New-York daily tribune., 1858-11-19

| a;i>eh rr,nt imnort.pr- 20 The solnd education ci
or younger female. in ant thinking thal ID ins
the nEy-ery and the drawng.room are Pe'haPsr
NOS. ireuen.ial Of acsdeujes We address ourselves
in vain % the edncson o. the arl-. whlis '". =.
for Lie vofk s uncertain uDinteligent cor e1l a.
be considered as having any serl0us inHnen
nation while gilded papers form he principal 49,
dor of the receptonTcou, and il-wroughf tho.gn
costly, trifbe-s tie p7ncips4 en'ertaihhith- - %
bondo'r. j. u surely therefore 20 pe leEte..i
that the sr, eduea,iOn Of our Government scuvy ~
!s addressed 80 definitely 90 the euidsnce OF lne
artisan ard therefore 30 little acknowledged hithei"
by .he general public especially by ,s upper CLASSY.
! have 10; Acquaintance enough WIKI the PiSY .cAl
working of hg- system To venture any '1p's ion %
opuitn respecting fs general e,peiienry oa' Il q my
on vc,on hn, 80 far a. references are lv ovei in j.
TO the designing Of patterns capable of being pro-
duced by machinery. such reierences must materially
diminish its utility considered as general system 0i
Instruction. We stili tner-iore, driven 70 the
same pont-'he iced ot sn authoritative rec0mmeoda-
ton Of ursthod OF study TO The public method
determined won by tire concurrence OF some oi 0ur
bes; psr.e-s and avovedly sanctioned by them, 80
az 10 earo TO room for hesitation in s acceptance.
Nor reed Il be thought that becau.e me ultimate
methods 0i work employed by panters vary according
20 the par cuar effects proposed by each there woul1
be anv difficulty in obtaining their collective assent 20
sysern ot elementary preoep. The facts OF which
il s Necessary tha: the student shouli BE- assured N
he early efforts are simple, so iev, and so vel
known TO all able draughtsmen, that. a. h.ve Just
egd, i would te rather dOlbt Of the need Of stating
what seemed 10 them selfeyident than reluctance -
spesk au'hor'stively on points cap sole q. dispute,
that would stand in their way OF giving form 70 code
Of general instruction. To take merely two nstanoes
1t will perhaps appear hardly credible that among
amateur students however far advanced in
SNOWY secomphshments, there will not be found one
in hundred who can make an accurate drawing TO
scale. IL is much If they eat copy anything vitl
approximate fidelity Of s real size. Now the insc-
curacy Of eye which prevents student from drawing
TO scale il, in fact nothing else than sn entire want of
appreciation Of proportion and therefore OF compost
On. lie who alters the relations OF dimensions to
each other in his copy, shows that he does not enjoy
those laons in the original that is 10 cay, that all
appreciation of noble design which is based on the
most exquisite relations OF magnitude Impossible To
him. To give him habits Of mathematical accuracy
in transeTepce Of the outline Of complex form - there
fore, among the first, and among the most in
pOItsnt means of educating his taste. student who
fI with precision the cardinal points of birds
wing extended in any fixed position, aud can then
draw the curves Of It's individual plunes, without
measurable error, has advanced further toward
power Of understanding the design OF the
great masters than he could by reading many volumes
Of criticisms, passing many months ID audIscpined
examination Of works Of art. Again, il vii DE found
that among amateur students there is almost universal
deficiency in the power Of expressing the r0undness OF
surface. They frequently draw with considerable
deIterity and ygor, bnt never attain the slightest
sense Of those modulntious in form which only be
expressed by gradatons in shade. They leave snarp
EDGES to their bots Of color sharp angles in their
tours OF line, and conceal from themselves their in
capacity of completion by redundance OF subec The
assurance TO such persons that no object eoald be
rightly or drawn until the draughtsmsn had &C.
qured the power of mOilatiDg surface by gradations
wrought with pointed instrument whether pen,
pencil or chalk would at prevent much vain
labor, and put an end TO many errors of that worst
kind which not only etsrd the student, but blind
him. which prevent him from either attaining
cellence himself understanding it in others.
Ii would be easy, did time permit it, give instances
of other principles which il is equally essential that
the student should know, and certain tnat all painters
Of emnence would sanction; while even those respect
ing which some doubt may exist in their application
to consummate practice yet perfectly deter nina
bic, far as they needed 10 guide beginner. IL
may, for instance, be question how far local color
should be treated an element of chiaroscuro in
masters drawing Of the human form. But there
be question that it must be 80 treated in boys
study OF tulip trout. A still important
point would ne gained if authoritative testimony of
the same kind could be given to the merit anu
elusive sUeency Of any series of examples of works
Of art, such could az be put within the reach
OF masters and schools For the modern student .abors
under heavy disadvantages in what at first sight
might appear an assistance 10 him, namely the
number of examples OF many different styles which
surround him in galleries or museums. His mind
is disturbed by the Inconsistencies of various
excellence, and by his own predictions for
false beauties in second or third-rate works
He is thus prevented from observing any example
long enough TO understand its merit following any
one method long enough to obtain facility in It's prac
tice. 1t seems therefore, very desirable that some
standard of art should be fixed for all our schools;
standard which, il must be remembered need not ne
cessary be the highest possible provided only is the
rghtest possible. Ii is not to be hoped that the student
should initiate works of the most exalted merit; but
much to be desired that he should he guided by those
which have the fewest faults Perhaps, therefore, the
most serviceable example which could be set before
youth might be found in the studies drawings rather
than in the pictures of frstrate masters and the art
Of photography enables US to put renderngs of such
studies which for most practical purposes good
the originals on the walls of every schooln the king
dom. Slpposing II merely name these examples of |
,rha uf IN -shaie
drawing fixed by Leonardos study, No. - in the
collection of photographs lately published from draw
ngs in the Florence gallery the standard of pen draw
ing with wash, fixed by Titians sketch, No. 80 in
the came collection; that of etching fixed by REM
brandts spotted shell; and that Of point work. with
the pure ine by Durers crest With the cock; every
effort of the pupil, whatever the instrument in his
hand would nfalhbly tend in right direction and
the perception of the merits of those four works. of
any others ike them, once attained thoroughly by
efforts however distant desparng, TO copy portions
of them, woud rad securely in due time TO the appre
ciation Of other modes Of excellence. / cannot, of
course within the limits of this paper, proceed to
any statement of tie present requirements of the
English operative as regards art-education. But
do not regret this, for 1t seems to me very de-
sirabe that our attention should for the pres
ent be concentrated on the more immediate
object Of general instruction. Whatever the public
demand, the artist will soon produce, and the best
education which the operative receive is the
fusal of bad work and acknowledgment of good There
is no want of genius MoDg us; still less Of industry.
The least that We do is laborious and the worst is
wonde erfu. But there is a want among us, deep and
wide Of discretion in directing toll, and of delight in
being led by imagination. In past time, though the
masses of the nation less Informed than they
now, they for that very simpler judges
and happier gazers it must be to substitute the
gracious sympathy of the understanding for the bright
gratitude Of innocence. An artist always pant
well for those who lightly pleased wisely dis
pleased but he cannot paint for those who dull in
applause end false in condemnation.
NJTCECRAPT ~ SWEDEN