DOI Heft:
No. 107 (February, 1902)
DOI Artikel:The Royal Academy and its students' competitions
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19875#0042
Royal Academy Students
changed the Western type of civilisation, making couragement to one art, the art of painting easel
fresh kinds of methodised knowledge essential to pictures, as though such pictures were not already
success, in all walks of life. Yet, somehow, the so numerous as to exceed by a thousandfold the
Royal Academy has not been much affected by the people who have surplus money enough to invest
general alteration in the requirements of society, in modem paintings. It is not kindness, but a
It is to-day essentially what it was in the time foolishness having tragic consequences, to train
of Northcote and Opie—a backward institution, large numbers of boys and girls for a profession
having a strong tendency, if not towards its which not only unfits them for other occupations,
own ruin, at least towards the weakening of its but in which not one in fifty can hope to earn even
public utility ; that is to say, its utility as a national a scanty livelihood. Painting, indeed, having
pioneer in all matters affecting the prosperity ot ceased to be a general need of life, ought to be
the arts in their relation to the country's needs. made like the edelweiss—an object of love placed
From time to time, no doubt, some virile new far beyond the reach of most passers-by, and there-
blood is forced into its old corporate system ; but fore most attractive to those whom nature has best
can anyone say with justice that the new blood has fitted for the perils of the slow ascent to its high
the effect of giving a youthful vigour and alertness to solitudes.
the whole governing policy of the institution? If That the President of the Academy holds dif-
SO, why is it that the Academy is still content to ferent views is made clear by the speech delivered
dawdle behind the times? Not only does it to the students on Prize Day, the 10th of last
treat with contempt the renewed interest taken December. In this speech ("The Times,"
in decorative handicraft, but with equal short- Dec. r ith) he not only tries to discredit the present-
sightedness it still persists in giving undue en- day tendencies in the evolution of art, but he
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changed the Western type of civilisation, making couragement to one art, the art of painting easel
fresh kinds of methodised knowledge essential to pictures, as though such pictures were not already
success, in all walks of life. Yet, somehow, the so numerous as to exceed by a thousandfold the
Royal Academy has not been much affected by the people who have surplus money enough to invest
general alteration in the requirements of society, in modem paintings. It is not kindness, but a
It is to-day essentially what it was in the time foolishness having tragic consequences, to train
of Northcote and Opie—a backward institution, large numbers of boys and girls for a profession
having a strong tendency, if not towards its which not only unfits them for other occupations,
own ruin, at least towards the weakening of its but in which not one in fifty can hope to earn even
public utility ; that is to say, its utility as a national a scanty livelihood. Painting, indeed, having
pioneer in all matters affecting the prosperity ot ceased to be a general need of life, ought to be
the arts in their relation to the country's needs. made like the edelweiss—an object of love placed
From time to time, no doubt, some virile new far beyond the reach of most passers-by, and there-
blood is forced into its old corporate system ; but fore most attractive to those whom nature has best
can anyone say with justice that the new blood has fitted for the perils of the slow ascent to its high
the effect of giving a youthful vigour and alertness to solitudes.
the whole governing policy of the institution? If That the President of the Academy holds dif-
SO, why is it that the Academy is still content to ferent views is made clear by the speech delivered
dawdle behind the times? Not only does it to the students on Prize Day, the 10th of last
treat with contempt the renewed interest taken December. In this speech ("The Times,"
in decorative handicraft, but with equal short- Dec. r ith) he not only tries to discredit the present-
sightedness it still persists in giving undue en- day tendencies in the evolution of art, but he
29