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Full text of "The magazine of art"

•4 



THE 



MAGAZINE 



OF 



ART 



\Jo\.1.' 




CASSELL AND COMPANY, Limited 

LONDON, PJRIS, NEW YORK id MELBOURNE 

1898 

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 




(V 

/ 
Mo- 



Contents 



'/ 



PAGE 

'■A Social Ei>dt : Left ky tiik Tide": Xote on i\\v. 

PlCTlKE bV \V. 0. OUCHAUDSON, K A. . . . 540 

'■ AiPHAiiETs," Autistic lofl 

Ai'oTHEosis OF Homer, The. By Hemy W. Nevinsou . 439 

AUT ASU AuCllITECTfRE IX JIoDEUX OpEllA-HoiSES AND 

Theatkf.s. By R. Phene Spiers, F.S.A . . . 476 
AuT at ocit PciiLic Schools : Rugby School Aut JIuseim. 

By Thomas M. Lindsay 590 

Art Collection at "Bell Moor," the hoise of Mr. 

Thomas J. Bakratt, Th-?. By Joseph Grego 

132, 189, 2G1, 289 

Art from Ai stralia. By A. L. BalJiy .... 378 

Art IX Scotlaxi) ........ 334 

Art Sales OF 1897, The. By W. Robeits. . . .139 

Art Teachixo at the Public Schools .... 263 

llARR.irr, Thom.\s J., The Art Collectiox at " Bell 

Moor, "the house of. By Joseph Grego 132, 189, 261, 289 

B.iTTERSEA Polytecuxic, Tiie. By Arthur Fish . . 381 
Beardsley, Aubrey, The Ixventiox of. By Aymer 

ValLince 3G2 

Bfloium, Currext Art ix. By Emile Verhaeren . . 41iS 
BiLi.oTTF, Rexe: The Paixtek of the Parisi.ax Suburbs. 

By M. 11. Spielmann 121 

Bookbixdixo, Something New ix. By Will II. Edmunds. 500 
British Silk Ixoustry, Revival of the .... 393 
BriLDisc UP of a Picture, The. By the late Lord Leigh- 
ton, P.R.A 1 

BuRNE-JoNLS, Sir E., Bart. : Lx Memouiam. By Robert 

de !a Siieranne, Fernand Khnopff, and ihe Editor . 513 
Calderox, Pi il p Hiemogenes, R.A. By G. A. Storey, 

A.U.A 446 

Calderox School, The. By Aymer Vallanee . . . 252 

Carrieke, Euge.ve. By Mathias Morhardt , . . 553 
Chaklto.v, John : Painter of Spurt and War. By JI. H. 

Spielmann. . . . . . . . .401 

Ch.aracteristics and Peculi.arities of Roger Payne, 

BixDER. By S. T. Piideau.t 607 

Chateau de Chantilly and the Muses Coxde, The. By 

Robert do la Sizeranne . . . . . .157 

CuATAXNES, Puvis DE. Bv Princc Bojidar Karageorgovitch 659 

Cheeet, Jules : P.iisteu. By M. H. Spielmann. . . 304 
Cheoxicle of Art 

43, 114, 166, 232, 283, 339, 397, 452, 507, 573, 627, 677 

CoLouTiED Windows. By Av-mer Vallanee .... 419 

" COXTEMPL.ITIOX " : NoTE ON THE PlCTURE BY SiH JoSHUA 

Reynolds, P.R.A 88 

CcHREXT Art 97, 101, 103 

Da Costa, Joiix, The Work of. By Gleeson White . 345 
Dance, George, and His Portraits. By W. Roberts . 656 
Decoe,\tions at Her M.ajesty's Theatre. By Arthur Fish ' 10 
Uecoeative and Applied Art ix Germany. By Paul 

Schultze-Xaumburg ....... 669 

Decor.itive Art ix the P.ulis Salons of ISPS. By Henri 

Frantz 549 

DECOB.iTivE .Sculpture by Mr. Alired Dkury. By A. L. 

Baldly 442 

Detaille, E. By Prince Bojidar Karageorgevitth . . 659 
Development of Modern English Architecture. By R. 

Phene .Spiers ........ 83 

Ecclesiastical Art at Nottingham 106 

Ecclesiastical Embroidery. . . . . . .164 

Kxamels. By Alex Fisher . . . . . . .127 

ExrosuBE OF South Kensington Museum, The. 79, 660 



F.iCE OF Christ, The : A Painter's Study of the likeness 
from the ti.me of the Apostles to the Pkesi-..vt 

Day. By Sir Wyke Bayliss, P.R.B.A , F.S.A. . 173 

F.iLizE, LuciEX : A Great Goldsmith. By Henri Frantz . 414 

Ford, E. Onslow, R.A. : New Statue of the Queex . 618 

Fowler, Robert : Artist. By E. Rirabault Dibdin . 3 

French Art at the Guildhall. By M. H. Spielmann . 597 

French Wood-Carvixgs. By Lewis F. Day . . . 104 

Frullini, Luigi. By Helen Zimmern .... 276 
Gainsborough, A New Life of . . . . .613 
Ghirl.axd.uo's Vespucci Fresco, Discovery of. By 

"Leader Scott" 324 

Gilbert, Sir John, R.A., P.R.W.S. : A Memorhl Sketch. 

By the Editor ........ 53 

Greek Landscape and Ancient Greek Architecture, 

Sketches of. By Alfred Higgins .... 33 

GuERix School of Art, The. By Henri Frantz . . 4S5 

II.IDLEY P0TTEi;Y 072 

H.iRDixG, J. D., Remimscexces of. By W. CoUingwood, 

R.W.S ' .... SO 

Harrow School; A Notai;le E.xperiment. By J[. H. 

Spielmann . . . . . . . . .19 

Hitchcock, George: Painter. By Arthur Fish . . 577 
How A Ballet is Designed : The " Press Ballet " yr the 

Empire Theatre . . . . . . .371 

Humour in Anim.il Paixting: The Work of Mr. A. W. 

Strutt, R.B.A. By Alfred Lys BalJry . . . 309 
IIuxT, William : Rk.mixiscencls. By W. CoUingwood, 

R.W.S 503 

In Memoriam: Henry St.^cy JIauks, R.A. By George D. 

Leslie, R.A 237 

Lv Memoriam: Sir Edward BurxeJoxe.s, Bart. : — A 

Tribute from France, by Robert de la Siieranue. 

A Tribute frcm Belgiu.m, by Fernand Khnopff. 

A Tribute by the Editor . . . , .513 
Invention of Auhrev Be.uidsley', The. By Aymer Vallanee 362 
Irish Textiles Exhibition, The Recent. By Annie B. 

Maguire ......... 161 

Ironwork at Hampton Court. By J. Starkie Gardner . 300 
"Jugexd": Some Decorations and a Moral. By Gleeson 

White 40 

Julius C^sar : A Shakespeari.\n Revival . . . 331 
LocKWOOD, Sir Frank, Ax Appreciatiox of. By Hairy 

Furniss 394 

" M.\gazine of Art" Poster Competitio.n. . . .118 

Marks, Gilbert, Silver Work 5C4 

M.\rks, Henry St.acy, R..A. : Ix JIemokiam. By George 

D. Leslie, R.A 237 

M.\SKS AMONG Greeks and Barhaui.\ns, Curious. By 

Charles De Kay .... 583,651 

Mesdag, H. W. : Painter of the Sea. By M. U. Spielmann 73 
Metal Work, Artistic. By Aymer Vallanee . . . 273 
.MtT.iL AVoRKERs' ExHiiiiTiox, TiiE. By J. Starkie Gardner 569 
JIetropolitax Schools of Art: — 

B.iTTERSE.1 Polytechnic, The. By Arthur Fish. . 381 
Calderox School, The. By Aj-mer Vallanee . . 252 
H.uiRow School : A Notable Experiment. By M. H. 

Spielmann 19 

Modern English Architectuue, Development of. By R. 

Phene Spiers ........ 83 

National Art Co.mpetition, The. By Aymer Vallanee . 621 

NnEDLEWORK A3 A MoDE OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. Bv 

Walter Crane 144. 197 



IV 



CONTENTS. 



Nelson CtLVTEXAUY, The: How Nixson looked in the 
Yeau oy THE Nile. By Doiiglus .Slidiii 

New Exolisu Art Club, The 

New Gallehy, The. By Fornnnd Khuopil' 

New Galleuy and " Old Masters " 

Notes and Qt'EitiES 

4G. 112, 164, 279, .337, 39.5, 431, 505, 5C5, 626, 
Okikxtal Puzzle Locks. By 11. T. Pritchett 
Payne, Rookk, Bindek. Chauacteuistics and Pecull\kitii-.s 

op. By S. T. Prideaux 

Peuvoini, C. E. : Painteu. By 51. 11. Spielmanu . 
Prints of the Yeau, Fine, By Fredcikk Wedmoro 
Proi't, Samiel: Reminiscences op ax Old Painter. By 

W. Cullingwood, R.AV.S 

"Press Ballet" at the Emi'Iue Theatre, The 
Queen's Treasures of Art, The: Decorative Art at 
Windsor Castle. By Froderick S. Robinson : — 

Arms and Armour 

BouLLE Work 

Candelahra 

French Bronzes ........ 

Inlaid Wood Furniture ...... 

Italiax and Frexch Broxzks 

Later Wooden Fi rmiuui; ...... 

Porcelain 

Tapestries ......... 

WooDEX Furniture 

Recent Illustrated Volumes: — 

"An Alphabet. " By Willi.im Nicholson . 

" Chippendale Period in English Furniture, The." 

By WaiTcn Clouston 

" Decorative Heraldry." By G. W. Evo . 
" Detaille, E." By Marius Vachon .... 
" Etciiixg, Engraving, and Other Methods of Puixt- 
ixo PitTUHEs." By JIessi-8. Uans Singor .ind 

William Strang 

"Historic Ornament: A Treatise on Di-.i-ouative 
Art and Architectural Ornament." liy .lanics 

Ward . 

" Historical Portraits." By H. B. Wheatlcy . 
"Mary Powell" and '-Deiiorah's Diary." 15y Jliss 

Mannin- Edited by W. H. Hutton 
"Modern Opera-Houses and Theatres." By Edwin 

0. Sachs 

" PuiL May's ABC" 

" Puvis de Chavannes." By Marius Vadion 
" Stained Glass as an Art." By Henry Holiday 
"Thomas Gainshorough : A Record op His Liie and 
Works." By Mrs. Arthur BeU .... 



■128 
222 

675 
643 

GOT 
459 
603 

588 
371 



470 
20 
511 
408 
119 
318 
319 
203 
SO 
245 



156 

31G 
316 
6C3 



317 



.■iI3 
314 

31C 

4;c 

150 

i;.')0 

270 



613 



Recent Illustr.vted Volumes {eonliiiurd) :— 

"Undine." By Do la Motto Fouque. Illu^tlMted by 

Miss Rosio M. M. Pitman 271 

"Windows: A Book arout Stained and Painted 

Glass." By Lewis F. Day . . . . 419 

" With N.vn ue and a Camera." By R. Keartun, F.Z.S. 272 
Renaissance tiuiLiiooo, .\rt and Kumanck oi--. By " LeadiT 

Scott" 647 

RoDix, Nevy Door hv. By Henri I'rantz . . . . 274 

Rodin's St.^tue op Balzac 617 

Rood Screens in England. By Cliail<itte F. Yongo . . 433 

RoTi', Oscar. By Henri Fiantz. ..... 356 

Royal Academy Elections 281 

Royal Academy Schools 229 

Royal Academy Exhiiiition, The . . . 421, 403, 547 

Royal Glasgow Institute, The 334 

Koval Hiuernian Academy, The 558 

Royal Scottish Academy, The 335 

Royal Worcester, Recent 388 

Ruouy School Art Museum. By Thomas Jl. Lindsay . 590 
St. Paul's, The New Decoration op, hy Sir W. B. Richmond, 

R.A. I'.y Alfred Lys Baldry 12 

"St. Stephen": A Note on the Picture hy Sir J. E. 

MiLi.Ais, Bart., P.R.A 202 

Salons, The Paris. By the Editor . . . 4S9, 535, 549 

Schultze-Naumhuug, Mme. : Portuait-Paixtek. . . 336 

Sculpture in 1897. By Alfred Lys Baldry ... 65 

Shakespearian Reviv.'VL, A: "Julius C.icsau ". . . 331 

Shaw, Byam. By Alfred Lys Baldry 633 

South Kensington Museum, The Exposure of. . 71), OGG 

Stencil Decoration. By Ayiuer Vallance . . . 45 

Stencillings, New oG3 

Strutt, a. W., R.B.A., Tin; AVokk of: Hvmouu in 

Animal Painting. By Alfred Lys Baldry . 
Swansea Poucelaix. By Cosmo Monlihouse 
"The Ofperixo": Note on the Picture iiv Sir E. J. 

POVXTER, P.R.A 

Two Great Frexch Artists: Puvis de Chavannes and 

Detaille. By Prince Bojidar Karageorgcvitch . 
Vallgren, Artificer and Sculptor. By Prince Bojid;ir 

Karageorgoviteh 

Van der Stappen, Charles. By Emile Verhaercn . 
Wall Decor..vtion. By Aymer Vallance .... 
Wall-Paper Design and Manufacture, Development op. 

By Aynier Vallance 

Waterlow, Ernest A., A.K.A., the New President op 

the Koyal Water -Colour Society. By M. H. 

Spielniami 



309 
257 

39 

G59 

218 
295 
501 

328 

211 



Women Painters, More Noted. By HeU-ne Pi.sllethwaito 4S0 



List of Plates, 



A Cup ok Tea 

The Ofpehixo 

contkmplatio.v 

Mr. Soi.omo.v .1. .Soi.oMox. A.Ii.A., ai Work ox his 
"cliaiii.ks i." kou tiik koyal k.xciiange 

Lady' Scott-Moncriepf 

St. .Stei'Iikn 

Pencil Studu--') 

A Belli-; ok Skvii.i.i: 

Stuiiv 

Dazzled 

IlK.AD IN Col.OUHKD C'llALKS 

HovAL WoHCESTEii Va.sk (Colour Plate) 

A Kkconsaissance 

Aftkk Sedan 

CUI" AND UAI.I 

A Social Kddv : Left hy Tin; Tiim: . . . . 

Saint Caecii.ia 

Love's Uauulbs 

Study FOR " Love's Baubliuj" 



H.V K. Aiidrootti (Plio(ograviirc) . . . . 
Hy .Sir 10. .1. I'oyiiter, PH. A. (Colour Plate) 
Hy Sir Joshua Reynolds, P.Il.A. (" Ucinbrandt ' 



Photogravure). 



frontispircc 

'Jii face :i8 
8S 



Hy Arthur Gamilt 

Hy Sir Henry Haeburn, I!..\. ('• Iteiubraurtt " I'holiigravure). 

Hy Sir .1. K. Millais, Hurt., P.K.A. (" Itemhrandt ' Pholosravurc) 

liy :Mis3 Imogen Collier 

Hy .?olm H. Hurgess, 1!.A. ("Rembrandt" I'liotouravure) . 

By .Inles Clu-n-l 

Hy Alfred \V. Sirutt, R.B.A. (" liombraiuit " Photogravure! 

Hy .lohu da t'osla 

Hy .1. L. I''. Meisaonier (Pholoxravure) 

Hy .lolin Charlton i"Hemhrandt" Photogravure) .... 
Hy C. K. Perugihi (" Uemhrandt " Photogravure) .... 
Hy \V. {). Oiihnidson, I!..\. (" Hembramll" Photo iravurc') . 

Hy (Jeorgo llitehcoek (t'olour Phile) 

Hy Hyam Shaw (" Uemhrandt " Photogravure) 

Hy Uyoni Slmw 



iin 
i:« 

202 
252 
2G0 
■Ml 
312 
348 
Wi 
3i)0 
lot 
4G2 
510 
,')"« 
032 
G3G 



Index to Illustrations. 



ARCHITECTtTRE :— page 

Akt .4M) Arciiitectuke IX Modern- 
Opkra-Hoises an-l> Theatkks:— 
The Courl Theatre, Vienna . 479 
The Shakespeare lleniorial 

Theatre, Stiatford on Avon . 177 
The Staircase of the Opera- 
House, Paris .... 473 
Chantilly : The Chatelet . . .161 
Design for a Cliurch. with approach 

for Pilgrims (by M. Diquesxe) 52 
Harrow Art School .... 19 
Lodge in Kew Gardens (by W. E. 

Xesfield) 87 

New Art Gallery at Readine. The . 167 
Regent's Park Lodge (by \V. E. N'es. 

FIELD) . . . . S3, 81, 85 
Rood .Screens ix Exgl.axd:— 

Screen at Brarfuinch, Devon . 437 
Screen at Edinglhorpe, Norfolk 435 
Screen at Hempstead - cnai - 

Eccles 435 

Screen at Ran» orth. Norfolk 436, 438 
Screen at Tnnstead, Norfolk . 436 
Screen at \VorsIed. Norfolk . 431 
Staverton Church Screen . . 433 
Sketlhes of Axciext Greek 
Architecture (by Johx Fclley- 
LOVE. RI.):— 

Caryatids. Erechtheion . . 33 
Street of Tombs, Athens . . 34 
The Acropolis , . . . ,37 
The Parthenon .... 36 
The Theseicin and Lycabctlos . 35 

ARTS AND CRAFTS :- 

DESIGN :- 

ii.lTlERSE.l POI.YTECHXIC. ThE :— 

Exercise in Brush Work (by E. J. 

Laxgmax) 

Exercises in Elementary Design 
Lace Collarette (designed by 

M.ABEL Cai'E.s) . . , , 
Modelled Sketch for Frieze (by 

J. H. COLLIXGWOOIi) 

Sgrattito Panels (designed by W. 
G. Thomas) .... 387, 
Working Design for a Carpet 
(by F. Cox) . . . . . 
BooKBiXDixGS :— •' B r o w n i n g's 
Poems' (hy Miss Dux.v), 
"Omar Khayyam ' (by H. 
CJraxville Fell), Spensers 
■■ Faerie (Jueen ' (by Faikka.\ 
MucKLETi, "The Blue Fairy 
Book" (by Alice Shep- 
herd) 561, 

Book Illustration (by Margaret 

Thompson) 

Cartoon for Wall-Painting, Lust- 
leigh Church, Devon (by 
Reginald Hallward) . 
Decorative Landscape (by il. 

Bolrdix) 

Design for a Rug (by Archibald 

\\ ATSON) 

Design for Lace Curtain (by 

Mdli.e. Milesii .... 

Design for Printed Cotton Fabric 

(by Hele.na Appleyard) . 
Design for Sign of an Inn (by 

Gamble Lemasxie) 
Design for .Strained Glass (by 
Mdlle. Milesi) .... 
Design in Wrought Iron (by M. 

SCHLIMBEKGERI .... 

Friezes: "Chrysanthemum," "The 

Poppy. "The Ship" . 
Group of Figures (by Miss Mary 

Newill) 

Harrow School of Art :— 

Adaptation of the Pansv to a 
gii en space (by E. W. Swax) 

Application of Marguerites to 
Circular Tiles (by C. H. Green 
and F. Harrild) 

Application of the Pansy to a 
given space (by L. J. Wallis) 

Designs for Borders : The Fuch- 
sia (by D. A. Nightingale) . 

Design founded on the Colum- 
bine (by W. S. ilEDLICOTT) . 

"Jcgend": Some Decorations 
AND A Moral :— 

Covers 40, 41 

Eaater Morning (by J. Carbex) 44 
The Great Balance (by L. Diez) 42 



385 
386 

385 

385 

388 
387 



562 
623 

108 
488 
623 
486 
623 
621 
486 
486 
502 
62.i 



22 I 



23 



ARTS AND CRAFTS {continued) :— pace 

design (conliitttc.t) — 

The JIarsh Flower(by Caspari) 42 
The Portraits of the Painter, 

ilodeslaw ]\Ianierewicz (by 

Himself I 43 

"Lily" Design (by Mdlle. Chau- 

^-EAl) 485 

" Magazine of Art " Poster Com- 
petition, Prize Designs . 118-120 
Mosaic Decoration in the Apse of 

the American Church at Rome 

(by Sir E. Bl rxe-Joxes, Bt.) 526 
Mosaics at St. Paul's (bv Sir 

W. B. Richmond. R.A.)":- 
A Panel in the Choir . . . 18 
A Window in the Chancel . . 14 
Cartoons for the ilosaics . .12 
Central Figure as it appears in 

the Apse 16 

Central Figure in the Apse 

(from the Cartoon) . . .17 
Group in the Apse . . ,13 

Melchizedek 15 

The Creaticin of the Birds . . 18 
The Persian Sibyl . . . .14 
The Temptation of Eve . . 13 
Part of a Frieze in Gesso on Wood 

(by Robert Higiiami . . 6'21 
Poster Design (by Frederick 

Taylori 625 

Stencil Decorations :— 

"Fig-Tree" Frieze (by A. L. 

Gwatkin) 45 

" Grenville " Frieze (by F. 

Graiia.m Rice) . . . .46 
" Peuinia ' Filling (by L. Pix- 

ItOKX ^VOOD) . . . .45 

"Sunflower" Filling (by A. L. 

Gwatkin) 15 

Stencilled Friezes . . . 563, 564 
Studies of Plant Form (by M. E. 

Dawsox) 622 

Wall Paper. Early Victorian . . 328 
" Wild Iris " Design (by M. 

SCHLfMBiatfiER) . . .485 

HEEDLEWOKK AND FtJHNITttKE :— 

Altar Frontal (executed by Messrs. 

Watts and Co.) . . . .164 
Bracket: "The Stag" (by Mdlle. 

AxxA Martix) . . . .487 
British Silk Industry, Revival 
of the:— 
The " Guelder Rose " Brocade . 394 
The " Honeysuckle ' Brocade . 393 
The " Patley " Hanging . . 393 
The "Renaix" Brocade . .393 
The " Sakura" Brocade . .394 
Cabinets (by H. K. vox Beh- 

LEPSCH) .... 672, 673 
Carved Cabinet (by Mdlle. 

Bertue C'HAtVIN) . . ,487 
Chimney Piece in Oak and Inlaiil 
Brass (by Prince Bojidar 
Karageorgevitch) . . 55! 
Chimney Piece in Wood (designed 

by J. A Simpson) . . . 233 
Embroidered Panel (by Ev.\ 

Shocldi.xgCann) . . .624 
Irish Textile E.xhibitiox, Recent— 
Carrickmacross Guipure . . 162 
Collarette, Clones Crochet Gui- 
pure 163 

Handkerchief in Youghal Point 162 
Lappets in Carrickmacross Ap- 
plique 163 

Lace Collarette (by Mabel Capes) 385 
Writing Table (by H. E. vox 

Berlepscu) . . . .070 
btained glass :- 

Baltentine and Gardner — 

Jubilee Memorial Window, 
St. Agnes' Church, Moseley . 343 
Colocreo Wixdows : — 

All Souls College. Oxford . . 420 
Arab Glazing in Plaster . . 421 
From Salisbury Cathedral. . 120 
German.Fourteenth Century 419, 121 
"Nativity,"" Great Malvern . JIU 
Davis, Louis. — Window for 

Kelvedon Church, Es=ex . 107 
GalU. Emile.—^ew Glass, "Niu'ht. 
lights.o'er what do ye watch ' ; 
Vase," A thing of beauty does 
not die without making some- 
thing pure" . . .550 



ARTS AND CRAFTS (continued) :- page 

STAINED GLASS icmilinuM)- 

Hemminu. .1/r.— East Window in 
the Chapter House, Canter- 
bury Cathedril . . . .109 
Uorct, Albert.— Design in Stained 

„ Olass 549 

Panel from ths East Windowof the 
Church of Ihj Epiphany, Wol- 
verhanipton 270 

LEATHEK AND WOODCAEVING :— 
I^rullini. Pro/cs.for— 

Amorini symbolical ock (Henri II) . . .• 101 
End of Wooden Shutter: Louis 

XV (in the Edinburgh Miiseuin) 105 
Part of I'pright I'ancl : Lilies and 

Olives ^$p. 

Fulmar Petrel, The . ■ . . -<- 
Greek and Roman lerraCotta 

Lamps ^■^ 

Haurow ART School:— 

\ftcr a Demonstration • • ' €! 
Class at Work . . . • • '20 

"JULIl-3 CjiSAU" AT HEK MA- 
JESTY'S :— 

" Et tu. Brute) " . 

"The Oration" 

Kingfisher, A . • . 

Nantgarw \\ orks, the. 

Rugby School Art Mcseim :— 

Case of Prehistoric Klruscan, 

Veneli.in, Greek, and Roman 

Pottery ?9f 

The Art Nlusoum .... aMl 
The Siaircase ■ ,^ . , •, .• .'•'■'■' 
Scene from Mr. Forbes Robertsons 

Revival of llamlct . ■ ■ . ICJ 
Studio of H. W. .Mesdag . . • 'J 
Swansea Works, The • •."«•*" 
Tabernacle, end of tifteenth Cen- 
tury (Italian) 



332 



. 260 



. 313 



IJSDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS. 



vu 



PAINTINGS :— paoe 

Alejcandcr. J. IP — 

•'Ijtllf i;irl wilh noil" .539 

AltsoH. Abbey,I{.B.A.—"yieA\la\ion" 103 
Benjamin-Constant— 

■■])r. Salmon. LL.D., Provost of 
Triniiy College. Dublin " . .559 
BUlotte. Beni— 

'• Evening at Harfleur " . . .125 
" KveninK at the Porte (ie Cour- 

celles(lS97)" 123 

" Quan-y of Naiit erre "... 122 
" The Walls of Paris at the Porte 

d'Asuieres " 124 

Bianche. Jacques E.— 

■• The Jlisses Capel taking Tea " . 536 
Bouffiicrcau. II'.—" Charity " . . 280 
Bramleu, Frank. A.R.A.— 

'• A Mute Inglorious Milton " . . 4-30 
Brexclnall. E. /■.. B.li:S.--Doamci" 97 
Bunny. Rupert. C. \V., MBA — 

" All AUego-y " 98 

BurnC'Jonc^, Sir E., Bt.— 

" Chant dWmour " . . . . SOS 
** Idlentssand the Pilgrim of Love" 524 
" Love among the Kuins " . .523 
■' t~ibylla Dolphica ' . . . 519 

" The .Adoraiion of the JIagi " . 527 
" 'I'hc Bath of Venus "... 520 
•' The Hays of Creation : ' The First 

Hay ■ and • The Sixth Day ' ". . 521 
" The Heart of the Rose " . 522 

" The Pilgrim of Love " . . . 525 
" The Tree of Life " . . .101 

" The Wheel of Fortune " . . 518 

Burns. Robert—- La Tapissiire " . 628 

Calderon, Philip //., R.A.— 

'* A little face at the windo^v 
peers out into the night " . . 448 

" Ariadne ' 450 

" St. Klizabeth of Hungary "■ . . 149 
" SighiDg his soul into his lady's 

face " 447 

" Spring-Tinie," or " Hagar " . .451 

Cameron. M — 

"Archbishop Macdonald" . . 51 

Carriere. Eugtne — 

" JIaternity ' 556 

" M. Alphons6 Daudet and His 

Daughter " 557 

" M. Gabriel Seailles "... 555 
Portrait of the Artist. . . . 554 

Chardin, J. B. S.—" La Fontaine ' . 078 

Charlton. John — 

" Bad News from the Front " . . 401 

" Besieged " 403 

" Colonel John A. Cowen " . .404 

Hussar's Saddle 406 

'* Ormonde " 405 

" Placing the Guns ". . . .403 
" The Rojal Jubilee Pr*cessi< ii " . 404 
*' Will he come ?" . . . .407 

Chavannes. Puvis de— 

" At the Fountain ' . . . .660 
" St. Genevieve " . . . . 537 
" Work ■ 659 

Claus, Emile— 

" In the Orchard " . . . .499 

" Koseke ' 501 

" Sunlight " 199 

" The First Comniunjon " . . 500 
" The Sluice of the Lys ' . . .498 

Constable. John. R.A. — 

" Hampstcad Heath ' . .189 

" Sir Richard Steele's Cottage " . 190 

CormoTt. F. — 

" Funeral of a Chief in the Iron 
Age '' 601 

Carol— 

Sketch of a Landscape . . . 567 
" The Bent Tree " . . . .599 

Cox, David- 

" The Vale of Clwyd " . . .135 
" Going to the Haytield " . . . 261 

Crome, J. — 

" The Way through the Wood •" . 191 

Da Costa, John- 

" A Pa-storal " 315 

" Childhood " 347 

" The Promise of Spring " . . 347 
'• Youth and Age " . . . .316 

Daanan-Bouverct, P. A. J. — 

** Bretonnes au Pardon " . . . 597 

Davis, H. W. B.,R.A.- 

" A June Evening" .... 403 

Vemont- Breton. Mme. Virginie — 

"In the Blue Water" . .493 

De Wint. Peter— 

" Lincoln, from the Brayford 
River- 2S9 

Diaz. X. B.—" The Storm " . . .599 

Dow, T. Millie --Kre" . . .334 

Dyce. Ifitliam. R.A.— 

" The Woman of Samaria " . . 2S4 

Facf. of Christ, The— 

Frescoes in the Catacombs . .176 
From a p*inting by 7?c?/('h( . .17'.' 
From a painting by Leonardo da 
Vinci ISl 



PAINTINGS (.coHtinunl):— paoe 

FiCE OF Christ, The (.continued'— 
Front "Christ disputing with the 

Doctors" iby Lhjjju . . . 185 
From "Christ healing the Sick" 

(by Vandyck) 187 

From " Easter Jlorning" (by Fritz 

von I'hde) 188 

From " E^ce Homo" (by Cor' 

reggio) 184 

From "EcceHomo"('oyGi(irfoiJeni') 186 
From "The Crucifixion'* (by i^'o/i 

Bonnat) 188 

From " The CruclBxlon " (by 

J'cla.tquezi 188 

From " The Last Judgment " (by 

Michael Angelo) . . . '. ISl 
From "The Light of the World " 

(by rr. Holman Hunt) . . .188 
From the painting hj FraAngelico 180 
From "Tne Transfiguration' (by 

Raphael) 183 

From "The Tribute Money" (by 

Titian) 1S2 

Glas3 Relics from the Catacombs 173 
Likeness attributed to St. Peter . 171 
Mosaic from the Baptistery of Con- 

stantine 178 

Jlosaic from the Catacombs . . 175 
Mosaic in the Church of SS. Cosma 

e Damiano 177 

" Rex Regum " (by T'an Eyck) . 180 
The Veronica LikPuess . . .174 
i^('5Acr,-S'.J/e/^o?i—'' Silent and chaste." 

etc 100 

Ford. J. A.— 

" By the Light of the Lanlerns " . ol 
Fowler. Robert. R.I.— 

"Apollo" 5 

"Ariel" 10 

"Stars of the Summer Night" . 4 
Study for "After Music". . . 7 
"The Enchanted Glade". . . 9 
" The Voice of Spring" ... 8 
Fox. E. Phillips- 

" Adelaide, daughter of Professor 

Tucker " 382 

Friant, M. — '" Sorrow " ... 535 

Gainsborough, T., R.A. — 

Preliminary Study for '"The Blue 

Boy " 615 

"Interior of a Cottage" . . .616 
" Landscape : Evening " . . . 614 
Ghirlandajo— 

" Ginevra del Benci "... 019 
"The Vespucci Fresco" . . .325 

Detail of 324 

Gilbert, Sir John, R.A., P.R ll'.S — 

'• A Bishop " 61 

" An armed host drawn up below " 60 
" Breaking up the Encampment " . 57 
"Convocation of Clergy " . . 55 
" Crusaders on the march " . .61 
"Don (jnixote di-courses upon 

Arms and Letters " . . . .62 
" Ego et Rex Meus" . . . , 59 
" Fair St. George " . . . . oS 
" FalstafF reviewing his Itagged 

Troops" 53 

" Richard II resigning his Crown " 56 
" The Battle of the Standard " . 63 
" The Enchanted Forest" . . 60 
"The Return of the Victors'' . . oS 
Goodall, F. R.A. - 

" The Ploughman and the Shep- 
herdess " 397 

"Henrv A. Blvth, Esq." . . .467 
G«d(fcy,Xi^.-"The Blood-Drinkers " 495 
Hacker, Arthur, A.R.A — 

" Mrs. M. Burne " . . .426 

" J. Herbert Mai-shall, Esq.. J. P." 467 

Hanson, vl.— " In theheat of thedaj'" 380 

Harcourt. George— " Too 'Late '' . . 4*28 

Hayes, Eduin, R.H.A.. R.J.— 

" Alone on a Wide. Wide Sea " . 99 
Hemy, C. Xapier. A.R.A. — 

"Homeward Bound ' . . .422 
Henner, J. J. — 

"TheLcvite of Ephraim" . 490 

Hitchcock, George— 

A Study 583 

"The Annunciation " . . .579 
"The Flight into Egypt" . .381 

"Talip-culture" o7S 

"Vanquished" 580 

Horncbolt. Luke -" Henry VIIl ' . 315 
Hughes. Talbot--"' Joan of Arc " . 54 
Landsecr, Sir Edwin, RA.— "'V\ie 

IMonarch of the Glen " . .263 

Lawrence, Sir Thomas, P. R.A. — 

"Miss Farren" . . . .139,265 
Lely. Sir Peter-" Nell Gwynne " . 314 
icro.v. P.- 'The Bath " . . .191 
Lhermitic, L. A.— '■ Denth and the 

Woodman " .... 602 

Linnell. John — 

" A Barlev Field, wilh Waggon and 

Haymakers " 133 

" The Sheep Drove ' . . .281 



PAINTINGS (-on(tnwcrf) :— pace 

Linton, .Sir J. D., P.«.f.— "Re.-it" . 97 
Lister. leister, IF.— "Stoi.ehcnge,Xew 

South Wales" 3'3 

Longstaff, J. M.—.K Portrait Siudy . 382 
MacColl. D. .S.— " Bushey Park" . 227 
llcCubbin. F.—" On the Wallaby 

Track " 381 

MacGeorgc, TV. S.— "The Water-Gale " 335 
Macgregor, IV. V. — "The Quarry'' . 227 
Margetson, TV. i/.— "Castles of 

Sand" 465 

Marks, H. Stncy. R.A.— 

"An Odd Volume ' . . . .241 
"Chairman of Committee" . 243 

" St. Francis preachingto theBirds" 238 
" The Apothecary " . . . . 239 
Meade, Arthur, R.B.A.— 

"Morn " 102 

"Golden Grain" . . . . 468 
Mesdag. H. IT.- 

"Back from the North Sea " . . 78 
" Otf to the Fishing Groimd " . 75 

"The Lifeboat" 74 

"Waiting for the Tide" ... 77 
Millais, Sir J. E., P.R.A.-"The 

Order of Release " . . . . 455 
Millet, F. J.—'- Going to Work " . 398 
Mooic. Albeii- 

"Jlidsummer" 224 

"Reading Aloud" . . . .223 
"White Hydrangeas" . . .2*26 
Morland. George- 

" Belinda, or tiie Billet-Doux " . 13t 
"Contemplation" .... 267 
" The Farmyard '■ . . . .193 
"The Pledge of Love" . . .266 
ilfoi'/OHr;, ifenrj/—" Lady ironing" . 284 
Miiller, JV. J— 

" A Waterfall on the Lyn, near 

Lynmouth" 195 

" Cottage and Children " . . . 196 
" The Opium Seller ". . . . 192 
A'/CHian?). i?. tA.- "DeerstJilking " . 287 
Olsson., Julius, R.B.A.—" SeiFro'ic" 466 
Orchardsnn, C. M. Q.—- A Lock " . 229 
Usbnrne, Walter. R HA.— -The Rt. 

Rev. Lord Bishop of Cashcl". . 560 
Perugini, C. E. — 

"A Summer Shower" . . .461 
" Dolce far Niente ■' . . . .460 
" Flower-worship " . . . . 4.19 

"LaSuperba" 458 

" Airs. Perugini "' -162 

Philip. John, R A.—- U\ Gloria" . 142 
Pinwetl, GcoiY/c— " Out of Tune" . 225 
Poi/nter. Sir E. J, P.R.A. — -'T\\e 

Skirt Dance " 4-23 

P)-!'cs<, -4.-" After Glow" . . .229 
Prin.iep, Val C, R.A.—" A Student 

of Necroojant-v " .... 464 
Rcid, J. R—- The Mill Stream " . 427 
Riviere, Briton, R.A.—"In Manus 

Tuas, Domine " 631 

Roberts. Tom-'- A Break Away " . 378 
i?ocAai-d—" The Fair Widow" . .291 
Roaer. ir.— "Vulcan chaining Pro- 
metheus " 50 

Poyftrf, P.— "LaSarabandc" . .600 
RtisscWerghc. Theo. van — " The 

' Flaming Hour " 500 

Romney, George— 

"Anne Kershaw" .... 140 
"Jlrs. MarkCurrie". . . .283 
"Group of Adam Walker and his 

Family ' 3,39 

Roty, Oscar. Medals by . . . .117-361 
Sanicnt. JohnS., i?..l.— "Mre. Ernest 

Franklin" 4'29 

Sckultze-Aetumburg, Mme.— 

Portrait of a Child . . . .337 
Portr.iit of a Lady . . . .336 
Shannon, C/tai'les Jl -- 

" Souvenir of Vandyck " . . . 228 
Studies for " Souvenir of Vandyck" 223 
Shatc. Bycnn — 

"Love, strong as Death, is dead ". 63S 
"Queen of Spades" .... 6:iii 

"Truth " 637 

"'We two,' she said, 'will sock 
tl)C grove where the Lady 

Mary is ' " 634 

"While Roses are so Red" . .640 

"Whither?" 636 

Solomon. .Solomon J.. A R.A.—" Visit 

of CharlesI to IheGuildnall " . 169 
Stanton. Hughes — '"Joan of Arc" . 511 
Stark, James— "The Path through 

the Wood " 290 

SIreeton. A—" ' Purple Soon's Trivns- 
parenl Light' ; HawkesburvRiver, 

N S.W. " 379 

Strutt. .1. TV.. R R.A.— 

" A Firing Visit " . . . .310 
"How'Many More.'". . . .309 
Sketch for "The Run of the 

Season" 312 

Studies of a Hound . . . .311 
" The Return Visit ' . . . .310 



INDEX TO ILLUSTRATIONS 



PAINTINGS (»n(inKf<():— pjice 

J'iVu<''i>-"St. Hi-lcn" . . . .676 

Turnn: J. M. If.. li.ll'.S— 

" Mercury uiid Hert*e" . Ul 

"Salisbury ralhedml " . . .287 

Van dcr Plaa,t, i*iV^'r — " John 
Milton" 315 

J'hircnl, Georyc —"L'rosalng 'the 
Uro.ik" 202 

Uailliam. ri'. .A—" Glacier lianRCS " 285 

II tilcrliouse. J. 11'., Ji.A. — "St. 
Kulalia " 59J 

ll'alcrluu: rvnest A.. A.K A.— 

" A Hainji^itiie S ream ■'. , .216 
" FrieUiif* ur Kocs " .... 211 
"lireen Pastures" . . . .213 
Siuity in oils of KorcRround . .217 
SI liily of Trees (Water Colour) . 2U 

Watts, a. t..liA.— 

" Kve liepentant " .... 19 
" Love TriuMipliant ". . . . 125 

irilliains. A.. Ji.H..i. — " AmW 
Showers, Bellinghau) Harbour" . 558 

PORCELAIN :- 

ll.\ni,Evs PorrERV. Mh. :— 

Canillesiick an<l Inkstand in 
•llaiiley " Pottery . . .673 

Vases 673, 671 

nicKNT HovAL Worcester:— 

])es«Mt Plates 390 

Form of the *' Vaisseau i\ Mat" 

in (lark hlnc and Rilt . . .390 
Tea ami liroakfast Cups and 

Saucers 389 

Vase in dark hlue . . . .391 
Va.**es in Tur(|uoise and Apple 

Green 389 

Vases in Turquoise and dark 
blue, painted and gilt . . . 392 
Swansea Pdhcei.ain :— 

Plaque (Half Size) . . . . 2,i9 
The -Vurieula (Kull Pizt): Painted 
by (1) liillingsley : (2) T. Pardoe ; 
(3) Morris : (4) P,.llard ; (5) Web- 
ster; (6) Unknown . . .258 
The Queen's Treasihes of Art : 
Decorative Art at \\'indsor 
Casti.e : The Por(i:lain— 

"Case A," in the Grand Corridor 203 
" Case K." Chelsea Vases, with 

the "Vaisseau !\ Mat" . .201 
"Case F," Three Hose Pompa- 
dour "Vases on Centre .'<helf . 20fj 
"Case G." Vase with Satyr 
Handles ami "reil de pcrdrix " 
Vase i)airtted by jMorin . . 207 
Dresden Vase with Louis XV 

Mounts 210 

Oak-Leaf and Ribbon Vase and 
Two Va,ses "en Caniaieu " 
("CaseU") . . . .209 
The "Vaisseau A Mat" . .205 
Vase by Morin, and Chelsea 
Vases 208 

PORTRAITS :- 

Abbey. Kdwin A.. R.A. . . . 573 

Aitchison, G.. HA 281 

Angerstein. Mr. (by G. Dance) . .657 
Harton, Miss Hose (by M. H. Car- 

T.ISI.K) ISO 

HiUolte, Renii (by Caroi.us Duran) . 121 
Hosweli, .lames (by G. Dance) . . 657 
Hrandard. Thelalc K P. . .344 

liurgess. The late J. H,. R.A. . . 172 
Hurne-Joncs. Hart., .Sir KJward (by 

G. K. Watts. HA.) . . . .513 
Burnet. John (bv James (iiTiiRii;. 

I! S.A.) 232 

Calderon, P. II , H.A. (by H. Her- 

KOMER. H.A.) 416 

Carriere. ICugenc (by IIimski.k) . . .Wl 
Charlton. John (by Ili.MSEi.K) . .102 

Cheret, Jules 303 

Crane, Walter (by G. K. W.\TTs, H.A.) 632 

Crofts. Krnest, i:..\ 627 

Dance, (ieorge, H.A Iby HiMSEI.E) . 6.i6 
Dobson, The late W. C T., H..V. . 288 
linvilion. The late Sir Henry . . 172 
lowkr, Robert, H.I. (by R. E. MOR- 

Riso.N) 3 



PORTRAITS (c»n/inu»l) :— i'Aot: 

(Albert, Sir John, R.A. , P.R.W.S. . 53 
Goodman, Miss Maud (by F. L. 

SCANES) 181 

Green, R.I., Charles (by Himself) . 1.t6 

Gregory, E.J. . R.A 281 

(;urnev, Husscll(l>vG. F. Watts, H.A.) 39S 

Harding. J. D SO 

llcMiv. C. Napier, A. H.A. . . .282 
Uililiiock, GeorKe(by J. J. Sii.vNXON, 

A. H.A.) .377 

Hunt, William (by Himsei.fI . . 503 
LaThangnc, H. H., A.H.A. . . .281 

Leader, R W., HA 281 

Lebrun, Mnie Vigee (by Herself) . 398 
Ijucas. J. Sevniour, R.,-\. . . .281 
Marks. II. Siaey, H.A. .The late (by 

W. W. Oii.is.s. H.A.) . . .237 
Millais, The late Lady .... 4.55 
Millard, Miss Kvelvn, as " Portia" . 331 
Nelson. Lord (by L. F. .\iinoTT, 530; 
as Viee-.\dmiral, 3:^0 : Sir W. 
Heeciiey. H..\.. ,'>3l ; J. P. Knight, 
R.A., 532; J. RlOAUn. R.A., 529; 
from a print, ,t,'!1-.')3I) 
Nordgren, Miss Anna (by Herself) . 181 
Orford, Earl of (by (i. Dance) .6,38 

Overenil, The late W. H. . . . 400 

Parr. Katherine 283 

Peai-son, The late J. L , R.A. (bv W. 

W. Olless. R .\ ) . . . .236 
Perugini, C. K. (by Himself) . .4.37 

Prout, Samuel 588 

Robinson. Mrs. Harewood . . . 4,S2 
Rogers. Samuel (by G. Dance) . . 656 
Hops. Felicien (bv P. .M.vthev) . . 680 
Itost^etti, Dante Gabriel (by Himself) 2'22 
Roty, O.scar (by A. liESNAKii) . .356 
Salmon. Dr., LL.D , Provost of Trinity 
College. Dublin (by Be.nja.min- 

CONSTANT) 559 

Shaw, Byam (by Gerald F. Met- 
calfe) 633 

Sbei', Sir Marlin Archer. P.R.A. . 113 
Siiivthe, Lionel P, A.H.A. . . .281 
Sliiplis, Jlrs. (by Herself) . . .483 

Tate, Sir Henry, Hart 512 

Thornycroft, Jliss Helen (by Her- 
self) 481 

Walton. Frank, P.R 1 456 

Waterlow, E. A., A.H.A., P.R.W.S. 

(by L. Alm\-'I'a1)EMa. H.A.) . . 213 
Wright, Miss Ethel (by Herself) . 4S1 

SCULPTURE :- 

.Vpoilieosis of Homer, The . . .441 
Bronzes (French and Italian) 
at Windsor Castle:— 

Boulle.A. C— Allegorical Group 109 
Bronze Gilt Group of the 
Sciences ..... 322 
David with a Sling(afterBcJ-Hiii!'') .T.'ll 
" Diana and .\ntaeus " . .319 
Vumond. Fraitrois — " Prome- 
theus and I be Kagle " . .323 
" Hermes conducting Pandora 

to Epimetheus" . . .411 
Nvmph and Satyr (after Clo- 

' liion) 412 

Xymph and Youns Salyr (by 

Zoffoli ov HhiiiettV) ■ ■ ..321 
" Nymph of Diana, A" (style at 

Falconml) 413 

PigaHc. J. Ii.~" Boy and Bird- 
cage " 322 

" Little (iirl with a Bird" . 109 

" Rape of the Sabines " . . 318 

" liape of Proserpine. The" . 410 

" Venus and Cni)id " . . . 411 

Busts. Late Roman, in Coloured 

:Marble 591 

(■/i(|/i'(/i'k— " The Due d'.\umale" . 137 
CuRiois Masks among Greeks 
AND B.\i:m.vkian.s :— 

Burial or Decorative Mask . 581 
Child holding Jlask of Ozumi- , 6.33 
Comic .\ctiirs and Jlnsicians 

wearing Masks . . . 633 
Finger JIask ot Esquimaux 

\Voinan ,387 

lloroie Mask from Greece or 
Asia Minor .... 585 



SCULPTURE (■•on(iarifd) :— pace 

Ci.'Riofs Masks (ron(iiiii«0: — 

Mask of Samba .... 652 
Mask of Tengu, or Demon . . 653 
Mask of Tengu with cloth over 

his face 633 

Mask of the Heroine Sliiuka . 652 

^I'lsk of I'lirceyed Demon . 6.32 

Painted Wooden Musk . .586 

.Salvr Ma.sks .... .381, ,383 

TerraColta Mask for Tragedy 654 

nampt. .Utiii Bas-Helief . . .550 

Dressier. Conrad—" The Crucinsion " 107 

Dnirt/. Al/rfU-^ 

The Terrace, Barrow Court 
The 'i'welve Months . 
Winged Lions .... 
Fchr, II. C- 

" Invocation to the Goddess 

Love" 

" The Battle ot Wakeflchl " . 
J'\rraru, M.— 

" Leda and the Swan " 

" St. George " 

Ftaxman. ,/., li.A.—" Lord Nelson ' 
Ford. E. Onslow, Ji.A.— 

" Her Majeslv the Queen" . 
"Sir J. E. Millais. Bart., P.R.A 
" Professor Hcrkomer, R,A." . 
Dale Memorial .... 
Framptoii, Ucorffc J., A.R..I. — 
" Dame .Mice Owen ' . 
"lieigblluni Jleniorial". 
"The (ialpin Jlemorial" . 
OU}SOn. John. li,.l.— 

" The Tinted Venus " 
Harris Memorial, Drury Lane 
Hamii. //e/irj/— Alms-Dish . 
Hodiic, Albert-A "Newel Post " 
Levick, Rubu—" Figure of a Biy " 
Marhcnnal. lirrtram—" Oceana" 
Nelson Death Mas'.i 
Nelson, The Greenwich Bust 
Pomeroy. F. IC— "The Nymph 

Loch Awe" 

Prouvti, I'l'tfor— Brooches . 
Phiiid. Jiirnie, A.R.k.A.-Unst 

H.M. the Queen 576 

Podin— 

"Balzac" ."1° 

New Doorwa.v .... 271-276 
Poqcrs. Mark, yimr.— Jubilee Memo- 

iial. Bury St. Edmnndi . . . 312 
liitlot. Joseph.—" Marianne 
tei/ojlin, A. J. ('.—"Orpheus and 

Eurvdiec " 

.S'lniH, ./. M.. -l.ye.J.— "Leopard 

playing with Torioisc" . 
Tlionii/erofl. Ilamo. li.A.- 

Stanley Jlonument .... 
T«i'(ic>', -li/'nrf -"Charily " 
Vallf/ren, C.— 

A Benitier 

A Door Knocker 

Chimneypiece 

Cinerary Urn 

"Curiosity" 

" Despair " 

" Girl Flowers" 

"(Jirl of Loctudy " . . . . 

"(iriet" 

" JIaternity " 

" Reverie " 

" The Weeper " 

" 'The Widow " 

" Youth ' 

I'aii dcr atappen. Charles - 
" Imperious Fancy " . 
" Jean Portaels" .... 
" Monument to Labour' . 

" Silence " 

" The OetO]ius" 

"The Wrestlers" .... 



. 113 

HI. 115 

. 112 

ot 
. 67 
. 311 

. ,351 
552 
S'33 

. 619 

". 69 

'. 117 

. 71 
. 2X6 
. 310 

. 137 
. 116 
. 235 
. I'.21 
. 621 
. 61! 
. .331 
. 533 



of 



198 

231 

65 

171 
230 

218 
219 
218 
221 
220 
221 
221 
220 
221 
219 
220 

221 

221 

2% 
2!* 
297 
298 
299 
295 



TOPOGRAPHICAL :- 

Holliam House: View from the Ter. 

race 679 

Sketches of Greek Landscape (by 
John l''tLi.EYLOVE. R.I.):— 
Delphi and Parnassus, from Itea . 38 
Tlie Plain of .\Uica, looking to- 
wards Salainis . . . .33 



Contributors to this Volume. 



The l»te Lord Lkighton, P.R..\. 

G. D. I,K.«LiE, R.A. 

G. A. STOREY, A. R.A. 

SIR \\ VKE Bayliss. P.R.B..\. 

w. coli.inowood, r.w.s. 

Fernanh Khnoi'FF. 

Harry Kiuniss. 

Walter Crane, R.W.S. 

l>K\vis F. Day. 

J. Starkie Garu.nrr. 



.\i.EX. Fisher. 
Ci.EESoN _ White. 

It. PlIENli SlMERS. 

.\. L. BAi.iiitv. 

S. T. I'RIOEAtX. 

Ay.meh Vallaxce. 
Charles he Kay. 
T. .M. LixiisAV. 
F. S. HoniNsoN. 
Annie It. Maui irk. 



IJ. DE LA SiZERANNE. 

Emile Veriiaeren. 
Prince B. KAR.vfiEOROKVicii. 
Henri Frantz. 
Mathias Morhardt. 

P. ScIHJI.TZE-NArMBURO. 

" Leader Scott." 
Helen Zimmerv. 
Charlotte F Yoxoe. 

UELENiS; L. POSI'LETIIWAITE. 



Cosmo MoNKiiotTSE. 
Frederick Wedmore. 
J. Greco. 

H. W. NEV1N.SON. 
E. Rl.MBAri.T DlliDIX. 
A. HlUGINS. 
DOI'C.I.AS SUDEN. 

\\'. ItouiCR'rs. 
AKTI117R Fish. 

M. H. Sl'IELMANN. 



Ay 




A C U H V 




The Magazine of Art, 



THE BUILDING UP OF A PICTURE. 

By the late lord LEIGHTON. P.R.A. 



Deai; ill. S- 



■2, H..l]aii.l Talk liuail, W. 
Miiicli 20, IHSd. 
, — It strikes lue that, as ymi 
take a seiiinis interest in the snbjeet of our con- 
versation the other day, viz. luy mode of procedure 
in the Ijuilding up of a picture, and as possibly 
some of your younger readers may deri\e assist- 
ance from the knowledge of it, I ma)' as well 
slightly amplify the information which I gave you 
orally on that occasion. 

(o) I will take, for simplicity's .sake, the ea.se 
of a one-figure picture like the " Sybil," of which 
you have the studies. I njay say in the first 
instance that in so simple a design (and, indeed, 
somctiiiHs in a more complex one) the first mental 
conception is not necessarily committed to paper 
at all ; and that the study from the model, or rather 
the study in the pr-esence of the model, is in fact 
the fii-st external operation. At that stage, as I 
told you, I put the iigure before myself in the 
life, as exactly like what I wish ultimately to repre- 
sent as is possible— ;-like, I mean, in regard to /((/■/;( 
exclusively, nihmr being always treated more or 

87 



less ideally. I explained furtlier that if in this 
first stage the figure is draped, it is partly on the 
ground that liuman lieings do not move in the 
same way diaped and undraped, and that also the 
bulk and material of the drapery in some degree 
necessarily modify the attitude and general appear- 
ance of the figure. Taking tliis first sketch as my 
starting-point, I 

(6) draw a study of the figure in the nude. The 
next operation 

(c) is the jilrtcing of the figure in its surroundings 
and establishing its exact relation to the canvas. 
The result is the first .sketch of the entire design, 
figure and background, and is built up of the two 
previous ones. It must be absolutely exact in the 
distribution of .•spaces, for it has sulisequently to be 
squared off' on to the canvas, which is ordered to 
the exact scale of the sketch. At this moment, 
the design being absolutely established, the coloured 
sketch is made. It is deferred till now because 
the exact placing of the colours is, of cour'se, of as 
much importance as the harmony. 

('/) The whole design being thus squared off 



TiiK .m.\(;azixk of ai;t. 



oil llif c-aiivas, the luiiU-s aiv painU-il in a warm 
luoiKicluDiiK' from Xaliin', ami willi, as far as 
jinssiliK'. tin- iitni'isl ])i'('i'isiiiii. U is my aim, ami 
line wliicli I jii'm-ially fairly ai'liii'Vr, iii'Vi-r In dciMil 
by a hair's lucaillh fium tlu' outlines ami I'uinis 
tinis (il>taiii('il, over which, thiM<'fiiro, as you will 
umliTst^iml, much caic ami thoiii;lit mu.-t he once 
for all i'.\]icmlc(l. 

((■) I now lake a sheet of lirown iiapcr ami ilraw 
nut on a larj^er scale than in the previous skclrlics. 
ami in siniitle chalk outlines, the nude as ]iainliil 
from Nature on the canvas. (Tliis is a vital poini.) 
(/') The tlrajH'iies are now' laid with inlinitr 
eare on (lie liviuj,' model, and made In ajiiiroximate 
as closely as jiossihle to the arraiii^jenient i;i\en in 
the first sketch, which, as it was not liajiliazard, hut 
most carefully worked out, must of necessity he 
atlhered to; the larger <lesigns heinu;, of course, only 
an am])lit{eation of the smaller. These ilrM]ii rics 
have often to he tlrawn iiiecemeal, as the li\iiiL; 
model cannot hy any means always retain llir 
attitud(i sutlieieully long I'm- Ihe design whnlly 
to he carried oiil ;il unc r.isi. The (ha]ieries aiv 
then drawn wiih thi' iiUiinsl r;ire in l>lacl< ami 
white on llic ]i,ilMT, lilited MS 1 aliii\e siiid, with 
special reference to jiiiin/hii/ — that is to say, gi\iiig 
not only the form and ligiil and shade, hut tlie 
relation and " valui'S " of tones. These <lra]pciies 
all' drawn o\er ami made to confoi-ni e.xaelly to 
the forms copieil from tlie nudes of the underpainteil 
|iicture. This is a cardinal i)oint, liecause in carry- 
ing out (he picture the folds aic found lilting 
mathematically on to (he nudes lirsl. eslalilislicd 
on the canvas. 

1'lie ne.\t step then is to hansl'er these dia))eries 
to the canvas on whicli the design has lieen siiuaicil 
oil', and this is done with Mowing colour in Ihe same 
monocln'ome as hel'ore ovi'r the nudes to which 
they are intelligently aj)plied, and whicli nudes 
must never be lost sight of. I should have .said 
just now that the canvas itself is jinliilnally ]inpared 



with a grey tone, lightish or less light according to 
the suhject in hand, and the ettect to he obtained. 
The backgniuuil and accessories being now added, 
ilic whole pictme presents a more or le.s.s comjtleled 
aspect, like, say, that of a jtrint of very warm tone. 
In the case of draperies of very vigorous lone, a 
rich Hat local colour is jirobably rubbetl over them, 
the modelling underneath being, though thin, so 
sharp and delinite as to usstr/ it.self through this 
wash. ('(Tlain portions of the jiicture again might 
probably be prepareil with a wash or Hat tinting, 
of a colour the njipusilf of that which it is I'Ventually 
|o icceive. A blue sky, for instance, would possibly 
have a .soft rudily tone spivad over the canvas (the 
sky. which is a veiy delinite and im[ioitant i)art 
of the composition, being, of cour.se, as fiuiijilitcli/ 
ilidirii in iiinniirli riniir us mil/ iilhir jioiiinn of f/ir 
ihaiiji)): or if 1 iiad to deal with rich blue mountains, 
il is jiossible that a strong orange wash or tint 
might lie used as a lied. \i this point, the structure 
of ihe picttii-e being absolutely complete, and the. 
(•ncii being ilistinctly deteiniined by a sketch which 
il is my wIkiIc, and oficii unsuccessful aim to enual, 
I have nolhing |o think of but the colour, with 
wliiiji I now proeei'il deliberately but rajiidly. 

