Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-12-29

In the column OF "Art Notes" you regretted
that more use was not made by beginners OF
the grand casts found in the halls of statuary
at the Corcoran Gallery, and intimatei that
students would be greatly benefited by the
practice OF drawing therefrom. No one will
deny the advantage of such practice. Good
drawing is the foundation or all art; but To
draw correctly from the antique presuppo ,es
somewhat extended course OF training
under the eye Of a competent instructor. To
my knowledge no opportunity has ever been
offered 10 the art students Of Washington for
such instruction. II is a matter of regret
however, that such is the fact. y much
needed adjunct 10 the Corcorau Gallery is a
school OF design, which should embrace tac
study OF painting, drawing from casts aud
the life, modelling In clay. and designing IN
architecture and industrial art. a corps o.
able professors should have charge or the
classes, 10 instruct the pupils, and Oa st9tet
evenings of the week give lectures on the
arts and architecture, explaining them both
theoretically and practically. An evening
class should also be formed, so as 10 enable
those persons who are engaged during the
day TO attend. If this idea was carried out
IL would enhance the value of the Gallery
ten-fold. 1t would give to many who are
otherwise unable a chance of securing a
sound art training, and for which those who
are able are now compelled to 60 abroad.
Why cannot We here at the nations capital
have
NATIONAL SCHOOL OF FINE ARTS,
such as is found at Florence, Dresden,
Munich, Berlin and Brussels. Americans
are said to be without taste. We do no. pre-
tend to deny 1t. To this day there are GER
tain works Of art, snowy and not of the best
taste, which the Paris artists put on one side
for the American market, certain to find
reaoy purchasers here How are we
TO remedy this state OF things. If we took a
the present condition both of art aud art in
dnstry In the United States, we must pro-
nounce the former, however little important
IN itself, as the more advanced aud more
highly developed; yet ii is by no means salts
factory. 1t is sim worse with
ART INDUSTRY.
In all those departments which have been
the foundation of the fame aud riches OF
France, not even beginning has been made
OF The slightest merit in au artistic point of
view. France has DO gold mines, iron mines.
or other extensive mineral resources Sucn as
tie United States abOunds in, but sac draws
the money OF the world 10 her 10 pay for her
exquisite fabrics and manufacturing pro-
ducts. 1t is evident that there is a great
void here IN American art industry, and II
native Industry does not fill the void, Eu-
rope certainly Will. What must we do i'm
order TO produce an art industry in America?
We must follow the example set by England
anu austria. Prof Ware, of Boston, SAYS
that, lat the Universal Exhibition OF 1851,
England found herself, by general consent
almost at the bottom of the list, among All
the countries of the world, in respect OF her
art manufacture. Only the United States
among the great nations stool below her. Toe
frstresult Ofthis discovery was the establish
ment OF schools of art in every large town.
q.
stood among the foremost, and in some
branches OF manufacture distanced the most
artistic nations IL was the schools OF art
ana the great collection of works Of indus
trial art at the South Kensiugtoa museum
that accomplished this result. The United
States still holds her place at the foot of the
column. In 1851 the English schools Of de-
sign were Put under the control of man
who grasped the whole subject of art etuca-
tio1, and saw It's relationship TO industrial
AIT He saw that two things were needed, a
museum Of industrial art, and art m asters To
give instructions. Beginning with a grant
OF nifty thousand dollars to purchase works
from the exhibition of 1851. and an annual
appropriation which was increased every
year, Mr.. Cole has created one of the finest
museums IN the world. OF course ecOnO-
nists would sometimes start up in the House
OF Commons and oppose the grants to art as
waste OF public money, and oppose the ap-
preparation 10 the museum as an eXtrava-
CANT outlay which would bear no return.
Mr. Coles answer TO his critics was this:
gentlemen, the nation has expended a Ger
tam amount OF money 10 buying up exam.
pies of art Workmanship in every material
and style and period. If II repentS of its
bargain. am prepared to find responsible
committee 10 take the collection Off the ma
lions hands at the price given for IL, and pay
interest, and compound interest, 70. the
money which has been spent. The econo-
mlsts, on inquiry, found that so well had
purchases been made, and so greatly had the
collection increased in valua, that, il it were
sold under the hammer, the ration would be
unnumhered thousands of pou ads in pocket
besides having increased the value of its own
industrial manufacturing products by about
nifty per cent, through the influence OF art
culture and the examples displayed in the
museum. Since then little mas been heard
of waste OF public money by investing In Oh
yects OF art Tor public purposes. This much
may be SAID of the commercial value OF art
education nationally: that it both increases
the estimation of ancient works, and the
quality of modern productions. A. b. N