intended to be seen near the eye. You do not want to _furnish_ the walls
with pictures. If so, do advertise that you will sacrifice some of your
own to that purpose. You may find a sufficient number of "Amateurs"
ready to immolate their reputation for art, of little value; but you
should consider with what an aching heart the poor painter sees the
labour of many a day, and many a cherished hope, as soon as the Academy
opens, raised to its position of noted contempt. Nor should you have a
"Condemned Cell"--such is the octagon-room termed. You render men
unhappy--and superciliously seem to think, you pay them by a privilege
of admission. Admission to what?--to see your well-placed merits, and
their own disgraced position. We are happy to see an appeal to you on
this subject in the _Artist's Magazine_, and eloquently written--and
with good sense, as are all the notices in that work. That or some other
should be enlarged to meet the requirements of art. Now we are indeed
making hotbeds for the growth of artists. They will be thick as peas,
and not so palatable--youths of large hope and little promise--some
aiming beyond their reach, others striving and straining at a low
Art-Union prize. Patronage can never keep pace with this "painting for
the million system." The world will be inundated with mediocrity. This
fever of art will terminate in a painting-plague. What is to become of
the artists? Where will you colonize?

Now let us purpose a plan. Let the members of the Academy come to this
resolution that instead of exhibiting some 1300 pictures annually, they
will not admit into their rooms more than the 300--and so cut off the
1000--that the said 300 shall all have good places, and shall be the
choicest works of British talent. Let them signify to the public that
they will show no favour, and that they will be responsible for the
merit of the works they mean to invite the public to see. They need not
doubt the effect. Great will be the benefit to art, artists, and to
patrons of art.

SUFFOLK STREET GALLERY--SOCIETY OF BRITISH ARTISTS.

This twentieth exhibition opens, according to the catalogue, under the
auspices of Marcus Tullius Cicero; but why or wherefore the world who
read the quotation mottoes of catalogues, must ever be at a loss to
discover. "I think," said the wordy Roman, "that no one will ever become
a highly distinguished orator, unless he shall have obtained a knowledge
of all great things and arts." The