Art in England

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The decided success of the exhibition in the Strand was yet attended by
certain disadvantages. Ill-fortune would probably have closely united
the artists; prosperity seems to have divided them--to have engendered
among them jealousies and dissensions. The proceeds of the exhibition
soon proved a source of encumbrance and difficulty to the exhibitors.
Their original intention had been to apply their profits to the relief
of distressed painters. But now among a certain party a strong feeling
was manifested in favour of devoting the money to the advancement of
art. Finally it was resolved that the matter should stand over until the
funds should have accumulated to the amount of L500, and that a vote of
the majority of artists should then decide the question.

Further evidences of disorganization and want of definite aim were to
come. While many artists desired to continue relations with the Society
of Arts, others regarded the conditions imposed by that Society as
vexatious and embarrassing. Particularly they objected to the
introduction into their exhibition of the works of the Society's
students. They represented further that the exhibition had been 'crowded
and incommoded by the intrusion of persons whose stations and educations
disqualified them for judging of statuary and painting, and who were
made idle and tumultuous by the opportunity of attending a show;' and by
way of remedy, proposed that in future the price of the catalogue should
be one shilling, and that no person should be admitted without one, but
that a catalogue once purchased should serve as a ticket of admission
during the season. The Society of Arts, however, distinctly refused
assent to these changes. The dispute quickened, waxed warm. Finally a
large and distinguished section of the artists, comprising in its ranks
the committee of sixteen who had managed the first exhibition,
determined to sever their connexion with the Society of Arts, and to
assert their independence. They accordingly engaged a room of an
auctioneer in Spring Gardens for a display of their works during May
1761. The more timid party still clung to the friendly Society in the
Strand, and there held a second exhibition. From the spring of 1761,
therefore, there were two exhibitions of works of art in London.

The exhibitors in Spring Gardens styled themselves the 'Society of
Artists of Great Britain;' the old committee of sixteen being at the
head of the affairs of the new society. The designs on their catalogue
by Wale and Hogarth demonstrated their intention to devote their revenue
to the relief of the distressed. Of the catalogue, rendered attractive
by these embellishments, 13,000 copies were sold. No charge was made for
admission; but the purchase of a catalogue was made imperative. The
catalogue, however, was a ticket of admission for the season. The
receipts of the exhibition of 1761 amounted to L650.

At the other exhibition in the Strand, to which sixty-five artists
contributed, the old system prevailed. Visitors were at liberty to
purchase a catalogue or not, as they chose; but a check was placed upon
the indiscriminate admission of all classes by requiring from visitors
the production of tickets which had been distributed gratuitously by the
exhibitors, and were readily obtainable. After defraying all expenses
the exhibition produced upwards of L150, which sum was appropriated in
benefactions--to the Middlesex Hospital L50, to the British Lying-in
Hospital L50, to the Asylum for Female Orphans L50, the small balance
remaining after these donations being distributed among distressed
artists. In the following year the Strand exhibitors took the first
practical measures for founding a provident society for the benefit of
British artists by forming themselves into an organized body, with a
constitution and rules for their proper government, and assuming the
title of 'The Free Society of Artists, Associated for the Relief of the
Distressed and Decayed Brethren, their Widows and Children.' The society
was to be maintained by the sale of the catalogues of an annual
exhibition, or by charging for admission to such exhibition, as a
committee of management to be chosen every year should determine; such
committee having also power to reject the works sent in that they might
deem unworthy of exhibition, and to hang or dispose of accepted works
'without respect to persons.' Every artist who contributed works to the
exhibition for five years in succession, intermission by reason of
illness or absence from the country not being a disqualification, was to
be a perpetual member of the society and entitled to share in its
benefits and privileges. In 1763 the institution took legal shape, and
was 'enrolled of record in His Majesty's Court of King's Bench,' fifty
members signing the roll.

Meanwhile the rival association had not been idle. It had increased the
number of its committee from sixteen to twenty-four; this committee
exercising absolute authority over the affairs of the society. Vacancies
in its numbers were filled up by the remaining committee-men, without
reference to the society, while it enjoined upon its members that its
transactions should be kept a profound secret from the general body of
the society. Already a love of rule seems to have gained upon this
committee. Its members began to regard themselves in the light of
academicians for life--as perpetual governors, rather than officers of
the society, removable at its pleasure: an erroneous view of their
position which led to much trouble in the sequel. Other changes had
taken place--a charge of one shilling was made for admission to the
exhibition of 1762, the catalogue being given gratis, and appended to
the catalogue appeared an address written on behalf of the society by
Dr. Johnson, explaining the objects of the exhibition, the reason for
charging for admission to it, and a change that had been determined upon
in regard to the appropriation of the society's revenues. 'The purpose
of this exhibition,' declared the address, 'is not to enrich the
artists, but to advance the art; the eminent are not flattered by
preference, nor the obscure insulted with contempt. Whoever hopes to
deserve public favour is here invited to display his merit.' When the
terms of admission were low, it was stated, the rooms 'were thronged
with such multitudes as made access dangerous, and frightened away those
whose approbation was most desired.' A curious plan for appropriating
the expected profits was then set forth. The works sent in for
exhibition were to be reviewed by the committee of management, and a
price secretly set on every work and registered by the secretary. At
the close of the exhibition the works were to be sold by auction; if
they sold for more than the price fixed by the committee, the artists
were to receive the increased amount, but if they sold for less, then
the deficiency was to be made up to the artists out of the profits of
the exhibition. For the most part the pictures at the subsequent sale by
auction did not realize the prices set upon them by the committee, and
upwards of L120 had to be paid to the artists out of the exhibition
funds. Upon the whole, the plan did not work very well. The society's
attempt to come between buyer and seller satisfied neither party. After
this one experiment, the scheme was abandoned.

The society had, however, little reason to complain of want of public
support. In 1762 the exhibition produced over L520, and in 1763, L560.
In 1764, the receipts rose to L760. But the internal economy of the
institution was in a less satisfactory state. Many members expressed
discontent at the arbitrary power exercised by the committee--a
permanent body, not always recruited from the best sources, for many of
the most eminent artists declined to accept office, or were neglectful
of their duties as committee-men, so that ultimately there seemed to be
danger of the whole government of the society falling into the hands of
the least competent, if the most active, of its members. And the society
was much in want of a distinct legal status. After all, it was but a
private sort of corporation most imperfectly constituted; it was growing
rich without its property being regularly secured to it. Enrolment was
not regarded as sufficiently answering this object, and it was proposed
at a general meeting of the members that the Crown should be solicited
to incorporate the society by charter. The committee, content with the
existing state of things under which they exercised extreme authority,
opposed these projects. However, the general body proved too strong for
them; the charter was petitioned for and granted on the 26th of January
1765. In substance it followed the terms of the charter which had been
proposed by the artists ten years before, when an attempt had been made
to establish an academy 'on general benevolence.' It placed no limit to
the number of the society's members, or 'Fellows,' as they were
thenceforward to be called; the committee-men being designated
'Directors.' It gave the society arms, a crest, a constitution, power to
hold land (not exceeding the yearly value of L1000), to sue and to be
sued, etc.; and it authorized the society, every St. Luke's Day, to
elect Directors to serve for the ensuing year. In other respects the
charter was somewhat indefinite; but it was presumed that under the
power to make bye-laws, all points in dispute might be finally dealt
with and adjusted. The 'Fellows' were disposed to be conciliatory. They
elected the late committee to be the first 'Directors,' under the
charter. Everything seemed to promise well. Two hundred and eleven
artists signed the roll of the society, promising to the utmost of their
power to observe and conform to the statutes and orders, and to promote
the honour and interest of the 'Society of Incorporated Artists of Great
Britain.'

