VI
PRACTICAL SUGGESTIONS TO THE MOTHER FOR
THE CHILD’S PICTURE EDUCATION
To surround the child with good pictures chosen from subjects of greatest interest to him and in sufficient variety, to train his eye gradually in artistic discrimination and color feeling, to awaken his sense of joy in beauty,—this has been the burden of my little preachment. So may we wisely foster a love of art which will delight and enrich his life. The mother who has these aims in view always welcomes eagerly any helps towards carrying them out. Story-telling and the game of posing I have described at some length as two important picture pleasures of the home and school. It still remains to make a few practical suggestions to mothers who are anxious to provide every advantage for the child.
To begin with, the nursery decorations are of prime importance. The place should be a veritable picture gallery of delight to the little folks. For a child’s symmetrical development, there should be as much variety as possible in the selections, both in subject and treatment. Delightful as are Sir Joshua’s children, and beautiful as is the Madonna theme, the nursery should not be all Sir Joshuas and Madonnas. Where two Madonna pictures are hung they should represent quite dissimilar ideals: the Chair Madonna
