FINE ARTS' COMMISSION. (Hansard, 13 July 1847)

LORD BROUGHAM

presented a petition from R. S. Lauder, and J. E. Lauder, Marshall Claxton, and S. Gambardella, artists, complaining of the decision of the Commissioners who decided on the merits of the pictures now on view in Westminster Hall. They stated that those gentlemen, before they came to a decision and awarded premiums, had only two days to examine a very large number of oil paintings. They also complained that previous to their award, the pictures were not exhibited for a certain time, so that they might be exposed to the public taste and criticism. They suggested that it would have been much better to have taken advantage of public opinion by exposing them for a month or six weeks, than by arriving at a decision after an inspection of a few hours. They also complained that the art of painting and the art of judging of paintings was not an every-day matter, and could not be learnt in a week. They said it was not more easy for a person not educated in a knowledge of the fine arts to 217 form a judgment on pictures, than it was for a person, ignorant of the art of war, to determine on the relative merits of the movements of two conflcting generals, or for a person who was not a lawyer to form a judgment on a point of law. Although they had the highest respect for the general capacity and general acquirements of the judges, yet it was certain that these judges had not devoted themselves to paint in oil; and although they might be good judges of other things, they might not be good judges of paintings. For his own part, he professed entire ignorance on the whole subject; he knew no more of it than the judges themselves; if that was possible, his ignorance was greater than theirs; but to his uninstructed vision, it did appear that much of the taste manifested in this exhibition, he meant in the selection for prizes, was very erroneous. Nothing, to his mind, could be more offensive than large battle-pieces. There was one of them with fifty men in red coats and white caps opposed to 3,000 or 4,000 foes. This was perfectly ridiculous. He was sorry that they were doing anything to perpetuate a taste of this kind, by proposing to cover the walls of that palace with such productions. The taste of the reign of George I. was not now admired. The Ministers of that day, most excellent and constitutional men as they were, would, no doubt, if the occasion had occurred, have covered the walls of such a building as this with what was conformable to the taste of the day; but if that had been done, the present age would have been anxious to pull such paintings down in order to get rid of such a nuisance. So now were our walls to be covered with the works of those who had received the prizes, aftertimes must rebel against our decision. If they could not get the best pictures, by the first artists, they should, at least, get those which had received the approval of the first artists, so that posterity might not have to repent of the fatal taste of 1847. For that purpose they should send for the most eminent men connected with the fine arts from Germany, Italy, and other countries, not to decide on the pictures, but to act as assessors and give their opinions.