New-York tribune., 1884-01-26
ART STUDY IN ENGLAND.
OPENING or MR. HERKOMER's SCHOOL AT
RI7SHEY,

LONDoN. December =.
NJ Uarkon,er's visit to the United States in the
,utnmn of 1852 rendered many Americans famiiiar
with Lis plans for school of art to be Started
q. Bcsicy Uertfordshire, under his presidency at
a.. aud Of this year The school then talked OF
was opened on November 26. Ii promises 10 DC u
rpioue aud original departure in the teaching OF
-, orJ was regarded as such by hundreds of ap-
l;ca,ts for admission, who were anxious TO study
,,der sbc eve of a master who has gained a cosmo-
,oltsu reputation. and experience, ana under eA-
+rral conditions which are attainable III no other
country in the world
m ,,odcrn art movement has flooded Great
ni,ai with institutions, all more or less of type
of the Academy, Slade and South kenslngton
schools hut with these the new school has Few
,,intS Of resemblance Mr.. HerkOmer is an Associ-
ste OF ,ie Royal Academy. has done duty as
tearhrG. in consequence, IN Ia
;pctnu House. and has besides gained his expert
. ,.,ce from all parts of the Continent and America,
bavin, studed the systems pursued in their schools
end noted both their defects and good points The
rorraumc of work he has presented to his students
Cmhodics Mr.. Herkomcr's ideas and experience upon
the best training for artists hut he will not rlgldy
adher, 10 his present plans, it, experiment mod
i6catious OF additions are found desirable. Mon
davs at $50 each student. officiating weekly in
Alphabetical rotation, poses the model IN the pres
cncc OF all the other students Of the class, and the
nose has TO be altered until show of hands declares
The satisfaction Of the students BY in the after
noon each student must have laid in the whole
figure in color or those who have not vet painted
ruu,t have drawn il in. This is a sharp test
OF a students powers, but Mr.. Herkomer hopes
Il will prevent niggling cifcminate or amateurish
work ON Tuesdays the first hour and hall Is 10
be deYotcd to sketching in chalk the same dgnrc in
the view on a much smaller scale. AT eleven
having revived the power of the hand TO that oil the
day before the painting commenced on the Monday
will De proceeded with The whole of Wednesdays
and Thursdays till one o'clock will be occupied mthe
same way. but on Thursday afternoons the whole of
the stvdics will be laid aside the model re-posed
with drapery by the same student. who Is the poser
for the week four times successvely, and sketches
Of 4 quarter of an hour duration mace therefrom.
FRIDAY will see tho studies commenced on Monday
finished and a fresh model will sit the following
week except in cases where the president wishes
one or more students to paint fcsize studies, when
the model will stay a fortnight On Saturdays
all the students male and female, will work to-
ecther the study being a head painted III sitting
Of threo hours from the pose of the male student
officiating for the week The students rest from
three o'clock until seven; they then return and
draw till nlne-paintinC III the evening by artificial
hight being strictly forbidden as trick leading to
no good. From Mondays to Thursdays drawings
are to be made from one posc but on Friday even
ing three fresh poses have 10 be sketched. The
same poser who oficiates in the morning does duty
of an evening that each student in turn will be
considerably taxed in this direction. good deal
is uscxpeotedas the result of each weeks work
finished study from the full length nude, sketches
in black and white from the draped and nude and
a head painted in one sitting Rapid realization
must in this way be acquired.
MR. uERKouER's INTENTIONS.
Al address was given by Mr.. Herkomer, on the
Saturday previous to commencing work, to the
thirty-fOur students who came into residence. In
which he told them clearly how he intended 10 help
them and how they must help him. He asked them
10 remember that they there not only to study
but 10 help TO form a scheme which would benefit
future generations of art students. They must
therefore work earnestly with him in carrying out
the programme, that he might see where it was
capahle of Improvement modification. lie IN
tended to leave them good deal to themselves.
When he visited them he should make his criticisms
aloud IN the presence of ALL but the criticism would
not be of mere minor details like the exact shape
OF snosc or a hand. but of the impression and ex-
preS,iou Of the whole study. He should not come
70 the school at any fixed time but would attend as
often as his engagements permitted or the
welfare of the students demanded and
as the school was not the main object
they must be prepared let himtake an additional
holiday occasionally. though if he went landscape
paoting he would promise to tell them all about
il on his return As 10 the style of work that, Mr..
Herkomer said he wished the students to form for
themselves and he mplOred them not 10 seek to
initiate him; they might be eccentric at first, if
they likcd-rather that than to be timid and
anateurlsh but they must produce artistic work.
He referred to the tricks by which experienced
painters got out of their difficulties and made their
work passabe after anything had gone wrong, and
instsnoed As peculiar method of work that of a
Munich painter who starts at the top of his canvas
, and works downward. finishing piece by piece and
doing il satisfactorily. The address concluded by
iuprossng upon the students the high and hard
realistic aim OF the school. The slight acquaintance
OF the master and students thus gained in the genial
proceedings of the afternoon was afterward con-
tinued in the evening, when some fifty relatives,
stadeu;5 and friends sat down i'll the studio at
DyTeham TO repast.
SOME PROMISED ADVANTAGES.
Some features Of the school in the interests of the
students NAV be noted. No restriction is placed on
the hours of work. Students work all the day
through If they like. In the Academy Slade and
most other art schools the voice of the porter an
nouuoiug closing time directly the model leaves is
an unwelcome summons TO those who have just be-
gan to feel Their work and have reached that stage
whom the best touches he put, and they them
selves derive the greatest benefits from their cX-
cTtiODs To those who have no studios of their own
10 90 tO-and few students have-thc rule is an In
Calcuable d whack In Mr.. HerkomeTs school
however, Jnly is it permitted TO work at any
hour OF the day but the studios will be open free
during the whole of the three months holiday, TO
any students who. having produced good designs
Of pictures. are unable TO pay for studio IN which
TO execute them. This is provision which will
the gratitude of all who are earnest IN their
work Another direction in which Mr.. Herkomer
has exercised his forcthOught is in the sale of az
IL nN thn IL