WMR reviews "The New British Institution"

The "New British Institution."

Rossetti, William M. "The New British Institution." Academy (November 7, 1874): 131. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.

This essay is a lukewarm review (". . . if we call it on the whole trivial, we do it no injustice . . .) of the British version of the "so-called French Gallery," which Rossetti reveals to be a collection of work from many countries despite the title. The title "The New British Institution" may refer to a style of painting he says is at that time becoming a British standard: a reproductive priority in artwork that has strict realism in every object "from a person to a brass-headed nail" rather than any type of intellectual content, a trend Rossetti finds "not interesting, certainly not intellectual, and sometimes to be called stupid."

Several works and painters receive qualitative and quantitative comments; some merely mention. Overall, Rossetti is underwhelmed by the quality of the collection, the small size, and disappointed in the emerging new British trend he posits as the standard of the collection.

critical, analytic, evaluative

trivial exhibition; not all French, new British style of rigid reproductive rather than intellectual realism

artistic value, merit, aesthetic principles

J. Verhas, Spiridon, Messonmier, Dumas, Mr. William Linnell, Clays, Miss E. Brooke, De Haas, Troyon, S. Gessa

indirect, critical