34 OBJECTS AND DUTIES OF THE ART SECTION. 



one of Prang's prize Christmas cards. He does not un- 

 derstand the human form sufficiently to be able to select 

 from among his models those who by their simplicity, 

 purity and grace would be in keeping with his subject. 

 Instead of purity, chastity and grace he puts before us 

 the most vulgar of forms, and selects in an unpardonable 

 manner such attitudes as will surely invite the sensuous 

 eye to dwell upon them. I should consider it almost a 

 duty on the part of educators to try and repress the sale 

 of such vulgar trash, especially as this picture comes 

 with an authority in having received a prize for its 

 artistic merit. 



I suppose you begin to see what I meant when I said 

 that the Art Section of Vassar Brothers Institute had a 

 duty to perform towards the public. It should take care 

 that the language of the art is properly taught, so that it 

 will not, as in this case, prove detrimental to good taste 

 and morals. This instruction then should be intrusted 

 to a liberal and thoroughly educated artist, and should 

 be entirely under his direction. His method should be 

 theoretical, and broad enough to meet and guide the 

 various individual likings and feelings of the different 

 pupils. He should try to develop the individuality of 

 each student, and to make him see through his own 

 eyes. After a student in this way has acquired what I 

 call the language of his art, which embraces the power of 

 executing all forms, he will, if he is a true American, 

 paint American art. It will not be necessary for him to 

 go abroad. 



Just think of it \ The young American artists who a 

 few years ago refused to exhibit in the National Acad- 

 emy of Design, opened an exhibition of their own, and 

 called it the exhibition of "The Society of American 

 Artists." Nearly all the pictures that I saw there were 

 imitations of the style of some celebrated European, 

 usually Munich, artist. What was more, the figures 



