The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-06-10

standards, to The League" Cooper and
Pratt institutions, and regard Philadel-
phia schools indifferently. But this card
in white and Quaker gray SO haunted me
that finally on the last day l went to Phil
adelphia. The new artistic activity of that
city is astonishing. Instead of one. found
three great art schools offering extensive
exhibitions of work-the Pennsylvania
| Academy, the Drexel Institute and the In
dustrial Museum. 1t is not my purpose to
make comparisons between our schools
and theirs--but merely to indicate scope
and inclinations and note the progressive
| up-to-date character of the work as shown
in these three splendid exhibitions. Every
art teacher should have seen them. Every
student would have profited by viewing
| those drawings and noting the high stand
ard of the work shown. Every profession
al artist here should have seen these dis
plays If for no other reason than to learn
what he must contend with in the near
future unless he keeps step and makes
corresponding progress.
Much might naturally be expected from
schools dominated by such forceful person.
aiities as William NJ. Chase, Howard Pyle
Cecilia Beaux, and Alice Barber Stevens
with an extensive corps of assistants of
distinguished ability.
The first impression one gets Of these art
| school exhibitions of student work Is that
the bad things are very, very scarce,
though to the critical and sensitive observe
er. admit, those few specimens doomed up
like red peoples In a wheat field. They
| were. however not seriously disturbing.
| The second impression is of the enormous
| extent, the aggregation of wall space, COW
cred with the labors of students, from the
highest methods Of artistic endeayor, CAL
| eulated to prepare the pupils for Paris
and Rome, from whence they shall return
| to paint the immortal easel pictures of
the future, to the humblest students of
industrial design, who will make even
| the plain homes lovely through wisely
| designed, useful, and ornamental things.
The Philadelphia Academy School, while
| giving nominal share of its attention to
sculpture, is mainly interested in pictorial
| art. The display of drawings in the pri-
! mary department-drawing from the an
| tique-reveals at the very beginning the
| absolute soundness of the teaching and
school standards. No student is permitted
to attempt higher grade of work until
he has thoroughly mastered those grades
| behind him. This is true of all three
| schools. Advanced antique classes do not
| show notably better draughtsmen. The
| only difference appears to be an increase
| in Importance and difficulty OF the sub
| iects undertaken. While the earlier class
| is limited to drawings from casts of heads
| hands, feet. etc, the advanced class draws
| the full figure and groups. When a pupil
| is promoted from cast to life drawing 1t
| may be depended upon that he can draw
accurately and with artistic feeling sny-
| thing which will hold still. Then only is
| be admitted to the life class; and here
| one sees the profound scholarship of the
| chief instructors made manifest. Pretti-
| ness is tabooed. The life drawings are
| done broadly, and every touch shows not
only lifelike quality, but that keen
| appreciation of the subtle angles which
| the muscles and bones make in the con-
| tour of the human figure. Anschutz is
| truly great teacher.
At the academy there were half dozen
books. like large sketch books. hung on
nails by string. These were marked,
Anatomy Glass Examination of them
| revealed careful pen and pencil drawings,
some colored in wash, others with red and
blue pencil. Elaborate written notes ac-
companied these sketches. Such complete
knowledge Of artistic anatomy accounts for
the thorough appreciation Of construction
and form shown in the vast array of life
drawings. 1t is evident that Mr.. Chase
thinks that the ordinary sheet Of charcoal
paper is quite large enough to teach all
that is possible about drawing from life,
for there were none of the large life draw
ings which one is accustomed to seeing
in class exhibitions here in Washington |
The academy treated its school hand
somely, having given up four of the |
best-lighted galleries and the corridor for
the two weeks exhibition of school work |
The portrait and figure paintings there were |
forceful, interesting, and entirely credita- |
BILE, yet 1t is doubtful il the apparent eff |
fort to be as simple in execution as Chase |
and Beaux is the best thing for a student |
More care, pains, and thoughtful effort to |
be true. it seems to. me, would lead to
better results collectively in their class
show. The Joy of a well-placed Sargent
like brush mark has a sting to it when
that brush mark is not entirely in the
right place. Some of the figure studies
were remarkably clever and sufficiently
important to attract attention in any of the
New York annual exhibitions OF American
work. 't
In the composition class the bars were
let down and there was a general stam-
pede-rioting in color-and the riot act
should have been read to those student..
Color mysteries that would make an or
binary palette seem a sane impressionistic
picture by comparison were shown here,
but this was the only point, either weak
or beyond me in the academy and was
amply rebuked by the noticeable appre-
citation of the true mission of color made
SO very clear in the two other great shows
where decorative art took first place.
The figure painting from the nude on
which principally the travelling scholar
ship was awarded at the academy was
done on canvases in oil about 20x30 inch
es These showed great dignity of point OF
view. deep appreciation of the essentials.
and, particularly in the work of Mr.. Ad-
ans. the successful competitor. charming
color. His studies were very low and SOM
bre in tone. clearly showing this young
man to be one who will some day deliver
a new message, individual and thoroughly
artistic.
An interesting feature of the exhibit was
a wall full of sketches and paintings made
from animals at the Zoo" in response
to an important prize offered for the best
work by member Of the school in that
particular field. All were serious and
some very skillful but conventional:
others. not SO well drawn, were charming
from the naive way in which they were
seen and interpreted. The idea is a good
one, and this feature of the academy's
show was not the least interesting of the
display.
The illustration class was inconspicuous
by reason Of the superb showing made by
the Pyle classes at the Drexel Institute
still, the leaves from pocket sketch books
we're tastefully presented, being mounted
in patches of twenty or thirty on sheets
Of straw board. They covered the walls.
and collectively looked like a Rafaelli pic
ture of enormous size. representing a snow
storm. They proved to be immensely in
teresting-fgures. landscapes. still life, in