New-York tribune., 1868-06-01
FINE ARTS.
THE COOPER INSTITUTE SCHOOLS OF DESIGN
MALE AND FEMALE DEPARTMENTS.


MALE AND FEMALE DEPARTMENTS.
We wish we could speak VOID of sincere and
hearty congrauation TO the teachers and pupils of the
Art Department of the Cooper Institute tho result
their labors during the past year. We should he gadf
could say honestly that the work Of the pupils Tie
present exhibition shows great Improvement that
Of last Spring But cannot honestly say and 10
fatter is not in commission. Nor shall we undertake
to decide whether the teachers, the pupils arc to
blame for the poverty Of this result whether the teach
ers want learning method skin, the pupils be lacking
in natural capacity in industry In perseverance,. Bat
here is the evident fact; that after Winter
of apparently hard work. hundreds Of
young people of both sexes appear TO have
been wasting time and money in a deplorable fashOn
Out Of these two three hundred pictures and drawing
the most generous examination can find hardya dora
that deserve any cOmmendation whatever while he
greater number of them are indescribaby bad. WeW
indescrbably and that word seems exactly suited The
particular badness OF these productions 1t does not
sst in the drawing in the color nor in, vhs.
may be called, the design these ALL to be sure
far from excellence but imagine pictures bad
any OF these respects or In all OF te and yet not alto
gether hopeless. But the greater number OF these per
formanees add to the defects have mentioned the
negative fault OF want OF purpose and the positive faults
OF pretenson and aectaton Whether itbe Of their ovl
notion that they follow the direction and adyeea
may see that the subjects chosen OF the most amb
tious kind, historical subjects, portraits from life
illustrating plays poems, and romances, TO say
nothing OF elaborate compositions Of fruit and flowers
and game. This is about the as If two-year pupils
in music should give a concert, and make mp the pro
gramme Of Beethoven and Schubert, with piece or two
by Lszt and Wagner thrown in, for fear the audience
should suspect their proficiency. The Reading
Room is an excellent feature Of the establishment and
f1,a onfa auino Of
and even OF architectural drawing although th,
last is by far the least cOmmendable d
the three. Professor Herzberg is good teacher
in his way and two or three OF his pupils Collins Cor
telmeyer. Braumlich o. Freytag Fitz. Plumb, and
MeDopald show some ability, but when we come to the
wonens Department hardly any sign OF talent or ability
is TO be certainly there nothing conspicuous Ne
I23, Young MANS HEAD, is the best think. amOus
the lfestudes and there few pencil drawings ha.
show little NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. Song SEVEN. senes
OF four CINDERELLA TRYING on THE SLIPPER; this nay
fairly praised for its naturalness and for its simplicity
or rather its unaffecedness, quality on thee
walls We may be allowed TO say frankly that think
any teacher blame who allows young girl TO wasIes
whole Winter on such subject as Christian Martyrs
given to the Lions" and The Death Of Virginia" FOf
all we know these may be the productions OF old Ia
dies who have nothing better to do with
their time, or think they have nothing better
TO do, though, Of course, this is q mistake; bat
ascribe these pictures TO young ladies' the uppO
on that almost all the pupils in this school are SUCH
Now would seem as any man OF sense and experience
ought TO know that It is sheer impossibty for any
young haaught person 10 treat subjects of this nature
with any reasonable approach 10 excellence requires
great deal of knowledge, not only OF painting and da"
ing perspective and architecture but ofhuman nature
which cannot be taught in any school but that OF expo
rence 1t is the duty Of teacherso IL seems TO us-~
1a from suDeCts that un
suited to her his abilities and indeed 10 more than DIS
suade 20 forbid it positively But would appear thA
pupils here instructed and encouraged TO try hess
flights and the gallery Of sculpture affords mcanehon
proof Of the latitude that s given 10 their aspirations
esze statues colossal heads portrait busts are nero
shown conspicuousy advertised as having been made
rule without any study whatever from nature
II sculpture can be taught in this mechanical vTWe
have right to make objection to It, hut these statues
least give evidence that 1t be taught They arc
not discreditable because the makers OF them nave
probably done the best they could but we do not benee
they have gained any real good in the making Of thee
things other than what comes from dong the duty OF ~
hour.
II may seem an unkind thing to speak so buny sDoO'
the work OF hundred and more young girls snu "
should not do IL II it did not seem an unknd thnsw
keep silent. The original intention OF this scnOOi ~
Design for Women was TO teach women to desig" ~.
manufacturers so that they might earn their Nins'
was hoped 70 do IN time IN this country what oei"s
prosperously done oday in England and IN FRANCE
from various causes that plan failed ana since VA
the School Of Design has been mercy :,
or third.rate drawing school, ana mas peV" -
odds with fortune 1t has had goou 'eaeno'' 'a"
teachers, but IL never yet has had heu' So .noo
ON, system II has now MASTER learned and accom-.
p,Ished gentleman, who has system, and one 'ha'
seems TO ms a very unsatisfactory one when appieu
large school as this At any rate, We think mus,
pear that he has altogether too mneh Oh MS asI,
Judging the tree by its fruit, we think We are
saying that no young girl does wise thing 10
Winter 10 study in this school she VIII learn
here that will enable her 10 her hying ana Ihe %
art she will Oet AN acquaintance with will be such as w"
do her no credit with intelligent people.
II il snid that Miss Kellogg is coming hSS holnSS