New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-26
STUDYING CAST AND MODEL.
GLANCE AT TIE ART SCHOOLS.

THE BUILDING TOO sMALL-PAINTIAGs THAT
ARE RARELY SEEN.
To one who enters for the first time, the art
| schools of the New-York Academy of Design pre-
| sent much that is curious and novel. The Antique
School. with its three large alcOves, crowded with
casts and eascls and students is busy and inter
estng place. The earnest young men and women,
with quick glances and ready fingers. who gath
cred about the glaring white plaster casts, are IN
striking contrast with the motionless forms which
| tower above them. The casts themselves, too.
contrast strangely with each other. The works OF
| ancient Greece and Rome are iostled by the pro-
auctions of modern Zines, and gods. goddesses
| and mcn-men even of the nineteenth century-ln
plaster are ranged along the walls on terms of easy
familiarity Some Of the relationship OF contlgmty
are strikingly harmonious others are amusing Tor
| their absurdty.
As one enters the Antique school, just within the
| door ne is confronted by the menacine figures of
| two Roman boxers. When he RECEIVERS from the
monentary shock, he will see IN the first alcove
large number Of students drawing from casts Of
heads A pretty young girl Is drawing the head
of the Young Augustus, ana if she does not fa' in
love with the handsome youth before she gets
through certainly il VIII not he the fault Of Angus
tus Niobc's daughter is placed dangerously near
Augustus. bus her upturned gaze reaches far be-
yopd mortal things. \ young man near by Is repro
ducing on paper the revolving scnsuality of Com
modns. with whom Caracala and Vitcllius appear
in oongenial association. Napoleon and julius
Cesar are sympathetic ncighbOrs, and Nero rs
Obliged to face his old preceptor Seneca. whom he
cruelty condemned to death. Socrates VINO was
much wiser than he WAS handsome, glarrs acrOSs
| the alcove at the thin, strongly marked face OF
Voitare. placed between Aguppa and Diana.
GEORGE Washington divides lis attention between
R..g, T-tft+ lha
actcrzcd as the dscovcrcr Of the Fulton Ferry IS
in the company OF Traan and the good Aurclins'
A marble bust of Washington Allston appropriately
looks up into the face of Apollo
"What is the difference between your drawing
and the appearance of the cast Look intently,
critically and see if you cannot tell me-, says Pro-
fcssor Nilmarth. the instructor to one OF the young
women. who thcrcupcn begins To detect errors
which she had not noticed in her work before.
| " Exactly. now compare the proportions again.
Your outline needs great deal more OF refinement:
look m the cast and 30 the instructor works
away.
The second and third alcovcs arc not SO crowded.
They contain only statues ana greater degree OF
proficiency is required in drawing. The Gladiator
confront, scml-circlc OF struggling students over
whom Apollo looks hcniCnantlv. The sad AntiIous
stands with downcast head. while ieet-footrd Mcr-
curry. beside him, seems to be pausng in some
Olympian GRAND TO exchange pauces with the
Venus de Mcuci across the way, toward whom the
duplicating Youth turns IN, ewes and raises his
hands The majestic Venus of Milo, in her earnest
thoughtfuncss. seems entirely obvious 10 the poor
humanity at her feet endcayuring to reproduce her
dignity and grace. The petrihyd agony OF the
LAGOON group claims no attention to-day, and the
sweet Graccs must be company for each other.
Senus handles the Infant Bacchus for the benefit
of only two or three admirers, and the poor manned
Thcseus victim OF time and the elements, Is left
alone with his memories OF Athens.
careful observer could not fail to notice moro
than young man turn away from the stony
figure before him. and stcalthly sketch the face of
one of his fair ncighbors. Living beauty and the
grace of to-day would sometimes assert their
fascination even in the midst of the alluremcnts of
ancient art.
TALK WITH PROFESSOR wILMARTH.
/" How many students are there here now !" asked
a TRIBUNE reporter of Professor Wilmarth
"About 80 in all the classes and we might have
rs MANY more if we could take them; hut there is
not room to accommodate many more than are here
at present. In order to get along az ALL this year,
we have had to raise the standard for admission
to the Antique school The instruction is free to
all who are admitted. Formerly a shaded drawing
from the cast of hand, foot or any other part Of
=
by the Council Of the Academy, would admit the
applicant. but now nothing less than the drawing
OF an antique head Will be considered and that
must be of "a much higher degree of excellence than
has been required III past years 1hen too. the
Council only receives applications for admission
upon the first Monday of each month now, instead
of upon any Monday as heretofore The Council
meets weekly, rs usual, however. to consider draw
ings offered TO secure promotion"
How many departments Of instruction are there
in tie Academy now =
There are the Antique school, the Life school,
and the Portrait and Sketch classes. The Antique
school is open both 10 men and women from
o'clock in the morning until at night. The Life
school has separate classes for men and women,
who draw from the nude model. The class for men
meets in the forenoon and also in the evening, the
class for in the afternoon. Students are adj
mittcd to this school after having submitted a
shaded drawing of n statue made III the Antique
school, which is of sufficient merit TO convince the
Council thai the advancement of the student is JUS
titled by his or her ability. The Portrait class
meets III the lccture-room IN the afternoons.
Models in artistic costumes are provided ana the
students may either draw or paint, az they are
able. The requisite tor admission ~ the approval
BY the Council of Il crayOn drawing OF n head made
in the Antique school. The sketch class IL more
students affair and is open to all who wish to Join. 1t
meets between and o'clock in the afternoons. The
students take turns in posing day by day. and each
ncnt historical character OF habit OF dress. Care
is taken To have these costumes as accurate rs pos
sible and thus the class work ~ very instructive
aside from the value OF the practice gwen III draw
ing Announcements OF the costumes 10 ne uSed
given out week beforehand, 50 that there may
he due time for preparation. some OF the students
who are unable bear the fatigue OF posing for
hour under the intense observation of thrir aSsO |
catcs-and assure you IL Is no easy task for any
one at frst-hrc models fol- whom they furnish the |
costumes decided upon
"On Saturdays the Academy is closed That is a |
new rule but t is a good one, Tor II not only gives
the students needed vacation, bnt gives them an |
opportunity for visiting the studios. galleries, and
many of the private collections III the city, where
they can gain much from critical observation. |
One of the most interesting features of the |
Academy is the Students Society, which meets |
fortnightly. On the earlier meeting of the month,
a sn beet Tor compositions is assigned and the COM
positions produced in the previous month are critl
ciSed in the presence of the society. Compositions
may be in black and white or III color the stu
dent chooses. The subject presented at the last |
meeting tor instance. was Hesitation, and the !
members Of the society will each compose n picture |
to illustrate that Idca. This gives the students |