International studio (23.1904)

The Langham
Prescott Knight, R.A. The year 1830, the first
of the reign of William IV., marked an era m
literature by the starting of “Fraser’s Magazine,
which pressed the most brilliant writers of the time
into its service; and in the founding of the Artists
Society there was foreshown the earnestness of
spirit that later came into full light in the move
ment in art that led to the Preraphaelite revolution
in 1848. It was the outcome of the rising desiie
for truth as opposed to the conventionalities of the
then decadent “grand style”; and its traditions
of earnest study are carried on in the ni0ht )
work from the living model, which is still
practice.
In 1838 was started the Sketching Club—at lust
among those belonging to the Society only,
afterwards admitting artists from outside to t le
number of forty-five. ()n the Society moving to
its present quarters in Langham Chambers t c
Club took the name of The Langham Sketching
Club, and the Society has now become P°PU dr i
known as “ The Langham.”

Sketching Club
The constitution of the Society has not changed
since the beginning of its career. There are the
members of the Society, limited to fifteen, upon
whom fall the entire management and responsi-
bility and all financial liability; the subscribers,
numbering seventy, who, with the members, work
from the life, and have the use of the Club rooms,
library, costumes, and properties; and members of
the Sketching Club, who enjoy the privileges of
coming to the Friday evening meetings for the
purpose of doing a two hours’ memory sketch from
some given title, partaking of tea and a supper
afterwards for the munificent sum of tenpence, and
attending all conversazioni and enjoying the same
rights of exhibiting their sketches on “show even-
ings ” as the Society men.
In the days of the founding of the Club the
little band of artists used to gather in an old
coach-house in Clipstone Street, each man bring-
ing his own candle to light his drawing-board, but
a chandelier was provided for the lighting of the
model throne. In i860 the Langham Chambers