New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-19
RLSKIN on EDUCATION ~ ART.

PAPER READ BEFORE THE EDUCsTIOEAL DEPART
sKST or THE BRITISH ASSOCIATIONS FOR THf
PROMOTION OF sOCGlL sCfESCE.
will not attempt in this paper TO enter into ans
general consideration Of tie possible influence OF an
on the masses Of the people. The inquiry ls one o
great c0mpexy involved with that into the uses and
dangers Of luxury; have We yet data enough tc
justy in coniecturDg how far the practice Of art
may be compatible with rude or mechanical employ
nents. But the question: bow owever difficult, lies in tae
light Is that of the uses Of reading or writing;
for drawing far is possible TO the multitude, il
msoly 10 be considered as means Of obtaining and
communicating knowledge. He who can s,curately y
represent the form Of object, and match its color
has upquestionaby power of notation and descr ptlon
greater in most instances than that OF words and thin
science notation ought to be simply yregsrded that
which is concerned with the record OF form just as
aritbmetic is concerned with the record OF number
OF abuses and dangers attend the requirement
Of every power. We have all Of us probably known
persons who without being able to read write, dis
charged the important duties Of life wisely and faith
fully We have also with out doubt known others able
to read and write whose reading did little good 10 them
selves and whose writing little 10 any else. But
We do not therefore, doubt the expedency Of acquiring
those arts neither ought to doubt the expedIency
of acquiring the art of drawing, if we admit that il
may indeed become practically useful Nor should We
long hesitate in admitting this, If were not in the
ha bit Of cons ierng instructions in the arts chiefly
means Of promoting what We call taste, dllettan-
teisn and other habits of mind which, in their more
modern developments in Europe, have certainly not
ness in them. Nevertheless true taste, the nsan-
preierence OF the noble thing TO the gnobe,
is necessary accompaniment OF high worthness ~
nations men; only ii is not to be acquired by seek
ing il chief object, since the first question, alike
lor and for multitude, is not at all what they are
TO like but what they to do; and fortunately 80,
since true TASTE lar it depends original in
stinct, is not equally communicable to all
men; and, 70 far as 1t depends on extended COM
parison, Is uDatteinable by men employed in
narrow fields Of life. We shall not succeed in
merits Of Elgn and Lycian marbles; is it neces-
sary to dictate to him in his garden the preference of
eillyfower Of Of rose; yet believe may make art
a means Of giving him helpful and healthy pleasure,
and Of gaining for him servcedble knowledge. Thus,
in our simplest codes Of school instruction, hope
day to see local natural history assume princ
pal place, that our peasant children may be taught
the nature and of the herbs that grow In their
meadows, and may take interest in observing and
cherishing, rather than in hunting killing, the
harmless animals Of their country. Supposing 1t de-
terInned that this local natural history should be
taught drawing ought to be used to fix the attention,
ar test, while it aided, the memory Draw such
Z" and sUch flower in outline, with its bell toward
you. Draw it with its side toward you. Paint the
spots upon it. Draw ducks heai-her foot. Now
g robn's-a thrush's-now tie spots upon the
" thrush's breast" These the kinds of tasks
which it 10 should be get 10 the young peas
ant student Surely the occupation would more be
thought contemplate which was thus subservient TO
knowledge and to compassion and perhaps we should
art with dtto delight both consistent with and
even mainly consequent upon pure Greek connec-
ton Of art with arctc or virtue. Ii may perhaps be
thought that the power Of representing IN any sufh-
cient natural objects such those above in-
stanced would be OF too difficult requirement to be
aimed at in elementary instruction. But have had
practical proof that it is not 80. From workmen who
had little time to spare, and that only after they
were iaded by the days labor, l have obtained, IN
the course of three or four months from their first
eftciii haut
respects admirable drawings OF natural objects. IL IS,
however, necessary in order to secure this result,
that the students aim should be absolutely restricted
10 the representation OF visible fact AL more vaned
elevated practice must be deferred until the powers
Of true sight and just representation acquired in
simplicity; nor, in the OF children belonging to
the lower classes, does il 10 me often advisable
to aim at anything more. at all events their draw
ing lesson should be made as recreative as possl-
bic. Undergoing due discipline of hard labor in
other directions, such children should be painlessly
initiated into emplOyments calculated for the re-
lief Of toll. IL rs of little consequence that they
should know the principles Of art, but OF much that
their; attention should be pleasurably excited. In
our higher public schools, the contrary, drawing
should be taught rightly; that is 10 say, with due
succession ana security OF preliminary steps It being
here OF little consequence whether the student atans
great or little skill but Of much that he should per-
ccye distinctly what degrees of skill be has attained
reverence that which surpasses 1t, and know the prin
cipes of right III what he has been able to accom-
psh. II is impossible 10 make every boy an artist
or a cornOsseur, bat qrite possible tn make him
derstand the meaning of art in is rudinents and TO
make him modest enough 10 iorbear expressing, IN
after life. judgments which he has not knowledge
enough 70 render lust. There il, however at present
this great difficulty in the way such systematic teach
ing-that the public do believe the principles of
art are determnabe, and wise matters of opinion.
They do not belevet that good drawing good and bad
drawing bad, whatever any number OF persons NAV
think or declare TO the eontrary-that there is nplt
= .nlg~ -, ,itfaa
lust as there is right or best wy Of dyirg cloth of
given color, and tnat Tnlar aud Nercnese are not
merely Accidentally admirable, ta. eternally right. The
public OF cou.se, cannot be convinced oi this unity
and stability Of principle uut clear assertion Of it is
nsde to them by pants whom they respect, and the
painters whom they respect gene rally 200 modest
and sometimes too proad, 10 make il. believe the
chief reason for the not having yet declared at least
the fundamental l.ws of labor connected with art
study is kind Of feeling their part that esa
sans dire." Every great painter knows 80 well the
necessity Of hard and systema.ized work in order to
attain the lower degrees of skill, that he naturally
supposes Il people diligence in drawing they do
not ca-e acquire the power OF 1t, and that the toll
involved in wholesome study being greater than the
mas of the people have given, is also greater
than they would be willing 10 give. Feeling. also
s every real painter feels, that his Own excellence is
eif, no ess than the reward of toh perhaps slightly
dkirg TO confess the labor il mas cost Tim TO perfect
IL ard wholly cespairing of dong any good by the
confession. lie contemPtuousy leaves the drawing
master 10 do tie best he cau in has twelve lessons and
with courteous unkindness permits the young women
of Epgasd 20 remain urder the impression that they
can learn to draw with lees pains than they learn TO
dance. | have had practical experience enough how
ever TO convince that this treatment Of the
teur student is unjust. Young girls viii work with
s,eadiest perseverance, when once they understand
the need oi labor and convinced that drawing is
Kind of language which may, for ordinary purposes
be learned as easily az French German but not
more easily, nor on any other terms; this language,
also having its yrammsr and its pronunciation, TO be
CONQUERED or acquired oDy by persistence in ksome
exe1cise-an error in a form being entirely and
simply an error ss mistake in tense, and an III