LEIGHTON HOUSE 



But, although Post Impressionism and Futurism were as yet un- 

 born, a certain unrest in artistic circles chiefly outside the Royal 

 Academy unmistakably existed. It was an unrest bequeathed 

 by the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood ; an unrest of spirit, method, 

 and outlook, that was all to the good, and in which some dis- 

 tinguished members of the Royal Academy as well as the President, 

 deeming any sort of movement to be better than stagnation- 

 must have rejoiced. It expressed itself in a profound discontent 

 with Victorian art in all its manifold forms. 



In the last chapter we saw its awakening in the realms of the 

 decorative and industrial arts, in William Morris's various activities. 

 In the fine arts it worked by means of an attempt to destroy, or 

 at least to weaken, the supremacy of the Academy, by means of 

 a counter attraction. The Grosvenor Gallery was opened ! Here 

 Sir Edward Burne- Jones and his followers, and other innovators, 

 came to their own ; here even Watts the idealist, also a few more 

 of the Academicians who disliked the conventionalism and much 

 of the meaningless prettinesses to be met with at Burlington 

 House elected to exhibit. 



It was a praiseworthy effort ; but in the long run it failed, though 

 supported by society and fashion as any such attempt to reform 

 from outside an institution so firmly established in popular 

 favour as the Royal Academy was foredoomed to fail ; and there- 

 fore the shillings of the public continued to drop chiefly into the 

 cash receptacles in the Piccadilly turnstiles ! Nevertheless, it was 

 followed by the New Gallery ; and with a broad-minded President 

 at Burlington House, its results were far-reaching. Closely in 

 touch with the Continent as Leighton was, and cognizant of all 

 new movements there it was during his reign that, throwing over 

 the hide-bound traditions of the Maclise, Redgrave, and Creswick 

 period, the Royal Academy became gradually less conservative, 

 until, at the present moment it includes in its membership the 

 best men from every school ; but as yet no woman. Short of 

 Post Impressionism and Futurism, I think all modern groups are 

 represented and receive fair play. Indeed, the swing of the 

 pendulum is now to the other side, and it is rather the exponents 

 of the older methods and aims in art, who now complain and with 

 good reason not of the Royal Academy, but of the unfair attitude 

 of the Press towards them. Art criticism has passed almost 



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