The "Instrument" of Institution of the Royal Academy
T
in chalks and water-colours by Delacroix, for the mentioned, which have been most humbly laid
Femmes d'Alger, of the Louvre. The Claudes and before his Majesty, and received his royal appro-
Watteaus are all most desirable acquisitions; one bation and assent.
of the Watteaus, a sheet-of studies of heads, has "I. The said Society shall consist of forty
that wonderful draughtsman's qualities of delicate members only, who shall be called Academicians
firmness, vivacity of line, and exquisite apprecia- of the Royal Academy; they shall all of them be
tion of his materials, in an almost unapproached artists by profession at the time of their admission
degree. The Head of a Young Man, by Nicolas —that is to say, painters, sculptors, or architects,
Laigneau, is also a welcome addition to the Museum men of fair moral characters, of high reputation in
collection of the work of this artist, best known by their several professions ; at least five-and-twenty
his portrait studies of old age : and if the landscape years of age ; resident in Great Britain ; and not
bearing Gaspar Poussin's name may be thought, members of any other society of artists established
in spite of its charm and of certain Gaspar-like in London.
mannerisms, to betray rather a later and, perhaps, " II. It is his Majesty's pleasure that the follow-
an Italian hand, there can be no doubt about the ing forty* persons be the original members of the
strange, incisive portrait of himself by Nicolas said Society, viz.:—
Poussin, made during recovery from an il'ness, as Joshua Reynolds Richard Wilson
■ i . 11 j• c i j r . ' Benjamin West G. Michael Moser
one might well divme from the haggard features J r ,,.
° . 00 Thomas Sandby Samuel Wale
without the aid of the attesting inscription below. Francis Cotes Peter Toms
John Baker Angelica Kauffmann
HE "INSTRUMENT" OF IN- ^ g™™ uZuo^
STITUTION OF THE ROYAL Thomas Gainsborough William Chambers
apa nTTMV DT7 A T? T Q J. Baptist Cipriani Joseph Wilton
ALAULIVIY U±< AKIb. Jeremiah Meyer George Barret
Francis Milner Newton Edward Penny
[In response to a large number of inquiries for pAUL Sandby Agostino Carlini
information on the subject of the foundation of Francesco Bartolozzi Francis Hayman
the Royal Academy of Arts, we reprint herewith Charles Catton Dominic Serres
. „ . . , . r , Nathaniel Hone John Richards
the original Instrument, which defines the William Tyler Francesco Zuccarelli
Society's constitution and government. A few Nathaniel Dance George Dance
days after the completion of this document, twenty- " III. After the first institution, all vacancies of
eight of the thirty-four Academicians nominated Academicians shall be filled by election from
by the King drew up and signed an obligation by amongst the exhibitors in the Royal Academy; the
which each one undertook to observe all the laws names of the candidates for admission shall be put
and regulations contained in the " Instrument," up in the Academy three months before the day of
and also all other laws, bye-laws, or regulations election, of which day timely notice shall be given
which might be subsequently made for the better in writing to all the Academicians; each candidate
government of the Society.—Editor, The Studio.] shall, on the day of election, have at least thirty
" Whereas sundry persons, resident in this suffrages in his favour, to be duly elected j and he
metropolis, eminent professors of painting, sculp- sha11 not receive his letter of admission till he hath
ture, and architecture, have most humbly repre- deposited in the Royal Academy, to remain there,
sented by memorial unto the King that they are a Picture> bas-relief, or other specimen of his
desirous of establishing a Society for promoting the abilities approved of by the then sitting Council of
Arts of Design, and earnestly soliciting his Majesty's tne Academy.
patronage and assistance in carrying this their plan "IV- For the g°vemment of the Society there
into execution; and, whereas, its great utility hath sha11 be annually elected a President and eight
been fully and clearly demonstrated, his Majesty, other Persons> who shaU form a Council, which
therefore, desirous of encouraging every useful sha11 have the entire direction and management of
undertaking, doth hereby institute and establish a11 the business of the Society ; and all the officers
the said Society, under the name and title of the and servants thereof shall be subservient to the
Royal Academy of Arts in London, graciously said council> which shall have power to reform all
declaring himself the patron, protector, and sup- abuses, to censure such as are deficient in their
porter thereof J and Commanding that it be estab- * The number of members was not actually brought up to forty until
, J__t.U„ f„____„ j 1 , ■ , . » five years later. The names of Johan Zoffany and William Hoare were
hshed under the forms and regulations hereinafter added in ly69 to the.thirty.four artists first nominated by the King.
