In England

King George nominated the members of a body to be known as the Commission of Fine Arts for England. This body, and the American Commission of Fine Arts (established by act of Congress in 1910), are almost identical in character and scope. Both are composed of non-political artists and amateurs who receive no recompense for their work; both are limited to the capacity of advisers who have no actual power. While the American Commission is confined to criticism of Federal projects in the District of Columbia, the British one is empowered to give advice to such provincial authorities as may ask for help in matters of city planning, public buildings, monuments. The King's Commission calls for two laymen, the first to hold office being Lords Curzon; and Crawford, both active patrons of art. A total of nine members is completed by the nomination of distinguished professional artists representing architecture, painting, sculpture.

One English pessimist, after hearing that the Commission of Fine Arts for England was purely advisory and enjoyed no actual power, expressed his doubt as to the probability of Town Councillors asking advice from anybody with regard to their public projects. He thus described the making of a memorial statue: "First of all, they select a man with a beard, then they look up the worst local sculptor, and the sculptor goes to the man's tailor and gets a copy of the man's suit, and in time up the thing goes--beard and suit, true to life."