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THE NEW PI                   A T Ho
PUBLISHED BY THE
Society for the Advancement of
TRUTH IN ARTY
"Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are,
No. 5.]                and the things that shall be hereafter."
[Sept., 1863.
THE PERSPECTIVE OF NATURE.
Introductory.
MANY pens are already at work in
the endeavor to conduce to the enrich-
ineat and elucidation of Art and Sci-
ence; and, in venturing myself to add
a few words on this subject, I do so
solely from a desire to aid the removal
and suppression of some peculiarities,
but too prevalent, in the present mode
of writing on Art. Mly chief object at
the present time is, to direct attention
to early artistic education; and, by
unfolding my views and mode of con-
ception, to suggest that help which
seems most needed.
Every true artist will agree withn me,
that the fundamental, and consequent-
ly m-ost important, step in artistic edu-
cation is the training of the eye into
harmnony with the development of the
mind. It is an old story, yet always
new, that the labor of thinking is in-
dispensable in the life of all classes of
men; and with regard to artistic stud-
ies, which are intimately related to
observation and reflection, it is surely
most necessary that, from the comi-
mnencement, mind and eye should be
educated together. Indeed it is this
precise education which so completely
distinguishes and elevates every genu-
ine artist. This every-day world he
regards from an entirely different point
of view, recognizing in nature a multi-
tude of charms, and discovering in her
inexhaustible treasures of a purer
knowledge, which from others are for-
ever hidden. It is his constant habit
of uniting seeing with thinking which
endows him with the power of under-
standing aright, where an undisciplined
eye perceives nothing save hiero-
glyphics.
Now, in suggesting the means of pro-
curing such an education, first I would
state, that I entirely agree with those
of my fellow-artists, who condemn the
practice of constant mechanical copy-
ing, and endeavor rather to lead the
students entrusted to their care, as
early as possible, to the only original
source and productive fountain-
NAcature.
Drawing from the object itself, in-
stead of from copies, necessarily com-
pels the student to think, and in a short
time imparts to him a power of percep-
tion utterly unattainable by any other
method. The student's attention should
also at once be directed to the fact
that, prior to any attempt to delineate,
and in order to give anything like an
adequate representation of the object
placed before him, it is absolutely im-
perative, closely to observe and to ex-
amine every object as a 'whole, that is,
in its general appearance, and therefore
necessarily, at the same time, to ob-
serve also all those parts of which this
appearance is composed. This exami-
nation must be sufficiently prolonged,
to allow the mind a fair opportunity of
seeing and retaining accurate impres-