FRANCE.

93

eeutive  ability  of  the  children  for  wkom  it  is  designed  (this  may
be  remarked  more  especially  of  the  “fitudes  du  Genre”),  but
its  purpose  is  to  train  the  eye,  rather  than  the  hand,  in  the  matter
of  form,  and  principally  to  acquaint  this  organ  with  the  most
important  and  the  most  beautiful  in  art  and  in  nature.  Besides
this,  the  firm  of  Monrocq  Freres,  which  is  exceedingly  active  in
the  field  of  instruction  in  form  and  in  drawing,  publishes  a  Journal, ­
  “Le  Petit  Artiste  ”  (Ist  and  15th  of  eachmonth),  in  which
motives  from  all  departmentsof  drawing,  with  a  short  text,  are  presented
  in  the  greatest  variety.  Whoever  turns  over  the  leaves  of
the  volumes  thus  far  published  will  be  forced  to  acknowledge,  that
the  choice,  as  well  as  the  execution  of  the  objects,  which  is  sometimes
  quite  artistic,  are  well  fitted  to  create  an  interest,  and  to  be
practically  useful  in  teaching  the  knowledge  of  form.  Luzanne’s
slate-copies  are  likewise  a  very  recommendable  means  to  interest
children  in  the  imitation  of  forms.  The  drawings  are  executed  in
red  Ihres  on  the  left  half  of  the  slate,  and  are  reflected,  by  means  of
a  glass  plate  placed  vertically,  upon  the  other  blank  half,  wliere  the
outlines  are  gone  over  by  the  hand  of  the  pupil.  The  “  Cahiers
d’Enseignement  Pratique  du  Dessin,”  by  J.  Carot,  the  “Cahiers
Esquisses  de  Dessin  d’Ornement,’  by  A.  le  Bealle,  as  well  as  the
works  of  J.  Bardin,  L.  Grunblot,  Blery,  &c.,  aie  alieadj  derotcd
to  higher  aims  in  drawing-instruction  proper;  and  it  needs  only  to
remark  in  general,  that  the  plastic  Ornament  prevails  everywhere.
The  natural  flower  gradually  steps  into  the  background.  Landscape ­
  likewise  is  very  properly  excluded  from  elementary  instruction ­
  ;  and,  indeed,  since  Calame’s  incomparable  lithographs,  nothing ­
  prominent  in  this  genre  has  appeared.  Strange  to  say,  very
little  has  as  yet  been  done  for  elementary  figure-drawing.  It  is
evident,  that  art-instruction  in  France  is  bent  especially  upon  the
practical,  upon  industry,  in  which  department  truly  magnificent
works  have  been  published,  and  in  which  the  Parisian  publishers,
in  spite  of  the  efforts  of  the  English,  still  stand  unsurpassed.
The  space  at  command  would  have  to  be  exceeded,  if  only  the
most  prominent  were  to  be  mentioned.  These  works  have  been
given  to  all  the  world  ;  and  it  must  be  sufficient  here  to  have  drawn
attention  to  them.
For  instruction  in  linear  drawing,  numerous  works  were  also