1842.] 



THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECTS JOURNAL. 



303 



Charles Shaw Lefevre— Robert Peel— J. R. G. Graham— Robert Harry 

 Inglis— Henry Gaily Knight — B. Hawes, JuD.— Henry Hallam — S. 

 Rogers — George Vivian — Thomas Wyse. 



Gioydyr House, Whitehall, 

 jSpnl 22, 1842. 



APPENDIX. 



The general object of the Commission considered in relation to the state 

 and prospects of the English School of Painting. 

 As the Commission is understood to take up the present inquiry 

 where the Committee on the fine arts, appointed bv the House of 

 Commons in 1841, left it, it will be proper, by way of introduction, to 

 recapitulate the leading opinions expressed in the Report of that 

 Committee. 



It was there observed that " the chief object aimed at by the ap- 

 pointment of the Committee," was " the encouragement of the fine 

 arts of this country ;" that it was " requisite that a plan should be de- 

 termined upon, and that as soon as practicable, in order that the archi- 

 tect and the artist or artists to be employed, may work not only in 

 conjunction with, but in aid of each other; that thus the abilities of 

 both would be exerted for the decoration of so eminently national a 

 building ; and at the same time encouragement beyond the means of 

 private patronage, would be afforded not only to the liigher walks, but 

 to all branches of art." The report proceeds to recommend the em- 

 ployment of fresco painting in the decoration of the new Houses of 

 Parliament, suggesting, however, the necessity of further information 

 and inquiry. 



The appointment of the Commission has fully secured the latter, 

 and the general objects of the Committee have been recognised in the 

 notice respecting a competition, already prepared for publication 

 under the sanction of Her Majesty's Commissioners. 



It is here proposed to consider the question of the decoration of the 

 Houses of Parliament with reference to the state and prospects of the 

 English school of painting. And first it is to be observed that, although 

 *' all branches of art" maybe entitled to the consideration of the Com- 

 mission, historical painting is not only generally fittest for decoration 

 on a large scale, but is precisely the class of painting which, more than 

 any other, requires " encouragement beyond the means of private 

 patronage." The want of such encouragement has long been re- 

 gretted, not by professors only, but by all who have turned their at- 

 tention to the state of painting in England; — a proof that the promo- 

 tion of historic art is an object of interest with a considerable portion 

 of the public. 



The inference is not miimportant; for an already existing estima- 

 tion of the higher aims of art, is in itself an earnest of their success. 

 The desire which has been manifested for historical painting would 

 not be entitled to attention if it could be traced to a passing influence, 

 or to a disposition to imitate what had been achieved in other coun- 

 tries, since this could only lead to the adoption of superficial qualities, 

 betraying, sooner or later, the absence of a vital impulse. Such at- 

 tempts would be the more likely to be ineffectual, if a different style, 

 however humble, really corresponding with the national taste, were at 

 the same time cultivated with marked success. The history of art is 

 not wanting in examples of schools and of periods, with regard to 

 which it might be a question whether a sudden demand for historical 

 painting would have been a boon to the artists or to the lovers of art. 

 The Dutch school of the seventeenth century might be adduced as a 

 case in point. 



It may here be remarked that, even where the direction of national 

 taste is favourable to the cultivation of historical painting, the pecu- 

 liar difficulties of that branch of art must sometimes place it in unfa- 

 vourable contrast with inferior departments more commonly practised, 

 and in which a relative perfection is more commonly attained. The 

 disadvantages resulting from this contrast are peculiar to modem 

 times : at the revival of art and during its progress to excellence the 

 efforts in the grander style were not in danger of being undervalued, 

 or stimulated to injudicious rivalry, by such a comparison. No school 

 exclusively devoted to indiscriminate imitation then existed. The 

 present influence of such schools and examples may partly account for 

 ■and excuse the occasional fastidiousness of modern amateurs with re- 

 gard to efforts in historical painting, and may render a consistency of 

 style more difficult for the historical artist. 



These admissions with regard to the present difficulties of the highest 

 style of art cannot, however, render it necessary to vindicate its ab- 

 stract claims ; the sole question for consideration now is, whether in this 

 country and at this time there exist grounds for hoping that historical 

 painting could be cultivated with success, and whether it would 

 awaken a more, general interesti if it were duly encouraged by the 

 Sute. 



