New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1853-04-25
THE FINE ARTS.
Schools Of Design.

A
in Philadelphia for women" Last year one was opened
N Boston also for women " and within few months past
this City, vet another has been opened for women
The ostepsble object Of each is to qualify women 10
earn better living than needle work affords them ana Is
in this point of view particularly that wish to discuss
Schools Of Design.
Every communicates It's wants and rs own character
In New York there foreign artists than IN Boston
ar Philadelphia They already occupy the field as design
m Sc and even if feeling of benevolence patriotism
bould induce our IN uacurers who now employ them to
transfer their patronage to native artists tn number would
be- very limited If any person will take the trouble 20 III
ouire they will that designs are not much IN de
mand because who manufacture tor the market una
that foreign designs be modified altered orconohed 10
suit their purposes 1t is practsed eye VIII detect
the want Of harmony in whole that made up oi various
narts originally designed by different minds ana Tor uet
IN objects But the multitude no deieCt III Inc moon
gruty or want of taste displayed in these comP2'Non'
which i nroof sufficient of the necessity of school where
art can be taught To all classes of people Inc TASTE o W
whole community needs cultivation therefore >9log' ~
DESIGN should not be made exclusive Besides the dd
yanta attending exclusive system are very great IL
one class monopolse elegant accomplishments eN
Guiding all others from knowledge of IT. they would neeI
the benefit OF that critical observation "Hic ~
universal cultivation Without IT, they would neNittoy o'
sacriod 10 mutual envics and jealousicS or Ia! Nc' u
the blghtng influence of mutual admiration Neiuler WIZ
school succeed that a strictly benevolent Plan ana
for the benefit the industrial classes only because the
wishes of the dronrs are made the rule of action and the
standard of teaching school therefore on benevolent
ulan can never take high rank or attain great eAceiee
Yet an industrial department IL school that Is OPEN me
community may be supported by benevolent fund with
out the least disadvantage. On the contrary " great
amount of good may be accomplished by such an arrange
ment for II is those who continue To laOOr ana WHOSE
works are scattered abroad that viii help to dise the
taste there cultivated Suppose scholar has entered VINO
caves after having taken only the course OF lessons IN
drrr tho instruction Given and received i not lost Tor
if she becomes seamstress her work Will show the framing
of the eve and hand ard If She has progressed so lar rs 10
have acquired the principles of color she VIII MAKE pet
ssmak er or mlmcr In ms way aoie oC'9on W.
Design may be made immense benefit to women Tor he
best Workmanship always commands the best price ueTe
fore. skill in amy OF the mechanic arts Is caP" l" tue
skill with the needle may be artistic though needework
does Dot rank with the fine arts AT all events II VIII com
,aud It's nrce and no class of operatives more IN de-
mand than skiul needlewomen. That many ladies Go
their own sewing because they cannot get properly done
/, fact that can be well aested and school for nstruc
ton in hi, kind of work would be mclcua0e Deneh 70
the class of persons for whom the Schools OF Desgn rer
red to have been ostensiby opened There would De no
disadvantage in having them connected IN the same eSo
shment The skill of the best SeanstreSS Woui1 De IN
pry ed by the cultivation of the eye 20 accuracy OF ne ana
beauty OF and those who are capable oil II cou De
made cmbrolerers The French em5roldererS are hrSt
taught draw and any person accustomed 10 me use OF
the pencil would that nothing Out shI III me
art Of drawing could enable them to work with sucn eNlu
,c delcacv Many design for their work and Obtain
copyrights for their dessns which gives them te co'oi
This we are convinced is the only plan for making
schools of Design essentially useful to the suffering Class
of sealnstre,se, Let them be thoroughly husnt IN al
that belongs to their trade and certificate 81 qaIc avon
given drcssmakers mmers or shlrtm1kefr ana tiIS
would then be comp ain of want OF work or H!el'eu
labor In Philadelphia Boston and New ork schools Oh
Design are established for with the expectation OF
obtaining work for them in new sphere bu' no" hly