These disi<iiiiled reniaiks, with the assistance 
of the drawings which you lia\e, may. I think, or 
at all (Vents hope, be of use to students who read 
your article in siiowing the me'.liod by whicli at least 
one artist linds it convenient to build \;p his picluic. 

1 sboulil ask you. Jiowever. no| lo allow nie to 
speak in the first jierson, for I lie reasons which 1 
have given when you recpiestcd nu' to contribute to 
your jiajn'r,* 

lielieve me, 

Kaithfully yours. 

I'l.'Kii. l.i:ii;nTi)N. 

• I'hc ifiisdiis lieie refprreil to — nnw, iilas, no Iciiifrer to be 
i-iiiisiileifil— consistcil in tlie stercolypcil lefusiil willi wliii-h 
r,onl I.,elt;litiiii wa.s forccil In meet tile cimlinii.-il ivqucsls with 
wJiich lie Wius efininmnly delii'reil for a(l<lre.<se.< and coiiliibiilion.>i 
to ncwsiwiper.s and nmgiizincs. — EdITOH. 




/ 





PENCIL STUDY. 



ROBERT FOWLER: ARTIST. 



By EDWARD RIMBAULT DIBDIN. 

FliOM uiii! fiul o( C'aslle Stivul, Uvt'iimnl. till- iiilialiitiMl llir 
domed Town Hall looks pidiully <h<\\\\ In llir c|iuiiiit cliiiiitri 
dome of the Custom Hou.se. 
which closes the prospect. 
Eound one are clustered the 
stately buildings iu wliieh 
banks, insurance offices, mer- 
chants, and brokers dn their 
business ; while the otl;er is 
the centre for all those indus- 
tries savouring of tar or biine 
that exist for the convenience 
of shipping. Midway, in the 
zone of ditt'erentiation, and 
upon the site of our mytliical 
mediieval ca.stle, is .situated 
the studio which ^Ir. liobert 
Fowler, It.I., has occupied fur 
nearly twenty years. There is 
nothing "aesthetic" in its sur- 
roundings ; indeed, the immortal 
Mr. Postlethwaite would find 
the place unapj)roachable be- 
cause of the blatant lilast of 
discordant colour from a flag- 
.shop window which adjoins the 
entrance. The stairway admits 
to various ship-otJices, but 

from time to time a good many robert fowler r.i. 

artists great and small have (From un- p„mtm,j bn a. e. «omso.,.) 




upper riKims nf the liuildiiig, and 
< ill llie life of Bohemia might be 
culled from the lives of some 
pievious tenants. 

His painting-room is fairly 
spaeinus and bare of meditated 
adoiiiuient. Few of the access- 
ilile wall -spaces are without 
eliarcoal studies of the nude 
figure, drawn rapidly and with- 
iiut revision. In some the germ- 
iileas of long-.since executed 
pirlures are to be traced. So 
much of description must be 
forgiven me, fur, liroadly speak- 
ing, .Mr. Fowler's artistic life 
has lieen passed in this room. 
Nay, more, it is a place in whieli 
mail}' young men have lieen 
slroiigly influenced. It is one 
of ilr. F'owler's qualities to 
attract all sorts and conditions 
of artists, and his studio has 
long been a rendezvous for 
aspiring poets, ])rose-writers, 
musicians, and painters. It goes 
without .saying that some of 
liis c3-gnels develop into birds 
of a less noble strain: but, on 
the other hand, it would be 



Tin-: MACAZIXK (W AUT. 



ilifficult til iiMiiH' iiiiy iiiiiiililc |ii'i>iiii riiiilriliiiU'il 
liv Liverpiiiil tu tlii' .si'ivieo i>f tin- arts in rci-cnl 
years wlio 1ms not liet'n a fri>r|iioiitiT of this iiiiiiiuc 
school of (lisimtatioii. To it coiiu' poets with 
their sonnets ami tratjeilii's, tonijxiseis wilii llnii 
fricassees of Wagner, pianists willi their latest feats 
of le^'erdeniain, painters with their newest designs. 
All are weleonie, and few go away without lienefil : 
and tiic advantages are reeiprocated. Mr. Fowler is 



and a mother wlio.se character was marked l>y sin- 
cerity and intensity, as well as that strong personal 
etVeitivene.ss which is a magnetic (|uality of genius. 
Hiirn at Anstruther ou the wild coast near the 
" East Neuk," and hroughl up there cliieHy at an 
uncle's hou.se (parents globe-trotting the while), the 
lioy .scarcely knew that the scheme of life in- 
cluded .such a thing as art. This, however, made 
no ditlercnce. Mr. Fowler's earliest recollection is 




STARS OF THE SUMMER NIGHT. 



fully ciinvinced nf the wisduni of Solomon's axiom 
;is to the sharpening of iron upon iron, and he never 
]iaints with such /'/•/« as when he is simultaneonsly 
hearing and criticising freely the productions nf nu 
author or composer, or the dexterities of a pianist. 
In this way he jjarlakcs of that .social relaxation 
which, otherwise, he avoids. Ajiart from art and 
artists and domestic felicities, he lias no use for his 
felliiW-mell. 

ll is 1(1 this all round artislii' eipiipmcnl lliat 
Ml-. i''iiwler is indeliteil for much of the distincliim 
which characterises his wmk in the branch of art 
he practises. AVhence lie h;id il I cannot .say: for 
those who exalt the Celtic genius it will he sntlicient 
that he was born in the Kingdom of Fife, because, 
S)iy.s the old sjiw, " If you're a Fifer, you're half a 
llielander" — a ]ironouncement which is s\ip|iorteil 
by i\w fretiuency of (Jaeiic place-names throughout 
the county. For parents he had a father who com- 
bined business aptitude with a roving disposition; 



iif an nld-fasiiioiicil clninncypiece — jiaiuted a light 
colour — upon which he was in the habit of drawing 
with a lead-pencil: ids indulgent aunt winking at 
tiie misdemeanour, and, indeed, encouraging it by 
having the panels cleaned once a week. Liti-r, wlieu 
drawing-liook and paints were substituted, there 
seems to have been no opposition, and the aid of tiic 
'■ taw.sc " was not invoked even when the youngster 
yiit lumps of clay and invented the ait of mndelling 
for him.selt'. On the .settling down nl Mr. Fowler 
llic elder in Liverpoul, his son was lnnught there, 
and pliiced at the l.iveriionl Cnllege, where he 
e.sca]icd much of the deadening eflect of English 
education by getting other lioys In do his lessniis 
for him in consideration of drawings. At sixteen 
or thereabouts he was placeil in a eoniiuercial otlice, 
where his success as a caricaturist caused such an 
incrca.se in the stationery bill that his employer 
soon begged to be relieved of ids services, remarking 
that the bov would never be of use at anything but 




APOLLO. 

{From the Painting by Robert Fowler, R. I. ) 



KOBERT FOWl.Ki;: AKTIST. 



art, so tlie sooner he was put to it tlie better. The 
hint was taken, and Robert was sent to Loudon, 
where he seems to liave pursued his studies with 
much the same apparent disregard of routine and 
inward steadiness of aim as the youth wlio at one 
time in Anstruther lodged under the same roLif 
with him — to wit, E. L. Stevenson. Mr. Fowler's 
own opinion is that he learned as mucli at this 
period at the Britisli ^Museum as anywhere else ; 



pittnres to Munich and Paris, and his art has been 
particularly well regarded in Germany. A recent 
issue of Die Knnst unserer Zeit was devoted ti) an 
appreciative monograph upon him by Herr Ma.\ 
Xonnenbruch, with excellent illustrations of a 
numlier of his most important pictures. 

]\lr. Fowler has arrived at what he is to-day 
after having burned incense on many altai's. The 
gods and demigods of his polytheism are a \ery 




STUDY FOR "AFTER MUSIC/ 



lie drew from the antique theie, and wa.s par- 
ticularly captivated by the Elgin marbles, of wliich 
he declares tliat lie who once looks steadily at 
tiiem is never the same man again. His chief re- 
la.xation was the gratification by constant attendance 
at concerts and operas of an intense curiosity in 
regai-d to music. At tlie Academy schools he got 
no further than being a probationer, for after some 
years in London liis liealtli gave way, and so he 
went into Yorkshiie for a long period of rest and 
outdoor study, thence to Llandudno, where his 
health was at length so far re-established that about 
twenty yeai-s ago he determined to return to London 
Liverpool lay in his way, and, dallying at home 
there, he drifted into taking a studio temporarily ; 
he is there yet, and though he still talks periodically 
of completing the long-suspended journey, we all 
hope he will do nothing of the sort. His first pre- 
tentious picture was produced in 1876, and since 
then he lias been a constant exhibitor in London, 
Liverpool, or elsewhere. Latterly he has sent 



respectable band — he has no need to lie ashamed 
of any one of them. Fiom AValker, Albert Moore, 
Leighton, Mr. Watts, and Mr. Wliistler he has 
taken what lie wanted : in landscape as many more 
ha^•e paid him toll ; and in the combination of figure 
with landscape, as well as a characteristic perception 
of lovely qualities of colour, he stands indebted to 
tliat wayward, subtle artist, Mr. David Woodlock, 
who seems to take as much pains to avoid due 
recognition as others to obtain it. It was from him 
that"]\Ir. Fowler first had that bias towards Japanese 
pictorial ideas which has significantly enlarged his 
artistic aims. In his beginnings Mr. Fowler in- 
clined to be classical, and so he remains to this 
dav, though with such a substantial difference that 
few cla.ssicists would be prepared to accept him as 
belonging to their camp, because of the strange 
guise in "which the desired thing appears. For the 
same reason the open arms of welcome are as little 
likely to meet him on the other si<le, because he 
pursues the elusive mysteries of aerial colour, and 



TiiH .MA(;.\/i.\"K (IF ai;t. 



L'VL'iy ik'licacv and ivfiiK'Hiciit <>f tonal iclalion (l>e- 
j,'iilU"M of Ills intc's.sant iiaiiUing i>f ujn-n-air stiulicsof 
liglit)on canvases wliicli aboiinilwilli allusion to classic 




THE VOICE OF SPRING. 

fal)k' and romantic story, with allegory, symbolisiii, 
idealisation, and conscionsly decorative design. 'J'lie 
cliaracteristics that make Mr. Fowler .so dilHctdt to 
a.ssigii to any set category, any accepted school, are 
])artly due, no donl)t, to the iieculiar isojalion in 
which he has always worked. To In- in i.i\cr|Miol 
at tlu! ]ir<'sent time in itself suliicieiitly cuts an 
imaginative artist 'ill' from free comnninioii with 
llm.se who ar<' working in the same liehl with similar 
aims. Still more .solitary is an artist in Liveriiool 
who, like Mr. J""owler, evades free intercourse, with 
all and sundry, preserving his own atmosplierie enve- 
lojie almost as intact as (leoige Kliot hers, while 
jealously guarded from chill draughts of criticism, 
or the miasma of philistinism by the faithful (icorge 
Henry Lewes. It is a favourite legend of the Li\(r 
Sketching ( 'liili that during the year when Mr. 
Fowlev was its president he was never .seen in ihe 



cluh rooms. Such artistic fellowship as he has conies 
to him by atlinity, and he usually is the inspirer, 
not tlic ins])ircc|. Anoiiicr cause of Jlr. Fowler's 
aloneiicss is the iniusual conibiiia- 
lion in him of land.scape jiainter and 
man of literary idetis. In the studio 
lie rarely ]iaints landsca]ie pure and 
simple, which .seems a pity to those 
wbo have the ))rivilege of looking 
through the i)iles of swift sketches 
ill oil-colour he usually firings back 
as I lie residt of going into the 
country for a rest. The freshness, 
modernity, subtle colour, and spark- 
ling suggestiveness of touch in these 
studies almost )irovoke regret that 
lie has to(.) well furuisiied an imagin- 
ation lu \ir a land.scape paintei'. Vet, 
after all, perhaps this is what, in his 
own ]ieciiliar fashion, he is. 

I'or what are his pictures but 
]aiidsca]ics seen with a (Jreekish eye, 
which gives to every Iri'e its dryad, 
every stream its nyniplis: which sees 
ihc )ia.ssiiig of glorious' gods and 
goildcsses in every gleaming shaft of 
sunlight, I'an piliing ever among the 
sedges, ceiitauis prancing across the 
|ilaiiis, Iritniis and niermaids riding 
uiei'fiilly nil eai h rolling breaker of 
the .'-iiiiiiidiis sea ' 'i'he persons de- 
jiieied beloiiM (o ilir la iiil.seape scttiug 
latliei tliaii il to them, and yielil up 
their iiuli\ idiialities of ciilour to the 
jiaiamount tone-scheme of the scene. 
A ie)iroduction in black and white 
can 110 more show this adeijuately 
than it can suggest the peculiar tech- 
nical methods employed in brushing on the pigments. 
'J'lie illustrations given, howevei', sulliciently show 
the unusual lialance held between the parts of the 
i>ictiire and the memorable thought fulness, viEfOur, 

I .""1 » O ' 

ami truth of the land.scape design, ll might be .said 
lliat the god I'an he is so fond nf lejuv.senting is 
an emblem of Mr. Fowler's art, which is in .syni|iathy 
with all things in Nature. In .some recent pictures 
one okserves evidences of a growing regard for the 
jiossibilities of what are conveniently called ]ire- 
liisloric limes — siraugc moiinlain bains, trees, and 
re]ililes lliat might belong lo a past geological 
jicriod, lakes, in who.se sullen deiilhs the kraken 
is surely lurking, and uncouth huiiian beings with 
mailed hair and wild regard from which no .soul 
looks out. The nearest ajtproach to this among 
the jiictiires rei>roduced here is seen in "The A'oice 
of S]uing." 



nor.Kirr fowlku: artist. 



The latest stage of Mr. I''(i\\k'i's i.k'veln])nifnt, to 
whifli almost all our illustrations belong, is only a 
few yeais okl. It succeeded a period in which he 
devoted himself chiefly to watev-Cdlour, and pr(id\ued 
many fine things, full of jewelled colour, illustrat- 
ing such themes as the ]>eath of Virginia, I'msjiero 



ceased to be, but its purpose was attained, for, after 
all, it was but the gestation of ]\Ir. Fowler's new 
departuie. It is unfortunate for his fame that as 
yet comparatively little of his maturest work has 
been seen in this country : much of it has gone 
direct to Germnny and remained there, and the. 



and L'alilian, Socrates and Xanthippe, the jiealh of nuly iniimrlant example thai has been seen at Bur- 
Socrates, and the "Witch nf Atlas. This jicridd of lingtim lliaise is " The (.'onnng of Apollo," his largest 




THE ENCHANTED GLADE. 



aquarelle culminated soon after his election as a 
member of the Institute in a life-size recundient 
" Sleep," in a landscape composition measuring some 
eicrht feet long, shown there in 189;>. When the art 
of Mr. Hornel and other Glasgow painters made such 
a stir in Liverpool that the echoes of it even reached 
to the quiet back rooms of South Castle Street, 
!Mr. Powler returned to oil, and forthwith from his 
brain there sprang into brief existence a sort of 
secret society which had for its purpose the C^uest 
of the Xew Beauty. I remember one or two delight- 
fully mysterious micturnal meetings in Mr. Fowler's 
studio, to which some half-dozen kindred spirits 
lirought the results of their trial explorations. We 
examined them painfully bj- liad lamplight, as Afr. 
Fowler expounded the new gospel (making it up 
as he proceeded), while Mr. Woodlock kept up a 
iire of criticism from a sofa in the obscurest corner, 
and Mr. Morrison occasionally interjected fragments 
of the lore of Parisian schools. The society soon 
88 



eftbrt. In a work exliibited at the Eoyal Academy 
this year ^Ir. Fowler shows that he has by no 
means come to the end of Ins inspii'ation — indeed, 
the picture seems to me likely to be one of the 
linest of his imaginative work.s. The landscape, 
studied in the Conway Valley, is transmuted to a 
bosky glade in sunny Greece : 

" Deep in the sliady sailne.ss of a vale 

Far sunken from the healthy breath of morn, 
Far from tin- fiery noon, and eve's one star." 

Here, amid tangled greenery, stands a girl — one of 
the most gracious figures the artist has imagined 
— gazing with a fascination akin to terror on a 
weather-worn terminal image of the Gorgon Medusa. 
One is impressed first by the lich and harmonious 
chord of colour, then by the winning suavity of 
design, last of all by the half-suggested reference to 
myth — the momentary glimpse into Arcadia from 
which each for himself may weave a story half 



10 



THE MACAZIXE OF ART. 



liiiiU'il ill in tliu fi)rtuiiiik' title, " Shiik- Eiuliant- 
iiieiit Old, Whose Spells liavc Str.leii my Sjiirit." 




(ffcfroriucrd >n>m tbi- Otigimil Painting in tlie Po$$fBslon of the Corporation 
of Liverpool.) 



Tills, sii f;ir as 1 have hIjsimaciI, is tlic 
111 (lev in wliicli Mr. Kuwlcr's ]ii(Uin's cihih' 
into lii-ing. (liven llie t;eini-i(lea, (lie lirsl 
business <if llie ]iainter is t" realise its eniu- 
tional eiilciur. Finni this frnin iiinTLtes, like 
eontrapnntal order from tlie lirsl eliromalie 
iniprovisings of the (■lealive ninsieiun : and 
last of all llie full expression of the f;evni- 
idea is alleiideil to. 'J'hen, like tlie musician 
still, the ]>ainler sils down more coolly lielore 
his accomplished work, to co<fitale on its exact 
relation to artienlale thought, to wranj^le upon 
it with whomsoever may happen there, until 
in .some jjif^oon-hole of his well-sHilVed mind 
an alisolutely Mttinj; line or jdira.se is I'mnid. 
Sometimes Mr. Fowli-r has lieen fortnnale 
cnoufjh to have a jMiet handy at the haptismal 
ho\ir. .\mon" others who have .vervrcl him 



thus is Mr. William Watson, wlm supplied admiraMe 
epigrams for several of the important pictures nf his 
water-colour period. Such a picture as the one I 
have Just described affects me much in the .same 
way as a memorable pas-sjige by, say, Schubert; in 
which the witchery of harmonic colour seizes the 
imagination even before the sweet melodic progres- 
sions are unfolded, and long before the mind can dis- 
entra<'e itself for the elVort of thinking alwut the 
creator's meaning. Even if you should afterwards 
escape the spell enough to be coldly critical, and 
should discover .some perversity of drawing, you are as 
little inclined to cavil as would a lover of Sclmbert 
,il that ma.stcr's inability to wiite a double fugue with 
]iiMliintic propriety. 

Other works tliat illiistiatc ihis distinctive ipiality 
I if Mr. Fowler's latest jieriod include his "Eve and 
llie Voices," one of the two pictures by him in the 
permanent collection of the Liverpool Corporation, his 
" After Music " and " The Enchanted fUade," which 
are now owned by the well-known collector, Herr 
Seeger, of Berlin. One feels, in looking at the.se, that 




STUDY rur 



i;()1'.ki;t fowlei;: ai;tist. 



11 



ilr. Fowler's iiiiagiiiatioii, afti'v ln'uting the air in alL 
ilirectioiis for liis ideal with a passionate desperation 
equal to that of d'Albert, has at last found it. They 
hold in perfect solution some of the best ([ualities 
of Japanese art, and at the same time utilise the 
painter's powerful instinct for landscape lieauty. 
his literary ecpupment and his unusual laiuwUMlne 
i>f music. He has workeil out for himself the 
a.xiom that " Xature is a purely anthrKpumorphic 
conception to be used by tlie artist witli perfect 
freedom," and in this connection styles liini.self an 
" optionalist." The technique does not cry out for 
notice: there are none of llie lumps and truwcl- 
marks of a certain lusty order of executants, but 
yet Mr. Fowler is an undoubted technician. His 
finished surfaces ha\"e a mysterious elusiveness as 
of paint softly blown on the canvas, whicii is all 
the more ditticult to understand after having seen 
their first state of swiftly-smearcrl brush-marks of 
crude, violent colour. 

Such i)ictures are peculiarly ill-adapted fur re- 
production in monotint, even by the most expressive 
methods, but those which are selected for illustration 
here retain, even when so reduced, sufhcient of tlicir 
significance to convey a tolerably definite idea of the 
character of Mi\ Fowler's imagination and nf his 
concej)tions of pictorial design. The "Ariel," which 
is the first picture by the artist purchased for llie 
Liverpool Galleries, dates from 1890, and belongs to 
the end of his earlier period, as appears in its more 
conventional composition, its detiniteness, and its 
frank exposition of a well-known pas.sage of poetry. 
Here the painter keeps strictly within his recognised 
province as an illustrator of a poet's conception : it 
is quite otherwise in the "Eve and the Ynices " of 
four yeai's later. I believe (thougli duubtless .Mr. 
Fowler would contradict me with characteristic 
vivacity of denial) that the germ-idea of this picture 
originated in talk about the " Eve" of Mr. (Ireiflen- 
hagen — that suinptiiou.sly imagined "fit mother of 
mighty nations" who seemed to lielong to (Ircek 
mythology (Dutch edition) rather than to I'.iblical 
story. Mr. Fowler's Eve presents the conqjlete 
antithesis of the other's ample contours and (piiet 
unconsciousness of aspect. She is a nineteentli 
century Eve, who with neurotic introspectiveness 
lies dreaming troubled day-dreams of the future 
in the midst of an appropriately occidental Eden. 
As the last suljtle stanza <if Mr. ('harles Dyall's 
poem on the picture has it — 



"The present wouiIct, ;iii(I more wond'rous fate. 
As portenis glisten in lier troubled eyes ; 
But, ah ! no carthlv wisiloni can translate 
What good or ill unfatlionir-d in them lies." 

The order is changed : the poet now follows the 
painter. Such an Eve in such an Eden was surely 
iie\er bef(.)re imagined ! ^Ir. Fowler here is no 
longer a mere illustrator, but has added tlie part of 
thinker in .symbols to liis eipiipment. Apart from 
the main allegoiy the picture is full (if incidental 
symbolism — even the moist, opalescent river-mist 
that veils the landscape lias its contriljutory signili- 
cance. In ^Ir. II. E. ilnnisdu's memorable portrait- 
picture of 'Sir. F'owler one sees most clearly tliat 
very habitual mood of mind wliieh lias given birth 
to sucli pictures as "Eve and tlie Voices," and tlie 
weirdly fantastic " The Enchanted Glade " whicli 
lias no relation to any story at all Inil what you 
may read into it. There are other moods, not least 
remarkable of them that of humorous fantasy, 
whicli is illustrated in the highly-original poster 
designed in 1895 for the Liverpool Autumn Exlii- 
bition — one of several very clever and effecti\e 
things of the sort done by Mr. i'owler. Yet 
another iiniiid, and perhaps tlie most admirable, 
is that wiiicli brings forth the placidly sensuous 
Ix'auty of sucli compositions as "Stars of the 
Summer Niglit" and "After ]\Iusic," whicli latter 
is, I think, the most beautiful picture 'Mr. Fowler 
has yet painted — excepting, perhaps, the unfinished 
work 1 have mentioned, which bids fair tti run it 
\'ery closel}' for the first place. 

Mr. Fowler's full recognitinn has pmbabl}' lieen 
retarded by his residence in Liverpool ; retarded 
even there, fur pnixincial npinion looks humbly to 
tile metropolis for guidance, and the nietnjpnlis, 
ha\ing a family big enough of its own to look after, 
is excusably slow in discovering talents not atfiliated 
to any of its own associations. Like the silver- 
smitli's .spoons, genius must be hall-marked in 
London liefore we dare accept it unquestioningly as 
lieing of precious metal. j\Ir. Fowler, however, is 
now a member of tlie Eoyal Institute; metropolitan 
criticism begins to be conscious of his existence, and 
liis sudden successes in ^lunicli and Berlin promi.se 
to react in this country. Few painters of the day 
are so ready to be disco\-ered as he — so fully 
equippeil with intelligence, entliusiasm, imagination, 
versatility, and technical facility for the toilsome 
climb towards F'ame's highest [)innacles. 



THE 



NEW DECORATION OF ST. PAUL'S BY 
SIR W. B. RICHMOND, R.A. 



Bv ALFRED UYS BALDRY. 



rpilKltK all- iiiii iiiiiiiy aiiiuiij,' iiioilcrii lU'cinalivc 
-L uiidi'itakings wlikli can Vn- siiid to aiiiiiDatli 
ill imiinitiimr tlu- work that is being <"inioil "Ht I'v 




CARTOONS FOR THE MOSAICS 
ifihotographed In Sir W. B. fficftmonrf's Studio.) 

Sir W. 1'.. Kicliiiioiiil, I!. A., in St. Paul's Catliedral. 
Even llir ciiiiiparalivfly small sccliiin uf Iht' wlink' 
(Icsii'ii wliicli lias now bci'ii ciniiiilflvil is In lie 
n-i'ardcd lis a nR'nmrablL' acliievenienl, valnalili' 
nul nicri'ly on aci-nuiil of its iii(le]»fnd('nl iiitcivsl 
and ailislii- meaniiig, l>uL fsjiwially liccaiisc of ils 
Ki<j;nifirance as an ejiniest of ultimate iierfeelion. 
TIr- ailonmu-nt nf the choir, which has liccn 



successfully accom|)lislu'd, is by itself an effort 
of which any artist might lei,'itiiiiately feel proud, 
for it i-: a record, excellently expressed, of in- 
telligent appreciation of what is aj)- 
propriate, and of strenuous lalmiir 
111 overcome in the right way ditli- 
ciilties inaeparalile from work on a 
lartie scale ami in an uiiaccuslomed 
medium. Ihil il is also extremely 
instructive on account of the manner 
in which it not only foreshadows the 
decorative com])letion of the entire 
liiiililiiig. but also sets the key in which 
the general harmony must be tinally 
carried out. To deal with the choir 
as an independent fact would be an 
artistic mistake. At present, circuni- 
slanci's impose upon it an apparently 
si'iiaiaic interest; it affords the fii-st 
proof of the sjiirit and intention of 
the many art-lovers whose niinils are 
exerci.sed by the long continued neglect 
nf St. Paul's Cathedral: but a.s time 
giies on and the necessity for inde- 
fatigably jiushing on a work which 
lias already been too long delayed be- 
comes more widely appreciated, the 
iiicliiiatinii to .set il ajiart must give 
wa\' to il laiu'cr and more gem-rous 
\ lew. 

it can certainly not be said of 

Sir William that in his treatment of 

the choir he has forgotten the needs 

I if tlie wiiole cathedral. He has al- 

liiweil no limitation of his idea and 

no use of principles ajiplicable only to 

a jiartial .scheme to hamjier the pos.si- 

liility of treating the great interior in 

the right way. On the contrary, what 

he has already done has been leally 

in the nature of a Judicious preparation 

for what is to follow. He has laid a 

foundation, and on it has now to be built up a 

sjileiidid supei-structure. This foundation, in view 

of the I'reat editiee which it is destined to carry, 

has iieee,s,sarily been treated with all ])ossible care. 

It is elaborate, perfected in all its details, full of 

iiiifeiiious devising, and an embodiment of endless 

experiment and many experiences. lUit the very 

care witii which il 



has lieeii laid makes the 



THE NEW DECOKATIOX OF ST. rAUL'S. 




subsequent operations the 

more eertain. There is 

little now over whieh 

there is any cause for 

hesitation. All the facts 

of the work are known, and all the 

ways of setting about the execution of 

what is to come next have been tested 

and settled. It is only in minor matters 

of artistic treatment that there remains 

any n>om for variation ; eveiything else is fixed art workers, and 

and decided. but little used by our 

This decision as to methods was nut arrived native artists. It was re- 
at without a very serious amount of imiuirv and cognised that only in mosaic 
investigation, not only in matters of principle, but could permanent decorations of 
as well in details of practice. The question that a satisfactory kind be executed 
had at tlie outset to be settled was not merely in a building like St. Paul's Cathe- 
the devising of a decorative .scheme, wliich was dral, .set in the midst of the grime 
capable of the fullest extension, there was also the and gloom of a great and V)usy city. 
more complicated scheme of practical execution But the troulile that bad at once to 
to work out and perfect. This latter part of the lie faced was a very serious one. Sir AVilliam, 
undertaking was made more dithcult by the fact judiciously enough, took exception to the pictorial 
that the medium in wliicb the artist luid mosaic wliich has become fashionable- in modern 

time.s. He felt lliat what merely jiro- 
fessed to be imitation, as exact as the 
limitations of tlic medium would permit, 
of picture painting on canvas was quite 
unsuiled for tlie adornment of the large 
spaces at great altitudes which were pre- 
sented to him in the cathedral. .Such 
work was too lifeless, and too mechanical, 
to be well adapted for the particular pur- 
jiose in ^iew. He reipiired something fai- 
mure rolmst, and more exactly calculated 
to produce the right effect among im- 
portant arclntectural surrounding.?. So he 
decideil to revert to a more primitive 
style, and to seek in the less laborious 
metliods of the Byzantine school a t)"pe 
of expression which would accord with 
tlie particular needs of the undertaking to 
which he was committed. 

In coming to tin's decision, he was, as 
the result proves, unquestionably judicious, 
but at the moment he found himself in 
no small difhculty. He was anxious that 
all the work should be executed l.iy British 
workmen, and be intended that it should 
be done in tlie manner that he felt was 
most suitable. But the workmen wei'e 
hard to find, and those that were finally 
discovered had only had a very limited 
amount of piactice, and that in the very 
ela.ss of mosaic which he wished above 
e\'eiything to avoid. Two members of the staff of 
carried out was one comparatixely novel to British ilessrs. Powell, to which tirm was eiitrustetl tlie 




from the first decided that the work should h 



14 



TlIK MACA/IXK OF .\1;T. 



liiviiai'Jiliuii III' iliL' iiiaUiiiils I'nr llii' iliTuiatiiui, had, 
it fliaiK'i'tl, alicaily eairicd out u panel in glass 
iimsaif, and tiieiv ended tlieir exiieiience. Unwexcr. 




THE PERSIAN SIBYL 
(From the Cartooit.) 

\\illi lliriii and Mime liall'-iln/.rii ntlieis wlm witc 
I'nini lime to time added tn the .nrnii]i of wdilieis 
Sir William eummeiieeil his ii]Hraliuiis. Of eouise 
this meant liiat lie had iml (ndy tn invent ]li^s 
<lecorative scheme, hnl also llie way in whirh il was 
to bo aeeomplislied : and liial lie had as well In train 
his whole stall' of exeeutants from ]iiactieally lie 
very lieginning. Even the miihuniral details, smli 
matters as the best shape for (lie tessera, llie 
number of eolours neeessary for iirodueing a ]iio]ii|- 
etrect, and the nalnie and eomposition of thr i innnl 
by which they were to be atlaehed to ilir wall 
surfaee, were by no means eupable of immediate 
arrangement. A long course of ex])erimenls was 
neeessary to settle thes<! uiid kindred ipiestions ; 
iiiul it was only after numerous experiments and 
by many modilieations based upon troublesome 
exiierienec, that the way of aiiiving at the best 



results withiiiit waste of time and ell'orL was linally 
lixed. AVheii these ex]ierinients were, however, 
emuluded, he found himself in ]iossession of a 
valuaiile stole of praetieal knowledge, tested in 
every possible way, and adapted for the over- 
eoniing of all the ditiieulties whieh he was likely 
to meet in eanyiiig out his great undertaking: and 
he also saw himself surrounded with a body of 
assistanls u|ioii whom he could depend. The skill 
whieli his workers then po.sse.s.sed was the innnediate 
result of his own training, perfeeted under his 
supervision, and establishrd, by his eonstant ex- 
jilanalion of the why and wheicfore of every detail 
of practice, npnii a secure basis of intc'lligent 
aiipieciation of what was rei|uired for the ellicient 
completion of the schinie he had devised. 

^\'hat was ari-i\cd at duriin,' this ediieational 



P^;^ ;^-^ ^r^ ^iti ^K ^.' :'■■ 

Ai\\>; .I'll ' 

SI ii^am fig^t r^'jfi^^ %"ii^ Wf 



it.ii*,ii 








W^ 


1^ '• 






MB* 


"^^' 









A WINDOW IN THt CHANCbL. 



stage of the 
bcai-iiiu npiiii 



]iroceedings had ,i \v\\ iiiipuiinit 
the work thai followed. .\o| unh- 



16 



THK AfACA/IXK iiF AIJT. 



were the stability ami iicnninii'iic'c of tin- UKisaics 
assured by the successful contrivance of a cement 
which wnuM retain it,s elasticity long enough to 
make tiie jilacingof the tesser;e a matter of certainty, 
and yd would, in no great ])eriod of time, harden 




CENTRAL FIGURE AS IT APPEARS IN THE APSE 
{Pltotographfd from thp Mostiic.) 

So absolutely as to be imiiossible to remove excelit 
by the most violent liicaiis; liul the cliaractci- also 
and the etli'Ct of the decorations were deliiiitely 
settled liy tiie exact adjuslment of the range ami 
variation of coloiii- |(eiinitted by the materials at 
his dis]iosal. The colour ([Ucsljon was, perhiqis, the 
most diiVicult of all. In a Imilding like St. Paul's 
Cathedral, where the spaces to be decorated are 
lighted in all sorts cif ways, and the siu fares that 



otl'er llieiiisehes for treatineiit ai'e at considerable 
distances from the eye of the spectator, simple 
chromatic statement is by no means likely to prove 
successful. Sir William found very early in 
his ]iicliniiii;ny labours that a .system of curious 

juxtapositions and 
accentuations would 
iiave to be followed, 
and that this sy.stern 
wouM have to be 
constantly varied in 
its details to meet 
llie ditlicultics jn-c- 
sented by the ab- 
.sence of any common 
Condi I ions luidef 
w li ieli the many 
a \ II i la Idc s])aces 
luiiM 111' trealt'd. 
W'heiv tile dct'ora- 
lions eiiiilil lie seen 
only by rellected 

light, a jiarticular 
cla.ss of colour a[)pli- 
cation was necessary, 
an aiiangemenl in 
many respects un- 
like that which was 
liossilile wher(> the 
ineidcnce of the 
light was direct and 
the amount of it 
unlimited. I'nijcc- 
tions, too, needed to 
be managed with 
discretion, lest, their 
relief should lie 
exaggerated ; and in 
depressions the mean 
between blankness 
and excessive ela- 
boration had to be 
iniisl judieionsly 
arrived at. 

All these eon- 
llirting ]ioiiits were 
oidy settled by the 
ii.se of a very elastic .system of colour distribution. 
It was found in practice thai the manner in which 
colours in contact intiiieiiced one another had to 
betaken very seriously into account, andliial very 
inuch di']iendecl upon the ehaiaeter ami strength 
of the mil line by which the forms in I he designs 
wei'c detineil. InsuHicieiit separation of llie various 
nias.ses not mdy caused a want of clearness in these 
forms, but produced as Well a mixing of tli<' colours 



THE NEW DECOEATIOX OF ST. PAUL'S. 



17 



which reduced tlieir individual value and bi'oiight 
the efi'ect of tlie wliide dangerously near a mono- 
chrome. So a consUml watch had to be kept upon 
the work in progress, and every tendency which 
threatened to become dangerous had to be vigorously 
counteracted. For in- 
stance, white in anv 
quantity was quickly 
seen to be unsuitable on . 
account of tiie optical 
effect which it has of 
spreading and obliterat- 
iu'f iir miiditVin';' colours 
close beside it. Silver 
has a similar quality of 
greying the whtile har- 
mony into wiiich it is 
introduced, and has tlie 
additional disadvantage 
of being very dark in 
places whei-e it does not 
gleam in a direct light. 
Strong yellow greens 
hardly tell as they 
shonld uide.ss they are 
surrounded with a thick 
line of red or warm 
brown ; and liurnished 
gold has an ettect, like 
silver, of shining ex- 
cessively in light and 
becoming in shadow 
disproportionately dark. 
Knowledge of all these 
pitfalls was necessary 
before any safe method 
of working could be 
arrived at, and on this 
knowledge had to be 
built up the more subtle 
experiences upon wliicli 
depended the proper ap- 
plication of all the other 
colours. There was al- 
most as much to test 

and settle in these minor matters. The modiHcation 
of a colour mass by the outline was a practical 
fact upon which gi'eat stress had to be laid. A 
red outline makes blue purple; a blue or a red 
environment gives to greys of any shade a strong 
tinge of its own hue; pale pink loses its value 
unless outlined with red ; black round a blue mass 
accentuates the blue and prevents its modification 
by an adjoining colour. Even a flat gold background 
requires to be humoured, for its force would be 
greatly reduced if in the spaces between the tessera; 
89 



a white cement appeared insicad of a red one. To 
codify and reduce to order such a series of niimite 
matters necessitated, as may be well imagined, almost 
endless consideration .ind a really vast amoiuit 
of contriving': and liardlv aiiv better evidence of 




the devotion both of the artist him.self and his 
assistants could be found than is supplied liy the 
fact that in the face of all difficulties the first 
division of the work has been carried through in 
a fashion fully appropiiate, and with a degree of 
success quite proportionate to the gi'eatness of the 
opportunity. 

Another vital secret of the success which has 
Jjeen achieved by Sir William and those working 
under his direction is explained by his assertion 
of the importance of executing the actual work 



IS 



THE MACAZIXK OF AKT. 



oil the spot. Mosiiics of tlie luodeni type are loo 
often pi-eimietl in sections in a distJint workshop, 
anil then fasteiieil together scetioii by section on 
tlie wall space wliieli they are intenileil to decorate. 
Under sncli a system no living appropriateness is 




A PANEL IN THE CHOIR. 

pos.silile, and an almo.st inevitalili! alisciiee of artistic 
ajireenient results between tiie work done and the 
position in wliicli it is perniaiieiitly seen. In tlie 
ca.se of tiie St. Paul's mosiiics only one pair of 
spandrils was, at the very comniencenient, treateil 
in this way, and the uiisuitability of the iiicllmd 
was made vividly apparent to tiie artist hiiii.self 
directly the .sections were put into jdace. So 
strongly was he convinced that such a manner of 
working had failed to give him what he was aiming 
at, that he had e.vtensivc alterations made in these 
spaudiils as soon as they were fi.xctl ; and from that 
time onward no part of the permanent translation 
of his designs was carried out 
anywhere except in the t'atlie- 
dral. and actually on the wall 
it.self. By this precaution he 
sjived himself from the annoy- 
ing neces.sity of revising his final 
statement, and gave himself the 
valuable o}iinirtuiiily of altering 
and adapting, ilnring the actual 
progress of the work, any deUiils 
in which conditions of situation, 
juxtaposition, or lighting neces- 
sitated a special manner of 
treatment. He was able, too, to 
consider ."ystemalically, as he 
watched each put glowing to- 
warils completion, what was desiralile to bring the 
existing details of the Imilding into agreement witii 
the new features that were being introduceil. Kvery- 
tbiug under tliis .system proceeded naturally and in 
projier setpience ; iiiptliiug was done in baste or umier 
mi.saiiiuehcnsion of its bearing iii"iii ibi' wlmle: so 
that what is now open to our insjjectinn in thi' 
Catbedial is a logiial and consistent iiroduction, tile 
outcome of dominating circumstances, and valual)le 



liecause it expres.ses the spirit of tiie locality 
lather than the abstnxct conclusions of a particular 
artist. Artistically, this is the great characteristic 
i.f llie St. Paul's decoration: it is impressive by its 
completeness and liy the skill with which it has 
lieen adapted to the peculiarities of tiie L'atliedral. 
It isas, too, Ijoth in sul)ject-matter and in style, a 
welcome reticence and dignitied reserve — finalities 
(if incalculable value in a building wiiere any iiint 
of triviality or poverty of intention would have 
l>een painfully .jarring and inapiiroiiriate. Neither 
in ciioice of motives nor in liis manner of treating 
tliem lias Sir William committed himself to any- 
liiiiig like matter-of-fact realism, and yet he lias 
avoideil tiiDse symljolical conventions which have 
done so mucli to limit the scope of ecclesifistical art. 
He iias steered a wise miildle course, wliicii has left 
liim free to deal faitlifully witii natural foinis and 
yet has not denied to him full opportunity to turn 
to account those formalities of line and mass anaiige- 
meiit which liave a lieliiful ell'ect in tiie formulating 
of a serious decorative scheme. He luus, indeed, 
varied liis maimer as the occasion demanded. Tlie 
windows, loo, of the ciioir, and tho.se wiiicli have been 
added in other parts of the Cathedral, are purely 
formal, line and colour arrangement designed to be in 
exact accord with the mosaics. The idea wiiicli runs 
all throutrh the work is to arrive at iiannonious 
nnifoiiiiity witlioul liie .sacrifice of tiiose e.s,sential 
variations bv wiiicii alone liie suggestion of viUility 




THE CREATION OF THE BIRDS. 

and well sustained interest can be given. Nothing 
seems meebanical or perfunctory ; we feel instead 
that liotli the initiating artist and tliosc wiio have 
laboure.l lo carry out iiis intentions liave the right 
kind of enthusiasm in their work, and have striven 
tiieir utmost to show wortliily tiieir aiipreeiation of 
tiie greatness of the occasion. 

NoTK.— All till- illuslrnlioiis in tliis article an- from photo- 
^'rnplis l)v Mr. F. Hollycr. 



19 



METROPOLITAN SCHOOLS OF ART : HARROW SCHOOL. 

A NOTABLE EXPERIMENT. 

Bv M. H SPIELMANN. 



ALTHOUGH the art school of Harrow is but u 
- ilepartmeiual section of Harrow School itself : 
although none hut pupils of the great College on 
the Hill arc eligible for instruction there; and 
although — if I judge it aright — the ultimate aim 



there than tliat entertained by the average school- 
master throughout the kingdom. But about 
tliat time Mr. AV. Egertou Hine was appointed 
art master, and apparently carried with hiin the 
enthusiasm for art and not a little of the force of 




Fig. 1. HARROW ART SCHOOL 



of this model institution is less the practice than 
the appreciation of art (a point to which I return 
later on), the inclusion in these pages of this young 
but promising training-place among the ateliers of 
the iletropolis needs no apology. The importance of 
the experiment, which is now, in fact, fast passing 
from that elementary stage, as well as the interest of 
the details which together constitute its importance, 
render an examination of its origin and its working 
of more likely profit to the reader than the consider- 
ation of nine out of ten of the ordinary art schools 
established and conducted on the well-known lines. 

It is, of course, too soon to judge by results how 
far the art school of Harrow has succeeded in the 
objects it set out to achieve, for no more than 
five years ago the view of ait education held 
tberp seems to have been little liiifher or broader 



character that marked his distinguished father — 
H. G. Hine, one of the greatest water-colour 
painters England has produced. He appealed to the 
Governors and the Headmaster against the relative 
neglect which art suffered at all schools, at Harrow 
as elsewhere; and reminding them that art should 
be considered as something more than a mere 
"subject "in the curriculum, and was capable of the 
highest utility in the development of the character 
and intellect, he claimed sympathy with tlie view 
tliat the teaching of it sliould be treated witJi proper 
.seriousness of aim and eftbrt. Fair conditions were 
asked foi-, ;ind were readily granted. A small 
room was hired and a sum of money was allowed 
for the purchase of casts and models, and Art was 
set up upon her pedestal on a level with Science and 
llusic. This practical form of syuipatliy produced 



20 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 




Fig 2 CLASS AT WORK. 

ill Harrow at onoe a strong iinpre.ssiun ; Imt I am 
IjouikI to say, as a n-snlt of observation on llii' 
spot — tliongli I am willing to ho coiniiiced that I 
havi- misjiulgt'd aiipcaranccs — that mnsic is still tlu' 
favoiircHl sister-art. The feeling is, I imagine, " singing 
fii-st anil (li'awing af'terwanls": ihc fmrncr, liy reason 
of the nioie imnieiliate ami pleasing resnlts, lieing the 
more popular. For it iloes not jet appear to he 
uiiiversiilly recognised thai tlie technieal excclleiiee 
arrived at hy the pnjiils in art at least eqnals, it' it 
does not e.\cel, artistically con- 
sidered, that achieved in mnsic. 
Not less than the Head- 
master, the a.ssistant masters 
encouraged, in so far as they 
could, the novel scheme of 
granting to art the ojiporlnnily 
of advancing towards its logical 
devidopnii'lit. liefiire long, tlu' 
greatest lunidiiT of pupils for 
drawing and ]iainting ever 
known in Harrow were eiowil- 
ing into tiie room: and as soon 
as they were made to feel thai 
elementaiy art instruction conlii 
he so placed liefoie thi'in thai 
there was little actual myslciy 
in till- aci|uisition of it, the 
lioys rcspondc'd with evident 
interest; and. it is to he suji- 
poscd, liie strange suspicion in- 
lierent in most Englisli lads, 
that the arts arc etleminale and 



not Worthy of entirely serious 
attention at the hands of hoys 
and men, gradually disaj)peared. 
So promising hecame the out- 
look, and so widely Wius the idea 
of sup])lenientaiy private tuition 
taken up hy the parents of many 
of the hoys, that a further step 
was felt to he ncci'ssary. The 
liappy idea of calling upon the 
liatriotism of an old Harrovian 
to found a huilding for art- 
teaching worthy of its dignity 
occurred to Mr. Hoswortli 
Smith, who thereupon laid the 
suggestion Ijefore Mr. Henry 
Vatcs Thomj)son, at one time 
head of the scliool. Mr. Thomp- 
son responded immeiliately, and 
with characteristic niuiiiticence 
gave £4,000 towards the huild- 
ing and its eiiuipment, on the 
condition that the governors 
provided the site and added .£1,000 to the funds. 
In IHOtj the inadeipiacy of the previous arrange- 
ments, which had to a great extent crippled the 
eflorts of the art ma.ster, made way for what i.s, 
so far as 1 am aware, the linest art school in any 
pulilic sehool in England, liughy and AVellington not 
excepted. Xay, more ; I know of noni- more per- 
fectly adapted to its purpose, more completely ap- 
pointed, or more worthily ei[uippeil. 'I'lic liuilding — 
ilesigneil liy Mr. William Marshall, rharacteiistic in 




Fia 3. AFTER A DEMONSTRATION 



METROl'OLITAX SCHOOLS OF AET : HARP.OW SCHOOL 



21 



stylo, aiul H good exainpk- 
of liitf- Victorian aiclii- 
tccture — stands npon 
the brow of Grove Hill, 
next to the great Speech 
Kooni. It contains one 
large studio, forty feet 
S(()iare and over thirty 
feet high. It is divided 
on the north si<le into 
three sepanite studios by 
long curtains and screens, 
and each of tliese divi- 
sions is lit by a large 
window seventeen feet 
high by nine feet wide. 
These bay.< are used for 
advanced dmwing ami 
painting; the centre of 
the riioni, receiving light 
from all tlnee windows, 
is used for class-teaching. 
From a large upper gal- 
leiy along the .south side, 
kicked by sliding dooi-s, 
tlie art master's studio, 
an excellent room, is 
reached. These details 
are here given, as the 
arrangement of such a 
school is of high import- 
ance ; and who knows 
but that it may haply 
come to the mind of one 
of my readers to help his 



lid 



a signal service as that 
whicli Mr. Yates Thomp- 
son has rendered Hanow ? 
The .system adopted 
is at once intelligent an<l 
eH'ective, and accordingly 
appeals to the intcUi- 
genceand the .syuipatliy of 
the scholars. That other 
conditions prevail in many 
schools the readei- need 
hardly be reminded — nay, 
stippling for lireadth at 
."^outh Kensington " was 
at one time a standing 
witticism much en- 
jnyed by students of a 
,« .^ r y>r M# \/^ BH w \ former day. Perhaps the 

V^rVV; ^BL \ f^ K common-sense course 

was the more necessary 
at Harrow, inasmuch as 
there, as at most public 
schools, drawing is for the 
greater numlier of pupils 
not compulsory; in- 
deed, only a certain pro- 
portion of the Fourth 
fijrms is obliged to take 
drawing in class, singing 
being taken as an alter- 
native by the remainder. 
Xot more than ninety 
Itoys are in the compul- 
sory classes, while aljout 
sel 1 witii just such sixty fmin all other parts nf the school take up 




.V/WaOH. 



FcG. 4.-PEN-AND-INK DRAWING. 

(8« G. L Watson, aged W.) 





Fig. 5.-APPLICATI0N OF MARGUERITE TO CIRCULAR TILE. 
{By C. H. Green, aged J5.) 



Fig 6.— application OF MARGUERITE TO CIRCULAR TILE. 
(«j F. Harrild, aged 14.) 



THE ^r.VflAZIXR OF AT^T. 



the stiuiy uf iirl Vdhmlarily us a speciiil sultject — u variety of ohjwts; cmiyiiig fi'Mu tlio Hal — usualh 
these boys <,'iviiij; «ii> their leisure tiim- freely, e.aeli 
Imviiif^ not less than two lessons a week, ami sonic 
as many as four or live: licyond whicii nunilui 
they cannot go. 

The voluntary hoys conu' up in liatehc^s of frnm 



on a (lifllerent seale — in order to cultivate firmness of 
liiic^: Howcr- ami plant-drawina, eaeli lji>y havinj^ his 




PlO 7. ADAPTATION OF THE PANSY TO A GIVEN SPACE. 
<S» e VI. Swan, afed 14.) 

two to ei^ht at a time, ami aie variously occiiiiieil. 
while the siime suKJect is taken Wy the classes, 
consisting of ahoul thiity hoys each. To liiese the 
lesson is e.xplaineil from the platform vcrlially 
anil by tlenionstratioii mi the blackboard, ami every 
(hawing is criticised ami to .some extent corrected 
in fortv minutes: and the next live minutes are 




Fig. 8.-APPLICATI0N OF THE PANSY TO A GIVEN SPACE. 

(Sj I. J. Wallis. nsitrl 15) 

own separate specimens in a bottle hung to the front 
rail of his desk. Klemeiitary design is also taught. 




Figs 9, 10. DESIOI.o i oii BORDERS : THE FUCHSIA, 
(fly D A. Nifjktingnle, agfd t6.) 



occupied with preparations for the class following, generally based upon the ilowcr studies already made, 

so that no time be wasted in class-teaching. aided by demonstrations on the blackboard. Draw- 

Tlie subjects taken in class are freehand, from ing from memory is part of the course of study, the 



METKoroLlTAN SCHOOLS OF AKT : HAKKoW SCHOOL. 



23 



object being fii-st shown to tlie class, its construction the attention of the boys and foices them to think, 
explained, and its proportion and tlie direction of Plane geometry is also' taught in class — a u.seful 




Fig. 11.- design FOUNDED ON THE COLUMBINE FOR TEXTILE OR WALL DECORATION. 

(ffj IV. S. MtMcott, aged !7.) 



its lines insisted upon. Tliis 
demonstration lasts about five 
minutes, and the boys have then 
to draw the object from memory, 
Ijeing allowed to look at it fur 
one minute towards the end of 
the le.«.son. During its e.xhibi- 
tion no line is drawn : all pencils 
are laid upon the desks. Then 
the object is again withdrawn, 
and the boys conect and finish 
from memory. 

" Dictated drawing " is an- 
other subject in which consider- 
able interest is taken. To cite 
an elementary instance : the class 
is told to draw two vertical lines 
parallel and of equal height, and 
two other parallel lines uniting 
the bases and tops of the ver- 
ticals. It is explained that these 
two horizontal lines are the major 
axes of ellipses: and, the length 
of the minor axes being given, 
the curves are drawn and tlie 
result is a cylinder. Sucii dic- 
tated drawing, especially when 
more advanced, always secures 




FiG. 12.— STUDY FROM LIFE 
(PEN-AND-INK). 

{By D, Ueinerlzhagen, aged 79,) 



and highly Mppreeiated branch. 
The private pupils proceed as in 
ordinary art schooLs, excepting 
tliat the hours which they can 
spare from the regular school- 
work are few enough. They 
(haw and paint from casts, from 
still-life groups and landscape, 
and at original design. For por- 
traiture they draw from them- 
selves in mirroi-s, or from one 
another. ]\Iodelling, macliine and 
architectural drawing, and draw- 
ing from flat copies and by 
measurement, all come within 
the range of the teaching. 

The prevailing idea which 
seems to govern the instruction 
is — that systematic demonstra- 
tion should be combined with 
tliat elastic sort of guidance 
nece.s.sary to the nursing of ori- 
ginality or the respecting of 
mental bias or indivi(hial taste 
in the pupil; in the belief that 
tlie best teaching is not so much 
that which " puts in " ideas as 
tliat which brings them out. 



J4 



THE JrA(;AZIXE OF AKT. 



Tlif art niastiTs— Mr. Him- and liis as-sisLant, l.oiiiid \\[> wilh ilie success .if <mi- natiuiial lliuutiiiL 
Mr. (iilLcrt— (Iniw si.lc l.y side with llie Iwys, .so and inanufactuics, and that lainiliaiity with them 
tliat finni the l.e-iimin- t.. tlie end uf a stu.ly the will nut l.e with.jiit later inlhience on lliose students 

wiui, when they lake their 
idaees in tlie world, may he- 
eume interested in the evolu- 
liiin of IJritish education and 
of r.ritish tradi! in its nioredec- 
orativi^ aspecLs, whether from 
the point of \icw of the legis- 
liiliir oi- of llic ]ii()diicer. 

Ilaxin;,' watched the boys 
in class and examined the 
results of the training they 
receive, I can hear witnes.s to 
the value of the system and 

I he i|iia]ily of the work. 
Tastt^ is fostered, and oii.serva- 
tion and indei)endence are eu- 
coniai^cd as far as [wssible. 

I I is plca.sant to see the in- 
li]]it;-cnt lenilerin.ns of the 
nhissi's of flowers placed hefore 
cacli studcHt, liuti pleasanler 
still to note with what in- 
;4enuity and fecliii;,' these lads 
proceed to a]'ply them, hy con- 
ventional treatment, to purely 
decorative purposes. 'J"he ex- 
ani](les here chosen for illus- 
I rat ion niii^ht no doubt have 
licrn bcll-crcit liad a sterner 
selection for the jjurpose been 
exercised, but they demon- 
strate fairly enough the system 

anil its a\craL;e working. The vai'iation in the two 
xcry youtliful adajilations of tlie marguerite ( Fig.s. 
O and tt) alliinl an exanijile of tlie iniiependence of 




Fig 13— study FROM LIFE (PEN-AND-INK) 
(Bij 0. Ueinerlthmjcit, agfit 19.) 



pu]jils may see clearly how the work may be done. 
iSul lo every student there is allowed a certain 
latitude in departing from the exact method em- 



ployed liy the ma-sters, if tlu; desire, to do so indicates mind exercised, whether in resjiect to the treatment 
original feeling on the impil's ]iart. ,\s little as 
]io.ssible is done by the hand of the teacher on the 
boy's own work, .save .sometimes when the pupil's 
fLspu-ation ranges beyond the limits of liis ]iower. 

I'>ut a wider view than is connnonly entertained 
in public schools has been taken of juimary art 
education and of art instruction generally. It has 
recently been decided by the Headmaster, Jfr. 
AVelldon, that in order tf) encourage the interest 
and add to the kiiowh'dge of the studenl,s of art 

subjects in general, lecturers on various Iminelies of advancenuuit is attained, and that .several among 
art shall from time to time be invited to the art them .show strong tastes and peculiar juecision of 
.sclio(jl to address the boys, the lectures, if po.-^sible, 
to be illustrated by lantern-slides or demonstration ; 
and it is pinposcd in due coui.se to vary these studies 
with a practical grounding in certiiin of the art crafts. 
?'or it is recogni-sed that these are more than ever 



of the Mowers oi- the leaves. 1'iie ])ansies (Fig.s. 
7 anil S) are not, ]ieiliaps, miieli nime advanced, 
being the Work of boys who are still scarcely more 
llian children. I'.iit in tiie treatment of fuchsias 
as a border fur stencils or textiles (Figs. and id) 
a great adxance is evident: and a design still more 
ambitious by \V. S. Jledlicott, lia.sed upon the coliini- 
liiiie, proves a considerable .sen.se of decoration. 

It is only natural, ]ierhaps, that among the fifty 
private pu]iils a higher average of merit and 



manner. Of these a nund)er not unnaturally lind 
tlieir favourite sketching subjects — especially for 
Imliday tasks — in natural history. Kcjirescnlative 
examples arc to be seen in Figs. I L', 1 1'., ami 14: 
while Fi''. !."( is a serious studv thrown oil' at 



METKoroLlTAX SClIUDLS ()F AIl'l 



]iAi;i;()\v SCHOOL. 



high speed by one of the cleverest pupils of the 
school. 

It must be borue in uiiiul tliat tiiuse boys arc 
uot — as is the case in iiU 
ordinary art classes — young 
students who believe that 
they have a "call" for art, 
and who are working at 
what they believe to be the 
serious pursuit of their life. 
They are probationers 
rather, whose desire it is to 
discover whether tlicy have 
any talent at all, or at least 
enough to justify tlieni in 
lioping tiiat they may sonie' 
day perhaps produce work 
of some sort of merit ; but 
well aware, meanwhile, that 
failure, abject and profitless, 
cannot by any means result 
from so admirable a training, 
and that, whatever liap^jens, 
they will always be so much 
to the good. 

But the chief, the highest 
value of this school, which 
is, perhaps, liable to lie lost 
sight of, is that its main 

result will always be, not to teach the youth that 
seeks its up-bringuig in Harrow to produce art, 
but to understand and appreciate it. The great 
trouble in England now and for centuries past — 



greater tlie artist, as a rule, the less recognition 
he finds among the people ; the greatest of all finds 
too little employment if he Ije unfortunate, and, if 




Fig. 




Fig 15.— rapid STUDY FROM LIFE (PENCIL). 