203
T
in chalks and water-colours by Delacroix, for the mentioned, which have been most humbly laid
Femmes d'Alger, of the Louvre. The Claudes and before his Majesty, and received his royal appro-
Watteaus are all most desirable acquisitions; one bation and assent.
of the Watteaus, a sheet-of studies of heads, has "I. The said Society shall consist of forty
that wonderful draughtsman's qualities of delicate members only, who shall be called Academicians
firmness, vivacity of line, and exquisite apprecia- of the Royal Academy; they shall all of them be
tion of his materials, in an almost unapproached artists by profession at the time of their admission
degree. The Head of a Young Man, by Nicolas —that is to say, painters, sculptors, or architects,
Laigneau, is also a welcome addition to the Museum men of fair moral characters, of high reputation in
collection of the work of this artist, best known by their several professions ; at least five-and-twenty
his portrait studies of old age : and if the landscape years of age ; resident in Great Britain ; and not
bearing Gaspar Poussin's name may be thought, members of any other society of artists established
in spite of its charm and of certain Gaspar-like in London.
mannerisms, to betray rather a later and, perhaps, " II. It is his Majesty's pleasure that the follow-
an Italian hand, there can be no doubt about the ing forty* persons be the original members of the
strange, incisive portrait of himself by Nicolas said Society, viz.:—
Poussin, made during recovery from an il'ness, as Joshua Reynolds Richard Wilson
■ i . 11 j• c i j r . ' Benjamin West G. Michael Moser
one might well divme from the haggard features J r ,,.
° . 00 Thomas Sandby Samuel Wale
without the aid of the attesting inscription below. Francis Cotes Peter Toms
John Baker Angelica Kauffmann
HE "INSTRUMENT" OF IN- ^ g™™ uZuo^
STITUTION OF THE ROYAL Thomas Gainsborough William Chambers
apa nTTMV DT7 A T? T Q J. Baptist Cipriani Joseph Wilton
ALAULIVIY U±< AKIb. Jeremiah Meyer George Barret
Francis Milner Newton Edward Penny
[In response to a large number of inquiries for pAUL Sandby Agostino Carlini
information on the subject of the foundation of Francesco Bartolozzi Francis Hayman
the Royal Academy of Arts, we reprint herewith Charles Catton Dominic Serres
. „ . . , . r , Nathaniel Hone John Richards
the original Instrument, which defines the William Tyler Francesco Zuccarelli
Society's constitution and government. A few Nathaniel Dance George Dance
days after the completion of this document, twenty- " III. After the first institution, all vacancies of
eight of the thirty-four Academicians nominated Academicians shall be filled by election from
by the King drew up and signed an obligation by amongst the exhibitors in the Royal Academy; the
which each one undertook to observe all the laws names of the candidates for admission shall be put
and regulations contained in the " Instrument," up in the Academy three months before the day of
and also all other laws, bye-laws, or regulations election, of which day timely notice shall be given
which might be subsequently made for the better in writing to all the Academicians; each candidate
government of the Society.—Editor, The Studio.] shall, on the day of election, have at least thirty
" Whereas sundry persons, resident in this suffrages in his favour, to be duly elected j and he
metropolis, eminent professors of painting, sculp- sha11 not receive his letter of admission till he hath
ture, and architecture, have most humbly repre- deposited in the Royal Academy, to remain there,
sented by memorial unto the King that they are a Picture> bas-relief, or other specimen of his
desirous of establishing a Society for promoting the abilities approved of by the then sitting Council of
Arts of Design, and earnestly soliciting his Majesty's tne Academy.
patronage and assistance in carrying this their plan "IV- For the g°vemment of the Society there
into execution; and, whereas, its great utility hath sha11 be annually elected a President and eight
been fully and clearly demonstrated, his Majesty, other Persons> who shaU form a Council, which
therefore, desirous of encouraging every useful sha11 have the entire direction and management of
undertaking, doth hereby institute and establish a11 the business of the Society ; and all the officers
the said Society, under the name and title of the and servants thereof shall be subservient to the
Royal Academy of Arts in London, graciously said council> which shall have power to reform all
declaring himself the patron, protector, and sup- abuses, to censure such as are deficient in their
porter thereof J and Commanding that it be estab- * The number of members was not actually brought up to forty until
, J__t.U„ f„____„ j 1 , ■ , . » five years later. The names of Johan Zoffany and William Hoare were
hshed under the forms and regulations hereinafter added in ly69 to the.thirty.four artists first nominated by the King.
203