Evening star., 1909-05-29
for thought and emotion Will surely de
mand expression in due time
How the Old Masters Worked.

How. the Old Masters Worked.
..As compared to the moderns, the old
masters were deliberate workers. "A
Titan or a Terburg took no account of
time The modern painter has his eye
on the clock and paints with time limit.
He is impatient of processes seeking the
short cut to expression. His art is an art
of compression, of elimination, as in the
act of Whistler, or of Improvisation, as
in the art of Sargent. A perfected work
seems to old fashioned. | mean per-
fected as in Van Eyck or a Terburg-
that is. made as perfect as it could be
made under the conditions that controlled
the painter. Most modern pictures seem
10 stop short Of possible attainment.
We feel that If the clock had not struck
twelve the painter would have added
some touches. The gifted and serious
painter. then, if subject to this modern
spirit. must seek the mastery of some
brief formula by which he may quickly
express his idea.
Just how, we may pertinently ask
ourselves. is this spirit to affect the work
of the schools? How shall it or should il
affect the methods of study in current
schools? Manifestly the old methods
will need some revising-at least we must
recognize that our studies are likely to
result in briefer modes of expression.
Shall We then shorten the range of our
perception? Shall we make haste in our
pace with the swifter moods of modern
art? The modern educator is undeniably
brought face to face with these ques-
tions. If | had the wisdom to answer
them well. | could not do it clearly in
the brief time at my disposal here
Mastery of Essentials.
There is one general principle. how
ever. which l shall touch upon and leave
for your consideration. If we are to
eliminate in our art expression, IL we are
to condense, if we are to suggest vividly
in brief formulas. it behooves us. l be-
leve, to gain in our schools mastery of
certain essentials. A knowledge of struc-
ture is one essential, knowledge or
comprehension of values is an essential
knowledge of color relations is essen
tial, perception of movement, that is, of
action. perception of line rhythm-theSe
are essentials; none of them to be easily
graSped, easily mastered, and none of
them to be recognized as essentials until
after a great deal of study, which must,
at first, take into consideration the en-
tire range of facts in the models. Pains
taking study this, for we must know the
thing in its entirety to be able to eX
press it in partial or eliminated ways.
This, then. l believe. should be the art
educators chief endeavor-to gradually
lead the student through careful and in
tent study to the fullest possible cOmpre-
hension of the vital, the essential factors
of man or nature. A bright student,
comprehending to a considerable degree.
it may be, the spirit of his time, will not
as easily understand the necessity of
mastery of accurate. IL brief, formulas by
which he may give expression to his
vision or his emotion
In closing. Mr.. MeSSer made mention
of the fact that Miss Mathilde Mueden.
who had been a member of the faculty
ever since he had been connected with
the school, had resigned her position. in
order to take up a larger and better
work, and would not be reckoned with
the faculty when the school reassembled
next fall. expressing sincere regret, and
paying high tribute to her ability and
the service she had rendered. He also
spoke appreciatively of the earnest work
of the students, complimenting them
upon the excellent showing they had
made, and stating briefly that it was
the intention of those in authority to
school.
Best Exhibition of the School.
At the close of these exercises those
in attendance passed into the school and
viewed the exhibition, which by all was
to be the best yet set forth.
In the hemicycle hall were shown the
drawings entered in competition for the
gold medal, twelve or thirteen groups
of four each. two from life and two
from the antique; the work of the
water color class, which occupied an
entire panel and attracted much favor
able attention, and the, paintings in oil
by students in the portrait, draped life
and still life classes. In the school
room were portraits In black and white
and drawings from life and the antique,
in part, work of less advanced students
The exhibition will be open to the pub
lie all next week