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R J Wyatt, London, to [John] Gibson

RA Collection: Archive

Archive context

Showing item 367 of 391 in this group

Reference code

GI/1/364

Title

R J Wyatt, London, to [John] Gibson

Date

09 Aug 1841

Level

Item

Extent & medium

1 piece

Content Description

Wyatt gives Gibson a description of the sculpture room at the Royal Academy exhibition. The impression on first entering was most disagreeable, and had more the look of a broker's shop than works arranged for exhibition. Gibson's two bas reliefs were placed opposite the window, and consequently had no effect of light and shade whatever, and all the delicate modelling of the parts was lost. Wyatt's two statues had a central situation, but were too close to a miserable statue in plaster of the queen. They had also been pawed over and were dirty and altogether looked very different from what Wyatt could have wished. However, he approved of [Francis] Chantrey's two statues of bishops. Baily had changed the position of the head and right arm of his old statue of 'Eve', and so made it inferior to the former. The other sculpture exhibited that year could be dismissed in a few words. Dowell's statue of a girl going to bathe, of which Bonomi had spoken in highest terms, was a "weak and poor performance and the drapery most miserable." Wyatt then describes a visit to Chantrey's studio, and gives his opinion of him as a sculptor. He is critical of Baily's abilities. Gibson could have no conception of the miserable works of sculpture that were put up at St Paul's: those by Westmacott were among the worst. Eastlake had by far the best picure in the exhibition, while Etty's picture of the prodigal son was "a very poor performance". Wyatt praises Maclise: "he has a power of drawing that very few possess". He concludes by giving news of other artists, and states that he would not be sorry to get away from the hurry and bustle of London. The city would astonish Gibson when he visited it.