Year: 1879

LONDON, May S.-The one hundred and eleventh


Exhibition of the Royal Academy was opened
to the public on Monday. The third Tor
it may be the fourth exhibition of the
GrOsyenOr Gallery was opened the pre-
viOus Thursday. More than 300 works OF
art collected in the GrosyenOr nearly 1000 are


to be seen in the Academy. Here, truly, is matter
to occupy the art-lovng public for the rest
of the season. The student has ought to
have, more than enough TO look at between now


and the 1st of next August The critic on the other
hand-the critic who writes on art for the London


papers,-s expected to judge this of work oil


hand and to print his matured opinions within two
or threo days. He does print a good part of them


on the morning of the first day. 1t is not enough


that the public should have pictures to gaze


upon. 1t must be taught in advance what to think


nay what is worth looking at, and what may be


safely passed by what pictures will be discussed at


dinner parties during the week, and what pictures
viii never be mentioned. The critic does his


work with such energy and speed that he becomes
himself one of tho most interesting fea-
lures OF the Exhibition season. Or late years he


has day set apart for him. lIo has not only been


permitted to visit the studios in advance, and often


to describe what he has seen there, but there has


been established in his honor and for his benefit
"press view.D both at the Academy and the GrOs-
venor. This is fixed day or two days in advance
of the private view, properly so-calledj view which


is far private that the are, if possible, more


thronged on that day than on any other. The critic
may co. and does go, on private-yiew day also, and
add to his stock of information by such casual


glimpses of tho bigger canvases as he may get


between the bOnnets and hats of his neighbors.
Altogether, he has some six or eight hours IN which
to consider the 1,6OO works of art in the Academy


oh, IL 70 ooh ba tran
them with absolute impartality This done, he
prOnounces his decision first the Exhibition as a
whole generailyi in the shape of a remark that it
is better, or worse, as the may be, than tho
average, or than last years lie then deals with
considerable number of the pictures In detail. And
/ am bound to say that whatever be his dsadvan-
tagcs he does in some cases display great accuracy
Of knowledge aud genuine critical power.


IL would be rash to say that the English critic is
always the equal OF his French comrade. Art crti-
csm III France is, and has long been, one of the


most delightful branches of delightful literature.
But then the French have, a race, natural love
of art and intuiive perceptions, which the English


have not. Here, knowledge of art or real inter-
est in art are the exception i'll France they are
the rule To take but very striking example,
the late Chief OF the Executive Power in France, NJ


Thicrs understood art almost as well as he dId poll





Tliiers making such speech about art Lord Bea-


consdeld made the other day at the Academy dinner


Lord Beaconsicld may or may not have natural


aptitude for art. But he is of sufficient power


OF mind to have mastered long since It's literature
and its commOnplaces. had he chosen to, or
had he thought 1t worth while. The ignorance
which he displayed is wilful ignorance; an igno-
rance which implied an equal contempt for art and
for his audience. He IS bantered little
about il, in the papers. but it really does


him no harm. In France, a public man
in high office could not afford to make such parade
of his incompetence. 1t would affect his whole
political career. Along the whole scale of English
and French life one is forced to remark a similar
difference You cannot be long in any company of
Frenchmen without hearing something said about


some form of art. 1t will be said integcntly, and


discussed by the whole company with interest, and
the discussion Will always be carried on with dis


tinct reference to principles to laws and to his
tor1cal examples. Whereas in England, outside
of artistic circles, conversation will very seldom
turn on aft except when an exhibition has lately


opened great picture sale is going on at Chris
ties. In some such favorable cOniuncture of cir
cumstances, you may hear remarks on the subject;
which uniappily will prove in too many cases of
purely empirical or purely commercial character.


In any case, they Will be brief Society will toll
crate no topic that cannot be disposed of in five
minutes.


No wonder, then, that the English critic OCCASION
ally contents himself with a kind of treatment
which his French brother would think inadequate
and superfciaI. and which sometimes degenerates
into mere attcry mere abuse. lie gives the pub
lie rs good as the public wants-what more could


YOU ask 2 The wonder that the public taste does


not rapidly grow exacting under the influence


Of three or four brilliant and learned writers who


form the exception To the rule. Mr.. Ruskins health


no longer permits him to deal with the pictures OF
tLeday Bat 10 name only men who write over their
own signature there are Mr.. Sidney Coyin, MIR.
Comyns Carr and Mr.. W. NJ. ROssetti. Perhaps Mr.
Rossettl may he thought to be too exclusively the
exponent of a particular school, but Mr. Carr and
Mr. Colyin are open to no such rcprOach. Mr.. HAM
erton is a fourth writer whose accomplishments
and critical power are also held IN respect on


the Continent. All of these men have been writing
on art for years. They might not care to have ii
said that they took up the mantle which Alr.
Ruskin laid down when he entered upon those
social and economical subjects where he has wasted
SO much power. They have wrought each on his
own linc with separate aims, and not without
clashing But il remains tue that it Mr.
Ruskin who first in this generation impaired to the


British mind fresh interest in art and that, in


similar sense, the critics whom | have named are


his successors. And it remains true that much OF


their preaching Is still done in the wilderness.


An odd instance OF the diversity of view prevail
ING among men who have no ground i'll common on


which TO stand, occurs with reference to two por-


traits exhibited this year in the Academy by Mr..


Millais They are portraits of two ladies'; one Mrs


Arthur Kennard, well known to the world of Lon


don and another 30 much less known that she


modesty preserves an ineognito, and her portrait
figures in the catalogue anonymously as the " por-


TRAIT of lady" These a well-known critic praises


rs painted with such freedom, 50 much that Is


mo ccaI in cnnr tnne and Illumination that Nelas-