British Art Students In Paris 1814-1890

The main argument of my lengthy published article(Apollo International Art Magazine) Vol.CXXXV No. 360) is the following. In the 1870`s, contributions to the London International Exhibition, exposed an underlying, low standard of artistic education in contemporary England and the critics were severe in their appreciations.The Royal Academy and South Kensington Schools could only offer elementary training and cotemporary British artists were called on to devote some part of their time to such pupils as may seek their guidance Emminent contemporary artists were few to answer this appeal, with the exception of painters such as G.F.Watts&W.P.Frith&Hubert Herkomer. Towards the end of the century, the establishment of the Slade School of Art in 1871 and of the Herkomer Art School at Bushey in 1883- together with a considerable number of other private art schools in succeeding years- improved under-graduate art teaching in England but the absence of postgraduate facilities, drove aspiring students abroad and particularly to Paris.Paris was chosen because French Art was generally admired for those technical aspects considered peculiarly teachable, especially anatomy and drawing, and because there was general enthousiasm for Parisian Art tuition.The 19th century painter William Etty`s admiration for French drawing is for example well documented by his biographer and contemporary artist Benjamin Robert Haydon applauds French knowledge and expertise in his diaries.

The lists of British Art Students in Paris which I painstakingly compiled in Paris over a two year period, show a dramatic rise in numbers towards the end of the century but the wish to study there was not new in the 1870`s.The demand for Parisian teaching had always been there:the great change of the 1870s and 1880`s, lay in Paris on the supply side.