DOI Heft:
No. 38 (May, 1896)
DOI Artikel:Sturt, George: The Science and Art Department, South Kensington
DOI Artikel:The etchings of E. W. Charlton
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17296#0234
The Etchings of E. W. Charlton
young men to study the nude. In fact, that duty to be by far the most important part of the De-
may well be left to private artists. The work partment's work; a work of immeasurable value,
of South Kensington is vastly different; it is not perhaps even as important to the nation as that
the instruction of geniuses, but the education, study of the nude so much vaunted by the writer
the development of the national taste. And the in your February number ! And, meanwhile, much
more than this has been accomplished
by South Kensington. How much more
is attested, perhaps, by the popularity of
The Studio, whose circulation must be
not a little due to the Science and Art
Department.
And further still, have not the pages
of The Studio again and again been
rendered attractive by designs coming
hot from South Kensington Schools ?
What of design we possess is surely
mostly due to the Science and Art
Department. Of course, the very best
work is always original—due to indi-
vidual genius ; but genius could not lift
itself so high had there not been a
national raising of the level from which
it has lifted itself. That national raising
has been produced from South Ken-
sington ; without it the half-dozen or so
whom we think of as " designers " to-
day must have had a harder struggle
for their proficiency—only to find them-
selves at last unappreciated. Even if
they never studied under the Depart-
ment, they yet owe much to it; but it
is more than probable that most of them
received their own earliest teaching in
South Kensington Schools of Art.
Artists or not, the " Art Masters"
and " Art Teachers " of South Kensing-
ton have much to be proud of in their
past work. For the future, it seems,
their work is likely to be hampered by
bookshelf desigxed by c. f. a. voysey gir j0hn Gorst's " authorities "—his
local vestrymen, and his county brewers,
question is, not whether the men engaged in this more eager to keep down the rates than to develop
work may be called artists, but whether they are national taste. A pleasing prospect, is it not ?
successful in their undertaking. George Sturt.
No one will ever know how much we owe to Farnham, April 10, 1896.
South Kensington. But its influence for good has
been felt by every child who has passed the most y \Hk. ETCHINGS OF E W
elementary examination in freehand drawing. rHART TON
Because, to learn in however slight a degree to
appreciate balance and symmetry by one sense is In no department of the arts is per-
to learn to appreciate them by all the senses. JL sonal technique more important than in
The thoughts of those children will be better etching. That Mr. Charlton possesses this quality,
massed, their senses of proportion more true than so that after seeing but a few of his etchings you
as if that training had been withheld. This I take can pick them out instantaneously without refer-
219
young men to study the nude. In fact, that duty to be by far the most important part of the De-
may well be left to private artists. The work partment's work; a work of immeasurable value,
of South Kensington is vastly different; it is not perhaps even as important to the nation as that
the instruction of geniuses, but the education, study of the nude so much vaunted by the writer
the development of the national taste. And the in your February number ! And, meanwhile, much
more than this has been accomplished
by South Kensington. How much more
is attested, perhaps, by the popularity of
The Studio, whose circulation must be
not a little due to the Science and Art
Department.
And further still, have not the pages
of The Studio again and again been
rendered attractive by designs coming
hot from South Kensington Schools ?
What of design we possess is surely
mostly due to the Science and Art
Department. Of course, the very best
work is always original—due to indi-
vidual genius ; but genius could not lift
itself so high had there not been a
national raising of the level from which
it has lifted itself. That national raising
has been produced from South Ken-
sington ; without it the half-dozen or so
whom we think of as " designers " to-
day must have had a harder struggle
for their proficiency—only to find them-
selves at last unappreciated. Even if
they never studied under the Depart-
ment, they yet owe much to it; but it
is more than probable that most of them
received their own earliest teaching in
South Kensington Schools of Art.
Artists or not, the " Art Masters"
and " Art Teachers " of South Kensing-
ton have much to be proud of in their
past work. For the future, it seems,
their work is likely to be hampered by
bookshelf desigxed by c. f. a. voysey gir j0hn Gorst's " authorities "—his
local vestrymen, and his county brewers,
question is, not whether the men engaged in this more eager to keep down the rates than to develop
work may be called artists, but whether they are national taste. A pleasing prospect, is it not ?
successful in their undertaking. George Sturt.
No one will ever know how much we owe to Farnham, April 10, 1896.
South Kensington. But its influence for good has
been felt by every child who has passed the most y \Hk. ETCHINGS OF E W
elementary examination in freehand drawing. rHART TON
Because, to learn in however slight a degree to
appreciate balance and symmetry by one sense is In no department of the arts is per-
to learn to appreciate them by all the senses. JL sonal technique more important than in
The thoughts of those children will be better etching. That Mr. Charlton possesses this quality,
massed, their senses of proportion more true than so that after seeing but a few of his etchings you
as if that training had been withheld. This I take can pick them out instantaneously without refer-
219