(By 0. Meinertzhagen, aged 79.) 

little recognised because not most obvious — has 
uot been the lack of artists, but the lack of a dis- 
criminating public to appreciate those we had. The 
90 



14-STUDY FROM LIFE PEN-AND-INK\ 
(By C. Watioit, aged 16) 

he be fortunate, too little appreciation outside the 
narrow circle for whom and in which, he works. 
Harrow Art School, then, is not only — or, at least, 
not so much — an institution to educate boj's into 
artists : it is rather to educate tliem to under- 
stand artists and their work, to appreciate wliat 
is finest and what is beautiful, and why it is fine 
and beautiful. It teaches that art is not only a 
".subject," but that it is a refinement, and that so 
far as it is a subject it teaches to see and feel and 
think and do. It is therefore clear why the new- 
art school has awakened so much practical sym- 
pathy and enthusiasm in headmaster, governors, 
and all others whom it may concern, and why tlie 
boys themselves regard the de\ elopment with ever- 
increasing interest and respect. The matter appears 
to me to be one of national importance, and in the 
opinion of many likely henceforward to mark out 
Harrow as the school beyond all others— j-te- ipsa 
loriidttir — to which boys of artistic tendencies 
shoidd be .sent. To be taught how^ to appreciate 
Art and Nature is a boon infinitely greater thau the 
old-st}'le idea of stereotyped instruction how to draw 
" common objects " ; and that this is the aim, and 
likely to be the achievement, of Mr. Egertou Hine 
at Harrow School, it needs but a little observation 
to discover. 



26 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 

DECORATIVE ART AT WINDSOR CASTLE : BOULLE-WORK. 

By FREDERICK S ROBINSON. 




\ (lur I'uiiiiLT ailicle on 
IIk- funiiturc in the 
slyli' (if I'xuilk' we al- 
tri 1)11 ted the red-sliellud 
examples to Dutch 
eonlt'iiiiiovaries of tlie 
great artist, anil sug- 
gested that the little 
eahinet woik-tahle on 
eight legs whieh, from 
the profusion of white 
nietal and {iilniired Imrn eiiiiiloyed, is so eliariiiing 
in colour, might he the work of Philippe I'oiton. It 
is a matter for great regret that signatures of artists 
upon the furniture of the end of the seventeenth 
and first half of the eigliteenth centuries are so 
excessively rare, even if they are to he found at all. 
Not till ITol was tiie practice of stamping furniture 
with the maker's mark, whieh was only commenced 
under Louis XV, made compulsory. Then, hy some 
evil fate, the same ordinance was not impoi^ed upon 
the brass-founders and sculptors. So that, tlnough- 
fiut the whole of the eighteenth century, we are 
lucky if we can find an occasional signature upon 
the ormoulu whieh was such an important adjunct 
of finiiilure of every kind. Wc sh dl tind that tiicrc 
is a pretty controversy which can never he definitely 
settled, as to whether a " C " with a crown over it 
is the signature of the celebrated Philippe Catlieri, or 
merely the mark to denote that the objects on which 
it is found were made in the Crown work.shop.s. 

If it is impossible to state with aksolnte ceitainty 
that a particular piece of furniture was the work of 
Andre Charles P>onlle the elder, it is equally diliicult 
satisfactorily to describe successive periods in the 
development of his style. It seems to us, on the 
whole, rather unnecessary to make the attcm])t. In 
))rtinting, nature is said never to allord us the luxury 
of a definite line to mark the contours of objects. 
One mass melts into another, so that it is almost 
impo.ssible to see exactly where one edge eniis and 
another begins. We have seen that there is no 
(ixeil date which we can jjut forward for the com- 
mencement of the style of Louis XIV or the end of 
that of lA)uis XV. Oiir logical, cut-aud-dried minds 
are always hankering after these visible signs, which 
scarcely exist. It is exactly the same in the case of 
the style of Poulle. Any division must be but a 
makeshift, as there is not miicii duubt that late in 



life he employed his various manners concurrently 
to suit tlie taste of his patrons. 

It seems, however, certain that Houlle did not, at 
the outset of his career, begin with the brass and 
tortoi.seshell inlay with which his name is a.ssociated. 
We have seen that he had po.ssibly a grandfather, 
and certainly a father, who was an inlayer of wood 
and gave him his first instruction. His earliest 
royal connuissions were on the panjueting of the 
floors of the jjalaccs. We find also, from the in- 
ventory which he made after the destructive fire in 
his workshops iu 1720, that Uiere were "five ea.ses 
filled with different flowers, birds, animals, foliage, 
and ornaments of wood, in all sorts of natural 
colours, mostly made by the Sieur IJouUe the elder " 
(Andre Charles Poulle's father) " in his youth. — 
Twelve cases of all .sorts of rare coloured woods for 
making inlaid furniture." These last were, no doubt, 
not a legacy from his father, but the products of his 
own workshops. As he reckoned the whole at 8,000 
livrcs, it is probable that he regarded these un- 
fiiiisliiil details as valualile for stock-in-trade: and 
tliat at tlie end of his long life, as well as at the 
begiiniing, he was making furniture in inlaid w'ood. 
His first cabinets were of ebony inlaid with lines of 
white metal, and with central panels of wo :d inlay. 
Parrots and tulips in woolI, tinted and shaded, are 
characteristic of his early style, which was, no doubt, 
indtative of Dutch iiday. That he did not entirely 
give up this manner in later life is proved by a tine 
cabinet in the Jones collection (No. l,04o) most 
typical of IJoulle. This piece, mounted with satyr 
ma.sks with a fan shell or scallop ornament roniul 
the head (wliich are exactly similar to those on the 
cabinet with applitpie ornament and the secretaire 
with a bronze relief of our illustration.s), has the 
iipjicr part of its side-panels inlaid in wood inlay of 
marked Dutch character. It may be noticed, as an 
instance of unity of conception in the design, that 
the satyr mask is repeated in the coloured wooils 
with a iileasing elVect at once of resendilance and 
dissindlarity. We have already attributed the 
" William and Mary " cabinet, illustrated in our 
former article, to the massive style of IJoulle, and it 
will be remembered that in this, too, wood takes the 
place of shell. 

In middle life beseems to have abandoned Dutch 
influences and followed, .says M. de Champeaux, by 
means of inlaid brass and tortoiseshell ulonc, the 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 



27 



grandiose spirit of the compositions of Le Brun. To tlie grotesque style of Bcrain at all, and bears a 

tliis phase belong tlie examples with large ormoulu much closer resemblance to that of the " William 

figures and sweeping curves which are illustrated and Mary " cabinet. The close resemblance of its 

by most of the reproductions in this article. curved tripod to tho.se of the silver pair may, por- 

Lator still he may liave adopted tlie more fan- liaps, be taken as a sign that there is not luHch 




BOULLE-WORK TABLE AND SILVER TRIPODS 



tastic style of Berain, and strewn his grotesques and 
comic or mythological figures upon a field of shell, 
touched witli ditterent colours, in combination with 
white metal. 

The beautiful little work-table with folding flaps, 
photographed between two silver tripods of Charles 
II, is in the most elegant style of Boulle work in tlie 
natural colour of the shell. There is a large ad- 
mixture of white metal, which should place it in 
the third of M. de Champeaux's periods, were it not 
that the delicately waving scroll pattern is not in 



difference in date l)etwcen the three. Tliese .■silver 
tripods have the monogram of Charles II, which 
would give them a date before 1(JS.5, and there is 
no reason why we should not, in spite of the white 
metal — which, by the way, is found as far back as 
16.5.3, at least, in furniture of Cardinal JIazarin — 
attribute this lieautiful little table to the second 
period of Boulle. This was the time when lie was 
making the " conunodes en tombeau " — such as that 
now in the Bibliotheque Mazarine, which M. de 
Champeaux (" Le I\Ieuble," Fig. 14, Vol. II) takes as 



28 



THE MAfJAZIXK OF ART. 



of genuine work of Boulle 
to nuHleni repetitions. The 
Boulle furniture in the 
I/Hivre has suOV-rpil fr<uii 
restoration in a terrible tle- 
gree. King I>onis Philijipe 
was a dreadful sinner in 
this respect. He did not 
hesitate III make two pieces 
of fuinitine out r'f one liy 
separating tlie njiper pari 
of fi eahinet from the lower, 
and putting both pieces 
npiin entiicly new ba.ses. 
\(\v plinths, ni'W spiral 
jiiiiiiliil feel, new staring 
while iiiarliie ti>p slalis, 
were anmngst his minor 
altera tion.s. 

The best large examples 
at Windsor are four ini- 
porhmt ealiinets in the Cor- 
ridor. Two of these are tall 
" arnioire.s," similar to the 
IVrain one (Xo. l,Ol'()) of 
Ihe .liincs eollcctiiMi. A ri - 
tile type of lliadle's tinest work — and also tho.se pimluction of one was slmwn in mu' last article on 
sarcojihagu.s-shaped marriage chests for the apart- I'.nullc. It has nrnmulii ninunls representing Apollo 
nients of the (liaud Itanphin, which fninicd scune :iiiil li;i|ilnie ;ind .Vpnlhi ami Mar-sya-s. The pede.s- 
of the chief treasures ("Le :\leublc," Fig. 12, Vol. If) i.ijs mi whjeh these lignres .stand have a ground of 
of the San Doiiato collection. It is interesting to blue horn inlaid with brass. The inlay is " h'rst 
note that the single standard of onr little w<irk-lable ]iarl," and veiy linely engraved. The side panels 
resembles in its .s.piare terminal shape the legs of are not one whit inferior to the front in this respect, 
the coiLSole of the San Doiiato coft'ei, and that the and are ilecorateil with oinioiilu figures <if Yontli 




BOULLE CUPBOARD WITH APPLIQUE EMBLEMS. 



inlaid ornament on the legs of the two is e.\trenicly 
sindlar. The jliur-ili-iia lepeated once or twice 
might almost prove that this beautiful little work- 
table was -made for the Dauphin's biiile, i|, is 
admirably constructed, inlaid, and cngiaved, and 
most hainionious in cfilour. 

S]iciiking of the Windsor collciiion, M. de 
Champcanx <leplores the reno\alions which have 
taken ]i!ace. Such renewals are unavoidable, but it 
is better to preserve by their means the central 
panel of an undoubted ]iiccc of ISonllc of line (piality 
than to allow the whole to be made away with. 
'i'here was illnstialed in our introductoiy article a 
long cabinet wilii two glass doors, which supports 
two white Dresden va.ses and an elaboiatc ormotdii 
candelabrum. Tiie centre ]iancl of this is superb, 
but the rest of the eahinet has been built round il. 
The ormouln coriu-r and keyhole ornaments, the 
hitter showing two cock's heads facing each oihei. 
are slock ])atterns, .scattered itroadcast. 'J'he exe- 
culion of the newer parts of tiiis " vitrine " give us 
an excellent object-le.sson in the striking superiority 



on one side and Age warming itself at a lire on 
the oilier. The small uiijier and lower panels of 
the front ha\e while metal in tlicni, which is not 
the case with the companion armoii'c. 1'his latter 
— which, on account of its posilion, could not be 
adeipiately re]iroduced — has a thinner and more 
wispy design of brass inlay There are two large 
o\al i-cliefs in oiuioulu repicsenting mythological 
subjcets, and I lie hinges and keyhole ornaments 
are very linely and sharply chiselled. On (vuh 
side, panel is a liguie — the one of l''loi'a, the other 
of Ceres. The Duke of "Westminster has, we be- 
lieve, two siniil,-ir tall cabinets to these: while 
thci-e is yet a third at ^\'indsor with a glass front 
and some line inlay. 

.\notber of our illustrations re|)rescnls a wall 
eu|iboard with " ap]ilii|ni' " ornaments of (uniouhi 
repiescnting ini[ilemeiits of the eha.se and agri- 
eullnre, pistols, oars, and lishing-nets, sii]ieriniposed 
upon an elaliorate and very line design of black 
iioulle. This is also one of a ]iair, and is in " tirst 
part." The Hying cupids in ormoulu which make a 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 



20 



feature of the upper end of tlie two iloor-paiiels, the to tlicse, wliieli were in tlie Tuileiies. Bonlle had 
cockleshell ornaments of the locks, and some of the executed a commission for this palace of fourteen 
" applique " emblems, are found repeated on a tall pieces of furniture adorned with these figures of 



armoire which is in the Louvre, and is figured (Fig. 
IG, Vol. II) liy M. de Champeaux. There seems, 
at first, sometliing quite irresponsible in the manner 
in wliich the emblem.? are placed over an elaliorate 
scroll-work design. It will be found, howe\er, that 
the effect of UouUe furniture is very carefully con- 
sidered. The Dutch tulip and carnation wood inlay 
is rather striking tlian restrained. The flowers 
scattered all over a piece of furniture prevent the 
eye from considering tlie outline of the piece. This 
is a mistake in art. Xo such accusation can be 
made against tlie inlay designs of Ronlle's work. 
They are extremely elaboiate; tliere is an endless 
involution of their wispy curves, besprinkled willi 
vases, birds, and beasts: but the LmiisXIN' designer 
never loses sight of the importance of the general 
eflect. The actual .shell and lirass inlaid work is 
kept as a quiet ground. The finely gilt niDunt.- 
emphasise the general shape, and are the lirsi things 
to attract the eye. The skill witii which in this 
cabinet tlie curves of tlie ground are made to 
enuuiate from and condiine witli lliose of tlie ap- 
plied ormoulii mouldings is a puinl to be noticed. 

The illuslrati(jn ui)on 
this page re])reseiits a very 
typical piece. It is one 
of a pair adorned with 
large figures in relief of 
"Religion" and " Sages.se," 
and also witli ormoulu 
gailaiids wliirli serve as 
settings fur medals com- 
memorative of the vic- 
tories of Louis XIX. The 
medals bear such legends 
as " Victoria comes Fran- 
corum, 1697," " Francorum 
exercitus ad Rhenum Ter 
Victor," " Confecto Bello 
Piratico, 1684." The.se 
pieces are more suggestive 
of BouUe's own woik in 
design than in execution. 
They have not the fine 
engraving which is chai'ac- 
teristic of the best period 
of Louis XIV. Great in- 
terest, nevertheless, at- 
taches to these " medal " 
cabinets. The Garde 
Meuble Xational de France 
pos.sesses ten cupboards 
with double doors similar 



Religion and Wisdom, wliieh were supposed to in- 
sjjire the actions of the great Louis. Upon them 
were fixed, as seen in tlie I'eproductioii, the medals 
fur which tlie "Academy of iiLseriptions " had Cdiii- 
posed tile legends. Baron J lavillier has found 
a document wliich establishes the fact that this 
series of furniture was repeated in the reign of 
Louis X\'l by the well-known cabinet-maker, 
Montigiiy, In replace the originals, which were 
worn out. ^lost of the ten belonging to the Ganle 
Meuble ha\'e the stamp of Jlontigny on them, 
and the rest that of G. Jacob, an equally famous 
maker, whose successor, Jacob " Desmalter," became 
the noted furniture-maker of the period of the 
emiiire and later. " Four other cabinets," adds M. 
de L'liampeaux, " are to be found in private collec- 
tions. We have already mentioned tliose similar 
ones belonging to the (j)ueini of England. I'xiulli', 
moreover, often reproduced this design." Although 
we did not have the chance of disco\ering the name 
of ilontigny stamped upon the Windsor exauqilcs 
there would seem to Ijc nnt much doubt that they 
are Montigny's repnjduelioiis of the original wiak 




BOULLE CUPBOARD WITH FIGURES OF RELIGION AND WISDOM. 



30 



THK :\IA(;.\ZIXK OF AIIT. 



of Bonlle. While admitting thsit tliey are some- 
what inferior in workmanship to the other four 
cabinets in the Corridor, tliey cannot hut be interest- 
ing as good reproductions of a known series of 
l!(jullc's furniture, and valuable in themselves as 
works of the jieriod of Louis X\'I and by the liainl 
of the well-known maker who was eonnnissjoiied to 
make these reproductions. 

The commode witli four drawers has a very 
handsome front design of red shell inlaid upon brass, 
wliich is similar in pattern to that on one in tiie 
]ialaee of Fonlainebleau (Fig. 2Ci, Vol. If, " I.e 
Meiible"). This piece was " purcha.sed by l^uid 
liavenswortii for His Majesty CJeorge IV in 18S0," 
as a label on tlie back informs us. It has a superb 
top slab, finely engraved. Tiie sides are also very 
line; but the from, in "second pari," is lianlly 
eepial to the rest. 

Tiie secretiiire upon I'our .sliml legs, bciidly 
mounted with massive ormoulu leaf ornaments, is 
anotlier handsome piece of furniture, nearly five feet 
iiigh, as to liie atlributiiiii nf which il is iinpnssible 
to speak with certainty. The bronze relief on llie 
falling front represents infant huiiler.s. The ciiasiiig 
of the leg mounts is very tine. Mounts e.xat-tly 
similar to the.se, including the mask of a satyr witli 
scalloped head ornament, are found on a commode of 
one drawer described as "en forme de tond)eau" by JI. 
Jlenry Havard, iu his little liook on " L'Kbcnisterie," 
lail lie omits to mention where tlie piece is to l)e 
found. He attriliutes it to Bonlle, but there .seems 
a probability tiiat it is a rather later specimen, 
jieihaps by Cres.sent, who, witli Oeben, was one of 
lioidle's most succcssfid pujiils. Tliere is a com- 
mode by C'ressent, with remarkably similar acantlnis 
mounts on the legs, which points to this conclusion. 
We have noted before that the satyr mask is found 
again upon the cabinet with ap])liiine ornaments. 
It should be said tiiat the maker of the catalogue of 
tiie South Kensington Special Exhibition in 18G2 
describes it as "probably one of the finest woiks of 
Ciiarles Andre Boulle." 

It nuiy easily be inferred that it was impossible 
for Boidle to have executed himself a tithe of the 
work whicii was produced under ids name. He was 
obliged, therefore, after making the general designs 
of ids furniture, to apply to other artists for the 
completion of details. F'or ins ormoulu mounts — 
winch are large in treatment, as a rule, and not .so 
lhini( king as those of tlie latter )iart of the eighl- 
eenth century — lie employed i>omi'nico Cucci, 
another of those clever fonugneis wiio were located 
at the (io)ielilis. I'ut although he eliildoyed the 
collaboration of others, tliere is no ilouijt that, excci>t 
in the cn.ses where, jjcrliaps, the king directed lierain 
to supply the design, he kept the general directinn 



of the work to himself. A versatile genius, who 
excelled in various branches of invention and exe- 
cution, he was able to impress his ideas upon his 
collaborators and attain, in his particular style, 
results beyond anything before accomplislied. 

'I'liere has so far been little but jiraise for lioulle. 
It is only just to point out the defects of his new 
style of French furniture. These, to onr mind, are 
largely theoretical. M. Havard describes threj 
phases in the history of the art of furniture. Medi- 
a\al liirnitiire, he says, commenced by being made 
iu a cumbersome manner of thick, .solid planks 
pegged together without any attempt at ornament- 
ation (such as carving) arising logically from tiie 
construction or material of the object. The chest of 
the tliirteeiitli century was dejiendent for its beauty 
uiHiu iiun hinges exaggerated to a large size, and 
jiainted canvas afterwards applied. In other words, 
when the patron retpiired a chest (and there was 
very little other furniture then used), the joiner 
fastened jilain boards clumsily together and then 
handed it im to the artist, who painli'd hi.s design 
on eiuivas. This was spread over the rough wood, 
;ind, with the adilition of the ornamental ironwork, 
the structure, if smh it might lie called, was 
cdmplele. 

Next, with the lieiiaissauce, came the application 
of architectural ideas. Extraneous painting upon 
canvas was gradually given up, and ciilniir ceased to 
l)u the main means of ornament. The sides of a 
chest were no haiger solid Iioards jioorly pegged 
together. A science of construction intervened by 
means of which a framework' (" ossat lire ") was first 
made, inln wliii-li |i;incls were litteil, " jmur bdiieher 
Ics vides," as M. Havard .'lays. \'u\\y skeleton 
framework was filletl in with ])anelliiig to cover 
the sipiare holes between the pilasters and stiles. 
(Ireater strength by means of better joints, and at 
the same tim(> lightness, was thus attained. Orna- 
ment is derived from carving the woodwork, and the 
sim])lo oak chest, with moderate carving on its 
panids and stiles, and, perliaps, the linen-fold jiattern 
to enhance them, is the most logical type of furni- 
ture ever made. I'ut the sculptor steps in and 
adds heavy mouldings ;ind figures, till we get the 
ponderous dressers and cabinets of the fifteenth and 
sixteenth centuries, which yet are logically orna- 
mental, not mere boxes with ornament a])plied. At 
the .same time, people begin to miss the colour of the 
old Jiainted furniture, and have recourse to rich-lined 
hangings to deck out the ]dain oak or other wood. 

Wood-carving can no fin I her go. Some new 
start must, be made, but what shall it be ! 

The intiodiictinii nf exulic woods has suggested 
the new iiiaiiiier, may be. Why iinl, by inlaying, 
let the variiiiis cdIduis of these woods lake the place 



THE (,)rKKNS TKEASURES OF ART. 



31 



of the adtled hues of daiuask and Uipestiies ? So be 
it. But gradually it is found tlmt inlay requires 
Hatter, less broken surfaces, than those of the heavy 
Renaissance furniture, iloreover, exotic woods are 
rare and small in size ; they cainiot be carved in 
the solid. So, by a swing of the pendiduni, though 
there is no return to the solid boards of tlie Middle 



ornauienl from the uiaLeiial. The decoration is even 
purposely made in another material, namely metal. 
At this point we come back to Boulle, and find 
that he is one of the greatest and most splendid 
sinners in this matter of illogical shape and orna- 
ment. He will make you a chest shaped like a 
sarcophagus which sliould open at the top with a 




BOULLE COMMODE. 



Ages, it is found that a simple flat surface of panels 
and plain stiles is best adapted to show oft' inlay. 
So variety of profile becomes of less importance, and 
inlay — i.e. added or superimposed ornament not 
logically emanating from the construction or the 
material of the chest or cabinet, as the case may be — 
becomes of highest consequence. Fashion has thus 
swung back almost, but not quite (for it preserves 
panels and stile construction well mortised and 
tenoned), to the mediceval times, when ornament 
was a thing apart, put on by someone — viz. the 
painter — other than the joiner who made the 
cabinet. But at this time of day ornament added 
thus is .so skilfully made and so rich in material 
that it completely ousts all ideas of logical de- 
pendence on architecture or derivation of the 



lid ; but, beliold ' it has drawers in the side made to 
tit its bulging shapes! Again, he will build you 
an irreproachable cabinet, and its lower doors, with 
all the appearance of being real, are merely sham. 
Hence he incurs the accusation of having been a 
maker of " meubles d'apparat," or show furniture. 

There is, no doubt, ground for this condemnation, 
both by reason of the shapes of his furniture and tlie 
delicacy of its external ornament. To its want of 
dependence upon architectural form we do not 
attach much importance, while agreeing that an 
occasional sham door, or a tomb-shaped chest with 
unexpected drawers at the side, is a not altogether 
welcome surprise. There is no doubt that, on the 
other hand, Boulle made much furniture — such as 
the little work-table here illustrated — which was 



.-^2 



TH1«: MAGAZINE OF ART. 



L'liiiiiciilly lit I'ur service. His veneer was so good busts, emerges from slmde into liglit, is liiirniuiiioiis 
tlmt it wouKl, and does still, stiind a great deal of to a degree. It is adniiniljly adapted to sliow oft 
wear and tear. Tlio aecusation tliat his works the colour of fine porcelain or Japanese lacquer, for 
are merely "nieubles d'apparat" .seems to us to be which it lias a pronounced affinity, 
carried too far. 'l'l,o charactfrislics of lioulle's style have been 

As In his merits, we entirely agree willi M. .Icsc i iheil as ivinciiig .sobriety combined with rich- 
ness, a line arrangement 
I if lines, proportion, and, 
lastly, extreme care in 
details. Mariette a.sserts 
that Uoidle condiined taste 
willi solidity, and that his 
line furniture is as intact 
alter one inuulred years of 
usiige as when it left his 
hands. As.selineau, writing 
later, says that it is still 
so, afti'r aliuost two cen- 
tuiies ; and this is hardly 
beyond the tiutli. AViien 
one considers tlie nnndjcr 
of skilled workmen who 
must have been employed 
on tills furniture, the cost 
i>{ it at tlie time and 
the ]iiices now paid for 
uiiiuiue speciimens arc 
butli Justilicd. * The de- 
signer, tlic j'liincr, tlie 
sciilptoi-, the bra.ss-founder, 
the iiilayer, the engraver, 
and nther intelligent as- 
sistants, had to co-operate 
for the production of a 
single piece. The vogue of 
I'm mile has lasted straight 
1)11 into the nineteenth 
century. JI. "W'illiam.son 
attributes its lasting 
populavily tn the nnbh'. 
ness of ils lines, wliirh 
lla\ard: — " Kntre ce qn'on salt de la cour de Vii- were due to the inspiration of ^lansart, Le Ihuii, 
sailles et les meubles de lioulle, il y a en ellet iiiu' and Herain : to the richness of its material; to 
correlation ab.solue ; ceux-ci sont la panne iiaturelle tlie faiiiy, varicly, and sure taste of its ornament- 
de celle-la, et les chefs-d'cenvre enfantes par le grand atioii : and, lastly, to the thorough coiiscieutiousne.ss 
artiste .sont restes I'expression niobilieie la plus of its original wtakiiiauship. As a comment on this 
complete de la snmi)tuosili' de Louis X I V." It is hist, we may end wilii a (piotation from Anguste 
nol easy to imagine anything more suited for the l.ucliat: "Nowadays I know of a inanuraetory of 
decoration of the great galleries and c<prridors of lloiillc work in wiiicii the shell (made of gelatine), 
palaces than the .style of Uniillc II altiarts ImiIIi the lioin. tlie iirail, tlie ivory, all are false. Ebony 
by its line tinish and the eoiitrast of the glittering has been given up in favour of dyed pear-wood, 
orniiMilu mtanits in relief upon the .sombre shell, lieeause ebony is not supposed to take variii.sh well. 
IJy light of lamp or candle it is at its best; but by r.i,iili<' had no need to varnish his work. Now," he 
day at Windsor in the Corridor the elVect, as the adds, " is the day of rubbish (/(( raiinlutt) and work 
series of lioulle cabinets. Hanked by line bronze wit laait inlellii'ence and without good faith," 




SECRETAIRE WITH BRONZE-RELIEVO PANEL 




THE PLAIN OF ATTICA. LOOKING TOWARDS SALAMIS. 



SKETCHES OF GREEK LANDSCAPE AND ANCIENT 
GREEK ARCHITECTURE. 

By ALFRED HIGGINS. ILLUSTRATED EY JOHN FULLEYLOVE. R.I. 



IN every l>runcli uf ait we timl lliat the woik.s of 
the greatest masters, ami llie noblest tyj)es of 
beauty, remiire a certain amount of traiiiiii;^ fur 
their due appreciation, even by 
those who have fine artistic 
iustiucts ; and this is no less 
true of natural scenery than it 
is of works of art. It applies 
as truly to Cireek landscape as 
to Greek sculpture or archi- 
tecture. A strong feeling for 
beauty of line and for pure 
and bright colour is also an 
indispensable requisite for the 
full enjoyment of the scenery of 
Greece. It is eminently neces- 
sary, therefore, for a painter 
who studies Greek landscape 
that he shall be not only a 
good colourist but also an ac- 
curate and fine draughtsman. 
Whatever may be the merits 
of the blottesque and sunless- 
grey schools, tlieir professors 
may safely lie warned off such 
a land of definite forms and 
bright colour. There could, 
however, be no greater mistake 
than to suppose that in Greece, 
or in the similar climate of 
91 



Sicily, tlic fiiinis 
degree hard bet 
dcHned. lu liiost- 




' ' ' jr- -^> 



Caioatids- jk 



C *tKWU^KYj^(a f 



Jt 



of the huuLscape are in tlie least 
ause they are clear and well 
countries, as also in Egypt, at 
all events in the cool season, 
notwithstanding that minute 
details are seen an enormous 
way off, nothing can exceed the 
I'efiuement of the modelling of 
distant mouutains or the soft- 
ness of the delicately coloured 
shadows. 

From wiiatever side the 
traveller approaches Greece, he 
will be almost sure to obtain 
a foretaste of the magniticence 
of the scenery of the country 
before he actually lands. If 
he should happen to go by the 
convenient direct route from 
Marseilles, and should have the 
good fortune to be coasting the 
Peloponnesus just after stormy 
weather in spring, when the 
sea is mightily swollen and 
seems to consist of immense 
floes of half-molten glass, sap- 
phire in colour and laced with 
sil\-er foam, he may see range 
after range of lofty mountains 
of the most striking and varied 



u 



THK MACAZIXK OF AltT. 



form; sonic of them luilliaiitly wliiu- or yillow, 
anil others elolheil willi an intensely rieii, inii>iil- 
pcible purple, which can only be compared with 
the most ilelicute bloom on a dccp-colotired plum. 
It nnist not be assumed that the romantic ami 
imjiosing coast of the Peloi)(>nnesns often presents 
itself under such a sjilendid aspect as T have just 
attempted to snf;<j;est. Kre(|uently, no dnubt, a 



especially in tiie neii;hlj(jnrhood of Megalopolis, are 
often extremely tine. 

After turning his back on the snow-clad range of 
]\I(iunt I'arnon, which he will have had upon his left 
hand fur some hours, the traveller driving from Trip- 
olilza to Sparta soon begins to descend into a wide 
valley, whose upper slopes are covered with bays, 
and the lower with olives and oleanders. Iteachinj; 




STREET OF TOMBS, ATHENS. 



visit to the finest parts of^he inleiinr of the eoiuitry 
will first give an adeijuate idea of the real character 
of the scenery. If the visitor lands at Nauplia, 
under the lofty castle-crowned clitls of I'alamidi, he 
entens almost innnediately upon the Argive Plain, 
with the famous and most striking sites of Tiryns, 
Myceuie, and Argos within easy distance. Tiienee 
by a mountain railway, hanlly less interesting liian 
tlie St. (lolhard it.self, he may be carried as far as 
Tripolitza, in the centre of Arcadia. The upland 
jdain of Arcadia, ringed round on all sides l)y high 
mountains, owes its fame to its complete seclusion 
and the simplicity of the life of its inhaliilants. 
In beauty it camiol be compared with tlie valleys 
which radiate from it; and yet it comes as a jileasanl 
contrast after the richer and more Southern type 
of .scenery in Argolis : and liie mount. lin fnims, 



tile bolloiii of llie valley, lie passes llirough groves 
of white poplars — perhaps with their delicate yellow 
spring foliage just fully out — and he almost imme- 
diately cro.sses the clear, shallow, pleasantly rippling 
river Eurotas, in full sight of the imposing chain of 
Mount Taygetus with its sununits (the loftiest 7,900 
feet high) sharp-edged, in spite of their covering of 
snow, and its lower langes of strange eleidiantine 
form and curious mouse-like coloui'. Except by 
liie river, the valley is filled for the most part with 
olive trees, far deeper au<l ridier in colour than 
those familiar to many of us in Italy and the South 
of France ; but round the village-like town of New 
Sparta there are orange gardens, which .sometimes 
maki^ the air oi)prcssive with tlie over]>owering scent 
of their bIo.s.s()ms. 

I ba\e not the space in wbieli to dwell ujion 




o 

I- 



36 



THE MAOAZIXK OF AT^T. 




THE PARTHENON. FROM THE PROPYL/tA : EARLY MORNING. 



the gianik'ur of the views seen by tlie travelli'r 
wlio cr<is.ses Taygelu.s by the I^nngada pass to 
Kiilauiata ami so on to the monastery of Vourkano 
on Mount Illionie in Mcssenia : anil I nnist foibear 
ti de.scrihe the further route by An.lril/.ena, the 
nioiuitain temple of Apollo at Basste, the wonder- 
fully situated mediaval castle of Karyt;enu, and 
even the beautiful valley of the Alpheios, with the 
excavations at Olympia and the niu.seum containing 
the noble pudimental sculptures of the great temple 
of Zeus and the marble Ifermes by the hand of 
I'raxiteles liim.self. 

At Olympia we reach the railway once more ; 
and a few lionrs' journey, through vineyards first 
and then throngii forests of oak, lirings \)s to Talias, 
where we are in sight of Zante, Cephallenia, and 
Ithaca, and may hope to have the good luck of 
seeing lhe.se fannais islands bathed in the goj.lcn 
light of a brilliant sunset. 

Words woidd entirely fail to convey any notion 
of the astonishing and varictl beauty of both sides 
of the Gulfs of I'atras and Corinth, whicii are usually 
seen but too hurriedly by travellers passing, either 
bv train or by steamer, from I'atras to tile I'iraus. 
We sholdil do well to stop, if possible, for a day ol 
two at Itia.and visit the plain of (irrlia and the site 
of the Uelii'iic oiade on tlie moin:tain-slope liclow 
I'arna.'^su.s. A whole gallery of diawings would be 
reipiiied to give anyone who jisus never seen the 
place any iili-a of the surroundings of Delphi. The 



p\ibli.shed descriptions and piints are, for the most 
part, entirely misleading. The illustration on p. 38, 
from a drawing by !Mr. Fulleylove, who recently 
visited Greece for the purpose of making sketches 
and studies of Greek landscape and architettui-e, 
will indicate in a general way — so far as a dis- 
tant view can do so — tlie position of Delphi with 
regard to the plain below-, near Iteji, and Mount 
rarnassus above, lint, in order to understand tlie 
arti.'^t's intention and liie .scale of the illustration, we 
nnist remember that the snowy niasfe of Tarnassus, 
in the distance, rises to a height of more tiiaii S.OOO 
feet, and that l)elphi itself is over 2,000 feet above 
the sea-level. We see the site of Chryso (the ancient 
Kiis.sa) and also that of the new village of l>elphi, 
on tiie sloping ground conneiting the mountain to 
the left Willi the dark hill in the centre of the 
ihawing. This hill lies on the left {i.e., our right- 
li.ind side) of the opening of the valley of the 
rieistos; an! above it we can make out the en- 
trance to the gorge through which tlows the water 
of the t'astalian spring between cliffs n.scemling 
almost vertically to a hcigiit apparently of many 
hundred feet. 

The illuslralioii can, unfoi tunately, give no 
suggestion of the extraordinarily line colour of the 
laiiiiscaiie, the dark rich green of the olives, or the 
warm red of the soil. We mi.ss, loo, the colour of 
the mighty rocks, red also, but relieved by a warm 
grey where they have been exposed to the action of 



SKETCHES OF GREEK LANDSCAPE AND AXCIENT GEEEK ARCHITECTUEE. 



37 



the air for ages. The iniposhig character of tlie 
scenery of Pelplii depends not only on the colossal 
cliffs behind and iu front of it, or on the grand 
nionntain valley to the eastward, but also on the 
superb prospect to the west, with the top of Kiona, 
8,000 feet high, in view above and a glimpse of the 
pale blue of the bay of Itea below. To the south, 
.•iLso, the blue and white of the niountaius of the 
IV'loponnesus are visible and are delightful in colour, 
even when — owing to the aUsence of bright sunshine 
— they do not tell wilh full effect. It would be beside 
my purpose to dwell upon the intensely interesting 
discoveries recently made at Delphi by the French 
School of Archeology. Although no single drum of 
a cohunn or other stone of the superstructure of 
the temple of Apollo remains in situ, the elaborate 
substructures required for a large building erected 
on a siiarply sloping mountain-side, and also the 
wall of the .sacred enclosure (temeiios), covered ^vitll 
inscriptions, are intact. Enough also remains of 
the adjacent treasure-houses, altars, aud votive 
offerings to enable us to picture to ourselves some- 
tliiiig of the general aspect iu ancient times of the 
most famous of the sanctuaries of tlie Greek world. 



It is deeply to be regi-etted that the enchanting 
scenery of the Gulf of Corinth was unknown to 
Turner, who of all the painters who ever lived could 
best have done something like justice to the infinite 
beauty of its ever-varying colour. "We most of us, 
perhaps, picture it to ourselves witli a hard dark 
blue sky overhead, whose monotony would soon pall 
upon us ; but such skies are not found in Greece, 
where the constant changes of temperature, due to 
the nearness of lofty mountains to the sea, produce 
in the finest weather filmy clouds aud fine wisps 
aud bars of white vapour, which give beauty and 
x'ariety to the sky, and consequently to the sea. 

When we are sailing in the Gulf of Corinth, \\ ith 
Pariuissus and Helikon or the mountains of the 
Peloponnesus iu view, it seems to us that nothing 
can match the loveliness of that enchanted region : 
but we find out that there is a beauty even greater 
tlian tliis when we become familiar with tlie land- 
scape of Attica. The colonr may nut be so rich, but 
it is even yet more delicate; and the refinement of 
the lines of nionntain and plain exceed all that we 
find in Greece elsewhere. Tlie illustration at the 
head of tliis article sliows a bit of tlie seaward end 




THE ACROPOLIS FROM THE PHILOPAPPUS HILL. 



■AS 



THE ^rA(;AZIXK of apt. 



(if the Attic plain, looking towards Salninis. Over siunniit lie can clearly make out the remains of the 

the long stretch of olive-grove.s in the valley of the most iierfeet building ever erected by the hand of 

Keiihissus is seen, to the extreme rigbl, the end of man— the rarllicHdn, ni- triii]ilc i.f the virgin goddess 

the range of Jlount -Kgaleus, connected liy low hills Athene. 

with the promontory, far to the ji'fi, on which stands Terribly marred and ruined as that building is 

the town of I'ira'us. Uliniiises of tin- Culf of Athens by lime, and still ueiiv by viojemi' sulVered at the 




DELPHI AND PARNASSUS. FROM ITEA. 



are visible, and over iheni apiiear Ibe island of. Siilimiis liaiid (if man, we are slill able lo rmiii sunie con- 
and .some distant mountains of the i'ilniionnesu.s. ception of tlie elleet it pi-.tdueeil as a eonsiiicuous. 

The master-mind of .such a writer as Sir AValter and, indeed, the most cousiiicuous, feature of the 
Scott, who describes .so well in " The Heart of jMid- landscape in the inuuediate neighbourhood of .\thens 
lolhian" the intricate topography of the coiiuiry when ibc liiniile was tirst eomjileted, more than 
round Kdinlairgh, could alone convey by words any twenly-tbree centuries ago. From certain jioints of 
conception of the wonderful e.aiiple.xity of the ini- 
iiosin" asscmhlaw of incinnlains and rocky heighls 
surrounding Athens; a ccaiiplexily (|uite liewildering 
to the vi.sitor on his lirsl arrival oil' the I'iraiis. •■inxioiis 
to identify at least the main features of mir uf ib.- 
niiwt famous scenes of the world's histoiy. He somi, 
howevei', li'arns to recognise the real centre of the 
landscape in a steep-.sidcd, rocky hill, some five pediment remains to give the general I'.irm ,if tiial 
miles inland and about I'tlO ferl iiigh, uimn whose most iniinirlanl feature; and if, owing lo the great 



\ irw on the iiills near the Acropolis the terrilile gap 
wliiib was iiiadr in the outer circuit of enbimns 
whrn I be Turkish maga/ine was cNplodi'd liy a 
\'ciii'liaii shell ill lii.ST, may almost. ]»■ n\i'il"okei| 
ami till' tiiiilili- br mtii as a \\li"lr uiire more. To 
a \cry large extent ibis I'lVcil drpnids ii]iiiii liie 
forlmiate circumstance thai eiicnigh of ihc vMstcru 



'^?' 




The OFFERlNCi 
{From a Water-Coiour Oruwing t3y Sir Edwara J Poynter PR. A.) 




■THE OFFEP.ING." 



39 



fissures in some uf the marbles of Uie western arelii- 
trave, the superstructure shouKl collapse, tlie loss 
would be most Jeplorable. But lliis source of danger 
is well known to responsible persons, who are doing 
their best to guard against it. There is, in my opinion, 
no good reason for the alarm which has recently 
Iweu raised in the Tiring newspaper on this sulijett. 

The illustnition on p. 37, which is a \ iew taken 
from the neighbouring I'hilopappus hill, shows 
very admirably how the rarthenon is poised, as it 
were, higli in air, visible to its full extent from all 
sides, and in the very centre of the landscape. The 
distant mountain to the right, witli a slope recalling 
the outline of the pediment of a Greek temple, is 
Pentelikon, from who.se quarries came the marble of 
the Parthenon and other public buildings of Athens. 
In front of it is seen the fine mass of Lycabettus, 
over 900 feet high, wliich lie.s on the north-east 
outskirts of the modern city. Another and more 
distant view of the Parthenon — that is to say, from 
the north-west instead of fiom tlie south-west — is 
given in the illustration on p. 34. It has in the 
foreground an interesting series of sepulclnal monu- 
ments, cliiefiy of the fourth century B.C., from the 
street of tombs outside tlie Ceramicus. 

In the illustration on p. 30 we get a near view of 
the Parthenon taken from underneath the Propyhea, 
the splendid luarble gateway leading to the sacred 
enclosure of the Acropolis, and dating from the 
later part of the fifth century B.C. Of this gateway 
nothing is here visible except the lowest drum of 
a column in the right-hand corner. Within the 
line of the eight columns of the temple facing us 



is seen the inner row supporting the western frieze, 
a thing of indescribable and inexhaustible beauty 
when studied in sifii ; yet some poor tasteless 
archaeologist not long since actually proposed to 
take it down and stow it away in a museum, where 
it would be a dead thing, hanlly of more value than 
a good set of casts. 

An interesting feature of Mr. Fulleylove's faithful 
drawing is the way it sliows the extraordinary 
extent to wliich tlie live rock of tlie Acropolis lias 
been cut away to serve as a backing and support 
to the wall of the sacred precinct of Brauroiiiaii 
Artemis. In fact, the original water-colour, from 
which the illustration has been redrawn, is of first- 
rate importance, not only for its rare and beautiful 
colour, but also un account of the absolute faithful- 
ness with wliich not merely the Parthenon itself 
but also its exact relation to its site is rendered. 

There is another temple in Athen.s, almost 
comtemporary with, and in a far better state of 
preservation than, the Parthenon — the well-known 
Tiieseum, or temple of Theseus. A good represen- 
tation of it, from a fine point of view, is given in 
the full-page illustration on p. 3-5. It show.s, I 
think, how admirably the simple form of the 
Greek temple is adapted to its native .soil; but 
the immediate site is really immeasurably inferior 
to that of the Parthenon ; and the temple itself, 
though built of fine Peiitelic marble, and not 
wanting in the extreme refinements of constructive 
skill, to whicii the Parthenon owes so much of its 
beauty, cannot for one moment be compared with 
the masterpiece of Ictinos and Phidias. 



^-» >^»» O » g n; t- 



THE OFFERING." 



By SIR EDWARD POYNTER. P.RA. 



THLS reproduction of the charming drawing exe- 
cuted last year by the President of the Eoyal 
Academv has been made, not on artistic mounds 
alone, but in order that we may show the exact 
point to which what is known as the " three-colour 
proce.ss " has developed. Xot quite a year has 
passed since we demonstrated in a startlingly 
truthful representation of " Hadrian's A'illa," by 
AVilson, in the National Gallerv, the hiirhest desn-ee 
of excellence which this wonderful process had 
attained. But the qualities of oil pauit, its texture 
and surface, as well as colour, are much easier 
of reproduction than the more delicate subtleties 
of water-colour. These difficulties ha\e been met 
to a considerable extent, though not altogether, in 



the plate which, by Sir Edward I'oynter's courteous 
interest in the work, wo are enabled to publish 
with this part. Some of the delicacy in the sihery 
touches has been lost, but there are passages wliich 
represent the original with curious felicity. It is 
difficult for those wdio are familiar with colour- 
printing as known and practised heretofore, to realise 
that in a plate such as this, with its infinite grada- 
tions and passages of delightful tones, no more than 
three blocks — tliree coloured inks: red, blue, and 
yellow — liave been used in the printing of it. The 
process is rapidly being perfected, and it is con- 
fidently expected that within a very short time 
absolute facsimile, not of pictures only, but of 
objects, will be within its capacity. 



40 



THE ART MOVEMENT. 

"JUORND": SOA\E DECORATIONS AND A MORAI 

Bv GLEESON WHITE. 



WllATKVEri may prove to lio tlie uUiinaU' value 
of the so-called " ilecoialive inovement " in 
illustration, one fact is certain, that it has become 
alarniin^'ly jHiimlar. This in itself should inspire 
douht ; for a fashion 
tliat spreads rapidly 
throuf^h different na- 
tiiins is evidently not 
inimitable, and can no 
longer lie considered 
indificnons. If in 
other countries this 
movement still ap- 
pears mainly indlative 
and exotic, the chances 
of ita proving to be 
more than a passim^ 
inlluence are few. In 
Knjiland it was indi- 
tjenous - to a Ljreat ex- 
tent — and existed long 
before Mr. Aulirey 
Ik'ardsley. Vuv it was 
mxiuestionably that 
young artist wlio set 
many draughtsmen in 
Europe and America 
on the quest of the 
■' weird inten.se." So 
much may l)e granted 
without ignoring his 
f (lie runners. The 
moment was anspici- 
ou.s, and tiie infbuMice 
of a most individual 




COVER {1896\ 

{D<tigned by Fritz Brier. ) 



together with fantastic, nervous lines, almost or quite 
unrelated to nature. Of cdurse, later events prove 
clearly enough that while Mr. Beardsley coiilil play 
antics in a grand manner, his imitators are more 

often become merely 
absurd. 

Tlic public, how- 
e\er, welcomed the 
unorthodox melliod, 
and this fact gave 
other illustrators the 
ciiurage t<i break away 
fiiini realism and 
academic convention. 
Hitherlu in Western 
art, Vierge stood al- 
most alone in his 
use of solid blacks. 
Thiisf artists who 
sdughl to revive the 
■• decdrative " style 
conimoidy employed 
tlie Diirer line, 
whether as Rossetti 
used it in the dozen 
illustrations which 
created a school, or 
as ^Ir. Walter Crane 
employed it in his 
" ( Jrimm's Fairy Tales," 
or as Mr. Howard I'yle 
in bis "Wonder Clock." 
Ill all these, and in 
designs by Mr. Sandys, 
by M. J. Liiwless, and 
voii felt that it is to a great 



if erratic designer was felt almost immediately, not one or twn more, 

merely at home but abroad. Of course the toy books extent a revival of the tiernian school of Holljein, 



of Mr. Waller Crane, the legend of William Morris, 
and the Arts and Crafts movement bad attracted 
tlie attention of foreign critics. IJul all decorative 
illustratoi-s before Mr. IJeardsley had obeyed, more 
or less, the conventions of previous centuries. It 
was left f<ir him to di.scard the trammels of Mediaeval 
and Iienai.s.sance draughtsmen, and to embody .some 
of the spirit of the work of both jieriods, with other 
and newer influences ilrawn fifim Japan, the French 
poster, and other sources. Yet the one factor in his 



Diirer, r.urgmair, and the rest, or more rarely of 
certain unknown Florentine artists. 

Since Mr. Beardsley showed the way the decora- 
tive movement has liecomc an orgie of riotous ex- 
periment. The ultra -eccentric school has found 
nowhere more ample imblicity than in the pages of 
JiKjciul, a weekly paper issued in Munich. In its 
volumes you will find a few ellbrts to continue the 
I>iirer tradition, but the majority may be traced to 
Mr. lieardsley, to Japanese colour-prints, to all ami 



design that has in a way effected a levolution is evejy source except the sober conveiiii ii iliai lair 
undoubtedly his dexterous use of solid blacks, knit Engli.shmeii of the school had employed up to 1S'J2. 



THE AKT MOVEMENT. 



41 



To consider Jiujend entirely for itself would be 
not without interest : but as you study its pa^es 
you cannot help feeling that it is still better 
worth regarding as a late nineteenth-century docu- 
ment of uncanny import. For here is " the move- 
ment" at its maddest, so that even those who 
applauded its first experiments begin to doubt their 
wisdom in so doing. 

It is one thing to let loose a whirlwind and 
quite another to prevent it from doing miscliief. 
As you study the pages of the German Jitycnd, of 
the French I/Auhe, 
or of the American 
Bradley : His Book, 
and other "up-to- 
date " efforts to be 
" decoi-ative " at any 
cost, the old sjibe rinjrs 
ag-ain in your ears — 
" To be decorative one 
must first learn how 
not to draw." If not 
in the abwe three, 
yet in the rank and 
file of their imitators 
you find faults of 
drawing flaunted 
bravely which no half- 
penny comic paper 
would tolerate if they 
appeared in reali.stic 
illustration. In this 
craze there lurks un- 
ijuestionably a deadly 
taint which may de- 
stroy not merely the 
feeble but the strong 
also. It is just be- 
cause the German 
phase of the move- 
ment is le.ss open to 
attack on this score, 
that Jufjend, Pan, Simplicissimus, the books illus- 
trated by Joseph Sattler and many other publica- 
tions, may be taken as fair samples of the decorative 
movement to-day, at its strongest ; and that, side by 
side with appreciation of their good qualities, a 
wai-ning may also be set down For in Germany 
these new artists of grote.sque and fantasy show, as 
a rule, sound academic craft. It may be that this 
very knowledge is apt to confuse their convention, 
.so that they unconsciously strive after more subtlety 
of modelling than the Diirer convention penuits and 
leads to a compromise. To begin in sinqjle outline 
or .silhouette, and finish with realistic shading and 
stipple, is apt to yield a very unpleasant result. 

92 



COVER. 
(Designed by A. itort Uleisst.) 



In not a few modern designs we find that it is 
easier to tamper witli the convention another illus- 
trator has evoh'ed than to obey it. In the work of 
Eo.ssetti or Lawless, of Jlr. A^'alter Crane or ilr. 
Howard I'yie, of Mr. Anning Bell or Mr. Gaskin, of 
Jlr. Laurence Housman or Mr. Selwyn Imat^e, of 
:Mr. Beardsley or Herr Joseph Sattlei-, you dist-o'ver 
rigid observance of certain self-set rules. But in 
the work of too faithful disciples of these artists the 
manner of eacii is nii.Ked, or made absurd by the 
lack of unity. In decorative illustration that obeys 

its own convention 
you find a limit which 
is never pa.ssed ; much 
of it may be quite 
unconcerned with the 
accidents of light and 
sliade : it may ignore 
not merely the model- 
ling of nature, but 
even perspective. 
These qualities may be 
suggested in "decora- 
tive" compositions, but 
the artificial exjjedient 
of a broad outline, or 
of silhouettes sharply 
contrasted, replaces 
nature -imitation en- 
tirely. 

This long preamlile 
is almost essential to 
bring one to the right 
frame of mind to es- 
timate fairly a most 
amusing journal, that 
by its very audacity 
and vigour may easily 
provoke undeserved 
censure or exaggerated 
approval. Jugend, its 
title, is obviously not 
Youth as we accept the word. It is not the youth 
of innocence, virginity, and ignorance, but the jeitn- 
cssc doree of A'igour and vivacity as often applied to 
mischief and extra\agance as to more worthy ends. 
Yet this attempt to explain tlie meaning of its title 
must not be misunderstood. It holds nothing that 
— especially in the ob.scurity of German text — need 
exclude it from a suburban drawing-room, even if 
it is not quite adapted for the .«chool-room, as its 
name wiien Englislied might suggest. 

Its chief purpose is social satire, with a \\eekly 
political cartoon usually devoted to not very kindly 
ridicule of John Bull : here represented no longer 
as a country squire in obsolete costume, but as a 




42 



TllK MAGAZINE OF ART. 




sleek, clean-shaven Stock "(l) As may be seen from these eight portraits, M. Maniere- 

Fxclianr'e man witll wicz has passeiltliroughalH he styles of painting fasliionable at 

... % , . ' f 1, MiHiicli since 1878. In No. 1 we have his portiait painted in 

U4inlMie teatures, laim- ^^^. ^^^^^^ ^^^ scliool); motto, 'Once I wa.s a youth with curly 

less garments, pointed |,j,jj. i„No. 2 wc have his likene.ss in faint Munich light (IhhO). 

patent-leatlier hoots, antl Sauce hoUnndaise ; genial mool of the studio; brown in brown; 

irreproachahle silk liat. masterly treatment of still life — unmistakable influence of 

lUlt unlike ni0.st of onr *"'''''"^ "■"" "«'■■'=?*■''''■• ^"- 3 (18«5) is'j/leia air,' in chalk and 

spinach, all browns carefully avoided. Device, ' true rather 
than beautiful;' exactly done as by a camera (see the right 
hand). The artist's homely love of nature is apparent even in 
the frame, which is made out of the lid of a chest. No. 4 (1888) 
is Impressionist in the seven colours of the spectrum. The 
exact impression made by the picture is obtained if you look at 
the sun for five minutes, about the time of sunset, then at the 
model, then at a white wall. Observe the rococo frame in green- 
gold upon .strawberry-coloured plush. No. !> (1890) is « la 
henbach, painted under the influence of the works of that master 
in the Glass-palace. Rest three-hundred-years-old-gallery-lone. 



.satirical paper-s, the car- 
toon is relegated ti> a 
small hlock, on a hack 
page. Its cover, always 
newly designed for eacli 
niinihcr, is elalmrately 
printed in colours, and 
many of its full- and 



Die 

Son HP pflan-{e • 



CA5PAF11 • 



THE MARSH-FLOWER. 



are also cliromatic. Thi' 
variety of these cover- 
designs is a very striking 
. _ 'i^m^^^m fi'atiirc of the pcriod- 

V' /WB^BB ^ iral. Sonic arc in simple 

^^" • ' Hat-col ours, after tlie 

manner of a modciii 
jwster — as, f(]i- iiistnncc, 
the nude hoy on 
a leaping horse 
here reproduced : 
others are in 
mi.xed schemes of 
iiiouoi'hronK! and 
colour, as tlie head 
in grey, crowned 
with pink roso ; 
others, again, are conceived in ukhkIs as 
wiileiy dilVereiit as an oil-painting of the 
older Munich school ami the latest vagaries 
of .symltolists or imiiressioni.sts, and repre- 
.sent tigures and landscapes now grave, now 
gay, and at times positively dazzling. The 
restless eflbrt to he new at any cost, altiioiigh 
tlie most pronounced feature of tlie pajier, 
gives way at times to far more academic 
methods: hut it is never commonplace, and, if 
often ephemeral, as a rule escapes idatitude. 
It i.s impossihleto give an ade(|uate samide of 
its illustrations; one, of "The Marsh Flower," 
will suilice to show the ultra-decorative .stylr 
which is, perhaps, too prevalent, especially 
in recent issues. But its more serious moods 
cannot he ailequately represented here. 

That JiKjcnd believes itself to rcjjre.scnt 
the latest school may he deduced from » 
very amusing series (here reproduced in much 
smaller size) of " Portraits of tlie I'uinter 
Modeslaw Manierewicz, by Himself." The 
text behjw the.se, freely Iranslaleii, runs : — 



d(aihle-page drawings ^-id, soulful painting. Notice the expression of the eyes, and 



the newest 'antique' frame! No. (i (1892) Synd)olisf, with 
aniline chromatic treatment. Naive, iiitime, and full of ' feeling.' 
Inlluenee of Botticelli not to be denied. The painter's depth 
and sincerity are shown in the monogram. No. 7 (1894), dotted, 
sti/le vihrhle; i)rismatic colours, with masterly use of comple- 
mentary oppositos. 'I'o be looked at with half-closed eyc.«, through 
the hollow of the hand, from a distance. No. 8 — u la title-page 
111' Jugciiil. Portrait of the artist, together with the whole of 
human life and some things bordering on it. Wonderful! the 
deeply intellectual slate-pencil art of (he end of the century." 



•Oirqro|xl^ac[ 




B£ 



illt irt ttr Hiiiiunrr, (a nit btiiuilir. iilo p!i,iirio i<>r[dilri1ii ill, 

D.il) rill ItljtiiDiiiro Rtitit tiriiitm (rljriiiiigcii luirii. 

eViidil (|l|r mil tiliiliiiitltr liriifl lUidi !)if L^rtinlr Hir iHIiiat nnili uiiltii 

l>i|)Uiirtr iilo tucr ^tmlilil iirllihl ilrc paplttnir liruml 



THE GREAT BALANCE. 
(Sy L. Ditt.) 



T}i]<: ai;t .movement. 



These a.nusiug eonnm.nts deserve ^uotii.g at versions, some serious, others conceived in the broad- 
length as sm.uuury noi wliully saluu-al uf the course est burlesque, of old-world legends-such as "Eve 








of art-fasliions fur 
a quarter of a cen- 
tury. From their 
rapid succession we 
can hardly augur a 
very long career for 
the "Jiiiji'wl" style, 
not inaptly bur- 
lesqued in tlie 
eiglith example. 

The variety of 
subjects that Jncjaid 
finds place for in 
its papers is far be- 
yond that of any 
Englisli weekly — 
any one, that is to 
.say, confessedly frivohjus 





THE PORTRAITS OF THE PAINTER, MODESLAW MANIEREWICZ. 
{hi his sti'.ccssiire manners. See p. 42.) 



and tlie Serpent," 
"(Edipus and the 
Sphinx," "Circe," 
"Hero and Leander," 
and the rest. One 
vei'sion of this latter 
theme in N"o. 25, 
1897, by J. R. Wit- 
zel, would suffice to 
justify every pj-o- 
test raised ]u>re l.iy 
its api)alling though 
clever eccentricity. 
Here also are moral- 
ities, as "Tiie Great 
Balance," by L. 
Diez, which is re- 



ni character. Therein produced; a grimly didactic conception after the 

one finds a really powerful "Easter Morning," by manner of Holbein; or anotlier entitled "Civilisation," 

J. Carben, a "Madonna," treated as Von Udhe .set which shows a young man and woman in fashionable 

the fashion, with modern environment. Others are attire dancing over a Held tliicklv strewn with 



44 



Till-: MACA/iXK t'F ai;t. 



skeletons and hones. Nor are sill its illnstmtitins 
by fJennan nitists, for Vallalon ami .lossni (who 
aie Frencli hy repuUtion, wluik-ver tlieir hirlhi)lace) 
appear fn-iiueiilly with desij-ns cluiraclerislic of 
tlie strongly imliviilual manner each has developed. 
Other iiietures are artists' studies, pure and simple, 
not always of '• the altogether : " hut frankly studies 




EASTER MORNING. 

