We earnestly hope that the scheme may be persevered in, and meet with the essential support of those possess ing pictures of acknowledged excellence. The exhibition of old pictures is the most important, but that of modern artists is not without its use ; and if both exhibitions could be accomplished at the same time, we think it would be better still. We see no reason why the efforts of modern art should not be brought into fair collision with the works of admitted merit from the pencil of the first masters of antiquity; it is the only test by which modern works can find their level of merit, uninfluenced by the glare of partial estimation. The adulations or well meant commendations of friends, whose want of skill ought to disarm their praises of much weight, is, notwith standing, so generally acceptable, and so much in unison with the delusions of self-conceit, as to prove highly in jurious to improvement, unless effectually controlled by some surer test. In Greece the nation at large, much to the benefit of the artist, passed judgment on his works, and determined whether they were worthy to be hung up in the porticos; where, for the gratification of the people, and the emulation of rising artists, constant exhibitions of the best works took place. Even the temples of their gods were often dedicated to the same use ; in which practice they were followed by the Romans at a later period. That the same usage prevailed in the Catholic world, however much it may have become the object of religious abuse, was, notwithstanding, of most essential service to the arts.
As yet we have access to no public collections unfetter ed by troublesome formalities, or more obnoxious solici tations ; and of the many and valuable private collections, the habitual privacy of our domestic mode of life forbids the freedom of inspection. Whereas, with our neighbours, the artist, as well as the public in general, enjoy the most unreserved and liberal access to the collections, both pub lic and private. In the public collections, and even in some of the private ones, facilities are afforded for the copying of pictures, and the study of the artists, which shows the most commendable zeal for the improvement of painting.
While we flock in thousands, and tens of thousands, to profit by the more liberal views of our neighbours in the exhibition of their picture treasures; we lavish great sums in the acquisition of similar works of art, and then send them to Britain, that they may be buried and hid from view, until they chance to stray into a sale-room, which is fortunately not an unfrequent occurrence. The hidden treasures of this description in Britain cannot but be very great ; and we would venture to assert, that, were the pictures contained in the various royal residences assem bled together, and arranged as a national gallery, Paris could no longer boast of her Louvre as unique in the dis play of the riches of art. Such a gallery, established in London, upon terms of admission and use as liberal and judicious as that of the Louvre, would prove of incalculable benefit to the art, and worthy of the well known taste and munificence of our sovereign. The want of such an institution is a subject of reproach we have long had to submit to from our neighbours, which we would willingly have removed, seeing the means are so invitingly within our reach. We have heard a surmise, that such an idea
had occurred to his majesty himself, and we look forward with hope, that it may in due time come to bear the wished-for fruit. There are many private collections in England of great extent and value, and we have little doubt that if such a scheme as a great national gallery, founded on the riches of the royal collections, was to take effect, the liberality of the proprietors of many of the private collections would lead them to contribute to the completion of so desirable an object.
However much experience may shake our confidence in the utility of academies, and their exertions for the promotion of the arts ; there can exist no doubt as to the advantages of exhibitions in general; in exalting and puri fying public taste, and in affording those indispensable facilities, without which the artist can never pursue his studies to advantage. They work out their object without the risk of officious protection ; students are at liberty in their own way to take their use of them ; and with the energy common to those engaged in the pursuits of the fine arts, there is little doubt that very effectual use will be made of such opportunities. We may with great justice attribute the backward state of the arts in this country, to the dif ficulty an artist has of prosecuting the study, of seeing good pictures, or of obtaining those aids and encourage ments so freely proffered to the foreign artist, rather than to any want of genius or aptitude in our own countrymen. Let us then remove these depressing circumstances, and give our artists the same advantages enjoyed by their brethren in other countries, and we shall not fail to find the prevalence of a better taste, in a short time, demon strate its efficacy.
We do not mean, however, to maintain, that exhibitions of pictures are omnipotent in the promotion of the arts, or calculated to supersede other aids ; far less to assert, that wherever the facility of studying good pictures has existed, there the arts have been found to flourish. Ex perience has in several instances shown the contrary, and that there are other circumstances influencing the taste, energy, and progress of improvement, of sufficient force to counteract the favourable tendency of such facilities to study. But this we may with confidence maintain, that it is a means of encouragement the most safe from perver sion, and the most likely to prove effectual ; provid ed we add the indispensible stimulus to improvement and exertion, which a reasonable demand for the productions of successful industry can in no case dispense with. We are not apprehensive that the sparks of original genius will become quenched in the habits of copying, which such facilities are calculated to induce. This argument has been urged as an objection ; and no doubt very conspicuous cases exist, where the profusion of first-rate works of art constantly under the eyes of the resident artists has occa sioned a system of servile copying, which has supersed ed any efforts in original composition. But for this result there were sufficient local reasons, and where such effects take place, the original spark is probably not very vivid.