One cannot blame British artists for their cutthroat politics in fighting for a place in the sun.  To be noticed by the public and written about by art critics, these chaps would go to remarkable lengths.  At the end of the day, the Royal Academy and admission into its famous annual Salon was all they dreamed about.  Even the lucky ones, whose paintings were accepted, were prone to anxiety attacks, wondering: Will their painting be shown in the prestigious Main Gallery or be banished into the adjacent rooms?...