That the actual estimation of this department of art has direct re- 

 ference to the moral wants of our own nation, is further proved by the 

 repeated exertions of individuals in proposing plans for the promotion 

 of the higher style of art, by the generous encouragement occasionally 

 extended to its'votaries by'otlieis, but above all by the efforts of the 

 artists themselves. For it must always be borne in mind that the aims 

 of the artists are not to be considered as accidental predilections apart 

 from the public feeling, but as representing a portion of that feeling. 

 However variously modified by other influences, the formative arts 

 must always express the manners, the general taste, and, to a certain 

 extent, the intellectual habits of the nation in which they are culti- 

 vated; the chief conditions with regard to the last being, that the 

 objects of mental interest should be analogous to the pursuits of taste, 

 and at the same time familiar to that portion of the public to which 

 the arts are addressed. 



But to whatever extent the mind or manners of a nation may be 

 communicable to its productions in art, the result is to be looked for 

 rather in general tendencies than in degrees of technical excellence, 

 and is especially to be sought where controlling influences, even of a 

 salutary kind, are least likely to interfere with the free expression of 

 national taste. Thus, the indications in question are not so evident 

 in religious subjects, in which a common education, and long conse- 

 crated themes, have tended to elevate to a common standard the taste 

 of the civilized world ; nor are they so distinctly manifested even m 

 certain subjects of local interest, such as the acts of illustrious indivi- 

 duals, and the commemoration of national events ; themes which pa- 

 triotism has everywhere supplied, and which presuppose a uniformly 

 ennobling influence. The proper and peculiar tendency, the physiog- 

 nomy, so to speak, of national taste, is to be detected in more spon- 

 taneous aims ; in the direction which the arts have taken, when their 

 course has been unrestrained, save by the ordinary influence of the in- 

 tellectual and moral habits of society. 



It might be interesting to trace the connexion between the arts and 

 national culture and character under such conditions ; but the general 

 truth of the view above taken has been so often dwelt on by the his- 

 torians of art, that it must be unnecessary to adduce examples of such 

 a connexion where circumstances must render it more than commonly 

 direct. If it were proposed to compare the English school of paint- 

 ing (as regards its general tendency) with the schools of other coun- 

 tries, it would, however, be just to consider the direction of taste in 

 the latter when art has not been employed in the service of religion 

 and patriousm, for it is under these circumstances that painting has 

 been cultivated in England. The result of such a comparison would 

 lend to vindicate the aim and character of the English school. 



But the inference from the above statement, which is more imme- 

 diately applicable to the present question, is, that the efforts of the 

 English artists in the higher branches of their profession are to be re- 

 garded as an evidence of the tendency of taste in a considerable por- 

 tion of the public, and it remains to observe that both the eflbrts and 

 the taste may be almost irrespective of the common relation between 

 demand and supply, since the due encouragement of the higher 

 branches of art may be "beyond the means of private patronage." 

 This apparent contradiction of a moral demand, for a particular class 

 of art, existing independently, in a great measure, of its usual conse- 

 quences—the actual employment of those who, with due encourage- 

 ment, might respond to it, is explained by the fact that the decoration 

 of public buildings, with a view to moral or religious purposes, has 

 always been necessary for the formation of a school of historical paint- 



ing 



ii.f.. The history of arts shows that whatever may be the extent ot 

 genera! education, the service of religion or the protection of the state 

 is indispensable, at the outset at least, for the full practical develop- 

 ment of the highest style of painting. Thus formed and thus exer- 

 cised historic art lives and is progressive, but with the aid, however 

 liberal, of private patronage alone, either its aim becomes lowered, or 

 its worthier efforts are not sufficiently numerous to re-act on the gene- 

 ral taste. ■, f ,1 



To many it may appear unnecessary to assert the capacity ot tue 

 painters or of the public for the cultivation or appreciation of e evated 

 art. But it must be remembered that while the great stimulus and 

 support of public employment is wanting, the exertions of the artists 

 are gradually compelled into other directions ; and some observers, 

 looking at this result alone, may draw erroneous inferences from it,— 

 may sometimes hastily conclude that pictures of familiar subjects, 

 which have been of late years predominant and deservedly attractive, 

 represent the universal and unalterable taste of the nation. 



Such observers might, however, at the same time remark that the 

 productions in question oftener approach the dignity of history than 

 the vulgarity of the lowest order of subjects, and either by the choice 

 of incidents, or by their treatment, still attest the character of the 

 national taste. The evidence of an intellectual aim in familiar sub- 



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