Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1898-12-15
THE ROYAL ACADEMY
FACTS ABOUT ENGLAND's GREAT AMI.
WEALTHY SOCIETY.


Are Done With 1t.
To become Royal academician, or at
all events an associate, is the ambition
of every young artist for membership
in the academy means much more than
the mere right to put the letters R. A.
after ones name and to exhibit pictures
in the fine galleries at Burlington House.
In the first place, an academician is an
esquire by right and not merely by
courtesy, and, further, he is entitled,
should he ever come on hard times, to
substantial pension of between $3.50
and e400 year. If he dies leaving his
widow unprovided for, the academy al
lows her liberal sum for her mainte-
nance.
The associates and the associates wild
ows are also entitled to pensions on
somewhat smaller scale, so that there
are many reasons apart from the honor
and glory why the painter, sculptor or
architect should wish to become mem.
Der of the powerful and wealthy body
When therefore young artist begins
to get on, when he has his pictures we'll
hung year after year, when they find
ready buyers and are talked about in
society, he takes the first step toward
election by suggesting to one of the
academicians that he should put his
name down on the list of candidates.
Once down his name stays on the list,
either until he dies or is elected or vol
UNFAIRLY removes it, and this explains
why one finds on the roll Of candidates
the names of many artists once popular,
but long since forgotten by the public.
When vacancy occurs among the
associates, printed copies of this list on
blue foolscap paper are sent to all the
members, together with request that
they shall attend at the academy on a
certain evening, when an election will
take place. The elections themselves are
conducted in singular and somewhat
complex fashion peculiar to the academy
"a method which took the place about
20 years ago Of the rough and ready sys-
tenn formerly in vogue.
Both academicians and associates are
allowed to take part in the election, and
when the members are gathered together
each scores out with pencil the name
of the artist for whom he wishes to
vote and hands the paper SO marked to
the secretary. These scorings out are
known as scratches at the academy,
and the secretary, after examining all
the papers, duly announces how many
| scratches have been given to each
candidate.
| The election is then advanced another
stage. The president, who, by virtue Of
his Office occupies the chair, directs
that the names Of all those candidates
who have received more than four
scratches shall be inscribed in chalk
upon the blackboard, while those to
whom only one, two or three votes have
been given have no further chance OF
being elected.
The academicians and associates then
vote again for the candidates whose
names are on the board. The two lead
ing men in this contest are now selected
for final ballot, the winner in which
becomes an associate Of the Royal acad.
envy.
The academicians are elected in pre-.
oisely the same manner, except that the
associates are the candidates instead Of
the outsiders. All this system Of
scratches" and "blackboards" seem.
cumbrous and unnecessary, but it j!
said to work extremely we'll in practice
Sometimes, though very rarely, til
occurs, and in this case the president
or, in his absence, the academician wht
temporarily takes his place, has cast
ing vote. When Mr.. Ernest Crofts, the
battle painter, was elected he tied il
the final ballot with Mr.. jackson, thu
architect, and to Mr.. Calderon (who il
the absence of the late Sir John Millai
occupied the chair) fell the difficult
task of making the final selection
The associates have no voice in tn,
election of a president, the power O
voting resting entirely with the acade
micians. Sir John Millais, the lat,
president, was elected by the unani
nous vote of the members, fact which
must have been extremely gratifying tt
that great artist But on some other oc
casions the fight for the presidentshi]
has been very severe indeed.
The post is well worth struggle, fol
it carries with it substantial remunera
ton, besides great social and artistic
distinction. Tho late Sir Francis Chan
trey left e100, 900 to the academy, gu
of the interest of which salary of som,
$500 or 5000 a year is provided for tn
president.
The academy is immensely wealthy
The receipts from the annual exhibition
average from ego, 900 to e25, 900, ant
it is believed that the money invested
in the hands of the trustees does not fal
) far short Of 100000. Out of this mon
ey the schools Tin which 200 or 300 stu
dents are instructed gratuitously) ar,
supported and great many pension
and donations to decayed artists arr
, given. Little is heard of these charities
by the public, but they are very consid
cradle, and the declining years of many
old painters and sculptors are made east
er by them.
Upon the academy also falls the ex
pense Of the annual banquet, which
costs perhaps e40O or $500, besides any
number of minor charges, as, for exam