Overview


Date 1875-05-15
Publication Academy
Topic Royal Academy, second notice
AP display
RA display
Subject art
Keywords RA exhibition
  ↳ historical & general subjects
Standards PRB aesthetic standards
Notes Albert Moore "fatuity of praise"
  ↳ Prince of Wales, "led like asses."

Annotation details

75 May 15 Academy

Topic:

Royal Academy Exhibition 1875, second notice.

Citation:

Rossetti, William M. "The Royal Academy Exhibition." Academy (May 15, 1875): 158. Web. 21 Sept. 2011.

Summary:

Rossetti reviews "Historical Subjects" and "General Subjects." The opening remarks include a reference to the Prince of Wales who is said to be as knowledgeable about art matters "as nineteen men out of twenty, but a good deal less than the twentieth," which appears to be an indictment of the Prince's as well as the general public's art knowledge. Rossetti references the public's dubious awareness of art quality with the anecdote about the Prince's remark and also referencing the fame accruing to "Miss Thompson"[1] after her last exhibition where she impressed "a number of people 'as easily led by the nose as asses are.'" Rossetti refers to the catalogue explaining Miss Thompson's work, extending the explanation with historical details.

He remarks on the success of one of Elizabeth Thompson's military subjects, citing the fact that the subject being military and Thompson being female make its impact and import extraordinary.

The work of familiar Pre-Raphaelite movement painters is discussed, including John Pettie, Sir John Everett Millais, Sir Edward John Poynter, Poole, Moore, William Powell Frith, and Sir Frederick Leighton.

Albert Moore is singled out as having accumulated an "absolute fatuity of praise" from critics which is unwarranted in Rossetti's estimation.

Mode:

critical

Keywords:

RA exhibition, historical subjects, general subjects

Standards of Judgment:

Pre-Raphaelite aesthetic standards

Rhetoric and tone:

evaluative, polemic

References:

Elizabeth Thompson, John Pettie, Albert Moore, Sir John Everett Millais, Sir Edward John Poynter, Poole, William Powell Frith, Sir Frederick Leighton