After working steadily round eleven rooms filled with oil paintings, and five more devoted to water colours, black and white, and architectural drawings and sculpture, and feeling extremely tired at the conclusion of one's labours, it is almost a disappointment to learn that in point of numbers the present is the smallest collection seen at the Royal Academy, with the exception since its enlargement 1885, seventeen years ago. of course prove facts, but I can vouch for it that it is none the less exhausting, more especially on press day, when the thousands of people who pass through later on have not had a chance of taking a little of the bee's wax off the highly polished floors, whereon the unfortunate representatives of the Fourth Estate ocea~ sionally slide about in a none too dignified manner, However, one is very grateful for the quiet press view, even if the condition of the floor is somewhat perilous. It is essentially a portrait year. First comes the state portrait of His Majesty, by Mr, Lake Fildes, which I. described some few weeks ago. It is lung at the and of the great gallery, No. IIT, in exactly the same place that was occupied by Mr. Renjamin. Constant's "Likeness Queen Victorf.' Last year so much was said however about the pret blue sateen and black net which was used ay drapery on that occasion that care has been taken this year that the same mistake should not again occur, end His Majesty looks most imposing, his likeness being draped with hangings of old gold Roman satin and cloth of gold cunningly intermixed, The work seems to give een-eral satisfaction and at the Academy banquet last Saturday the Prince of Wales announced that copies of it had boon ordered for the Embassies, and for the Government Houses in India and the Colonies, For these and the original work it is understood that Mr. Fildes is to ceive the sum of £20,000. He has but one other work on view, Pirbright, PPR Te likewise is ed with great rigour and is said to an excellent likeness.
Next in importance to Mr. Fildes comes the great Anglo: American painter, Mz. Sargent. He has been unusually ' busy and has eight large canvasses on the line at Burlington House, and three more at the New Gallery. Seventeen portraits as the three largest works are family groups, "The Three Misses Hunter, "The Ladies Acheson," and "The Three Younger Children of Mr. Werthemier." Fashion is fickle, and this is Mr. Sargent's day, but to my mind all his work lacks dignity. In Gallery VI there is his likeness of the beautiful Duchess of Portland and quite close by a work of like size, Portrait of Mrs. Charles S. Henry," by 'M. Carolus Duran, under whom Mr. Sargent studied for some years in Paris. Looking at the two works banging almost, side by side one realises the greatness of the French master's touch. Among the likenesses of war heroes, most notice is taken of that of "General Baden-Powell by Mr. Watts, to which the artist has appended the words " All men may have, if they dare try, a glorious life or are." TI don't think the picture will be handed down to posterity as the most pleasing portrait of the hero of Mafeking; to me it seemed more a character study than a striking likeness. Another khaki-cled hero is "The Earl of Albermarle" by Professor von Herkomer, and here again the likeness—if it be one—is that of his lordship as he must have appeared after a long tramp on the veldt; certainly not as one sees him here in town.
Mr. Frank Dicksee is at his best in both his contributions. His " Belle Dame Sans Merci" is an exquisite piece of painting "I sat ber on my pacing steed, And nothing else saw all day long, For side long she would bend, and sing a faery song."