(0y J, Carlren.) 

with no pretence <jf suhject, or anecdote to exjilain 
tlieir presence. 

It is somewhat depressing to lind thai a move- 
ment which many of us believe to be full of vigour, 
is, as Jiif/fiul shows, not only over-blown already, 
but likely to perish. Yet, since extravagance has 
brought almost its own <lecay, a certain moral is 
enforced. And its chief le.s.son is surely that the 
only style which lasts is the one a painter evolves 
for him.self. It is not a Beardsley who will be 
forgotten, hut his followers; although for a time 
the imitators succeed in bringing ridicule on liieir 
Icadere, and a certain period must elapse before the 



really fine .[ualilies of a master are recogni.sed again 
at their intrinsic value. It would be ea.sy to name a 
dozen Engli.sh illuslratoi-s of the decorative school 
whose work will no doubt survive the inevitable 
reaction which may be ipiite near, or still many 
years ahead. 

lU'Sjiiie its lollies, some good things will cer- 
tainly survive; one, a right use of 

colour — in printing — which the 

r "^1 .lapam'.se discovered long ago, is 

J I brought nearer by Jiujuul and other 

" publications of its kind. No lover 

of illustrations .should overlook this 
amusing journal, which is is.sued 
ill London by H. Grevel and Co. ; 
for if its pages show the rcduclio 
ml nhsurdioH of the decorative 
school, they also show many e.\- 
aiiiples of its rightly ordered man- 
ner. It would not be fair to regard 
Jiii/>'ii(/ only as a presage. For its 
delirious moments are succeeded by 
sane periods. Among a little that 
is crazy there is much tiiat is good, 
and even at times very good. No 
designer should ignore its pages, for 
its technique should make Britons 
humble. But all the same its final 
effect should he to make him still 
more eager to attain that " simplicity 
which is the final refuge of the com- 
]plr\." It may be that England — 
tlie land of the Renaissance of 
■ decorative " illustration — which has 
hitherto escaped most of its excesses, 
may also preserve its vitality. But, 
if this is to happen, one hopes de- 
\outly that the style may soon go 
out of fashion. Tlien the compara- 
tively few who will continue to em- 
ploy it will stiiud clear of their 
incompetent followers, and e.xcape 
the vulgarity wliich is reflected Just 
now upon tlie whole school from the inanities 
of its imitators. No true appreciator of the work 
of :\Ir. Waller Crane and Mr. Charles IJickelts 
(to name but two representative artists) will feel 
anxious to defend the prepo.sterous extravagance 
of the great army of decorative (Iraughtsmen ; but 
whether you di.slike, or sympathise with, the pre- 
sent fashion, if it is pushed farther in the direc- 
tion of sheer oddity its doom is certain. One 
can bill lioiif liial its sterling merits, over- 
shadowed for tiie moment, may he uUiiiiately re- 
garded as worthy a place in the ranks of jiermanent 
art. 



THE A1;T ."\roVEMEXT. 



45 



STENCIL DECORATION. 

AS distinct from those examples previously noticed upon textiles of jute or silk. Xow, in the case of 
-L\. in these pages, some stencilled ornament asexe- wall-papers that are printed (since tlie process must 
cuted by Messrs. Hayward and Sons is in water-colour, needs result in uniformity of tint), the joints otter 




THE "FIG-TREE FRIEZE 



In this medium, varied and effective decorations are no ditliculty to an average papei'-lianger, thougli 
produced upon plain paper, ingrain paper, flock, and parts of tlic pattern o\eilap from one breailtli tn 





THE "SUNFLOWER FILLING, 
(fiy A. L G^ntkin.) 



THE 'PETUNIA' FILLING, 
(Bij L. Pinltorii Wood.) 



46 



THE MAOAZINE OF ART. 



iinotlior. T'.ut witli stoncilloil surfivces tlio reversi" and ImM iialleni is taken ; and some of .Messrs. 
holds good. IIi-ii>, so fur from evenm-ss of tint Hayward's designs arc very elnborato and even 
lieing .sought or attained, a cliaracteristic feature is coinplicatid. 'i'he stencil decorations upon a flock 



that variety 
and gradation 
which belongs 
naturally to 
iiand-work. A 
leaf, for in- 
stance, cannot 
he stencillcil in 
two halves and 
then made to 
correspond ; the 
design, on the 
contrary, has to 
he so arranged 
that the several 
jiarts may be 
contained, as 
far as may be, 
within tlie com- 
pass of one 
breadth; and 
the paper is 
not cut with a 




THE "GRENVILLE' FRIEZE. 
(fl|/ F, Oraham Rice.) 



gromul present 
a wonderfully 
rich and velvety 
a p p e a ranee, 
especially when 
viewed side- 
ways. Looking 
at them straight 
from the front, 
one scarcely 
obtain.s the full 
\alue of llie 
efVect. 

Though ver- 
bal description 
conveys but an 
inadequate ide^i 
of the designs, 
tile "haiigliam" 
frieze (by Mr. 
A. Beresford 
rite) in russet 
greens and reds, 



straight edge, but according to a metal template tlie " Water I.ily " frieze (by Mr. F. (Irahani Kice) in 
which follows the main lines of the pattern. It 
will be understood that rather more tlian usiial 
care is rcfpiired in the hanging to make the re- 
])r'iiis of the pattern lit propeily. 

When canied out on paper, the design is outlined 
lpy printing just like ordinary wall-paper. Tliis 
method generally is an advantage, as it lieljis to 
define the oriianuMit. Whereas the absence of 
(Mitline in other materials is apt to give an involved 
efVect confusing to the eye, unless a very simple 



indigos, the "Fig" (by Mr. A. I.. (Jwatkin) and the 
" Dalmeny ' (liy Mr. Cleiuenl Heaton) friezes may be 
mentioned. The last is emlio.ssed with a roller and 
afterwards enriched willi etdouring by band. Among 
wall lilliiigs the " Thistle," wiiicli looks well with a 
dark oulliue, and tiie " I'etuida " — both designed by 
Mr. L. I'. A\'ood — in grey -greens and indigo, are both 
llowing iiattenis, suitable for living-rooms; while 
for halls and large public rooms JIi-. (Jwatkin's 
"Sunflower" may l>e named as an excellent design. 

.\VMKi: V.\I.I..\XCE. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[7<i| WILKIE'S PRACTICE AND TAX ON ARTIST'S 

CANVASES. — I should lie glad to .see inl'oi mat inn on 

the following:- — ^\'b() suj)plied I)a\iil "W'ilkie will: 

canvases, (^tc, when he first painted in London ( In 

what year was the duty on artist's canva.scs taken oil'? 

How were they stiimped and by whom !'— S. .1. W. 

,*, Messrs. lioberson and (./'o., of !)!), Long 

Acre, inform us that "this firm was in existence 

in 181!», while Wilkie <.nly died in 1H41 ; he 

vised our materials, not always direct, but throngii 

some Scottish house, as we supplied tlu-m all al 

that time. The duty upon prepared canvas was 



removed about 1S."><S: previous to that date every 

yanl of canvas had to bear the Government 

stamp and ton.secutivc number: lair firm and a few 

others held a licence f(U- stamping canvas, and 

blind manufacturers who had printed designs 

upon linen had to bring llieni to be stamped." 

[77] DE TESSIER AND OARELLI. — I should be 

obliged if you could gi\e me any information as to 

two gem engravers. He Tcssier and (larclli. 1 have 

an onyx cameo head of Diana by the one and an 

intaglio of the Three Graces on cornelian by the 

other. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



47 



,*j. There are no means of ascertaining the 
facts desired by our correspondent. The names 
of neitlier De Tessier nor (iarelli are to be found 
ill any of the standard books upon gem-sculpture, 
nor are they known to the authorities of the 
British and South Kensington Museums. The 
([uestion ouglit rather to be addressed to a dealer 
in modern engraved gems. 

[78] A CRUIKSHANK CARICATURE OF CHRISTIE'S. — 

Will you kindly state what was the picture by 

Cruikshank of Christie's referred to in the article 

" Glimpses of Artist-Life : ChristieX" by Mr. M. H. 

Spielmann in the Magazine of Akt for 1888 ? I 

cannot find it in Reid, and neither of the several 

auction ]>ictures by George Cruikshank fits in. — W. R. 

^*^ The print in question is a caricature — 

No. 889 in Reid's Catalogue, inscribed : " Sales 

by Auction I — or, Provident Children disposing 

of their deccivsed ^Mother's Effects for the Benefit 

of the Creditors." | Yedes inrf. \ G. C. fed. | 

ruljlislied\May Gtli, 1819, l)y S. Sidebottom, No. 

'287, Strand." And it is thus described : The 

Prince Regent represented as an auctioneer, and 

standing tip-toe on his rostrum, offering some of 

his late mother's clothing for .sale. The Duke 

of York, seated at a desk, having one arm in a 

sling, is officiating as clerk. The remainder of 

the Royal family stand behind. The buyers 

consist of five women seated round the table, and 

a few male bidders, who stand further off, 

near a gorgeous bed and hangings, which was 

presented to Queen Charlotte by Governor 

Hastings. Various garments hang behind the 

royal auctioneer : strewn on the floor are the late 

Queen's old china and snuff- jars. The Regent 

calls on his " good people " to " bid liberally, 

or the children will be destitute," and states that 

the rags in his hand " were never worn, and that 

his mother died very poor, having given away 

nil her 7nonei/ in charity." The scene is said to 

be intended for (_'liiistii''.s first room. 

[79] WORKS BY THOMAS HEARNE I have Several 

engravings of ancient churches and castles executed 
in the eighteenth century liy "William Bryme from 
drawings by Thomas Heariie. Can you tell me 
anything of this artist and his woik ? — J. E. T. 
(Bournemouth.) 

^*^ Thomas Hearne must be accounted one 
of the founders of the English school of water- 
colour painters. He was born in 1744, at 
Briukworth, near Malmesbury, and in 1765 was 
apprenticed for a term of six years to William 
WooUett, the great engraver, in London. In 
1777 he began the great W'ork of his life, by 
which he is best known, "The Antiquities of 
Great Britain." It i.s doubtless some of the 



plates of this series which " J. E. T." possesses. 
The drawings, fifty-two in number, were made 
on the spot in every case, and the whole collec- 
tion was exliibited in the Spring Gardens Room.s. 
Between 1780 and 1802, Hearne contributed 
twenty-four drawings to the Royal Academy 
exiiilntions. His work had a strong influence 
upon (iirtiu and Turner, who copied his drawings 
at Dr. ^[iinro's and ^Ir. Ilcmlerson's houses. 
[80] STOTHARD'S " SEVEN AGES OF MAN." — A 
friend of mine owns a copy of this work, engi-aved 
by William Bromley and coloured by hand. The 
plates are in good condition, but the colouring is 
somewhat crude. He tells me that a copy was sold 
some time ago in London for between £200 and 
£300. Can you or any of your readers inform me 
if any such price has ever been paid for a copy 
(or what its probable value may be); and also 
whether tlie plates were ever really published in 
coloui-s ? I have an idea that the set in question 
has been coloured since i.ssued by some amateur, 
and that the price mentioned is fpiite imaginary. — 
" ExyriKEF;." 

[81] "THE BLIND FlDDLER.'^Did AVilkie ever 
paint a replica of "The Blind Fiddler " for one of 
his patrons ? — S. J. W. 

[82] A PICTURE BY THOMAS WOODWARD. — ilay 
I in(|uire, througli the medium of " Notes and 
(.Queries," if any of its readers know of a picture 
entitled " A Tempting Present," painted by Thomas 
Woodward, exhibited at R.A. 1841, and if for sale; 
also if any other works by tlie .same artist in col- 
lections, and if for sale .' — H. A. 



REPLY. 

[ti9] CURIOSITIES OF THE ROYAL ACADEMY CATA- 
LOGUE. — I may add a few examples to the curio.?ities 
of the Royal Academy Catalogue which appear 
in the Magazine of Art for October. It was 
in 1797 that the list of the members of the Royal 
Academy was added to the Catalogue, but no place 
was definitely assigned to the page, which was 
dodged about the book, generally at the end in 
front of the index, until 1828, when it was finally 
placed in its present position, facing the first page 
of the Catalogue. Until 1819 only the names of 
Academicians, Associates, and Associate-Engravers 
were given under headings, but in that year the 
Professors weie included. In the year 1855 ap- 
pealed for the first time a new division — " Associate- 
Em^ravers of the New Class," and in the following 
year " Academician-Engraver of the New Class." 
This was Samuel Cousins : and the incident repre- 
sented the triumph of a great struggle and the 
complete, thougli tardy, recognition of engravers 



48 



THE MAGAZIN1-: OF ART. 



lis full Acacleiniciiuis. "Associate-Engravers of tlu- 
New Class" ai)i)i.'areil in the Catalogue up to 1872, 
when .St(x;ks was made a full AcAcleniician and 
Thomas I^ndseer disappeared. It was in 1815 
that the letters " P.R.A." were fii-st used after the 
President's name — Benjamin AVest, like his pre- 
decessors, Reynolds and Wyatl, having theretofore 
been content with tlie ordinary " R.A." In 1806 
J. Wyatt's name appears with " President " after 
it, ui<t " President-f/rt-/ " — a proof (when the in- 
variahle custom of the Academy is considered) 
that Wyatt was considered full President and not 
merely President-elect, as it is now pretended. The 
list of " Honorary " exhibitors, abandoned a few 
yeai-s after the t)i)ening of the Academy, was resumed 
in 1792, when nineteen works were so included — from 
their titles if they may so be judged, very childish 
productions. Tiiese " works " were hung among tlic 
ordinary exhibits, doubtless to please these amateur- 
patrons or the amateurs' friends. Some of the con- 
tributors were clever, such as Sir George Beaumont 
and X. ]>anee. Tliis list and practice actually 
continued until 1807! In the previous year the 
honorary list consisted of Henry Cole, C.B., Miss Cole, 
Sir U. P. Collier, Solicitor-(!encral, and Sir Coutls 
Lindsay. The list of the works in the Academician's 
l)il)loma (iidlery was begun in ISll, when it 



numbered tifty-one, and was cunlinucd up to 1836, 
when seventy-nine were catalogued; the practice was 
thereafter abandoned. "Honorary Foreign Acad- 
emician " composed a new ( )rder, invented in 1870. 
These were Gallait (misprinted then and the year 
following Gallais), GcrAme, Viollct-le-1 )uc, Henriipiet- 
Dupont, Meissonier, and duillaumc. (H these only 
(Jerome and Guillaume survive. In the year 
187."i the practice was abandoned of atVixing a red 
star to a picture which was .sold. The catidogue- 
notice as to the meaning of the star had appeared 
from ISB:'. I'p to hSe.''), but not after, appeared 
a notice at tin- head of the Catalogue explaining 
tlie conditions upon which artists might put their 
nauu's down for election : this notice had been so 
printed since the previous lS."i2. " Honorary Retired 
Academicians" were tirst conslituted in 186:^, when 
Edward Hodges Baily, .sculj)tor, and Cliarles Robert 
Cockerell, arcliitcct, availeil themselves of the new 
regidation. In lSt;i) tlie I'lan of the galleries of 
Burlington Hou.sc, into the possession of which the 
.Vcadcmybad ju.st entered, was added to the attractions 
of this most entertaining Catalogue. I may add that 
a tine copy of the Catalogue, from 1760 to the 
present day, is worth about .£7U, though incomplete 
ones, or completed by rcpiints of certain numbers, 
arc now and auain to lie liad a bargain for £.jO. — S. 



THE CHRONICLE OF ART. -NOVEMBER. 



Acquisitions at fj'IIK most imiiortant recent addition to 
the National 1 tlic National Collection of I'orfiaits 
Portrait Gallery. ^^ .^ ,„i„ting of "Sir Martin A. She, 
IM'i.A," l>y liinisclf. .\ tine exainjile of lioMNKv's work 
has al.so been acinired — a portrait group of .\d;ini 
Walker, with liis wife and children. It was bequcatliiil 
by Mis.s E. E. tiiBsoN of Duiluun, a granddaughter of 
the subject of the picture. 

At a general meeting of the Hoyal .Society 
New Members. ^^ Hritish Artists the following gentlemen 
were elected member.s, viz. -.—Messrs. A. I). McCohmk k, 
H.UiitY (!. SiiiKi.Ds, H. Goodman, Percy Ci!akt, .Iamks 
<!rki<;, I!. I'oNsoNiiv Stai'i-Es, Ivvstan HKAriiKitiNorox, 
and \S. G. KsioiiT. 

'I'uK Scottish Artist.s' Society, which is 
mainly com|)osed of the jonng artists of 
the Ka.st of Scotland, opened its fourth annual exhibition 
in the beginning of last month. One of the olyects of 
the Society is to procure for exhibition "interesting and 
educative exaniplci of various .schools of modern art," 
ill which purpose tlie Council has been very successful 
on this ((c<asion. One of the features of the exhibition 
is u .series of works from the last Paris Salons. It inclndcs 
jiictures by Paii, hnsNAitn, Caston i.a ToitiiK, A. /oitx, 
I'ai'L Vav.son, and KitiTZ Tuacuiw— artists whose works 
have po.s.sibly never before been seen in Edinburgh in a 
jaiblie exhibition. They have been cordially welcomed 



Exhibitions. 



and very much appreciated by the general imblic. There 
are in all 387 oil ])aintings. water-colour drawings, and 
pastels placed, as also eleven pieces of sculpture. Not 
a few of those works by the younger artists are exceedingly 
interesting, showing as they do a tine feeling for tone 
an<l colour and increasing teclmical ability. In this connec- 
tion may be specially mentioned Mr. W. S. .Ma((!f,orc;k, 
whose three cabinet landscajies with Hgm-es condiine happy 
subjects and glowing colour. Mr. 11. lUuNs has a clever 
study in low tones of a gip.sy girl ; two young artists who 
have done well in landscajjc are Mr. C. H. Woolford and 
Mr. T. H. Hlacklock, ami two pleasing pictures of the sea 
in grey tones are sent by Mr. Marsiiai.i, Hrown. Mr. 
.1. H. Foul) contributes a striking study of a head under 
strong lamplight. The lady artists of iMlinluugh arc also 
well represented. One of the outstanding portraits in the 
gallery is that of Arehbishop Macdonald, in ecclesiastical 
vestments, by Miss M. Camkron {.vcc y. iil). In the 
water-colour room, drawings by Messrs. H. B. NisBET, 
.Iames Cadexhkai), H. W. Kekk, .T. M. Hkown, T. 
.Maiuorihanks Hay, and h'.owiN Alexander are in-o- 
minent. The best sculpture is contributed by .Mr. 
I'nTENiUiicii .Mai(;ii.i.ivi!av. 

An cxhil)ition of work executed liy the art students of 
the South West bondon I'olyti'chnie displayed the wide 
scope of the .system of tuition carried on under the direction 
i,f Ml. C, 1,. liUKN.s. The drawing and painting section 



THE CHRONICLE OF AKT. 



49 



was the strongest, some i)iistel and 
water-colour drawings by j\Iiss M. Kejip 
Welch being particularly noticeable. 
The wood carving and modelling ex- 
hibits were too few to give an adequate 
idea as to what is being done in this 
direction, although .Mr. Hawkins had a 
beautiful design in plaster for an electric 
light fitting, to be idtimately executed 
in bronze and copper and hammered 
iron. There were two designs in stained 
wood which call for special mention- 
one, a small panel with a poppy pattern, 
which had been awarded a bronze medal 
at South Kensington, and which the 
National College of Art authorities have 
l>urchased ; the other is a book cabinet, 
with a design with figures in stained 
wood on the door. This is the work 
of Mr. Br.\(;g, which was awarded a 
national silver medal. The needlework 
exhibits were, on the whole, excellent : 
a design of poi)pies and seagulls, in ap- 
plique and embroidery, by Miss Hewitt, 
quite admirable. Miss Simons's speci- 
mens of weaving were interesting, and 
novel from the fact that the ground 
work of her designs was executed on 
the loom, and the colour effects obtained 
various and cltarming. 

The exhibits at the forty-second 
annual exhibition of the Royal Photo- 
graphic Society are of very high average 
merit. Few are poor and very many 
of great interest. Among the pjortraits 
which are specially noticeable are 'Sir. 
W. M. Wakxeuke's "Girl with Violin,' 
"Three Studies of Heads" by H. W. 
Barxett, an exceedingly good study of 
"John Leighton, F.S.A.," by the Rev. 
F. C. Lambert, a characteristic head of 
"Xapier Hemy " by Mr. Frederick 
Hollyer, and some clever "studies" by 
Mr. Harold Baker. A series of four 
subject-] lictures by Mr. Fred Marsh— 
" Gas Works : Clinkering," " Charging 
Retort," "Warm Work," and "A Vil- 
lage Smithy "—are triumphs of flash-light 
photography, and are to be reckoned 
among the best prints in the gallery. 
The landscape section contains some 
beautifully fini-shed prints of charmingly 
selected views, while the interior views of 
churches and other buildings by ilessrs. 
Bdlbeck and S. B. Bolas and Co. are 
all that can be desired in this respect. 
Composition pictures are few ; the most 
successful, in that it is least suggestive 
of the deliberate photographic pose, is 
"A Pleasant Occupation," by Mr. Wil- 
liam Gill, which is awarded one of 
the Society's medals. The exhibition is 
praiseworthy as giving us, on the whole, 
.subjects which legitimately come within 
the scope of the camera and the jio.ssi- 
bilities of the skilful operator, with 
but few of the stilted strivings after 
9a 




EVE REPENTANT. 
{By G. F. Wntls, f{.A. Fiom "Sacred Art." See p. 52. Photograph by F. Hollyer.) 



50 



THK MACAZINE OF ART. 



effects wliicli tiinnot successfully be |iroihiced directly 
by either. The judfjes in tlie Art section wore Messrs. 
V. P. Ck.mhk.xN", Junr., 1!. W. Lkadeh, .\.1;..\., (i. A. 
Stokky, A.K.A., \\. L. Wyi.i.ii;, A.1!..\., and Sir .1. I >. 
LisTox, IMi.l. 

The fifth exhibition of the I'lmtographic S;il(m at tlie 
Dudley (inllery iigain invites com|iiirison with that of 
the older Society's, referred to in the iireceding jiara- 
graph; and we again come to the conclusion that the best 
work is .shown at the I'all-.Mall liallery. In spite of 
the "colour and character of the walls u|poii which the 
Pictures lians '(''"/'' the "Forewords" of (he catalogue), 
the striving after "subtleties of Pictorial etlects " do 
not compare favourably with the genuine woik of the 
camera and duveliipin.^ 
room. The beautiful plioti - 
graphic portraits of .Messrs. 

W. t'ROOKE, R.\I.I'H W. 

l!iiniNsoN, F. Hor.LYEK, and 
II. 11. H. C.vMKKox are all 
that can be desired, and 
show at once the afiectation 
of work such as that of 
yiv. Iloi,i,iNiii;ii, who gives 
us just the face of the sitter 
without the rest of the liead 
or any of the body. The 
landsca]ies of Me.s.sr.s. Lan 
KKSTKH, Robinson, and 
Hoi;si.KV fliXToN, too. arc 
photo>,TaphicaIly excellent, 
and emphasise the fatuous- 
ness of the exhibitors whii, 
by mis-si)ent labour, make 
their photographs take the 
appearance of crayon or 
jiencil drawiog.s, or even oil 
monochromes. Of these 
there are not a few at 
the Dudley (iailery. Of the 
" pictorial ])liot onraplis, 
the nude "dryads" perched 
among the trees, the 
" coloured ' land.scapes and 
impressionistic effect.s, it can 

only be said that they are iKior as photograiih.s and worse 
as pictures; they are neither "documentary facts" nur 
"works of fancy and inia;iinatiiin," liut a hii|iiUss Jumble 
of both. 

Th: hundred and thirty jiiclures selected from the twt) 
salons exhibited at the Continental (iailery are for the 
mo.st part uninteresting iind commonplace The land 
scaiKNs by the Scandinavian artist, .M. .\. N'ok.manx, of 
which there are four, arc good cxanii>lc.s of his work, and 
are the most striking pictures in the tlallcry. Other.s 
of note are "Ulaukc and Thaltia,'' by .M. P. A. Laukens; 
'Christ and the Holy Women," by M. D. Sf:itA[.iM ; 
"The liily " (The .\nnunciation), by .M. .\i.nKi;r Tmoma.s; 
" On the Downs at Katwyck," by M. Kli:i:NK Ji:tii:i. ; and 
"The Last liende/.vous," by PitoKKssoit (iiiosso of Milan. 
The latter is a repnl>ive sub;t'(t, but a skilful ex.imple of 
llesh'paintiiig. 

Silt KiiWAiii) Povntkk'.h "/.(vViorx (III Art" are too 
Bev ewB. ^^.^11 j.,„,^y„ .j,„i j^,Q liigijiy Hjipreciated to need 

et'iticism or analysis afresh ; but as nearly twenty years 
have pas-Kcd since first they were i.ssucd, an<l longer still since 
they were delivered, Rerious attention must be accorded to 




VULCAN CH/:.IN1NG 
{From the Pitiiitimj by M. Rjj-r. /lu 



this fourth, annotated edition, recently put forth by Mes.srs. 
Chapman and Hall. So much .sound sense, sound learning, 
and true artistic ])erception are gathered in these pages 
that the )ierusal of tlicni is incumbent on every art-student, 
and on everyone at all intelligently (as o|iposcd to senti- 
mentally) intereste<l in the tine arts at the present day ; 
and few there are wlio will not recognise how powerful 
an antidote they provide to much of the neurotic extra- 
vagance that infects and infests many of the younger 
arti.sts and art talker.s, not in Kngland oidy, but on the 
(,'ontinent as well, not less in Europe than in the I'nited 
States. A tidal wave of morbid passion for novelty 
and eccentricity has been |iassing over the land for these 
several years past : and although Sir Rdvvard's warning 

voice may not serve to stem 
the torrent, it may, »t least, 
be heard by some sturdy 
souls who may be saved 
from the .suicidal folly of 
plunging into the rush of 
waters. We are, on the other 
hand, certainly of o)iinion 
that Sir Edward goes too 
far, and justifies to .some ex- 
tent those of his critics who 
charge him with some disposi- 
tion, in certain directions, 
tiiwarils reaction : with too 
great a tendency to accord 
undue importance to subject 
in ]iaintiMg; and, above all, 
willi s. inie touch of cruelty 
ill the licrci'ncss with which 
in more than one lecture — 
lie meets I'rofcssor Ituskin on 
the subject of Michelangelo. 
This great master, indeed, is 
Sir Edward's ideal — he calls 
him "the Divine"— and he 
(lel'cnds him with a iiassion 
at which many who know the 
critic only by his pictures may 
stand amazed. I'.xceiit in this 
bout, Sir lulward is calm, 
judicious, and disi)a.s.sionate 
in his wilting, entirely hone.st ami free from cant ; inspiring 
the conliiknce of reader, and in the cour.se of his pages 
justifying the sentiment. The book is more than a iier.sonal 
eoiifessicin of faith ; it is an exposition of art and a'sthetics 
eoncciveil with honesty, felt with sobriety, and rea.soncd out 
with logical mind. The words on realism, style, idealism, 
decoration, the romance of mediievalisin and the reticence 
of the ( Jreeks, are as jiregnant with excellent suggestion 
as the more instructive portions of the book are fruitful 
in good advice. Put there are certain other points to 
which excciition must be taken : to the deliiiition of 
"stylo" (p. 44) as inade(|Uate ; to the assertion as to 
the "low level" of the Dutch masters on account of their 
• gross representations of drunken .scenes"— i|uality in a 
jiainting being wholly independent of its subject, however 
foul or commonplace : ainl to the .statement that "the 
worst and most tasteU^ss ell'oits in architecture .... 
are better than the outrages your men of .science inflict 
on us in their railway bridges and other work.s." Profes.sor 
liuskin never said anything more imimlsive and, we venture 
to .say, more ill-advised. We hold the theory false and 
mischievous which teaches that liad art is better than no 



PROMETHEUS. 
tuttad the Prix de Rom 



Pan>.) 



THE CHRONICLE OF AKT. 



51 



ait : and we assert that a railway bridge w liieli pretends tn 
no beauty is infinitely preferable to a ]>retentious Imilding 
that defies the eanons of taste : and we prefer a blank lirick 
wall to its decoration by "the worst and most tasteless" 
picture. Absence of taste can lie more readily remedied t li;ui 




HIS GRACE ARCHEiSHOP MACDONALD. 

{From the Painting by M. Cameron, in the Exhibition of the Scotti-h 
Artists' Society.) 



presence of bad taste. A mind without a]>preeiatioii of 
art is at least fallow ground ; but one which is taught to 
delight in false and tasteless art there is no hope for, and 
we are surprised to find the President of the Koyal 
Academy acting to such alarming purpose the advocntus 
diahoU. Nevertheless— and these blemishes notwith- 
standing—we recommend everyone of our readers to become 
po.ssessed of this volume, which, it is no e.xaggeration to 
say, they will find of far greater usefulness for practical 
purposes and everyday thought than the discourses of Lord 
Leighton, or the lectures of Barry and the addresses of 
Fusel i. 

For the first time it is possible for Frenrh readers to 
judge Professor Piuskin eonipletely and thoroughly. Here 
in England, where for half a century he has fought for 
his idea.s and ideals, for his great principles of morality, 
economics, and art, and maintained them with a vast section 
of the public in spite of furious and extremely alile oppo- 
sition, Raskin has been understood, and misunderstood, by 
the light of the truths he has established and the mis- 
takes he has made, and is becoming a tradition in the 
land— even with those who go .so far as to suggest the 
fjundation of Anti-Pvuskin Societies. Abroad there has 
been far too little opportunity for thinkers to form any real 
independent estimate of Ruskin's work as a whole— of his 
synthetic j.hilosophy, of his manner and his methods, of the 
greatne.ss of the man, of his brilliant understanding, of the 
width of his jierceptions, the depth of his sentiment, and 
the breadth— we had almost said the universality— of his 
sympathy. He has been fortunate in the latest of his 
e.xpositors. M. Robert de la Sizeuanxe, who in his admir- 
able study entitled " Jiiis/cin, et La Relicjum de In Bertntf" 
(Hachette), places before his countrymen a view of the 
Ma.ster of Coniston, his work and his philosophy, that 



must raidv witii the very be.st books of the sort published 
in this country. To any scholar so .sensitive and intelligent 
as M. de la Sizeranne a clear exposition is of course 
possible; but the author possesses the rare gift— rarest 
of all, we are accustomed to believe, in a Frenchman— of 
appreciating at once a British author and the nation to 
whom that author prmiarily addresses himself : and the 
completeness of his understanding and the lucidity of his 
criticism cannot be pronounced otherwise than masterly. 
We are not quite sure that he has plumbed all the depths 
of Ruskin's many-sided philosophy— perhaps because we 
doubt whether he has read all the works to which he refers, 
perhaps satisfying himself in some ca.ses with the sum- 
maries of previous writers. But of this we are certain : 
that no one has more readily quickened, without surrender- 
ing in any way his independence of thought, to Ruskin's 
;esthetie philosophy ; no one has more freely or more sympa- 
thetically criticised the main aspects of it, artistic, literary, 
social, or moral. He defines "Ruskinism" as the " Religion 
of Beauty," resisting the temptation to narrow it down 
to the " Beauty of Pieligion." In truth there is good reason 
why Ruskin should find one of his ablest critics and 
commentators in France, for Ruskin's genius, we think— 
his imagination, his picturesqueness, his versatility, his re- 
finement—is perhaps nioreaffinitively French than p]nglish ; 
the gracefulness of his i)rose, the daintiness of his humour, 
the ))lialiility of his reasoning, and the fineness of his 
intellect, all are perhaps less Saxon than Gallic; indeed, 
his sympathy with French Gothic architecture, which sym- 
bolises all that exijuisiteness of character which is e.ssentially 
French, is such as no Englishman has ever before so fully 
displayed or expressed, and may be quoted in proof of our 
contention. It is not many years since we drew attention 
t ) an Italian criticism in which our great writer was 




BY THE LIGHT OF THE LANTERNS. 

{From the Painting by •]. A. Ford, in the Exhibition of the Scottish 
Artis's' Society.) 



referred to as " one Ruskin," his fame not having yet 
penetrated the land to the glory of which he had devoted 
so many of the best years of his life and the best pages of 
liis eloijuence. And, except to lovers of .-esthetics, he was 
not much lietter known to the serious readers of France up 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART.^ 



to recent years. M. de la Si/cianiR's volume, wliiili leaves 
so little room for critieism, even for disiussion, will at 
lust make known in its entirety the )iersonality anil the 
intlnence of one of the most remarkahle geniuses of our 
day : and that, we jiresume. even his adversaiies will not 
deny, even tliou;.'h they denounce as false the premisses of 
his'art-philosophy, and cry ahmd unto Haal to dry up the 
streams of elo.iuencc which he has poured ajrainst the social 
economy and false morality of his day. 

The idea of telliuR the liilile story l)y well-known pic- 
tures executed l>y well-known painters is a happy one. The 
selection is made liy the Editor, .Mr. A. C. Tkmim.k, K.S..\., 
Director of the Art Callery of the Corporation of London, 
who has shown in his choice a most catholic taste and 
a wide knowledge of coiitem|)orary art. In the tirst ]>art 
appear works by Sir K. Ht'itXK .Fonks, Messr.s. Watts, 
Caldeuos. Hoi.man Hunt, Cokmos, Bou.herk.au, and Sir 
Noel Fatox, together with Tikner, .Mautin, Hellaxuek, 
Maclise, Ettv. and others. The pictures are well repro- 
duced and admirably i^rintcd-a full-page picture on one 
side of the i«a|ier only. '• Surml Art'' (as the new serial 
work is called), accompanied by explanatory te.\t of the 
pictures, will doubtless bring to Me.ssr.s. Ca-sscU and Co., 
the pulilisher.s, the great popular success it deserves. 

The excellently illustrated and ta.steful series of stnndard 
English novels now being issued by ilessrs. Service and 
Paton, at a low price, is being continued with spirit. 
Firstly, we have Tiiaikekay's " Va7uti/ Fair," with 
sixteen pen drawings by Mi.ss Chris Hammo.np, and 
Scott's " J!<,h Jio>/," with as many by Mr. Y. H. Townsknd. 
The former arc dainty, conceived with full .sympathy not 
only with the story, 
but with the ]ieriod in 
which it is cast, and the 
latter a<lmiralile alike 
in design an<l execu- 
tion, in character, ob 
servation, humour, and 
dramatic jiower. It is 
a plea,sure to see such 
stea<ly inii'rnvemcnt in 
this accomplished young 
artist. "0/-/ M"rl;/ 
ill/" has been admirably 
pictured by .Mr. Sidney 
I'AUET,who.se work with 
the pen is as good as 
with the bru.sh, and 

whose fine drawing and studied characterisation lue 
.striking merits of his work. .Mr. E. .). SriXlVANs illus- 
trations to '• T/if I'ir-ite" are a degree le.ss .satisfactory, 
desjiite the charm of his touch. Yet there is elegance in 
.several of them, and in " Fear Confers Wings"- the flight 
of Triptolemus— the inspiration of Mi. Hugh Thom.son 
has been very cleverly followcil. 

The Hr.st report of the County Council Schools in Molt 
Court, E.C., ha.s just been issued. Intended for craftsmen 
connected with printing and its allied professions, the 
work of the school includes photography, "process " re- 
jiroduction, and lithography. Some e.xiellent lilocks and 
lithographs are jiubli.shed in the book. The fact that the 
little book is printed entirely by students of the St. liride's 
Foundatir)n In.stitute— and excellently, too-len.ls it an 
additi')nid interest. 

A <:oi,i> medal has been awarded at jlrcsden 
MiBcellanea. ^^ y^. f;^.,,,,,;,.. HiT< liroiK for his picture, 

"The Flight into Egypt." 



.Ml. Wai.tkk Ciiank has been ajipointed Art Director of 
the Iniversity Extension College at Heading. Mr. Crane 
has. we believe, been granted a free hand in the organisation 
of the classes, so that a happier result may be looked for 
than that which attended his Manchester enterprise. 

Mrs. l?i>YtK, the widow of the late Mr. (!hori:e P 
l'>oYi E, It.W.S., has luesented to the Chelsea Public 
Library, Mainesa Uoad, his well-known water-colour draw- 
ing of '-St. Bride's Church, Fleet Street, in ls(i7." The 
drawing wa.s recently on loan at South Kensington, and .Mrs. 
Boyce selected it for deposit in the J.,ibrary in memory of 
her hu.sband, who resided for twenty-eight years in Chelsea. 
The death has occurred, in his seventieth year. 
Obituary. ,,,■ j|,. |),,\vxwAi!li Hiitcii, a landscape artist of 
great ability. In his early years he exhibited at the Royal 
.\cadeiny and other London galleries, but afterwards 
retired to Italy, where he worked at his art without 
seeking for public recognition. An exhibition of some of 
his pictures is to be held at Messrs. Oraves's (iatlery 
next spring. 

Another artist little known to the public, .Mr. II. 
PiLsHi'RY, has recently died at the age of sixty .seven. As 
.\rt Director of Messrs. Moore Hrother.s, of LongtOD, he 
exerted a powerful influence upon English ceramic art. 
For many years with Messrs. Minton, he was one of 
the first to produce designs based ui>on natural flowers for 
the decoration of pottciy and chiii;i. He received his early 
training at the Hurslem School of .\rt, where he gained 
no fewer than twelve national medals, six of them in 
one year. In 1^*51 he gaineil a scholarship, and went into 
training at South Kensington for an art master. This, 

however, was not con- 
genial to him, and he 
returned to Piurslem 
and engaged in the 
occupation which he 
followed for the rest 
ol his life. 

-Mr. .1. M11.0 Grif- 
I rrii, the Welsh .sculp- 
tor, has recently died 
after a .short illness. 
His earliest public work 
was done for LlandalT 
( 'athedral, where he 
carved many of the 
.stone capitals. In 1S8:? 
he commenced exhibit- 
ing at the Itoyal Academy. He wiis the designer of the 
siWer shield pi-esented by South Wales to the Prince and 
Princess of Wales in 1S88. For .some time he was Pro- 
fessor of .\rt in a college at San Francisco. 

The death has occurred of Mr. Charles Hossitkh, wlm 
for a (piarter of a century Invs been the .\rt Master at 
I'ppingham School. The Tercentenary window |)laced in 
the schoolroom in 1HH.''> was executed from his design. 

The death hiis occurred, at the age of seventy-two, of 
.M. Alois Schienn, Profes.sor at the Academie dcs Reaux- 
.\rts at Vienna. He acqun-ed a reputation as a painter 
of Eastern- princijially l-^gyptian— scenes. He studied 
under Fuhrich and Horace Vernet. and was created Knight 
of the Legion of Honour in 1H78. 

OwiSi; to the pressure upon our space, 

we are comiiellcd to hold over until next 

month the rejiroductions of the successful design.s. Com- 

jictitors desiring to have their drawings returned must 

send sUimjis to cover the cost of carriage. 




DESIGN FOR A CHURCH. WITH APPROACH FOR PILGH'-. 
(By «. Duqufsne. ti^arded Ihe Omml Prix </■■ Rom,. Paris Pholog-aph bf Poilrclial, Pnrii. I 



Our Competition. 




FALSTAFF REVIEWING HIS RAGGED TROOPS. (lVu(er-Co/oi.r, WS3.) 
{In e/ie Colhctimi of Gilbert Moss, fsg ) 



SIR JOHN GILBERT, R.A., P.R.W.S. : A MEMORIAL SKETCH. 



By the editor. 




T F Llie public fails 



to appreciate the 
riiiisiimniato ability 
of the great artist 
who has passed 
:i\vay, it has at least 
this excuse — that 
his greatest qualities 
were not those which 
jiroclainied them- 
selves the loudest, 
and that the merits 
by which he achieved 
1 1 is amazing popu- 
larity, sound and 
even commanding as 
they are, belong less 
to the technical ex- 
cellences which raised him to his pinnacle than the 
appeal they made to the undeistanding, not neces- 
sarily artistic, of the people. Though Sir John 
Gilbert practised art in many of its branches, it 
is only in one — and tliat not, in the public estima- 



SIR JOHN GILBERT, R.A., P.R.W.S. 

{From the Photograph by Messrs. R.tsiell 
and Sorts.) 



tiou, the one by which he ilelied the rivalry of all 
comers — that he showed himself head and shoulders 
above the draughtsmen of Ids time. Distinguished 
as he was as a painter, whether in oil or water- 
colour, it is in virtue of his achievements in black- 
and-white that he takes his place among the few 
masters, not of his age and country only but of 
all time, who, through the medium of the hand or 
printing press, have ranged themselves among the 
highest. He may be voted " old-fashioned " for 
the moment; but real art rises superior to mode 
or vogue in taste. It has Time upon its side. 

When Captain C4eorge Felix Gilbert, of Black- 
lieath (where John Gilbert was born in 1817), found 
by the disbanding of his regiment — the Eoyal East 
London ililitia — that his income shrank to an incon- 
venient degree, he adopted the calling of a land and 
estate agent ; and when a friend engaged in a similar 
pursuit offei'ed to take young Gilbert into his office, 
the father accepted with gratitude. So for two 
years the firm of Dickson and Bell entertained an 
unwilling recruit, whose chief — indeed, his only — 
iov was to look from the windows in C'iiarlotte 



54 



THE MAOAZIXE <^F ART. 




THE 




l.'mv ii|Kiii till' siilt'-tloor of lliu M:insiiiii Hmisc, ln^ik ivfiij;i' in Iteyu'ilils's " Discctiirses" .ind Hurnct's 
wliL-re the fieiiuent displays of civic pomp — the " I'lacticai Hints," anil sought a few lessons from the 
gorgeous conches, gorgeous servants, and gorgeous fruit-iiaintei- Ceorge I^mce, who, the distinguished 
trappings, all the showy details of state and circum- pnpil of I'.cnjamin l!<>l)ert Haydon, was tiie most 
stance, with the crowds and movement in the City's skilfid oil-))aintcr in liis line we have ever had in 
throliliing heart — giive ojiportunities for the pencil England, just as Wilji.nn limit was in water- 
ami material 
for the sketch- 
iiook that wore 
the Old}- solace 
of the young 
estate-agent in 
revolt. Hiscom- 
lades sarcastic- 
ally declared 
ihathissketches 
uni|Uestionably 
proved him 
"excellent at 
Jii/iirf< ;" but it 
was these same 
n o t e s t h a t 
saved him from 
a life of ollicc 
drudgery hy 
convincing his 
parents of the 
ability and 
power that 
were in him. 

He had 
sketched njicin 
his l)Ook at 
school, he liail 
sketched upon 
his blotting-pad 
at the oflice. 
and gave littl 
attention to tli- 
original pui- 
pose of either. 
He now de- 
voted himself 
to sk(Uching 

from nature and, like so many other self-taught 
artists before Iiim, to coi)yiiig prints as a guide 
to art— Just as his contemporaries Mr. Watts 



OFFICE, 13. WELLINGTON-STREET, STRAND. 



AGSN TS 

m WCfTy.Jii^Tfc t.fiMi . 1 ^ W.wixWrtK I «- 



««•»•■. Wtlilwwa ft Wrtftt 



1. 



THE FOURTH COVER OF "PUNCH.' 

(Designed oy Sir JaUn Oilbtrt, 1843.) 



iiilmir. 

Willi that 
energy and in- 
dustry of his 
whicb, main- 
tained almost to 
the end of his 
long life, have 
always been one 
of the wonders 
of the art world, 
( ; i 1 b e r t ap- 
plied himself to 
the acquisition 
of every pro- 
cess of his art ; 
and with a per- 
severance not 
less intense for 
being quietly 
■iiid modestly 
sustained, he 
Icariu'il to work 
upon paper, 
\v<io(l, canvas, 
111 r I a I , a n d 
stone, and, we 
are told, to 
model in clay 
and carve in 
marl lie, as well 
as to etch, to 
paint in fresco 
(on ihc chance 
of c<immi.ssions 
happening), and 
to execute por- 
traits from the 
l!ut the earliest 
colour — " The 



Mr. 
Ituskin, and iMr. Frith, for all their diirerence in 
artistic aim, were doing at about the .same period. 



largest dimensions to the smallest 

Work which he exhibited was in wati 

Arrest of Lord Hastings at the Council l>oard in the 

Tower by the Protector, liichard of (Jloucester" — 

contributed to the Society of liritish Artists in ISti.S, 



He h:id taken all the prizes that were oll'ered for when he was nineteen years of age; and the second, 

drawing at his school; but when he attemjited to a picture in oil, " The Coronation <if Inez de Castro," 

enter the cla.s.ses of the Itoyal Academy he failed, as at the .same gallery in 1.S;'.7. In lx;«S, two years 

Mr. Yeaines and others have done bef(ir(> and since : after his first oil iiicture had been rcfu.scd at the 

though the Academician, Sir William I'.cechey, who Academy, he contributed there a " Portrait of a 

had Ix-en attracted by his talent, gave him all the sup- (ientleman," and in the dozen .snb.sequent years he 

port and advice that he .seemed to need. .Si. the l.nl was represented in Trafalgar Si|uare by some ten 



SIR JOHN GILBERT, II.A., I'.R.W.S. : A MEMolMAL SKETCH. 



00 



Works ill fitlifv nu'tlium, illustralivu uf scenes in 
Shakespeare, Cervantes, or Scott. His tiisl SuHiilk 
Street picture iuul found an inunediate puicluiser ; 
and although " Holbein painting the I'ortiait of 
Anne Boleyn," exhibited at the Academy in 1S41, 



But just as he was embarking on hi.s career as a 
painter his pen-and-ink sketches, including .some of 
tlio.sc wiiich iiad been the despair of iii.s father in 
the days of the son's abortive estate-agency, fell 
under the eye of Jlr. Slieepshanks (happy days, 




CONVOCATION OF CLERGY (Oil PUfl.rg. 1871.) 
ijn the Difiloma Gallery of the Royol Academy. Engnwed oy C, Constantine.) 



failed of a like success, ''Don Qubcote advising Sancho 
Panza upon entering his Government," shown in the 
same year at the British Institution, was acquired at 
once by the famous collector, Mr. "Wells, of Kedleaf, 
on the strength of its fineness of chaiactei', its 
power, and its judicious self-restraint. From the 
first, Gilbert was an in\-eterate illustrator — " Art 
for Art's .sake " had few advocates sixty years ago 
- — and the adventures of Don Quixote, Tristram 
Shandy, and Gil Bias provided him with many a 
congenial subject. Xot till 1S4.5 did he begin wliat 
may be called the long gipsy series which afforded 
him opportunities for rendering the more rugged 
side of picturesque humanity, and that rougher and 
raggeder side of nature in wbicli he .so delishted. 



those, for youthful talent \), who, at the suggestion 
of Mulready, backed by Duncan, advised that young 
Gilbert .should devote himself to drawing upon the 
wood. The notion was not altogether original, for 
Gilbert had some little while before put Clarkson 
Stanfield's drawing for ]\Iarryat's " Poor -Tack " upon 
the wood for Henry Mzetelly. 

From that time began Gilbert's career as a 
black-and-white artist, especially as a drauglits- 
man on wood; and to the connoisseur's interposi- 
tion and encouragement Gilbert primarily owes the 
greatness of his position, and we the brilliant 
illustrator who.se fame and name are, I believe, im- 
perishable : among artists, if not among the public, 
rnprecedented as became his popularity, his success 



56 



THE MACAZIXK (»F Ai;T. 



was not inuk-servea, wliellKT fur llie novelty of l.is " Iti.l.fns" on the paper drove hnu oil it, and he was 
luuidlin.' or for its more solid artistic merits. At .•nuMed, in response to the n.v.tation ot Mr. Herbert 
the be.'h.nin-. his more deliberate work was not so Ingram, who had jnst started the Illu.lrnk,! Lornhni 
dashin" as that whi.-h he e.xe<.«ted for ih.- news- Xar., to throw hiin.self, with all his inexhaustible 
papers^.or as " blottes.,ue " as his n.etho.l grew later energy, into the Krst worthy illustrated newspaper 
toU; indeed.his "fowper" shows designs as minute that the country had known, .lerrolds animus was 
and .•areful in liui.sh as the work of Mr. I'.iiket Foster entirely defei.sil,],. ; for although Cilbert was. or soon 

bi'eame, a powerful rival to 
William Harvey — indeed, his 
only rival — he was no match in 
the comic line for John Leech, 
who on purely artistic grounds 
cannot be mentioned with him. 
It is interesting to observe 
tluit the tliree early coiitribu- 
l(irs til /'/'/(cA-riiiket Foster, 
11. (I. iliiii', and .loliu Cilbert 
—all developed into highly 
popular and distinguished 
artists (Mr. Foster, of course, 
the least of them) whose 
English feeling and devotion 
to English landscape are their 
cliief eliaraeleristics. For Sir 
John, England was always the 
England of St. (Jeorge, Old, 
and Merrie, fertile mother of 
stalwart sons, rich soil of 
.^..Itlcn liarvcsls, with a strong 
tlavour of Itobin Hood and 
the tlreenwood Tree, modilied 
— e.Kcept in Ins tinest con- 
ceptions—by a suggestion of 
Ihuiy l.ane transferred to 
llii' oiirii. Ill Ills dramatic 
niiinieiils he is a sort of genial 
and kindly Salvator Kosa, a 
\ igorous Gaspar I'oussin, lov- 
ing grandeur and broad ettects, 
^■arious though they be, power- 
ful, and iiiuiaiitie ; and, though 
iidl aiming at absolute truth 
(ir aeeuraey of detail, succes.s- 
I'ul in bis attempt to har- 
luouise the landscape, lioth in 
its lines and in its atmospheric 
of the same jieriod, with whose feeling, indeed, iiis conditions, witli ibe siiiril and sentiment of his sub- 
landscape at tiiat time .showed much alliuity. His jecL Yet through it all, as .Mr. Quilter once observed, 
.liawings for bo(,k illu.stiatioiis were always careful Sir John (iilliert is an optimi.st ; and be draws smiling 
jin.l delicate ; but it was in his work for the pictorial valleys and Masl.d heaths with the pride and eiijoy- 
I'ress, only then spiinging into real lieiiig, that his ment of Millet in the peasants of France, or ..f Henry 
cai)ae'ily for initiation and bis full fieedom ami vigiuir Moore in the blue waters of the Engli.sji Chaniiel. 
liisl showed themselves. In the early pages of Above all other .pialities, Cili.ert's artistic in 




RICHARD 11. 



RESIGNING THE CROWN TO BOLINGBROKE. 
{In tha Walker Art Oalltr^, Liaerpool.) 



{Oil Puinting, ISJ6.) 



jtages of 

I'miili (1842) he had proved his i|Uality in the cover 
lie wrought for it and in a few unimiiortant illustra- 
tions ; but the hostility of Douglas .leirold to a 



stinct declares il.self the fountain of all ins work, 
at once explaining and justifying his almost in- 
eleiUlile outiml. It lias been miiiputed— allliougb 




o 

z 



94 



."is 



Till-; .MAdAZIXK oK AllT. 



tlie estimate appears to 
me exaj;u:pral('(l — lliat 
for tlie III list ralal Lunilnii 
Nfii's alone lie drew not 
fewer tlian;U),000 "cuts," 
some of tliem of j^reat 
size anil extremely com- 
j)Iieati'(l design — prnees- 
sions, Ciinrt ceremonies, 
:iiid tlie like; and to 
llii'se must lie added tlie 
innumi'ialile eonliilin- 
tiniis In tile Liiiiiliiit 
•liiiiriiiil and ti> e[)iie- 
meral newspapers, paiii- 
plilets,and liooks.iiesides 
liis tlinusaiids of careful 
iliustratiiius t" the wmks 
of nearly all tlie I'jiglisli 
poets and many I'liilisli 
antliors, to l.iiiigtVlliiw, 
( 'crvaiites, Le Sage, and 
others.* And liej-ond 
these are tin' 400 pie- 
tnies — in nil iiiid water- 
ccildiir — eiiiilriliiilcd (u 
till- l.'ciyai Afiidciny 
(abiuit ."p.">), the (lloyal) 
Society of I'lilish Art- 
ists (-JO), till' liiili^h In- 

slitutiiiii (40), and the l.'nyal Society of Painters in 
• of (lie fulii) catalogue ol tliclirilisli Mii-^ciiiii no I'owir 
l)i:iii six |i,iges are covered with 150 entries inider liis name. 




FAIR ST GEORGE. (Oil P„mim,j. 1881. I„ ihv CilMali.) 



Water-Colours (a liou t 
L'7"): and in aclditioii 
nil' the works lie lias 
iiiver exhihited at all. 
Figure, landscaiie, beasts, 
hirds, and fishes+ — they 
were all I iralnl ly him 
with tiie same care, 
kniiwledge, and artistic 
sucee.s.s. 

Vet, though his un- 
]iri'i I'deiited fertility was 
iliir tn iai>idity not less 
than tn industry, there is 
iin .-^igii nt haste in his 
iliiiwings: they ai-e often, 
11 n d nil lit, "sketchy," 
liiit llicie is Untiling 
ill tliem which suggests 
lliat greater excellence 
wniilil have attended 
greater delihi'rat ion. 
Moreover, whether the 
ta.sk he story-hook or 
I'.ilili', till' '■ rrnvi'ilis of 
Siilniiinii," M ackay 's 
" 'I'lia iiii's," nr the 
"Wnrks nf AIilti)n,"or of 
"Shakes]M'ai('" ( Knight's 
and St aiinlnn's, \\ilh 
many Imndieds of pictures), ov " "Wnrdsworth," or 

t .As in llu' lirilli.-ml " liouli nf .Ji>li," willi lifly illustrations, 
imlilisliL-d in IS.JT. 




THE RETURN OF THE VICTORS. (0.1 Pah,li«Q.) 
{In thu C/'fv 0/ Bhmlnghnm Art Caller^.) 



Slli JOHN (ULllKKT, II. A.. T.II.W.S. : A :\n:.Moi;i AL SKETCH. 



" Scot t," or tlie early " Cowpui " (witli its t'xlri'iucly 
dainty drawings, tight and snincwliat liiiuiking in 
handling tliough they are), he was ruiiijiletely at 
ea>se in theui all. At a time wlieii illustrated hooks 
were the fashion — even more the vogne than they 
are to-day — "he contributed U< nearly every im- 
portant illustrated work." His rapiility never 
slackened, and it rather insured than 
impaired the artistic quality of Ins 
work anil its sense of style ; for the 
speed of his practised hand followed 
Imt the quickness of his intelligence 
— ^the intelligence with winch he ap- 
prehended the author's meaning, and 
"saw" the picture in which it slioidd lie 
realised. He thought out the subject 
with the point of his pencil. r>esides, 
he had not niurh need to study ; he Jiad 
stored his nund with a marvellous stock 
uf knnwledge of })eriiids and costumes, 
of races and types of men, of figures 
and proportions, of architectural orders 
and facts of natural history, oinament 
and arclueology, arms and decoration and 
Styles — all the details winch most art- 
ists have to " work up" when a snbject 
is delivered to them ; and as he rarely, 
if ever, made studies — at least, for his 
journalistic work — but drew direct ujnm 
the block, ins working hours were every 
minute of them prnductive. Nothing 
came annss to his pencil : his facilitv 
was as prodigious as his readiness and 
his memory, He "extemporised u]ion 
paper" willi originality, nrn\ mul 1iril- 
liancy. He would make a full-page 
drawing upon the block widle the 
inessengei- would pace tlie lieatii for 
an honr or so, or refresh himself in the 
kitchen. According to Mr. Harrison A\\'ii-, (iilbiMt 
on one occasion drew two-thirds nf all tlic ilrawini^s 
in one week's issne of the Illiinlr((liiJ. S(j ipnck 
and deliberate was he, both in point of woik and 
knowledge of composition, that when lie was engaged 
npou such a block he would, in time of stress, proceed 
without sketching liis subject in, finishing it off as he 
w-ent on, and as he completed parts of it, would un- 
screw tile .s(piares of which the whole is composed and 
send the bits one by one to the engravers — tluis never 
seeing the finished work until it was cut. He kept the 
mental picture of the composition before him and 
never lost sight of the general elTect. Tlie engravex-s, 
wliom iie was educating away from the dull convention 
that ruled before (though Mr. W. J. Linton curiously 
declared that "he wizs-leil them l)aek to mechanism" — 
i.e. facsimile cutting), received with delight the new 



method and new technique wiiich he initiated — so 
brilliant in its spots of lilack and telling wlutes 
— a Spanish toucii, widcli, tliough ea.sy to engrave, 
was so eHecti\e in its result.* Although jiis 
facility of execution and inexliaustiljle inxention 
are leading ([Ualities in his black-and-wdiite work, 
he had that feeling for beauty of line which is a 




EGO ET REX ME US. (0// Paintin<j, !880. If, the Ouildltall.) 

in(:;ril ol higher \aliie a,iid importance. In fact, 
his (pialiLy of artist is well matched b}' his skill 
as draiigbtsman, and power as illustrator. 

