Evening star., 1926-06-10
THE NORTH WINDOW
By Leila Mechiin.

which marked the closing of the sea
son. called attention anew to the i'm
porta nee of learning to draw. This Is
something which IL apt to be over
looked nowadays, partly because our
friends tho Inodernists seem To think
drawing unnecessary and the teno-
ency is to disregard the academic-in
fact, to more han disre&a rd-condemn
Doubtless this is to an extent the
long swing OF the pendulum. 1t Is a
difficult thing to keep in the "stralt
aud narrow path even in art one
must watch ones step"
Fifty years ago those who wished
To study art spent their time making
eAuuisitely finished drawings from
casts and statuettes, reproducing in
measure the technique Of fine lltho-
graph. spending weeks on learning
how Ia draw a mouth, nose. an eye,
an ear, foot d hand, and forgetting.
perhaps, that 1t was necessary TO
learn how to put these different parts
Of the body together. But they did
learn to dra W. and work which was
ill-drawn was not to be considered; an
error in drawing was crime.
Thirty years ago the students in the
corcoran School of Art made life
in with charcoal, covering the entire
surface Of the paper with back.
ground, modelling and remodeling until
oftentimes the spirit was gone, but
The drawing was good-very good.
Now the students use small sheets of
charcoal paper, work rapidly and
give first attention to action. to char
actor. But the Corcoran School is
still academic: the students therein
are still taught to draw, and they
draw very well. Also this year they
showed excellent paintings from life
good in color. well modelled. the in
structors apparently having forgotten
or overlooked the fact that drawing
and modelling are out Of style and
that distortion has taken it's place.
Distortion. said a modernist exponent
is essential at times in order to
stress special Significance, but the art
thst has come TO us down the ages
and been acclaimed great has not bee n
an art of distortion: 1t has held TO
truth. and truth in the highest form.
-
Curiously enough. at this very time
when the art of drawing, OF good
draftsma nship. is being cast into the
discard the rawlings of the great
IndstSEb AIe DctHS dSSiuuOusIy CoiIctt-
ed, not only by individuals. but by
art museums. Mr.. Plimpton. the di-
rector OF the Minnea polls Art Insti-
tute, in an address at the recent con
vention of the American Federation of
Arts. empha sized the desirability OF
museums making such collections
The drawings of the great masters
are living documents of their faith
and of their skill also. perhaps. OF
their industry. Leonardo da Ninci.
Michela ngelo, Raphael-how as
siduOuslv they drew. striving ALWAYS
toward greater facility, greater &C.
curacy. greater freedom, and how
bea utifully significant many of their
dra wings are.
What IL 1t. moreover. that makes
the paintings of the great Chinese
and Japa nese artists OF worth? Their
skill in drawing, the bea uty Of their
line The Orientals have always
recognized the value. the potential
tiles OF line. and children from the
tenderest age are taught TO use a
brush in order 10 command line. A
line 10 like a note in music and it ha 3
for those who are sensitive a power
TO produce keen pleas What is il
that Is so pleasurable in Whistler's
work, what sets II apart and places
1t on a high plane? His comma nd a nd
use OF line. his ability az dra ftsma n
*4
1t Is interesting TO note. further
more. that while the modernists are
going gayly on their way to some
where. believing that they are max.
ing progress. declaring that they are
leaving the world behind and that the
academician is little other than a
mummy. the most advanced are get
ting back to the starting point and
are discovering that drawing Is an es
sential of art This was one OF the
most significa mt indica tions of develop
ment found in the exhibition of ItaI
ian modern art shown here in our Ma
tional Gallery this past Winter. Flu
turism was born in Italy; the Italia Ms
have adventured more boldly and
most any others. but they are com
ing beck-they have come back. not
to Yesterday. but to the days OF HpI
bein and Durer, and it will not be
long before the ma jority of the mod
ernists will hoist the bs nner Back
to Holbein.' This is we'll Herein
lies the real value OF the modernist
movement: 1t will reinstate dra ftsma n
ship: 1t will inaugurate a return to
simplicity.
Charles r. Nevinson Of London has
been the outstanding cubist for the
past IS years. Announcement is
made in a current British publica ton
that he has reca anted and is following
the older traditions Of painting. 1t
is remarked in the same paragraph
that to the enthusiast for modernistic
art this is something of a blow; but
MIR. Nevinson 10 years ago told the
present writer that cubism was dea d
that 1t had done its service; that II
had no more to say
Mr.. Nevinson's cubistic dra wings of
war scenes were the finest things Of
the kind that were produced in this
style. and they did much to lend i'm.
petus to strengthening of structure
in the matter OF dra
Cubist or academician. Mr.. Nevinson
was always strong. good dra ftsms n.
He Is now, it is reported by way of
becoming one of the best English
landsca pists." A knowledge of dra Is.
manship 1s pretty sure founda ion
on which to build an artistic career.
There Is tendency today on the
part or some or our colleges to stress
modern art at 81 crifice to the art Of
the past. Here again Is DEPRESSION
from the strait and narrow path'
OF wisdom. 1t is absurd to think
that IL ono knows the works of
Raphael and Micheiangeio, Titia n
and FelasQuez. one will not appreciate
the works Of today, or. should one
have talent. not develop originality.
1t would be quite as illOs ical to argue
that = knowledge Of Shakespear re
would be detrimsfiAll to ones English,
unless the EngAki one wished to com,
mand was that making largest use ot
the slang Of today. After all. how
ever. 1t Is not what one Is taught. but
the way one Is taught that signifies.
In an address made before the Col.