(_I.e., A Representative at the Royal Academy._)
Anyone arriving at Burlington House so early as to be the first person
to pay his money and take his choice, will probably look straight
before him, and will feel somewhat confused at seeing in the distance,
but exactly opposite him, a dignified figure wearing a chain of
office, politely rising to receive the early visitor. "It can be no
other than the President himself," will at once occur to the stranger
within the gates; "and yet, did I not hear that he was abroad for
the benefit of his health?" Then, just as he is about to bow his
acknowledgments of the courtesy extended to him personally by the
Chief Representative of Art in this country, he will notice seated, at
the President's left hand, and staring at him, with a pen in his hand,
ready either to take down the name of the visitor, or to make a sketch
of him, a gentleman in whose lineaments anyone having the pleasure of
being personally acquainted with Mr. STACY MARKS, R.A., would at once
recognise those of that distinguished humourist in bird-painting. "Is
there wisions about?" will the puzzled visitor quote to himself, and
then boldly advancing, hat in hand, to be soon replaced on head,
he will come face to face with the biggest picture in the Academy,
covering almost the entire wall.
The stately figure is not Sir FREDERIC LEIGHTON, P.R.A., who
unfortunately has been compelled to go abroad for the benefit of his
health--_prosit!_--nor is the seated figure Mr. S. MARKS; but the
former is "_The Bürgermeister of Landsberg, Bavaria_," and the latter
is his secretary, while the other figures, all likenesses, are
"his Town Council" in solemn deliberative assembly. The picture,
an admirable one, and, as will be pretty generally admitted, a
masterpiece of the master's, is No. 436 in the book, the work of
Meister HUBERT HERKOMER, R.A.
But as this is in Gallery No. VI., and as it is not every one who will
be privileged to see the picture as the early bird has seen it, and
as some few others may, perhaps, see it during the season, this
Representative retraces his steps from No. VI., and commences _de
novo_ with No. 1.
No. 17. "_Finan Haddie_," fresh as ever, caught by J. C. HOOK, R.A.
Title, of course, should have been "_Finan Haddie Hook'd_."
Sir JOHN MILLAIS' _St. Stephen_ (_not_ a parliamentary subject),
showing that Good Sir JOHN'S hand has lost none of its cunning, is No.
18; and after bowing politely to Mrs. JOHNSON-FERGUSON, and pausing
before this charming picture by LUKE FILDES, R.A., to take a last Luke
at her, you will pass on, please, to No. 25, "_The Fisherman and the
Jin_," and will wonder why VAL. C. PRINSEP, R.A., spells the cordial
spirit with a "J" instead of a "G." It is a spirited composition.
No. 31. Mr. JOHN S. SARGENT, A., let "_Mrs. Ernest Hills_" go out of
his studio in a hurry. She is evidently "to be finished in his next."
No. 34. "_A Quiet Rehearsal._" Lady Amateur all alone, book in hand,
to which she is not referring, trying to remember her part and say it
off by heart. It is by W. B. RICHMOND, A. To quote a cigarette paper,
this work may be fairly entitled "A Richmond Gem."
No. 43. "_Evening._" By B. W. LEADER, A. Delightful. Artistic
aspirants in this line cannot play a better game than that of "Follow
my Leader."
This Representative recognised "_Dr. Jameson, C.B._," by HERKOMER, at
a glance. If you are asked by anyone to look at "_Hay Boat_" do not
correct him and say "You mean _A_ Boat," or you will find yourself in
the wrong boat, but admire HILDA MONTALBA'S painting, and pass on to
OULESS, R.A.'s, excellent portrait of "_J. J. Aubertin_" (a compound
name, whose first two syllables suggest delightful music while the
last syllable means money); thence welcome our old friend FRITH, R.A.,
who, in 67, [and a trifle over, eh?] shows us "_Mrs. Gresham and
Her Little Daughter_." From the "little D.'s" expressive face may be
gathered that she has just received a "Gresham Lecture." After noting
No. 73 and 83 (the unhappily separated twins) together, you may look
on No. 126. Two fierce animals deer-stalking in a wild mountainous
region, painted by _Arthur Wardle_. Only from what coign of vantage
did Mr. WARDLE, the artist, make this life-like sketch? However,
he came out of the difficulty safe and sound, and we are as glad to
welcome a "_Wardle_" as we should be to see his ancient associate
"_Pickwick_," or a "_Weller_," in Burlington House.
No. 139. Charming is Sir F. LEIGHTON'S "_Fair One with the Golden
Locks_." To complete the picture the hairdresser should have been
thrown in. She is _en peignoir_, and evidently awaiting his visit.
This is the key to these locks.
No. 242. Mr. ANDREW C. GOW, R.A., gives us BUONAPARTE riding on the
sands with a party of officers, "1805." The Emperor is cantering ahead
of the staff. Another title might be "_Going Nap at Boulogne_."
No. 160. "_A Lion Tamer's Private Rehearsal._" But BRITON RIVIÈRE,
R.A., calls it "_Ph[oe]bus Apollo_."
No. 251. Queer incident in the life of a respectable middle-aged
gentleman. Like _Mr. Pickwick_, he has mistaken his room in the hotel,
and has gone to bed. Suddenly, lady, in brilliant diamond tiara,
returns from ball, and finds him there. The noise she makes in opening
the curtains awakes him. He starts up alarmed. "Hallo!" he cries, and
for the moment the ballad of "_Margaret's Grim Ghosts_" recurs to
his mind. His next thought is, "How fortunate I went to bed in my
copper-coloured pyjamas, with a red cummerbund round me." Of course he
apologised, and withdrew. What happened subsequently is not revealed
by the artist who has so admirably depicted this effective scene, and
whose name is Sir JOHN MILLAIS, Bart., R.A.
No. 368. Excellent likeness, by Mr. _Arthur S. Cope_, of the
well-known and popular parson ROGERS. _A Parsona Grata_. This
typical old-fashioned English clergyman, who, in ordinary ministerial
functions, would be the very last person to be associated with a
"chasuble," will henceforth never be dissociated from a "COPE."
No. 491. A picture by Mr. FRED ROE. If NELSON'S enemies had only
known of this incident in his lifetime!! Here is our great naval hero,
evidently "half seas over," being personally conducted through some
by-streets of Portsmouth, on his way back to the _Victory_, in order
to avoid the crowd. Rather a hard ROE, this.
No. 767. Congratulations to T. B. KENNINGTON on his "_Alderman George
Doughty, J.P._," or, as the name might be from the characteristic
colouring, Alderman DEORGE GOUHTY, which is quite in keeping with the
proverbial aldermanic tradition.
* * * * *
A LITTLE MIXED.--In its account of the private view at the Royal
Academy the _Daily News_ says:--"The Countess of MALMESBURY studied
the sculpture in a harmonious costume of striped black and pink, and a
picture hat trimmed with pink roses." This is presumably the result of
the influence of Mr. HORSLEY. But isn't it going a little too far,
at least to begin with? A piece of sculpture--say, a Venus--in a
harmonious costume of striped black and pink might pass. But the
addition of a picture hat trimmed with pink roses is surely fatal.
* * * * *
[Illustration: A NASTY ONE.
_Disgusted Sculptor._ "SO YOU'VE GOT THE LINE IN TWO PLACES, HAVE YOU?
HANG ME IF I DON'T GIVE UP ART, AND GO IN FOR PAINTING!"]
* * * * *