QUEEN victonta.
It lias now been definitely decided by the Committee appointed to consider the National Memorial to Queen Victorin that the Memorial shall be erected in front of Buckingham Palace; and Mr. T. Brock, R. A., has been commissioned to prepare a design for groups of statuary, while five distinguished architects are' to. submit designs for the architectural part of the Memorial, which will, if funds permit, include an architectural entrance at the eastern end of the Mall, Already upwards of £50,000 has been subscribed; but the committee will require at least a-quarter of 2 million to carry out in full the ides which they have formulated. There is no doubt whatever that they will getah they require, The sum so far c lected comes almost entirely from wealthy donors; nothing like an individual appeal has yet been really made to the middle classes and the masses of the people. The modest donations from these will no doubt mount up rapidly when they begin to pour in, and there will be many more big donations as well. Of course, Londoners will have to provide the bulk' of the money, as almost every important town will have a Victoria Memorial of its own; but a good deal of money will also come from outside London for this central M. morial.
There is, however, not a little dissatisfaction at the decision of the Committee to invite designs from only one sculptor.
The opportunity is a splendid one for obtaining the finest architectural and sculptural work of art of which the age is capable. Or if it is thought desirable that it should be entirely " work of British art, at least the competition might have been thrawn open to the architects and sculptors of the, whole British Empire. It is hoped that the Committee will even now reconsider their decision. That the King recognises the catholicity of art is shown by hishavi appointed an American artist, though an English Royal Academician, to paint a picture of the Coronation, while a British artist, Mr. Luke Fildes, has received the commission to paint the " official" portrait of the King in his regal robes.
5th April.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.