Volume 1

The Farington diary / edited by James Greig.

  • Joseph Farington
Date:
[1922?-1928]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The Farington diary / edited by James Greig. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    proposed that gowns should be worn. I thought this would be carrying it too far, and that a blue coat, with some distinction of collar, cuff, and button would be sufficient, and would subject the Members to no real addition of expence, as the coat might be worn in common if the cape were taken off. [Uniform dress was never worn by the Royal Academicians.] December 21. —[After wasting much time in useless palaver a fitting address to the King was prepared, thanks to the commonsense of Farington and Boswell. The address settled, Farington and Tyler R.A. went, on December 23], “ to the Freemasons Tavern and spoke to Richold [who afterwards charged for more people than were present] about the dinner to be prepared for the celebration. The great annual Exhibition Dinner is charged at half a guinea a head, the desert included, but on account of this being a much dearer season He proposed that half a crown each should be allowed for the desert, making the whole thirteen shillings a head. If 54 persons dine on that day He thinks the whole expence of the entertainment will be about sixty guineas. Cham- paigne is become very dear and scarce since the French troubles began, but as it has been customary we ordered it should be served once round.”* December 23.—In determining what toasts should be drank [at the Anniversary Dinner] Farington says, “ I mentioned that Sir William Chambers [Architect of Somerset House] should be particularly noticed, having so greatly contributed to the foundation by his influence with the King at that period; and I requested Mr. Richards [the Secretary] to show me the minutes of the first meetings of the Academi¬ cians. I there found, that in the first meeting Sir Joshua Reynolds, the President, addressed the meeting, and the first motion that was made was ‘ Thanks to Mr. Chambers for his able and active conduct in planning and forming the Royal Academy.’ This resolution I pro¬ posed to adopt into the Toast with the addition of 6 under his Majestys gracious patronage and protection ’—this was agreed to.” [On December 30 West showed Farington a design he had made for the commemoration medal. “ On one side the Kings head, on the other painting, sculpture, and architecture, represented by three figures.” Farington records that on Tuesday, December 31, “ Dr. Woolcot (Peter Pindar) published an ode on the Royal Academy celebration.”] [At a quarter past five in the evening of the 31st] “ the Dinner was placed on the table, and consisted of two courses and a desert admirably served. Woodcocks, &c., in the second course, and in the desert grapes and asparagus—of all these plenty. Excellent Champaigne was served once round between the courses.” [The large number of Academicians present included fifteen original * This statement is in strong contrast to another made on April 23, 1808, by Farington, as auditor to the Academy Council. “ I represented to them,” he said, “ the shameful waste of wine on the annual dinner day, and that for 175 persons there had been charged 274 bottles of wine, the cost of which was £116.”