He was a liuniorist too, but had rather the 
appreciation anil power of realisation of other men's 
humour than a broad creative liuniorous faculty of 
his own. Mis drawings for I'luirJi liave little fun 
in them, exeejil, perhaps, the drawing for " Aloke- 
aiiiui," in wliieli he caricatures his own style. Pnit 
we must iie\'er forget that it is to liim we owe 
that .'■'coteh joki' of perennial entertainment — 

* Sir Juhn Gilbert w;i.s, on llic wliole, very fortiinate in his 
engraver.s. His '"C'owper," for e.xatnple, was e.-iquisitely en- 
graved by Orrin Siiiilli, assisted by .Alfred Harral; bis Staunton's 
'• Shakespeare " and " Longfellow " by Dalziel ; the " Perey Tales " 
by Kircbncr and others as clever; the "English Ballads" liy 
FoU<ard ; and otiier works by Wliyiuper, Nicholls, Mr. \\. L. 
Thomas, etc., of like ability. 



60 



THE ma(;azl\e uf aut. 




THE ENCHANTED FOREST [Water-Colour, t$8li. In the Cuildhall.) 



•• liiiiiL; wfiiL saxpeneu" — l'(jr il was ( 
licaril tliu words, utteix'il sm-iously, 
to Mr. llirki'l Foster, 
hy wliose iiiluriiied- 
iary they icadied 
Cliark's Kwiic. 

Gilbert's water- 
colours always re- 
call to ine the 
(1 ra ugh tsui a u's 
lieucil. I doulit if 
lie ever felt what 
Alfred limit used 
to cull the " witch- 
cry" of the iiu'tluid, 
rather regarding it, 
like all the other 
niediuiiis he prac- 
tised, as an iiistru- 
iiiciit for expression, 
and little mure. He 
cared for thesulijcct 
lii'stly iind .secondly 
too, and he never 
prohcd far the ]m's- 
sihilities of water- 
colour. That he 
couM have done .so 

had lie clliisrll, 1 

liavc no douht. 
His early sketch- 



lilhcrl wild Hist wiii'lhcr or iiol lie 



drawings in pure wash are 
delightful in their tender- 
ness, and as far removed 
from the heavily laden 
body - colour drawings of 
later years as the broad 
dashing handling with pen 
or pencil of his maturity 
are removed fioui the ex- 
quisite touch of tiie early 
'forties. Some of his archi- 
tectural sketches — such as 
•La Cliapelle du Sang de 
l»ieu, ISnigcs," now in the 
(iuildhall— are worthy of 
ihf line point of Ituskin 
m of Turner, with whose 
iiHthoils, indeed, they have 
much ill common : while his 
(Ir.iwingof l'"reiich dragoons 
Kiiret or Cliailct might 
li,i\c lieeii proud to sign. 
Nothing was at that time 
too refined for his firm hand 
and observing eye. lUit 
aimed at the appearance of 



anil gave tlic-ui iriupcTa-iiainliiig, wlirtlier he kepi his colour pure 




"AN 



ARMED HOST DRAWN UP BELOW. A BATTLE IN THE SKY. («-<.(,. a/.o,) 

(/n (/i« (juitdtialt.) 



SIR .TOHX GILBERT, R.A., P.R.W.S. : A MEMORIAL SKETCH. 



61 



or lapsed into lehitive uuKkliuess, he was invavi- them for the same end. That end, whether he liked 

ably the nia.'iter of composition. it or not, earned him the sobriqiicf of the " Scott of 

His composition, indeed, always seemed to fall Tainting," so far justifying the charge brought against 

right rather than to be deliberately devised, in him of sharing Carlyle's disdainful denunciation of 

striking contrast with such a master as I.eighton, tlie Northern AVizard as indulging in " the bulf- 

whose ingenuity always seems to the spectator to jerkin business." Though narrow in ids artistic 




CRUSADERS ON THE MARCH. (0,7 Painting.) 
ija the South Kensington Museum. Engraved by Madame Jacob-Bazin.) 



have been planned with ileliberation. The grouping 
was insthictively good, and always in admirable 
relation to the elTect of the whole ; while no 
frequency of repetition in the class of subjects with 
which he had to deal ever betrayed him into repe- 
tition of the scheme. His composition, in fact, was 
never the bald arrangement accepted by so many 
painters and their admirers: it was Design in the 
higher and broader sense, invariably spirited and 
picturesque, full of vivacity and dramatic force. 
Cilbert was .so much of a stylist that we lo.se sight 
of his near approach to being a mannerist, and in his 
versatility we forget that his range was compara- 
tively narrow. He used many methods, but most of 



view, he was .so widely .sympathetic within tIio.se 
restrictions that e\ery subject and every passion 
.seemed to come within his power — passion, that is, 
tlie emotions of tlie heart, though not tlie higher 
conceptions, the emotions of the soul, and the 
sentiment of the higher intellect. In liis more 
elaborate compositions the management of crowds 
is astonishing. They are instinct witli life and as 
full of movement as Tradilla's, and drawn with 
infinitely more thoroiigimess — not, one would say, 
more carefully but more successfully. Crowds iu 
all ages, of all classes, civilians, soldiers, armies, 
in all sorts of circumstances, yet rarely suggest- 
ing confusion ; pompous State piigeautry, imposing 




z 
z 

Ui 

I 
I- 



z 
< 
a. 

S 

o 
o 



o 

z 
< 

s 

< 

z 
o 



o 
o 



Ui 
H 
O 
X 

a 

z 
o 
o 



SIR JOHX (ULBEirr. i;..\., t.r.av.s.; a ^rEM()l;l.\I. sketch. 



63 



procession, tlie dasli nf ca\aliy thavge, or siniplL'i'nu- 
clave of calm electoi-s or assemblage of street on- 
lookers, all are depicted so judiciously as not to 
bewilder, while yet convincing, the spectator. .Vnd 
even if the ihawing be sometimes loo.se, it is not 
noticeable (and if it were it wei-e certainly pai- 
donablc) for the sake of the vigour, the delightful 
impetuosity and ease of the perroruianee.* 

In expression (Gilbert could be as noble and 
dignilied as he pleased, imparting to his figures a 
grand air — superb in gesture, robust in action — almost 



tlie surf;Ke merely — neither in colour, handling, nor 
quality of paint is there any real resemblance ; and 
it is certain that in ids work he was as much in 
.'sympathy willi lli'udir.iudl and \'clasnU(V as with 
the great master rif Flandiis. 

As an oil-painter lie showed a subdued tlam- 
boyancy. so to speak, tliat is full of spirit and yet 
well within the bounds of good taste. His shadows 
were often heavy, but he wa.s so good a craftsman 
that his colours ha\e never changed. He had a 
fre(pient trick of modelling by "pencilling" or 




THE BATTLE OF THE STANDARD, NORTHALLERTON. (Water-Colo„r, 1S79-S0.) 
{In the Guildhall. Engraved by Madame Jacob-Bazin,) 



achieving the heroic. His dramatic and narrative 
powers %vere equally great ; he could tell his story 
unfailingly, and w^ould sometimes ri.se to the dignity 
of history, without falling into the common fault of 
stiltednes.'i. Incident he loved, and treated it with 
vigour and ma.sculinity : and he was always sensitive 
to beauty, whether in line or in touch, in Kgure 
male or female, or in nature. There is hardly a 
sketch by iiim but what is full of charm. Clrace was 
his, too, when he sought it — but rarely repose. And 
he loved opulence in colour, line, and form ; for 
which reason superficial obser\ers have dubbed him 
the " Engli.sli Eubens." ISut the resemblance is of 

* Like Mr. G. F. Watts, .Sir John Tenniel, Gustave Dote, 
and other eminent cle.«igners. Sir John Gilbert did not draw 
from the model. 



hatchin", by which he gave fulness to his forms, 
that was .sometimes irritating — the result of his 
draughtsman's practice — not at all neces.sary, how- 
ever, as liis admirable portrait of Thackeray at the 
Garrick Club, for examiile, abundantly proves. With 
" tones " and " values "' lie troubled himself not 
at all, and not gieatly with tlie rroblems of atmo- 
sphere. Kreadth he sought for and obtained, and 
suiticient verisimilitude to force his conventions 
upon tlie spectator. So successfully did he achieve 
his aim that his pictures are never merely costume- 
pieces. His colour, though rich, was sober, and was 
admirably adapted to tlie representations of those 
impo.sing .scenes from history, scenes of chivalry and 
poetry, and subjects of a spirited kind, that made him 
2)((r excellence the painter of robust medi;T?valism. 



C4 



TiiK ma(;a/^ixi-: oi' aut. 




A BISHOP. (IVul.r-fo/o"^, 18S'j.) 
(/n the Ouildhitll. Engraved by Itomaynoto. ) 

He loveil wliat Wits (Iraiiialif, whc'llior in scene 
ur eliaiaeter, Iml lie was never sLaj^c'v in the render- 
ing nf it ; anil eouM be not only dramatic hut traj^ie 
tori, iiscending on some occasions frimi tlie grandiose 
to the grand. Vet liis gnmdeur was not tliat <if 
.Mr. Watts: for he lacked tlie necessary elevation 
ol" llionglil and loftine.'^s of loneejilidn. 

It was in 1S")1' tiiat (iilbert was eleclccl Assn- 
eiatc lit' ihc Old Water-(Jolour Society, and in the 
fi)lliiwiiig year lie was created full Mi'inhcr. lie 
was elected to the ['residency in 1S71, the hniinur 
of knightiiood being signified In him .soon afterwards, 
tlionyh onlv actnallv conferred earlv in the fiillowiiii' 
year. He rrsigneil his post in l.SSS, liut was nnanini- 
fiu.sly re-elected, a few members being a|p]ioinlc(l 
l>i'|iuly ill turn to |ierforni the ilnties of his nlhee. 
It was ibiiing ids teriii nf service that he iiiitiatcil 
the mniual exhiliition of sketches wiiicii has proved 
so ))oiiiilar a feature witii tlie patrons of the Society. 

Ill- liad been liailiv hung in tlie early yeai's of his 
exhibition at the Itoyal Academy, and refrained. 



therel'iire, from sending again from 
IM.". I for si.Nteen years onwards, save 
on a single occasion — in 18G.">, when 
" The Army on the JIarch " was placed. 
In l.S()7, however, he resumed the 
regular c(jiitrihution of important 
Works, ill IS71 sent in his "Con- 
volution of the Clergy," and on 
■ lamiary '1\)\}\, 1S72, he was elected an 
.Vssoiiate. I'our years later (June I'iHh, 
lN7(i) he was-promoted to full member- 
shii), when " Itichard 11. resij'ilin" tiir 
Crown to llolingbroke " (now at tlie 
Walker Art (iallery, Liverpool) jtistilied 
his election. 

lns])ired l>y the sjiirit, if not by the 
example, of Mr. ^Vatts, Sir dolin (iilbert 
ill IS'.):') carried out the long-cheri.she(l 
iiiliiition of presenting to the nation an 
iiiiportanL collection of his works. AVilh 
tliis view lie brought together a noble 
series representing his work from 18;!S 
to 18!) I, and distributed I hem among 
London, lUrmingham, Liverpool, ilan- 
eliester, and Dlaekburn, depleting his 
own hou.se for the greater satisfaction 
he sought. London acknowledged the 
gracious act by conferring its freedom 
upon the donor, the lirst artist ever 
so honoured. It must be adniitti'd 
that, seen together, the number of his 
works somewhat suggests monotony, 
lacking that independence of intention 
that gives variety to Mr. "W'atts's col- 
lected works. His collection of sketch- 
books he had already jncsented lo the Itoyal 
Academy. 

The end of liis long life, so larking in incident 
tlimigh so full of iiidiistiv, clo.sed sadly for the gentle 
and the kindly old man, who.se iihysiial iiiliiniity 
iiotwithslaiidiug, up to a year or two before his 
death, was powerless to sulidue his will or damiien 
bis artistic aidour. One who.se independence and 
individuality bad wilhstood the inlluence, positive 
or negative, attractive or repellent, of the I're- 

li'a|ilia(dite nuAcmeiit on ll ne band, or of any 

oilier siiccessful ailists of the day on the other, 
when art-dialectics were at their height, was surely 
of no common sort. He always showed it in his 
work, and he proved as much by giving liack lo 
Ihe public at the last much of what he had so 
nobly earned from the beginning, and (on the ."Ih 
of Octobt-r, IS'.I7) .sank back i|uicily iiilo ihc 
grave — bidoved by all who knew him, without a 
single enemy, and in the lull knowledge of a life's 
work done. 




CONTEMPLATION (THE HON. MRS. STANHOPE). 
(From Caroline IValsoii's Sliffle Etigraving of the J'ieliire by Sir Joihiui KeynoMs, P.K.A.) 



MAOAZIHK Of ART. 




<v-^- --.f^.. <^.>3fc>ii«-yt.''-*,a>.>.:Kj»r.-<Mi.^-»*-<i.<^.^'>4^^. Vi'- ■ ■.■■ . ^.■>^ -■-.■■^■.v 




LEOPARD PLAYING WITH TORTOISE 
{By J. M. Swan. A.R A.) 



SCULPTURE IN I897. 



Bv ALFRED LYS BALDRY 



ri"^lIKi;E i.s IiiiiiUy iiiiy luaiieli ul' art in wliicli 
J- so gical ail atlvaiice lias Ijceii perc<'[ililik' in 
tliis cuiintiy dining recent years as in seul[)turc'. 
It is not so long ago tliat liio sculptor's prufessioii 
was rogardud as one that itivi.JNed endless struggles, 
and one for wliicli any real ixijailar appreciation 
could not be expected. Absence of support was 
until (piite la-tely the lot of most of the men who 
had the temerity to try and work out original ideas 
in sculpture, or had any aniljition to attempt any- 
thing better than commonplace portraiture. Ideal 
work was distinctly discouraged, and neither in 
•piality nor (|uaiitity was it, as a rule, calculated 
t(j do credit to the British school. But this con- 
dition of aflkirshas now under<rone a marked change. 
Not only lias there sprung up, in response to a 
quite sincere and widespread demand, a considerable 
group of thoroughly able sculptors; but there has 
also developed, soundly and systematically, a spirit 
of truer iestheticisni, which has allected the j^eneral 



pulilie ijuile as niucii as the workers themselves. 
A vastly im[)ro\ed type of production has resulted 
from this change. Sculptors have gained heart, and 
have, in lesponse to the more sympatiielic attitude 
of their patrons, set themselves to raise their art 
from its former state of despondent resignation to 
a definitely progressive one, full of vitality and 
robustness of spirit. Already sculpture has become 
one of the most active of modern artistic influences, 
and the promise it gives of even greater advance in 
the near future is most hopeful and encouraging. 

It is sufficient to review the achievement of a 
single year to gain an idea of the position which this 
one branch of art occupies at the present moment. 
Although it may happen that during the period 
chosen for examination some of the more notable 
artists have been prevented from doing themselves 
fullest justice, or may even have failed to show any 
work at all in the various exhibitions, there are so 
manv men now who aic able to arrest attention that 



66 



Tin-: ^r.\(;AZiXK of aiit. 



11,. absence ..f .vc. . ,Moat master docs not cause Uul ll.i. y-n iLcre were compensations even f 

the blank that woul.l not so very long ago have such gaps as these. W 
been only too plainly 



l)erceptible. During the 
past twelvemonth the 
record has in one sense 
sulfered by the inade- 
quate representation of 
such modern leaders as 
Mr. Thornycroft, Mr. Cil- 
bert, and ^Ir. Brock, and 
by the failure of Mr. 
Harry Hates to complete 
anything at all for ex- 
hibition ; and yet 1S97 
deserves to rank as a 
year of marked success 
in sculpture. It is true 
that Mr. Thornycroft's 
biis-reliefs at the Aca- 
demy, though small and 
departing little from 
the beaten track, were 
technically of great ex- 
cellence ; and that ^Iv. 
lirock's one large woik. 
the memorial "Efligy ul 
a Lidy," exhibited at 
the Academy, was a tine 
piece of design and ad- 
mirable in its display of 
executive skill. It musi 
be conceded that Mr. 
Gilbert's metal-work, in 
the same exhibition, 
.showed the most attrac- 
tive side of his super- 
lative capacity, and re- 
vealed to perfection that 
sense of applying mate- 
rials which puts him 
justifiably amon^ the 
chief decorative sculptors 
uf any period. r>ut :dl 
liiree arli.sts have in pa.-l 
years given us .so much 
evidence of energy as 
well as skill, that we 
have become accustomed 
to expect from them an 
array of important 
ellorts: ami tn have no- 
Ibinj; IVniu .Mr. Harry 
I'.ates, one of our most 
poctie and cla.ssic sculp- 
tors, is to lose one of the attractions of liie ait s.sison. with .luestions ot e 




OCEANA, 
(flv fli-rlf.nn AfcirA.'H(in/.) 



have had instead a demon- 
stration of all-round 
ability that is most in- 
structive, and a proof of 
the power of the younger 
men that is full of sig- 
nificance and of promise 
for the near future. Ob- 
viously, there is no cause 
for alarm lest the pro- 
<rress of modern sculpture 
should be checked or in- 
terrupted by any falling 
off in the number of 
artists capable of great 
achievement. We can 
plainly .see that among 
those who are now coming 
to the front there is a 
lull measure of the right 
sjiirit and a strong sense 
I if what is appropriate 
in .sculpture : and we are 
left in no doubt concern- 
in"' the sounilness of 
the technical knowledge 
wliicli tiiese younger men 
liaveaeipiired. They are 
11(1 less .skilful in exe- 
cution than they are 
judicious in design and 
intelligent in manner of 
treatment -. the combina- 
tion of these nualities 
fives to their work a 
degree of vitality that is 
a sure sign of further 
ileveloimient. 

One of liie most re- 
markable of the larger 
examples of sculiiture in 
ihis year's Acailemy was 
tlie statue of " Dame 
Alice Owen" by Mr. O. 
.1. I'rampton, an artist 
wliu has accustomed us 
111 expect from him a 
very hapjiy alliance of 
(iriginality and power. 
ill this piece of work he 

had to fare tlie dillieult 

pi.ililem of ciimliiiiiiig 

liai iiioniously various 

materials, and had to deal 

an- as well as form : Imt his 



■^1 ri.iTrKK IX ]s!)r. 



(>7 



success was bcyoiul dis- 
pute. Xo hint of dis- 
cordance spoiled the 
general eflect of the 
statue, and the admir- 
able workmanship, hotli 
of tlie bronze and the 
tinted marble, could 
scarcely be too highly 
praised. Equal skill 
was shown in his two 
bronze reliefsof" Charles 
Keeiie "at the Academy 
and " lieginald Stuart 
Toole" at the Xew 
(Jailer}-. Another 
young sculptor, Mr. 
Bertram ^lackcnnal, 
added appreciably to 
an already .sound re- 
putation by the work 
which he sent to the 
Academy. His " Oce- 
ana," a marble statue 
slightly under life-size, 
was a delightful piece 
of idealism, charming 
in its 'refinement and 
yet perfectly rolnist 
and real in its represen- 
tation of a wholesome 
physical type. A mar- 
ble bust and some .small 
bronzes exhibited at 
the .same time were, if 
less impcjrtant in scale, 
no less interesting as 
evidences of his de- 
finite and striking in- 
dividuality. :\Ir. F. W. 
Pomeroy, too, made his 
mark at the Academy, 
where his skilfully com- 
posed and daintily 
handled statuette, " The 
Xymph of Loch Awe," 
found favour with the 
Council and was pur- 
chased for the Chan- 
trey Fund Collection : 
and he was represented 
more than .satisfactorily 
at the Xew Gallery 
by a bronze statuette, 
"Pensee." Mr. Alfred 
Drury's chief produc- 




INVOCATION TO THE GODDESS OF LOVE, 



tions during the year 
liave been devi.sed for 
other purposes than e.\-- 
iiiliition, for the de- 
coration of Ijuildiiigs or 
Tor erection in pulJic 
]ilace.s, .so that a .single 
bust, "The Age of In- 
nocence," was all that 
III' .sent to Burlington 
Mouse. This, however, 
by its exquisite apijro- 
priateness and charm 
of manner, fully con- 
linued the good im- 
pression caused liy his 
" Griselda," to which 
last year was accorded 
tlie same honour that 
has now lieeii gained 
by ]\Ir. Pomeroy's 
" Nymph of Loch Awe." 
I\rr. Toft, Mr. Pegram, 
iMr. F. E. E. Schenck, 
and Mr. Felir all aided 
materially in keeping 
up the artistic standard 
of the season. Mr. Toft's 
statuettes — " Sjjring," 
at the Academy, and 
" An Invocation," at 
tile New Gallery : :Mr. 
Felir's statue, " Invo- 
cation to the Goddess 
of Love:" and the de- 
corative figures Ijy :Mr. 
P e g r a m a n d ;M r . 
Schenck, were marked 
by quite notable power, 
and were very welcome 
additions to the varied 
series of illustrations 
of the modern point 
of view which were 
gathered together in 
the two chief galleries. 
Among the sculp- 
tor - Academicians the 
only one who availed 
himself to any great 
extent of his privilege 
as a member was Mr. 
Onslow Ford. He 
showed as manyas eight 
examples of his work, 
all in his very best 



G8 



TIIK ^FACA/IXK (IF AIIT. 



iiianiuT jiiul all wurtliy el' tlic I'loscsl alteiilimi. 
Si'VL'ii of tlii'in wore portrait l)usts almumling with 
vivid reality ami treaUMl with the siiieerest sense 
of style: and the eighth was his t|iiaiiit and 
imconvciitional "dowett Memorial," intendecl fur 
the eliajiel of lialliol College, Oxford. It would 
be dillienlt to .say whieh of tiie seven hnsts 
could be faii'ly regarded as representing him most 
adequately, for all were in dillerent ways as complete 
as the best balance of artistic ipialities could make 
them. I'erliaps the jjreferenee might be given to 
the portrait of I'rofessor Hevkomer, which revealed 
a singularly .sympathetic apprecialion of character: 
but the .subtle delicacy of Ihe " I'ortrait Bust" nf 
;i lady, (he virility iif ibc bronze of "The Lati^ Sir 
.1. v.. .Millais," and ihu judieinnsly dillcrentialril 
individuality of the others, make any alteni|)t at 
serious eomjiarison of e.\cellen<e iiii'treclivc, if nut 
impossibl(>. ^\'e may fairly feel giatefnl to him 
for his industry: we could not have sparnl any cine 
of his contriliutions. hi addition to thes(> cxhibitid 
Works he has also ijuite recently com])l('l('il Ibr 
masterly statue of l)r. jialc, wliich will, in llic 
I'irmingham Art (iallery, serve as a jicrmaiient 
mi-morial of the great Xonconformist leailer. 

About a dozen exanijilcs of siidiitiuc of various 
types repr<'sented the total contribution of the rrsl 
of the Academy mendiers. ]\fr. I'lrock, in adilition to 
his " Klligy of a T,ady," sent an adniiralili' iiiaiMr Ijiist 
of Sii- IJichard Quain : Mr. .\rnistcad a statue, ' i'lay- 
mate.s," of a iiuile girl jilayingwith a liittcn : and .Mr. 
Thornycroft some jiorlrait medalJinns — tliesc, with 
^fr. Frampton's two works and ."\lr. Ibiton b'ivicre's 
"Anatondcal Lion," eoiii]irisiMi nc.-nly Ibi' wboic nf 
the Academic edbri in ait of lliis class. ,S(inn> piiccs 
of melal-woi-k niusi, however, lie added to coniplrti' 
the list. yU: (lilbcrl's cxtrcm(dy licautiful " Mwcr 
and Kose-walcr liis!i,",nid bis gnld iiic(lal fui aniiii.il 
]iresi'nlalion at St. llartliolonicw's Jlos)iilal in memnry 
of the late Sir AVilliam l.awicncc: ]\lr. d. M. Swan's 
silver group of a young Indian leopard |ilayiiig with 
a tortoi.se: and I'rofessor Iferkumrr's gold and i\orv 
Pi'esidential badge foi- (he JJoyal Water Colour 
Siwiety, made a most iiujiorlant addition (u the snin- 
lotal of the interest whieh was to be derixcd from 
an inspi'ction of the two roonis assigned at Ibirling- 
ton House to sculpture, and, with the silver bon-bnn 
dish liy y\r. Heynolds Ste|)hens, gave a )ilcasanl hint 
of till' progress whiidi is being rajiidly madr towards 
the creation of a really worthy .school of workers 
in the more costly nu'tals. Another a])pliiation of 
the sculptor's craft was illustratrd in the lolmired 
plaster relief which Mr. .\nning I'.cll exhibiti'd in 
the spring show of the New ICnglish Art Club— a 
successful coinliination of colour with m<idelled form 
which could only be juilicionsly altiinpti'd bv an 



artist who po.s.sesses, as Mr. iSell certainly does, 
a most .sensitive feeling for colour arrangement as 
well as a true sense of line coniposition and dccuia- 
tive balance. 

Even outside the exliiljition galierii's the record 
of sculpture for l.SilT is lacking in neither value nor 
variety. The steady demand for the .services of thi^ 
.sculptor as a coadjutor to the andiiteet, which has 
lieen very plainly perceiitible of late, shows every 
sign of becoming year by year more active and 
gives every promise of growth into a great art move- 
nu'iit. Scvcial i>( mir younger artists lind constant 
oc'cupalioii in the trcatnieiit of the ornamental 
driails of anbitcitinal designs, and the eHecl of 
tbrir jiarticipation is seen in a markiMl im])rovement 
ill the decorali\(' accessories of newly erected bliild- 
ing.s. A\'liat was fdiiiirrly niciidy a matter of 
mccliaiiir.al iiiainifactiuc lias now become a subject 
for artistic .ittcntion, tbcrcfoii' no consideration of 
till' scid[itnre of to-day can be complete unless 
iiolicc is taken of wliat is liciiig ibme in tlic |iiiblic 
pl.ices and streets of dur cities and towns. Indeed, 

tn omit tllis lliilice Wnuld be to (iNellook SOliie of 

the liest eltbrts of our ablest sculplor.s. Jjr. StirlinLt 
Lee, fur instance, has dining this yi'ar ]iiit himself 
ill i'\idciicc at liiilir iif the galli'lii's, as liis lime has 
been entirely taken ii|i wiib aicliitectiiral work. 
.Mr. |)iniy lias been cbielly oceiijiied with terra- 
cott.i liiiidrlliiig for xariiius bui]ib'nn> in LuiidiPii .and 
the eounti}', and lias also made considerable pro- 
gress with the clay models of sniiie colossal bronze 
ligures intemled to serve as electric light stand.irds 
at Leeds. .Mr. I'omeroy's siailiitiire and plaster- 
work- fdi- a bouse in .Mayfair li.is been I'cccnlly 
iefeii'e(l In in this Magazine, Mr. .'sebenck's energies 
lia\e Iieen almost entirely ilevuted to the ileeora- 
ti\e features of the (txfonl Town Hall. Mr. 

I'egiani's Hilly exhibits at the .\c;ii|eniy were ;i 

ciiu|ile (if ligures intended fur tiie base of a candela- 
biiiin; ,iiiil iniicli of Mr. .Maekennal's ontpiit for the 
year lias cniisisled of desi^ilis fur niel.d-wiil k rei|llired 
f(ir ileclricdiubl linings, a class of prodiietioM for 
wliicli be is. by bis strong sense of line value, 
|ie(iiliarly well siiiled. 

Several iliipcutunt memorials lia\e lieeii bnnielif 
to coni]ilelioii or consiili'rably ad\anced during 1S!)7. 
.Mr. ford's "Iir. llale" has been already referred 
to. and among olber jiroduetions of the saliii' class 
must be reckoned .Mr. 'J'hornycrofl's statue of ()liver 
Cromwell I'm- a site at "Weslminster ; Mi. II. Monl- 
fords bronze tigiire of Charles 1 )arw in, nn\ liled in 
August at Sliri'wsbury ; ^fi'. (biscombe dohn's" Me- 
morial to the Laic Canon (iuy, I ). I •., " I'm I be cliapid of 
Forest School; Mr.( )nslow Ford's moimnicnt to Ihclate 
Ifaniilliiii ftraeallum at I'.eer : and the statue of 'Myk 
Siddoiis bv M. ( 'lie\alliand. nn\ eilcd at I'addinglon bv 




SIR J. E. MILLAIS, BART.. P.R.A. 

(By E. Ons'.oto Ford. R.A. Presented by f/it Smlptar tu the Royui Ai:udtit»y, to be pIoL^d in the Vestibule.) 




DAME ALICE OWEN. 
(By Georgi! J. Frampton, A.H.A. Unueileil at tile Luiiy Owen School, October 2Ut, 1897. Seep, 60.) 



THE ^rAGAZIXE OF AHT. 




THE NYMPH OF LOCH AWE. 
{By f. W. Pomeioi/, In !/;»• Chanirey Col/i^ction, MHIbank, 

Sir llciiiv Ii\ili,Lr- Alimii^ llii' chii.'rj wmk.s ic<i'iill\ liu(lal>. Aimlln r Wdik liy lliis lasl -iiniitiulR'tl sculi)- 
ciiiiiiiieiiceil are llif sUiUil' of -liid.^' Hughes lor toi', "Tin; First lallLtlioii/' was i>urclia.suil From 
]{ii"ljy Sclioul ami llic iiicMiiorial of Fonl Lciglilon the Dresden Exliiliilioii for the Queen of Saxony's 
for St. I'aul's Catheihal, for lioili of whieli .Mr. eolleiiioii. Il is worlli iiotjnif, too, as a matter of 
IJroek is to l)e resjionsilile : llie eaiioiiied loiiili hy some sii;iiifieanee, lliat in the National Competition 
Mr. .laekson and Mr. r)roek in meni<iry of the lale at South KeHsinulon five out of llie si.xleen gold 

medals, oriered for art-work of all kinds from all 
tlie art seiiools in tlie eountry, were awartled t(j 

modelled work, against 






Arehbishoi) of Canterbury, whieli is to he erci ted in 
Caiiterlmry Cathedral: and a statue of the i'uke 
of Norfolk which .Mr. 
()n.sloW Ford has heeu 
eonnnissioned to e.xerutc 
f<pr the new Town Hall 
at Shetiield. As a natu- 
ral eonse<|Uenee of the 
.Inhilee, several statues 
or statuettes of the 
(j>iieen have been com- 
menced or actually com- 
pleted. Among the 
smaller works of this 
elas.s, jierliaps the most 
interesting are .Mr. Mar- 
kennal's small full-length 
of till' Queen in her eort>n- 
ation robes, and Mr. E. E. 
(!etlowf<ki's reduction of 
his largi- statue at Singa- 
1 11 ire. 

Aniong the hiiliolU> 

gained by .seuliiture this 
year, the awards at the 
I'rns.sels Exhibition aic 
most important. Mr. 
Onslow Ford receiveil a 
first-class medal there, 
and Mr. Fianii)ton and 
Ml'. Drnrv second-cla.ss 



:s 



■^' 





PROFESSOR HERKOMER, 
(By £• OniJow Font. R.^.) 



R.A. 



one nidy for figure-draw- 
ing and none for ]iainting. 
The success of tlu' model- 
lers in the comiietition 
was, indeeil, secoml only 
to thai of the designers 
of all ela-sses, to whom 
seven gold medals were 
givi'U. t )n the whole, the 
record of the past twelve- 
month is an e.xt'ellenl 
one, and full of promise 
for coming years. It is, 
too, a matter for rejoicing 
that death has removed 
from the .sculptors" ranks 
only two men of note — 
Mr! d. Milo Crillith, the 
Welsh artist who.se com- 
paratively brief career 
was u very distinguished 
one, and Jlr. Ci. A. Itogers, 
the veteran wooil-earver 
who, tho\igh he had prac- 
tically retired from active 
work, was up to tin- very 
last a man of inlluence 
in the art world. 



73 



A MODERN DUTCH MASTER. 

H. W. MESDAQ, PAINTER OF THE SEA. 

By M. H. SPIELMANN 

THE headship of modern Dutch art belongs to career.* The book is a beautiful one and a credit 
Josef Israels on land and to Hendrik Willeiu to its printer, Mr. A. W. Sijthoff, who has produced 
Mesdag on the sea. To many beyond the borders it in a manner uniform with the "Henriette Eonner," 




THE STUDIO OF H. W. MESDAG. 



of Holland the names of no other living artists are 
so well known and so universally recognised — not 
even those of the brothers Maris. Eobust, original, 
sincere in his observation and skilful in recording 
it, il. ilesdag takes his place without presumption, 
with the acquiescence of his fellow-painters. His 
popularity is based on giounds personal as well 
as aitistic, and with these his otficial cliieftain- 
ship has combined to call forth the tribute of a 
handsome biographical "album," in honour of his 

9() 



which I wrote for the same publishers. The etchings 
are good examples of their class ; but it can hardly be 
said that the fine point with whicli they are wrought 
is well adapted to the translation of work so vigorous, 
bold, and \irile as ]Mesdag's, nor is the biograpliy 
or the criticism so complete as might have been 
expected from an artist judging another with whom 

* " H. W. Mesdnar : The Painter of the North Sea." With 
etchings and descriptive text by Ph. Zilcken. Translated br 
Clara Bell. (C.-issell & Company.) 



THI-: MAGAZrXK OF ART. 



he is in corJial ami friendly sympathy. I may 
perhaps be permitted to review the facts of the 
artist's life and add such estimate of his work as 
appear to me to be necessary.* 

Tlie use of adversity as a sort of incubator of 

* It should be remarked that the illustrations accompanying 
this |)aper are not borrowe 1 from the volimie in rjiiostion ; they 
liriv"' li'cii ill IcppiidiTilly prep:\reil. 




THE LIFEBOAT. 



t^ilent is widely believed in by many of those who 
have seen genius spring forth in spite of hardships 
and of a lifetime of poverty and disappointment. 
Poverty, it is true, often acts as a stimulant to 
literary talent, just as sulfering may bring forth 
the loftiest and deepest note of the poet. But 
it has been observed in the case of the artist tiiat 
care and wretchedness, if they do not always stunt 

his fancy, tend to 
cripple his capacity 
'^■■Mjl^HH for his best work, 

l^^^^l weighting his hand 

^^^^B and burdening his 

^Sk touch. Art, no doubt, 

lias often ilourished 
on unfavoured soil; 
liut that is only 
Ijecause Art has no 
si)eeial allection for 
wealth, and poverty 
is g<Jod for a student 
if not for the accom- 
])lislied craftsman. 
The fact is as clearly 
recognised in the 
ueighbouriiooil of 
i.'hel.sea as in Munt- 
martre, where the 
proverb " jueux 
fomtiie un ]>einlre" 
is as applicable to- 
ilay as it was when 
Tbaclceray wooetl the 
unwilling goddess. 
There are .some who 
go so far as to say 
liiat if an artist is 
not born to wealth 
lie should " marry 
money," in order that 
he nuiy quietly pur- 
sue, uutorn by care, 
the jiraclice of that 
art which demands 
unceasing devotion 
not less than mental 
e(|uanimity. History, 
no doubt, affords us 
few examples of art- 
istic genius nurtured 
liy wealth: but that 
is less an argument 
against the theory 
tlian an illustration 
of the well-known 
inriudice, existing 



II. w. :\iKsi»A(;, I'AiXTKi; of tifk sea. 



vo 




until within recent years among the rich who set 
their faces against their offspring embarking upon a 
career which in their hearts they despised as much 
as the Romans despised it in a former decadent age. 
^lesdag is one of the few banker-artists who 
have appeared to the world : indeed, I know of but 
one other — Seymour, the pmir caricaturist, whom, 
in spite of all, misfortune dogged and ihii\o liim 
finally into self-destruction. r>orn in (ironingen in 
ISol, the son of a merchant and banker, he was 
brought up strictly 
to a commercial 
career, to which 
he remained faith- 
ful tmtil after his 
marriage. Xever- 
theless, from the 
liist lie had sliown 
something more 
than an aptitude 
fur drawing: all 
liis spare time he 
devoted to the pen- 
cil ; he practised 
witli diligence and 
took lessons, as 
Israels liad done 
before him, from 
Buys. At the age 

of thirty-five, encouraged by his wife, he linally 
quitted the counting-house for the studio — or rather 
for that larger studio of nature, the open fields and 
highways of his country. He threw himself into his 
art with feveri.sh passion, and studied still-life and 
natui-al objects continuously, and with the humility 
and intense application of a l're-1'aphaelite biother. 
His hand, guided by his natural talent, soon re- 
sponded to the work, and in 1SG8 he exhibited in 
the towns of Holland and Bru.ssels the fii-st-fruits 
of his laliiiur. He was only an amateur as yet; 
still an amateur of the stamp of Seymour Haden 
and the Marchioness of AVaterford : that is to say, 
a heaven-born artist for whom practice alone is 
required to transform him into a painter. He had 
begun comparatively late in life; so had Corot, so 
dicl Verheyden, so did Renouard, and others of his 
contemporaries : and with a genius so natural lie 
was not long stayed in attaining the position at 
which he aimed. At first he was uot appreciated 
in his own country. Brussels showed more en- 
coura.crement ; so to Brussels he went to live. But 
in the summer he spent his holiday at Norderney 
and saw the great North Sea sjjread out before 
him, palpitating under the breeze and dotted with 
the lumbering boats of the fisherfolk — so picturesque, 
so quaint, revealing in their heavy lines few of those 



sailing qualities with which they ri\al the luggers 
of Norfolk and of Kent. This spectacle established 
his career: the .sea was his destiny, and to it he 
deternuned to devote the practice of his art. For 
that purpose he settled in the Hague, and not long 
elapesd l>efore he forwarded to the Paris Salon his 
'■ lireakers of the North Sea" — a work which brought 
him the amazement and delight of the gold medal 
and a letter of congratulation from Millet. He con- 
tinued to paint the sea under every aspect, and to 



OFF TO THE FISHING GROUND 

study cloud-forms and all the landscapes of the sky 
by day and night, which he treats with such unsur- 
passed harmony of feeling in the whole series of his 
pictures. The details of liis boat-drawing were open 
to criticism by tlie sailni', and his handling had 
hitherto been somewhat tight, as might be expected 
from so mature a reciuit. But facility was being 
rapidly conquered and jir.n.'lically Ijeen almost ob- 
tained. Mesdag had the good sense to vary his sea 
studies with pictures of the surrounding landscape; 
and it must be confessed that some of his exquisite 
pictures of lishing village and of street scenery in 
summer anil under snow, and even of orchard trees 
white with Ijlossom, are certainly not less charming, 
not less true, or well felt than the marine-paintings 
with which he established his fame. But it is e.s.'-en- 
uially as the pictorial liistorian of the North Sea 
coast of Holland that lie appeals to us. He repre- 
sents nut i-inly the sea but the weather: he paints 
not lady the wind lint the .salt air itself. He shows 
us the people and their occupations at all .•reasons of 
the year — when the men work in fair, brisk weatiier 
under a clear sky or lie becalmed under the rays 
of the sununer sun ; when the snow is thick, and 
boats are beached, or their black hulls lifted by the 
packed ice ; when storm is brewing and luggers 
flying for safety before the wind. He can paint 



76 



TIIK MAGAZIXK OF ART. 



atniospliuiu as uncniiigly as he can jiaiiil mm. and 
llie st'a lie sliows us in every phase known to that 
slmllow shore, all luit its l.rillianey Hashing' in the 
sun — the life of the mariners from Sclie\eninj,'en to 
Katvvyck he has stuilieil ami jiainted with vigour 
and virility, infusing into his pictures a noble 
sympathy and a keen insight which to the foreigner, 
at least, is of hardly less account than the technical 
merits of the work itself. 

There is never any donbt as to the meaning 
of Me.sdag's work. In this quality he carries on 
admirably the tradition of his great ancestors in 
art. His realism is of a sturdy sort and his .sense 
of composition an accomplishment natural rather 
than ac(|uired. Deliberate in his methods and 
forceful in his expression, his pictures are deliberate 
and forceful too, and a sense of space and movement 
gives tlii'm life. His touch is somewhat rugged ; the 
rather, I imagine, that emphasis of statement comes 
natural to him than becau.se he has any express 
contempt for linish or delicacy of handling. ISoldni'ss 
is in his touch, and in all his pictures an absence 
of att'ectation wiiich in these latter years of realistic 
and impressionistic art and jinrla.-iite is dcliglitinl 
and refreshing. 

Another acliicvcnicnt to wbicb i-cfmcnre ninsl 
now be made is the great i]anorania which sunic 
twenty years ago ^I. Me.sdag painted for a jmbjic 
company that was erecting these great circular jm- 
tures in several of the cities of Eurnjic. Tlu' bcsl of 
such woi-ks of long, if not of high, art, \viti:in recent 
yeai-s, will be remembered by the reader: the great 
battle panoramas of action liy I'liilippotcaux and De- 
taille, the portrait panoramas by (icrvcx and otlicis, 
the snjierb picture of Cairo and its ncigbbnurluKiil 
liy Kmilc Wautcrs — now pciniancntly set uj) and 
splendidly housed in liru.s.sels — and otlicis more sen- 
sational perhaps, but less striking in tlicir artistic 
merit. 'J'hc panorama of Mesdag rcjiri'senting the \iew 
around his beloved Schevcningcn ranks higli amongst 
the highest. Assisted by his pupils IJreitncr and 
I)e liock, as well as liy his wife, he produced a work 
of very remarkable beauty. 'J'iic illnsion is complete, 
but at no sacrifice of technical ([Uality. The sea and 
the- 1 tunes, the church and town liuildings, some of 
them since then removed out of their i)ictures(|ne 
surroundings, all appeared as truthfully on canvas 
as they did to the eyes of the painter and his 
a.ssistants when they stood upon the sandhill cm 
which the Seinpost now resounds to the music and 
laughter of merrymakers. The atmosphere and 
space are not less remarkable than the relief; the 
people working on the beach; the little lishing town 
with its blue smoke rising into the air — all combined 
t M infiisi! sweetness and tjuiet beauty into this pictui'e 

a picture three hinidred and si.\ty feet long. 



Not the rendering of landscape, nor even the 
study and rciirescntation of the human face and 
figure, reveal more certtiinly than .sea-painting the 
temperament of the artist or the idiosyncra.sy of 
his taste. Man's sympathy with man — at least 
with man reproduced in paint on canvas — often 
blinds us to .some extent to the humour and the 
■' point of view " in which the painter has regarded 
ills model : he is apt to con.sider less the bigness 
or the peculiarity of the artist's conception of his 
fellow-man and to ignore any special idio.syncrasy, 
unless unmistakably manifest — sucli as the mighty 
impressionism of \'elasfiue/, and llals, the fine 
realism of Millais and Holl, or the poetic iulellec- 
tualism, so to call it, of ilr. Watts. 

In the case of the sea it is diH'erent. "We -see 
at a glance that one painter loves it for its colour, 
another for its form, a third for its mighty movement, 
a fourth for its gentle swell. One worships the fury 
of its \va\t's and its threatening grandeur, anotiier 
regards it simply as an element in which and on 
which to float his ships. Its wetness fascinates the 
one, its Iranslucency another; for a third it is 
merely tiie mother of a cloud of snowy foam, and 
for another the medium of reflection of tiie .sky 
and of a comjjlex probleiu of the refraction of light. 
According to the man is the love thereof; and 
whether his all'ection is for the sea itself, or for 
its ([ualities and its ciiaracteristics, it is clear that 
it is regarded by few indeed for all its beauties, 
coniprciiensiveJv considered. 

Allliniigli Mcsdag knows t lie sea and represents 
it more sympathetically tiian any Dutchman before 
him, it is idle to eontend, as JI. Zilcken does, that 
his kiiHwlrilge and acliievruirnl wnuld exceed that 
of any lecent master — if any other sea painter could 
1m' said to exist. Of the general character and 
the conilurt of the sea round almut the shores of 
Holland — yes; but of its details a little further of^', 
when its sandy grey or brown, and nunky blue, 
give way to a thousand tints and waves cut into 
a myriad facets — emphatically no. The variety of 
the si-a is iulinile, and its devotees numerous beyond 
liouuds 111' M. Ziiiken's ituagining. Think of the 
blue seas of Henry Moore — blue, in general effect, 
but in reality compo.sed of every colour on the 
palette, to express the infinite play of hue that 
dances all over in and out of the niarvellmisly drawn 
waves — rolling in majesty or dancing in sparkling 
]ilayfulne.ss, vaguely receding to the horizon. And 
his grey shore-seas, great gloomy breakers bursting 
on the beach, or his tempestuous wave crumbling 
into foam away out to .sea, more threatening than the 
clouds that scud under the winds that lash them to 
fury and tear them into rags. Is this great nuLster 
of the deep .sea to be ignored to brighten the fame 



IT. W. :\[KS1)A(;, PAIXTEi; ^W THE SEA. 



V ( 



of the iiKiu who in generous sincerity returned to 
him the homage he received ? Tliink of the gi-een 
storm-swept seas of ilr. Peter Graliam, bursting 
into columns of foam against the clift" round wliich 
the gulls are sporting. Eecall the green, translucent 
wa\es of Mr. Walter Shaw or of Mr. Olsson — now a 
hollow cave, now a marble pillar, now a cloud of 
mist, as Euskin somewhere puts it ; the rich depths 
of opalescent blue of Mr. Watts ; the oily ground- 



personality as to realise on canvas so universal a 
sympathy even did it exist. 

IJut it is enough for Mesdag to be wliat he is — 
tl>e supreme master of his line. The sea a.s a mass 
he appreciates, and he can give us with unsurpassable 
truth its humours : but its characteristic details are, 
if not beyond, at least outside, the range of his art. 
As Mr. Watts regards humanity so does il. Mesdag 
regard the sea — with a broad generalisation that 




WAITING FOR THE TIDE 



swell of yh: Wyllic ; the tempestuous grey-green 
waters of Mr. Edwin Hayes or ]\Ir. T. B. Hardy ; the 
realistic calmness and optically-distorting ripples of 
Mr. Tuke ; the in-sweeping tide, bearing in its white 
line of crests, of Mr. J. C. Hook ; the Scotch waters, 
brown and green and blue, of ilr. Colin Hunter ; the 
sparkling expanse of the English Channel of Mr. 
Brett ; the grimly realistic poetry of ilr. Brang- 
wyn's storm-driven ocean — and then endorse, if you 
can, M. Zilckeu's claim on behalf of il. ilesdag. 
As I said, the aspects of the sea are too various, 
the humours too many, to find a sympathetic 
response in the bosom of one man. Still less could 
we hope to find an ability so complex in any one 



suggests, though it does not specify, detail such as is 
realised by some of the painters I have mentioned. 
As Courbet jjainted his "Wave" — and Mr. Whistler 
following him — so Mesdag the broad characteristics 
that have so fascinated him and have claimed the de- 
votion of his life. Compared with him Schotel, Cuyp, 
and Backhuyzen were mere dabblers in sea-know- 
ledge, and Clarksou Stanfield a surface specialist in 
luminosity. Turner alone among our older painters 
could head him, for he could see the mass as well 
as the detail. De Loutherbourg, our first real sea- 
painter in England, was theatrical rather than truth- 
ful in his observation ; but Turner, in this, as in all 
else, intensely sincere and earnest in his passion for 



78 



THE MAGAZIXK (»K AlIT. 



truth, woiili) have himself lashed to the iiiast tliat lie 
might, without tho risk of lieing washed overboard, 
study the teiujiest and wateh sea anil sky. Tlie 
result he gave us in several of liis mighty can- 
viise.s, such as "The Slave Ship" and "The Calais 
l$oat." In these cases, it is true, lie makes us feel 
that his first aim — fully attained — is to fippress us 
with the majesty of the storm, hut in sueli a way as 
to impress us too with the artistry of his composi- 



truth of the sentiment enhances the truth of the 
icpresentation. Moreover, the excellence of liis .seas 
is matchi'd hy the massive grandeur of his skies. In 
this respect, it must be admitted, he suri)as.ses 
Henry ^loore, who. magnificently and trullifully 
as he ananged his clond-cflects, rarely, as it appears 
to me, succecde<l in entirely removing a certain 
])ainty ipiality that militates against some of liis 
finest canva.se.s. I'.iit M. Mesdag rarely fails so; and 




BACK FROM THE NORTH SEA. 



lion. Willi M. Me.sdag we feel rather, witli jiim, tlie 
lyninny of the waters over the poor fisher-folk who 
eke out a jireearious livelihood on its treacherous 
iMj.som : aii<l when we see them calm and Itlue, 
lapping gently the sides of the liatlered lioats tiial 
tiike their rest in them — even when we .see their grey 
streaks dimly shining under the misty rays of the 
rising siiu — our thoughts are always those of the 
sailors who.se home they are. M. Me.sdag's .seas are 
the domain of the Dutch tishernicn — their liuiiting- 
groiiiul and tlieir cemetery — loved peiiiaps by the 
men, but feared, with good reason, by the women. 
Herein lies one of the chief charms of M. Me.sdag's 
art : it is as human as it is .sincere, and the unerring 



fieriuently he adds ,i subtlety of lighting, efTects 
rather felt than .seen, by which his pictures are lifted 
into the front rank. It is this power tliat elevates 
the jiainter into tiie artist. Tiie .sentiment is not 
only true, it is modern and intensely national in 
chaiacter, and is rai.scd by its individuality and 
originality from any suspicion of conventionality. 

There are few moods of the .sea that M. Me.sdag 
has not recorded. His aim is not so much iierfection 
of tecliiii(pie as the faithful record of tiie emotion 
aroused in him.self. Herein. 1 lielieve, he succeeds 
completely: he is the .Millet of Holland— a little 
more materialistic, perhaps, and less e.\([uisite in 
colour, liut as true to nature as Old Crome or 



THE EXPOSURE OF SOUTH KENSINGTOX MUSEUM. 



79 



Constable, Morlaud, or Segantini, or Nvhoever eke 
you like to whom the intention of realisation 
came before idealisation as the iirst duty of art. 

M. Mesdag is somewhat ill-known in this country, 
certainly not known as he should be, for he takes 
rank by right among tlie great artists of the day. 
"We pride ourselves upon our appreciation of the 
school of Barbizon ; we accept in greater measure 
or in less the latest ^•iews of artistic France and 
accord a welcome to style and no-style from what- 



ever country it may emanate. But we take little 
pains to increase our knowledge of men of established 
reputation. If M. Mesdag were encouraged to con- 
tribute from time to time to our periodical exhibi- 
tions, even though our painters might not learn 
much from him of wave-form and colour, they might 
at least receive in.spiratiun from the sight of his un- 
aftected canvases with their finely worked-out pro- 
blems of light and composition, and their noble 
virtues of breadth, simplic-ity, and style. 



THE EXPOSURE OF SOUTH KENSINGTON MUSEUM.* 



WHEX, a year ago, the Select Committee for in- 
quiry into the administration of the Museums 
of the Science and Art Department was promised by 
the Leader of the House of ('onnnons, we publi.shed, 
under the title which heads tliis article, some ob- 
servations upon the imperfections of system and 
management which needed piactical reform. Al- 
tiiougii this mass of evidence will be added to wlien 
the Committee i-esumes ne.xt session, the reader will 
find enough in these interesting pages to satisfy him 
as to the justification for the vast majority of the 
charges which have been levelled against the ad- 
ministration. He will also discover other facts of 
serious import which we did not touch upon. Tiiat 
the imminent risk of fire lias placed the collections 
iu continuous jeopaidy ; that boaid-meetings have 
been suspended by the present Lord President and 
Vice-President (the Duke of L)evonshire and Sir 
John Gorst) ; that thousands upon thousands of 
the books and photographs in the Art Library are 
uncatalogued, and are therefore inaccessible to the 
public — unknown, many of them, to tlie ofHcials 
themselves : that, owing to this ignorance, money 
has been wasted on repetitive purchases, sometimes 
up to many copies ; that spurious, soplusticated, 
and undesirable objects have been acquired at liigh 
prices ; that useless things have been bought ; that 
the Director for Art has no belief in ciycrlisc, and 
is not much concerned as to the genuineness of an 
object so long as it is beautiful ; that tlie Ciiairman 
of the Committee withdrew from the chair after a 
heavily adverse vote, and thereafter stood up for 
the Deimrtment of which lie is the parliamentary 
chief ; that the Secretarj' of the Department, its 
permanent head, made a number of stiange slips in 
his evidence, some of which he afterwards modified 
and set right, and was often uiialile, in common with 

* "Museanis of the Science and Ai( Department. Second 
Report." With evidence. Her Majesty's Stationary Office. OljO 
pages. 1897. 



several of his subordinate officers, to give replies 
to questions asked ; that records had been destroyed ; 
that Mr. "Weale, the Art Librarian, who has since 
been peremptorily dismissed, gave evidence which 
told against the Museum and some of its officials, 
and that the Director for Art, who.se .services have 
since been continued by an extension of his term, 
defended his Department. He will see that the ab- 
surdly inaccurate " Catalogue of National Engraved 
Portraits," compiled by ^Mr. Julian ]\Lirshall, against 
the compilation of whieli the Librarian protested, is 
still being sold in the Museum at the approximate 
loss of £1 OS. 6d. per copy, tlie sale price being 
OS. Gd.; and that, generally speaking, blunders are 
admitted enough to justify the criticism which the 
officials and their champions professed to resent 
so bitterly. It is not difficult, after mastering the 
evidence, to understand tiie witty opinion expressed 
by the late Mr. Hodgson, P.A., for many years con- 
nected with South Kensington, tliat the Department 
was bound up so tight with red-tape lest it should 
fall to pieces. 

Now such a contingency would undoulitedly 
be a national disaster. South Kensington is doing 
a considerable work ; reformed, it would fulfil its 
great mission. It is recorded in the evidence that 
two of the reforms we asked for have been, to 
some extent, introduced — after the Committee was 
appointed. " Circulation " has been placed under 
a new cliief, and tlie shifting about of the staft' (by 
which they were prevented from becoming experts) 
has been stopped. But much more is needed : and 
we look forward to the recommendation in tlie final 
Ileport tliat military control be dispensed with ; 
that the system be thoroughly revised ; that the 
office of Secretary be shorn of nmcli of the power 
which, contrary to the original plan, it has gradually 
acquired ; and that South Kensington be raised 
to the same standard of efficient working as the 
British Museum and the National Galleiy. 



80 



REMINISCENCES OF J. D. HARDING. 

By w. collingwooo, rw.s. 

TT is pleasant to remember old friends who have small drawings, half original and half "cribbed," 
1 lomr since passed off the stage. I have a which I sold by the dozen to some drawing-master 
..ratefuf memory of J. D. Harding, to whom 1 I knew, till by degrees these little successes, and 
" my love for the employment, awoke 

in me, as in too many others, the 
desire to be an artist. With this 
feeling the thought possessed me. 
Could I but get to know the great 
man whose works I so admired and 
whose name I so reverenced ! It 
secnu'd fur a long time too high for 
my ambition to grasp, till one day, 
silting with my fatlicr, out it came: 
and wliat was my delight when he 
at once said he would himself Uike 
some of my drawings to show him- 
This he did that very week. Jlr. 
Harding e.Kpressed a wish to see me, 
and not only encouraged me to per- 
severe, but used his influence with 
the tinn to whom I was apprenticed 
|i> induce them to give me up to 
what 1 had .set my heart upon, only 
sorrowing at my prospects lost, and 
a life thrown away on such a miser- 
able occupation. 

Harding was true to his kind 

purpose. Though he had now almost 

reliM(|uished the practice of teaching 

lie .said he would give me a st^irt in 

four lessons. I knew something of 

his lines of thought from his "Kle- 

mentary Art," which had just been 

jmblished (about 183o), and I was 

prepared to find he could teach me 

.something somid and earnest. How 

I drank in every word in those four 

important hours! Kacli night before 

I went to V)ed I had written out all 

a.s neatly word for word as possilile: for it Wius so 

orderly, plain, and forcible, that it could not fail 

to lie graven on my luemoiy, at least when fresh. 

After this he turneil me over to oiu- of his favourite 

pujiils for practical work, inviting nie to come to 

him from time to time with the results. 

This is perhaiis more about myself tlian Hard- 




J. D. HARDING. 

owe my adoption of art as a profession. As a 

boy, amusing myself with drawing, 1 reverenced 

his name as one of the great ones of the earth. 

It was partly from family assoeiation ; for his 

father, a drawing-master of tlie old sdiool, and a 

most worthy gentleman, was a neighbour and 

friend of mv father; and the .sim's ri.se into 

eminence was" naturally a source of pride to both, ing; but it is recalled for the sake of the man and 

My first efforts at learning to draw had been from his generous character, which many besides myself 

his drawing-books, which then came out annually, have proved. 

These 1 had a.««iiduouslv copied and studied, and Out of our connection as neighbours with Hard- 

bv de-Tees had arrive.! at the stage .if making ing's father aro.se an intimacy between Har.hng 



KK.MIXISCKXCKS OF 



n. HAKDIXC. 



SI 



ami my uncle, tlu' father of Colliiigwiioil Smitli. 
He was a shrewd ami thouglitful man. Hanling 
was pleased to say, in jn-esenting him with a f<'i>y 
of his Hi-st lai-ge work, " Elementary Art," that if 
there was any good in it he owed it to him. It 
was not surprising that young Smitli, who inherited 
his father's penchant for drawing, should lie destined 
for an artist, or that Harding should take liim 
under his wing. He was like an adopted child. 
artistically ; and hence the influence of Hanling 
on his manner all thiough life. Smith could never 
speak of liim hut witli gratitude for the miwaver- 
ing interest he took in jiis career. 

