Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1884-03-21
Mechanics Course.


Professor Niemeyer ON zine Art OF
SEEING"
Last evening the Mechanics course of lee
lures was continued by Professor J. II. Me
meyer, who spoke on the cart of Seeing. u
The lecture room in North Sheffield hall was
we'll filed with a cultured audience who
listened to the lecture with great interest
Professor Niemeyer spoke substantially as
follows:
The eye is in it's uses more manifold than
any other sense, in its skill more acute. The
hunter sees the partridge in the woods before
the latter can fly. The physicist by his
microscope examines with ease minute parts
of matter. And the astronomer surveys
with his telescope the vast bodies of the uni
verse. The cart of Seeing" is the COM
pleted development of these uses of the eye
This organ is more analytical than syntheti-
cal, more capable of seeing masses
than details. 1t is different to look at
familiar objects as the streets We walk in
apart from their associations Our percep-
tions are often affected by love or venerstion
which make them blind to change The
mind has much to do with sight. We see
what We know by experiences in the object,
but familiarity with the objects to which we
are accustomed makes us callous to the in
fuence of beauties which are &c instantly dis
played by them. The mechanic daily goes
to and from his work in the same way with
the same dull or unhappy thoughts, when he
might always delight himself with the new
pleasures which nature constantly presents
A few weeks ago the lecturer walked in one
of the lower portions of the city, at the close
of raw. stormy day. There was but one
clond, but this, q thick waterY blanket, en-
veloped the streets and buildings. Out of
the gloom rose factories with the appearance
of Egyptian ruins, while the dark chimneys
like great monoliths completed. the picture.
Yet hundreds of laborers were making their
way homeward through the rain with bowed
heads and weary faces, oblivious of
The grand scene around them The art of
seeing may by practice become the source of |
much nleasure Familiar and commonplace
things when Invested Of onr preconceived
notions always present refined beauty. |
One great aim of an art education is to show
the lurking beauties of tho commonplace. A
man passing his life in q counting house with |
his mind occupied by cares cannot form q |
true idea of the pleasures of sight. He can
not know those beauties of nature when rep
resented in picture. he often thinks those |
paintings which are perfectly lifelike the |
highest product Of art. But these are mere
" results or 1nteH9ent meenanlcal +
kill Perfect art requires thought
and feeling to make il worthy, i
ct the public prefer the former. There are
lew persons who do not deem themselves
competent to Judge of artistic worth and
perfection But most men pass through life
"a blindness. By means of several diagrams
he lecturer explained the structure of the
,ye and the many idiosyncrasiss OF sight
which warp the Judgment of things seen.
lie described the application of these facts to
he different schools of architecture and
,ainting. At the conclusion number of ]
Jews were given in illustration Of the points
roueht out. Though largely technical, the
scturer held the close attention and interest ]
I the audience throughout the hour, I