Work of Untrained Children Shown in Germanic Museum

Natural drawing and modeling by children and untrained adults form a display now at the Germanic Museum, Exhibited to illustrate the normal development of creative imagination, the display includes the work of children from the ages 5 to 18, who have been allowed to paint or model without interference or special teaching.

Work in tapestry, painting, reliefs, and sculpture is arranged to show progress from the flat early concepts of young children, to a more rounded, mature construction. This is shown in depictions of trees, landscapes, human faces, and animal subjects.

The exhibit was arranged by Professor Heinrich W. Schaefer-Simmern, now at Cooper Union, New York, who for many years conducted a children's art center in Berlin. The items are chosen from the work of his former pupils in Germany.

By comparison, the rudimentary works of modern children and adults are shown to be strikingly similar to those of earlier artists in historic times.