i2 4 A HISTORY OF 



pictures, &c., for sale, to be provided. It was added 

 that ^700 a year might be approved of for salaries 

 and expenses. English candidates for the post of 

 master of the figure school were to be permitted to draw 

 from the figure of Antinous in the Royal Academy. 



In December 1809, George Gratton's works, Race 

 of Hippomenes and Atalanta^ and Antinous were pur- 

 chased by the Society for 100 guineas. In 1811, 

 Solomon Williams, portrait painter, was allowed the 

 use of the drawing school for the purpose of painting 

 a picture on a very large scale. 1 



With a view to establishing a school for modelling 

 and sculpture, Edward Smyth, sculptor, was employed 

 on a probationary term of six months, and later he was 

 appointed master of the school, at a salary of 50 guineas 

 a year. He, however, died before the end of 1812, 

 when his son, John Smyth, took up the work, and in 

 November 1813, he was placed, as to salary, on a 

 footing with the other masters. 



In 1813, ;ioo were spent in completing the 

 pedestals in the statue gallery, the walls were coloured, 

 and the long gallery was finished. The Society of 

 Artists was allowed the use of the school-room three 

 days in the week, from 7 to 9 o'clock A.M., for the 

 study of the human figure. On the 9th of February 

 1815, the roof of the drawing school was found to 

 have been injured by the late great storm. 



Certain resolutions were drawn up in November 

 1813, for reference to the Committee of Fine Arts for 

 report. The masters' salaries were to be advanced, 

 and a number of professional artists (which included 

 the names of Comerford, Gandon, Gratton, Kirk, 



1 During this year, Williams exhibited portraits of the Duke of 

 Cumberland and Dr. Troy ; also an altarpiece, " Taking down from 

 the Cross." It was probably for the painting of the last-named work 

 that he obtained permission to use the school. 



