Read a Paragraph in the Morning Post of
April ye. 14^th last; stating the rejecting of the
President's Picture of Hagar & Ishmael; and
reflecting on the President &c.

And afterwards Read the President's
address to the Council, concerning the rejection
of his Picture. Which is as follows
viz.:

Gentlemen
In the month of Oct^r last
I began to prepare the Pictures which I intended
for the ensuing Exhibition _ among that number
was that of Hagar and Ishmael, which I sent
to the Royal Academy on y^e 7^th Ins^t the others
not being in readiness on account of my ill
state of health. The Picture of Hagar I first
painted in the year 1776 and whether Exhibited
in that year or not, I have not the least re-
collection, but as I am informed that the
Catalogue of that year mentions a Picture of
Hagar & Ishmael painted by me, it must have
been that Picture. I will admit that the
Picture was then exhibition and to send the
same Picture again for Exhibition, I know is
contrary to the Laws of the Academy, which I
never have wilfully attempted to deviate from
the

The Picture has been reconsidered and intirely
repainted by me; the Angel has been erased and
a new one different from the first substituted;
Hagar and Ishmael have undergone alterations
and new Draperies have been introduced, the
background entirely changed _ so that in every
respect, it is a new Picture, as much so as that
Picture which is in the Chapel at the Foundling
Hospital differs from that which I painted for
Macklin's Gallery some years past, and on
that Picture, as on the Hagar there are
two dates, showing the time when they were
first painted, and that when they underwent
the alterations: different dates may be seen
on many of my other works which I have been
ever considered as new Pictures and it will
prove to posterity how anxious I have been
to leave the few works I have done as perfect
as was in my power to make them.

The above statement I hope will prove
that the Picture of Hagar was not sent by me
as wishing to pass any deception on the Gentle
men of the Council, but in full confidence that
as it was to be inspected by artists they would
view it as a new Picture. You Gentlemen
under the impression made, & its being the
Picture

Picture Exhibited in 1776, could not but reject it,
_ and had our Secretary obeyed your orders by
writing to me respecting the Picture, you would
have received my answer, and the business would
doubtless have been adjusted to our mutual
satisfaction; but my indisposition and the
unaccountable neglect of the Secretary, kept
me in a state of ignorance respecting the
matter, until I was inform'd of it on Thursday
Evening last through the medium of a News
Paper, which was six days after the Secretary
had received your orders to write to me on
that business _ and which invidious Pa
ragraph under the sanction of Royal Academy
was copied from the Morning Post of that day.

Relying on the justice of the Members
of Council, I hope this business by them will be
satisfactorily adjusted, and that the Picture
of Hagar and Ishmael will have a place in
the present Exhibition.

I have the honour to be with great respect
Gentlemen
your most Obedient serv^t.
Newman Street
April 16^th 1803 Benjⁿ West
To the MEmbers of the Council of the Royal Academy