, that Sala was socially
anything but friendly and most objectionable in his behaviour when
there; and they invited me to distribute the prizes the following year,
which I did--the last stage of all of this strange, eventful joke,
which ended, as it began, in good-natured laughter.

* * * * *

[Illustration]

The one confession I desire in all seriousness should reach the ears of
my fellow artists is that my object in attacking the Royal Academy
("Royal Academy Antics," 1890), was a thoroughly unselfish one. "It was
published for the sake of those who, for one reason or another, are not
within the inner circle. I was prompted to call the discriminating
attention of the public to the evil the Academy works and permits to
exist," by appeals from artists outside--heartbroken men and women
smarting under unfair treatment; I received letters recording cases of
gross injustice, followed by ruin and poverty--which made my blood boil.
The shortcomings of the Academicians had been the subject of criticism
for many years, yet no improvement resulted. As the _Times_ pathetically
observed: "At least it should not be taken for granted that improvement
is impossible till improvement has been attempted. This much has been
forced upon us by the painful knowledge of the many bitter, often
heartbreaking, disappointments which cloud the opening of the Royal
Academy Exhibition, when London looks bright and blooming, and everyone
and everything around seems so full of life, and so eager and capable of
enjoyment. It is impossible for those whose office carries them behind
the scenes, in the midst of the festive and fashionable crowd which
throngs the stately rooms of the Academy, not to think of the poor
lodging and the shabby studio, and the easel, the rejected picture, the
subject of so much labour, the spring of so many hopes, which was
expected to win bread, if not fame, for the painter." Perfectly true,
but oh, how pathetic! to those, like myself, "whose office carries them
behind the scenes." It is pleasant to keep friendly with those Royal
Academicians and their friends and worshippers--that "festive and
fashionable crowd"--and to be on good terms with the givers of banquets
and the pets of Society; but I care little for such, for I am neither a
logrolling journalist nor a Society-seeking artist, and at the risk of
having my independence mistaken for egotism, I have always expressed my
opinions openly