Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1870-03-17
Can Every Os,e learn 10 Draw


perience has abundantly demonstrated
that, where it has been properly taught,
success is as certain and as universal
as in any branch OF study. One II not
born a draugttsman, any more than
one is born writer. The ability 10
draw depends upon an intelligent COM
prehenson Of the laws which govern
representation, and upon disciplined
eye anu a trained hand.
The study Of drawing Is a great help
| in learning to write. 1t develops the
preceptive powers, aad it trains The
hand.
The Hon Horace Mann, ii. Ms re-
port on Visits to Schools in Europe,
says "Suc, excellent handwriting as
saw in the Prussian schools | never
saw before. This excellence must be
referred, ia a great degree, to the uni
yersal practice Of learning to draw
contemporaneously with lcarn;ng to
| write. | believe a child will learn
both to draw and write sooner, and
with more case, than lie will learn
writing alone. In the course Of nv
tour, Ieasscd from countries where
almost every pupil in every school
could draw with ease, and most OF
them with 10 inconsiderable degree
OF beauty and expression, to those
where drawing was not practised at
ali; and came to The conclusion, that,
with no other guide but the copy
books of the pupils, l could tell
whether drawing was taught III school,
or not
There is no person, whatever his
profession, but, at times. has need OF
drawing as an auxiliary TO render his
ideas perfectly intelligible to others.
The necessity OF this art to the engi-
ueer, architect, carpenter, mason, ma
chinist, and, in fact, to every artisan.
male Or female, who Is engaged in the
construction Of objects combining
taste with fitness, beauty with utility,
must be obvious to oil.
But there is another ard greater
advantage than any vet named to be
| derived from the study Of drawing
The discipline OF eye and mind which
comes from the study OF drawing will
make one a better mechanic than he
otherwise would have been, because
he will he better Judge Of size. torn,
and proportion. The mechanic with
an educated eye possesses an element
of power totally wanting Ill one whose
eye is unframed The work of the
former viii DC distinguished for its it-
ness, symmetry and beauty; while
that Of the latter will be remarkable
for the entire absence ot these desira-
! bic qualities. The latter, even with a
model before him. is continually II. Az
/ inr offensive variations; anl yet he
fails to see the points of difference.
| One commands hundred dollars per
month. and the other one halt the sum
or less. When We consider that the
children il oar nlblic schools are to
be the future mechanics OF the land,
can ans one doubt whether it will pay
10 make drawing a study III these
schools?
The study OF drawing, in giving
o,earness and yigor to our perceptlye
| powers, opens our blind eyes to tile
| beauties Of Nature and Art which lie
about rs III exhaustless abundance, but
Of which the great masses are wholly
| unconscious. For them the richest
gems IN painting and sculpture have
no attractions; and even Nature her
self, with al her charms, Is plain and
commonplace. God in his goodness
has made al things beautiful; and
thai we might enjoy this beauty, hc
| has given us eyes TO see and hearts tC
feel, bat he has made vision anl feel
ing dependent upon cultivation. Were
there no other advantage to be de,
rived from the study of drawing than
that OF its enabling us TO see and enjoy
| Gods beautiful creation, it would
amply pay for all the time and exer-
ton given TO the study.
The study OF drawing, in leading to
Just appreciation Of the beautiful,
could IT be generally pursued in all
our schools, would prove national
blessing, inasmuch as it would elevate
the standard OF public taste. For the
want Of culture the great mass Of con-
sumers, to-day, are quite as likely to
patronize bad art rs they are to patro-
nize that which is good. And when
we consider that in the purchase OF
any article made 10y human hands,
however trifiing, we encourage the
application OF good or bad art, it Will
be seen that our choice becomes 4
matter Of national rs we'll as OF indi-
vidual importance. 1t is a well,known
principle in political economy, that the
demand creates the supply. It is no
| less true, that the nature OF the de-
mana creates the nature ofthe supply.
In proportion Is the public taste is
elevated ant refined, rs it Graves a
higher standard Of beauty in those ob-
.iects which minister to its gratitica-
ton, in just snch measure will that
standard be elevated. The children
Of today are TO be the men and wo-
men OF Il teY years hence to their
[ Judgment, to their rejection or ap-
proNal, the art OF the country. IN al its
forms, Is TO he submitted; and upon
their decisions will its advancement or
its decline depend. This being the
! ease, will it not pay to give them that
!, discipline of eye and mind that will
enable them to make wise decisions?
Keeping in mind the fact that all
can learn TO draw, that "a child will
learn to draw and write sooner and
with moro ease than be will learn
writing alone, that every one has ire.
quent occasion 70 practice the ait. that
1t gives that discipline OF eye which
makes the mechanic a superior work
man, that il opeas the oyo to The beau
ties of Nature and AIT, tiat i. i'm
proves the taste, axe il this way e.
! Ices. fnr Good. tho art of tie co.nirs,