The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-13
Autumn Gold and Winters Silver Snow
Scenes Cleaning Bright, Gaudily
Superb and Glcomily Grand.
LONDON. April 90. 1871.


LONDON, April 60 1871.
My art-loving American readers will have privl-
lege this year. They can turn with me, unseen and
invisible, from the rear OF Piccadilly through long
corridor and enter the jealousy guarded doors of
the Royal Academy galleries. as yet strictly tabooed
TO the public. 1t is Wednesday, April 81; the doors
OF the Royal Academy, Burlington House, Picca-
Oily, are only open to-day for carpenters and
critics Even royalty in the person OF the Prince Of
Wales cannot enter till tomorrow. Then on Friday
VIII come the private view, when all the eitte OF
London-poitica fashionable literary and artistic
will thron2 these stately galleries, and on Satur-
aay-highest of all high DAYS for the Royal
Academy and nucleus OF who can say how much
OF Its power and, more important STILL its prestige
the annual dinner, founded, with such far-seelng
prescence aud profound appreciation OF the British
public, by SIR Joshua Reynolds, the first president
rather more than century ago; for this the 1881
exhibition.
TIE ATTENDANCE AT THE ANNUAL DINNER
At this dinner the cream OF the cream OF the Lon.
don-nay, the Englisn-world, in the shape OF the
heads OF Its Legislature and learned bodies Its dpo
macy Its great patrons OF art and very select sample
gifts literary noabilities entertained by the Royal
Academy In the statellest OF their ten nobly proper
toned galleries, to gossip first, over the pictures
then 10 dine and speak, and hear as much as they
can OF the speeches accompanying some OF the most
richly buttered toasts ever served round, even in
this the special home and stronghold OF that emf.
nently Eng ish luxury.
PAST AND PRESENT SITUATION or TIE ROYAL
ACADEMY.
The Royal Academy after successive migrations
from It's first very humble quarters near the site OF
the present Carlton Terrace Q76sl to grander apart
ments 10 Somerset House ann, thence TO the Ma
tionai Gallery in Trafalgar square Qs37) settled
finally In ITS present well-appointed quarters 1862
For the benefit OF those who do not know these
galleries l should say that they occupy site In the
of Old Burlington House, not far TO the east
OF 81. James street, on the opposite side OF
the way. They form a large oblong block,
entered by the centre OF the south side. Facing
me is vestibule, giving access to central hall,
which again opens into a sculpture gallery. Then
three rooms fill the OF the block from south
TO north and form dividing space between sets,
east and west OF i've galleries each-each two TO the
north and south occupying the same space
as larger gallery which forms the centre.
The numbering Is from one-the smaller gallery
on the west or the vestibule-and round to ten
the last gallery on the east OF the vesiibule.
A CONCESSION TO THE CRITICS.
This is the first example In the memory OF the
Oldest academician OF such a concession as Is i'm
piled In this grant OF private day-a real private
day-to the critics 1t has been asked for these
many years past Ny readers will readily conceive
the difficulty OF giving ANYTHING like fair
notice OF even the most general impres.
sion made by the pictures amid the distrac.
tons of Fridays private view; for a critic,
jostling crowds OF acquaintGnees, distracted
by the presence Of celebrities and beauties awed by
intellectual brows or dazzlcd by bewitchng faces
and still more bewitehing toilets no wonder wo
prayed for a day to ourselves. The wonder Is that
the Academy granted it. "E pur 81 Dauore,. said
Calico. The faith OF many OF the critics that the
Academy was immovabe was as profound as that
Of his inquistion that the world was fixed But we
had more than one Calico. They were right-,he
Academy does move after ALL
Only one condition was aflxed to the critics
cardsno article must appear TIL after The private
view on Friday. No doubt this win be religously
observed There was no index OF names and num-
bers TO the proofcatalogues distributed yesterday,
so my best plan Will be TO take my readers with
me ana ask them TO halt with me for description,
with comment we will not now finger over the
sculpture In the vespule but VIII pass at once into
gallery No /, at the westernmost block.
THE PrCTUREs-"cuILL OCTOBER
Our first pause shall be at "Chln OCTOBER We
have begun. oddly enough, at the top OF the exhi-
bition. for artistic opinion will -probabl agree in
CHASING this as the masterpiece or the year. The
picture mas peculiar interest as j. h.. MlarS' first
landscape proper. He has always put finished
and often admirable landscape work into his back.
grounds. But till now he has painted no landscape
independent OF the Interest OF o human action or
passion Here he leaves this steey expanse OF rain
swollen backwaer OF the Tay, this island with It's
wood OF dark alders and willows, slowly waving
against the chill, gray SKY to the sough OF the
autumn wind; this foreground OF purple lowered
sedges and marsh glasses through which we see
CLEANS OF white water here anu there, as II runs
down TO the willows and greener growths that
fringe the very margin OF the stream, which is
carrying down. brimful from these blue hills that
rise on the horizon) bearing on its surface,
here and there. evidence OF spore higher up,
In knobs or Gosfing sedge and tangle OF rent OF
willow branches matted with ooze and bent said
this WINS picture independent or human passion;
that 1t does what all good landscapes should do. 1t
carries It's human interest and feeling In the book OF
nature IL reflects. The chill sad, sorrow-laden
mood OF the place and time struck the minor key
note In The painters gamut ana here we have the
sad music, speaking sadness. No better text can
lie found for illustrating the true secret OF landscape
that appeals TO the imagination.
ANOTHER LAsDscApE--"AUTuMS COLD"
Turn around and exactly opposite hangs aaotilcr
large and dexterous picture OF vicat Goes, the
only landscape painter who has been elected, 20
nomtne, into the Academy for some thirty years.
Autumn Goid"-ripe cornneds lying at the foot Of
the hoatnery and wooded chalk hills that stand out
into the fertile plain OF the Surrey wead, like line
OF sea cns they once were; but now II Is sea Of
golden grain that tosses against their basti0ns But
his picture. clever o. is does not speak 70 US OF
A..