The Sun.
London, England, 1804-02-13 00:00:00

THE ARTS.

Mr. PR INC E HaAli R has presented to the Royal
Academy the second Number of his ACADEMICAL
CORRESPOND!, PICE with the Establishments for the
promotion of the fine Arts in other countries. This
work is written with his .usual accuracy and ele-
gance, and includes an account of distinguished
works at home, as well as of the progress of the Arts
in other parts-of the civilized world. Among other
interesting communications: in this classical work,
it is stated that the EMPEROR of RUSSIA has not
only increased the salaries of the Professors, and
other persons employed in the Imperial Academy of
the fine Arts at St. Petersburgh, but has .lately ap-
propriated, fur the maintenance of the Institution,
the annual sum of 14.6,000 rubles, instead of 60,000,
formerly assigned to that purpose by the Academy
establishment of 1764. The EMPEROR has also
added the yearly sum of 10,000 rubles for the pay-
ment of those Artists whose works shall be judged
worthy to adorn the Public Institution, as appears
by the following supplementary Article to the
Rules of the Academy, in which HrsMAJESTY de-
clares it to be his pleasure, ,‘ That the Academy
propose every year designs in PAINTING and SCULP-
TOR e, on subjeOs taken from the history of this
country, in order to immortalize the memory of
such illustrious Russians as were pre-eminently- en-
titled to this honour, or to recall some remarkable
event which had contributed to the good of the
Empire ; and that those produelions of the Artists,
whether Piaures, Statues, or Busts, be ranged in a
gallery particularly allotted to this purpose in the
Imperial Palace, and consecrated to the monuments
of NATIONAL DESERT; and farther, that, for the
recompense of such Artists, His MAJESTY assigns 1
the annual sum of 10,000 rubles, to be paid from 1
his Privy Purse."

" These are Imperial works, and worthy Kings."

ALDERMAN BOY DELL.

The following Letter from this venerable, en-
lightened, and liberal Patron of THE ARTS, to Sir
JOHN ANDERSON, is so honourable to the feelings
of the writer, and exhibits such a just and modest
statement of the advantages which this nation has
derived from his exertions in COMMERCE as well as
TASTE, that it is well entitled to the notice of the
Public, who will, of course, take a strong interest
in the success of a Plan necessary to enable him to
close his meritorious life in ease and tranquillity.

(COPY.)
" DE*R SIR, Cbeapside, Feb. 4, 1804.

" The kindness with which you have under-
taken to represent my case, calls upon me to lay open
to you, with the utmost candour, the circumstances
attending it, which I will now endeavour to do as
briefly as possible.

It is above sixty years since I began to study
the Art of Engraving, in the course of which time,
besides employing that long period of life in my
profession, with an industry and assiduity that
would be improper in me to describe, I have laid
out with my brethren, in promoting the Commerce
of the Fine Arts in this Country, above Three
Hundred and Fifty Thousand Pounds.
4, When I first began business, the whole Com.
merce of Prints, in this country, consisted in im.
porting Foreign Prints, principally from France, to
supply the Cabinets of the curious in this kingdom.
Impressed with the idea, that the genius of our
own Countrymen, if properly encouraged, was
equal to that of foreigners, I set about establishing
a SCHOOL of ENGRAVING in ENGLAND, with
what success the Public are well acquainted. It is
perhaps sufficient at present to say, that the whole
course of that Commerce is changed, very few
Prints being now imported into this country, while
the f,reign market is prinCipally supplied with
Prints from England.
" In effeCting this favourite Plan, I have not
only spent a long life, but have employed near
firty years of the labouri•of my Nephew, JOSIAH
Boy DELL, who has been bred to the business, and
whose assistance, during that period, has been
greatly instrumental in promoting a School of En.
graving in this country. By_ the blessing of Pro-
vidence these exertions have been very successful,
not only in that respeft, but in a commercial point of
view, for the large sums I regularly received from
the Continent, previous to the French Revolution,
for impressions taken from the numerous plates en-
graved in England, encouraged me to attempt also,
an ENGLISH SCHOOL of HISTORICAL PAINTING.

France, tells that. believing and besatsed nation,
that in the midst of all his rcbbery and rapine, he
is a great patron and promoter of the Fine Arts,
just as if those Arts, that polish and humi:nize
mankind, could be promoted by such means, and by
such a man.

" You will excuse, my dear Sir, I am sure, come
warmth in an old man on this subjeCt, when I in-
form you, that -this unhappy Revolution has cut up
by the roots that •reventfe from the Co►►tinent which
enabled metriviidertakesuch considerable works in
this country. At the' same time, as lam laving
my case fairly before you, it: should not .be:dis-
guised, that my natural enthusiasm for promoting
the Fine Arts (perhaps buoyed up with success)
made me improvident. For had I laid by but
out of every tool. my plates produced, I should not
now have had occasion to trouble my friends, or
appeal to the Public. But, on the contrary, I Clew
with impatience to employ some new Artist with
the whole gains of my former undertakings. I see
too late my error, for I have thereby decreased
my ready money and increased my stock of copper-
plates to such a size, that all the Print-sellers in
Europe could not purchase it, especially at these
times, so unfavourable to•the Fine Arts.

" Having thus candidly owned my error, I have
but one word to say in extenuation. My receipts
from abroad had been so large, and continued so
regular, that I, at all times, found them fully ade-
quate to support my undertakings at home. I could
not calculate on the present crisis, which has totally
annihilated them. I certainly calculated on some
defalcation of these receipts by a French or Spanish
war, or both. But with France or Spain I carried
on but little commerce.. Flanders, Holland, and
Germany, who no doubt supplied the rest of Europe,
were the great marts. But, alas ! they are now no
more. The convulsion that has disjointed and
ruined the whole Continent I did- not foresee, I
know no mm that did. On that head, therefore,
though it has nearly ruined me or mine, I can take
but little blame to myself.

" In this state of things I throw myself with
confidence upon that Public, who have always been
but too. partial to my poor endeavours, for the dis-
posal of that which, -in happier days, I flattered
myself to have presented to them. I know of no
means by which that can be effeeted, just now, but
by a Lottery, and if the Legislature will have the
goodness to grant a permission for that purp9se,
they will at least have the assurance of the eveir
tenour of a long life, that it will be fairly and
honourably concluded.
" The objets of it are my Pi:lures, Galleries,
Drawings, &c. which, unconneded with my copper-
plates and trade, are much more than sufficient to
pay, it disposed of, all.l owe in the worid.
" I hope you, my dear -Sir, and every honest
man, at any age, will feel for my anxiety to dis-
charge my debts, but at my advanced age, of 85,
I feel it become doub!y desirable.
" i am, dear Sir, with great regard, •
" Your obedient and obliged Servant,
4, (Signed) JOHN BOYDELL."
Sir J. W. Anderson, Bart.