THE LAST VISIT (BUT ONE) TO THE ACADEMY.
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No. 518. Left Leg Shrunk. |
No. 624. Her Serene Transparency. | No. 413. Hard Hit in a Town and Gown Row. |
| No. 647. What can we do with the Baby? | Warming his Back against the Soup Tureen | No. 253. Pulling the Stuffing out of Toy Terrier. |
A grand flare-up on Thursday last. A Jubilee Soirée worthy of the Jubilee Year and the Royal Academicians. Kings, Queens, Royal Highnesses, Grand Dukes and Duchesses have become so common this Jubilee month, that, when some blasé and well-seasoned Londoner is asked who such and such a decorated person is, he languidly replies, "Oh! only a King, or something of that sort."
There was a private Royal Night on Wednesday, when only Royalty and The Forty R.A.'s were present,—"The Forty" did something in the oil and colour line, as we gather from The Arabian Nights, revised edition, by Lady Burton,—and, of course, Mr. Punch, who is everywhere on every occasion, and who, in a general way, represents H.R.H. Everybody.
On Thursday night, T.R.H. Everybody and Everybody Else were present, and the scene was brilliant. Sir Frederick, a Prince among Presidents and a President among Princes, graciously welcomed the guests. He was assisted by Sir Everett Millais and Treasurer Horsley, who appeared rather weary, perhaps tired of counting the shillings, or worried by the uncertainty of the monetary value of the Boehm silver currency.
The Queen of the Pictures is still Professor Herkomer's Lady in black with the long gloves. She lingers in our memory, and will do so for many a long day. May we never see her in propriâ personâ, or disappointment might be our dole. The Lady in the picture cannot age. Even amidst all the living breathing beauty collected within those walls on Thursday last, the Lady on the wall, if we may so put it, "took the cake,"—though she didn't take it all, as there was plenty left for Miss Mary Anderson, Miss Dorothy Dene, and some other charming ladies. One more visit to the Royal Academy, and then the Show for 1887 will have passed away. Then, after a brief holiday, the Artists will be again at work, according to their individual taste and fancy, taking (lucky gourmets!) each one just what best suits his palette. Au revoir!