Studio: international art (20.1900)

The Royal Academy and Architect fire

lutionary, at least a revolte; and those who are
capable of looking boldly towards the future will
not be disposed to deny him the fame he deserves
for the redeeming influence already produced by
his work on the statuary of his country. That in-
fluence will certainly increase as time goes on, and
the present exhibition in the Square de l'Alma will
go far to strengthen it. M. Albert Besnard observes :
" The passionate contemplation of Nature has cer-
tainly led him to feel that no power outside Nature
herself is capable of suggesting her own true sym-
bolism " ; and he proceeds : " Form, as understood
by Rodin, becomes vitality itself." And further
homage was paid him by the late A. Falguiere, who,
shortly before his death, said to a friend : " Rodin !
Rodin ! There's the master of us all! "

THE ROYAL ACADEMY AND
ARCHITECTURE; WITH NOTES
ON SOME DESIGNS AT THE
PRESENT EXHIBITION.

Are they right, or wrong, the people who
tell us, occasionally, that the Royal Academy is
seriously solicitous about the welfare of architec-
ture ? That the Royal Academy professes to be
so is true; but if this profession of its goodwill to
architects is believed in some quarters, it is cer-
tainly disputed in many others. There is a large
and thoughtful public to whom it appeals merely
as a stereotyped example of official humour. We
are thus brought in contact with two bodies of
opinion, the one favourable, the other distinctly

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