Harding was a man of independent and original 
thought. He found the landscape art of his early 
days to consist in imitation of the Old Masters, 
wlio in that department hardly claimed to be 
studeiit.s of Nature but of each other, (heat and 
aliimst unapproachable as are the works of the 
early schools as to the figure, as to landscape 
they liad never pursued the same coui'se or reached 
the same goal. Their ideal too often was art, not 
Nature, nor sincerely founded on Nature, And in 
the art prevailing in the early part of tliis centuiy 
tiie l)eau-ideal was attained when it was on the 
model of some great man of jiast times, when a 
work could be called Kemlirante.sque or Cuyp-like, 
or in tlie style of Kuysdael, and e-specially the 
art connnonly taugiit, that of the popular drawing- 
mastei-s of the ilay, was the purest mannerism, in 
the formation of which Nature had absolutely no 
share. In the pencil, mere smoothness of execution 
passed for " finish," while truth seemed never to 
be thought of. And again, there was " the bold 
.style," a libel on all that it pretended to pourtray, 
violating every sense of beauty or correctness. 
These defects Harding keenly felt, and steadfastly 
set his face against them. He early went straight 
to Nature, and humbly sat at her feet. One of 
his first lithographs was given to me as "a Pre- 
Kaphaelite Harding," servile only to Nature as 
he .stiw it, with no mannerism yet evident, no 
copying of anything but wliat he had before hiui. 
He learned to see how- trees grew, studied their 
habits, their " manners and customs,"' entered into 
their life, perhaps not so deeply as Ruslcin : but 
he did what liuskin has since done better still 
and caiiied furtlier. No wonder, then, that he 
abhoiTed the ropy cur\es that make up the ideal 
of tree-life in the art too common at tliat day. 
No wonder that he struck out for himself a new 
" style," which should be founded on Nature. And 
if he became a mannerist — which he would hardly 
himself deny — it was a manner of repeating truth, 
telling all the truth in the best way he could 
devise for that end. 
97 



He loved Nature ; but he lo\ed her best at In r 
led. He loved trees: but lie did not lo\e their 
deformities. He did not love to repi-esent disea.se. 
His was the ideal of an Apollo. He sought the 
highest standard, tlie most perfect model for what- 
ever he drew. He eschewed the rule on which 
the Pre-Iiaphaelite .school was founded — that of 
'"selecting nothing anil rejecting nothing." He 
wouM paint nnly what was beautiful, or wliat he 
thouglit so. Ii was not with the courtier feeling 
that would Hatter his subject ; it was the love 
that would cover all faults. He would .'ipeak evil 
of nothing in Natuie ; if he saw it he would .seek 
to hide it. Nature to him was .synonymous with 
beauty ; and since that beauty was so far beyond 
him in the race, he at least would not be handi- 
cappeil by anything ugly. He .said of William 
Hunt tliat if he had to paint a beggar he would 
be sure tn give liim a cut finger with a rag upon 
it ; and as lie remarked to nie, " in the next 
exhibition there it was 1 " Hunt could make a 
saint of his beggar witli bis .sores. Harding's 
feeling was clifl'erent : eacli. it may lie, right in 
its place. 

Of course he abhurred rre-llapliaelisiii ; tn liim 
it was the apotheosis of deformity. He had liailed 
the first appearance of " ]\Iodern Painters " as the 
advocacy of an abler pen of tlie great principles 
lie was teaching : and lie was willing enougli to 
have Turner held up as a model : for though he 
never emulated his imagination, or accepted the 
extent to which it was carried, in Turner's work 
lie found an example of what he taught about 
looking out for Nature's beauties and making 
them the theme of art. But when it came to 
the .setting up of a school of ugliness — as it seemed 
to him and to most — in the palmy days of the 
P.-E.B., he could not abide it. Perhaps he ought 
to have foreseen that tlie.se cliildLsh beginnings, 
these outcomes of boyish conceit, would give way 
to more sober experience, and that the youth who 
painted the " Carpentei's Shop ' would become the 
man wlio should produce the loveliest touches of 
infant lieauty, and the boldest strokes of life-like 
liortraiture. As it was, Harding's antagonism to 
what he saw growing up damaged him by holding 
liim back from lessons he himself might have 
learned, and which would have made him a greater 
painter. 

It was always a treat to go iuuud llie exhibi- 
tion with tlie man who was undoubtedly by far 
the best teacher of his day — one who had studied 
art thoroughly and practically, who had unusual 
power of eommunicating what he knew, and no 
less lo\ed to do so. Many a point of lasting 
instruction I have thus gained from him. If I 



82 



TIIF. :VIA(:.\ZIXK OK AliT. 



iiiciitioii any I'xaiiiiilc. it niiist !«■ sunn, that would 
interest tin- icadfr. 1 icnn-inlK-r standin;.' ln-fcirc 
a Slanficld, the principal fcalurr in wliidi was a 
largi' lioiit in tlie fitifginund high ami dry nn the 
sjiiid, most carefully studied, antl every hit of light 
and shade <in it dniwn. AVe had heen talking of 
the inipoiUince of drawing shadows correctly : I 
reniarketl, "There is a man who understands this." 
' How so'" he leplieil : "he does not seem to know 
what a shadow is. That hoat has heen drawn 
from the oiiject with care: he has put in liic 
'darks' us he juit in tlie colour, hecau.se he .saw 
them, hut only for their picture.S((Ue value. When 
he comes to j)aint his hoat on the .shore, it never 
occurs to him to jiut any shadow on the dry sand." 
So in fact it was. The hoat had been studied in 
the water in full sunshine, hut now on the .saml 
it cast no shadows. 

Harding laid great stie.ss on the part w hidi ■ 
.shade or shadow plays in expression. In the lioyal 
Academy (it might have been on the .same occasion) 
we came upon two pictures placeil near each other 
— a head by Kastlake and a <log by I.,!indseer. He 
])ointcd out how, with a fortnight's lalioui and 
all his sweetness of Hesh tint, Kastlake had failed 
to make the head apjiear round : there was none 
of Nature's shade anywhere. In I.andseer's dog, 
by one stroke of a large Hat l)rush just at the 
junction of tin- light and shade, the licad stood 
out in startling leality. Harding ever enforced 
the tintling out and emjjhasising of that on wiiicli 
expre.ssion deitends, and leaving other tilings to 
take their time and their chance. 

He was always inventing some new appliance, 
some new mode of Work. The solid sketcli-liook 
was first his idea, to u.se up old scraps of ]iaper 
too small to be stretched on a board. He bad 
bis own drawing desks ami nests of models, his 
stump and his ])ort-eiayon, and numberless other 
things were the fruit of his ingenious brain. 
I'erhaps the most impoitant was his " pure draw- 
ing paper," which he got made up to his ideal — 
perfect as suited to his habit of work, and certainly 

for tho.se whose work it suited it was a great 1 n : 

a machine-made pa[ier, with two suil'ai;es, the rough 
side having a pleasant tooth, unbleached and there- 
fore with a slight time. .So long as be li\ed to 
superintend its make it was perfect in its sort. 
This nnist not be judged of liy the rnbliish aftei- 



wards turneil out with his initials u)ion it. and 
which is a libel on his reputation. I have .s.ived 
.some pieces of the old, and as they can never he 
replaced. I gitnlge to desecrate them by working 
on them. 

To one who did so much with the jjoint — 
liencil or c:halk ^ lithograi)hy was a great gain, 
and he carried it to its full strength, applying 
it ever in new ways. Among the.se was litliotint, 
in which, at great cost of time and experiment, 
hi- ultimatelv succeedeil, giving what was till then 
unknown, a reproduction of Indi.in ink or sepia 
drawing. The efi'ect was .so charming, and the 
j)ropess, as he comjileted it, .so siinjile, that I have 
often wondered bow it sbn\il(| ba\e .so .soon fallen 
into disu.se. 

He worked sometimes with great decision and 
designed with facility. I remember a large draw- 
ing — antiiiuarian, I think — of a distant view of the 
Alps, which, when be saw it on the exhibition 
walls, he took from its fiame and sponged out 
tlie lower half, putting in an entirely new fore- 
ground and restoring it to its place in three hours. 

Xeither of Harding's two sons iidierited his 
lalcnt for art. His mantle, as a teacher, fell on 
\V. \\'alkei-, of Manchester, a man ipiite his eipial. 
if not suiierior, in the power of communicating 
instruction. This Harding highly appreciated, and 
left to him the rci>ublication of any of his works. 
Walker's teaching was known in and around Maii- 
chestei- as Ijcing of the higliest order, and to his 
inthuMice Society owes many a useful member, 
lie never went in for artistic reputation, but gave 
himself u]i to the work In- could do so well, till 
paralysis laid liini low, and has di.sablcd him fiom 
all active labour. He lea\es it to bis son A\'m. 
lyvre \\'alker. IJ. W.S.. to take rank as a iiaiutcr. 

I should not do justice to these rcmini.scenres 
of Harding if I omitted to mention his religious 
character, which those knew best who knew /liiii 
licst. .\nd bis con\ictions sloo(l biin in good 
stead when his enil drew near. Though his fame 
never could rank among the greatest, he had 
fulHlh'd his mission. His inllucnce in the develoji- 
ment of art was far more than he is nsu.illy 
credited with. Others have reaped the fruit of 
his laboui's: but it was be that did more than 
any to .set the ball rolling which has gathered 
the force we see at this dav. 



83 



DEVELOPMENT OF MODERN ENGLISH ARCHITECTURE. 

Bv R. PHENE SPIERS. F.S.A. Master of the Architectural School, Roval Academy 

IX llie Hi'st half oF this contiuy. iliiiiiii;- llir ]H'riii(l Tlie (livck rrvi\,il l;i[isnl wiih the di'iilli (if 

of tlio (iivt'k rexival, tliovc wen.' ihH wanting CnekeivU, anil sn far as imr jmhlii.' namunients ami 
jicvsiins (if inrineiiio anil pusiiinn whu, iliivrily or ilmui'stic arrliiti'iturc -aw (■(jnciniinl, iho (Idtliic 




REGENTS PARK LODGE; VIEW FROM NORTH-EAST. 
(Ors/i/iiM/ by W f. Hesfirltl.) 



inilirectly, materially assisited [in the developnuMit of 
architectural style. The publication of the series of 
measured drawing.s of ancient Greek woik, which 
was commenced by Stuart in 1762 and eai'ried on 
by the i)ilettanti Society till 18G2, stand.s forth as 
evidence that the keenest interest was taken by the 
\\\>\>vv and more cultui-ed clas.ses in what they con- 
sideied to be a purer and more rational style! than 
that which had previously existed. Equally through- 
out the Gotliic revival a similar interest was takm 
by the more intelleetual classes and writers of eniiii- 
ence, just as Hope, Freeman, am! lluskin ]iiipnl,iiiseil 
the study of the new architeelural de\elopnient. 



revisal came almost to an end with the death of 
Street, Scott, and lUirges. 

Already, however, in the "seventies a new influence 
liegan to dis|ilay itself, and I he last twenty years 
has witnessetl a. I'eactioa which in its scope and 
variety far eclipses any of its predecessors; but, up 
to the present time, with one or two rare excep- 
tions, no lay writer or [lerson of emhieuce has come 
forward to critici.se advci'sely or otherwise tlie new 
movement. The Architectural Gallei y of the i;o\;il 
Academy is fre([uented by thos(» only who search lor 
solilude, or more rarely liy ihose who, ha\ing alreaih' 
Ijuilt oi' intendin'4 to do so, are anxious to refresh 



84 



THE MAGAZINE OF AKT. 



their iiiumory or to attempt to failiom iliu uiysteiies 
of aicliitectural design. 

Wliat maybe called a iiegJitivc (ipiiiiou was given 
three years ago liy Mr. (iladstone in the course of an 
address delivered at a National AVorkincn's Exliihi- 
liiiM in the Agricultural Hall, when he expressed his 
dismay at the tendency in nii)derii duniestie archi- 
tecture to redundant ornamentation. "There are," 
he .Slid, "a great number of new buildings in Lnndon 
with regard to which, if ynu lunk at them, yon will 
lin<l that the architect had either a horror or a ilieail 
(if leaving bare a single square foot of wall— as if 
there were .something indecent in leaving it bare. 
Kxce&s of ornamentation is of all things the most 
hostile to a due appreciation of proportiiui. because 
it is in proportion to ibe perception of lireadth and 
beauty and line, and in the adjustment of linis to 



Mr. Ciladstonc was not lecturing on architecture; but 
we have every reason to be grateful for the opinion 
ex]ires.sed, especially as it was ))receded by reference 
to Early Christian architecture, in which the " chief 
characteristic was its extreme simplicity — every line 
instinct with a beauty which the rudest and most 
untutored could hardly fail to recognise." 

If "redundance in ornament" was the only 
failing in modern work, architects might be con- 
gratulated on getting olV so easily. Unfortunately, 
at the present day. not only is there an excess 
of ornamentation, lait the ornament itself is fre- 
(jueutly so vulgar and out of .scale that it becomes a 
blemish, and it is almost as often as not ])Ut in the 
wrong jilace, being occasionally an addition which 
has notldng whatever to tlo with the destination 
of the structure or its constructional requirements. 




REGENTS PARK LODGE. FROM THE WEST 

one another, that the essence of the art lies, and .\ writer of eminence was once asked by a friend 

in that you will find the hope of attaininu high how he managed to make his descriptions so clear 

excellence in great work.s." and lucid, and he rei)lie<l, " By cutting out all the 

'I'he occasion was not one on whiih the spcakci- useless ailjectives when I am revising my prot>f- 

coidd be ex]iected to enter mole into ilie subject, as sheet." 



T»EVEI.orMKXT ( )F -MdHElIX KXCLISH AKCHITKrTUEE. 



8i 



If the architect could be prevailed iiiiou to cra-e 
all the useless ornament in liis design and to trust 
to the material itself — stone, brick, or wood, with 
tlieir ever-varying tints, 
tintij which are further de- 
veloped by age — how much 
more s;itisfactory the result 
would be ! Tin's is espe- 
cially the case in I^ndon, 
where the dust, blackened 
by smoke, rests on the 
upper surfaces of the orna- 
ment, showing black lines 
where evidently higli liglits 
were intended. 

Mr. Gladstone not only 
reflected on the excess of 
ornamentation in modern 
architecture, but, by way 
of contrast, referred to tlie 
l)eauty and simplicity of tlie 
remains of Early Christian 
aichitecture. " In those le- 
niains," he s;iid, " beauty 
is not supplementary and 
occasional, but uniform and 
invariable;" and continued, 
" I am not now speaking of 
the works which were pro- 
duced in the later middle ages, but of those wiiich 
present most of the character of simplicity as their 
main characteristic." " Salisbury has less ornamen- 
tation on its exterior than any other cathedral, and 
I believe in a gi-eat many hou.ses in London." 

The conclusion, therefore, to whidi ilr. Glad- 
stone's remarks lead us is that the hope for progress 
lies rather in a search for simplicity than in over- 
elaboKitiiin. 

I have already, when speaking of the redun- 
dancy of ornament in modern architecture, pointed 
ont that it is frequently put in the wrong place, 
and is occasionally an addition which has nothing 
to do with the destination of the structure or with 
its constructional requirements. It is in this latter 
sense that modern design suffers the most, and it 
is some consolation to find that the more eminent 
of our architects have recognised the fact, not only 
that ornament should be applied sparingly, except 
in cases which call for great elaboration and rich- 
ness, but that it sliould be u.'ied rather to enqihasise 
and give life and cbaiacter to the constnutioiial 
requirements. 

As an example of the application of ibis piin- 
ciple, we give an illustration of a small building 
which at the time of its erection came as a revelation 
to artists, and may be said to have been llie fore- 



runner of that type of country domestic architecture 
which superseded the Tudor lodge style of the first 
half of this centurv. Tlie small lodge built at the 




REGENTS PARK LODGE: THE ENTRANCE. 

soutli end of the central avenue of llegent's Park, 
from the designs of the late AVm. E. Xestield, in 
lSti4, being in a Eoyal park, was fortunately not 
subject to the regulations of the London Building Act, 
so that picturesque features, which are more or less 
confined to the country, were here adopted, almost, 
it may be said, in the centre of London. 

Xesfield in his early days had drawn, measured, 
and analysed a large nundjer of the half-timber 
and tile-hung cottages which are still to be found 
here and there in the Kent and Sussex tillages, and 
had recognised that these simple structures (the 
work probably of the village bricklayer and car- 
penter) not only contained in their design the most 
rational and the simplest construction, but, in the 
framing of their timber-work, tliey constituted, with- 
out any architectural pretensions, the most pic- 
turesque outlines, absolutely iu keeping with their 
rural sun-oundings. 

ilany an architect and artist had selected such 
subjects iuv a picture or sketch, and had taken the 
keenest delight in depicting these simple structures, 
Itut Xesfield was, perhaps, tlie tii-st to recognise that 
their chief elciiiciits could not only be reproduced, 
so far as the principle of their design was con- 
cerned, liut that they were really of tlie simplest and 
most ecoiii.puiical character, and only required slight 



.S(i TIIK MACA/INF, OF AUT. 

iiic>;litiiatiuii-; Id make tliL'iii iiiipliciiljlo to tlio wantsof Tlii' wliole of tlic first floor is in iialf-liinlii'r 
the int'scnt ilay. It is true that sucli slnicliires ic- wmk, ami this allows of jfieater size heing given 
(jiiiro till' eye of an artist to conceive tlu'in, and of an to Ihe room l>y a portion of it heing hrougiit 
archilcct tliorotiglily acfinainted with the most soliil out to overhang the groinul stoiy. This portion, as 
ami (liiialile methods of framing limher to work ont well as the whole of the north side of the eastern 
the necessary drawings: but otherwise, heyoml llu' half, is tile-hung, so tiiat in material as well as in 
taking of inlinite pains to instruit the workmen (as eolour the (^iiaracter is homogeneous. \'ariety, huw- 
I'uiiin had to d<i when working out iIk- details for ever, is given to the vertical i)ortions hy the use 
the Ifo\ises of j'arliamcnt), there was no dilliculty in of sealloped tiles, except in the four lower courses 
reprodueing not only many of the forms, hut th<' of tiles, which ai-e brought forward to throw oH" the 
real spirit of the ancient <lesigns. To the casual rain. The roof is covered with i)lain tiles and a 
visitor walking round the licgcnt's I'ark Lodge, the jilain ridgi- roll, and these, liy their simplicity, add 
design nn'ght seem to be of the most <'oniplicaleil in i he ilecorativi' iiualily of the scalloped tiles, 
chaiactei-. \o two palls present the same design. In the west front (p. S4) the lower portion only 
The i>nijecling eaves in the lower poitiMii of ilie of wlial might have been an<ithcr gable is carried Up 
roof all seem to be at diirereut levels, and no two \(itic;dly, overhanging as liefoic the ground story: 
windows .seem to be of the same size or foinuaiiil ihe reniiiiiider is hi)ipeil back. To gi\e more 
yet there is not a feature in llie building whicii is rooui inside, ib<- window is brought forwaiil as a 
not the natural outconie of an actual re(|uiii'iiii'iil dormer-w iiidow under a pent roof, and the; uppei' 
and the sim]ilest means of meeting it. 'Hu- plmi pnriion of roof, instead of licing lii[iped back, is 
is, with the exception of tiie liou -\v inilow and ibe enipba>isc'd liy being made \'eilieal. The lirei)laces 
porch, as nearlv as po.ssible sipiare, and conlaius are all arranged in the centre of ibe building, so 
ou the grouml-tlooi' a sitting-room (once used as ihal there is only one ehinuiey-stack, wlii<li forms, it 
a refreshnient-rooni, whence the luxury of a bow- may be said, tin' crowning feature of the structure, 
wimlow), kitchen, .seullevy, and oilier i>Hices, ami liie ( )ii the norlii sidi' of the lodge, umlerncath jrarliiJiis 
staircase: and on tlie up))cr lloor three bedrooms: of ibe beilrooms, is an open loggia, entered under the 
a sini[)le probli'in, which in Italy would ba\e lieen gable with the oriel window before referred to ami 
met by carrying up thi' walls through the two floors, carried acro>s lo the west frcjul. There was a low 
and covering the buiMing with a flat oi' Iow-])ilched fiiice Nvall enclosing ibis latter portion with a central 
roof. In France, and as may be seen evi ii in the support in wood turned with beautifully designed 
]iarks and sid>urbs of I'aris, the roof would lia\e bad mouldings. The fenci' wall is now remo\ed, and 
a higher l)itch, all four siiles sloping e(|ually iiiwaiils the turned-wood sb.ifl lias be<'n replaciMl liy a cast - 
.ind terminating in a point or short ridge, the iimi cohiiun of e\ecrabh> taste. The south front 
chimneys in both cases taking their chance in the is so masked liy trees, (hat no jiliotograph of it ciaild 
composition. If a more ornalc building weie ic- betaken, ll follows on the same lines as that of the 
(piired, the window and doors woidd have pedinu'Uts north fiont, except, that the gabb' end, instead of 
added afterwards with pilaster strips or stone ipioins, being brought forward on tin' moidded beams which 
none of which formed any part of the necessary carry the floor, as seen in the illustration, is carried 
structure. The, general a])pearance woidd have by a coved coinice which luns riutnd the bow- 
been that of a lio.x pii'rced with holes. And how- window aiul entrance porch. This coved cornice was 
ever rich the decoration might be, howevei- elaborate run in ]ilasler, and whilst still wet Xestield scorcil 
ami artistic the carving of tin' detail, tla^ general ii o\i'r with a geonielrieal design encrusted with 
ell'ect woidd be ,just the same. This, however, was In it lie-ends suggest ive of the lil.igree work and .jewels 
not Xesfield's interpretation of the pinblcni. Tlic wbich enriched the old chalice.s. I have only here 
front or eastern half he covers with a high-piiched described I he leading I'ealures of llu' lodge, but every 
roof, the other half with a similar roof of sligbtl,\- detail of it, large and small, is full of design. More 
le.sser height running at right angles to and jn'iie- artistic thouglil, in fact, has been bestowed mi this 

tratiiig the first roof. This is the lirst eh 'lit, as little structure than on many a town-hall twenty 

seen in illustrations on pp. S."! and X4, whiili show to thirty times its size. The old Latin motto of 

that the u|i]>er floor, devoted to bedrooms, is \ir- nrs <•.</ rrhiri' (irlciii was never better exemplilied 

tiially almost in the roof. 'l"o give variety to the than in this lodge, for whilst the design .seems to 

roof ami gel lid of ils formality, a ))orlion is carried be of the most v.irii'd and coniplii'aled char.icter. all 

down to a li>wer li'Vel oVer the bow-wimlow (see Ihe problems solved in it are conslriictioiially of (he 

p. S:!). The upper )poi til f Ihc roof on ihe right- sinqdi'st kiml — they an' of the same type as those 

hainl side is brought forward to juotcMt the oriel shown in man}" of the Kent ami Sussex villages, 

window which lights the eliiel" bedroom. probably carried out liy the village earpeiitei-, who 



DKVKI.orMKXT OK MoUKKX KXCI.ISll A IMIl ITKcTrUK. 



87 



was iii)t iMily a inaslcr nf his riafl always mi llic nn ihi' arrliili'cl iiir nf this last (iiiaitiT nT tlif iiiiic- 

Iciiik-dul I'lir sDiai' licw riiinliiiiatinn, lull w Im w mki'il tmiili rciilarv llian iiiaiiv iiiuiv iiiipnsiiiL;' irci-lidus ; 

■ 111 till' Uailitiiiiis liaiulfil tlnwu In liiiii Ky liis Ion'- ami alllmuuli \vc lia\e no Iniimn- that wealth in 

fiitlifi's, of good solid \vovkiiiaiislii|i aiul sound r(in- Kn^lish linihcr jiosst'sscd in the sixleeiilh and seven- 

stnietion. It is on these latter qualities thai Iwish lecnth ceiiluries, suiiplies from the lialtic ha\e 

to lay stress, for in this lodfje the whole dcsiL'ii leiidertMl if possihle to levive the aneient tradi- 

is based, [first on the actual rei|iiiivineiits as tar tions, so that within 1 lie last twenty-five years half- 




LODGE IN KEW GARDENS. 

{Desirjrecl by W. £. Hesficld.) 



as aeeoniiiiodatioii is required, and, secondly, in the 
rational treatment of the materials used in the 
construction. Tlieie is not a single exotic archi- 
tectural feature employed ; there are no ornaments 
applied or nioiddings introduced which ilo not 
arise out of the best and most rational treatment 
of the woodwork, the tiles, or any of the mateiials 
which constitute the building. The result was a 
revival of a long-lost tradition, the tradition of 
the village bricklayer and carpenter, who in Kent, 
Sussex, and Surrey produced uncou.sciously, two or 
tiiree hundred years ago, the most picturesque and 
the most artistic rural cottages, the chief qualities 
from their point of view being that they were ad- 
mirably adapted to their rer^uirements, soundly and 
solidly built, and of the best materials for the jiurpose 
which the artificers had at hand. There is no doubt 
that this small Imlge has exercised more influence 



timbervil houses of considerable size have spi-irng 
up in \aiious parts of the country. 

I\Iany other lodges of a similar kind were sub- 
si^-queiitly l.juilt by Xestield, all varied in design 
in conse(pieuce of other re(|uiremeiit.s. 1 have 
now, however, to refer to a design of a different 
natui'e by the same architect in one of the lodges 
of Kew Gardens. Here again the plan is .square 
with a single ground story, all the bedrooms being 
arranged in the roof and lighted by large dormer 
windows. The ground story is in brick with a 
coved cornice, the roof is covered with plain tiles, 
and till.' lii[)s of the roof, the sides of the dormers, 
and tlii'ii' roofs are covered with lead. A central 
chimney-stack here again forms the leading feature 
— it has the defect of being too lofty, but this 
may have been necessitated liy the proximity of 
high trees. The chimney-stack is a beautiful jiiece 



ss 



THE .MACA/IXK (U' .\l;T, 



of ilesif^ii, bill oiU I'f tlmiacliT, it seems ta me, willi 
tlie fjnuiinl story, tlif walls <>f wliieli are deenralfil 
with Hal Dnrie pilasters siirmoiinted liy an arelii- 
travu ami eaiveil eoniiee, llie latter in plasler ile- 
corateil with rosaces ami spirals roughly incised on 
the wet jilasler. The material of tiie ground story 
does not lenil itself naturally to liie evolution of 
Itorie pilasters with their eji]>itals. They were, 
however, favourite features in the li)ueen Anne days, 
and as one of the leaders in the intioduetion of 
the revival of that style during the last twenty-live 
years, it can only Ije sui)posed that Xesfield, charmed 
hy the decoratixe etlect of these features in old work, 
conceived the idea of reproducing them here. Tlie 
l>rinciple was proliahly wrong, and if he had sought 
for some other methoil of breaking up his wall 



surfaces based more mi lln' ilcsign sliowii in his 
ehimney-stack, the result might have been more 
lational. The mouMings, however, are so simple and 
so completely in accord with the dimensions of his 
bricks, that we may forgive the introduction of this 
cinc! exotic feature, the more so as he returns to 
his rational methods in the mouldings of his window- 
frames. The two doiniei windows .shown in the 
illustration are of the same design, a third dormer 
window on the furliier side, as it lights a larger 
room, is ilouble llie widlli. of less height, and roofecl 
with twin, high-i'ilched gables, instead of the semi- 
circular peiliuieut of the examples shown in the 
illustration. Tliis .second lodge was built in ISOG 
— many years, liiercfore, before the icvival of the 
so-called li)uecn Anne or free Classic style. 



"CONTEMPLATION." 



By SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. 




IIS giaccfnl portrait — 
one of the most 
licautiful, yet one of 
llie least known, or 
most rarely seen, of 
Sir.iosinialteynolils's 
semi-subject ]ii(- 
t ures — represents 
I he Hon. Mrs. Stan- 
ho]ie. Tlie lady wa.s 
a Miss Eliza Fal- 
coner, who, we are 
told, " mai-ried the Ibm. Henry Fil/.roy Stanhope, 
second son of "William, second Earl Stanhope. She 
was one of the fashionable beauties of the day, and 
spoke the epilogue at l^dy Craven's private play." 
Sir Joshua's first portrait of ^Irs. Stanhope is well 
known through the mezzotint of .f. 1!. Smith in 
178.'{, but it is not so lieautifnl as that which 
Caroline Watson reproduced, in stipple engraving or 
"mixed manner," in 1790. The latter was issued, 
under the title of " Contemplation," by the Koydells, 
but in the fourth state the fancy title was removed 
and the lady's name appended. For the tirst-namc(l 
she began silting before her marriage ; it is probably 
the picture, at one lime called " Melancholy," for 
which Mr. Stanhope made a " second payment " to 
the artist of £7-'I 10.s. in 1777. At the Thomoiul 



sale, in ISi'l, " Mi.s. Stanhope as Contemplation" 
was knocked down for £iri2 os. to one Tinney ; but 
another "Mrs. Slaidiope " was acquired by the .same 
purchaser for £l,Hl."i. In IS(i;', it was bought by 
Lord Xormanton at the Allnutt .sale for £l,OoO; 
while the other picture of the .same name, the 
Thomond picture, was bought by llaron Alphon.se 
de Itothschild, of I'iiris, at the Munro of Xovar .sale, 
in IS7S, for .">,000 guineas. 

Caroline Watson, the engraver of this charm- 
ing plate, was one of those finished artists whom 
Alderman l>oydcll not only employed, but, prac- 
tically speaking, educated for his stupendous Shake- 
speare scheme. She was the daughter of -lames 
Watson, the mezzotint engraver, whose name will 
always be remembered in connection with that of 
Sir doshua I'cynolds. The pupil of her father, she 
Worked with equal ease and excellence in mezzotint 
and stipple, and became in time engraver to (.i>ueen 
Charlotte. She engraved not only from Iteynolds, 
but also from ( iainsborough, Komney, (Jilberl 
Stuart, Correggio, and other jiaintcrs, bei- plates 
lieing i.ssued by llichanlson and others, as well as 
by Boydell. 

It should be atlded that in the picture before 
us the lady wears a white dress, her hair is brown 
the riband green, llie velvet liands at the wrists 
black, and the curtain in ihc background red. 




MORDECAI REFUSES TO BOW THE KNEE TO HAMAN. 
{By Jiaii Fiancois de Troy ) 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 

DECORATIVE ART AT WINDSOR CASTLE : TAPESTRIES. 

By FREDERICK S. ROBINSON. 



IF the fine tapestries at A\'iiulsor Castle belonged 
to the earlier golden age of these fabrics, a 
description of them should have been given sooner 
in this series of articles — especially as at Windsor 
itself efforts have been bravely made to revive their 
manufacture. Tliose which are tlie subject of our 
sketch belong to the period of the art when the 
original purpose of tapestry had been very much 
modified, and a new function found for it as the 
handmaid of painting. When the tapestry was a 
wall-hanging, and often hung in folds, tlie idea of 
a pictorial composition witli a central group of 
figures did not e.xist. Each part of the field was 
equally valuable, and .so the early design was 
crowded with figures untrammelled by perspective 
laws, which were not even known. Fold it how you 
might, there was always something intei'esting to 
see when no central motive reigned supreme. We 

98 



must not stop to trace how tlie influence of Italian 
painting altered tliis conception, tending to spread 
tapestries fiat and make them imitations of the 
paintetl picture. It was a fatal misconception 
which cau.sed the tapestry maker, whose chemical 
knowledge was not e([ual I" his infatuation for 
a technical triumph in the illusive copying of a 
picture, gradually to employ by the hundred tones 
which were doomed to fade. His predecessors had 
been content with few, and those strong, saturated 
blues and scarlets and greens which were known to 
last. They kept their flesh tones nearly flat, relying 
on the outline for effect. The painters insisted tliat 
they should imitate the colour of paint, ignorant of 
the fact tliat the pale faded more quickly tlian the 
deep tones, and that, consequently, their composi- 
tions would soon be out of joint. Faded as the early 
works of Arras, Brussels, and Paris may be, they 



90 



THE MACA/IXK OF AIJT. 




ESTHER S PETITION 
(By Jenn Francois dc Troy.) 



iiresevve ihcir ilcrDiativi' t'dV-cl, I'cn it iicW'i' (Iciiciiilrd 
on llio sulillcliL's of luoik'lliiiii. Willi tlic I'liuiiduticiii 
t>i Llie iiiamifacUivy of tiic ( inliclins lliis vrxdliilinii 
liail beou carried far. 

That faiiioiis wi)iksliu|i liml not, siuiiiil;' iiitn 
fxislcnoc witlioiit a fiiivrmiiu'i in I'aiis. Ilrnii 1 \' 
hail hroiinlit ilarc di' Coinans and Fianiuis dc la 
I'lanclu! fiiilM l-'landcis in KidT. Tlicii' snccrss 
(•iinii>cllfd llicni lu sci'k larger i|UarUrs, which Ihcy 
found al llic Hotel iles (hihelins, wlio \ww seal let 
(lyuis lirst licanl of in Talis in HoO. ('(jnians ami 
ik' la rianclK; were iiarlnt'is till 102'.), and then their 
son.s eoiild not a.^ree. The younger (,'oniaiis .stayed 
al tlie (!ohelin.-i, wliile de la I'laneiie went elsewheri'. 
Colhert ru-nnilc-d these two lirnis ami oIIkts in 
llifi:.', and, with larger ends in view, was Ihr iniinc 
cause of the action of Louis XIV, who, in KiliT, 
instit\iled at the (iohelins the " Manufaclmv 1,'oy.dc 
des uieuhlcs de la Couronne." Not "uly la|)cstry, 
hut carving and wood and Moreidine stone inlay, 
gold and silver work, all kinds of decorative furni- 
ture, iu fact, were to he made at this one great 
centre. Such an insliluliou could nexcr hinc 



lliairishcil wilJioul the l^l'l'V accident of a genius 
to direct, it. 

Charles l.i' I'.i uii. Imhii al I'aiis in llilli, luit of 
Seciieh origin, a luiiiil of Simon \'nuet and Nicholas 
I'oiissih, lieeame the ri\al >>i l.e Sueur. Though, 
as r.r\aii imts it, lie was " more suited to thai 
cast of eomiiositioii called the great machine . . . 
he possessed a nolilc ciaiceiitioii and an inxcniixc 
genius: he |Undiiced with facility the most ahundant 
conii)ositions, and was a |>erfccl master of the 
mcchanisni of the art." .\s a jiroof of his facility, 
d'Argenville tells us that while the iioisoning .Mar- 
(|ilise de r.rin\illicrs was on hel way tu cxccntiiiii, 
the ciilerinising l.i' Ihun asked the " cxi'cutcur des 
halites (ciivics" to stop the caii for a iiiomenl. .\ 
wheel, he saiil. Was wrong. The execiil imier com- 
plicil, ;ind "ill fiiiii pencil strokes he made a 
perfecl likeness. Her haiiils were joined holding 
a torch, and the eonfe.s.sor al her side." .\ good 
deal to he done "in four strokes," hut, d'Argenville 
.s.ivs he saw^ the sketch and, indeed, had a tint> 
copy "of this line chawing" male for himself 
liv an .Vcademiciau. W'v niay take the talc 



THE QUEEN'S TKEASURES oF AltT. 



91 



cum grano, but Le Bruii's des^igiis foi' every sort 
of deeonitive fiuiiiture besides liipcstries wore 
niusterly ami iiinuiiiLnalik'. Ilryaii's is a jcjiiiiL' 
accouul of the niau wlin directed Llie slyle nf Louis 
XIV and united the artists of the (iohelins, so 
different in their methods and their aims, int) one 
j;reat family eonneeted liy ties of marriage, as liy 
loval helpfuhiess, beneath his \ersatile and masterly 
domination. 

There are not tapestries at Windsor after tiie 
designs of Le Brun, but the decorative series there 
to be found is from the drawings of one of his 
collaborators, while the more pictorial ones are from 
the paintings of a man wiio continued his grandiose 
tradition. These last are, moreover, examples of 
two of the most popular series tliat were, perhaps, 
ever made — The Story of Esther, air.l of Jason and 
the Golden Fleece. 

The painter of these, .lean Franrois de Troy, 
was the son of the .successful Frani-ois de Troy, 
who had stuilied under Nicholas Loir, a chief 
assistant of 1,^' I'.iun. Jean Franrois, tlie son, 



might have been, say.s d'Argenville, a great painter, 
if he had only worked. He was liorn at Paris in 
Ui80, and went, as everyone did in those days — 
except his father — to Itome in l(i!}9. In Italy he 
stayed nine years. He was made an Academician 
in 171:!, and Professor in 171'.). His pictures were, 
many of them, too careless for the public taste, and 
had not a ready sale. " He showed me, one day," 
.says d'Argenville, "more than thirty CMjuipIeted 
canvases of which he had been unable to get rid." 
This determined him to ask for employment at 
Itome, "not being able, as he .said, to live honour- 
aWy at Paris." In 17o8, accordingly, he was 
appointed director of the Academy of Eome. "No 
one," .says his biograi)lier, " was more polite with the 
fair sex, or more gallant, than De Troy." He fell 
in love with the widow of an officer of the C'hatelet 
who had a beautiful daughter. The widow died, 
so i)e Troy consoled himself with the daughter, 
whose face appears in all his " inorccau.r (joJuim." 
As .slic had a cast in her eye, he always tactfully 
drew her in jirntile. His marriage brought him some 




JASON ANU THh BROOD OF THE DRAGONS TEETH 
{6ij Jean Frctncois du Jru'j- ) 



92 



TlIK MAGAZINE OF ART. 



money. Wi.sliing tu occui)y hiinsL-lf, he undertook neither, liis place at Rome was tilled ui), and he died 

to paint jiictures for the king's tapestries at a disappointed in 1752. 

cheajier rate than that whieji his colleagues apj)rove(l The tapestries of the story of Esther are arranged, 

of — two instead of three thousand livrcs. He chose four in the Queen's Presence Chamber and three in 

the stories of Esther and of Jason for his suhjects, llie (.Miecn's Audience Chamber, without following 




THE POISONED ROBE, 
(fly Jean Francois rfir Troy.) 



and three of tlie Kstlier series of .seven were e.\- 
hiliiled at the Sahjn in 17"!!~> before his departure 
for Italy. " The dispositions," says d'Argenville, 
"were magnificent — especially tlie triumpii of 
llordeeai. The jtrevailing tone of colour was as 
much admired liy Italians as by Frenchmen." The 
Itidians made him "Prince de rAcademie de St. Lue" 
in 174:3. The Jason was not so successful as the 
Estlier. I>c Tioy's s])irit was broken liy the loss of 
hi.s wife and nidy iliild. I'.csides, "his ])ecu]i,ir 
talent for the njiislimcna i/iiliinx (a deliglitfid ex- 
pression) was more advantageously displayecl in 
till! tii-st works than in tin' last, where passinn 
and haired are sulistituted fur grace and ilianii." 
\ sliglit from Court made liini icsign. \\r had 
still hopes of obtaining lodgings in tlie Lmixre and 
tile litU' "f "jiyiiiilir jidntrc;" bni he iilitiiined 



the iiistorie tirdei. Thr lir.-l wliidi is liere re[>n)duced 
i-e)iresents Mordeeai refusing to bow tlie knee to 
H.inian. "Sulus Mardoehaeus non tieetebat genua " 
is tlie iiiolici in a cartouche on the imitation gilt 
frame border of tlu! tapestry. Ilanian in a criiiisun 
roljc, suppo.sed to be of elolii of gold, is the central 
figure. The figure on the left is resplendent with 
.scarlet. Mordeeai stan<ls up very still" and iimud 
upon the right, clad in a blue mantle anil yellow 
under-garment. As a colour scheme this piece, 
though brilliant, is now deficient, liecause, the whole 
iif tile top of the tapestry being taken up with 
liiiiMiiius .'ind .--Uy. the lilue ill llir latti'r li.is faded. 
The anati'iiiy of .Mordeeai is a eom]ien.sation tu the 
(iliservant. ' hily one of his feet is in \iew, and cm 
that foot the gre.it toe i.s light-heailedly placed mii- 
side. No Wonder, if that was his uiiiiiue construe- 



THE QUEEN'S TREASUEES OF ART. 



93 



own white horse 
I," the man whon 
For the last sub 



lirilliaiitlv tuM in these 



tioii, Mordecai was not as other men, and refused williii-- Hauian leading the king's 
to bow the knee. It would be interesting to know on wliich Mordecai rides in triumph," the man whom 
whether this peculiarity— did it lie with the "care- the king delighteth to honour. 
less" De Troy, or was it a copyist's mistake ?— was ject, " Etiam reginam vult opprimere," we may refer 
perpetuated through all the numerous replicas that to Esther vii. verse S. 
were made of this series. This particular specimen, The wliole story is 

signed " Feint pas de Troy a Rome " 
on the base of the steps, is a very 
late copy, completed thirty-two years 
after De Troy's death. In the right- 
hand lower corner of the picture is 
the large signature in capitals of 
the " oitrcprencur" or contractor in 
whose atelier it was worked, that of 
Cozette, in 17S4. Anotlier piece in- 
scribed " Esther pro populi sui vita 
precatuv " shows (eh. iv., verse 4) the 
queen in great distress at the plot 
against the Jews. She is sujiported 
by three tearful ladies of her court. 
The second illustration represents 
Esther at the banquet proffering her 
request to Ahasuerus for her own 
life and that of her people — " Dona 
milii animani pro (pia rogo." This 
is a more striking composition tlian 
the last; the great twisted colunnis 
in dark relief against a light sky — 
again faded— are quite striking in 
effect. Tiie rendering of the pattern 
on the white tableclotli with its bor- 
der of drawn threads was probably 

rewarded at the time as a triumph 

of technique. Tlie inevitable altera- 
tion of such light tones in tapestry 

was ignored by the painters, thougli 

the tapissiers had in vain protested 

against the principle of striving for 

the illusion of oil-paint. This piece 

was completed in Cozette's rtfclier in 

178::!. 

The remaining subjects have such 

explanatory texts as these : " Circumdata est gloria 

sua." Her servants make Esther's toilet — " Now it 

came to pass on the third day that Esther put on her 

royal apparel : "' " Fecit eam reginare." This has in 

the foreground a cassolette or scent-box with winged- 

fif'ure handles, copied, as many of the accessories 

of the tapestries were, from one of those made b}- 

the goldsmiths of the Gobelins of the Louvre. On 

it is the name of "Audran, 1785." He witli Xeilson, 

the clever Scotchman, wei'e the other tw(j "entre- 

preneiirs" besides Cozette. Devoted as they were 

to their art, their accounts were not paid liy tlie 

Crown, and they were all brought to ruin together. 




■ Rex ilium voluit honorare " represents the un- 



THE SEASONS: SUMMER 
(Bj C. Aiidnm.) 

tapestries after De Troy, with turbans thrown in as 
an enterprising touch of local colour. Of religious 
feeling there is, of course, less than nothing. M. 
Muntz (" Fa Tapisserie ") is severe. " As to that," 
he says, " the artists could plead their absolute 
impotence. Considered from the point of view of 
expression, the few religious suites of tapestry 
conceived at this period were better calculated to 
provoke scandal than devotion." 

Of the story of Jason and llie Golden Fleece 
M. llavard (" Les Manufactures Nationales ") says 
tiiat tlie Mobilier National possesses eight suites of 
from six to seven pieces. " Lhie tenture complete 
decora la salle de bal du chateau de Windsor. II 



04 



THE MAGA/IXE OF AKT. 



en existe encore Jans une des galleries <le ce ineiiie 
chateau nn uulre non nuiins belle." Here \vc fancy 
lie is in crmr. Tlicre are not, as far as \vc kmtw, 
two sets of tlic .lason tapestries; bnt tliere are, 
liesiiles "The Seasons" taiu'stiies in the Tajieslrv 
{'lianil)er, ti> which we siiall presently refer, repeli- 
tifins iif ihcni in the State Ante-l!<«ini. M. Havard 
lias in.ulverlcnlly confouiulcl ihc thixr. Tlic ^[»\y 




THE SEASONS: AUTUMN. 
(0y C. Audran,) 

iif .hi.s.pu, in the hcautifiil (liaml l!(r()iliiiii IJunin, is 
in a «iuictcr .sdienie of colonr, grey and hluc pre- 
dominating. The mottoes arc in Freneli. " JtiMiii 
I iiijiiijf Ml /hi It Mvih'x, i/iii hii iniiUiiU Irs xcvimrx ilf 
mill nrl." The hero and tiic witch are together, with 
enpids .syndjolicaliy Hying above them. This, tlie 
must striking iiiTiia])S of all, is too much in tiie 
shade fur successful reproduction. The ne.xt in liis- 
tnric order reproduced iiere lias tlie motto, " Lis 
siililiils vd-s dfs ihnts (hi scr/irnt (nuriinil Iriirs 
nriiiM ruiitre tiw iiiciiu-t" and is signed " De Troy a 



Itnltl 



The br<' 'I ■■<' 'b" scr]icnt's teeth are 



fi'ditint: in the background. The oxen Jason has 
subdued tn tin' phiugh liKim in the distance. Tiie 
liero in the centre seems to be awaiting breathlessly 
the result of his conjuring trick, the .secret of 
which, to judge from the decent atlitu<les nf the 
king and courtiers, is nut entirely unknown to 
them, ".ia.son " next "asximpi/ />■ ilmi/on, cnletr If 
/../«-;/ il'iir, <■/ jiiirt iinr Miilvr." Tiie tleece hangs 
ipu a tree, from which .Ia.son, standing 
nil tlie dragon, cuts it dnwii witii his 
swciiil. "Cozette, 1770," is tiie signature 
of tliis. Jason now, " inJiilMi- ii M<ili'i\ 
,'/iiiiisf Criiisii, jtllf ii'ii mi ilii Corinlr." 
Till' simplicity i>f the hero ai)i)ears to 
have bi'iciuie a little contaiiiiiiated by the 
cour.se of events. He is a most affected 
ligiiif ill this tapestry, which is signed 
'■ Dc Troy a IJomc, I74.">." I'mt his feli- 
city is not of long duration. In our 
next illustration Creusa is consumed 
" /)'(/• /'■ fill (If I" riihr fiiiiilr (hint ih'iler 
I'll /nil prrscnli:" Tiiis is a .scene of 
Inilv (billic laiiicnlation produced from 
llic ,1/ilin- of Audiaii. This tapestry 
was one of those wiiicli was condemned 
to be altered, on September lOtli, 1704, 
by the Ivevolutioiiary .scum, which ordered 
the portrait of Marat to be reindduced 
lOi tlie looin.s. One would have thought 
ibal the obliteration of llie iieiir-de-lis 
ill the four corners of the border would 
have satisfied the sensitive ".•ums- 
iiiliillc ; " but the father of ("reusa, it 
will be noticed, has a diadem besides his 
1 urban. This it was which was "calcu- 
lated to wound the eyes of a i;ei)ublican." 
Tliesr AVindsor specimens, Iiowever, came 
over as presents before the llevolution 
was thought of, and so they have es- 
cajied till' cliildish mutilations of the 
.s<-oundiils wlio.se miseralile successors in 
1S70 wciv lo do their best to burn the 
(lobelins to the ground. 

Ill tlie last of the .series, " Meilei 

/loii/iliifili lis i/iii.r Jils ijiiilli- Ill-nil ill.r ilf JilsOH, 
iiiilii-iisr Corinlr, rl sr irliir <) AUieiirs." This 
picture, .signed "l>e Troy a Koine, 1740," and 
"(.'o/.ette, 177()," represents Medea escaping with 
the dead chihlreii in lier llying-diagon chariot, after 
settiii'' tire to Coriiilii, while Jason inetlectiially 
draws his sword below. The background is a line 
one, of a general tone of grey. 

With two other picture subjects of a more 
modnii datr, in lh<' Oak I'.reakfast Room, repre- 
senting Atalanta, and Meleager hunting the Caly- 
doniaii bmr wbiih were pie.sentiil by Kiir_' I-ouis 




< 



96 



THE ^lAGAZIXE OF ART. 



I'liilipiic, ihc cullcilioii iif piclDiial lapL'Stries at 
"Wiiiilsor c'oiiu'S t<i an i-iitl. 

In the small Tapestry Itooiii arc four fine 
decorative tapestries from the ilesigiis of Claiule 
Aiulraii the y"iiii}ier. If M. Muiitz is correct in liis 
attriliution, amongst so many Aiulrans to choose 
from, he was the second son of Clanile, hrother of 
diaries, tirst of tlie line, and was horn at Lyons in 
1G39. He studied with his uncle Charles, and suh- 
sequently went to Home. On Ids relinii "he was 
enj^'iiged," says Ihyan, " liy l.r Uruii at I'aris, and 
iv-ssisted him in his Battles of Alexander. ]lei)aintvd 
also in fresco, under the direction of Le IJrun, tlie 
chapel of Colbert's Chateau de Sceaux, the gallery 
of tiie Tuileries, and the grand staircase at Yer.siilhs. 
He drew well and had great facility of execution." 
Aiidran died at Paris in IGS!), having given designs 
for these four tapestries of " The Seasons," a similar 
series of "The Elements," in wliidi the main lines of 
the ornamentation are so imuli alike that a Irasty 
observer might confound tliem, and the " .Alois 
Grotesques." AVe reproduce the " Sununer " and 
"Autunni" of "The Sea.sons," approinialcly c\- 
pre.s.sed by ligures of Ceres and of llacciiu.s. 

Opinions may dill'er as to the resiu'Clivc merits 
of these tapestries, pictorial or frankly ilwMirativi'. 
The latter are in an irresponsible style, formed of the 
a""lomeration of an imiiossible architecture with a 
niost illogical assortment of accessories, let the 
very recklessness of this kind of decoration is not 
without its charm, which seems as suitalile to the 
approaching age of Louis XV as tlie i)i(torial style 
is more characteristic of tlie grandiose days of the 
Grand Monarque. 

The la.st of our illustrations is of a gilt sofa and 
two chairs from the suite in the Kubens llooiii, 
which are covered with tapestry of ISeauvais. This 
manufactory was founded very soon after the 
Gobelins, but it was not till 1bS4 tlial it began to 
prosper, and especially aflei- l(i'.l4, when the ( lobelins 
was closed for four years. I'.eaiivais was always a 
low warp manufactory, witli methods more summary 
and less artistic than those of the (iobelins. Critics 
like M. r.urly have fallen bad of the new deveh)p- 
nient which placed pictures Hat uiiou chairs. " I'.y 
a manifest ernn- of ta.ste," he say.s, " {'.ouclier and iiis 
pnj)ils made their enterprising shepherds and sheep 
witii lilac bows come down from the walls, and jilaced 
tliem on the horizontal seats of sofas and arm-ciiairs. 
So you might sit on a pigeon-house ami rest your 
feet on a seaport." IJeauvais is connecti'd with the 
name of < )udry, whose inlluence on tlie fortunes of tiie 
Golwlins also was artistically fatal. Jean liajitiste 
Ouilry, ip.iinter and engraver, was born at I'aris 



in l(iS((. A .scholar of Lugilliere, he lirst painteil 
historical pictures, but took to executing hunting 
pieces and animal sul)ject.s. The success, perhaps, of 
his '■■ Cliasses di; Louis XV" — painted in 17."!<S and 
reproduced in tapestry — and the favour not only of 
the (jueen, but also of her rival, Madame de I'om- 
jiadour, obtained for him the inspectorship of the 
(iobelins. He had some years before that been one 
of the contractors at Bcauvais, wliere his animal 
subjects were in great demand. Those of our 
illustration represent fables of ^K.sop. 

Oudry came into contact with the "iiifir- 
pirnnif'i" of tlie Gobelins — Audran, Monmerque, 
Le liloiul, and Cozette — through a too great anxiety 
to teach them their business. He wished them to 
inipoil into their work " all the spirit and intidli- 
gcnc(> of paintings, in which alone," he avers, "lies 
the secret of making tapestries of the highest 
beauty." Oudry was unaware that tiie.se .same 
igiioiant tapestry makers had interpreted his 
])icturcs alieady into sonu-lhing better than the 
originals. " If you conqiarc to-day at Fontaine- 
bleau," says il. Miintz, " the pictures of Oudry, 
smooth and nionotunous in execution, witli the 
woiiilcrful translations, so vibrating ami .so full of 
life, which the tapissiers of the last century have 
made of them, you cannot but be sorry for that 
eminent artist who so comjilelely misunderstood the 
interests of his re|iutatioii." It was in 174S that 
Oudry complained that all the advice of tiie artists 
was neglected for inctended reasons of teclini(]ne. 
The tapestry makers had refused to multiply tiie 
lighter tones in order to obtain iierfect imitation 
of oil paintings. They .said that the extra labour 
swallowed nji all the profits, besides resulting in 
iiuiek-fading work. Their reasons of technique were 
not fanciful. They coiiqiared the old tapestries in 
deeper, simpler colouring of tlie days of Jans and 
Lefevre with what had been turned out at Beauvuis 
"under the direction of the Sieur Oudry." The.se 
had faded iriciiaiably in six short years. 

It was a luetty quarrel, and it was aggravated 
by the fact that Oiulry in his dealings at Beauvais 
bad entered into trade competition with the Gobelins. 
'J'lie latter factory had commenced in ]74iS the 
making of chair and ])ortiere tapestries similar to 
those which fashion demanded in such numbers 
from r.eanvais. That Oudry had been victorious 
before he died in 175r> is jirovcd by the signifi- 
cant fact tiiat in 17(>."' pictures and their illusive 
translations in tapestry were hung side by side 
in the Salon. " Fatal victory," says M. Muntz, 
" the con.se(iUenccs of which arc still felt in our 
own days." 





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Cwlrjivv n 



(XA^^^' 



hflR SOLOMON J. SOLOMON, A.R.A.. AT WORK UPON HIS "CHARLES L' FOR THE ROYAL EXCHANGE. 

{Drawn by Arthur Garratt.) 




CURRENT ART. 



WHATEVER truth may Ho in tlie eliarnv that 
we Englisli are not an artistic nation, it cannot 
be saiil that we do not caiv for art. Xo capital in 




REST. 

iFrom the Painiing by Sir J. D. Linton, P.R.I., at th<! Institute of Pulntet 

the world can vie with London in the nundjer of 
exhibitions held within the year at the recognised 
galleries, and few can compare with the average 
standard of excellence of the works displayed. The 
love of art is manifestly there, or these numerous 
galleries would lack the necessary 
support ; so that it is obvious 
that the limit of endurance of the 
pulilic has not yet been reached. 
The responsibility, therefore, lies 
with the artists, who this year 
show that they can fill the current 
exhibitions with works, produced 
for the most part within the annual 
term, of importance sufficient fur 
the purpose. Xow this is exactly 
what the French artists cannot 
do ; they, even with their single 
exhibitions a year, cannot fill their 
galleries with works of serious ait, 
deliberately conceived and sincerely 
executed. We made this clear, we 
thirdc, when criticising the Salons ; 
and we have no doubt that it is 
in no slight degree owing to this 
incapacity that so many of them 
99 



think it necessary — or, at least, excusable — to joke 
or experiment upon canvas, well persuaded that their 
pictures will be hung — not so much because of their 
merit as because the walls of a given 
number of rooms have got to be 
covered. At any rate, this system 
of producing works that will startle 
rather than works that will charm 
lias not yet become acclimatised 
in England ; less through any very 
superior degree of resthetic morality 
than through that happy, yet oft- 
denounced, slowness of the English 
mind which, in other respects than 
ill art, prevents us from accepting 
without careful deliberation the 
" newest thing out." It was just the 
same with telephones, electric light, 
and motor-cars, as with " tones," 
" values," and the many movements, 
true and false, that have sought to 
impose themselves here ; they had 
become recognised for good or evil 
in most other countries before they 
so far penetrated to this island to 
make themselves recognised for anything — for any- 
tliino- at all. This slowness of evolution is good — 
at least, in art — and we have" now^ our reward; for 
while we find some other nations deploiing their 
decadence and wondering if it is all the beginning 



OiV-Ci/ours.) 




COOIVIED. 
Painting bt/ E. F. Brewtnalt, F:.\t. .S., at tiie institute of Paint^i 



Oil-ColQurs.) 



98 



TiiK maoazint: of art. 



of tlie uiiil, wo lieur Eiighind liuiled iis the most of the Frencli scliuol ; but tlicy uve strong uud 
living and vigorous of all tiie homes of national liarmonious, and full of individuality and charm. 



art, and welcomed as a leader, 
itself in the galleries to-ilay. 



Tliis vigour sliows 



THE INSTITUTE OF PAINTERS IN OIL-COLOURS. 

Itarely has the Institute presented a better dis- 
play of jiictHres. The collection is considerably 
.smaller than of yore and iiilinitely better liuiig— 



Mr. Tiiaeker's " Threatening Weatiier " is an ad- 
mirable little study of sea and sky — not much more 
than black-and-white, but finely felt, drawn, and 
realised. ]\Ir. \VaUer Osborne, chiefly known for 
his portraits and figure subjects — even here well 
represented liy liis line sketch of an old Irishwoman 
smoking in her cottage, called "The I'ipr uf IVace" 




AN ALLEGORY 
{From the Palntlrtg by flupert C. W. Bunny ^ R.B.A., at the Imtttutt of Painters In Oil-Colours. 



far nunc of art and less of commerce tlian usual, 
relatively. The pictures are usually of cabinet size, 
and are placed a distance apart, eaeii from each, as 
if they were works of art, not mere goods. Wliat- 
ever the rejected painters may think of it, tlic 
jjublic cannot but applaud the new policy, wliich, 
in the long run, must be as advantageous to the 
mendjers as it is pleasing to the visitors. 

It is in landscape tiiat the e.xliibition is strongest; 
and the front rank includes painters who.se names 
are little familiar to the general ear. Cliicf among 
these rising men is Mr. Alfred Witlicrs, whn, 
though he has been an occasional exhibitor at tlir 
IJoyal Academy since 1881, hardly won general 
recogiiiiinn fpcfoie his recent Salon succe.'ss. "The 
While :MiH" and " Tiie Linn .Mill" are doubt- 
less founded on Constable, moditied liy a study 



— proves in "A Conneiiiara ^'illage — Evening" Imw 
line an eye he po.ssesses for nature and for fjuality of 
ciildur. Tiie little picture is one whicii will ap]>eal 
(jidy to tlie true connoisseur; but it may be looked 
upon as a little bit of Honingloii, luminous and 
delicate. Mi: Peppercorn, too, has abandoned his 
eccentricities and given us, in " 'J'he Solent near 
Yarmoutli," an altogetlier excellent study of grey 
clouds and .sea; and in " Fresliwater, Isle of AVight," 
a grey, C'orot-like sketcii that siunvs his jiower 
better tiian the deep green ma.s.ses which he has 
hitherto cliielly adected. Mr. East has not juit 
forth his full strength; but Mr. Aunioniei-, one of 
the truest and most masteily of our English land- 
scape-painters who love nature smiling and at peace, 
carries on the line tradition of the true school. 
A\'beii. it may fairly lie asked, will ihr Royal 




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3: 
Z td 

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100 



TTTK MAOAZINT; OF AKT. 