ont M hundred will have the taste requisite so far to excel
in the art as realise suitable pecunary reward Or the
amount of labor bestowed their work Most persons
belonging this class of abOrers have been deprived OF
the advantages of education and the cultivation tlat can
only be gained by a.sociatng with the cultivated Ih1t
common minds will produce common lhlnS' Is Il Ius, tuu
the labor of the best teaching is lost in attempting to carry
the skill of such persons beyond certain point On ne
other hand the ability for mechancaabor VIII bedecmedy
improved by of instruction ana practce III me ART
of drawing and may enable person to excel IN me ce
zeal pursuits whose efforts to attain anything higher III art
would be fuess Let suppose that tue whole caSs ot
Iborino women could be made skiul designers-Whchi
better To excel in their appropriate sphere where
they will be sure Of employment or make an effort 70 enter
another where they must meet powerful competitors ana
/ TO say the least, thrown in doubtful position m
We would not b. understood as dsparagng the aOl'
ties of women or discOuaging efforts to better Their
condition The question Is can tins be succes9'ny Ho9
except in their sphere and IN their own mem Oh HoVr
some women it is true are gifted with abilities that enable
them to 90 beyond with success These are the eNcep
tions As class they cannot do it, And even if they
shared the work of the other the remuneration would
be UNEQUAL for the that the Lions share IS always
the largest The Office of teacher most appropriate 10
woman in that department she is always IN her sphere
Teachers in the art OF drawing are more ana more III 9e
mand from year year, and the Schools OF Design ior
Women should have particular reference 10 inns qUiHca
ton Advancing the idea that numbers can De iuiy sup
uorted as artists and designers, is creating false eNpeca
| lions which will assuredly end in disappointment.
The importance Of general cultivation, under ne pest
system Of instruction, IS too much oVeookeu W slc
founders of our schools of Desgn-f0r 1t Is only unaer
that influence and by diusing generally correct know
edeeof art according the rules that govern the practce
of it. that they become permanent and independent III
stutions This would enable the public to estimate her
value and impOrtancethen would be no longer neces
sary to appeal to the benevolent for their support Self
would require them to prepare teachers VINO
coud spread this knowledge abroad throughout the length
and breadth of the land. And in this way now m'ny
women would find most honorable employment .
Perhaps il will not be out OF place TO inquire INTO ue
cause of the low rate of wages paid to the shirt makers 1t
is well known that there many women among our iar'
ing pouuaon who have good homes and abundance OF the
essential comforts of life who at the same time can com
mand but little money The iacines i9r 70
verv mart of the country enables the shirt dealers to EN-
poy these people and get work done to amy amount 10
hen the wages paid is clear gain They can well afford TO
make two or three dozen shirts week at sixpence eac
because they aIe at additional expense Tor living ana
have an abundance Incorporated time On the contrary
he searnstresses in town must meet weekly board BILL
and the price paid for making SHIRT IS enirey adele
To- the necessary expense of living STILL they are not the
greatest sufferers Those who make the shirts IN the cou
trv are perfectly satisfied with the compensation received
and those who sell them make good profits that after all
il is the consumer that is most wrOnged and VINO has the
best right complain of the system OF low wages Tor the
quality ofhe work corresponds with theprce paid for It.
II NAV be inferred that do not appreciate the efforts
made 10 establish Schools OF Design ms Is not tne
case On the contrary can better understand the on
tcules that must be encountered better estimate the
vast amount good that may result from their success
AT the same time must beg leave to say that while we
honor the motive that has induced the effort we question
the Judgment on which the plan is carried out The oen
,be object the founders is open new sphere OF labor
for women but the practice given In the system OF me
chancal drawing adopted at the outset VIII d9uay then
for acquiring that skill and grace with the pencil which VII
alone enable them compete with others and command
IL. n1,a lnnnpt al q