IT  ALT.

115

The  technical  communal  school  “Dante”  at  Florence  gave  a
very  comprehensive  survey  of  its  course  of  instruction,  and  of  the
method  employed  in  drawing,  by  an  exhibition  of  the  work  of  its
pupils.  The  school  proposes  to  give  a  suitable  general  education
to  all  young  persons  who  desire  to  devote  themselves  to  some  definite ­
  calling,  either  in  the  Service  of  the  state,  in  industry,  or  in
agrieulture.  The  special  education  of  its  pupils  is  afterwards
completed  at  the  technical  high  schools.
The  school  is  divided  into  four  classes;  and  in  the  first  dass
five  hours,  in  eaeh  of  the  others  nine  hours,  are  devoted  to  drawing. ­
  The  freehand-drawings,  progressing  systematically  from
simple  outlines  to  Ornaments  in  plaster,  were  among  the  best
exhibited  by  the  intermediate  schools  of  Italy.  The  simplest
means  of  execution  are  made  use  of,  frequently  the  lead-pencil
only;  but  the  handling  is  of  a  tenderness  and  a  delicacy  which
must  be  called  admirable,  in  view  of  the  age  of  the  pupils  (thirteen
  to  seventeen  years).  Besides  the  plastic  drawings,  there
were  also  flat  Ornaments  (early  Renaissance)  of  exemplary  treatment.
  Linear  drawing  is  practiced  much  the  same  as  in  our  Real-Schools,
  with  immediate  application  to  architecture  and  machinery.
Very  excellent  specimens,  especially  as  far  as  descriptive  geometry
and  machine  drawing  are  concerned,  were  also  exhibited  by  the
“  Scuola  Tecnica  Municipale  Leon  Battista  Alberti;  ”  the  freehand
  drawings  displayed  throughout  a  delicate,  artistic,  but  nevertheless
  precise  treatment.
The  “Scuola  Tecnica”  at  Perugia,  besides  good  Ornaments,
exhibited  also  remarkably  beautiful  drawings  of  Renaissance  vessels,
  inlaid  furniture,  &c.  The  “Scuola  Maschile”  of  the  same
city  confines  itself  ahnost  entirely  to  the  construction  of  mosaic
floors.  The  “Scuola  Tecnica”  at  Orvieto  was  represented  by
splendid  freehand  drawings;  its  course  of  instruction  was  well
displayed.  The  Ornaments  from  casts  in  India  ink  (which  the
Italians  prefer  to  use  for  this  purpose),  were  again  of  the  utmost
delicacy  of  execution;  geometrical  drawing  was  not  as  strong;
the  projections,  on  the  contrary,  were  good.  The  “  Scuola  Tecnica” ­
  of  Lodi  made  a  brilliant  exhibition  of  drawings  of  every
description;  the  drawings  from  casts  were  again  mostly  in  India
ink,  while  architectural  pieces,  decorations,  &c.,  were  charmingly