INTRODUCTION ΤΟ LINEAR DRAWING. TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH OF M. FRANCŒUR, AND ADAPTED TO THE USE OF PUBLICK SCHOOLS IN THE UNITED STATES. BY WILLIAM B. FOWLE, Boston: CUMMINGS, HILLIARD, AND COMPANY. Francolur, foris Benjamin DISTRICT OF MASSACHUSETTS, TO WITI DISTRICT CLERK'S OFFICE. BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the seventeenth day of October, A. D. 1825, in the fiftieth year of the Independence of the United States of America, WILLIAM B. FowLE, of the said District, has deposited in this Office the title of a Book, the right whereof he claims as Author and Proprietor, in the words following, to wit: "An Introduction to Linear Drawing. Translated from the French of M. Francœur, and adapted to the use of Publick Schools in the United States. By William B. Fowle, Instructer of the Monitorial School, Boston." In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, entitled, "An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies, during the times therein mentioned:" and also to an Act, entitled, " An Act supplementary to an Act, entitled, An Act for the Encouragement of Learning, by securing the Copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such Copies, during the times therein mentioned; and extending the benefits thereof to the Arts of Designing, Engraving and Etching Historical, and other Prints." JNO. W. DAVIS, Clerk of the District of Massachusetts. JAMES LORING, printer. An elementary treatise on Drawing, adapted to the use of common schools, cannot but be well received. Besides the professions which make the art of drawing their particular study, anatomists, naturalists, mechanicks, travellers, and indeed all persons of taste and genius, have need of it, to enable them to express their ideas with precision, and make them intelligible to others. Notwithstanding the great utility of this branch of education, it is a lamentable fact, that it is seldom or never taught in the publick schools, although a very large proportion of our children have no other education than these schools afford. Even in the private schools where drawing is taught, it is too generally the case that no regard is paid to the geometrical principles on which the art depends. The translator appeals to experience when he asserts, that not one in fifty of those who have gone through a course of instruction in drawmeh ing, can do more than copy such drawings as are placed before them. Being ignorant of the certain rules of the art, (and they are the most certain because mathematical) they are always in leading strings, and, unless endowed with uncommon genius, never originate any design, and rarely attempt to draw froin nature. It is to remedy this defective mode of teaching, that the translator has been induced to present this little work on the elements of drawing, to the American publick. Most of our faculties, when exercised, may attain to a surprising degree of perfection. A precision may be acquired by the eye and hand, almost equal to that of ordinary instruments. With this view, the society for the improvement of elementary instruction in France, directed some of their most distinguished members to procure a work on the art of drawing, which should be applied to the system of mutual instruction, there the national system. The following treatise is, in a great measure, a trapslation of that approved by them. It is not intended for a treatise on the art in all its numerous branches, but merely the lineur, and, of course, the fundamental and most useful part of it. The geometrical figures are arranged according to the difficulty of their execution, rather than in the order of theorems. Each figure is accompanied with suitable explanations, so that the teacher or monitor will easily comprehend them, and be able to teach them to his classes, without much previous acquaintance with the art. The pupils are each furnished with a slate and peneil. The monitor directs what figure shall be drawn, and if the pupils are not all furnished with this treatise, he chalks the figure on a board, painted black for the purpose, and suspended where all can see it. The slates are then examined by the monitor, and precedence is given to whichever pupil has executed the figure best. The instructer should select a sufficient number of the most skilful for monitors, who should be under his immediate instruction. As soon as they have become expert in drawing the figures of the first class, a second may be formed to be instructed by the first class, (which now becomes the second) and so on to the sixth. The highest class under the master, may consist of about fifteen pupils. The lower classes may consist of any number, but for every six or eight scholars there should be a monitor. The first class draw right lines, angles, parallels, perpendiculars and triangles. The second class draw polygons, and polyedrons, or solid figures of many sides. The third class make circles, and regular polygons. The fourth draw a protracter, make angles of a given opening, draw ellipses, cylinders, cones, spheres, &c. The fifth apply the preceding figures to architectural drawings, vases, and tasteful ornaments. The sixth class draw the orders of architecture, and such other objects as an ingenious instructer shall direct. |