Aciuleiny do Justit'e to these two fine painters ? Mr. trammels of foreign scliools, the painters proceed, 

Itoliert Xohle lias recovered from paintiiij^ in what each one, to realise their artistic views. With them, 

at one time appeared to be bitumen, and now uives in short, independence means individuality, not po.se. 

us pure instead of smoked country. His " IJlink Mr. U. V. Watts's opulent picture of a ruddy 

o' Sunshine " and " Harvest 

Jfoon" aie both inspired by 

the right feeling, witlinut 

undue straining after eilect. 

For a true touch of ]ioetry we 

may look at the posthumous 

exhibit of tiiat untutored 



artist, ^Ir. Hope McLacliliUi, 
whose Millet-like "Evening 
<.i)uiet " and the less spon- 
taneous yet still impressi\e 
" Ste. (Jencvieve " bear wit- 
ness to the fine ;uid lender 
snmbreness of his sympa- 
thetic imagination. Mr. 
Leslie Thomson is here to 
ciirry on a good deal of liis 
past spirit, but with a nmre 
accomplished brush ; there is 
a fine feeling and breadth in 
his " New ^bion, '\\'areliam." 
Mr. Spenlove-Spenlove is fol- 
liiwing in much the same 
direction, just steering clear 
of the monotony wliiili at one 
time threatened liim. Had 
Mr. r.rewtnall's "Doomed" 
— an ancient ves.'iel on the 
rocks by the sea-shoie, with 
a lurid sun setting behind — 
been endowed with some air 

of mystery, it would have been dramatic ratlier 
than melodramatic ; as it is, there is a fine line in 
the picture, and strong and extremely well-managed 
colour. There is little of the Fun draughtsman to 
lie discovered here ! ^Ir. Wimjicris has brought back 
from Devonshire "A Dartmoor Storm " — a powerlnl 
composition of fen and flood; and Jlr. Arthur Sevuiii 
shows a subtle and highly agreeable study of " lee 
on the Thames,'' a delightful opportunity success- 
fully, aiul even .subtly, seizt^d. There are the highly 
finished study by Mr. Ib-iglit Morris of "A Corner 
in a Spanish (larden, (Iranada," Mr. Archibald I'eid's 
.sensitive little view in "Cromarty," Mr. Orrock's 
vigorous "Estuary of tin 
"Hamjiton Court," Mr. Nicolet's .sunny studies by 
the I'aillon at Nice, and Mr. Ceorge Thomson's 
curious view of tlie Moinnnent and tlie surround- 
ing district as seen from the top of a neighbouring 
building, in which dillieulties of ijcrspeetive are de- 
libertitely courted. There is here, ns will be seen, a 



faced, low-necked, gorgeously- 
attired young woman in a 
chair is not at first sight 
attractive, but as an exer- 
cise — it is frankly called a 
"Study" — in reds and fiesii 
it is a Work worthy of bini ; 
ill all respects, we think, to 
lie pieferred to tlie head he 
coiitrilnites to the (Jrafton 
(Jallery. Sir dames Linton's 
"Kest" seems almost a 
finished design for pielural 
tapestry, so subdued and 
i|uiet is it, full of careful 
work and well-observed de- 
tail. Mr. Sargent's sketch of 
■' Fgyptian Indigo Dyers" is 
biilliaiit. and snnimary work, 
not ilesigned for e.xhil.iition ; 
lull it laejvs (lUality of colour, 
exeepl ill jiaits. and makes 
no strong ajijieal. A sound 
study of fk'sii is to b(! seen 
ill tlie".'-^tiidy" liy Ml. Mellon 
f'islier of a gill's back ; but 
Ills far more dainty and 
popular contribution is tlio 
" Silent and Chaste " whieli is 
here ii'iiroduci'd, tender alijce 
in handling and eoloni-. The 
ambitious composition of Mr. Kennington — "Cephalus 
and I'roeris" — capital though it is as f]esh-iiainting 
and as a reticent display of the painter's knowledge, 
so fai' fails in its subject as Trocris is clc:irly not 
dead but .sleeping. Mr. Robert Fowler's " .Mutual 
I 'uriosily " is one of iiis most successful works; 
entirely conventional, of course — or, rather, arbitrary 
as to lighting and colour, but a fascinating study 
of diaphanous greens and of tlie graei' of a iiym|>li 
who i.s clearlv not of ibis world. .\ii iiiiporlaiit 
eoinjiosition by Mr. -lames ('lark "The [•'oiiii- 
laiii," round wliieli are groujied semi-nudes and 
iiarmoniously elad figures in jewel-like colour — is 
Nith," Mr. FuUeylove's inspired by the better tradition of tlie French school 




(ffoni 



"SILENT AND CHASTE 
SHE STEALS ALONG, PURE BOSOMD." 

tlif Painting by S. Melton Fither, at the Institute of 
Painters in Oil-Colours.) 



of half a century ago; it is well we should have (jue 
artist in Fngland to .show us in so able and |ioetic 
a rasliioii Ihe full signilieiiiiee of the liio\eiiiiiit thai 
iiilliieiieed 1 )iaz at the beginning, for such wc take 
it lo lie. '{'he agreeable fancies of Mr. St. (Jcorge 
Hare, and the originality he embroiders on to them, 



reniurkable variety of work, in which, free from the always impart an extraneous charm to his painting 



CURRENT ART. 



101 



ami his green-haired " Sea reojilf," ami ihe infant 
girl wounded by her chubby " Dangerous Playmate," 
a remorseful Cupid, deserve credit for their intrinsic 
cleverness. Mr. Hugh Carter's Israels-lil<e " Old 
Highland "Woman," Mr. Dudley Hardy's r)rangwyn- 
likc " Nomad " and ' Tlie Stream." and tlie spirited 
figure pictures of Mv. AVollen, .Air. Bundy, and ^Ir. 
Lomax give their full abilities to the exhibition. 

Tiie various aspects of the sea are given by ^Ir. 
Edwin Hayes in his impressive and well-composed 
" Alone on a Wide, "Wide Sea : " by Mr. Allan in his 
sea-shore pictures; by Mr. Wetherbee in "A Nymph 
of the Shore " (too sketchily brushed in for accurate 
truth of effect) ; by ^Ir. Julius Olsson in " Tlie 
Siren's Tool," in which he has sought only for tlie 
brilliant colours and flashing lights ; and by ]\Ir. 
Pickering in " The Keep, Holy Island " — which, for 
all its silveriness, would have been better without 
the obtrusive squareness of his touch. 

For the rest, M Fantiu-Latour is again at his 



no falh'ng off fmm licr high standard; Mr. Rupert 
Bunny's enignjatical " Allegory " is a good-humoured 
piece f)f decoration — of brightly coloured costumes 
set ir. mysterious atmosphere ; but Mr. C. E. Swan's 
" Jatruars Drinkiuf;," cjood as they are, sugf?est too 
close an imitation of his namesake. 

THE SOCIETY OF PORTRAIT - PAINTERS. 

Only in an exhibition such as this can tlie visitor 
fully realise the development of the theory of 
modern portraiture. In former times the art was 
accepted as signifying the reproduction upon canvas 
of the form and features of a sitter with as much 
truth and realisation of character as the painter was 
capable of, witli the addition if need be of decoration 
founded essentially upon ornament in personal or 
architectural adornment. It is only in recent times 
tliat this view has lieen extended Ijy certain schools 
of innovators ; and we find not a few who care less 
fur likeness and character tlian for decoration and 




THE TREE OF LIFE. 
(From the Painting by Sir E. Burne-J^ms. Ba.t., at tlie R^yal Society of British Artists. Piiotographzd bj F. Hodytrr.) 



best in the flower-piece called " Fleurs "\'ariees ; " " arrangement ; " others who regard the sitter as 
Mme. Ronner's group of cats in " Indolence " shows a mere accessory in their " scheme ; " and others 



105 



THK magaztnt: of art 



ajmin, for whom likeness, arranfjement, and scheme 
are alike of subordinate importance to sentiment ; 
and a final sect for whom portraiture is merely the 
inolij for a colour-sympliuny to he played — if very 
advanced and original and clever and up-to-date — 
upon a I'oujile of strings. 

In tile tirafton (ialleries all these pliases and 
denii-semi-phases are to be recognised and studieil 
more easily than in an ordinary exhibition. And 
it i.-5 not to be denied tliat, contrary to what might 



but blackened in certain passages of its colour ; 
Professor Herkomer's beautiful "Madonna "and his 
" Hon. Cecil Kliodes;" Mr. Whistler's charming little 
note (if Mr. V. E. Hulloway, re-christened "The 
rhilosopher:" Lord Leighton's early " Mr.s. Hanson 
Walker: " and M. Emile Wauters' powerful and 
learned pastel portrait of the editor of this magazine- 
The other foreign paintei-s form a group of 
extreme interest. In " Miss I'apel " M. Hlanche 
continues his delightful practice of engrafting his 




(From tht Painting b^ Arthur Ueadc, R.B.A., at the Rojat SoQiati/ of British Artists.) 



be expected, these portraits are infinitely more in- 
teresting when seen in the mass than when met 
with in a mixed collection : a .^ympiilliy is awakened 
for these painted personalities and .';lill more for 
their painters, not unconnected, perhaps, with that 
deep appreciation of portraiture, which, beyond 
ever}' other section of art, has always been a dis- 
tinctive feature in English taste. This collection, 
as u.«ual, contains pictures new and old, I'ritish 
and foreign, oM-fashioned and ncw-fangl.'d, ollering 
opportunities for the formation of opinions and the 
drawin<' of conclusions denieil by most exhiliitions. 

Among the leading portraits which have been 
seen before in London are HoU's two masterpieces 
—his "T/.rd Spencer, K.G.," and "Lord Overstone." 
both vastly mcUoweil with time: Millai.s' toider 
" Shelling Peas " of his penultinuite i>eriod, and 
" Miss Siddall " of bis earliest, exquisite in its way 



own dainty grace and delicate colour on to the 
sentiment and manner of lleynolds and Komney, 
and in the result produces a picture of singular 
charm. A more subtle scheme in a prevailing tone 
of lilac and russet in .M. .\man Jean's "'Madame 
X," poetical as it is, shows a predominant care for 
colour: while M. P.esnard's raliiei' revolting "Portrait 
of a bxdy," for all the rather fussy chromatic exer- 
cise, has for its real aim and achievement the play 
oi' light about a liead. In method of handling ami 
treatment, XI. Nicolet, in his eaiiital " Miss XIaud 
Iiitchie," appears to be a disciple of M. I?esnard. 

The realistic party among the exhibitoi-s show 
some works of power, headed by Professor Herkomer, 
with his " ' (Jenenil ' Hooth," a forthright portrait of 
(hamatic intensity and em])ha.sis of characterisation. 
Mr. lionne's "Dr. Williamson" among his books, 
Mr. .'^tuart Wortley's highly attractive " Portrait 



CUERFXT .\T;T. 



103 



Sketch " of a beautiful sitter, Mr. Watts's " Study," 
Mr. Kenniugtou's " Lsidy Hartlaud " — reproducing 
iu the picture the colours of tlie Chinese picture- 
book she holds iu her hand — ilr. John Collier's 
charming " Joyce and her Grandfather " (the latter 
a bronze bust of the late Professor Huxley), all 
belong to the same category. Eanged in opposition 
to these are the " Opal and 
Grey " (a rather dirty grey) of 
I\Ir. Arthur :Mel\ille ; the " Mrs. 
Sauter" — a harmony in tender 
whites, greens, aud tlesh-tiuts — 
by Mr. George Sauter ; the ex- 
tremely dainty and graceful, if 
a little affected, "Portrait of a 
Liidy " in greys aud pinks, by 
Mr. A. Neven du ^lont : and 
Mr. Lavery's "White l)uchess," 
also in greys — ajnrUuel aud in- 
dividual. They are representa- 
tive of that CJrey-Ghostly school 
which, in its yearning after a 
charming effect, ignore almost 
completely the qualities of ex- 
pression and character in the 
model. AV'heu well done, these 
effects are charming in an ex- 
hibition, but in one's own room 
they tend to become very 
shadowy companions. Mr. 
Guthrie is far more ^igorous 
and virile, and not less artistic, 
in liis portrait of a middle-aged 
lady with weak eyes, an un- 
compromising study. Mr. 
Rothenstein, Mr. Strang, Mr. 
]Muirhead, and Mr. William Stott 
is each somewhat of a "poseur" in the portraits lie 
exhibits ; but each is remarkably clever, and helps 
to a sensible extent the piquaucy of the exhibition. 
One of the most dashing studies iu the collection is 
the extremely bold and delightful and wayward 
little full-length of " Captain Wisely," by Mr. E. 
A. Waltou ; a work which justifies some protest 
against the principle of leaving a brilliant piece 
of painting with its accidents thick upon it. 




MEDITATION. 

{From the Painting by Abbe^ Altson, R~8.A, 
Scciettf of British Artists.) 



cartoon for the great mosaic of " Christ upon the 
Tree of Life" — a decoration for the Church of St. 
Paul in Rome — was shown at the New Gallery 
(Magazine of Akt, 1895, p. 295). There is 
little inducement to feel contented with Mr. 
Cayley Robinson's charmingly fanciful design — an 
early Burne-Jones seen through modern Belgian 
spectacles — of " The Retui-n of 
Spring." The imagery is dainty 
and even poetic, but the whole 
is utterly ruined by the trans- 
parent affectation of a primitive 
inability to draw that trans- 
forms the picture from a delight 
into a frank irritant. Mr. 
Montague Smyth's reminiscence 
of Artz in " Across the Dunes," 
Mr. Armstrong's powerful 
Scottish aspect of a "Torrent," 
^Ir. T. Robertson's sombre yet 
luminous view, "On the 
Lagoons, Venice," Mr. A. 
Meade's " Morn " (a compo- 
sition of some importance), 
and works by Mr. G. C. Haite, 
Mr. Lee Hankey, Mr. Ryle, 
and Mr. Spenlove include the 
[irinciiml efforts in land and 
seascape. We have an example 
of tender charm in figure sub- 
jects in Mr. Schiifer's " Open 
Book ; " of quiet realism in the 
" Meditation " of the Austra- 
lian painter, ilr. Abbey Altson 
— a little too equal iu its effect 
throughout, l)Ut a clever work 
HuLwithstanding; and of violent 
action in Mi-. McCormick's " Soug of Triumph : 
Kaffirs of the Hindu - Koosh returning from a 
Raid " — a picture which seems to be based upon 
genuine experience. Sir Wyke Bayliss's interior 
of St. Peter's at Rome is a more than usually 
good specimen of his elaborate church interiors. 

The policy of the Society in including so manj^ 
schools is the feature of its galleries to-day. The 
increase of its roll from 28 in 1852 to 145 in 
1897, .signifies not alone extension of membership 
in point of numbers, but also in width of view. 
The artistic surve}', as shown upon these walls, seems 



at the Roya. 



THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF BRITISH ARTISTS. 

The contribution of an important work by Sir 

Edward Burne-Joues lends unusual importance to to display not alone the academic and the " modern 

the exhibition of this Society. This exquisitely schools, but also tho mystic, tiie independent, and 

poetical and pathetic picture, so original in con- the " intransigeant." The visitor, therefoi'C, must 

ception and so beautiful in execution, has already look for no special style of art upheld, but will find 

been dealt with in these pages at length, when the before him a little of everything. 



104 



FRENCH WOOD=CARVINQS. 



By LEWIS F. DAY 



UXDKi; till' lilk' uf "Flench Wooil-Carviiigs 
from the Xiiliuiml Mnseiinis," Miss EleaiiDr 
IJowe hiis edited for Jlr. Hatsfoid a series of collo- 
type plates after wood-carvings selected for the 
most part from the recently ac(|uired Peyre Collec- 








V 




^Vv 



o«V ^J^ •^^''' ^-*^. '^^ - ••^- »*^^' :^'- 



CHAIR-BACK (HENRI II). 

(/« tht Situlh Ktnu'ngton Muivum.) 

tion, now dislrilnited among the nuisetims of SdUlh 
Kensington, Kdinliuigh, (ilasgow, and Diiljlin. 

The liook is a valnaliic record of a most valualilc 
national purchase ; Imt it is not merely that. The 
l'rin(ii)al of the School of Art Wood-t'arving could 
iiardiy edit a work of tliis kind without a very 
delinite view to its practical use to the particular sumptuous plates form the most conspicuous feature 
class of studi-nts whose wants she, if anyone, is may be referred to oidy for their illustrations, and 
in a position to understand. Siie has catered never he reatl at all. .Miss liowe's letterpress 
accordingly for wood-carvers, and yet more espe- deserves a better fate tlian tliat. Ilri cnlicism 
cially for students of wooil-carving, ciioosing occa- of liie examples given is euougii to help llie 



sioually, as she tells us, plates .such as Nos. XXV, 
XXXI, because they meet the wants of teachers 
having charge of umateur and " Home Arts" classes 
where the student can hardly be expected to 
know much about modelling, nor yet to be very 
expert in the u.se of his tool.s. 

So it happens that, although the 
examples given in these fifty-four 
folio plates are ample " to make 
known the carvings in our national 
museums," and include, indeed, some 
\ciy licautiful specimens of art, they 
do not always represent the highest 
types of design ; for, as every teacher 
knows, there is many a time a les.son 
ill what is perhaps rather crudely 
ilniie, which would not be so readily 
conveyed by means of work more 
tcclinically acconi])lished. liude 
woi kiiiaiiship lias, that is to .s;iy, 
sometimes just that over-empha.sis 
which is neces.sary to enforce a moral, 
though not so well calculated to 
adorn a page. Tiiis moral the editor 
is most careful to inculcate. For ex- 
ample: "Note," she says, "how the 
pattern is united with the ground 
by a few gouge cuts, suggesti\e of 
the luider-side of the leaves, and 
how ell'ective the simple gouge cuts 
arc round the jilain surface of the 
niiilallioii," I )r again: " The margin 
is elfectively treated with a lillet and 
deep hollow lieyond, uiid although 
in tlir plate the lillet looks de- 
tacheil, it is not so, as the inner 
line is not cut straight down, but 
sloped to the ground with rather a 
deep hollow." There is no pretence 
of literary llavour about this kind 
of explanation, IniL it tells the workman what 
lie wants to know. In many ca.scs very minute 
information is given as to the deptii of the c^irving 
in its various parts, and occasiwnally this is siii)- 
lilemcnled by sectiou.s. 

There is a danger alwavs that liiioks in which 






FllENClI WOOD-CAKVINdS. 



10^ 



stuik'nt to see what is gnod and bad in tiu'Ui, Iml 
never too nmcli : it is practical without being so 
highly seasoned witli technicalities as to make it 
unpalatable to tlie popular taste. In souie lew 




PART OF UPRIGHT PANEL: LILIES AND OLIVES, 
(/i the South Kensington Museum. ) 

instances she points out, almost too obligingly, the 
new use to which certain old examples could be put. 
That might well he left to the initiative of the 
student. AVe pamper him too much in these days. 
Enough to provide him with food : he must mentally 
masticate it himself. 

The book is in three divisions. The first treats 
of Gothic woodwork, the second of KenaLssance ; 
and Miss Howe gives just the outline of the history 
of the Revival in France neces.sary to make clear the 
course of Style; in the third section, dealing with 
the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, she dis- 
tinguishes the characteristics of the styles to which 
the later Louis gave their names, and tells something 
of the men responsible for the changes of fashion,' 
giving prominence naturally to those who were 
wood-carvers. One cannot, however, even on the 

100 



authority of iM. I'eyrc, accept (iille-Marie Oppenord 
as in any sense a precursor of the style Louis XVI : 
he was one of the most hardened sinners of the 
lloeoco, untouched by any redeeming grace of 
(_'la.ssicisni. The panel-end attributed to him 
(see below) is i[uite unlike the rest of his work. 
Apropos (if tills sliuttcr-pancl, it is pointed out 
that tiie .s}'sleni of " interpanelling" there shown 
is about tlie best legacy left to us by the artists 
of the IJegency: and wnnder is cx^jressed that 
modern decorators workiug in other styles have 
n(.)t taken a. hint from it : they might certainly 
ha\'c done so with advantage. 

In discussing the period of Louis XVI it is 
e.xplaiued that in neither of the preceding reigns 
are details so delicately and gracefully carved; 
" tlowers are treated much more naturally, and " 
— (" but " would have been the more appropriate 
word) — "the \ciuing of the petals, which is a very 
characteristic feature during the reign of Louis 
XI\', is (|uite discontinued." That broad and 
simple yet delicate treatment of leafage is shown in 







END OF WOODEN SHUTTER : LOUIS XV. 
{In the £clinburtjh Museum.) 

the olive wreaths illustrated on this page, a curious 
instance of eighteenth-century ornament to which it 
is not easy to assign a very precise period. The editor 



106 



THK MACAZINE OF AKT. 



finds it strange that tlie carver sliouUl have given 
the lily five petals ; but " 'twas ever tlius." Never, 
from niedia-val times to our own clay, ha\e the " free- 
lances " of design scrupled to rob tiie lily of a petal 
— or of a sepal, rather — to which Ijrutality may be 
attributed a certain just resentment of that conven- 
tionalisation in whose name deeds like this are done. 
Not content with describing the rendering of the 
acanthus scroll peculiar to the period of Louis XVI, 
Miss Kowe goes on to explain the way in whidi the 
stem of the scroll or " spiral " is most siitisfactorily 



treated in carving, Ijy outlining it, that is Lo say, 
" with a tluter or veiner, using the sides of the tool 
to cant the edges ; the spiral then seems to blend 
with the background, and has not ti)at dclaciicd 
look wiiich is so often noticeable when the edges are 
cut down vertically." 

The (piolations above given will show the kind 
of information which is to be gathered from the te.xt. 
^Vttention is called to it rather than to the plates, 
because tliey speak for themselves: they are well 
chosen and most aihniralily i)roduced. 



THE ART MOVEiVlENT. 

ECCLESIASTICAL ART AT NOTTINGHAM. 



I.-THE CLERGY AND ARTISTS' ASSOCIATION. 

THIS Association, which was opened in May ot 
last year liy the Bishop of Stepney — on whi< h 
occasion addresses were gi\'en by 
Mr. W. Holinan Hunt and others 
• — seeks to establish the means 
througii wliich liio.se desirous of 
infonnation in regard to the best 
work being done by individual 
artists may be iielpcd in Viuious 
ways towards obtaining it. Its 
object is to enable the clergy 
and others to approacli the artist 
more directly, and to secuie tliat 
work in cburchcs shall be llu- 
work of artists of individual 
attainment. It lias 1)ccn felt by 
many of tiie cleigy that some 
central jdace where examples of 
artists' work executed in churches 
could be seen would have great 
value at the present time, so 
niucii of the difticnlty being thai 
tiie clergy do not know wiiere 
to go to olitain such vvcjik. 

A central consultative body 
has been formed, with exhibition 
rooms at (i, ^lillbank Street, 
Westminster, fi>i- supplying in- 
f(jrmalion ami advice — a body of 
representative clergy and artists 
meeting periodically, to whom 
applicaticjiis are made. An op- 
portunity is thus presented of counteracting Ibc 
facilities ofl'ered in wrong direction.s. The com- 
plete mystification of the public nnnd can liardly 




CHALICE AND PATEN, 
(0y IV. Biilntirltlitr ffryfto/rf«.) 



Il 



lie loucbcd oil licie. lint nolhiiig is commoner 
tliaii for the artist working in cliurches to be 
iiskrd ill iriiaid lo his work wlicliicr he is goinj' 
lo do il liim.self, or to be told 
that " S. Peter and S. I'aul are 
such well-known figures I sup- 
pose they Would be cheap." 

The Association is adminis- 
ti'icd ill the interests of art 
as a whole, and not of any 
pavlicular school or cli(|ue. 
.\iiioiigsl the patrons, in addition 
lo liie liisiiops of London, I'etei- 
liorough, and Stepney, are Messrs. 
C. F. Walls, H.A., W. Holnian 
lluul, and Jolin lliiskin. The 
( 'omuiiltee of Direction includes 
Ibe names of Sir W. 1!, llicii- 
iiioiid, 11. .\., Mr. Conrad Uresslei', 
.Mr. and .Mrs. Reginald Hall- 
ward, Messrs. Louis l)avis, .\. 11. 
Slvipworth, and W. I'lainbridgc 
Reynolds. Membenship of the 
.Vs.socialion is open to the pul]lic 
generally. Tlie Clergy and Art- 
ists' Association depends solely 
on the sulisciiplions and dona- 
tions of its nii'iiibcrs. No com- 
missions of any kind arc charged 
on the artists working through 
tile Association, or from tiiose 
seeking its aid. With the excep- 
tion of the Assistant-Secretary, 
liicers are unpaid. Tliis is considered es.sen- 



lial to sustain the independent position of the As- 
sociation, which has no commercial object whatever. 



TITK AP.T :\r()VE:\IKNT. 



107 



Tlie soc'iind Clniieli Congress Exliibitidii of the 
Clergy ami Artists' Association was held at the 

Castle Museum, 
by permission of 
the Committee of 
the City IFuseum 
and Art Gallery, 
who came forward 
ill a generous way 
to further wiuit 
they felt to he a 
great object. Jlr. 
Wallis, the Art 
Director, gave the 
warmest assist- 
ance to the under- 
tailing. 

It would be 
inipo.ssible to in- 
clude the names 
of all the coiitri- 
liulors to an exhi- 
bition wiiich was 
of the most repre- 
sentative kind, but 
amongst tlie most 
prominent of them 
were the names 
of Messrs. W. 
Holman Hunt, 
Frederic Shields, 
George Frampton, 
A.E.A., Henry 
Holiday, Conrad 
Dressier, A. G. 
Walker, Nelson 
Dawson, W. liain- 
bridge Reynolds, 
J. D. Batten, Mrs. 
Sargent Florence, Mrs. Ileginald Hallward, Mi.ss 
Emily Ford, and Miss Mary Newill. The cata- 
logue records 195 exhibits, including painting, 
sculpture, gla.ss (cartoons), metal-work, embroidery, 
a special feature of which was the exhibition of 
work executed under the auspices of the Clergy 
and Artists' Association, either tiirough its mem- 
bers or otherwise. Amongst these may l>e men- 
tioned the cartoons for windows in Kelvedou 
Church, Essex, by Mr. Louis Davis; the decoration 
in tempera of the roof of a chancel in course of exe- 
cution, by Mr. J. D. Batten ; the cartoons for wall- 
paintings executed in Lustleigh Church, Devon, by 
Mr. Keginald Hallward ; the design for rood-screen, 
reredos, retable, altar, etc., for Adiniore Church, by 
Mr. A. H. Skipworth ; and designs for two windows 
in St. Paul's Church, Hamstend, by C. M. Gere. 




WINDOW FOR KELVEDON 

CHURCH, ESSEX. 

(Bu Louis Dav/3.) 



In regard to the work done by the A.ssocia- 
tion, it is gratifying to be able to state that, 
through the means adopted of setting up direct 
relations between artist and employer, there are 
now working in churches individual artists who, 
but for the existence of the Clergy and Artists' 
Association, would not have been employed, and 
who, previous to its existence, had never for want 
of opportunity worked in a church before. The 
Association has also Ijy its advice already been 
able in several cases to prevent the carrying out of 
inferior and mechanical work, and has begun to set 
a standard interfering with the easy acceptance of 
work of purely commonplace commercial character. 

The permanent exhibition of artists' work is open 
til members, who receive notice of any particular 
example of work on exhiliition. The Association is 




THE CRUCIFIXION. 
(By Conrad Dressier. Glazed Eartheniuare.) 

hoping to obtain the support of the Church and the 
public in its efforts to foster a more living art in 
churches. The Church cannot afford to lie without 



108 



THK NrA(;A/IXE OF AHT. 



«40(xl art, and llie l>est can come only from tliosc 
whose cultivated talents give them the independent 
position of artists, and in it from tliosc who turn tlie 
siiitjily of cliurch decoration into ordinary trade. 

This Association has been able to replace the 
purely negative criticisms of snch a wearisome 
clianicter by definite practical steps to improve tlie 
sUite of things — made possil)le by tlie loyal co- 
operation of those concerned in the movement — and 
is able to show that united action is more capable 




CARTOON FLih vv^i_._ PAU-iTlMj, ..i^o.^L.o.i ^ii,^,,>^ii 

DEVON. 

(Sy Hr\firtatd Haltmard.') 

of achieving the end in view tlian oi-cans of merely 
barren criticism .umI \vi:iiv cnmplainl. 

II.-SIR W. B. RICHMOND. R.A., AND DECORATION IN 
ECCLESIASTICAL ART. 

At a meeting of the Congress at Notlingliam, Sir 
\V. 15. liichmond delivered an addre.«s u])i(n "l>eco- 
ratinn" as it allects religious art. After referring 
to mediiival art, whim Ixdief in religion went hand 
in biiiiil willi tiiste and executive skill, he (iiiiqiiiicil 




LECTERN. 

(fiy Messrs. Benham and Froud.) 



the condition of the present time, when " content- 
ment with the commonplace — ay, preference of it^ — 
has permeated every 
class and industry nmre 
or less, and has crept iiit" 
the Church . . . There, 
as in our public buildings 
and in our hou.'scs, the 
trailesman is more evid- 
ent tliaii the artist, the 

commercial rather than 

the creative instinct." 

.Vfler reviewing the 

progress ami decline of 

religious art up to and 

from the IJenaissance. 

lie dealt with English 

modern work, and 

a.sked, " How is it that 

the most renowned 

])aintcrs of our time 

have been .so rarely 

employed in the ser- 
vice of the Cliurcli, 

whilst there hits been 

so much opportunity 

presented in that direc- 
tion ^ The Gothic revival naturally led architects 

towards antiquarian research. Hence there has 

arisen a clear 

definition of the 

styles of various 

epochs. To ac- 
commodate these 

it has been 

sought to permit 

no decoration in 

glass, sculpture, 

or wall-painting 

which did not 

belong to the 

style chosen . . . 

i)f whatever cen- 
tury, Gothic or 

Itenaissance I 

The real artist, 
painter, or .sculp- 
tor, being so be- 
cause he has 
something t" say 
for hiiii.sclf ill his 
own style . 
would l>e siiy oi 
obeying an archi- 
tect's demantl to supply him with wliat is, practically 
speaking, iMithing but ii niclhdd of statement foreign 




ALTAR CROSS FOR ST. MARY 
MAGDALEN, OXFORD. 

<0y Kvsvft. Harl, Pra'tl nnd Co.) 



THE APvT :\IOVEMENT. 



100 



10 his iiiipul.se, Ik'nre the lesri'Sf of sjiiiutaiU'iuis. 
So he would not safiifiee liis own iiuli\ iduality as 
one day to design in the fourteenth-century style, 
another in the sixteenth, to order. Seeing that 
there was business to be done, enterprising persons 
established trades in 
church decorative art, 
whei'e the various cen- 
turies have been turned 
out at the conunand of 
the architect, hopelessly 
artificial manufactures. 
Precious little vitality 
could e\'en a genius en- 
dow upon such an un- 
convincing convention. 
. . . Surely, it is not 
' styles,' but ' style,' that 
is wanted — the expres- 
sion of something that 
an artist has to say after 
liis own fancy, in accord- 
ance with such traditions 
as he has accepted as 
monitors. . . . Surely, 
when art is obliged to 
be in exact obedience to 
dates she may be said 
to be dead. It is the 
merit of the design, the 
quality of style in the 
drawing, the beauty of 
colour, not its accordance 
with a particular date, 
that matters in a work 
of art. You will never 
get art worthy of your 
religion until you care 
for it and realise its great 

importance. You will never get it if you treat it 
as furniture. ... I have tried to show that art 
which has survived, or that will live in the future, 
has been and must be spontaneous, that manufac- 
ture of styles is fatal, and that it must proceed 
from the heai-f as well as from the head and 
hand. What better motto is there for conclusinu 
than ' Walk in the liglit of your own fire and 
the flames which you have kindled ' ? " 

III.— MR. JOHN HART'S EXHIBITION. 

Mr. John Hart's Commercial Exhiljition of Ec- 
clesiastical Art was a feature of great interest 
during the Church Congress in Xottiiigliaui, the 




EAST WINDOW IN THE CHAPTER-HOUSE, 
CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL. 

{Ba Mr. Hemming.) 



object of which claims tn lie the furthering of the 
industrial arts in relation to church decoration. The 
exhibition was divided into two sections — viz. the 
trade and general division, and the loan collection. 
To the former the leading ecclesiastical and educa- 
tional firms contributed 
largely. 

Messrs. Benham and 
Froud, of London, who, 
in 1821, made the ball 
and cross of St. Paul's 
Cathedral, had an excel- 
lent display of commu- 
nion plate, altar furniture 
and lecterns. On p. 108 
is an illustration of one 
of the latter. It is exe- 
cuted in solid brass, and 
represents an angel sup- 
porting a tracery stand 
of Gothic design. Messrs. 
Hart, Peard and Co. had 
also a very attractive 
stall of art metal-work 
for churches, and we 
illustrate an altar-cross 
executed by them for the 
church of St. Mary Mag- 
dalen, Oxford. It is in 
the late Decorated style, 
with ogee fleury ends, 
Tudor rose centre, and 
enriched with faceted 
crystals. The vertical 
and horizontal bands be- 
tween the rose centre 
are decorated with vine 
brandies and grapes, em- 
blematic of love. The 
knop upiiii wliieli the cross proper is set is pierced 
and engraved. The whole is supported by a circular 
base, with gadi'oon ornamentation, and fleur-de-lys 
above. 

The examples of stained glass work sent by Mr. 
E. Frampton were exceedingly meritorious of their 
kind. Mr. Hemniing's fine collection of drawings 
of stained glass attracted a good deal of attention, 
and included one of the east window in the Chapter- 
house of Canterbury Cathedral which Mr. Hemming 
executed a short time ago. By Messrs. J. Harris 
were contributed church embroideries, banners, and 
flax fabrics for decorative purposes ; and by Messrs. 
Bnrnet and Co. a stand of beautiful textiles. 



no 



THE MAGAZIXE OF ART. 



DECORATIONS AT MER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. 



BK-VrTIlTL in t-veiy ivsiu-tt avLliitecturully, 
Mr. r.(erli<>liiii Tree's chiiiiniiifj; tlieatre in the 
Haviiiiiiket is (Iwoniled inteniallv in u manner 



if^s 



4^ 




STUDY FOR "SUNRISE." 

(S« Arthur C. S/cK*. ) 

that leaves little to he dcsiretl. The white and 
fiold i)f tlie walls and auditorium are pleasing in 
thein.selves, Imt the paintings on the ceiling ami 
in the spandrils (<( the arclies of the side walls 
add consideraltly to the heauty and efl'ectivene.'^s 
of tlie sehenie of deeoration. The general design 
was snpidied liy Mr. H. ItomaineAValker, hut 
the i)aintings themselves are the work of .Mr- 
Arthur .1. riiafk. hy who.se courtesy we are euahleil 
to icpuxluee some of the cartoons on wliich (lie 
paintings were liiused. Notwithstauihng tliat in 
liiemselves they bear no evidence r>f jiasty execu- 
tion, from the day when the commission was 
placed hy Jlr. I!c(;rhohm Tree in tlie iiands of the 
arti.st, to tliat on which the seafrnlding was removed, 
Imrely three weeks elajised : not, of course, nf tlie 



artist'.s choice, but from unavoidal)le necessity. In 
that time Mr. IJlack had to choose his subjects, 
make 1ms sketches and drawings, and execute his 
complete work. Considering tliat sixteen .spaces 
had to be filled, and that time did not permit of 
colour-studies being made, no small credit is due 
to iiini for the satisfactory result ol)tained. 

l"or tlie eiglit ceiling panels Mr. lilack has 
chosen .symbolical representations of the diHerent 
divisions of the day, and has produced figures for 
the most part poetical in conception and gi-aceful 
and varied in po.se, wliile the colour scheme is 
delicate and relined, and in full harmony with his 
subjects. Heginning with "Dawn," the cycle pro- 
ceeds witii "Sunri.se," "Morning" (perhaps the least 
satisfactorv of llic fiu'uii's\ "Noon" — an extrenudv 







/ 




STUDY FOR "SUNSET." 

(8« irthar C. Black) 

charming figure — "Afternoon," " Sunset," " Twiligiil," 
ami " Niglit." I'dues. pinks, and yellows are the 



THE Airr :\l(n'EMENT. 



principal colours, 
and the series of 
panels form a most 
eftective centre-piece 
to the decoration of 
the liuikling. 

In the eight 
spandrils, in which 
the stoiy of Tsyche 
is illustrated, Mv. 
Black has taken ad- 
^■antage of the op- 
portunity ottered him 
for poetic treatment. 
The figure of Psyche 
throughout is charm- 
ing, and each com- 
position skilfully 
adapted to the spac'e 
for which it was 
designed. The first 
painting of Psyche, 
in which she is look- 
ing anxiously for her 
god -lover, is excel- 
lent in pose, and the 
pathos of the story 




^^^ 



A' 



t; 






U- 




--'-' h'.' 



STUDY FOR "PSYCHE BEFORE VENUS.' 



Ill 

after her desertion 
by Cupid is daintily 
expre.?sed in the .sub- 
sequent pictures. The 
nude figure in the 
fifth panel and the 
descent of Cupid in 
the seventh are prob- 
ably the best of the 
.series, but all are 
full uf interest, and 
l)ro\e :\Ir. Black to 
be both a skilful 
draughtsman and a 
clever colourist. The 
drawings we repro- 
duce are crayon 
studies from the 
model, and are suffi- 
cient to sliiiw — for 
their lines have been 
carefully followed in 
the finished pictures 
— the freedom and 
accuracy of the 
artist's toucli. 

Ai;Tiin; Fish. 





STUDY FOR "TWILIGHT.' 



STUDY FOR "NOON.- 



11: 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[8:3] AN "Edition de luxe" of -the magazine 
OF ART." — I have often wnmlereil wliy no edilwn 
ill' hi.ir is issued uf The Magazine uf Ain;. The 
vnhie of the publiealioii anil tiie lieauty of its 
iUiistrations wouM l)e warmly weleoniecl in a 
more hixurions form, 1 am sure, by every lover of 
art and of beautiful books. Other publications do 
so — sueh as Ln Menu' de I'Art Anckn ct Moderne — 
the price being just double of that of the onlinary 
edition. Surely there must be many who, like 
myself, would be willing to pay, say thirty sliillings 
IV year, for so fine and useful a work. Only, of 
eourse, the edition must lie strictly limited in 
nundier — A SuHscRiitKi;. 

.*. Our Subscriber's liallering suuiicstiun is 
not entirely new to us. Wo can only say that 
if his view is shared by a sullicient numljer of 
subscribers, the Publishers of TiiE ^Iacazixe ok 
Al!T Wdulil be most happy to fall in wilii llic 
suggestion. Perhaps those of our readers wim 
think with our correspondent will oblige us by 
connuunicating with us. — Kn. JlAiiAZlNE ok Aht- 

[84] THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE LOUVRE "APOLLO 
AND MARSYAS." — Where shall 1 find any reference 
In tills picture, especially as In ils authorship ' — 
.1. Haktlbv, Leeds. 

•*• *'"'' correspondent c\identlyhas in niiiul 
the contest of view as to the proper ascription of 
this beautiful work. Since Mr. Morris Moore 
sold it to the Louvre, it haslieen called a l'a]iliacl, 
but it is iloubtful if anyone (piite accepts the 
ascription. From Passavant to ilorelli, nearly 
all the analytical critics have denied it that 
authorship, though wlicllicr it is by Perugino, 
Tiuioteo Yite, Francia, I'inluiicchio, or other 
painter, it is impossiiile to get them to decide. 
Mr. iloore bouglit the picture as a ALmtegna, 
and solil it to the Louvre for £8,000 as a 
liaphael. Morelli a.s.serts positively that it is 
liy Perugino, and we incline to the same 
ojiinion. The cartoon, or drawing, for this 
picture is in the Venice Academy. Bacchi- 
acca, curiously enough, plagiarised the design 
for iiis "Adam and Kve," the figure and iiosc 
of Apollo being cleverly adapted to tiic needs 
of the l'"irst Mother. 

[8o] MERUN. OF THE ROYAL MINT. — \\\\ni Were 
the Christian names of the French artist, Monsieur 
Merlin, who was employed at the IJoyal Mint, 
London, during tlie reigns of (leorge i\', King 
William 1\', and the eaily pait of that of (^lueeii 



N'ietoria, as an engraver of dies for striking coins ? 
His initials, " I. B. M.," appear in relief on the 
obverse of the two-pound piece dated 182."i. — Henuy 
(lAltsiUE (201, Burnley Koad, Accrington). 

^*^ Although Merlin is mentioned in Haw- 
kins' ".Silver Coins of England," in Kenyon's 
"(!old Coins of England," in Henfrey's " (iuide 
to English Coins," and other books, English and 
French, his lirst names do not appear. Probably 
the only aulliorily able to throw light on the 
matter is the Jlint itself. At the same time, we 
never heard of a Frenchman whose initials were 
■ I. 1!." (/.('. "J. B.") which did not represent 
the ever-popular " Jean-lSaptiste." — S. 

[Slj] M. VAN HELLMONT. — W"\\\ you or your readers 
inform uie what is llie pnsitinn, artistic and other- 
wise, of the pictures signed by " M. van llellmont" ? 
There is here in Eio a picture signed by tliat name. 
It represents a kitclien with two persons in ex- 
tremely friendly conversation, painted in the style 
of Tenier.s. It is named "The Propo.sal," and is 
unquestionably an old picture; and, whether or not 
an original, it is painted by a good artist. I never 
heard the name of the painter. — CAlil.us Amekico 
DOS Santos (12, Una de Monro lirito, Rio de 
.lanciro). 

^*„ Matthew van Hellniont was a little 
master of the Fleniisli sclionl whose appro.ximate 
dates are 1650-1724. lie was born in Bru.ssels. 
His more importiint woiks resemble tliose of 
N'an iler Mculen, and his smaller ones — like that 
referred to by our ipicrist — tluise of Teniers. 
Indeed, at a short distance these small pictures 
uiigiit well be taken for those of the greater 
master. In his skies and backgrounds Van 
Hellmonl's cohiuring clo.sely resembles Tenier.s', 
liul not his brush-work. Only a ndnority of 
N'an Ilellniont's pictmes are signed. They are 
not in great request; indeed, the prices fetched 
at Christie's rule so snudl that neither Mr. 
Unbelts nor lledford has recorded them. Seguier, 
jiowevcr, states that " A Flemish Market, with 
numerous tignres," was knocked down for £40 in 
ISdl, iiiid lliat certainly for forty years later 
lliat price was never touched again. The facts 
of the i)ainter's caieer are very obscure. 
[SV] AN UNKNOWN PORTRAIT OF NELSON. — 1 liave 
latelv fallen in with an old jiortrait in oil of i^ord 
Nelson. It .seems a good work of art, and 1 would 
lie glad to receive, through your "Notes and 
li)ueries " cnlumn, any information as to the painter. 



XUTES AND QUERIES. 



113 



as there is no name on it to be seen now. I .semi 
lierewith a photo of tlie portrait. It does not appear 
in G. Lithoni Browne's " Xelson : His Pulilic and 
Private Life (1891)." It would lie obliging if you 
could let nie know whether it appears in any of the 
other Lives of Xelson. — Collectoi; (Bank House, 
Csistle Douglas). 

»*, There is little doubt that tliis portrait, of 
wliicli our contributor sends us a photograph, 
is by Lemuel Francis Abbott, the painter of 
two portraits of Xelson — the one a replica of 
the other. That now brought to our notice — 
apparently in somewhat poor condition and 
unfini.slied — is slightly different to that in the 
X'ational I'ortrait Gallery, and coutiiins sucli 
modifications as to preclude the idea that it is a 
copy. AVe lean to the opinion tliat it is probably 
a picture by Abbott, but abandoned by liini 
before completion in favour of those to which 
we have already referred. 



NOTES. 

A GREAT "ARTIST -PHOTOGRAPHER:" MR. F. 

HOLLYER. — It is a fact — wiiicli will not, it is to be 
presumed, seriously be contested — that nearly every 
important discovery or great reform which has been 
introduced into photogiaphy from its inception to 
the present day, has been the work of the "amateur." 
The professional has, as a rule, done little beyond 
confirming and establishing the discoveries of the 
amateur — beyond walking in the path whither the 
non-professional has pointed the way. Tiiis curious 
circumstance, which is almost unique in the worlds 
of science and art, does not stop short at the point 
of theoretical inno\'ation ; the phenomenon is to be 
observed not less clearly in the ranks of the practical 
professional photogi-aphers, the majority of the most 
artistically-distingui.shed of whom have invaded the 
circle of the craft from the wider, but more imagin- 
ative and intelligent, field of the amateur. A typical 
instance is to be seen in ilr. Fred Hollyer, whose 
name is familiar to ai'tists and photogiaphers througli- 
out two continents. He would doubtless be the first 
to admit that not himself only, but liis rival Jlr. 
Cameron, and one or two others iiardly less successful, 
have adopted as a profession what was at first a 
hobliy, and that they are better pliotogia pliers for 
not hiiving been bred up with their eyes and wits 
narrowed and confined between the two blinkers of 
profe.«sionalism and convention. Mr. Hollyer being, 
as has been .said, a type of the creative pliotographer 
— so far as a photographer can ever hope to become 
"creative" at all, especially in the ditlicult art of 
lul 



the reproduction of pictures — a few words as to his 
career may be helpful to the reader. In 18G1 he 
first began his experiments; but it was oidy when 
he found that tho.se experiments led him beyond 
the usual goal either reached or aimed at liy others, 
that he adopted photography as his profession. He 
had many friends among artists and art students, but 
it needed not them to convince him that photography 
was limited and cramped in its capabilities, and that 
its creative potentiality was not less restricted. He 
began experiments on the reproduction of pictures 
by his friends, who, ha\ing nothing to pay, freely 
damned his efforts. This encouragement was chiefly 
useful in taking the conceit out of the worker. The 
first picture successfully copied was Miss Osborn's 
" Christmas " in 1865, and this was quickly followed 
by ;i series by the late Albert Moore, who took a 
\ivid interest in the process, and was never tired 
of criticising, instructing, and helping, with special 
reference to the rendering of colour values into 
monochrome. Then the attention of Mr. G. F. 
Watts, H.A., was attracteil to the increasingly suc- 
cessful efforts of the young photographer, and he 
devoted considerable time to examining the plates 
after his own work, and to showing when and why 
success had been attained ; for to the photographer 
it is difficult enough to know when he has done 
his best with the pictures of a subtle colourist and 
a mystic in paint. Defects were explained and 
remedies suggested in the case of failures, until at 
last the photographer found himself fully equipped 
not only for the reproduction of the subject of a 
picture, but even for some suggestion of its colour 
and feeling. How could the humdrum everyday 
photographer hope to go through such a training to 
arrive at such attainment ? 

FRENCH IMPERIO-REPUBLICAN COINS. — There has 

recently been .some correspondence in the Times as 
to a " mysterious " five-franc piece which on ob^'erse 
and reverse bore respectively the imperial and 
republican legend.s. There is no mysteiy about 
it at all, and little rarity. It must be remem- 
bered that at the time when Bonaparte became first 
consul and then emperor he was very circumspect 
in his changes, and slow to introduce innovations. 
From 1799 to 1802 he permitted the old type of 
national coin to prevail, and not till the next year 
did ho place his own portrait upon it. When he 
became emperor a year later he substituted " Eni- 
pereur " on the coin for " Premier Consul," but 
retained tlie republican legend until 1808. This 
applies not only to five-franc pieces, but also to the 
rest, the smaller coins and the greater. It must be 
borne in mind that the smallest values were plated 
— copper was not thereafter u.sed in France until 
184S. 



114 



THE CHRONICLE OF ART.— DECEMBER. 



The South IN nii)ditii'ation of the indignation aroused 
Kensington 1 i,y ^\^^, treatment of Mr. Weam:, late art 
Scandal. |ii„.j,.ian at Soutli Ken.sington Mu.seum, it lias 
been circulated that the Lords of Committee of Council 
on KJucation are guiltles-s of the hai-sh injustice attrihutcd 
to them in respect to the sudden dismi.ssal of the ofHcial 
who had had the pluck to .speak out ; and that when 
the papers are forthcoming it will ap|)ear — as might 
indeed, have hecn e.xpocted from .so shrewd and diplo- 
matic a department — that everything is in order, and that 
Mr. Weale lias not so very much to complain of. If this 
is really .so, it merely means that responsibility is shifted 
to other shoulders. It is stated that the Director of the 
museum strongly insisted in a report to the Secretary 
upon the retention of Mr. Weale's services, on the ground 
that there was no other man e(|Ually fitted in the kingdom 
to carry on his important duties ; and it is known that tiie 
Treasury, in the Minute laid upon the talile of the Hou.se, 
continued Mr. Weale in ottice, according to the Thms, for 
another year. It is now put forth that tlie e.xtension was 
"during the sitting of the Committee.' There is therefore 
only one conclusion to draw— namely, that the Secretary 
must have presented, instead of the Director's report, 
another merely retaining Mr. Weale's services for the benefit, 
not of the public service in the museum, but of the 
Committee in the Hou.se of Coinnion.s. But his evidence 
could ei^ually have been given without his being retained 
in office— better, in fact, as no official leticence would liave 
weighed upon liim. Of course the Committee has not yet 
completed its labours, and is to be reappointed next Sessicm ; 
but as, technically speaking, the Committee has lai).seil 
during the prorogation, advantage has been taken of it to 
dismiss this most efficient officer. Meanwhile, it is to be 
noticed with interest that Mr. Armstrong, who.se time has 
also lapsed, and whose examination before the Committee 
was a curious enlightenment as to his views regariling his 
po.st,but wliiMifTcrcd out-and-out support to his department, 
lias without deniiu- had his service extendeil. It is to be 
observed that^Mr. Arm.strong, who is jointly resjionsiljle 
for i)urcha.ses for the museum, actually informed the Com- 
mittee that he did not care whether an object was genuine 
or not so long as it was beautiful, and that this Committee, 
he .supposed, had knocked the bottom out of ej-jicrtu'e. 
This gentleman's .services have been retained ; but we 
would like to know what would liaiipen to any expert in 
the National (iallery or British Mu.seum who gave vent 
to such extraordinary opinions. 

Wh.vt appears to bo a serious i)iece of reckless 
Civic Haste, j^^^^j^, g,, j,,^, j,.,,., „f j,,g ^.^^^ j^„,.,, ;^,.,j,,„.^ >^|,. 

I'audel riiiilips, jiromi.sed to place the Common Coun<il 
and Corporation of London in a .somewhat ridiculous 
position. The offer to the Cori)oration of no fewer than 
two hundred Old Masters, pul)licly announced by the Chief 
Ma'iistrate lus a .sort of blaze of triumph in the midst of 
which he should retire, woulil have been a happy tlmught 
had the examination and judgment of the pictures in 
i|Uestion by the I'resident of the lioyal .\cailemy been 
given before, instead of after, the statement was made 
public. And, to crown the blunder, the gift was accepted 
by acclamation, without apparent reference to the possible 



adverse verdict that might bs forthcoming. The facts are 
at once simple and sug,'estive. Mr. Seilar, a collector 
whose name is not well known to those most concerned non- 
comniercially in works of art, drew considerable public 
attention upon himself during the past season by sum- 
marily withdrawing from Christie's, during the sale, a 
collection of alleged Old Miuster.s, which were fetching the 
most insignificant prices. Certain experts who saw the.se 
pictures did not consider the prices too low in view of the 
(juality of the works themselves. It is therefore only 
natural, when the same gentleman olTcrs his collection 
shortly afterwards cii btai; that the public should, rightly 
or wrongly, identify the pictures with those to which such 
disigreeable notice had already been drawn. As Mr. 
Seilar luus acknowledged the identity, we must deplore 
the injudicious conduct of Sir Faudel Phillips in not 
taking expert advice before placing his friend and himself 
in so unpleasant a |)redicainent. As to the Art (Jallery 
of the Cluildhali, no false delicacy must be allowed to 
jirevent the final refusal of the pictures .should they be .as 
relatively worthless as dealers and experts have thought 
them. In any case, no huge collection should ever be 
accepted en bloc without a careful e.xamination and re- 
commendation in respect to every separate item. In 
France, where ])ublic spirit is far less generous than here, 
and valuable imblic bequests infinitely less numerous, no 
gift of any sort is allowed to be accepted on behalf of the 
public without a special commission approving of every 
item. Tiie jiuljlic taste should not be le.ss jealously 
guarded here than abroad, even at the risk of hurting the 
feelings of an intending donor. But it need hardly be 
pointed out that should the general suspicion be correct, 
and the present collection prove no better than dealers and 
collectors lately suggested, no particular tenderne.ss need 
be .shown towards one who has chosen to pit his own 
challenged opinions against those of connoisscur.s, and has 
risked the victimising of the public before the verdict 
of our chief official authority has reinstated the rejiuta- 
tion of the collection. 

Titi': fortieth annual Iteport of the National 

The National i>o,trait Uallery, dealing with the twelve 

Portrait Gallery. •" .. f . ., . 

months from April, 1896, to April, 189i, 

has recently been issued. It records the appointment of 
Viscount KxuTsFoui) to the triisteeshii> vacant by the 
death of Sir .lohn Millai.s, r.B..\., and the succession by 
virtue of his office of Sir Hdw.uu) Povntku, I'.K.A. During 
the year .sixteen jiortraits were presenteil to the fiallery, 
of which the following are the most important : "John 
Cinwen," iiaintcd liy William (itsii ; "Sir Henry Holland, 
M.D., I'.lt.S.," marble bust sculptured by W. Tiikko; "Sir 
Henry Halfonl. M.D.," painted in 1811 by Sir W. Br.KciiKv; 
"Sir .lohn I'.ankes,' i)ainter unknown: "Sir Hicluud 
Fnincis lUirlon," jtainted by Lord Lkuiiiton ; "Sir Wil- 
liam Maynaril (loniin," )iainted by James Bowlks ; "Dean 
Stanley," a miniature; "William Morris," painted by Mr. 
(1. F. Watts, U.A.; ••Coventry K. D. ratmore," i>aiiited by 
Mr. J. S. Sakc^kni-, li.A.; "Dr. Colen.so," painted by Sami'KL 
SeklIvV ; " liichard JeHeries,"' a bust in plaster; and 
" Jo.seph Hume," by L". B. Lekiiitos. Thirty one iniroha.sea 
were made, including twelve works by the late CjEorge 



THK CHRONICLE OF A TIT. 



llj 



KlcHMOSli, It. A. The total nuinl>cr of woiks now in the 
(ialleiy is l.UfvJ, of wliicli 933 are jiaintiugs, 123 works of 
sculjiture, and -20 miscellaneous works in cases. As we 
foreshadowed when the (.iallery was first opened, the space 
at the dispo&il of the Director has ah-eady become tco 
lituited. Screens have had to be erected, and warning is 
duly given in the Report that many of the pictures will 
have to be placed in iwsitions v.here the light is too bad 
for them to be seen. The vandal has been at his tricks in 
the Gallery; for, besides a series of minor injuries, a serious 
damage was perpetrated upon 
Lelys portrait of the first Earl 
of Sandwich, the result of which 
has Vieen the strengthening uf 
the jiolice force : and the trus- 
tees make a recommendation 
that all pictures within reach 
shall be placed under glass in 
all cases where it does not al- 
ready exist. The total numbei 
of visitors was :J54,94i, the 
highest previous record being 
146,178, when the collection 
was at South Kensington. In 
pursuance of their desire to 
jiromote the educational influ- 
ence of the collection the fol- 
lowing new regulation has lieen 
made : " Parties from schools, 
wishing to visit the (jallery 
for educational purpo.ses, can 
be admitted free on .students' 
days (Thursday and Friday), on 
notice being given to the Secrc 
tarj', stating the number of the 
jjarty." Arrangements have also 
been made whereby lectures 
can be delivered in the Gallery, 

students" tickets being issued ui)on the application of the 
lecturers. The number of students' tickets applied for 
since the opening of the Gallery is seventy-.seven, twenty- 
seven of which have been renewed. 

We are glad to be able to announce that the 
picture entitled " Salvator Mundi," in the 
National Gallery, hitherto attributed to John 
Jackson', R.A., but which we have more than once 
denounced in these pages as a false ascription, has been 
withdrawn from the walls. This act is entirely satisfactory, 
and worthy of Sir Edward Poynter's courage and judg- 
ment. How so weak a picture was ever accepted as the 
work of the jiainter in question is a mystery — not so much 
that it was incompetent and unworthy of a place in so 
august a collection, as that it is neither in the style nor the 
spirit of the artist. It Is gone, and we are thankful for it. 

. ™_- J ™ , The rumour that a further split is immi- 
A Third Salon ? ^ ■ -c i • i • ^ i^ • ^i 

iient in Jr ranee, whicli is to result in the 

formation of a third Salon, is of evil import. It was 

thought, when the Societe des Artistes Francais of the 

Champs Elysees fell out among.st themselves and resulted 

in the Societe Xationale des Beaux- Arts of the Chamji 

de Mars a.s an offshoot, that the final con.sequence would 

be a healthy competition out of which a striking advance 

in art might spring. The result has been unfortunate. So 

far a.s we can see, expectation has been wholly disappointed, 

Comijetitirin has borne effort, but an effort which is strain, 

unhealthy and morbid on the one hand, and ever duller 

academicism on the other. No new work of merit, no new 



Reviews. 




