FINE ARTS.
DRAWING-SCHOOLS.
Tx6 one thing wanting to enable English artists to compete successfully with the foreigner is power of drawing. By this we mean, that scientific- ketowledge of the forms of things, and of light and shade, which enables the skilful draughtsman to hulleate with decision and spirit those salient points on which the character of an object depends. It is a prevailing error in this country to confound correct delineation. with elaborate nti- tmteness, and to mistake lax and vague sketchiness for freedom and mastery of hand. Bad penmen attempt to disguise their ill-fonned. letters, under am-appearance- of negligent rapidity; and bad draughtsmen seek to conceal their imperfect acquaintance with form by an affectation of dashing negli- gence. Clever mannerism in art is dust thrown- in the eyes of the unini- tiated; and English artists have become very expert in this pictorial dust- throwing—the addition of colour has helped them wonderfully. Cartoon- leg for frescoes, however, coupled with the rivalry of French lithographers and? German engravers, bas opened the eyes of our artists to their defi- ciency in drawing; and the practice of teaching to draw from models, now becoming universal, sharpens the perception of a:mateurs, and renders people much lean tolerant of loose and faulty limning than they were, even a year or two ago. Designers, whether of historical pictures or of musio-titles, of altar-pieces or of book-plates, are alike at &nit in delineating the human form: to set a figure firm on the ket, to put it in action without dislo- cating a limb or paralyzing the extremities, ix a difficult task for the best of them. The exceptions are so few that they only prove the rule. Many clever painters have but a superficial knowledge of anatomy ; hence the feeble drawing of the English school: uncertain of the form, they slur aver or veil with drapery what they fear to express.
Mr. j . Rogers, a surgeon, has ust commenced a series of anatomical de- monstrations, at the rooms of a society of artists who meet for drawing the. figure, in Clipstone Street, Fitztoy Square. They are not mere discourses fel/ of Latin terms and florid generalities, such as the students at the Royal Academy are annually edified with; but the lecturer practically exemplifies the structure of the human body by dissections, as well as by the skeleton and living model. On visiting the School of Design the other day, we were glad to see a painted anatomical figure the size of life and a skeleton for the advanced students, to draw from, as well as casts from the living form and the antique. We saw only a few drawings; but they inclined us to credit the assurance of the master that the pupils showed more intelli- gence and exactitude in their studies than the students of the Royal Aca- demy. The reason is obvious: the figure-classes at the School of Design are under the direction or Mr. Herbert the painter, whose zeal is equal to hit'. ability, and. who knows well what he teachel; while at the. Royal Academy the students are overlooked by Mr. George Jones, whojnst teaches what he knows. No increased amount of knowledge or degree of skill is required of the Academy students after they are admitted; no real ans- tomical instruction is provided; only the opportunity is afforded of me- thing drawing, each one according to the extent of his own knowledge. Whet the students-learn is acquired outside the walls of the Academy.
Aproject is on foot for founding an Academy of Arts. at Bridal; towerds which a lady has munificently contributed 2,0001. "This," says. a. Bristol journal, "ix the principal point." We beg tø differ front that opinion. The greed requisite is a zealous, and competent instructor, who knows what should- be taught and how to teach it—who will inspire his pupils with a love-for their art, and exact from them a certain extent of improve- ment. The master makes the school.
The want of &school of figure-drawing, for amateurs as well as artists, in the Metropolis, is now supplied by the reopening of the Drawing-Gal- lery in Maddox Street, with separate classes for students in different stages of progress. For the more advanced there is a select class for painting from living models dressed in picturesque costumes; which, as well as one for drawing from the antique, is directed by Mr. Mogford, a painter of con- siderable ability. There is also an elementary class in the evening, for model-drawing, under the direction of Mr. Deacon. The morning classes are attended. chiefly by amatetus ; among whom, we were pleased to hear, there are many ladies of rank. In the elementary class, the models of M. Dupuis and Mr. Deacon are used in combination, preliminary to the study of the antique and the practice of sketching from nature.
The medal-drawing classes at Exeter Hall are resumed by Mr. Gandee, who has also a separate class for geometrical perspective. In short, the system of drawing from models and real objects instead of from copies is becoming universal. The study of the figure by amateurs and artisans will compel painters, engravers, and lithographers, to understand anatomy and light and. shade thoroughly instead of superficially. The taste and feeling of the English school are preferable to any of the Continental schools; ttnd it is chiefly the imperfect skill and limited knowledge of our artists that restricts the free. exercise of their fancy: they are occupiedwith correcting or concealing their defects in drawing, when they should he engrossed with their idea of the subject in hand.
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