The Schools of Design

First published in 1963, The Schools of Design is a history of English Art Education. The story of the genesis of English art schools is one of the fierce conflicts in which private feuds mingle with questions of principle. It is a story of administrative chaos and open scandal in which some long-forgotten figures are involved; others – such as Haydon, Gladstone, Alfred Stevens, Dyce, Stafford Northcote, Etty and Henry Role – appear in a new role. In itself this forms an entertaining study full of incident and drama. Many of the problems that presented themselves in the 1840s are still with us today and no one who is interested in the place of art in our society can afford to neglect the lessons of the Schools of Design. This book will be of interest to students of art and history.