New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-03-04

crv IIoIn,ar Hunt and Rossatti and Miliai..
.hocoro AIilla.s entered upon the more profitable
mart # his carer were outsiders. and all DN,
MiIlois rcfnair.d outsiders The AcadcinlclaHS
set their faces ike flint against novelties Whe'heT
the novelties were native or imported The giorles
Of the French school. above all Of the modern
French landscape painters, OF whom many were
the direct descendants OF Constable, passed I'M
perceived in Piccadilly. or in Trafalgar square.
II they were perceived they were resisted; some
times openly secuted. and at all times treated
as foreign. and therefore safely to be neglected.
Look at the dates IN Mais's case. His art
life began at eleven years Of age. lie eXhiDited
at the Academy when he was seventeen, III 1916.
His association with Dante Rossetti and Hol-
man Hunt lastel some ten years. He was chosen
an Associate Of the Royal Academy in 1903. He
remained an Associate for eleven years, ana II
was not till 1864 that ne was finally received into
full membership In the interval. says one OF his
biographers. he had "emancipated himself and
when his collected work. were exhibited at the
GrosvenOr Gallery in 1Ss'. the exhibition was
meant to show, saws this academ"ai critic, now
he had shaken off the trammcls OF PTe-Raphae-
itsrl Well Pre- Raphaclitisrn was n protest
and had perhaps done it's work But the point
to be noticed in connection with the Academy
enthusiasms and by recanting what the Academy
considered heresies that the doors opened to a
man who was confessedly one Of the most
orlgina, and accomplished artists Of his time
at that time ana for a good while after.
The men who were in tho ascen liant were the
painters of Derbv Days ana Railway Stations
like Firth, or the historiographers OF the hunt
ing 1elu. like the President. Sir Francis Grant
They continued IN control down tc the election
Of Sir Frederick Leighton President In 1873
Then a new epOch was foretDld NJ mar who
knows what Sir Frederick Lc!g'tor's abilities
and accomplishments and loyalty really are, Will
dsparage his efforts Or detract from the credit
due to the work he has achieved President.
II is suflicen. to say that he has not done all
that was expected OF him. nor all that he him
self hoped to d.. Traditions were too strong
for him. The commercial interests of the Acad-
envy and of its members were too strong. The
teaching Of the Academy was improved in some
tcchnical points. but 1t remained in substance
and tendency what it was before. The elections
were still governed by considera lions alien from
art. Abuses survived. The privileges Of the
Academcian were not curtailed. Mr.. Horsley
and Mr.. Herbert. Mr. Wells and Mr. SAINT and
Mr. Yeame5. were still entitled to their eight
pictures on the line. The new men with new
Committee could be relied on to sky them with
answering impartiality The theory of the
private and independent character Of the Acad-
envy was maintained. and is maintained to this
day; a club private society supported by its
own resources and supporting its own schools
in the same way.
The theory is correct: the inference that the
Academy has responsibilities to the State or
10 the public is extremely incorrect, but 1t Is
still advanced. and when public opinion at a
given moment. proves too strong for II, and a
sembance Of concession is thought expsdient.
and Mr. Burne Jones. for example Is offered a
back seat, the majority know that he can be
kept there and they do keep him there. and
then are scandalized II he takes himself off
And they are scandalized still more when they
hear Of his being selected for titular distinction.
recommended by the Prime Minister 70 the
Queen. and by the Queen offered rank which
whatever you may think Of g. but one other
Academic an. the President excepted has been
thought worthy to hold. @. w s.