The lines tell the story. The girl is a lovely creature, clad in rose colour gauze. She is bending Slightly towards the knight whose eyes speak the rapture of his heart. The white horse and all minor details of the picture are beautifully conceived and carried out. Mr. W. K. D'Arcy's likeness is no less successful, and in its simplicity of treatment forms a charming contrast to Mr. Dicksee's equally successful " Portrait of the Duchess of Buckingham and Chandos," shown last year. Mr. Orchardson contributes two portraits, but his great picture is a subject one, "The Borgia." It is a powerful work. Quite in the foreground is the supper table, at which two men are seated, the living Duke and his dead guest Gennaro. Other victims have been there as one can see their vacant seats, but tas poisoner has evidently caused their bodies to be removed. Probably the men will shortly carry out this last youth, but in the meantime the Borgia has his eyes sternly fixed upon the form of that which a few minutes ago was a being full of life but is now an inanimate mass, half sitting on a chair, half lying across the table. There docs not seem to be a spark of sorrow in the murderer's heart; lite has accomplish~ ed his purpose successfully. His attitude almost seems to be one of reflection. What now? To the right of the picture is a white stone villa, to the left thick fouage and in the background a row of lark pine trees. The stillness of the coming night ly over everything and altogether this appealed to me as one of the most telling pictures of the year, though for beauty neither it nor anything, else can compare with Sir Alma Tadema's exquisite "Caracalla," which is undoubtedly the gem of the year. It is quite a tiny little canvas, but every inch of it is full of most beautiful work, the finest one can imagine short of a miniature. The great "Caracalla" is represented as entering his palace with proud steps, while slaves, clad in greenish draperies, precede him, doing reverence as they walk backwards, strewing rose Jeaves in his way. Of course th floor is marble and in the background is a marble bath which is seen only through a gap in a low mar ble palisade. Touches of bright colour are afforded by the rose leaves and by some bright flowering shrubs.
The Academy's President, Sir Edward Paynter, has two oil paintings and four water colours on view. His most important work, "Storm Nymphs," I described after seeing it at its private view, likewise "Endymion," his second subject picture. The remaining four works are portraits of Mrs. Muniey Guthrie and Mrs. F. Bromwell, who might almost be sisters, and "A view of Duart Castle," and another of "A Garden in Rome." These are all exquisite in colouring and workmanship. "Storm Nymphs" was one of the first pictures to find a purchaser on private view day, when, I believe, the number of works sold was far below the average. It, however, was so much admired that at least two well-known collectors desired to purchase it.
Another picture which found a ready purchaser was "Dowerland," by Constable Tours, a Leed's policeman. It has created quite a small sensation in its way, and it is quite a matter of difficulty now to get near the corner in which it hangs on the line. Its price was modest, £25, and it was sold on Monday morning, the first day the show was opened to the public. I believe this is by no means the first year this energetic policeman has sent up his work on approbation and it is said that he had practically given up hope of ever meeting with success and would not have made a trial again had it not been for the persuasive powers of his admirers in the north. One can imagine his delight when ho heard the joyful news that his contribution was accepted and the still greater pleasure lion he saw his work im so good a post ion.
Women are justly proud of Miss Lucy Kemp-Welch, the modern Rosa Bonheur. She has two pictures in this year's show, "The Morning," a war pictur showing an unfortunate man who has met his death apparently at the hands of the Boers, and who is lying on the ground but stil with his hand on the bridle of his horse, who is looking down on his master, his exes full of pity, not knowing what to do. It is a work of touching interest just now and most cleverly painted. The second contribution is "Ploughing on the South Coast, Devonshire." Here we seo horses of a very different stamp but equally well treated.
Lady Butler has ut one canvas, "The 10th Bengal Lancers tent-pegging." It is a picture full of life, Three men with lances up-raised riding at full gallop towards the pegs which' are quite in the fore-ground. Miss Jessica Hayllar has some lovely flower studies as usual, and the miniature work, which is mainly left to the fairer sex, seems to be more delicate than ever, "Landscapes.seem to be fower than usual, but most of the well-known contributors have sent interesting work, notably Mr. East, Mr. David Murray, Mr. Alfred Parsons, and Mr. Edward Stott, all of whom always excel in this particular line of their art. Among_ the sculpture I saw two busts of the King, of which one by Mr. Walter Merrett is excctted in marble and presented to the Corporation of the City of London, The other is by Mr. Sydney March, Both are most excellent likenesses of his Majesty. Tu the Quadrangle outside Burlington House is an enormous equestrian statue of Edward the Black Prince. I do not know its ultimate destination, but its proportions are colossal.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.