SIR MARTIN ARCHER SHEE. P R A. 
(Sy Himself. Recvntly acquired by the National Portrait Gallery.) 



The National 
Gallery. 



painter of genius. ha.s it brought forth that would not 
naturally have emerged from the Champs Elysees. The 
principal thing achieved has been the proof that a certain 
group of artists despises "medals," while they retain to 
the full the passion for the rosette in the button-hole. A 
further secession will be still more disastrous, and the 
exhibitions of the two main sections balder than hereto- 
fore. Internecine war is always suicidal, and even 
so admired a group as the artists of France cannot 
but suffer from so foolishly wilful a policy. 

Just as a boy at .school 
may learn to compose 
Latin ver.scs, so may a draughts- 
man be taught in a way to 
make patterns. But what, in 
either ca.se, can be the result 
other than a lifele.ss, rule of- 
thumb production ? For de- 
signing that is worth the name, 
designing that has vigorous ori- 
ginality, is a gift not to be 
acquired by learning. Xcver- 
theless, the gift is such that 
needs training and disciplining: 
no artist, however talented, can 
dispen.se altogether with certain 
elementary rules of construc- 
tion. If he be a designer of re- 
peating ornament, he must be 
acquainted with the mode of 
[ilaiining a pattern upon a 
" drop,'' a " net," a "scale,' and 
a few other rudimentary bases ; 
and, moreover, it is essential 
that he should know the exact 
measurements current in certain 
manufactured goods such as 
wall-papers,silks,damask-linens, 
and so on, as well as some details of technical jiroces.ses 
Thus there is a definite use for such works as "A Te.vt-Bo(A- 
Dealing with Ornanifntal Drulyn for Woven Fabrics" b3' C. 
Stephessox, Bradford Technical College, and F. Siddard.s, 
the York.shire College, Leeds (London : Methuen and Co., 
with 66 plates, and 6:2 diagrams in the text), in which the 
authors treat their .suliject.in a systematic and fairly ex- 
haustive manner ; and especially for their last chapter, on 
"The Limitations Imposed by the Structure of a Fabric." 
At the same time, there is a marked tendency towards 
over-analysis. A young designer who Is going to hara.ss 
his bidin over the complicated directions given for the 
construction of the various "sateen" orders, for example, 
is only too likely to lose heart in the nece.ssary strain and 
tension involved in the effort. Mechanical regulations 
inevitably stifle rather than stimulate the spirit of aesthetic 
creation, and ought to be mastered from the teacher's 
demonstration on the blackboard of the lecture-room, only 
to be forgotten at the actual moment of designing. Wide 
a.s is the .scope of the book, it .shares the common fault 
of others of its class — viz. it does not treat of the forms 
of historical architecture, ujwn which, indeed, all true 
ornament must be founded more or less directly : and it 
devotes but one chapter to animate forms, an unaccountable 
omission being the noblest and most difficult of all — the 
human figure to wit. Floral design, then, forms the stajile 
of the illu.strations, though some designs given are not 
ornamental, others not even bad ornament. Thus there are 
drawings from nature of a moss-rosebud, and of that most 



116 



THK MACAZIXE <)K A1!T. 



exquisite flower, the columbine, in lx)th c!\se.s accomi)anie(l 
by the identical form translated into the language of 
mechanical rcpnHluction, instead of any attempt being made 
to convert them into ornamental desi^tn. If it is suggested 
that a unit of this sort, by any repetition or disposition 
whatever, ran constitute ornament, it is misleading in the 
extreme. In Plate XL1\, which gives a design founded 
upon the crocus, is committed 
the unpardonable artistic oftence 
of making two distinct stalks 
from two distinct roots terminate 
in one and the same Howcr-head ! 
However, in sjiite of these ob- 
vious defects, the work is one 
that contains a suHicient amount 
of solid advice and information to 
entitle it well to i-.ink among the 
classics of the j)rartical designer. 

A work which ihould prove of 
great interest to arch;eologists is 
" Tlif Hill of (he Tlirtr (,' races," 
by U. S.Cowi'KR, F.S.A. (Methnen 
and Co.). The author has tra- 
velled through the interior of 
Tripoli with a camera, and has 
jihotographed the curious mcga- 
lithic remains known as "senanis," 
scattered throughout the hill 
districts. In ap|iearance they 
are not unlike Stonehenge ; and 
the author reproduces a Baby- 
lonian .seal, upon which is en- 
graved a priest engaged in the 
observance of a rite before a 
structure similar to a .senam, in 
supi)ort of his theory that they 
are of t'liaKhean origin and 
connected with the worship of 
Ashtoreth aTid Baal. To tbe migratory I'hienicians is 
a.scribed their translation to African .soil. The title of 
the work is presumably taken from a beautiful marble 
relief representing the Three (Jraces found among the 
ruins of Tarhuna, the original of which is in the author's 
possession. Similar to an Athenian work in the British 
-Museum, except for some of the details, it i.s, however, 
later in date, and is jnobably a Homun copy of a (!reek 
work, the original of which has not been discovered. 
Accom|)iinied by maps and ]>lans, the book contains 
valuable information respecting the hitherto comparatively 
unknown country of Tripoli. 

We have received the new " Directory of the Science 
iind Art Schools niid CIkssis" which we recommend all 
intending South Kensington students to aci|uire at once, 
as the moditications, shown in italics, are very numerous 
and of great importance. It is notewoithy that many 
reforms have been introduced. A glance at this con- 
siderable work will convince the most uninitiated how 
great and intricate a machine is the Science and Art 
Department, and how ditticnlt it must be to introduce iin- 
ytrovements of any sort if those who are responsible for its 
working chrxme to raise difficulties. Mow admirable an 
instrument for good it might be under hapjiier conditions 
is not less obvious. 

A fine sen.se of decoration di.stingui.shes .Mi. .\NNiNii 
Bki.l's emliellishments to Messrs. (ieorge liell and Sons' 
beaulifnl i-diijon of Kkats' "J'oems." Decorations they 
are, not pictorial illustrations, which really add greatly to 



W^!i>tjt>ed by Sirf'iry ft. 



the charm of this exquisite work : and the beauty is 
enhanced by the sense of style. Facial comeliness is not 
usually among the merits of Mr. Bells work, but chaim 
of silhouette, refinement, excellence of composition, and 
l)tirity of form. There is evidence of the Italian influence 
throughout, but the elongated forms which belong to 
the " modernity" of Mr. Charles Hicketts and others of his 
school does not always help the 
attractiveness of the designs. Ad- 
niiral)le pea-work is to be seen, as 
in the " Ode to Autumn," and fine 
appreciat ion of masses of white and 
black, ius in that to "Melancholy." 
Lovers of Cruikshank will 
thank .Mr. Fkkdkuk-k .Maium- 
Mo.N'T lor his attempt at a biblio- 
grapliical catalogue of the chief 
works of " 7'he Three Cruit- 
.•ihaiil.s ' (W. T. Spencer). So far 
as it goes this little book may 
be accepted by collector.s, but 
only as a work that is under 
revision. The arningement is 
neither the happiest nor the clear- 
est that might be adopted : nor 
can it be .said (esi)ecially con- 
sidering that "a few etcliings and 
loose plates ' are included) that it 
is complete. At the same time, 
there is the making of an excel- 
lent and most useful handbook 
in this little volume. 

To the usual autumn i.ssue 
by Messrs. Blackie of illustrateil 
liooks for boy.s, Mr. IIknty, that 
hardy annual, contributes three. 
His "With Moore at Coriiitna" 
is illustrated with siiiritetl draw- 
ings by Mr. \\ AL Paokt. Mr. \Y. H. Makuetson sup- 
plies some spirited drawings to "A March on London: 
a Tale of Wat Ti/ltr's liisiiif,;" and Mr. Wai, pAiiET 
also illustrates with characteristic vigour " With Frederic 
the Great : a Tale of the Seven Years' War " — a rather 
more seriously historical story than Mr. Henty usually 
gives US. Drawings even more attractive by Mr. BalI'H 
Pkaiock embellish the liev. A. .1. Cin'Kcii's "Lords of 
the World" a story of Carthage and Corinth -as good and 
attractive a book for boys as the otiiers. 

The ra isterpieccs of literature in inexpensive form, but 
well printed and admirably illustrated with jien drawings 
by some of the cleverest draughtsmen of the day, continue 
to be Issued by Messrs. Service and Patten. Thackeray's 
" Xevcomes^' with nearly a .score of skilful and synq)athetic 
drawings, for halfa-crown, must be accounted among the 
marvels of latter-day publishing. Perhaiis Miss Clims 
Ham.moxd's realisations of the Colonel and ('live Xewconie 
will not be those of other readers of Thackeray, but tiiey 
are clever and i>lea.sing, all the same. Mr. F. H. Towns- 
exd's illustrations to " Th^ House of the Sevai (,'aljles" [unA 
an added charm to Nathaniel Hawthorne's (luaint and 
delightful if somewhat stilted masterpiece. The mo.st 
important of these reprints is Scott's '• Ladij of the Lake" 
well edited, with a bright and interesting introduction by 
Mr. .\xi>i!Kw Kam;, and eml)ellished with more than a 
score of Mr. C. K. Brock's agreeable drawings, dainty and 
humorous. The is,sue is admirable in every respect, tasteful 
alike in typography, paper, and binding. 




THE HABBiS MEMORIAL, ORURY LANE. 



F.R.I.B.A. S,r II. 117.) 



THE I'HKONICLE OF ART. 



117 



Among the Christmas books for the little ones are 
•• AJieittuiyg in Toi/lanJ," l>.v Edith Ki.no Hall, and 
"BeJ Apple and ililver Bet/s," by Hamish Hesdry 
(Bhickie and Son, Limited), both illustiated by .Miss .\lke 
B. WooDttAUD. Although this lady's designs are very 
uaeiiual in merit, there is a dainty fancifulness about them 
that will appeal at once to young readers. I'nlike man\ 
pictures designed for books of this sort, they are not mere 
decorations, but skilful illustrations of the text. From 
the same publishers comes also "Jusl Forty ll'i'nfc," by 
H-Uiisu Hendky, with illustrations by Miss Gertrude M. 
Bradley. These pictures, again, are all that can be de- 
sired in tlie way of illustrations : being entirely free from 
the vagaries of the ultra modern school of black-and-white 
artists, they are to be welcomed. 

A charming " iJooi o/ Xtirser!/ H/ii/mex " (Methuen 
and Co.) has been very ])le;isantly illustrated by Mr. 
Francis D. Bedford, in manner sivouring equally of 
the styles of Randolph Caldecott, Mr. Walter Crane, and 
Miss Kate Greenaway Printed with all the old skill by 
Mr. Edmund Evans, it is a book to delight children, who 
will appreciate the pictures if they do not esteem the 
decoraliims, perhaps the most meritorious of the designs. 
There is st)me lack of vivacity of expression, but the general 
eflect is very satisfactory. 

The Christmas and New Year Cards sent to us by 

Messrs. Marcus Ward display the taste, novelty of design, 
and excellence of execution characteristic of the productions 

of this firm. There is naturally more fancy and ingenuity 

than serious art in these cards and calendars, but they 

are admirably adapted to the needs of the jovial, merry, 

and religious season. 

The Czar has conferred upon Professor AnvA- 

MiEcellanea. g^,,,,,^^. jhe Alexander Newski order, on the 

occasion of the artist's jubilee. 

We projwse soon to treat more 

fully of this artists work. 

Messrs. Debenham and Free- 
body are the publishers of a 

statuette of Lord Nelson, by Mr. 

J. H. M. Furse. It is twenty- 
eight inches in height and is east 

in bronze. 

We illustrate on this page 

the memorial statue to the 

late Dr. Dale which has 

been placed in the Bimiingham 

Municipal Art Gallery. The 

statue, which is life-size, is 

the work of ilr. E. Oxslow 

Ford. K.A. 

Probably as a peace-offering 

for the withholding of awards 

from British exhibitors at the 

recent International Art Exhi- 
bition at Venice, the following 

works by British artists have 

been purchased by the King of 

Italy:— "Ludgate and St. Paul's," 

by Mr. W. Logsdail : " Moon- 
rise," by Mr. Tom PiOBERTsox : 

'^The Old Windmill," by Mr. 

^Macaulay Stevexsox ; and 

" An Evening Pastoral," by Jlr. 

Archibald Kav^. 

Mr. George Feamptox'.s statue of Dame Alice Owen 

(see p. 71) has been placed in the entrance hall of the 



STATUE OF THE 
(By E. Ons-'OMT Fcni. R.A. In 



Lady Owen Schools at Islington, where it forms an im- 
posing memorial of the foundress. On the wall behind are 
two conventional trees, from the boughs of which hang 
the arms of Lady Owen and the Brewers' Company (the 
tru.stees of the schools), executed in gesso by Mr. Frampton, 
and immediately over the head of the figure, in a niche 
bordered with coloured marble, are the remains of the 
effigies from the tomb of Lady Owen, removed from St. 
Mary's Church, Islington. 

On November 1st was unveiled the memorial erected to 
the memory of Sir Augustus Harris at the north-west 
corner of Drury Lane Theatre, designed by ilr. R. J. 
Smith, F.R.I.B.A. The memorial is in the form of a 
drinkingfountain, a niche over the water jet containing 
a bust of Sir Augustus by Mr. Thomas Brock, R.A. The 
structure is twenty-one feet high, the base being of 
rusticated gr:inite, the body and pediment of red Man.s- 
tield. and the columns of polished granite. Oiir illustration 
shows the design to be of an imposing nature, classical, and 
refined in feeling (see j). llfi)- 

The rumour that several of the finest pictures from the 
Six Collection in Amsterdam, including Rembrandt's por- 
trait of the I'urgomaster himself, had been disjio-sed of to 
the Duke of Westminster for sonic fabulous sum for the 
purpose of a Jubilee presentation to the Queen is, as might 
be expected, practically groundless. It is, however, true 
that three pictures have been sold from the collection to 
Baron Rothschild of Frankfort— we believe for the sum 
of £G6,6G6. These pictures are Ter Borch's " Music 
Lesson," Gerard Dou's "Girl at the Window," and 
CcYP's "On theDort." 

The death has occurred at Philadelphia of Mr. 
Obituary. ^Villiam Sartaix, at the age of fifty-four. He 
was the son of .John Sartaiu, the engraver. After studying 
in Paris under il. Bonnat he 
returned to America, becoming 
a member of the Society of 
American Painters upon its 
foundation in 1877. He was 
chiefly known for his pictures 
of Algerian and Italian life and 
scenes. He was an Associate of 
the National Academy. 

From Berlin is announced the 
death of Herr Ludwig Gurlitt, 
the landscape painter, at the age 
of eighty-five. He was born at 
Altona, and, after studying at 
Hamburg, travelled and worked 
in various countries till 1873, 
when he returned to Germany. 
He was a member of the Copen- 
hagen Academy. 

M. Gustave Maixcent, the 
painter of the Seine, has died 
at Paris at the age of eighty- 
seven. He was a pupil of Pils 
and Cabasson, and found nearly 
all his subjects on the banks of 
the river of Paris. He obtained 
an honourable mention at the 
Salon in 1881, and was a Knight 
of the Legion of Honour. 

We have also to record the 

deaths of M. Gastox Bethuxe, 

the water-colour painter; of M. Abolphe Varin, the 

enTa^er- of M. J. J- II- Van Wickerex, the Dutch 




LATE DR. DALE. 
the Birmingham Art Gallert/.) 



118 



THK >rA(;.\zi\K i»i- Airr. 



portrait-painter, at the age of eighty-nine; of Sife'norTw A, Artistes, ami M. 'I'mkciduui: Lkcuand tliu landscape 

the Italian caricaturist of '• J'ngquino :" of the liitssian jiainter. 

artists, MM. I'ai I. A. K. Sovkosow and A. 1). Tchikkink: Owin? to the great pressure upon our space, we are 

of M. Ciiari.es (JoiBoT, secretary of the Soci^te des compelled to liold over several notes on exhibitions. 



"MAGAZINE OF ART" POSTER COMPETITION. 

IT i.s idli' l(» deny tlial llie lesull of this coin- iinioiuit of iiij,'eiiiiily cxiiiiiili'd in the bust of the 

jiptition i.s to soiiio t-xtcnt ix disnppointinont. designs sent in : Iml of tlio.sf tliiit are worst, scores 

Tliere 1ms liepii :i <;ood deal of talent and a vast did not conic ii)) to the average of the former 



J 




SECOND PRIZE. £15 
tOM.u" tv B. W. Swnh.) 




THE 

GAZINE 



RT 



3 



CA , ULL lCOH(W*.UMinil.lONt)0H.FWU51Mn.BOURHE: 



macazm;^ 

® gfART® : 




aiLii^^Li iaaSi 8 ™-M^^3w^ 



THIRD PRIZE, £.^0. 
{Drawn by Frofrbwr Sezanne, Vealet.) 




/. i 3 O PRIZE. 
[Dnian by £fnrtt C. Sand*-'* ) 



£3 3 PRIZE 
Oramn by Thotnnu KinttUa.) 



£3 3 O PAIZE. 
(Drawn bg Rrgtnald F. Wtl',.) 



.AIACAZLXE OF AUT" rOSTER COJiU'ETITFoX. 



119 




£3 3 PRIZE. 
(S. P. Artist's name not linown.) 




£3 3 PRIZE. 
(Draun by ffobert Hope.) 



i^J 3 O PRIZE 
(.Drrnm (■!) Dudley Heath.) 



couipetiliuii. What appears tu liavt; set tliu luajoiity 
of capable designers on tlie wrong path is that 
passion for " modernity " and novelty at any price 
which, as reaHsed by the younger school, is not 
at all essential to work of art : nay, as understood 
by them, is in opposition to it. The inevitable 
result has been a loss of balance, a lack of dignity, 
and an absence of style. 

In the majority of cases no heed was paid to 
tlie character and dignity of such a periodical as 
The ^Magazine of Art. Some designers relied upon 
their humorous powers, of which the drawing Ijy 
"I'loumanac'h III." (J. Hoiiiy) is the most whimsical ; 



other.s, such as " EUil ' (J. W. Lisle), upon clever 
characterisation — more suitalilu for shop use than for 
the purpose explained; and but a fractional propor- 
tion of the competitors sought to suggest in their 
desisrns the aims or even the tone of the Journal 
they were to herald. Some relied solely upon ela- 
borate ticket-writing; others upon the vague pre- 
vailing notion that Art must be represented by a 
female figure, classic or modern, but usually so far 
out of all harmony with the views which we enter- 
tain and ui)hold that excellence of figure-drawing 
was not among their merits. Now anyone who is 
familiar with this Maga,zine is awaic that we are 



f/V\AGAZINE OF^RT 




£3 3 PRIZE 
{Drawn by J W. Li$le.) 



£3 3 PRIZE. 
{Drawn by Baron A. Rosencrantz.) 



£3 3 PRIZE. 
{Drawn by J. Houry.) 



120 



Tin: >r.\oAZiN'E of atjt. 




^ 



THE 

AVAGAZINE 
. ofART . 




^kD 



£3 3 PRIZE. 
(Drtlun ti^ W. C. GrUwe.) 



■JOCKEY. • 

by James T, Archer.) 



THLMAGAZINEofARJ, 




not of llicse who recognise niodeniity-at-any-price as 
art, and who con.sider mere novelty and " origin- 
ality " an excuse for bad drawing, ill-considered 
design, or slieer irresponsibility witli the pencil. We 
liave made, tlierefore, a careful selection of tiie best, 



Xot all of thcin fultil the conditions laid down, 
either as to propoilionate space left for lettering, or 
the limit-number of colours permissible, and some 
have been disqualified by being left unlinishcd. 
For tiie rest, these small posters, or contents bills. 



which we place before our readers in order that speak for themselves; the best of them do not 

tliev may jiulge approximately of their respective come under the strictures we have felt compelled 

,ii,.,'il.s_approximately, because in this uniform re- to express ; and we desire to thank the competitors, 

duction eccentricities of colour and drawing are to prize-winners and unsuccessful alike, fnr the eflbrts 

a ''reat extent softened and modified. tlicy iiavc made. 



pvmLmm 




lie MsGAzme of 





A .J^A oz.i^A.ViLA.5 ^ 



.JUS, .Ji?£.«i i:b<r-A. i^-^^ 



SELDOT." 
{Drawn by Hwnry S, Ctinkt.) 



"LABORE DECUS " 



I 





S.f tirnrv l:>ul.»r<>, R.A . ;i.ii.f 



LADY SCOTT-MONCRIEFF. 
f/n tie Co/lfilipti ff Ihonias J. fiartall, Esq.) 



121 



RENE BILLOTTE: "THE PAINTER OF THE PARISIAN SUBURBS." 

By m. h, spielmann. 

THE I'aiiiter i>f tla- Sul.uibs."' Il is nut an liicki-iy uf ninilcniisiji, cxiji'viiiiuiit, ukl-inasterisiii, 

inspiring: or very expresMve title, perliaps— lie. r (ir oiiu-r d.-x ice uf tiie .lay. that Monsieur IJeiie 

one wliieli at first lieariiig cimfers any paiticnlai- HillDtte has ea[ituivcl the s\illVa<'es of the in- 

ilistinetiou on the artist tn whnni it is a[i|ilieil. telligent puMie ami wmi the ailniiration of the 




REN6 BILLOTTE. 
l^Frjm t:ie Pant'ng bif Carolus-Durtm.) 



Jjiit to ha\e earned the aohriqinf at all at the hands 
of tiie Parisian publie is a good deal ; to he reeog- 
nised with gratitude, almost with aH'ection, hy the 
mass of metropolitan art-lovers, for the devotion 
and tenderness with which a hitheito neglected 
zone of their beloved capital has been digniKed 
and ennobled by his brush, is a great deal more. 
It is by no concession t" popular taste, by no 

102 



critic and the cunnuisseur. It is by originality 
unforced, by " modeniity " natural and artistic, by 
nnaSected sincerity, and by total ab.sence of imrti 
prU — by the very (jualities, in fact, which are 
entirely unassociatcd with the majority of the 
pictures with which P'rench painters of to-dav 
profess to demonstrate the rejuvenatiou of Axt. 
lie ap[>cais to lue I'l bi' as th'jroiigli as many uf his 



122 



TIIK MAGAZINE OF ART. 




QUARRY OF 
(from ttw Puiiiliny ..i the i( 

c'onli'ini>(jr:iiii's aic iiisimiic, Iw llicy cxjK'riiucut- 
iilisls or iiiaiiilVsl fiimin-.-i. l-'nv sninc IVw yr:ns ]Kist 
I liaVf iii<'kc'l liiiii ciul 111' ihc fxliiliildis nf the Saluii 
uf tlic Cliiiini) ilv -Mars as, :\hn\'^ willi .M. Caziii, 
one of llie ffw laiulscaiR' paiiiU'is Kiaiui' ran at 
liiX'seiil Ijoast, piissessiiij,' al oiu-l- .stiil<iii,ii imli- 
viilualilv ami uiiLtiiiality, ii'iiiail<aMi' rMrllnirc, 
ivliiiciiic-iit, ami cliariii. 

Xi(\v, il is alLojicllier uiijusl, lliis liili' of "llir 
I'aiiiler uf llic Siilmrlis." .M. llillnUr is a vast deal 
iiLPic tiiaii till- maker i»f i)ii'tinvs uf I'aris, cvl-ii with 
tilt- afiin-mciitiniirit liij^iily-liclaii'liil \iitiii'S as allii- 
biilL'S. h is Inic that lie lias maile I'aris in certain 
aspufls his ii\vii,aml so lias caiitured \\u- lieail ni the 
iiiosl fiilliusiaslie inetropnlilan paliii.i- in ihe wdild. 
I'liil IIk! .subjeel of his pielures is llieir lesser merit. 
Xnr is tliuir greatest exeelleiiee their teeluiieal 
uitistry. It is tlie jMietry that pervailes them that 
has raiK(Ml tiie painter to liis present positiiMi, already 
imposing upon the collector the necessity, or at least 
tlic delight, of phieing in his gallery heside, say, 
a ("orot or other work of silvery lieauly, a Item'' 
r>ill<itle to keep it company. I would call him 
rather " tlie painter of ellects" — of city atniosphiMv, 
with its strange (|Ualities, full of sadness and signili- 
cance to those who can understanil its appeal : hut 
ahove all 1 would name liim •'llie laureate of the 



NANTERRE. 

ijtfinboilry Museun), Paris. ^ 

Iwiliglit." It does not sulliee to him to en\elop the 
des.iiale streets or inlerminalile hoidevards with that 
strange "civic air" that .seems to weigh alike upon 
llie spirits and the lungs of their indwellers; lie 
enwraps the whole in the kind twilight of the early 
nioining or the exening, ha/y oi- murky or clear, and 
seems to jienetratc tlie s]iectaioi- witii the very spirit 
oi' the scene. l''or the very essiiice of such scene is 
the inexorahlcness of its trulii. ami, ahove all, the 
s\nipaliiv of the man who has di.scovcred beauties 
wiiieh wi' iie\er fully kin'W hej'ore. 

\'ct he does imi ( line himself to urban scenery. 

Landscape in the hioadest .seii.se sometimes engages 
his brush, iiowever muih iiis admirers may begrudge 
ihe lime and allenlion he di'Votes to ilistiiets lying 
withniii the circle of (Irealer I'aiis. \'cl there is 
no diieei relation liitucen liie great classic land- 
.seape of Clamle. of Turner, of llarpignies, and the 
work of Monsieur liillotte. lie does not ail'ect 
the "grand style," though he docs not, (//.sailed il. 
lie luetends to no coiilempt for tradition, not even 
for the academic. It is merely that he is sincerely, 
honestly natural — a man who desires to paint what 
he feels: and he stands head and shouUlers above 
most of his fellow-painters by also wishing to paint 
what he .sees, not what might .seem to apjicai in that 
fractional Hash of a .side-glance which breeds the 



IJEXK lULLoTTl 



AIXTKi; <)l- 



"IIK TAIMSIAX srr.riM'.s." 



12;! 



iiiorr laliiil t'onii of Iniprt'ssiniiisiii. Tlu' rrsult is 
that like a tnu- poet and uenuinc artist, \w Ims rvnh cil 
witliout t'Hovt a style of his own — a style tiial is tine 
ami noble, ami lliat eonipels tlie adniiiation ami re- 
spt'ct of t'Vfvy artist. I see in M. ISillottc's work imirh 
of tile ilelieaey of M. CazinV, alike in sentiment ami 
sense of colour, and nmeh of the uneon\ enlionaliy 
trutliful appreciation of city and life of M. llaffaelli. 
Hut never eonld one mistake a ]iiilnn' of his for 
theirs, nor point to another painter in all France 
who could produce a work tliat — unless deliherately 
imitative — would resemlile a llillotte. 

Now, what are the artist's qualities and siili- 
.jects, the characteristics and ehiid' excellemies, that 
togetlier constitute his universally acknowledged 
ciiarni ;' He is a niauician in L;n>ys of the most 
delicate and heautiful ipiality, rather ])early than 
silvery. He loves the lilue-orey distance that cloys 
the atmosphere of a city at a liinidred yards, and 
liangs like a idoiidy curtain in the country at 
five miles distance at sumlown. IJelonging to the 
small group of truly creative artists, he can impart 
as much charm to a picture of a factory llaid<ed 
iiy a row of hare trees with a liaM ami harreu scrap 



of wilderness for a i'ore<'r(Jund, as to a hroad niece 
ot open landscape whose sylvan loveliness is primarily 
its own ]iossession hel'ore the jjainter sets about 
adding to it u|)on his canvas. Or a broken-down 
li<i\cl, a ruin of plaster and rubl)isli, affords a sub- 
ject, uninxiting enough, one would think; yet as 
pregnant with be.inly foi- Al. llillotte as the grev 
]ierspeeti\e of an outlyini.; Parisian lioulevard. 

And tin's grey misty air of I'ai'is, which he lo\cs 
with such deep and constant di'Mition ; and the 
town itself, with its lortitications and ramparts, its 
suliurbs, and its winding river with the quays that 
Hank it ; and the [daster-works and worked-out 
quarries — (he (piarries of JMontrouge, Clamart, Xan- 
terre and Hezons and the surrounding country, and 
the forest of ilontmorency, the Laniles, anil, travelling 
nnicli further, the wilds and mountains of Albania 
— all of these he lias made pictures of, wliich may 
claim coiiqiaidonsliip with the work of any modern 
master. I'lUl whether it is the fortifications of the 
north and west, and the .sidjurbs, Asnieres or C'ourbe- 
voie, just lieyoiid them, or whether it is the vast 
sketchinLJ-Liround of thi' llalkan I'anti'e, that engage 
him. M. llillotte remains tln' true and sinqdi' artist, 




EVENING AT THE PORTE DE COURCELLES (1897). 
(from tlie Pamling at the Acriileing of Fine Ails. Philadelphia.) 



124 



THE MAOAZIXK OK AltT. 



piolting into Niiluro in siaivli uf lici i"ictiy, ;mil 
laving it on tlic canvas with unerring toufli. Hf 
lias paintetl tin- ninuutains of Alliania witii as niudi 
iiisiglit and sympathy as tlu' fortitic-ations of Paris, 
anil has realised the immense solitudes as eomjilelely 
as the eity streets. Tlie hluc ami liuiiiinins waters 
of the liay of Arta are mit less faithfully renilered 
than the grey stream nf the Seine, or the mountain 
heather than the murky muther-of-pearl of the 



have formed iianimiiiuus haekgruunds to some uf 
Charles Diekens's sterner and more dramatic scenes. 
Melancholy i Often more than that. It is not 
thai the scenes chosen constantly deal with poverty- 
stricken suhjeets. These scenes are often desolate, 
distressing, ))enetratingly depressing, and are only 
saved, artislieally, hy tlie striking heauty of the 
treatment and handling. Then it is that the painter's 
higher ipialilies hecome apjiareiit — Ids refinement 




THE WALLb OF PARIS AT THE PORTE DASNIERES. 
(Sit/on 0/ llm Champ dr Mors, ISgf:) 



nietroiwlitan canals. And the limjiid air and azure 
sky sliare with the wintry fug of I'aris twiliuhl 
the (|Halily of harmony and Irulli. 

His pictures have a true melody of culi.ur and 
the orchestration is perfect of its kind, even though 
the harmony is in some respects restricted. They 
are lender without being sickly, and the lints of his 
palette are subtle and pure. His pictures have 
much of that quality, contemplative and genially 
sad, that sngg<!sts the "reverie," fur his note is 
mfire often set in the ndnor than the major key. 
In his best works, indeed, he is usually .subdued in 
feeling, not to .say poitically melancholic, though not 
without vi"our; so much so, indeed, lliat one of his 
critics hius declared that liad tiie artist painted 
Eu'dish landscape, his piiluies woidd,niany nf iIhmu, 



and tenderness bolii of .sentiment and execution; 
liis simplicity and sensitiveness, directness and dis- 
irclion: his exquisite taste and excellent colour. 
As a subtle colourist :\I. Hillolte has few rivals in 
France, and his gradations are as delicate as Mr. 
AVidstlcr's, and, moreover, \>\:\y along the whole 
gamut. Gaze at his pictures of tlie desolate ramparts 
in winter; see the unatrected cleverness of their com- 
position, and the vivid realisation of the scene. The 
trees bare of leaves, the snow jjowdering the way wind- 
swept into curves upon the frozen ground : a .salmon- 
l)ink sun set in the mist-grey sky, hardly colouring 
the frost with its struggling rays— all so coldly true 
that it sends a shiver tinough the spectator, as con- 
vincing in its actuality as in its artistry. Yet the 
picture is one to whidi we return with jilcasine 



KKXfi r.ll.lOl'TK: 



■|'H1 



I'AIXTKi; OK 'I'lll': I'AIMSIAX SI'lU'lMiS.' 



1-^ 



iivei ami onlt again, fur liesiili's iIil' clianii ol' (jiialily 
there i.s u eevtaiu ntiinie of coinposition — always 
riglit althougli for the most part transparently 
unsophistieated — tliat never fails to please, ami 
whieh, eoniliined with other merits, constitutes JI. 
Billotte a true artist fur the eonnoissenr. Altiioiigh 
he has as much feeling for heauty in laiulseape. 
ami can render a hit (if Ilollaml or a gem of syhan 
scenery with the same relish as another, he has a 
felicitous way of seizing what to many eyes is at 
the first glance ugly, or at least uninteresting, and 
transforming it into a thing of heauty— e\-en as 
Eemhramlt, or ^Morland, or Van Ostade lo\ed to do. 
And when a man can touch a scene of desolation 



— forbidding in itself and 
his brush, and prove 
clearly and at once 
that he can draw and 
can paint, and that he 
has taste and soul, he 
makes good his claim, 
it may be maintained, 
to be accepted as an 
artist and a poet. 

r.ut M. Billotte can 
be bright and pleasing 
too, and paint the sun- 
shine he learnt to love 
in tiie days of his early 
youth ; for he was born 
in the land of the sun, 
at Tarbes. This cir- 
cumstance! is to me not 
nniiiteiesting, inasmucli 
as there is no doubt 
that the great school 
of landscape belongs to 
tlie Xorth, not to the 
South, at least in its 
highest walks. There- 
fore the justness of Ids 
feeling for landscape 
(that is to say, not for 
its colour merely, noi' 
its sunshine, nor its 
sadness or otln-r ipiali- 
ties which most attract 
ordinary paintejs) is a 
"document" to be taken 
into consideration by 
those wiio love to 
generalise upon artistic 
psychology. Perhaps it 
was in rebellion against 
the reputation, or the 
liiintation, aserilied to 



almost repellent — with 



him — that be was the Turner of the suburbs pur 
e.irclleuir — tiiat he paiiilcd ibe hundred little pic- 
tures for exhibition in London. The versatility was 
wonderful, and sadne.ss gave way to gaietv, and 
joyousness lilled nearly every one of tliese little 
ean\a.se,s. Nevertheless, I was not wholly pleased. 
These pictures were charming and <-ould un(iues- 
tionalily extort the tribute of tlie critic. I'ainter- 
like, artistic in point of view and sentiment, 
always good and sometimes line in colour, giving 
proof of deep obser\ation, yet — well: l]i(>y were 
hardly "Ibllotles." Dordrecht was lovely, and the 
windmills ileligbtful, and the whole collection was 
gay and liiniinous, full of delicacy and even dainti- 
ness; and here and I here, a really touclnng bit : yet 





0**-: 



EVENING AT HARFLEUR. 
(Sii/on 0/ thr Champ tie Mara, ISS4. Past,/.) 



126 



THE ^r.\n.\ZIN'K OF AT!T. 



the artist was nut in tliciii so fiiiii|)li'tcly as in tliusc 
to her works in which he is aeknowledf^etl master. 

Another class of suhject — the nearest ai)])roach 
to a convention of his own — is broad iandscaije with 
the sun or moon nt tlie full in much the same 
relative s|iot in all of them. Of course, this practice 
(if the wor<l he not too insistent) hecoiues ol)jec- 
tionaltle oidy when many of the class are seen 
toj^ether; hut in some sort <jf defence it may he 
remarked that attention is thereby drawn to the 
excellence of the skies, witii tlicir fulness of clouil 
incident or hrokenness of surface, from wiiich they 
derive their interest, breadth, and vibration. 

It is, no doubt, from i)is cousin and only master, 
Eugene Fromentin, tiiat M. liillotte has derixcd liis 
sulitle sense of charming colour, or at least his 
]iowcr of realising it. I say " master:" but I siioulil 
i-.xjjlain tliat Fromentin fully understood the value 
of non-interference, and accordingly allowed his 
young kinsman to run riot in the studio, play or 
Work wilii the colours as he listed, and pick up 
sudi education as lir inuld acipiire by watching 
the progress of his own noble canvases. ]>ut, as it 
turned out, the training sutticed : and not only di<l 
^r. r.illottc master the craft of the oil-]iainter, but 
he became known as })iaclised eipially in the arts of 
water-colour and pastel. His pastels, indeed, are of 
the highest merit — not mere .sketches with colouicd 
liialks, but pictures as subtle as oil-paintings, as 
didiberate in the execution and as conscientious in 
tinisb. In them we see the full attractiveness of 
jiastel, tile llaltery of tlie luedium, so to call ii, 
which, in the hands of a master, loses the tri\ iality 
that seems inherent to it in less jiractised and 
intelligent hands, until it stands beside oil alike in 
dignity and etl'ect. Except fiU' these works, the 
])ainter is one who always paints out of doors — .save 
for his Very large oil-canvases — and defies wind and 
weather, rain and sun, mud ami ice and snow, in iiis 
enthusiasm for iiis art. Indeed, all of iliusc it is 
fiom time to time Ids particidar purpose to paint : 
and you may meet him, on the forlili<ations. or 
lieside th(^ cau.seway, in weather tiial would drive 
a cowboy \nider cover, sitting at Ids work, feet 
caseil in top-boots and body swatheil in furs, good 
hinuoinedly jiroceeding with his damp or rliilly 
labours. He makes no stuilies — with tlie afore- 
mentioned exce[)tion, as to pastels and large canvases 
— and does not alter (the ".selecting nothing" in 
.Mr. I'uskin's early creed) what he sees iicfore him 
when he has chosen his point of view ; iind for 
'■composition" prefers to paint what is there, har- 
monising all by the tone and the sentiment of the 
whole. This is where his " modernity " lies — original, 
no doulit, but reverent in the love ami rcmlrring 
of natine. and honest and laborious in hi< woik- 



He will sit down and begin the picture forthwith, and 
finish it, however unpromising the subjei-t may lie 
in appearance, the while another artist is spending 
a week in " finding" his picture. I'.iit M. IJillolle is 
otherwise eclectic. His touch is tirni, delicate, and 
even precise, hut there is no hint of " fiddling." 
\'ainish, it may In- observed, you will never find on 
a ])ieture of his: for, .says he, it robs a picture of 
all verisiuMlilude. "There is no varnish in nature." 
I am not quite sure of that; 1 am not sure that it is 
not just \arnish — that and lilllr else- lii.it piinled 
sunlight lacks. 

It was in IS7X, that .M. Ililloite, dicu lliirty-two 
years of age, began ])ainting and exhiiiiting his works, 
and from that lime onward his name is to lie fomid 
in llif catalogues of the Salons, first in tlie ("hanips 
Elys(''cs and then of the t.'hamp de ^lars. At the 
I'aris Exliiliitii>n of 1S89 he recei\ed a tirst-cla.ss 
medal, and be has the still higher distinction of 
bi-ing tlic initiator of I lir niovcnu'ut which split the 
meud)crs of the olil .'>alon into twij sections, and 
accordingly became one of the chief founders, and 
was appointed Secretary, which he still remains, of 
the Socictt' Xationale des 15eaux-Arts — better known 
in England as the Salon of the Champ de Mar.s. 

It is difficult to make a selection of M. I.illotle's 
licsl works; liut reference to our annual reviews of 
the Salons will satisfy the reader of the position and 
rcjiutation the artist enjoys. Chief among tho.se 
of the year l.SDT are the " C^uarry of Xanterre," 
wliiili has been liouglit by the State, and "Evening 
at the I'orte di' ( 'ourcelles," .-i most accunite repre- 
sentation of a I'arisian scene, accpiired for the 
^lusiMiiu of rbil;idi-l|iliia. .Vuiong iiis snow pictures 
the most striking and popular aie perhaps ".Snow 
at the I'orte d'.Vsuicres," which is in tlie Luxembourg; 
"Evening in liic .V venue de \'iiiieis: Snow EH'ect," 
Iji'longiiig to tlie Uijoii .Museum: and " Snow Eirect 
at I'rey (Eure). Among the numerous pictures of 
the other favourite cla.ss are "The I'oitifications 
of I'aris," still in the artist's possession, and "The 
Forlitiialions at ('ourcelles," which is the iiroperty 
of the Musce de la N'illc de I'aris. Typical nt 
the " fog ]iictures " is tlie " Fog at the I'oitc 
Ciiain]ienct ;" and of the twilight pictures, "Twilight 
at the (jhlatlies, " now ill tlli' iliiliciial .Musrlim of 

lierliii. " lly tile llarliour of Li lioclicUe " is a 
rcmarlvalili' work of another i/rmr, the projierl}' 
of ijie I'loiuges Muscuiu : "The Seine at the lj)uai 
d'lbsay," a notable dccoiatioii for the I'aris Hotel de 
Ville; while " At Dordrecht : the Hay I'.oat," which 
gained a gold lucilal at the Cniversal Exhibition 
in ISSO, shows the painter in his wider and less 
a<customed hitmoin' — as much "bigger" than his 
usual iJiaiiiHT as, say. Old Cronie is broader than 
Mr. Ilcib.rt .Maisbill. Finallv, I would refer to 



ENA:\tELS. 



12 



llif iiUH'li-appiveiated scries ol' pielurcs of the gii'ul 
buildings of ruriw, suuli as "The Tnwt'r.s of Xutru 
l>aiiiL': tlie Fleetino- Haze," luiw at tlio ^liiseuni df 
liueliaiest : ami to tiie exquisite pietuivs of llie 
type of •• Haitieur at Xight," whieii uioie liiaii 
justifies, by its exipiisite aiul lianiionious colour, 
its originality, and charniing treatment, e\ervtliing 
I liave said of .AI. p.illotte as a iia>trlli.si. 

1 hardly think that 1 have sjHiken of M. 
r.illoiie's talent with too nnieh enthusiasm. Two 
conditions are to be considered in stud\ing a paiiitci- 
ill the present state of art-opinion : first, the actual 
merit of the craftsman and liis works; ami secomllv, 
the circumstances under wliiili he has formed him- 
self and j)rovcil the excellence that was in him. 
There is surely le.ss merit in achie\ing public sni'cess 
and in choosing the right path when, as once on 



it time, in the general opinion and by common 
consent there is only one path to tread; than in such 
a fussy, transitional period as at present, when 
many of tlic cleverest men seem demented with the 
crazes that inject the very atmosphere of the art- 
world. Jb.insicur Ilillolte has })roduced a long series 
of works which are unquestionably works of fine 
art, altogelhci- independent of the discussions, the 
arguments, ,ind the taunts of colliding ".schools." 
lie has pnidiiccil them unmoved by all the disturbing 
pranks of p.iinter, Morris-dancers, and the temporary 
success of the artistic Kings of Jlisrule: his sensitive- 
ness, his poetry, and his art, per.sonal and individual, 
pro\ ing him a man of characler as well as a. man of 
ability, and a.ssuring him an important jilacc in his 
country's loll of fame, when the liarvest of the 
centur\' is taken into acciamt. 



ENAMELS 



By ALEX. FISHER. ILLUSTRATED BY THE AUTHORS WORK. 



WHEX one watches the fire-flame leaping round 
the ciucible in the enameller's furnace, 
caressing the inert mass of silica and lead, giving 
it its own life and 
brilliancy, one's 
thoughts revert to 
tliat great furnace 
of nature below us, 
which gives the 
black carbon its 
wiiite gleam and 
makes the diamond, 
"with all the beauty 
that we worslii[) in 
a star." And so the 
eiiamellei-, watching 
over his little fire, 
iineonsciously ful- 
filling like laws and 
methods common 
to the universe, in 
earth and sun and 
stars, Kives the 




DAMASCENED STEEL CASKET WITH ENAMEL PANELS. 



gla.ss adhered to metal, and, secondly, that it gave 
a colour which it had not before. He may then 
have endeavoured to co\er pieces of metal with the 

glass, and perhaps 
to have made a 
pattern with it. 

However, the 
discovery at its in- 
ception was not 
carried very far, or, 
if it were, then it 
was allowed to fall 
inti-i disuse. For 
many centuries 
elapsed, the Egyp- 
tian, the (treek, and 
Roman civilisations 
passed, without the 
artist - goldsmith 
paying much heed 
to enamel — not be- 
cause he did not 
lo\e colour, but 



world an array of colours that is matchless in the partly perhaps on account of the initial difiiculties 



realms of art. Tiiis thought leads one to wonder 
who was the first to discover this beautiful art. 
Perchance by accident, in a dim remote age, un- 
known, unrecorded, when the making of glass was 
in its infancy, a glass-worker was stirring his pot of 
" metal " — as it is called — with a copper or bronze 
rod, and iji withdrawing it ob.served, first, that the 



to be overcome, and, again, by failure to perceive its 
great possibilities. So we find that not until the 
eighth and ninth centuries of tlie Christian era did 
enamelling play any important part in the decoration 
of metal-work, when we ha\'e Byzantine and Celtic 
enamels, both of a very high order, most beautiful 
in execution, and of extremely simple workmanshiii. 



ll'S 



TiiK ma(;azixe of ai;t. 



From lli;it lime, luiiiLipally at Liiniigu.s — lliu home exeeiilinii of llie beauliful process c.iUed pliqiic- 
of eiiiimelliiii;— lliure was u steady progress in tlie a-jour. Tlie initial diliiiulties are etionnous, as uU 
art until the fifteenth ceutiirv, wlieii, <>\vin',' tu liie who iiave ever tried lii \vnrl< them out have fouiul. 



renaissance of all 
tiie arts, together 
with tsv(j important 
discoveries in the 
method of work, a 
great change and a 
great advance took 
place. The two dis- 
coveries were these. 
First, it was found 
that by covering the 
back of a piece »( 
metal with enamel 
as well as the front 
there was no neces- 
sity to carve out 
spaces to make the 




GOLD AND ENAMEL BOOK-COVER. 

^Reproduced by Pt-rmission of the Hjn. Mrs. Percy H'ynt/'uini, ) 



To state some of 
these dilHculties at 
the very outset in 
the making of 
enamel may be in- 
teresting. It is 
comparatively sim- 
ple to make a glass 
or enamel of almost 
any colour, but to 
make such an one 
that will not crack 
and ji.'el oil' when 
applictl til the sur- 
face of metal is by 
no means an easy 
matter. For one 



enamel adhere ; and, secomlly, that white enamel must bear in mind that the expansion of metal — 

could be painted over a ground of enamel in with tlie exception of platinum — is enormous by the 

ditlerent thickne.s.ses, giving it the etlect of a l.ilaek- action of beat, wbriciis tlie expansion of enamel is 

and-white drawing", and, fuitiiiT, that this wbilr praitirally uoihinu : so tiial in the ( lini; the eon- 




BELT IN STEEL AND TRANSPARENT ENAMELS. SUBJECTS FROM WAGNERS OPERAS. 

would receive coloured enamels. Lp to that time traction of tiie one and the non-contraction of the 
the proce.s.ses of champleve, cloisonne, and ba.s.sc- other appears to be a ditliculty which it is impossible 
taillc had been exclusively u.sed, with the very rare to surmount. Nevertheless, it is overcome, as we all 



EXA^IELS. 



129 




know. The next thing to be considered is that 
iron, copper, standard silver and gold — not tine gold 
— develop a large anionnt of oxide when put in a 
furnace. Xow, as all enamels depend upon nietallio 

oxides for their 
colouring mat- 
ter, it will at 
once bo per- 
ceived that here 
we have an- 
other gigantic 
obstacle to con- 
quer, especially 
when trans- 
parent enamels 
are used ; so 
that what is 
required in the 
manufacture of 
enamels— which 
are by no means 
perfect to this 
day — is, first, 
that they shall 
adhere; second- 
ly, that their 
colour shall not 
change by the 
influence of an 
additional and 
different oxide 
to the one already used in its composition ; and, 
thirdly, that no action of damp, of air or water or 
gas, or length of time, shall have any deleterious 
effect upon them. It took me some years to under- 
stand and estimate these various points at their true 
value, and to get over them. And it is with no 
small wonder, and in some cases with profoundest 
admiration, that I regard the achievements of the 
old enamellers, who had none of the advantages 
which modern science has so lavishly laid at the 
feet of all earnest workers. 

Copper is, and has been, used more than any 
other substance for enamelling upon. It is in its 
pure form extremely beautiful and pliable, and 
capable of a very high degree of polish. Its one 
great drawback is that it oxidises very rapidly under 
heat. 

Silver and gold have also been very largely 
employed. All enamels are coloured by the o.xides 
of metals, as I have previously stated. From oxide 
of copper, red, blue, and green are obtained. The 
red is an opaque Indian red ; the blue a turquoise 
blue ; and the gieen ranges from pale emerald to 
deep olive, from a light-yellow green to a dark-blue 
green. The oxides of iron and copper used together 
103 



MEMORIAL PORTRAIT OF THE LATE 

EARL OF WARWICK. 
(Enamel Transparent and En Grisaille.) 

(ttepfoduced bi/ Permission of the Douiager 
Countess of Warwick.) 



give another green and another red : from antimony, 
a yellow and orange ; from iron, orange, a brown 
and red: from manganese, a violet; from gold, a 
ruby; from cobalt, a blue; from tin, a white; and 
from iridium, a black enamel. The oxides of these 
various metals are combined with silica, minium, 
and potash to form an enamel. Many of them 
require the gi'eatest possible care and experience 
both as to temperatui'e, length of time in fusion, and 
exactness of proportions in their manufacture. 

Ilegarding these ditticullies at their true value, 
we find the reason of the methods employed from 
the earliest times up to the present hour. It has 
never been so mucli a question of what the artist 
wished to do as of what he was able to do. And for 
this reason we find the first attempts were naturally 
in the simplest of all forms. The method called 
" champleve " consists of a j^late of metal carved 
out into little cells, which are afterwards filled 
with enamels ; this, being the simplest, was there- 
fore the first discovered. The enamels at this time 
were always opaque. "VVe find this so in the 
Byzantine crosses, pyxes, and chalices; we see it in 
the Irish brooches, the horse-trappings, the many 




GOLD AND ENAMEL PENDANT. 
{Reproduced by the gracious Permission of H.M. the Queen.) 

bronze ornaments which adorned the shields, swords, 
and helmets of the warriors and the costumes of 
the women. 

Then it must have been after a considerable 
lapse of time that an interesting departure took 



130 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 



place. For tlie-iuetal oells were prepared in quite dirticulty of this process. But where enamel, of all 
another way. Thin strii>s of metal were bent and things in the world, is capable of giving the most 
soldered on'to the ground to f.irm the pattern, which beautiful coloui', that mere black and white should 

lie the form in wliich it is most jjrized is a great 
unappreciated mystery to me. Fortunately for us, 
we are not all collectors, or at their mercy either: 
nor, acain, arc all collcct(ns of enamels so devoted to 
this style that they are blind to every other. We 
have at this same period a great range of lovely 
colour, of most exi|uisite design and feeling. It is 
llic cine manner of all otliers where beautiful draw- 
ing, expressi(jn. and colom- are possible — where the 
art has a freer life, and is no longer arbitrarily 
dominalcd by tlie exigencies nf material reiinire- 
ments. Still, for all thi.s, it has limitations sufficient 
to compel tlie artist to be more or le.ss decorative 
and severe. So we 11 nd that while the draperies are 
f'orgeous and luminous, lit up with gold, the hands 
and faces are generally cold white, which was no 
iloubt owing to the fact of the inability of the artists 




PAINTED ENAMEL PORTRAIT IN SILVER FRAME 
(ffr7rorfuc*t/ 6j/ (At* klni P,-rmisston of H.R.H. the Prince of Watts.) 

was afterwards filled with enamel. It may have 
been suggested by the way in wliicli paste gems 
were cut to fit into sudi a ]iatlern. This mctboil 
is called "cloisonne," and is the une invariably eiii- 
ployed by tlie Jaixinese. 

Many centuries pa-ssed ere it was discovered that 
by placing a thin layer of enamel on both sides of 
thif metal they both adhered without furtiier assist- 
ance, and sinuiltaiicou.sly it was found that a pattern 
might be forme<l without cloisons or carved cells. 
The whole surface was covered witli enamel, and 
figures and ornament and laiulscape were paiiil<ii 
in white on a dark ground, generally black, I lie 
whole being modulated, giving the eHect of a sliadrd 
drawing. This is the method known as grisaille, 
and was very greatly used during the lifteenth 
century, the names of Penieaud, Leonard and Jean 
Limousin being the foremost artists of that date. 
To connoisseurs and collectors the history, the 
antiipiity, and above all the extreme dilliciilty of a 
l»roccss liave very strongly appealed. 

The execution of tlie work, the originality of tlie 
design, and the artistic merit of the whole have 
never been so much thought of. Ami perhaps that 
is the reason why some of these enamels in grisaille 
or black and white have always commanded such 
enormous prices. There is no i|uestion of the 




ate 



GROUP OF ENAMELS. 

to treat tlieiii ill a warmer and rieliei 



of tliat 
colour. 

There are two other ways that are quite distinct 
and unique ; they are known as " bassetaille " and 



ENAMELS. 



131 



" pliqiie-a-jour." The word " bassetaille " is tlescrip- 
tive, meaning " low-cut," and this method is gener- 
ally ou gold or silver. Tlie word refers to the way 
the metal is prepared, and not to the enamel. The 
ornament or figures, or whatever the subject may be, 
is carved below the general surface of the metal, in 
exactly the s;ime way as an Egyptian bas-relief, 
which is afterwards covered over with transparent 
enamel, the difterent heights of the relief giving the 



divisions, and which cannot follow the outlines 
minutely, here the " cloisons " or metal divisions 
t'olldw the pattern, and the whole is fused together. 
This is the last, and in .some respects the most en- 
chanting and fascinating of all the methods. 

In presenting to my readers the few illustrations 
of my own work, I trust they will view tiiem in the 
spirit with which I show them, as though they came 
on a visit to my studio and workshop, where I should 





SILVER AND ENAMEL BOAT. "BIRTH OF APHRODITE." 
(Enamet encrusted on the figures and plique-a-Jour on the Sides of the Boat.) 



effect of light and shade through the colour, which 
is very .splendid. Here the goldsmithery plays as 
important a part as tiiat of the enameller. Tlie 
St. Agnes Cup at the British Mu.seum is the most 
perfect piece extant of bassetaille. The other 
method, known as "plique-a-j(jur," has been developed 
very greatly these last few yeai-.s. It is a beautiful 
process, and has all the appearance of a cloisonne 
enamel witiiout tlie metal gromid. It is like a 
miniature stained-glass window more or less, the 
main difference being that, whereas in the stained 
glass the pattern consists of separate pieces of glass 
which are held together by means of the lead 



endeavour to explain the various processes and illus- 
trate and elucidate them by examples. The subject 
of enamelling on metal is one that would fill many 
volumes ; to deal with the history, the manufacture, 
and the art in one article is, of course, impossible. I 
have confined myself chiefly to a description of the 
methods, to enable those who were not cognisant of 
them to enter into some knowledge of this side of 
the subject. It is one of the most beautiful as well 
as one of the most difficult arts to acquire, and tlie 
knowledge and practice of it so rare that it is to be 
hoped the public will cherish and foster it, so that 
it may never again sink into obscurity and oblivion. 



13:; 



THE ART COLLECTION AT "BELL-MOOR," THE HOUSE OF 

MR. THOMAS J. BARRATT. 

By JOSEPH GREGO. 




ENTRANCE HALL. BELL-MOOR." 
[From a Photogrttph by Ucasrs. Bedford Lirtjcre c.ntt Co.) 



BKLL MlM)i;,' Mr. j;anitLL'.s pleasiiiit le.sideiifc 
oil the liealtliy elevation of the I'pper Heath, 
Hainp-stead, lias been .selected for tiie beauty of its 
situation, coniniandin;.;, as it does, on all sides exten- 
sive lamlscajte prospects, such as are probably uniiiue 
in tlie vicinity of any great metropolis. Facin;^ 
every window, and from all sides, are spread distant 
views so varied as to constitute the finest landscape- 
gallery the eye could desire, pictures fresh from the 
hand t)f bountiful Nature, sullicient to delight and 
content tlic most ardent lover of landscape beauties. 
Tliese inexliaustilile external attractions are 
supplfincnled williin doors liy a no less vast, varied, 
and comj)rch(Misivc collection of the first landscape 
])ict\ire8 of native art, by the hands of the univcis- 
ally recogni.sed great masters of the Kuglish .school ; 
in this gathering most conspicuou.sly figure picked 
examples of paintei-s wh", in their resj)ective careei's, 



liave tile further local interest of iiaving been associ- 
ated with Hainpstead and its vicinity, such as John 
Constable, \l.\., Williani -1. Mnller, (Jeorge Borland, 
William Cnllins. It.A., IVter de Wint, .lulin Lin- 
nrll, .Idlni X'ailey, Thomas Collier, and others, the 
history of some portions of whose lives is associated 
with the locality. Mr. Rarratt's full appreciation of 
lvigli.sh art is practically demonstrated in his nnual 
surioundings, which include line examples of David 
Cox, llaeburn.SirThomas Lawrence, I'atriik Xa.smytli, 
JJonington, C'reswick, H. Dawson, C. Ciiambers, Sir 
Jolni Cilbert, l'..\., Sir Edwin Lind.seer, i;..\., T. S. 
Cooper, R.A., dames Holland, ami so on, tlirough the 
history of native pictorial art; the owner's artistic 
preferences and liis love of lainlscape painting being 
furtlier illustrated by liis fondness for the sterling 
productions of the leaders of the " Norwich School ; " 
it is not saying too much to assert that foremost 



ME. BAEEATTS AET COLLECTIOX AT • BELL-MOOE." 



133 



examples of Old Croiue, of Stark, and N'inceut are 
seen at " Bell Moor " to the best advantage. 

Evidence of Mr. Barratt's taste for good 
art is displa\-ed in the "speaking" contents of 
one wall in the principal dwelling- room of this 
treasure-house, whereon hang three undoubted (•/«•/)>- 
iroruvre, Sir Edwin Landseer's " Monarch of the 
Glen," David Cox's paragon, "Vale of Clwyd," with, 
!is a pendant, the noble work by George Vincent, 
"Crossing the Brook;" witli David Cox's breeziest 
version of "Going to the Hayfield," and Cronies 
gem, probably unequalled, " The Way through the 
Wood" (left by the painter in his will to a paili- 
cular friend) on one side, and, balancing these, Cox's 
" