| Show The Importance of Art THE history of art is the history of civilization Art in one form or another is the great beautifier and en- en nobler of life and a nation without art without art without poetry or painting architecture architecture architecture archi archi- sculptor or music music is is a nation F of barbarians though it p possess the steam engine and electricity In viewing art from an educational standpoint alone we must give gi her due credit for what she has done and what she may accomplish in the future provided provided provided pro pro- vided she can have her natural course and not be restrained It was through the language of design that man first recorded history it was used as a means of expression and through it education gradually developed and k still the fittest expression to the deepest ef most philosophical as well as most i elevated and refined thoughts of men menis menis menis is art It is a true representation of the idea we wish to co convey vey to others But this representation must be stud studied by those who would understand that language of all languages languages even even the most simple expression may call this representation to its assistance Had Hadit J it not been tor for the first artist who thus carved strange forms into rocks walls caves and tombs thereby leaving a standing record for coming of the time and age he and his people had lived the world would be without many a valuable record Looking upon h the subject in this light we can truly say that art in its broadest sense has done more for the interest of education than any other science Observation is the most essential faculty in education Anyone however limited his learning book my be but who has that faculty well developed needs but to travel and ann he will come out better educated than many of our college students Form is the first step though which the child begins to learn Long before it can read the A ABC B C it i r i J 1 if iti I 1 JI r ti can tell a man from a horse a dog from froma a cat etc by the picture 1 Drawing alone can teach accurate observation it teaches form trains the perceptive powers and cultivates the imagination It also if properly presented presented presented pre pre- J to a class will bring into use the highest faculty of ot the mind that mind that of rea reason OIl As an humble but earnest student of this important subject I hold the opinion that there is no other study in the schoolroom which should receive more attention than Drawing I It t is the basis of many studies in in every and a great indispensable help to all of them Every teacher finds many times when s swords words fail to impress his idea recourse can always be taken to drawing and afew a afew afew few spirited strokes on the blackboard cannot be misinterpreted I well remember remember remember re re- re- re member my instructor the noted Prof Mathias Duval in his lectures on artistic artistic artistic artis artis- tic anatomy It was often surprising to art students to whom he lectured how quick and accurately he would put drawings on the board illustrating more plainly the subject he was speaking on Many American students who did not understand French the language he used were just as much benefited from his drawings alone as others were with both the words and drawings All the drawings he thus put on the blackboard were from a c critical and artistic standpoint standpoint standpoint stand stand- point well executed but were simply used to illustrate his lectures not to teach drawing There are many who shrink from the study of art simply because they thin th they y lack capacity or genius to acco anything But have they themselves a fair trial t Anyone w i can learn to write can learn to draw dra ALI d dand and this is no more than good reas h for the mechanical part of art cyan il always be he acquired by the student I N will earnestly devote himself to it nIi g III To know how a thing should be bed d 11 I 3 1 t tj kJ- kJ j f 1 x fJ in theory is not enough in art we ought to know how to do it in practice practice practice tice Therefore books lectures and treatises on art without the practical knowledge are of little value they sometimes mislead more than do good Good drawing can only be accomplished by diligent practice at the same time Practice as Sir Joshua Reynolds says though essential to perfection can never attain that to which it aims unless it works under unde the direction of principle To learn to draw from fromn is the beneficial beneficial beneficial benefi benefi- n nature ture undoubtedly most cial draw from the object itself whatever whatever whatever what what- ever it may be it can be carefully observed and studied and therefore more justice can be done to it than if it were drawn entirely from imagination Attention should also be directed to the fact that the art of drawing is not only useful to the artist or student alone but that it constitutes an important aid in all trades as is shown in the following authentic account There was a time when England was dependent upon the continent for all the higher class of mechanical labor everything of artistic came from a abroad broad and England with all her J capital energy strength and mechanical cal facilities could not compete against it This became a subject of alarm to many of her statesmen and they agreed to travel throughout the continent to find what had made the other countries their superiors They soon became r. r convinced that it was the Art Schools and Schools of Design that were then in a flourishing condition throughout 1 Germany and France that aided their k mechanics in producing th the better and class of articles The superior English 4 government at once established art schools of design until it was reported reported that there was scarcely a manufacturing town in the land but what had the advantages ta of these provincial branches These were attended with such beneficial beneficial beneficial benefi benefi- cial results that it was but comparatively comparatively comparatively g l a short time and England was on the equal with the continent Chapman our great American advocator advocator advocator cator of this cause says Of Of all an people in the world we stand most in need of knowledge in the Arts of De De- fiT sign If in Europe surrounded as they are by monuments of art the accumulation accumulation accumulation lation of it has been found ages necessary necessary necessary sary to make drawing a part of common education how much more es essential is isit isit it here where there is little or nothing z of the sort 1 We have confidence in the progressive progressive progressive sive spirit that is abroad in Utah and expect to see an energetic move in the direction of bringing this stud study before the people in the light in which it ought to be considered We feel that the FA University of Utah at the head of all L educational affairs in the land has already shown to some extent its appreciation appreciation appreciation of this subject and hope to see it take the lead in this direction as well wel t as it has done in others Herman rr H. H H Haag aag j |