But between the Fellows and the Directors there seems to have been but a
hollow truce after all. They were bent upon different plans and objects.
The Fellows entertained practical views enough. The only academy of art
was still the very inadequate private school in St. Martin's Lane--a
distinct institution, a common resort of artists, whether members of a
society or not. The Fellows desired out of the funds of their society to
found a public academy of a high class, that should be of real value to
the profession. The Directors, among whom the architects Chambers and
Payne were remarkably active, proposed, on the other hand, 'that the
funds should be laid out in the decoration of some edifice adapted to
the objects of the institution.' The Fellows declared that in this
project the society, as a whole, had no interest; and at a general
meeting in March 1767, they carried a resolution 'that it should be
referred to the Directors to consider a proper, form for instituting a
public academy, and to lay the same before the meeting in September
next.' An attempt was then made on the part of the Directors to comply
with the terms of this resolution, and yet to reserve the funds of the
society for the future carrying out of their own pet scheme.

Dalton, an artist of very inconsiderable fame, who held the appointment
of librarian to the King, was treasurer to the Incorporated Society, and
a leading member of its direction. He had, some time previously,
attempted to establish a print warehouse in Pall Mall, but the
speculation had signally failed; accordingly the speculator had been
left with very expensive premises on his hands. He now conceived that
his warehouse might readily be converted into a very respectable academy
of arts, and he contrived to obtain the King's encouragement of the
plan. Soon, at another general meeting, the Fellows were informed that
the King intended to take the fine arts under his special protection,
and to institute a public academy under royal patronage. At these good
tidings opposition ceased. The resolution passed at the March meeting of
the society was at once repealed. Universal satisfaction prevailed;
there was great rejoicing among the Fellows at the brilliant prospects
dawning upon art and artists. The words 'Royal Academy' were substituted
for 'Print Warehouse' over the door of Mr. Dalton's house in Pall Mall.
The subscribers to the school in St. Martin's Lane, on the
representation of Mr. Moser that they would thenceforward have free
access to the Royal Academy, that their school would be thus superseded,
and that their furniture would consequently be of no further use to
them, were prevailed upon to assign to him their anatomical figures,
busts, statues, lamps, and other effects and fittings, which were
forthwith removed to Pall Mall. But bitter disappointment was to follow
all this hopefulness and satisfaction. It soon appeared that there was
no money applicable to the support of the royal establishment. The King
had given nothing. The Directors would consent to no outlay from the
society's funds. The Royal Academy was to be self-supporting. The
artists had in truth gained not at all--were in a somewhat worse
position than before. They were required to pay an annual fee of one
guinea to an academy in which their comfort and convenience were less
studied than in the old school in St. Martin's Lane. For now the
disturbing element of non-professional membership was permitted. Any
person, not intending to study, was allowed entrance to the academy, on
payment of an annual guinea. The discontent of the artists was extreme,
and was vehemently expressed.

