New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-08-24
THE HERKONER ART SCHOOL.
IT'S FIRST SESSION CLO,ED-THE WORK
ACCOMPLISHED By THE PUPILS.

TFRou ASocCA,IoNNL CORRESPONDENT or ruE rRihrEE'
The first session of the Herkomer Art school at
Blshey has inat come TO an end The scheme of study
which was described some time ago in letter to Tn
Tun,Nt and which was freely criticised and discus ed
in the art world at the time has passed successfully
through on eight months trial III" special features ot
the system wore unlike anything To which the pubic
had ueen accustomed that great interest was aroused
not only IN England but in many parts of America "a
to the practical working of what was to some extent
tentative experiment The experimental stage ~ now
passed Mr. lerkomer has seen that the original 9'h'me
works we'll enough to continue without any mrdihcn-
tons aud that All that IS wanted for the rfesort are
few alterations in minor detail Of arrangement The
ntp,b.r of studons IT may bo remembered va limited
"a si,t, ths number will ne reduced 70, ten and just
- NJ tiatkrmet insisted uptn beginning with about
hair tho toll number nf students n tho Hts ton'. he
will ptobahly mo- t,Ar mnto thnn i"tt} in lho ensuing
acasuu unt q iut ui these will hr n'v pupils lh"
Threatened wedding oHt of husr whose prospects aa
artists we're unsatsiaotury has taken place Others
have rtj the -ohlo beo,1r huy themselves elt they
could not 90 ou; again have hrrn recommended &"
leave the school aud study by themselves but The ma
iorty have been kept, Ia some ca-cs because they
wished to continue Ia others because Mr. llcrkomer
thought they had not yet had sufficient chance that
their development was slower than that of their fellow
: y
blhty produce much finer work.
The hrst difficulties the students encountered resulted
from the hight of the studios 1t was subtle and
extremely Gltcult to paint in that TIA, frs month was
disastrous Tor all Still ccn that, as Mr. ilcrkomer
told them if they could paint IN that light they could IN
any they pcrseyered and are now reconced - the
pcculalitics of each studio save the an5e room which
j. desuairingy termed the torture room This room
with double top -ht Of -loping and tat sround glass
projects INTO triangle entirely fenced III with ground
glass from floor roof, and the nude figure entirely
surrounded by light has To be painted IN II during all
the chan ges of daylight the strikes IL from morn
ing till night Severe rules made regards at
tendance leave Of absence ETC. at the outset but in
case Ia, Mr. Herkomer found it necessary enforce
them tie speaks with evident admiration and sasfac
ton Of the energy of the students. OF their efforts TO
keep up ther work day by day. in winter from " a m
anu IN summer from a. NJ, and of their behavior one
to another The harmony Of their intercourse has
never once been broken by quarrels irat7ns OF any
thing approaching discourtesy snobbshnes7 In the
winter there were musical evenings and tea Parties
among the Students more recently there have been
u cpic-: each Saturday all the students have dincd
with Nj erkomer, and IN addition he has encouraged
and helped them TO form a library and newspaper room
Mr. Hetkomer'- great point throughout has been to
develop a spirit Of true art. 10 rescue his students
from the monnOny and the mechanical and mart ~tic
tendency of the English school and to make them an
dcrstand what If artistic. They easily ulder-tond
when an vthing Is correct ard right and measured. but
he found difficult, especially With the ladies. 10
make them understand what Il artistic. The peculiar
TYNE Of work laid down has proved most Wholesome a.
Grammatical training the time studies have Kept up
q certain amount of excitement because no exceptions
have been made as the time of leaving OF, and tie
per.oul criticism addressed each student ludvldu
ally though before the whole class, work admirably
4 few strong students have established type o work
which other. have followed to some extent ana TINS
NAV be taken a q gauge of what viii b" done
Mr. HerSomcris c.pccllly pleased to lind the studies
of each student varied that he cannot always ten
himself who la. done them. On that fact Ae bases his
future hopes of the of the school Little per
sOuatie are encouraged but Mr. HerKomer has ue' er
failed 20 speak plainly ahoul anything which l. ecccn-
trio without bcln. clever is IN any way hhe Z" lead
the student aatray. The students have not 10y ans
means bad a plain. smooth sailing period daring TIE
last teW months In no school perhaps nave the stu
dents grown ~ utterly d"~ucist ana depressed over
their work but this their president consder- most
whocsome sign a. generally leads to the de,crILd
ton u grind on until their ideal is reached.
The spirit of the school Mr. Hcrkomer SAYS. Is per
feet lie predlcts although the schoo viii always be
small that i'm five yeats # the pcr=onll aspect 81
tiu, aud al e.c works we'll 10 ha- done far,
IL will Toe the leading school OF europe The success 1t
the sch DOL ~ far j. remarhabcthc more IN thar AZ
first II vaz merely private undertaking. the money
Tor the school building being provided by the guardian
,f youpg lady anxious 10 study under Mr. Ucrk Jmct.
The specimen gallery t0 exhibit some works ny
artists IL the prc-ent day, has been well supplied
turouq hout the session kindly response to the pres
dents request In addition the students have PAID
many visits To- the art gaercs IN the metropolis ana
their studies have been further relieved by learning
etching ma their spare time Many of them learned the
whole process and produced etChinRS by Themselves
In Mr. ierkomcr's Workshop. Next year probably
the public wall have ~ opportunity OF Judging Vi their
work u this direction