No Future

From Sir Joshua Reynolds to the present day the Presidents of the Royal Academy have been sober distinguished gentlemen. No exception is the incumbent, Sir William Llewellyn, Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order, Commander of the Legion of Honor, recipient of the Grand Cross of the Crown of Italy. A painter of Queens, he has produced dozens of slick portraits of Queen Mary for clubs, asylums, other institutions. That ardent water colorist Wilhelmina of The Netherlands is so enamored of his brush that she has made him a Grand Officer of the Order of Orange Nassau. Serious critics prefer to think of Sir William's hobby, which has made him an authority on 18th Century British painting, the sale prices and present whereabouts of thousands of paintings being at his finger tips. London newshawks questioned Sir William last week about present-day British painting, found him in melancholy mood.

"Sorry as I am to say it," said the President of the Royal Academy, "to my mind, the fate of picture making is sealed. I can see no future. Already there are too many pictures in the world. . . .

"The life of the art student is made too easy. ... In my young days the way was hard, but those who really believed in their art were content to struggle. It is not fair to youth to be so encouraging.

"People today are not picture-minded. Houses are smaller, decorative schemes have no use for pictures, and those who do love pictures can satisfy their love in so many of the galleries, which are free. It is a pity but true that anyone can do without a picture."

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