, 1873-07-20
ART IN EUROPE.
The Museum ut South kensingt0n,
and tho British National
Gallery.
High Prices Paid for Pictures.

ITl8n EfEC9S FalQ TOT FICIuf68s
~ :, noa.,., T., a.. .,,.n,,. ,,,,,,,, .,u x,,u,,.
It Ia n 1sne,.rd ~ hassovnr thot t1o ,noat aY.
troor7in,rv s1ran,a has t,tan n,sco M IN In art
education ~ tha ,7oor1o rhia ia n1noat ont;rclv
owing IN t1,o ioaaa,s tomoht hv tho Tntornntiooa]
EYhib,t;on l., T.on;,o T., 1p51 r. war d;utinct,v
aoo1, At that .,,oa th.+ ,tr,nco an, othcr nonti.
ncnt,l conntrfna o-l,ih,tod !, croat annor,o1ttv
In MI nroil,,ct;ona 1rhich rcnnirod akill II,
the nrran7o,nont =, forroa and co,ors md
th,t Tn.1s,a .,o,,,a 1aoo i,nr s,n-,rooo1
,a ,nnnnf.o.u-,,,r x,o,,on r,n,oaa sho ehon,a
Tn 1a5o a ao,nrtrnnr,t ~ TN Govornmont xvoa
ta.oa I ~ aa4 ~. '. x.a ~ .T.n" w. w.
Aoinoa ~ heob LIB eA'eeneS' many Ao"
schools woro established entirely devoted to In
struction in design, and Q plan was also adopted
:,t "Lun -, uo ..o'o,a =. s mna o,saaoo w
49, wv pa osAoos' s.a,so7
Wefo opohed to adults, whloh Wera not shly suo-
stantially free to all who woro unable to pay for
thss tuition but verhmen wore enoour'sea to
oaJ ,,,as,s -, r-@' ~ ""1b "0'
anu "onoy.
These efforts wera succoasful to an
extraordinary degree. From, Pnrlia-
montary report t1atot, in June. 1871. and con-
ta,n;n1 a., aeoont ~ t,,a o,,ar.t;ona =, 4ho 49,
M'nn8 a'l account OF .no opofaaona o' 'ae pre-
Vions yeaf, 1t appears that tito number OF indt-
giduals instructed in art in al parts Of tho Uni
nartmont Ind ;ncrooaoa n 1g7 o1e., In 7a51 film
p a1 ooo W. Ao,eAo' - 49, wv
n"'upor nAa pee' ohlS ''1Vo. II ls an m'ofese-
ing faot that In country whore 1t Is commonly
aupposod that tho people arc addicted to Bordid
trafilo and ooarao n1ens1lroa noarlv two Iundrol
t1o,,.ana os,;,d~o,. .,,a .ros,,,,,o ,,.s.
sDN.1.""., auo W. Au01 ~ osotJ soA
instructed III tho elements Of design, mud moro
than ono thousand Of thoso III tho highor and
moro difficult branches.
But it vaa found necae.arv not on1v
l.. We Aou ":N osoH'y' wv 10y
" euuease PUPILS III tne p1aneiples oi ar5' DUE
suits OF geniuB aud skill in that direction. Small
approximations Tcro malo at first for this pur-
n number, Until they woro removed, In is57, to
tho hnseuua at South Kensfngton, which is now
tho most complete notwithstanding Of any In tho
world in ta illustrations Of tho history, the tho
ory md tho practice, not only Of decorative art,
but also Of art IN somo of Its higher manifceta-
tlons. It Is unnecessary to describe to those
ful attractions Of this great collections
or the convenience and elegance OF its
installation tho auporb hall Of tho cartoons of
Raphael, with its appropriate sobriety Of ornn-
mont; the long Buito Of galleries whero SO many
Of tho mont beautiful examples Of tho Englisl
school arc hung the rooms appropriated to
tho ceramic art with ceilings and columns deco
ratotl with porcelain Or tho immonse glazed
courts enriched with gliding and mosaics, and
va!uo Which art can give to raw materials.
Many Of thoao .objecta aro costly originals.
Othora are copies in o1octrotype or by eomo
other process, and are quite ns valuable as
originals for purposes OF study. a Hy6tom is
devised for The constant increase Of tho
collection BY contributions both from home and
abroad. Tho British foreign conBulB are re-
quircd to facilitate tho acquisition OF interesting
obests In their nolghb0rheos e There wns , on
copied from tho wall paintings in tho catacombs
Of Rome; and in ono Of tho now halls, not yot
opened to tho public, thoro was tho plaster
model Of Irajnn's column OF tho oxaot Hizo OF
tho original, tho room being Of such unusual III
menBiona Tint this caBt required to be divided
into Two 6octiens only. BESIDES works which
aro tho property OF tho institution, a
gront number OF other objects OF inesttmnble
value nre constantly 1ent for exhibition.
ter. All thcae collections arc not stationary in
London. 4 certain selection from them Ia Kept
IN circulation through tho provincial towns.
The report Of 1871 states that, during the pre-
ylous year, oil.pa1ntlngs, drawings, and other
art objects to the number OF 9, 125 were sent to
thirty-two different localites as loans to exhibi-
tious chiefly held IN connection with schools Of
art. Thero is also National ART Library bolong-
which contained in 1870 upwards Of So 900 vol
umeB md courses OF lectures arc delivered
there, tho attendance at which amounted tho
same year to 27,7G1. Finally, to conclude
these statistics, the number Of visitors to the
Museum during the ycar 1870 was 1,ol4 $40, and
tho whole number from the beginning 10, OIL
GOT.
The result Of this undertaking On the part of
tho British Government has been substantial
success. The French themselves, tho most
powerful rivals OF tho English, have repeatedly
admitted this in an unqualified why. In pot
terry and porcelain in glass, in calfooos and car
pets, in silyerware and jewelry, and in many
other branchoa whero skill in art is an elo-
quito, equal to their Continental COMPETE
tors, ana this Is almost entirely owing to
tho extraordinary efforts whiol, the Gov
ornment and people layo made since the year
Another proof Of the revival OF d widespread
public interest in the fino arts is tho Increased
gonoroaity OF governments and individuals In
the enlargement and improvement of museums,