He provides advice to the assembled students, dealing with each of the different parts of the school in turn; firstly on the correct manner to draw from the life, by using a style that does not detract from the subject, he rails against manner in drawing as a needless distraction; he also criticises a tendancy in the antique school to focus on relief and finishing at the expense of the overall proportions; he bemoans the limited resources available in the Painting School; he notes that only one model from the Life has been submitted.
He concludes with an extended eulogy to the recently deceased
John Flaxman; he lays out a touching tribute to Flaxman's involvement in the Academy before pronouncing judgement on the nature of his talent and genius.