DOI Heft:
No. 38 (May, 1896)
DOI Artikel:Baldry, Alfred Lys: Private schools of art, [2], the studio of Mr. Francis Bate and the South-West London Polytechnic Art School
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17296#0243
Private Schools of Art
aside their individual preferences in exchange for attributes which enable the artist to treat with
a ready-made system constructed and provided for equal certainty whatever phase of Nature is pre-
them by their master. sented to him. Without exactness the painter is
This is, indeed, the main motive of the method bound down to record only what is obvious, the
under which Mr. Bate works—to make in all the few trivial facts that fall within the scope of his
stages of the artist's practice correct and intelligent limited experience ; and without the thorough
observation a matter of instinct. It is only in this education of his eye he can express merely those
way, he contends, that the student can be trained everyday details which have become to him matters
thoroughly enough to become in after life a ver- of course, because they are impressed upon him
satile and capable producer. By exactness of ob- by hourly and daily contact. If he is to enlarge
servation come adaptability and the power to the borders of his knowledge he can only do so
escape from the narrow limits of specialism ; by when he is possessed of the capacity to seize upon
perfecting the ability to see aright are gained the the salient characteristics of whatever subject is
sense of character and the judgment of distinctive presented to him, when, in fact, he has learned to
observe closely and accu-
rately.
To cultivate this power
of observation in his pupils
Mr. Bate has arranged his
method of teaching on
special lines. His studio
is essentially a painting
school, a place in which
skilful use of materials is
particularly aimed at. All
the stages of the course of
study which he prescribes
are arranged with this end
in view, and every part of
his system leads ultimately
to painting. The students
are never allowed to forget
that they have eventually to
set forth their ideas and to
record their observations in
paint, and that their most
valuable aid to expression
must always be the brush.
Therefore, whatever may be
the implement which for the
moment they are using, they
may never consider their
work except from the
painter's standpoint. They
must, whether it is charcoal
or chalk they have in their
hands, or a palette and
brushes, produce studies in
tones, broad, well-stated,
carefully considered records
of relations, treated largely
and simply and without any
straining after fictitious
A SKETCH AT NAMUR BY LYDIA COOPER (MR. BATE'S STUDIO) Style. No Concessions tO
227
aside their individual preferences in exchange for attributes which enable the artist to treat with
a ready-made system constructed and provided for equal certainty whatever phase of Nature is pre-
them by their master. sented to him. Without exactness the painter is
This is, indeed, the main motive of the method bound down to record only what is obvious, the
under which Mr. Bate works—to make in all the few trivial facts that fall within the scope of his
stages of the artist's practice correct and intelligent limited experience ; and without the thorough
observation a matter of instinct. It is only in this education of his eye he can express merely those
way, he contends, that the student can be trained everyday details which have become to him matters
thoroughly enough to become in after life a ver- of course, because they are impressed upon him
satile and capable producer. By exactness of ob- by hourly and daily contact. If he is to enlarge
servation come adaptability and the power to the borders of his knowledge he can only do so
escape from the narrow limits of specialism ; by when he is possessed of the capacity to seize upon
perfecting the ability to see aright are gained the the salient characteristics of whatever subject is
sense of character and the judgment of distinctive presented to him, when, in fact, he has learned to
observe closely and accu-
rately.
To cultivate this power
of observation in his pupils
Mr. Bate has arranged his
method of teaching on
special lines. His studio
is essentially a painting
school, a place in which
skilful use of materials is
particularly aimed at. All
the stages of the course of
study which he prescribes
are arranged with this end
in view, and every part of
his system leads ultimately
to painting. The students
are never allowed to forget
that they have eventually to
set forth their ideas and to
record their observations in
paint, and that their most
valuable aid to expression
must always be the brush.
Therefore, whatever may be
the implement which for the
moment they are using, they
may never consider their
work except from the
painter's standpoint. They
must, whether it is charcoal
or chalk they have in their
hands, or a palette and
brushes, produce studies in
tones, broad, well-stated,
carefully considered records
of relations, treated largely
and simply and without any
straining after fictitious
A SKETCH AT NAMUR BY LYDIA COOPER (MR. BATE'S STUDIO) Style. No Concessions tO
227