Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-01-18
THE FRENCH SCHOOL,

| FnGNNF1
Art Students of To-Day Spend Too Hittla
limo with the Old Masters.
The modern school, with all its mer-
its, has failed thus far to fulfill the
promise of the earlier ages. The sprinps
of inspiration are exhausted, because
the light of the spirit no longer guides
the imagination in it's conception of
forms of beauty. The brilliant tech
nique which finds so ready applause is
not altogether sound, being to Il great
extent an outgrowth of the prevailing
motives; and even if it were sound It
would not suffice to give to the works
OF the school n 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 nation truly great.
school should not, OF course, be
| judged by any arbitrary standards, and
in the case of this school it is not neces.
sary even to apply those of foreign de-
velopments. Its own best achievements
| in times past furnish, as we see, suffi-
Gent standards. To these it NAV be
reasonably held, unless we are to sup
pose that the national genius has radi-
cally changed and become incapable Of
rising to its former level. If this be not
the case it 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
lS11narinYs fn ~ In Il L IL.
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 a 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 Parisian ateliers for stu
dents are crowded with young men of
all nationalities.
The question of the results of this in
tlucncc is grave one, which may, how
ever, be safcAb left to the Judgment of
thoughtful people, when once they take
it fairly into consideration. AS vet such
questions arc not enough examined. In
MATTERS of art, as in matters of fashion.
thcrH is IL great deal of thoughtless ac-
ceptancc of whatever comes from Paris
This question bears not merely upon
the character of contemporary artistic
production, but also upon the ideas
now generally inculcated; deter
mining whether they be broad
and liberal or narrow and
doctrinairc. The doctrinaire element
is considerable in contemporary French
teaching. l once, in Paris, ventured to
suggest that more study, in the Douvre,
of the works of the Florentine and We
netian masters might be useful to art
students in general. I 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 in
vogue; while they fail to gain any serv-
iceable knowledge of the great works
of the older art preserved there, access
to which constitutes the chief advan-
tage of going abroad. If thorough
practice in drawing and painting from
the living model be all that is
wanted it is waste of time
and money to cross the Atlantic.
What is valuable in the Partisan discf-
pline might just as well be laid in New
York and Boston. Models may be found
anywhere, and it needs only the same
persistent practice, under such guidance
and criticism as many men in every
community of art students are com
petent to afford, to insure results as
good as may be reached abroad. But
that discipline of the artistic sense
which study of great masterpieces at
fords can not be had in America, and
is not acquired by the majority of stu
dents who go to Paris, because it is
not appreciated by the contemporary
painters and those who direct instruc-
ton there.
1t is not to be regretted that students
and amateurs at home find so little help
toward suitable preparation for foreign |
study. OF the large numbers of youths |
who go annually from all parts of this |
country to pursue courses in fine arts in |
Paris, the greater part have, small con-
ception of their meaning. They are
without that preliminary knowledge |
which should give them basis of judy
ment as to what may be most profitk- |
bly, studied in Europe. In the Partisan |
school they meet with few enlightening |
and broadening influences. Nearly |
everything beyond the range and rou-
tine of the uniform technical drill 10 ig- |
nored. Prot Charles II. Moore. in Az
lantic, "