The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-16 00:00:00

-44
ART-UNION OF LONDON.
On Saturday last we attended a private view of the
pictures selected by the prize-holders in the London
Art-Union for the year 1844, which are now exhibit-
ing at the Gallery in Suffolk-street, Pall-mall East.
The number of selected pictures is 251, the whole of
which have been before the public at those exhibitions
of art which are open to the prize holders to select
from, viz. :—the Royal Academy, the British Institu-
tion, the Society of British Artists, the Society of
Painters in Water Colours, and the New Society of
Painters in Water Colours. Of these the Royal
Academy furnishes 73 ; the Society of British Artists
92; the British Institution 31 ; the Society of Pain-
ters in Water Colours 29 ; and the New Society-of
Painters in Water Colours 26. In addition to which a
bust, in marble, and a group, have been selected from
the Society of British Artists. We have also Mr.
Bell's Eagle Slayer, from the recent Westminster-
hall exhibition ; three or four bronzes ; a water
colour copy of Calcott's Raffaele and Fornarina,
which, it will be remembered, formed the subject
of the engraving for 1843, and an unfinished
proof of the Castle of Ischia. As all these works,
at least, all the selected works, have been already be-
fore the public, and for the most part noticed by us
at the time of their previous exhibition, we will not
enter into any detailed criticism of their respective
merits. Suffice it to say that the majority of them
afford proof of the excellent taste which, in general,
has governed the selection of the fortunate prize-
holders. It will be seen by the analysis we have
given that the Society of British Artists is the fa-
vourite ; we know not for what reason, unless it be
from a desire to discourage the monopoly which is
generally understood to be the pervading principle of
the Royal Academy, for it cannot be denied that the
pictures selected from the latter institution are
amongst the best, if not the best, in this exhibition ;
we might refer especially in support of this position
to D. Roberts's splendid picture, the Pyramids of
Gizeh at sunset; Tennant's Magpie Island ; and
Cooper's Repose, which reminds us forcibly of some
of the happiest efforts of Cuyp's pencil. The Ford,
by the same artist; the Ploughed Field, by Lee; and
Waiting for the Ferry, by Barraud, are also beauti-
ful specimens of oil painting. But it is almost unfair
to make particular selections from amongst the large
number of highly meritorious works of which this
exhibition can boast, many of which, in the cursory
glance we were enabled to give to them on Saturday,
no doubt, escaped our notice. Few, however, who
visit this exhibition will, we apprehend, be prepared
.to dispute the beneficial effect of the Art-L Dion in
encouraging the arts and improving the public taste.
From a correspondence which the Committee have
very properly published in their catalogue, it appears
that an attempt has been made, in connexion with this
year's distribution of prizes, to carry out one of those
jobs which, when the institution was first established,
it was considered by many persons that it would have
a tendency to promote, viz., by collusion between the
prize-holder and any artist amongst the exhibitors,
who might be found base enough to join with him,
to convert the prize into a money payment to be
shared between the two parties--the picture selected
being returned to the painter, in addition to his share
of the money paid to him by the society as its value ;
thus giving to the proceedings of the Art-Union all
the objectionable features of the old lotteries, making
it a medium for mere gambling speculations, and frus-
trating those great and important objects for which
alone it was established, and in consideration of whiO
the existence of such societies can alone be tolerated.
The attempt to which we here allude is described in
the two letters which the society have published, and
which we here print from their catalogue. The Com-
mitttee say that they "reluctantly feel themselves
compelled to publish the following letters; but, while
strongly reprobating the unworthy attempts there de-
tailed, they wish to exempt from any suspicion of
collusion the artist whose picture was finally selected
as Mr. Saunders's prize :"
" it, Argyll-place, August 20, 1844.
" Dear Sir—By the wish of my friend, Mr. Hollins,
A.R.A., I beg to trouble you with the following state-
ment connected with the objects of the Art-Union, Mr.
Hollins being too unwell to write clearly at present.
" Towards the close of last week, a person calling
himself the agent of a Mr. Saunders, of Burton-upon-
Trent, waited on Mr. Hollins with the object of pur-
chasing a picture of his, no* in the Royal Academy,
valued at two hundred guineas, for Mr. Saunders, who
had obtained a prize of that amount at the late distri-
bution, and offered to select that picture, if Mr. Hollins
would agree to purchase the picture again at a less
price, 175/. or so; as the prize-holder preferred having
the money to a picture. Mr. Hollins, by this arrange-
ment would have received about 351. and have kept his
picture, and Mr. Saunders have pocketed 1751. of the
Art-Union money.
" Mr. Hollins, of course, declined this arrangement ;
and, as he has no doubt you will agree with him that
such a perversion of the funds should be avoided if pos-
sible, this information be trusts will enable you to see
that the money is bona fide laid out in the purchase of a
picture by Mr. Saunders.
" Mr. Hollins is confined to his house, 47, Berners-
street; but will give any information you may require,
and be happy to see you or Mr. Pocock, if you would
favour him with a call.

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" The party hinted that their proposed arrangement
could be carried out with other parties.
" Believe me, dear sir, your, very truly,
" Geo. Godwin, Esq. " J. J. SCOLES."
" 6, Southampton-street, Fitzroy-square, Aug. 22.
" Gentlemen,—On Friday evening two gentlemen
called on Mr. Claxton, who is at present in the Isle of
Wight, and finding he was from home, requested to see
me, when they introduced themselves by saying that a
friend of theirs in the country had gained one of the
2001. prizes in the Art-Union, and had commissioned
them to choose the picture, and then to propose to the
artist that he should give them some part of the price,
which he only could receive from the secretaries of the
Society. I wished them much to write to Mr. Claxton,
but they declined to do so, and also to leave their names,
saying if I would write they would call for his answer
on Tuesday evening, and if he world mention how
much of the price he would return them, they would
then tell him how much they required ; but if he re-
fused, they would select another picture, and endeavour
to make the same arrangement with another artist. I
received an answer from Mr. Claxton on Monday morn-
ing, in which he says, Should those gentlemen return,
you must tell them that I refuse their otter most deci-
dedly, as they must know that, by accepting it, I should
be defrauding the Society, and disgracing my profession.'
" I believe Mr. Caxton intends writing t,) you himself,
but be may be prevented for a few days ; and as the
gentlemen have not returned for Mr. Caxton's answer, I
have been advised to inform you immediately, as there
may be some regulations of the Society which provide
for such an occasion.—l have the honour to be, gentle-
men, your respectfully, " SOPHIA CLAXTON.
" To the Honorary Secretaries."