Public interest in the society, however, had meanwhile in no way abated.
The exhibition of 1767 produced over eleven hundred pounds. But the
dissensions of the Directors and Fellows had become notorious---
arrested general attention, and attracted the comments and censures of
the newspapers. The Fellows forthwith determined to effect a change in
the composition of the directorate, whose oppression and mismanagement
had been, as they judged, so fatal to the interests of the general body.
It was proposed that a bye-law should be passed, rendering compulsory
the retirement of eight out of the twenty-four Directors every year, and
that the retiring Directors should be replaced by other members of the
society. But this not unreasonable proposition was strenuously resisted
by the Directors, who argued that by the terms of the charter exclusive
authority to originate new laws was vested in them absolutely. It was at
length determined between the contending parties that the question
should be decided by a reference to the opinion of the Attorney-General.
The Directors, after much procrastination, drew up and submitted their
case. The Attorney-General (Mr. William de Grey, afterwards Lord
Walsingham) was of opinion, in answer to the questions put to him, that
under the charter the Directors were to make laws, and the general body
to approve or reject the same, and that, therefore, the Directors were
not bound to take into consideration a resolution of a general meeting
in order to form it into a bye-law. But it was suggested that the
Directors should consider how far it might be prudent to accept such a
resolution, 'since the same majority that resolved might unite in
electing Directors of the same opinion with themselves, especially in
the case of resolutions that appeared to be reasonable and proper;' the
Attorney-General being further of opinion that the proposed bye-law was
not in any way inconsistent with the terms of the society's charter.
Upon this opinion the Fellows acted. They submitted to the Directors the
enactment of a bye-law rendering no more than sixteen of the existing
Directors capable of being re-elected for the year ensuing. The
Directors were obstinate: they declared that the proposed law would be
an attack on the freedom of elections, a dangerous innovation, and an
ungrateful return for all the exertions they had made on behalf of the
society. At the general meeting following this, held on St. Luke's day,
the 18th of October 1768, the struggle terminated: the Fellows, made
less moderate by opposition, elected sixteen of their number to fill the
places of sixteen old Directors, who were superseded and deposed. Mr.
Joshua Kirby was appointed president in the room of Mr. Hayman, who had
succeeded to that post on the death of Mr. Lambert in 1765; Mr. Newton
and Mr. Dalton were removed from the offices of secretary and treasurer.
On the 10th November the eight remaining of the old Directors declared
that they could not act with their new colleagues, believing them bent
upon measures repugnant to the charter and tending to the destruction of
the society; and accordingly they placed their resignations in the hands
of Mr. Kirby, the new president. They desired to be understood, however,
as not objecting to all the new Directors. On the contrary, they
professed to entertain the highest esteem for Mr. Kirby himself and
'some others,' who had been elected to their offices without taking
part in any intrigue, and who, as being men of honour and ability in
their professions, were extremely proper persons to fill the places they
occupied. The conflict was thus brought to a close. The Fellows had
delivered their society from the persistent misrule under which it had
so long suffered. The price of this emancipation was, in the first
place, the loss of all the twenty-four Directors. Further and more
important results, however, were to be forthcoming.

Meanwhile, brief mention must be made of the transactions of the smaller
institution--the Free Society of Artists. Adherence to the Society of
Arts, though it brought with it restriction as to charging for admission
to the annual exhibitions, and made the sale of catalogues almost its
only source of revenue, was yet maintained by the Free Society for four
years. But, in 1765, the Free Society no longer availed itself of the
premises of the Society of Arts. An independent exhibition was then
opened at a large room, hired for the purpose, in Maiden Lane, Covent
Garden, being part of the warehouse of Mr. Moreing, an upholsterer; and
the exhibition of the following year was also held in the same place. In
1767 and 1768 the Society exhibited in two large rooms at the bottom of
the Haymarket, Pall Mall. The Society published from time to time
statements of its progress. In one of these the growth of the Society,
its utility, and purposes, are plainly set forth. Every member
afflicted with illness and applying for relief had been assisted with
donations of from three, five, ten, fifteen, twenty, up to one hundred
guineas. The Society possessed funds applicable to the purposes of
benevolence to the amount of L1200. With a continuance of public favour
the Society trusted to be able in a few years, not only to provide for
its distressed, but 'to found an academy, and to give premiums for the
encouragement of every branch in the polite arts.' Up to 1768 one
hundred members had signed the Society's roll.

The story of the two societies has thus been brought down to 1768. From
that year dates the rise of a third society--the Royal Academy of Arts:
an institution which has long outlived its rivals, which has indeed fed
upon and gained strength from their decay and decease, as at the outset
it owed its existence to the success of their previous efforts, and
which, in spite of constant opposition and bitterest attack, flourishes
still, as though possessed of that longevity which is proverbially the
attribute of the threatened. 'The Academy,' said Haydon, 'originated in
the very basest intrigue.' Undoubtedly there was intrigue in connexion
with its origin, but not necessarily of the 'very basest' character.
Some allowance must be made for 'poor human nature.' The contest
dividing the Incorporated Society had been a very keen one--had been
distinguished by much angry feeling and acrimonious spirit. It was
hardly to be supposed that the defeated party, the sixteen expelled
Directors and the additional eight who retired in sympathy with the
expulsion of their colleagues, would sit down patiently under their
defeat: their disgrace as they considered it. They had declined to
regard themselves as members of a fluctuating committee, although such
was distinctly their legal position, removable at the will of the
society. For eight years they had held the reins of power; the
supposition that these were to be theirs for life had some excuse, and
they argued that their displacement, if in accordance with the letter of
the law, was yet contrary to its spirit. It was true a majority was
against them; but they found fault with the composition of the majority.
There had been, they declared, too indiscriminate an admission of
Fellows. Inferior practitioners, troublesome, pragmatical, jealous,
anxious for power, had availed themselves of the loose terms of the
charter, to creep into the society, and conspire against the legitimate
influence of the respectable members. This was the Directors' view of
the case. What was now to be their course? Should they submit, serve
where they had once ruled, sink into simple Fellows, and thus, as it
were, grace the triumph of their foes? Perish the thought! They would
found a rival society!

