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

ing his residence here, as many present have reason to
know, his excellency acquired the friendship and respect
of all who had the honour of his acquaintance. I may
add, and he often attended these anniversariee, and had
it been possible for him to honour us on this occasion, be
would, I venture to say, have been most warmly greeted.
(Hear.) The toast is, "The Foreign Ministers' and the
Health of his Excellency the Parisian Ambassador."
Drunk with the usual honours.
His Excellency the Prussian Minister briefly returned
thanks.
The PRUSIDENT—The next toast which it is my pri-
vilege to propose is "The Health of the Noblemen and
Gentlemen who this day honour the academy with their
presence." (Hear, hear.) The best trieute I can offer
to those, or at least to many, whom I have the pleasure
to address, is, to acknowledge that under their auspices,
in conjunction with the aid of others, the fine arts are
becoming more and more elements of public utility. The
improvement, the growing benefit is, I am persuaded,
greatly attributable to the enlightened attention which
many persons of influence have, either from inclination
or on principle, devoted to the subject. (Hear.) The
more intelligible and the more directly useful influence
of the fine arts is to be recognised in that well organised
and widely-Tread system of instruction which has for its
object the improvement of our manufactures. That
system, however capable of being modified, is now felt
to be indispensable, and one of its results has been to
give increased effect to institutions intended to promote
the higher branches of art, (Hear, hear.) A French
writer has lately expressed the opinion that the higher
manifestations of the fine arts are the great means of popu-
larising good. taste. He extols the recent efforts of
England, in adopting every means of improving the taste
of her producers, by affording instruction in design, and
by the public exhibition of the best works of art—for
example, at Sydenham, and elsewhere. (Hear.) The
same writer justly observes, however, that this quality
of taste is the element in which imitation, meaning the
incitation of other nations advanced in it, it is the most
difficult. To reproduce a piece of machinery, to imitate
mechanical contrivances, is comparatively easy; but to
infuse taste into the workmen requires many years of in.
direct as well as direct cultivation. It is, therefore, of
'consequence in reference to the competition of England
with other nations in what is called industrial art, that
together with the direct instruction which forms the
hand and eye, an undertaking in which many can co-ope-
rate the less tangible and more refined influence result-
ing fhom the exhibiting of the best productions through-
out the country, should also be kept in view ; whether in
the shape of permanent museums, or occasional exhibi-
tions of good modern or good specimens of art. In re-
gard to modern works. (Hear.) I presume not to define
the degree of excellence in the higher aims of art to
which this nation or this acarleiny, as representing a
school of art, can pretend ; but this I say, that what-
ever that amount of excellence may be, it is of vital
importance even for the manufacturing interests of this
'countryato etimulate and uphold it. (sear, hear.) I
feel that I only meet the views of the enlightened pro-
moters of industrial art when I maintain that the culti-
vation of the higher elements of art is the only safe and
permanent foundation for its more literally useful appli-
cations. (Cheers.) I have the honour to propose the
health of our guests.
The toast was drunk with the greatest cordiality.
The LOUD CHANCELLOR—Mr. President and gentle-
men, I feel that no duty devolving on me could be more
difficult than that of returning thanks on the part of
these whom you have honoured with invitations to
this festive board, because, in an assembly of those
whose works contribute to the adornment of these
walls, I can be but a very inadequate exponent of the
sentiments of the patrons who -have encouraged
their production. Yet there is one circumstance which
should render the tale I have undertaken less formi-
dable ; for the splendid specimens which this year deco-
rate your brilliant apartment indicate the attainment of
such an advanced stage of art as to make it easy to pro-
nounce a deserved panegyric on the present exhibition.
(Hear.) The time has been when, to the disparagement
of British art, those walls were covered almost exclu-
sively with portraits and works designed merely to gra-
tify the vanity of individuals. That such an imputation
finds no justification now, I appeal with confidence to
the interesting display by which we are surrounded ;
and I greatly doubt whether in any other capital of mo-
dern Europe a single year could produce its equal.
(Hear, hear.) Your president has feelingly alluded
to the fact that, after two years of war, we have
now met for the first time under the genial influence of
peace, and I cannot but remark among the works before
us some of much merit which touchingly recal that
happy circumstance. Without wishing to make an
invidious selectioe, where there is so much that is ex-
cellent, I cannot refrain from alluding to one which
must awaken ie every heart feelings of deep gratitude
and enthusiasm. I allude to the admirable peineng,
having for its subject " the Highland Nurses." (The
picture to which the noble and learned lord referred is
from the easel of Sir E. Liadseer, and dedicated to Miss
Nightingale.) It reminds us that at the termination of
the war we may revert with pride not only to the achieve-
anti of our army, but also to actions of even a purer and
more elevating character, actions of which, as they have
served to humanise the conflicts of mankind in their
fiercest violence, It may well be said as of old "Mitescunt
scecula bellis." Gentlemen, I have in conclusion to pro-
pose a toast which I ens sure will be received with en-
, husiasm. I mean " Prosperity to the Royal Academy,"
whose munificent hospitality it is oer happiness to enjoy.
The toast was drunk amid loud appleuse.
