy was never in a more efficient and satisfactory state
than at this moment. The large ships which formerly
composed our fleets, in construction and equipment, are
now in better condition than was ever before known,
and need not fear comparison with any other navy in
the world. (Hear.) We have also a numerous class of
smaller vessels, which it was confidently anticipated would
form a powerful auxiliary in carrying on the wire but
which may now be viewed as vale dele gi tvantees for
peace—(hear)—for I believe that no adage handed down
from olden time has been proved by experience to be
more just than this—that the best means of averting
war is to show ourselves prepared to meet it when
forced upon us. (Hear.) It must have been a proud day
for the Sovereign of these ancient realms when she
reviewed the magnificent fleet lately assembled at Spit
head, and refl:cted that it was manned wholly by volun
•

teers, who came forward to fight her battle; with a de-
votion and loyalty never before excelled. (Hear, hear.)
It must have b :en equally gratifying to her Majesty to
feel that the force thus arcayed was an undeniable proof
that the country was better able to continue the struggle
than to commence it, and offered to the world a demon-
stration, that in sivninz the trestv , f o-ace ender such
circumstances, her only motive 00111d.be mag ,animot;s
sentiment of peace and good will towards men. (Hear,
hear.) That event will therefore go (WWII to posterity
as one of which Ene;laud and the English navy have
just reason to be pion& (Cheers.)
The PRESIDENT--The toast next in order is the
" Health of the Foreign Ministers" who honour the aca-
demy with their presence. The only change I have to
make in the usual form is to give the toast in the singular
number, inasmuch as his Excellency the Prussian Minister
is the only member of the diplomatic body in this assembly.
We Excellency the American Minister, after signifying
his intention to attend was, it seems, unable to keep his
engagement. The present exhibition, as if to celebrate
the renewed amicable intercourse of civilised nationft,
contains specimens from various parts of the continent,
several of which reflect credit on the schools to which

they belong. The name of Rudolph Lehmann, I believe
a Prussian, will be advantageously known from the work
which he has sent. Older contributors are not wanting :
A:ry Scheffer has done himself and. his subject justice in
his fine portrait of Mr. Charles Dickens. I cannot men•

tion these foreign contributions without adverting to the
difficulty in which the Royal Academy, with all its de-
sire to do them honour, is placed, by their being sent to
it. The space at our disposal is insufficient to accommo-
date our own exhibitors, and limitr these circumstanc, s,
the exhibition of foreign works involves the exclusion of
some of those of our painters. A stronger.plea can hardly
be urged for additional room. It is surely desirable to
see good foreign specimens occasionally mixed with
those of our native artists, but under the present state of

thing. we must either af4ear illiberal to strangers or
unjust to our own fellow-laLourers. I was not with-

out hope that we might Lave bad the honour of this
day entertaining a distinguished guest, who, though a
foreigner, cannot ha regarded as a stranger. I mean
his Excellency Baron Erunow. (Hear, hear.) Nothing
could have more c )mp'etely realised tha feeling of peace
than to see in this place, which way not unfitly be called
a temple of peace, one who hal resided for many years
in this country as the aimbassalor of Russia, and who
now revisits these shore 3 on an amicable IlliasioD, Dar.,