The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1877-07-30
LITERATURE.

In all the leading countries OF Europe provision
more or less ample Is made for art education and for
instruction In the application OF art to Industry II is
more than twenty five years since thc necessity OF
making governmental provision Tor such objects WAS
recognized IN Great Britain. special bureau was
appointed 10 attend to art and science education.
Schools were established and tho results have been y
marked risc IN the standard Of public taste and
less marked commercial benefit to tho country ut
large. France has for many years gwen great deal
OF attention to the subject Tho government
directs OF the art schools, subsidies Others
encourages all In consequence for long limo
France led Europe In nearly every branch OF art APP
Piled to industry, and II IS only within few years
that her superiority has been questioned
Belgium has long enjoyed well matured
system OF art instruction, upon which
great Improvement has recently been effected
In Prussia and Bavaria drawing is taught In tho
mon schools and technical schools give instruction In
tho special branches required by the student In
Austria liberal provision Is made for teaching elemen
tary general principles and special branches. In
Vienna alone there Academy of Plastic Arts, in
which painting, sculpture, architecture, engraving
and TYPOGRAPHY arc taught; School OF Fine Arts,
applied to industry; School OF Design and Modsing,
for Art and Industry; Higher industrial school, and
special schools oil design for carpenters, for manufac
turing and spinning, Tor magons aud stonecutters
Italy and poverty.stricken Spain also make ample pro-
vision for the dissemination OF knowledge OF art
among their citizens. We surprised to find that in
enumerating the different European countries Mr.
Nichols makes no menNoh OF Russia The advance OF
the conservative Muscovitc within the past twenty
years has been most remarkable phenomenon in the
history and progress of national art Ten years ago
Europe was astounded by the evidences OF a Russian
renaissance and last year Americans brought
faco facO tcf,. frn. Mnc,n
and ST. Petersburg, OF tho possible existence Of which
few had dreamed.
II is logically from the consideration OF what has
been done for art in Europe that the author Of the
volume before us arrives at tho conclusion which It 10
one OF bis objects " eniorce-namey that
SHOULD be adopted Tor placing the American artisan
a footing similar to that occupied by his European
conlrer. "lu Europe" he says, 'art education -
freely TO DO obtained and is sometimes obligatory In
the United States It Is work only just begun
whore certainly recognized established" As
sequence there Is danger that 1--WE shall go in
subserviency European products and sha mover
be ablc TO gain any independence or Individuality"
In presenting these truths Mr. Nichols is emnen.Iy
practical 10 docs not look upon art amusement
for tho rich much mcans Of olevating the poor
and the aborcrs and OF increasing the value of their
work. Tho money value to country Of tho capacity Of
It's working classes 10 produce works Is shown by
few figures. In 1874 the artistic imports Of the
United States amounted to $15s SG. $40 the OK
ports TO S27 o49 leaving balance OF $131 26l go
to represent the of imports exports The
percentage OF imports into which art is 20 Of
the grand total of imports while that Of exports IL
only 39 per cent OF the whole. America is thus pay
ing away sum OF nearly slG0 000 COO as substan-
tia token OF European superiority In artistic
mapship. The whole oil this money, at least tho
H..
meal education In public and special schools by the
study Of great works Of art by the establishment Of
museums which shall DO open to the public; by tho
organization OF societies In tho interest OF special in
dustres by cxpostions Of pcturcs statuary objects
OF art aud OF all products into whose cou.
position art may enter" As the financial bcnen,s
following upon such reform must be large II follows
that "the mems Of improving IN large aud effective
way various industries must como from tho pro-
ducers themselves"
A baro outline OF Mr. Nichols system OF instruction
can only here given Tho opinion forciby stated
that some OF the time bestowed upon studies Of littc
practical importance should DO devoted TO drawing
taught according to a syscm based upon goomctrical
principles In the primary schools OF the American
educational system he would begin by familiar rang
tho pupil with geometrical terms; BY teaching him
draw limos and geomctrcal figures from copies and
from memory, and as no advances by giving him
bined figures ornaments applied to plane figures and
explaining tho laws OF color. Acr those might come
SUCCESSFULLY instruction in the principles Of projection
the elements Of perspective and In drawing solids
from nature. In tho grammar schools the pupil shoald
begin with shaded drawing from solids aud from tha,
point gradually risc until at the close Of tho high school
curriculum he reaches the study OF the anatomy and
proportion OF the human head Then follows course
for superior instruction in painting, sculpture and
architecture Lastly there the special scho ols FOL
teaching the application Of art 10 the diffcren,
branches Of Industry. The scheme Is, as whole,
practical, we'll maturcd and comprehensive, and IN
giving his book to tho public Mr. Nichols has confer
red a benefit Of the value Of which too high an est
mato scarcely DO formed Tho author Is loss for.
tunate in dealing with tho secondary and incidental
subjects that suggest thcmscve In tho course OF bis
treatment Of the leading question. At times he ap
pears 10 become confused and at Others while appar
outIy altogether unconscious OF his proximity ia
danger, to be jeopardzing his character for con-
sstency BY approaching hts subject from opposite
sides Let US take one example. rho American mo
chanic has, are reminded. been ingenious rather
than artistic Ho has not had the advantage oil
artistic training and has added little TO
the sum OF grace and beauty. Further On
We are told that tho art Of architecture is
only attainabc by exercising tho judgment and taste,
and ''by study of the splendid examples OF classic
ART" The examples he cites thereafter are unfortu-
nate, because they require explanation which Mr.
Nichols has not given. 1t is hardly an argument in
favor OF art education to say that moderns have not
squalled tho who lived aud reared great monu-
mcnts OF their genius before art schools took their
rise. II "natural good taste has produced superb
spcctacle IN tho shape OF steamboat, can education
do morcY Then, again, why insist upon studying the
principles Of color and form w. as The author declares,
"a work OF law to itselfY' Looking at Mr..
Nichols volume from the literary standpoint II s not
calculated either 10 kindlo admiration or TO arouse
| enthusiasm The construction 10 often loose, the
| grammar faulty, the phraseology clumsy and the
sense Ambiguous. What does the author mean for IN.
stance when no says that thc knowledge Of drawing
enables posssssor to objects uthiully" or that
drawing presenis the life and understanding Of the