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ACADEMY, ROYAL . The Royal Academy of Arts in London, to give it the original
interest
original
in the laws and regulations laid down in it have of course been made, but none of them without the sanction of the sovereign, and the " Instrument " remains to this day in all essential particulars the Magna Charta of the society. Four days after the signing of this documenton the 14th of Decembertwentyeight of the first nominated members met and drew up the Form of Obligation which is still signed by every academician on receiving his diploma, and also elected a president, keeper, secretary, council and visitors in the schools; the professors being chosen at a further meeting held on the 17th. No time was lost in establishing the schools, and on the and of January 1769 they were opened at some rooms in Pall
The king when founding the Academy undertook to supply out of his own privy purse any deficiencies between the receipts derived from the exhibitions and the expenditure incurred on the schools, charitable donations for artists, &c. For twelve years he was called upon to do so, and contributed in all some-thing over 5000, but in 1781 there was a surplus, and no further call has ever been made on the royal purse. George III. also gave the Academy rooms in what was then his own palace of Somerset House
Pall
House
The government of the Academy was by the " Instrument " vested in " a president and eight other persons, who shall forma council." Four of these were to retire every year, and the seats were to go by rotation to every academician. The number was increased in 187o to twelve, and reduced to ten in 1875. The rules as to retirement and rotation are still in force. Newly elected academicians begin their two years' service as soon as they have received their diploma. The council has, to quote the "Instrument," " the entire direction and management of the business " of the Academy in all its branches; and also the framing of new laws and regulations, but the latter, before coming into force, must be sanctioned by the general assembly and approved by the sovereign. The general assembly consists of the whole body of academicians, and meets on certain fixed dates and at such other times as the business may require; also at the request to the president of any five members. The principal executive officers of the Academy are the president, the keeper, the treasurer, the librarian and the secretary, all now elected by the general assembly, subject to the approval of the sovereign. The president is elected annually on the foundation day, loth December, but the appointment is virtually for life. No change has ever been made in the conditions attached to this office, with the exception of its being now a salaried instead of an unsalaried post. The treasurership and librarian-ship, both offices originally held not by election but by direct appointment from the sovereign, are now elective, the holders being subject to re-election every five years, and the keepership is also held upon the same terms; while the secretaryship, which up to 1873 had always been filled like the other offices by an academician, has since then been held by a layman. Other officers elected by the general assembly are the auditors (three academicians, one of whom retires every year), the visitors in the schools (academicians and associates), and the professors of painting, sculpture and architecturewho must be membersand of anatomy and chemistry. There are also a registrar, and curators and teachers in the schools, who are appointed by the council. - The thirty-six original academicians were named by George III. Their successors have been elected, up to 1867, by academicians onlysince that date by academicians and associates together. The original number was fixed in the " Instrument " at forty, and has so remained. Each academician on his election has to present an approved specimen of his workcalled his diploma workbefore his diploma is submitted to the sovereign for signature. On receiving his diploma he signs the Roll of Institution as an academician, and takes his seat in the general assembly. The class of associates, out of whom alone the academicians can be elected, was founded in 1769they were " to be elected from amongst the exhibitors, and be entitled to every advantage enjoyed by the royal academicians, excepting that of having a voice in the deliberations or any share in the government of the Academy." Those exhibitors who wished to be-come candidates had to give in their names at the close of the exhibition. This condition no longer exists, candidates having since 1867 merely to be proposed and seconded by members of the Academy. On election, they attend at a council meeting to sign the Roll of Institution as an associate, and receive a diploma signed by the president and secretary. In 1867 also associates were admitted to vote at all elections of members; in 1868 they were made eligible to serve as visitors in the schools, and .in 1886 to become candidates for the professorships of painting, sculpture and architecture. At first the number of associates was limited to twenty; in 1866 the number was made indefinite with a minimum of twenty, and in 1876 the minimum was raised to thirty. Vacancies in the lists of academicians and associates caused by death or resignation can be filled up at any time within five weeks of the event, except in the months of August, September and October, but a vacancy in the associate list
class, and up to 1855 they were admitted to the associateship only, the number, six, being in addition to the other associates; now the maximum is four, of whom not more than two may be academicians. A class of honorary retired academicians was established in 1862, and of honorary retired associates in 1884. The first honorary foreign academicians were elected in 1869. The honorary members consist of a chaplain, an antiquary, a secretary for foreign correspondence, and professors of ancient history and ancient literature. These posts, which date from the foundation of the Academy, have always been held by distinguished men. Academy Schools.One of the most important functions of the Royal Academy, and one which for nearly a century it discharged alone, was the instruction of students in art. The first act, as has been shown, of the newly founded Academy was to establish schools " an Antique Academy," and a " School for the Living Model " for painters, sculptors and architects. In the first year, 1769, no fewer than seventy-seven students entered. A school of painting was added in 1815, and special
establishment