It must not be understood that the Directors, as opposed to the Fellows,
were wholly without friends in the society. Though outnumbered, they had
yet a certain small following; while many held aloof from both parties,
ill-pleased at the virulence with which their dissensions had been
conducted. Reynolds in particular declined all interference in the
contentions which were rending in twain the society. He had long
withdrawn himself from the meetings of the Directors, declaring himself
no friend to their proceedings, and when he discovered their intention
'to raise up a schism in the arts,' as Sir Robert Strange phrases it,
and make a separate exhibition, he declared that he would exhibit with
neither body.

An exhibition of the works of the ex-Directors in competition with the
exhibition of the Fellows would have been fair play enough--a perfectly
legitimate and honourable proceeding. It would then have rested with the
public to declare which exhibition displayed the greater amount of merit
and was the more worthy of their encouragement and support. Further, the
attempt on the part of the Directors to obtain the favour of the King
for their undertaking was hardly to be blamed. But what was distinctly
unjustifiable in their proceedings was their intriguing to secure a
monopoly of this favour: to possess themselves exclusively of the royal
patronage, to the detriment and ultimate ruin, not merely of the society
their own connexion with which had been so violently severed, but of the
unoffending and praiseworthy smaller institution--the Free Society. In
this matter, however, it must be said, the ex-Directors were not alone
to blame. Other patrons of art may exhibit themselves, if they please,
as partisans, but a royal patron should not condescend to a position at
once so inequitable and so undignified. To this derogation, however,
George III., good-humouredly weak or pertinaciously obtuse, suffered
himself to be brought. He became the patron of a clique, and even
yielded himself as an instrument to be employed for the injury of that
clique's antagonists. Whatever had been the faults of the other
societies as against the founders of the Royal Academy--and it must be
admitted that the Free Society was, perfectly blameless in that
respect,--as against the Crown they had done nothing to merit royal
displeasure, but, on the contrary, were entitled, with the other
enlightened institutions of the country, to count upon the King's
encouragement.

Some such demon as, whispering in the ear of Visto, bade him 'Have a
taste!' had been wheedling George in. The King proclaimed himself a
patron of the arts, and then proceeded to assume the airs of a
connoisseur. Certainly he did not distinguish himself much in that
capacity; his pretensions were not backed by any real learning. He made
woeful mistakes. For instance, he never appreciated Reynolds,[8] whose
merits one would think were sufficiently patent--needed not a conjurer
to perceive them--passing him over to appoint Allan Ramsay serjeant
painter, when Hogarth dying vacated that honorary office. He preferred
West's works, because they were smoother--and Dance's, because they
were cheaper!

[8] It has been alleged that the King objected to Reynolds on account of
the painter's friendship for Burke and Fox.

West was the King's pet painter. Dr. Drummond, Archbishop of York, had
obtained for him, in February 1768, the honour of an audience. The
artist took with him to the palace a picture, 'Agrippina landing with
the Ashes of Germanicus,' which he had executed for the archbishop. The
King greatly admired the work, and West forthwith received the royal
command to paint 'The Departure of Regulus for Rome.' Later in the year
a sketch of the picture was submitted to the King. At this time the
newspapers were full of the dissensions of the Incorporated Society.
Concerning these the King inquired of West. The artist--one of the eight
Directors who had voluntarily quitted the Society after the ejection of
their sixteen colleagues--related to the King the history of the
Society's proceedings from the Directors' point of view. Whereupon the
King stated 'that he would gladly patronize any association that might
be found better calculated to improve the arts.'

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