Studio- Talk
STUDIO-TALK. the public. Archaic art, which can only be
(From our Own Correspondents.) tolerated because it has some degree of archsso-
LONDON.—The Winter Exhibition at the logical interest, should not be forced by the full
Royal Academy cannot be said to be weight of Academic authority upon students whose
particularly justifiable. It is a reversion limited experience does not enable them to dis-
to a type of show which was customary criminate between what is good and bad. The
at Burlington House some years ago; but, by its young artist, who sees that a very inferior craftsman
lack of real interest and by its atmosphere of anti- is put forward at Burlington House as an " old
quated inefficiency, it seems to suggest that the master," is very likely to yield to the temptation to
material for such exhibitions has become exhausted. substitute affectation for serious study.
Evidently the Academy now has either to borrow -
again works which have been seen sufficiently often It is quite possible that to some such cause is
in past shows of old masters, or else to fill its rooms due the failure of the Academy students this year
with canvases that are mostly unfit to be dragged to produce anything worthy of being awarded the
from appropriate obscurity. The latter course has gold medal. The subject set, The Meeting oj
plainly been followed this year. One of the galleries Alexander and Diogenes the Cynic, was, it must
is occupied by an excellent collection of sculpture ; be admitted, more than usually uninspiring, and
but in the five rooms hung with pictures there are unlikely to induce any of the competitors to do
less than a score of works which can be honestly themselves justice. The works sent in for the other
placed in the first rank. That this should be so is painting prizes were generally of only moderate
the more to be regretted because it is certainly not merit. Mr. J. H. Lobley took the Turner Medal
the mission of an educational institution like the with an ingenious picture of An Express Train at
Academy to set dubious accomplishment before Sunset, Mr. W. P. Day the Creswick Prize with a
"the annunciation"
from the painting by george phcenix
71
STUDIO-TALK. the public. Archaic art, which can only be
(From our Own Correspondents.) tolerated because it has some degree of archsso-
LONDON.—The Winter Exhibition at the logical interest, should not be forced by the full
Royal Academy cannot be said to be weight of Academic authority upon students whose
particularly justifiable. It is a reversion limited experience does not enable them to dis-
to a type of show which was customary criminate between what is good and bad. The
at Burlington House some years ago; but, by its young artist, who sees that a very inferior craftsman
lack of real interest and by its atmosphere of anti- is put forward at Burlington House as an " old
quated inefficiency, it seems to suggest that the master," is very likely to yield to the temptation to
material for such exhibitions has become exhausted. substitute affectation for serious study.
Evidently the Academy now has either to borrow -
again works which have been seen sufficiently often It is quite possible that to some such cause is
in past shows of old masters, or else to fill its rooms due the failure of the Academy students this year
with canvases that are mostly unfit to be dragged to produce anything worthy of being awarded the
from appropriate obscurity. The latter course has gold medal. The subject set, The Meeting oj
plainly been followed this year. One of the galleries Alexander and Diogenes the Cynic, was, it must
is occupied by an excellent collection of sculpture ; be admitted, more than usually uninspiring, and
but in the five rooms hung with pictures there are unlikely to induce any of the competitors to do
less than a score of works which can be honestly themselves justice. The works sent in for the other
placed in the first rank. That this should be so is painting prizes were generally of only moderate
the more to be regretted because it is certainly not merit. Mr. J. H. Lobley took the Turner Medal
the mission of an educational institution like the with an ingenious picture of An Express Train at
Academy to set dubious accomplishment before Sunset, Mr. W. P. Day the Creswick Prize with a
"the annunciation"
from the painting by george phcenix
71