Charities.Another of the principal objects to which the profits of the Royal Academy have been devoted has been the relief of distressed artists and their families. From the commencement of the institution a fund was set apart for this purpose, and subsequently a further sum was allotted to provide pensions for necessitous members of the Academy and their widows. Both these funds were afterwards merged in the general fund, and various changes have from time to time been made in the conditions under which pensions and donations have been granted and in their amount. At the present time pensions not exceeding a certain fixed amount may be given to academicians and associates, sixty years of age, who have retired and whose circumstances show them to be in need, provided the sum given does not make their total annual income exceed a certain limit, and the same amounts can be given to their widows subject to the same conditions. No pensions are granted without very strict inquiry into the circumstances of the applicant, who is obliged to make a yearly declaration as to his or her income. The average annual amount of these pensions has been latterly about 2000. Pensions are also given according to the civil service scale to certain officers on retirement. It may be stated here that with the exception of these pensions and of salaries and fees for official services, no member of the Academy derives any pecuniary benefit from the funds of the institution. Donations to distressed artists who are or have been exhibitors at the Royal Academy, their widows and children under twenty-one years of age, are made twice a year in February and August. The maximum amount that can be granted to any one applicant in one donation is loo, and no one can receive a grant more than once a year. The average yearly amount thus expended is from 1200 to 1500. ,Jn addition to these charities from its general funds, the Academy administers for the benefit of artists, not members of the Academy, certain other funds which have been bequeathed to it for charitable purposes, viz. the Turner fund, the Cousins fund, the Cooke fund, the Newton bequest and the Edwards fund (see below). Exhibitions.The source from which have been derived the funds for carrying on the varied work of the Royal Academy, its schools, its charities and general cost of administration, and which hasenabled it to spend large sums on building, and provided it with the means of maintaining the buildings, has been the annual exhibitions. With the exception of the money left by John Gibson, R.A., some of which was spent in building the gallery containing the statues and bas-reliefs bequeathed by him, these exhibitions have provided the sole source of revenue, all other moneys that have come to the Academy having been either left in trust, or been constituted trusts, for certain specific purposes. The first exhibition in 1769 contained 136 works, of which more than one-half were contributed by members, and brought in 699: 17: 6. In 1780, the first year in which the receipts exceeded the expenditure, the number of works was 489, of which nearly one-third were by members, and the sum received was 3069: is. This increase continued gradually with fluctuations, and in 1836, the last year at Somerset House, the number of works was 1154, and the receipts were 5179: 19s. No great addition to the number of works exhibited took place at Trafalgar Square, but the receipts steadily grew, and their careful management enabled the Academy, when the time came for moving, to erect its own buildings and become no longer dependent on the government for a home. The greater space afforded by the galleries at Burlington House rendered it possible to increase the number of works exhibited, which of late
Presidents of the Royal Academy.Sir Joshua Reynolds, 17681792; Benjamin West (resigned), 17921805; James Wyatt (president-elect), 1805; Benjamin West (re-elected), 18061820; Sir Thomas Lawrence, 182o183o; Sir Martin Archer Shee, 183o185o ; Sir Charles Lock Eastlake, 18501865; Sir Francis Grant, 18661878; Frederick, Lord Leighton of Stretton, 18781896; Sir John Everett Millais, 1896; Sir Edward John Poynter, 1896. The library contains about 7000 volumes, dealing with the history, the theory and the practice of the various branches of the fine arts, some of them of great rarity and value. It is open daily to the students and members, and to other persons on a proper introduction. The trust funds administered by the Royal Academy are: The Turner fund (J. M. W. Turner, R.A.), which provides sixteen annuities of 5o each, for artists of repute not members of the Academy, also a biennial scholarship of 5o and a gold medal for a landscape painting. The Chantrey fund (Sir Francis Chantrey, R.A.), the income of which, paid over by the Chantrey trustees, is spent on pictures and sculpture. (See CHANTREY.) The Creswick fund (Thomas Creswick, R.A.), which provides an annual prize of 30 for a landscape painting in oil. The Cooke fund (E. W. Cooke, R.A.), which provides two annuities of 35 each for painters not members of the Academy, over sixty years of age and in need. The Landseer fund (Charles Landseer, R.A.), which provides four scholarships of 40 each, two in painting and two in sculpture, tenable for two years, open to students at the end of the first two years of studentship, and given for the best work done during the second year. The Armitage fund (E. Armitage, R.A.), which provides two annual prizes of 30 and 10, for a design in monochrome for a figure picture. The Cousins fund (S. Cousin, R.A.),which provides seven annuities of 8o each for deserving artists, not members of the Academy, in need of assistance. The Newton bequest (H. C. Newton), which provides an annual sum of 6o for the indigent widow of a painter. The Bizo fund (John Bizo), to be used in the scientific investigation into the nature of pigments and varnishes, &c. The Edwards fund (W. J. Edwards), producing 40 a year for the benefit of poor artists or artistic engravers. The Leighton bequest (Lord Leighton, P.R.A.),received from Mrs Orr and Mrs Matthews
The literature concerning the Royal Academy consists chiefly of pamphlets and articles of more or less ephemeral value. More serious works are: William Sandby, The History of the Royal Academy of Arts (London, 1862) (withdrawn from circulation on a question of copyright) ; Report from the Select Committee on Arts and their Connexion with Manufactures, with the Minutes of Evidence and Appendix (London, 1836) ; Report of the Royal Commission on the Royal Academy, with Minutes of Evidence and Appendix (London, 1863) Martin ACADIAN Archer Shee, The Life of Sir M. A. Shee, P.R.A. (London, 1860) ; C. R. Leslie, R.A., and Tom Taylor, Life and Times of Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.R.A. (London, 1865) J. E. Hodgson, R.A. (the late), and Fred. A. Eaton, Sec. R.A., " ,Pile Royal Academy in the Last Century," Art Journal, 1889-1891. But the chief
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