International studio (43.1911)

Art Students League Summer School


LANDSCAPE

BY PRANK SWIPT CHASE

THE ART STUDENTS’ LEAGUE
SUMMER SCHOOL
BY J. NILSEN LAURVIK
The genius of American art finds its
most-characteristic and truly national expression in
landscape painting. It is, therefore, not surprising to
discover that two-thirds of the painters in this coun-
try are landscape painters. None the less this is an
astonishing fact when one considers the rather
negative and haphazard circumstances under which
this art has developed. For nowhere in this coun-
try was there a school devoted to expounding the
problems that confront the landscape painter. With
the rare exception of a few individual painters who
established out-of-door classes there was no regular
and permanently established school where the ear-
nest landscape student could seek instruction in the
fundamental rudiments of his art. Some years ago

I strongly advocated the establishment of such a
school, or in lieu thereof the introduction into the
regular curriculum of schools already established of
a course in the science of light and color. It there-
fore gives me a peculiar pleasure to call attention to
the excellent work now being done by the Art
Students’ League Summer School at Woodstock,
New York.
Organized some four years ago and conducted by
that discerning and able artist, Birge Harrison,
this school of landscape painting has, in its brief
existence, amply confirmed the wisdom of the
governors of the League in boldly taking the step
that has resulted in its permanent establishment.
They have achieved a summer school founded on
the common-sense basis of concrete knowledge in-
stead of on the precariously fascinating stilts of
jeeling and inspiration. This does not mean that of
these important factors the latter is neglected by

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