96

ART  ED  U  CAT  ION.

tional  institutions  of  the  provinces  unfo*tunately  gave  evidence  in
Lut  few  cases  of  a  systematic  course  of  instruction.  Most  of  the
specimens  sent  were  selected  show-pieces  done  by  the  more  talented
  scholars,  some  of  which,  indeed,  claimed  our  admiration,  but
were  little  in  accordance  with  the  purposes  of  the  Exhibition.
Tliis  much  only  became  evident  from  all  that  was  to  be  seen:
that  each  teacher  cultivates  his  own  genre,  according  to  his  especial
  liking,  and  that  no  uniform  principle  has  as  yet  been  carried
through  in  general.  As  a  rule,  instruction  in  drawing  in  the  inetitutions
  nained  culminates  simply  in  brilliaut  execution,  and,
having  no  positive  aims,  frequently  degenerates  into  shallow  dilettantism.
  Thus  in  the  “  ficole  Communale  ”  of  Marseilles  ahnost
nothing  is  drawn  but  pictures  of  saints  from  bad  lithographs,  and
the  objectionable  large  heads  in  crayon  by  Julien;  at  the  St.
Joseph  School  at  Beauregard,  Thionville,  the  omament  is  practiced,
  but  in  conjunction  with  flgures  and  landscapes,  which  malte
ibapparent  that  drawing  is  there  treated  only  as  an  amusement;
in  Besanyon,  again,  landscape  in  charcoal  is  attempted,  and  so  on.
The  Boarding-School  at  Toulouse,  on*  the  contrary,  exhibited  a
tolerably  systematic  course  of  instruction,  from  simple  geometrical
forms  up  to  well-developed  Ornament.  Good  drawings  from  casts
were  also  to  be  found  in  the  portfolios  of  the  institutions  at  Moulins,
  Rouen,  and  Clermont,  where  some  of  the  drawing-copies
lately  published  are  suceessfully  used.  In  the  more  important
eities,  evening-classes  are  connected  with  these  institutions,  which
are  frequented  by  persons  engaged  in  industry,  and  in  which  drawing ­
  is  therefore  taught  with  more  especial  referenee  to  partieular
trades.  Exeellent  work  is  done  in  these  schools  in  constructive
drawing,  and,  indeed,  linear  drawing  is  generally  well  cultivated
even  in  the  lower  educational  institutions.  In  freehand  drawing,
however,  very  praiseworthy  specimens  were  likewise  exhibited.  We
willliere  mention  onlythose  bythe  schools  of  St.  Augustin  and  St.
fitienne  du  Mont  (Paris).  Superior  drawings  from  casts  had  been
sent  by  the  schools  of  Rheims  and  Besamjon.  With  these  we  approacli
  the  field  of  the  special  schools,  in  which,  as  is  well  known,
drawing  receives  better  care  than  in  any  other  schools  in  France  ;
but.  before  passing  on  to  them,  we  must  glance  at  the  higher  People’s
  Schools,  the  Lycea  (the  “ecoles  secondaires”  in  general),