The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-05-16


of industrial art, except feeble limitations by
unframed, underpaid pattern-makers OF the
designs OF Frenchmen and Englishmen2 All
limitations are inferior, and the designs upon
American goods will have no artistic value
whatever unless we have well-trained designers
of our own who will be able to turn out good
original work. Now, it will scarcely
be possible to starts an art school
between now and the opening of the
exhibition that will accomplish great deal for
the exhibition itself; but it will certainly be
something in our faver If we show our visitors
q well-organized school in progress from
which good results may be expected in the
future.
If the affairs of the Academy of Fine Arts
were in the hands of public-spirited men,
great effort would be made to reorganze that
institution upon such basis as we have indi-
Gated: and this could be readily done
without interfering in any way with its Singh
art" aims, but these, on the contrary, would be
promoted. The elements of all the arts of de-
sign are the same, and the young man who
wishes to devote himself to making patterns for
wall paper must, if he wishes to obtain rea-
sonable success, begin in exactly the same man
ner as he who expects to paint pictures or chisel
statues; and that good art work of all kinds de-
pends upon scientific training even more than 1t
does upon native genius will be apparent to any
one who will undertake 10 make
even q superficial examination of the
subject The School of Design for
Women in this city proves how much can be
done by scientific training, even under the most
discouraging circums tances and in the face of
disheartening obstacles. The system of Profes-
sor Braidwood, which is substantially that of
the English schools of industrial art, is capable
of being carried very much further than it is in
the School of Design, which lacks the means to
accomplish all its conductors desires and if
nothing else can be done, it would be worth
while to make an effort to enlarge the operations
of this institution, and with it as basis
to endeavor to build up such great art aca-
DENY as Philadelphia needs. In the meantime
the Academy of Fine Arts is preserving a
shadowv sort of existence, and its dir ectors are
| bewailiDg their inability to raise money 10 ut
| up new building and make a fresh start, but
they offer no inducements for the public to con-
| tribute, for the reason that they give no assur-
| ance that the do-nothiDg policy will be done
away with, or that any effort will be made to
| convert the Academy into genuine public in
| stituton. Weappeal to these gentlemen earnestly
| to consider whether it would not be better
| for the Academy, better for the city of Phiadel-
phia, and more creditable for themselves, if they
suggested, and vigorously exert themselves to
carry it out by securing the sympathy and sup.
port of the public at large. People outside of q
| small circle will not take an interest in the
Academy of Fine Arts so long as it is carried on
as a close corporation; but if il is made an auxi-
| liary 10 our free school system, there would be
| but little difficulty in exciting some enthusiasm
! with regard to it. Let systematic course ol
| art education be arranged to be carried on under
| the direction of the best professors that can be
obtained, and let its advanced classes include
every rything-industrial designing of every de-
scription, painting, sculpture, and all that can
! be embraced under the head of art education
let there be lectures on color composition,
anatomy, the philosophy of art, ETC.; let
there be provision made for well-arranged gal
| leries of paintings and statuary for the benefit
of the public as we'll as the students,
and, in fine, let the plan embrace everything that
great public art school should embrace, and then
let the management of the institution be en-
trusted to the city or State under suitable guar
antees that the valuable property which the
directors of the Academy now do not know
what TO do with will be cared for as it should
be, and applied in a proper manner to the uses
for which it is intended.
Such transformation as this of the Academy
would embalm the memory of the gentle
men who effected it forever in
the hearts of our grateful citizens.
The Per nsylvania Academy of Fine Arts would
be mon ument to them that would last for ages,
and enriched as the already large collection
would undoubtedly be by valuable contributions
which would flow to it as the rivers flow to the
sea, the institution would increase in interest
and Importance from year to year, and posterity
would drop a grateful tear as it perused the
homes of the worthy directors of the year OF
grace 1871, who cheerfully sacrificed the plea
sure of squabbling with the artists of Philade
phia about which pictures should be hung upon
the eye-line, for the sake of giving the city an
art academy of which she might be proud.