Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1899-02-23
THE ROYAL ACADEMY
FACTS ABOUT ENeLAND'S GREAT AND
WEALTHY SOCIETY.


Are Elected-The Institutions Big
Fund and the Good Works That
Are Done With IL.
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 K A.
after ones name and to exhibit pictures
i 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
I a substantial pension Of between E55o
and 600 year If be dies leaving bis
widow unprovided for, the academy al
lows her a 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 ana wealthy body
When therefore young artist begins
10 get on, wien he has hls pictures well
hung year after year, when they find
ready buyers and are talked about in
society. he takes the fist step toward
election by suggesting to One Of the
academicians that be 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 tins explains
why one nnds 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 a request that
they shall attend at the academy on
certain evening, when an election VIII
take place. The elections themselves are
conducted in a 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 III 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 scorlngs 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-
cisely the same manner, except that the
associates are the candidates instead OF
the outsiders. All this system OF
"scratches'' and "black boards seems
cumbrous and unnecessary, but 1t is
said to work extremely well i'll practice.
Sometimes. though very rarely, tie
occurs, and in this case the president,
or. in his absence, the academician who
temporarily takes his place, has cast
ing vote When Mr. Ernest Crofts, the
battle painter, was elected, he tied IN
the final ballot with Mr.. Jackson, the
architect, and to Mr. Calderon (who in
the absence of the late Sir John Millais
occupied the chair) fell the difficult
task of making the final selection
The associates have 10 voice in the
election Of a president the power OF
voting resting entirely with the acade-
micians Sir John Miliais, the late
president, was elected by the unanl
nous vote of the members, a fact which
must have been extremely gratifying to
that great artist But on some other oc-
casionS the fight for the presidentship
has been very severe indeed
The post is wei! worth a struggle, for
it carries with 1t substantial remunera-
ton. besides great social aud artistic
distinction The late sir Francis Chan
trey LETT Goo. 600 TO the academy, out
of the interest Of Inch salary Of some
esUO or 600 year is provided for the
president
The academy Is immensely wealthy
The receipts from the annual exhibitions
average from 42O,UU0 to go, 600, and
it i believed that the money invested
in the hands Of the trustees does not fall
far short of e5OO, 600 Ont Of tbs mon.
ey the schools Tin which 200 or 300 stu
dents are instructed gratutOusly) are
supported and great many pensions
and donations TO deCayed artists are
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 g400 or $500, besides any
number of minor charges, as for exam.
pie, the payment of the selecting and
hanging committees at the spring eX-
hibition. Pearson 5 Weekly
A Brute.
Mrs Greene hear that Sarah Jun
son is going to get divorce from her
husband