The Sun.
London, England, 1844-07-15 00:00:00

ROYAL COMMISSION OF FINE

ARTS.
The final meeting of the Commissioners of Fite Arts for
the present season took place, on Friday last, at Gwydyr-
house, Whitehall, when the opinion of that body on the
merits of the respective artists contributing to the exhibi-
tion of fresco paintings now on view in Westminster Hall
was formerly pronounced, by the selection of six from among
their number, whom it has been determined to commission
to execute works on given subjects for the decoration of the
new Houses of Parliament.

The Commissioners present were :—Viscount Palmerston,
Lord Mahon, Lord Colborne, Mr. Macaulay, Mr. G. Knight,
Mr. Hawes, and Mr. Vivian. His Royal Highness Prince
Albert, the president, and the other absent Commissioners,
having previously recorded their opinions in favour of thin
aatists selected, no difficulty arose from their non-attendance :
and some preliminary business having been transacted, the
names of the successful competitors were declared as
follow :

Charles West Cope, Hyde Park-gate, Kensington gore.
John Calcott Horsley, 1, High-row, Kensington Gravel
Pits.
William Dyce, IA, Royal-terrace, Adelphi.
Daniel Maclise, 14, Russeil-place. Fitzroy-square.
Richard Redgrave, Hyde Park-gate, Kensington.
William Cave Thomas, 27, Baker- street, Portman-square.
Mr. Cope, the first-named gentleman, received a first-
class prize of 3001. for his cartoon of "The First Trial by
Jury," in the exhibition of 1843. He has only one sub,;ect
in the present exhibition, a fresco, marked NO. 53 in the
catalogue, and entitled " The Meeting of Jacob and Rachel."
Mr. Horsley received a second- class prize of 2001. in 1843
for his cartoon of " St. Augustine Preaching to Etholbert
and Bertha, his Christian Qu n." He has two frescoes in
the present exhibition, the o 'o. 9, entitled "Prayer," the
border to which was design and painted by Mr. Owen
Jones, and the other, No. 63, entitled "Peace."
Mr. Dyce's name did not appear in the catalogue of the
Cartoon Exhibition last year, but he has an exquisite sub-
ject among the frescoes now exhibiting. It is marked No.
66 in the catalogue, and entitled " Two Heads from a Com-
position respecting the Consecration of Archbishop Parker in
Lambeth Chapel, A.D. 1559."
Mr. Maclise, the well-known artist, contributes to the pre-
sent exhibition a magnificent fresco, thus unpretendingly de-
scribed in the catalogue—" No. 74. The Knight."
Mr. Redgrave, a name also not appearing in the catalogue
of 1843, is the artist of No. 51 among the frescoes now ex-
hibiting. It had excited considerable notice, and is entitled
" Loyalty "—Catherine Douglas barring the door with her
arm to withstand the assassins of James L of Scotland.
Mr. Thomas was a successful competitor in 1843, having
received an additional premium of 1001. for his cartoon of
" St. Augustine preaching to the Britons." He contributes
to the present exhibition three subjects, a cartoon, a fresco,
and an oil-painting, respectively marked—" No. 52. The
Throne of Intellect ; ' "No. 54. Philosophy ;" "No. 55. The
Throne of Intellect."

It is understood that the commission to each artist will be
to execute a cartoon upon a given subject, to be afterwards
transferred to fresco in the usual manner, for the decoration
of the interior of the House of Lords. The six subjects are,
it is supposed, intended to fill the six panels, forming the in-
terior of that apartment.
One most important feature is decided upon by the Com-
missioners—viz., that they are not to be bound to adopt the
work of any one of the above six individuals, but that artists
generally are invited to compete, on the full understanding
that the best executed subject will be selected.