Star.
London, England, 1818-05-05 00:00:00

ROYAL ACADEMY.

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adi•••••=•••

The Members of the Royal Academy gave thiir
Anniversary Dinner on Saturday at their apartillSSlS
in Somerset Place, which was attended by a ntUINIIISS
asiemblage of guests of the first rank and Wow,—
Among whom were:
as Bora& Hinhosas the Doke of Somett.ths Antoine, Francis,
ligookk, Sasudbh. Danish, American, Netherlands, sod Bavarian
lislibersiers; the Lord Chancellor; the Dukes of Norfolk and
ilaMbamilatuld ; W Merittlases of &Abed, Canada), Um-
atilla, and *lam ; she Barb of Westrootignd, Liverpool.
Mkt y, 'Whitworth, Yarmouth, Besharotigh,
thiligir, they, Lauderdale, Lansdale, Aberdeen, Fowls, Groo-
ves& ; Viet Pson; the Lord (lief Justice GSbs ;
Ludt Ihrovrnicovri Rivers, Braise; Bishops of Landon, Sale-
*try, tied Greater: Right Hots; the Speaker, Right Hon. N.
tbasktart, Master of the Roils, Vico Chancellor, Sir W. Scott,
die Lord Mayor, Sir W. Grant, Right Hon. G. Canning, Hon.
atlas:es Phipps, Lieutenant-General Phipps, Attorney-Gene-
ral,- Solidtor-Genetal, Governor of the Bank, Chairman of the
But India Company, Matti of Dulwich College, president of
the Linnzan Society, President of the College of Physidans, &c.
The concurrent testimony of all the-distinguished
Patrons present was highly favourable to the merit of
the.present Exhibition.
Portrait-painting predominates, and more than one-
third consists of works in this department of art—
some of them are by our most eminent anises, and
are intended to carry down to posterity the portraits
'amuse of those illustrious individuals; whose names
will for ever be associated with deeds of renown and
,virtue. Sir THOMAS LAWRENCE'S Equestrian Portrait
of the Duke of Wellington, in the dress and on the
horse he rode in the battle of Waterloo, is a splendid
work. His portrait of the Prince Regent, is also ad-
mirably executed.
Mr. DAWR'S portraits of the lamented Princess
Charlotte and of the Prince of Saxe Cobourg, are ex-
cellent likenesses, and very well painted.
Sir W. BEECTIEY'S portraits of the Duchess of Glou-
cester, Lard Erskine, and Mrs. Coittts, arc very suc-
cessful efforts of this intelligent artist.
Mr. Sines Bishop of Norwich is a fine portrait of
this enlightened and distinguished Prelate.
Mr. WILKIE has two excellent pictures—one of
them an Errand Boy, the other, interesting Sketches
of the Family of Walter Scott, Esq.
Mr. President Wzsv's principal work is the Nati
vity of our Saviour. The President represents the
Angel communicating to the Shepherds cite birth of
the Saviour, and directing their steps to the manger
where the divine Infant is to be found with Mary
and Joseph. He has also a picture of the Women at
the Sepulchre, taken from the '2Bth chapter of St.
Matthew ; one of The Great Mogul presenting to the
late Lord Clive the Great of the Darannee for the East
India Company; and a Sleeping Cupid.
The landscapes and views are numerous and full
of variety. Mr. TURNER and Mr. Catcerrr take the
bad. The former has four pictures, viz. Ruby Castle,
the seat of the Earl of Darlington—the View of Dort;
The Field of Waterloo, from Lord Be
tion of that memorable evert—and a

position of Tivoli: . 'ME
The Model Academy, as usual, contains
specimens of sculpture. •

ARTISTS' BENEVO

The friends of the Benevolent Fund for relieving
the Widows and Orphans of Artists, sat down yester-
day to an excellent dinner in the Freemasons' Ta-
vern. The Chair was filled by Sir JOHN SWINBURN4
who stated; that Sir Henry C. Englefield, who was
to have presided, was, from indisposition, unable to
be present- He had taken the Chair at the reqnest of
some friends, with considerable inconvenience to him-
self, but he was anxious to spew the utmost respect
to so respectable a Society. He hoped and trusted
they would put up with their disappointment ; and
that his efforts in the Chair would meet with their
kind indulgence.
After the usual loyal and patriotic toasts had been
drank, Sir JOHN SWINIORNE said he should pay a
very ill compliment to an assembly so distinguished
for talents as that he was now addressing, if he en-
tered into any detail of the objects of the Institution.
The Institution had existed for a number of years ;
he begged leave to mention a few circumstances re-
specting it. The joint-stock formed a very valu•
able part of this Institution ; and he would recom-
mend it to the meeting as founded on the very best
principles, namely, those of voluntary independence.
An Artist in subscribing to this Fund was doing a
most essential service to his own family. During the
time he was occupied with his profession, his atten-
tion ought not to be diverted from it by the mise-
rable feeling . that his wife and family might be left
in a state of destitution. Now the Joint Stock Fund
was in this respect highly deserving of the Artists'
attention. Hehad the satisfaction to state, that they
had obtained a very considerable accession, both in
rumber and in talents, since last year. In that time
their funds had increased considerably, and he hoped
that this night they would not suffer them to de-
crease. He concluded with proposing—" Success
to the Artists' Benevolent Fund."
In proposing " the Chairman, Treasurer, Secre•
tary, and Committee of the Benevolent Fund," the
CfSAIR'sAN stated, that it was impossible for any Gen-
tlemen to have dedicated their time more assiduously
to the business of the Fund than these Gentlemen had
done. Benjamin West, Esq. confessedly the first
Artist of the age, gave to the plan of the Artists'
Joint Stock Fund his decided approbation. The late
lamented Mr. Whitbread, who had taken great pains,
ie consequence of misrepresentations, to examine into
the plan, gave it his decided approbation. He might
say that the Fund had now stability. It was enough
for a widow that her husband was a member. and
the Committee would not refuse her. The subscrip-
tion of this day would raise the capital stock consi-
derably above 30001.
The Secretary read a list of the subscriptions re-
ceived in the course of the evening, which amounted
to 2931.

A number of songs were sung in the course of the
evening by Messrs. Higman, Clarke, Phillips, King,
Millar, Webb, Denning, Akers, Healy, and Master
Hyde. The numbers present might amount to about
two hundred and fifty. The evening was passed in
the utmost conviviality.