12

ART  ED  UCATION.

at  the  World’s  Fair  in  regard  to  art-instmetion  will  no  doubt  be
conducive  to  the  propagation  of  eorrect  principles.  And  the
reporter  must  here  beg  to  be  allowed  to  dehne,  in  rapid  outlines,
the  point  of  view  to  which  he  has  attained  by  bis  own  pedagogical
experience,  and  by  the  insight  into  the  results  of  the  various
educational  institutions  represented  at  the  Exhibition.
The  world,  as  far  as  it  is  concerned  in  draiving,  is  prohahly
unanimous  in  the  conviction,  that  Instruction  in  its  first  stages  must
hegin  with  geometrical  forms,  and  that  Ornament  must  he  practiced  to
a  certain  clegree,  hefore  figure-drawing  can  be  taJcen  up.  Differences
of  opinion  have  reference  to  the  method  only  ;  i.e.:  IIow  shall  the
several  parts  be  taught  ?  what  shall  be  tlieir  proportion  ?  and  what
models  shall  be  employed  ?  The  Ornament,  as  long  as  it  remains
Ornament  in  the  truest  sense  of  the  word,  and  does  not  go  astray
among  the  variable  forms  of  naturc,  as  it  did  during  the  Baroque
epoch,  always  constructs  itself  aecording  to  a  certain  rhythmical
measure,  which  gives  law  to  the  form.  The  characteristics  of  the
various  styles  lie  in  the  nature  of  this  rhythmical  development,  in
the  peculiarity  of  the  grovvth  of  the  Ornament,  as  it  were  ;  and  it
is  therefore  an  inevitable  necessity  in  instruction,  if  the  pupil  is  to
receive  an  insight  into  the  organism  of  this  world  of  form,  that  the
teacher  himself  should  develop  the  forms,  i.e.,  that  he  sliould  draw
them  on  the  blackboard  before  the  dass.  But  by  no  means  must  the
welfare  of  sesthetic  education  be  sought  in  the  mere  knowledge  of
all  the  existing  styles  of  Ornament.  General  culture  will  demand
this  knowledge  ;  but  the  development  and  perfection  of  resthetic  culture
  can  only  be  induced  by  the  study  of  the  best  tlius  far  produced
  bj-  the  nations  of  the  globe  ;  and  in  the  choice  of  examples
for  educational  purposes  the  Grecian,  Roman,  and  Renaissance
monuments  will  claim  attention  above  all  others.  Besides  these,
however,  nature,  as  the  source  of  all  ornamental  forms,  must
likewise  be  considered.
But  as  Ornament,  although  not  a  lifeless,  is  still  a  soulless  formation,
  and  its  study  in  schools  for  general  education  can  only  be
organized  by  the  eleetion  of  Prof.  B.  v.  Eitelberger  as  President;  Messrs.  J.  A.
Crowe  (joint-author  with  G.  B.  Cavalcaselle  of  the  “History  of  Painting  in
Italy  ”)  and  Schön,  as  vice-presidents;  and  Prof.  Bruno  Meyer  and  A.  Ilg  as
secretaries.  The  nieeting  was  the  first  of  its  kind  everheld;  a  second  meeting
  will  occur  at  Berlin,  in  September,  1875.—Tränst.