The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-06-11
sJRt8rfttar1eoug.
THE AMERIc AN ACADEMY.
cling the first pubic exhibition


A.,rn something oft the origin and progress of an
i.st tuition novel and interesting 10 our coun.
t, try, and which in it's very infancy, like the Be
Mus IL our nation, has exhibited maturity that
is prS,aigious
The present exhibition may BE- considered 40
the effect of causes perfectly natural in relation
Go society. and sdventitous as to the concurrence
ofcircumstances - tcb have brought il at once
into order with surprising celebrity and success
The natural CD uses are to be found in the un-
Seanmeied acIioa OF the tree and virtuous will |;
in the maturity Of the nat onal mind, uader the
inauerc. " liberty: tae advantage which we
possess ia our position remote from the con-
6icts of ambition, with all the means of the ex-
perience Of ancient and modern times, at our
command the exemption from oppressive laws
q partial establish ,ents, such as oppress the IA
lives of the Old world the abundance which IA
ture affords industry, and the sbstnce of lhos,.
taxes and incurpbrances, which extract directly
indirectiy one half the fruits Of toll aud GEM
us, only 20 apply them TO feed the extravaganza,
pamper the prsjudices, or tenporise with the
poverty OF society. Our natural condition op&ns
every avenue to enterprise and the prog ess of
civilization, sud by the adverse condition of the
rest Of the world for nearly one-fourth of a cen
fury, has advanced this nation on the road of ci-
yilizstion with pace more raHid than has been
accomplished by other nations in an entire age.
Society thus prepared, the progress of letters
and the consequen desire Of the cultivated
mind to realize all that add to the rational
enjoyments of civil life aud to the natural stock
of things that are estirnsble, turned the minds
eye upon the fine arts they were found want
ing, or at least growing into being. by private
enterprise or accidental causes there was no-
thing congregated ; the arts and sciences ap.
peared TO resemble the rude elements Of human
spcie,y, scattered in hamlets, living unsssocia-
ted, s requiring to be united into families in or
der to become national.
The existing exhibition, is the fruit Of the u
zion al of those families, who by combining
hsve collected around them others aud individu.
als.and may therefore very appropriately be con
sideIed rs the first great American family of the
Gne arts.
4 About six or seven years ago, some respecta-
BILE citizens, upon the suggestion Of Mr.. Joseph
IIcpSinson. gentleman of excellent taste, and
inhcriting as it were the genius and enthusiasm
of his father, succeeded in associating and for
ming the outlines ofan infant academy Of fine
arts They had no professional artists among
chem, but taste and laudable love of those limo.
cent ard charming pleasures which are derived
from the contemplation of the works of genius.
q localizing, and it were, propagating them
were sufficient they seemed instinctively 10
conceive. but Without distinctly perceiying how,
shat the fHe art must find worshippers as soon
as they should find temple. and q temple was
erected.
The arts, which had made some progress in
aeiacked paths, which had gradually, in the
Course Of 10 or IL years, made strides to rival
Europe and equsi their prudest works, de
pended upon the dffused taste Of the country,
and had prospered without any other than the
ordinary patronage of society at large for 8 or
4 years the MOST eminent artists of particular
br .Jches particularly in the arts depending on
dies gc--painters and engravers. had reached
grs u,inence, & attracted the Safionai trdSniya-
tion nd Il ited that laudahie pride, which ev.
cry nation should -ncourage and which should
be the emulation of nations---the EMU stion TO
excel in all that is us, full and lauiabte. These
artists associated, but disconnected FINN Tie o.
thers, and with Jews though something pec,s
liar, yet more likely to be speedily efficient, than
the founders of the academy. he first were a.
n1arctvs, the second were professors the first
wrr admirers of the arts, the latter practical
man the object of the one was TO encourage &
enjoy, the other to execute, improve, and per-
feet; the one to promote and reward, the other
10 cultivate and improve the fine arts.
Views 50 congenisl could no long be separa
TED Mr.. George Murray, it would seem, was
Sha moving spirit Of the prse,ical class they
formed an association, with the express view Of
founding a school after the manner of ancient &
modern artists, and boldly held forth the com.
pre;ansiye ides of tue American Society of 45y-
sists. This society, in an address delivered by
M. Murray on the Isl of Aug 1910, copy of
which we published sbpu, that period N the Au
fore, inf, lded their views in t,Ie happcst man.
nee aud at the same time exhibited the utility
oftbeir purpose, & unfoded some of the best
principles of the design
On fLe 18th OF NJ. 1910, Mr.. J. Hopkinson
ueiysrcd n very ing eniouo aud interesting dis.
course the opening o. the Academy, and up.
on tie first delivery of the honors of the acad.
nv 10 hose whose zeal and merit had entitled
chem 70 sucl. re wards. On this occasion it vas
anu unce1, that tie acc.cezRy and the socie,y Of
f,fists had formed an union. Of The nature Il
which it is not requisite t. inter- into any de-
tails our purpose being only prefix to q cur.
sory review of the works in the exhibition, some
brief account gifts origin and progress up TO
The present period
The buildings of the academy are not imme.
diateIy the ob;ec Of our review, but i. may be
necessary to give some description oil them u,
ing Of the academy was 4 circular room lighted
SOON about 40 Tee, diameter in the various
casts Of the an,ique, and some modern works in
base relief pa nting. and cngrsvipgs of merit,
were exhibited Ia the last year mare spa-
cjous apartment, OF about 30 by GO feet square,
with . covered e;ling & lighted by cupola at
the top, was construct and in these two spart.
pents the extIihitionis new held. There ar, ~
pstmen,s for domestic USES and the care Of the
academy; and the whole is fitted up in man
neI the most conducive to the uses of the de-
sign.
The exhibition consists Of a vast variety of
works Of taste, and the fine arts, arranged will.
eli H. and elassed under the folio wing heads
CLASS l. PIcrURs GALLERy--scoyks Of H.
merriam artists.