New-York tribune., 1909-01-13
LADY ACADEMICIANS
France to Restore Privilege AboL-
ished by the ReUoluhon,
Gcopyrtshs, 1909. by the Brentwood Company


In view OF the proposal now under discussion at
Paris 10 amend the statutes of the Institute Of
France in such fashion as TO admit of the cleo
ton Of women its various academies it may
mentioned that monarchy in France has shown It.
self more liberal and enlightened In this connection
than the republican regime Few people even in
France recall to-day that, pror to the great Revo-
luton of 1888, there were female Acadercians in
France. They belonged 10 the Academy OF Fine
Arts, which was founded by Louis XIV IN 164s.
under the title OF ''LAcademie RoYale des BeaUx
Arts, and It has always been composed of the
most eminent painters sculptors. engravers and
architects, as well musical composers From
among its members selected the director of the
French School at Rome and painting, sculpture and
music owe q deep debt OF gratitude TO this most
useful of all the five academies that constitute the
Institute of France
It's women members have been as follows Cath
crime Duchemn painter wife Of the sculptor Girar-
don' elected in 1868; the sisters Genevieve and
Madeleine Bouogne, sculptresses, elected in 1868.
and whose works still view at the Museum
at Versailles where portrait Of Elizabeth Cheron
painter: engraver. musical composer and poet, and
elected in 1872, is likewise to be seen; Dorothea
Godequin widow. and celebrated engraver
was elected in 1886; Catherine Ferrot. famous
painter. and especially as aquarellist, was re-
ceived as a member in 1852 The Museum of Nat
ural History at Paris has number of her pictures
Rosalba the miniaturist and pastellls whose works
familiar every one who has visited the
Louvre at Paris. elected a member of the
Academy in 1929 Marie Therese RebouI, eletced
in 1884, is represented by single painting in the
collections of the Louvre in which likewise TO
be found a couple of portraits painted by Marie
Suzanne Roslin, elected in 1770. In the same year
Anne Nallayer elected. Her paintings may be
seen in the Paacs of FontainebleaU and in the Mu-
scum of Nancy. Another painter. Anne Dorothea
Licewska, wife of Terbush, and great friend OF
Diderot who wrete much about her elected IN
1867. The superb portrait Of King Frederick the
Great in the galleries Of Versailles is from her
brush. The Louvre has six pastes Of Adelaide
Cuyard, who elected in 1888. while the last and
the widely celebrated of all these female
academiCians was Louise Yigee Lebrun, who, on
the proposal of Joseph Vernet. the painter was
elected TO membership in 1888. No less than six
hundred OF her paintings remain in existence They
10 be found in most of the leading national mu-
seums OF Europe and likewise. unless much
mistaken. in the Metropolitan Museum of New York
In 1898 the academies suppressed by an
edict of the Revolutionary Convention Two years
later namely. in 1875, they were. on the proposal
Of Cernot recalled into existence, in the form OF
the Institute Of France. Napoleon reorganized the
institute, redividing Il into academies and on the
Bourbon restoration Louis XVIII confirmed the ar
rangemeTit. But neither he nor ths great Emperor
veutured to run counter TO the decision OF those
members OF the republican convention, Lakanal
and CaTnot. who. when they united the former
Royal academy into the institute Of France, ex-
pressly stipulated that women should be vigorously
excluded from membership.
It remains 10 be whether the government
Of the Third Republic will In this twentieth century
show itself more liberal and broad minded than
the Revolutionary Convention OF 1875, and will
lend itself 10 the movement which has now been
inaugurated in Paris to reopen once more the doors
OF the Academy TO gifted women, as In the days
when the Bourbon kings ruled over France from
their court of Nersailles