A curious coincidence took place at this meeting, with that convened in
the year 1792 for the purpose of considering how the funeral of Sir
Joshua Reynolds should be conducted. I allude to an objection of one
member only, in each case, to the honours proposed. With respect to the
funeral of Sir Joshua, an architect of considerable abilities and great
celebrity, (Sir William Chambers) considered it a _matter of duty_ to
object to the body lying in state, and a public funeral taking place
from Somerset House, without the sanction of the King; for, said he, "My
instructions, as surveyor of the building, are, that the Academy cannot
let or lend any part thereof, for any other purpose than that for which
it is appropriated." This objection, it is well known, was referred to
and overruled by the King. In the case of Fuseli, an Academician, a
portrait painter, objected both in the council and at the general
assembly to any honour being paid by the Academy, as a body, to the
remains of Fuseli. But the observations of this person, I have been
credibly informed, created feelings little short of disgust in many of
the Academicians present.
As the funeral was, by this resolution, to be considered a private one,
measures were immediately taken by the executors, to meet the wishes of
the relative and a friend of the deceased, by ordering such preparations
to be made at their expense as they considered due to his merits; and
invitations were accordingly sent, by their desire, to the President,
Secretary, and other members of the Council of the Academy, and to
several of his private friends, to attend the solemnity.
The funeral of Fuseli took place on Monday the 25th of April: it moved
from Somerset House at eleven o'clock in the morning, for St. Paul's
Cathedral, in the following order:--
Pages bearing funeral feathers, with attendants.
Four Porters in silk dresses.
THE HEARSE,
(Drawn by six horses decorated with velvet
and feathers)
Containing the Body enclosed in a leaden coffin; the outer wooden one
was covered with black velvet, ornamented with gilt furniture, and bore
the following inscription:
HENRY FUSELI, ESQ.
A.M. R.A.
KEEPER AND PROFESSOR OF PAINTING TO
THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF LONDON,
DIED THE 16TH APRIL, 1825,
AGED 86 YEARS.[63]
The hearse was followed by eight mourning coaches drawn each by four
horses, the first with the two Executors, Mr. Knowles and Mr. Balmanno.
In the others were the President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Council of
the Academy, and the private friends of the deceased, in the following
order:--Sir Thomas Lawrence, President; Henry Howard, Esq. Secretary;
Robert Smirke, Jun. Esq. Treasurer. Sir William Beechy, R.A.; T.
Phillips, Esq. R.A.; A. Chalon, Esq. R.A.; William Mulready, Esq. R.A.;
G. Jones, Esq. R.A.; R.R. Reinagle, Esq. R.A.; J. Wyatville, Esq. R.A.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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