Alexey Makhrov, Introduction to Bruni, 'To the antagonists of the Academy of Arts'

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In this article published in the newspaper Stock Exchange Gazette (1865, no. 257, 25 November), Fedor Bruni, the Rector of the Academy of Arts between 1855 and 1871, responds to critical reviews of the annual Academic exhibition of 1865. Bruni defends teaching methods at the Academy, particularly the practice of setting a single subject for all students entering competitions. He emphasises that the role of the Academy is to produce artists competent in artistic technique. He acknowledges the difficulty that artists face in trying to meet the requirements of the art market, but rejects any suggestion that the Academy should prepare its students to respond to the demands of contemporary life. In order to show the superiority of the Academic Council's aesthetic judgement over that of critics, he compares views expressed in several articles (one of which was written by Vasilii Stasov), asserting that the criteria used by art critics for judging academic exhibitions are incorrect. Bruni argues that the primary purpose of the annual exhibitions is to allow students to compare their works with those of their fellows, and suggests that critics should, instead, concentrate on the technical aspect of their work.

The longwinded and at times confused style of the article indicates that Bruni found it difficult to write for the periodical press. However, the very fact that he entered into critical discussions in the press suggests that the artistic establishment no longer felt secure in the tense social situation of the 1860s, particularly after the fourteen students of the Academy refused to enter the Major Gold Medal competition in 1863.