The PRESIDENT—.IIy lords and gentlemen, I beg
lz av e, on the part of the members of the Royal Academy,
and on my own, to express our thanks for the honour
you have conferred upon UR. His lordship, in the
thoughtful and eloquent speech which we have heard,
has said encouraging things of this exhibition and of the
English school. Within the last year that school has
required a certain amount of continental reputation in
the great Paris Exhibition, a reputation which is deserv-
edly valued—but, after all, it is to thefavourable opinion
of his judges at home that the English artist aspires.
His legitimate stimulus, next to the love of his occupa-
tion, doubtless, is extended fame ; but even of that he
has a sure earnest if he succeeded in winning your ap-
proval. The office of the professed critic is, almost ne-
cessarily, to detect imperfections ; the enlightened ama
tear, on the other hand, recognises the principle, founded
on a long observation of masterworks, that a few quali-
ties, or even one quality carried to a high degree of per-
fection, though involving comparative defects in other
particulars, stamps the work of art with character and
value, and seldom fails to command approbation. (Hear )
That this is the case of the great masters will be seen
on a moment's refection. Among the great masters
each is admired for certain special qualities, while
the fact that he is deficient in other respects does not in-
terfere with the general estimation in which he is held.
Such a train of thought will arise in the minds of those
who will hereafter have opportunities of contemplating
the works of Turner, now it is understood to become the
property of the nation. None will venture to assert that
those works are faultless ; and yet the objects which
that gr. at painter had in view are accomplished in such
perfection that the mind is engrossed with them, and
defects, if seen, are disreearded. I now beg to give a
toast which, on ordinary occasions, has reference to po-
litics, but which can have none here save in that sense
to which politics are connected with objects of perma-
nent interest, if I may so venture to designale art and
science. It was formerly remarked that the most ar-
dent well-wishers to those pursuits were generally com-
pelled, by the supposed necessity of a stern regard to
public economy, to suppress their enlightened predi-
lections when in office. At present, however, it is
admitted that the furtherance of theee objects may
be reconciled with a comprehensive economy. It is ad
m'tted that general cultivation is desirable even on the
ground of expediency; it is felt that as civilisation ad-
vances it has its corresponding wants ; and it is believed
that the commercial prosperity, and even tee power of
a nation, may ultimately depend in a great d, grec on its.
intellectual improvement. From what has been recently
said in Parliament I am. justified in expressing a hope
that the time is not far di..tant when a new building de-
voted to art and science will arise in the immediate
neighbourhood of the metropolis. What better comme-
moration can there be of a satisfactory peace--next to
our thanksgiving to our great Giver of that blessing—
than the founding of an institution calculated to promote
the objects, pursuits, and advantages of peace? Gentle-
men, 1 have the honour to propose "The health of her
Majesty's Ministers," as the promoters as well of art
and science as of a peace for which the country is quali-
fied. (Cheers.)
The toast was received with much cordiality.
Lord PermainshoN—Jlr. President, my lords and gen-
tlemen, I beg for myself, and on behalf of my colleagues,
to thank you for the toast which you have been kind
enough to give, and for the warm manner in which it
has been y ,ur pleasure to receive it. We accept the
compliment in the spirit in which it has been bestowed.
This is an occasion on which politics ought to be es-
chewed, and on which we appear before you, as you,
sir, justly observed, not as the representatives of different
political opinions aud'i arties, but as those who are for
this moment entrusted with the guardianship of the
public welfare, aid whose duty it is, ae the instruments
for conducting the public service, to promote, so far as
our means and opportunities allow, the progress and im
provements of the arts. (Hear.) I can assure you, therc
fore, that those who have now the honour of acknow
ledging this mark of your favour are not less mindful Of
'his part of their functions than any of their predeces-
sors. (Hear.) And with regard to the topic to which you
have just alluded—namely, the prospect of our seeing in
the immediate neighbohrhood of this city a building
rising up better fitted than any now existing for the
display of the woras of genius and of art, I can only say
that it shall not be owing to any indisposition on our part
to advance the great objects which you have indicated if
results adequate to the aspirations you have expressed
are not ultimately attained. (hear.) It must, indeed, be
gratifying to those who take a warm interest in the pro-
gress of art to witness the noble spectacle which these
walls exhibit, and which fully justifies the ardent expec-
te.tions which the lovers of such refined studies have iron]
time to time entertained of their rapid and increasing
development in their native country. (Hear.) You have,
sir, adverted to the triumphs which our army and navy
have achieved in the course of their recent struggle,
but we all know that peace, too, has its vict pries, no
less than war. (Cheers.) The victories of peace are
those of genius and talent over difficulties both moral
and intellectual, and I venture to say th .t there ceneot
be a more splendid display of the trophies of peace than
is presented by the exhibition, the auspicious inaugura-
tion of which we are met to celebrate. Whet can be a
greater triumph of mind than that of the artist, who
frem rude materials of t o most nuproreising kind is
able to produce t x luisito iepresentations of all that is
beautiful in tee forms of nature, and to give expreSsion
to all the dignified and ennobling sentiments which Pro-
idencc has imp anted in the human breast. A great
poet of antiquity declares that he who wishes to inspire
any passion in the minds of others, must himself be ac-
tuated by the same emotion. This principle, I believe,