New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1879-07-08
THE ROYAL ACADEMY.
SIGNIFICANT SIGNS OF REFORM.


lFRoM THE REGULAR CoRREsI oSDEST OF THE TRInUSE.I
LONDON, June 26.-The Royal Academy has at
last recognized the existence Of such a thing as
public opinion. and elected the three men whom the
general voice of the art world long since designated
as most worthy Of that honor. The Forty chose on
Friday Mr.. Alma-Tadema, already an associate to
DE H. A., and Messrs. G.. III. BoughtOn and Hubert
erkomer to be associates In each case the justice
done Is tardy, but the election Of all three at once
Is so conspicuously an act Of repentance that it
would be un0racious to offer any fresh reproaches
70 the electng body. Mr.. Ama-Tadcma has been
several times passed over since the date of his A.
IL. A-ship in favor of men whom their best friends
would not compare with him in pure artistic merit
wrote you some time ago that an effort would
again be made to keep him the shelf; on the
pretext this time. that II was n sculptor's turn
Such an effort was I'm fact made but came to
nought. The doctrine of responsibility which
some of the older acqdcmicans hold so strongly has
been set aside. Ii was felt to be a scandal that
such man Mr.. Alma-Tadema should be
left out longer. The public do not
much care about the proportion kept up in the
Academy between painters and sculptOrS They do
care great deal that the Academy. which, with all
Its faults, they look upon as n national institution
should not repeat and perpetuate its old
blunders should not leave itself exposed TO
the suspicion of favoritism, or to the oft
made charge Of being parcelled ont among cllques
and of trading in honors by means Of bargains
between the more powerful of these cliques. They
are patient enough-ths British public-but there
is limit to their patience. They are not overbur-
dened with knowledge i'm art, but they end by
knowing that a great painter Is great, and when
they see him persistently excluded from the Acad-
which they suppose to exist for the encourage
ment of rood naiutinO theV Iv trcry irnpo
tent. For some time past they have cheerfuly
paid E1.OOOor C., 900 or more for any considerable
work by Mr.. Ama-Tadema, and they began to ask
why man whose work fetched all that money
should he set aside, while the Academy portals
opened freely to others whose pictures would hardly
sell at any price. This is, l admit. very English
way of regarding the matter. but it is my business
to state things they The barricade Of preu-
dice, and of various sclf-intercsts combining to-
gether, was strong one. The slow and steady
pressure Of public opinion-of the most intelligent
and cultivated opinion in England--has finally
proved still stronger.
So In Mr. BoughtOn's case He Is and has long
been popular with those who study and buy pic
lures. The merit Of his work has for many years
commanded good places on the Academy walls
His art thoughtful delicate and full of that ten
derness OF sentiment which the Engshman-per-
haps because he has so little of it himself-delghts
in. Judged by Continental standards, some of his
work is more remarkable for poetic suggestiveness
than for technical power. But then, if you are to
require technical power as n condition of Academy
membership what would become Of the AcademyG
Such rule wonld have been bar to many candi-
datures that have proved successful during this
generation. If it was to have retrospective ODer
.rr-r = Would sadly reduce the number OF Acade-
micians now on the roll. Mr. Boughton studied
pictures bear the impress of his early education;
and in far they bear IL distinctly superior
to most English landscapes Of the present time;
superior mean, not only IN charm, but In that
right use of the brush which is the elementary
dtiOn of high excellence IN art If he cannot yet be
ranked among the strong painters of the French
school, that surely reason for keeping him out
of an Academy many of whose practitioners would
find it difficult to gain admission for their paintings
to the yearly salon in Paris. Nor was he kept out
for any such reason | quoted to you some time
ago Mr.. Comyns Cara's bold statement on this point
Mr.. Boughton had the courage of his opinions. He
adhered to his own methods, and refused to attach
himself to any one of the cOteries In the Academy
and out of it, composed of the retainers of some
particular artist. Without their help he made his
way with the public, and now. having reached a
position where he can afford to get on without Of
Mr. HerkomeTs history is different. He Is
Younger man, and il is but very few years since
he first became known. He sprung into fame at Il
bound with his picture of the Chelsea Pensioners
ar il may have been Greenwich. That one picture
secured him the Grand Prize at the Paris Exposition
last year. where. much to the astonishment OF the
English art world this young painter was bracketed
with Mr.. Millais-the latter by general consent the
most vigorous and popular painter OF his time in
England. The walls of the English section IN Paris
were covered with Mr.. Milals's best works; works
| extending over a series OF years, during which he
WAS as he still is the full maturity and spendor
| of his great powers. IL was not Engilshmeh only
| who tbougbt il singular that Mr.. HerkGmer'5 one
| or two pictures full of excellence as they were,
should he deemed worthy of the same reward which
was bestowed on the far more various ana prolihc
o,nius of Mr.. Millsis But the majority of the
! iury were captivated. In vain one or two OF the
more sober pointed out their colleagues how rash
u ,vas tn assume so muoh-tO put large faith IN
| Mr. Uerkomers talent on SO narrow basis OF ac-
oo,,nlisbed work lie got his medal by a great ma
orty of votes in the jury though II Is certain that
the public and the great body OF French artists,
| could they have been consulted, would have
awarded it to Mr.. Alma-Tadema.
Not unnaturaly, this surprising demonstration IN
| behalf of Mr. Herkomer produced "a reaction here
| in England The Academy was not going to be dlc-
| tated TO- English artists did not gruGge MI
| EIerkomer his Paris houors, but they were IN no
| hurry to add to them Several "S'oc"'os n'Fo
been elected since last Summer ana tie omission Oh
Ur Uerkomer WAS understood 10 be kind Of
nrot,st ON the part of the Academy against
! Tho oyer-entbusiasm of the Paris jury. If such
feeling existed, there has been time for 1t to die
owov, MFR. Herkomer's merits and works may or
NAV NOT have entitled him to the great prize OF the
French Exposition. There can be no doubt that
they entitle him to place associate in the Royal