International studio (21.1903/1904(1904))

treatment. The decorative artist with future
buildings todecorate cantreatwith Nature in
her own dimensions; the future sculptor with
an eye on the heroic can now actuaily attain that
magnitude by his work in the school; and the
carver has before him as a matter of daily
study the figures he will be cailed upon to execute
in the actuai fabric. The architect designs to given
requirements in a prescribed style, and subjects
himself to the limitations of Situation and material
and general conditions that actuaily occur in
practice, and he studies from the existing buildings

EMBROtDERED AND
ABPEIQUE CURTAIN

those subtle influences of balance and proportion
which no mechanical copy can ever make him
appreciate. In the decorative arts the Student is
no longer compelled to furnish designs for the
annual Exhibition at South Kensington; he can
now, like the chemist in a laboratory, make his
own trials in methods ; he may fail or succeed, but
in any case he is free to make the experiment, and
whether his effort is admirable or reprehensible,
depends upon himself. And the stupid notion that
a man should not be allowed to design directly with
his material without the Intervention of a paper
design, is at an end, and accident is free
to play its part, and to lend that happy
spontaneity which laboured attention
to a preconceived design can never
achieve. Education in and through the
use of material cannot be too early
insisted upon, and artificial and unre-
lated instruction in methods and theories
having no practical application is worse
than useless ; even those whose views
are limited to what we may call the
scientific aspect of art will acknow-
ledge that clever talk about joinery
will not make a door, and it is of about
as much value in the decorative arts.
For this reason it is that we feel so much
interest in the work of a school in which
the students are wisely led to accentuate
and increase their qualities of Observa-
tion and expression, rather than to set
aside their individual preferences for a
ready-made pre-digested System, con-
structed and prescribed for them. And
it is to this liberal idea of the essentials
of art education that we attribute the
noticeable individuality of feeling and
treatment in the work of the members
of the School of Art Club, some of
whose work we illustrate without further
comment.

We understand that the citizens of
Ballarat, Australia, have decided to erect
a Statue to the memory of the troops who
fought in the South African War. The
statue is to be equestrian, in bronze, and
the cost will not exceed ^1,300, delivered
in Melbourne. The pedestal is to be
constructed locally. Designs are being
received by the Agent-General for Victoria
for transmission to the Committee.

DESIGNEDBYJESSIEM. KING
EXECUTED BY MRS. T. ROWAT