The Hazel Green herald. [volume] (Hazel Green, Wolfe County, Ky.) 1885-19??, 1892-02-19
The FRENCH SCHOOL.


/. its, has, failed thus far to fulfill the
promise Of the earlier ages. The springs
of inspiration are exhausted, because
the light OF the spirit no longer guides
the Imagination In its conception of
forms of beauty. The brilliant tech
nique which finds SO ready applause is
not altogether sound, being TO great
extent an outgrowth Of the prevailing
motives; and even IL it were sound il
would not suffice 10 give TO the works
OF the school value equal to that which
the older art of the country derived
from its higher purpose and expression.
The qualities of the modern school are
not those fundamental ones which
make the art of a nation truly great.
A school should not, of course, be
judged by any arbitrary standards, and
in the case of this school IL Is not neces-
sary even 10 apply those Of foreign de-
velopments. Its own best achievements
in times past furnish, as we see, suffi-
cient standards. To these IL may be
reasonably held, unless we are 20 sup
pose that the national genius has radi-
cally changed and become incapable of
rising TO its former level IL this be not
the case il would seem uncomfortable
that the people which in the Middle
Ages invented Gothic architecture
should not, If it would. produce better
art than that for which it is now famous
In saying that the French school is not
doing itself justice, do not mean to
imply that any other existing school is
superior to IT, In fact, while much that
is excellent, and in some cases superior
TO the work Of the French. is accom-
plished in other countries, there is hard
ly anything elsewhere that can be
called school. Contemporary painters
almost everywhere are now initiating
the French. The artistic influence of
Paris is practically universal. French
paintings go To all parts of the world;
and the great Partisan ateliers for stu
tents are crowded with young men of
all nationalities. ......5.
The question of the results of this in
huence is n grave one, which may, how
ever, be safely left To the Judgment of
thoughtful people, when once they take
fairly into consideration. As yet such
matters of art, as in matters OF fashion,
there is great deal of thoughtless nc
ceptance of whatever comes from Paris.
This question bears not merely upon
the character of contemporary artistic
but also upon the IDEAS
now generally inculcatcd; deter
mining whether they be broad
and liberal or narrow and
doctrinaire. ThN doctrinaire element
is considerable in contemporary French
teaching ] once, in Paris, venturcd to
suggest that more study, in the Douvre,
of the works of the Florentine and We
netian masters might he useful To art
students in general | was told in re-
ply that the works of these masters
were now considered obsolete. Young
Americans go To Paris and readily as
simulate the ideas, aims and methods i'm
vogue; while they fail To gain any Scrv-
ceable knowledge of the great works
II the older art preserved there. access
=" which constitutes che chief advan-
age of going abroad. If thorough |
practice in drawing and painting from
the living model be all that is |
ii is n waste OF time
and money to cross the Atlantic. |
What is valuable IN the Partisan disci- |
pline might just as well be laid in New |
Y ork and Boston. Models may be found |
anywhere, and IL needs only the same |
persistent practice, under such guidance |
and criticism as many men in every |
of art students are com |
)etent 10 afford, to insure results as |
rood as may he reached abroad But |
hat discipline of the artistic sense |
which study of great masterpieces af- |
'ords can not be had In America, and |
5 not acquired by the majority OF stu
Tents who go to Paris, because il is
lot appreciated by the contemporary
PAINTERS ands those who direct instruc-
ion there.
II is not TO be regretted that students
md amateurs at home find so little help
oward suitable preparation for foreign
tudy. OF the large numbers of youths
Who go annually from all parts of this
ountry To pursue courses i'm fine arts in
'aris, the greater part have small con
option of their meaning. They are
without that preliminary knowledge
which should give them basis of iudg-
lent as To what may be most profita-
ly studied in Europe, In the Partisan
chool they meet with few enlightening
nd broadening influences. Nearly
beyond the range and rou-
inc of the uniform technical drill is ig.
ored, Prof. Charles II. Moore, in At
lntic,
Unexpected News
Moi nrkln--I SnNw IausrniIh hririrn. |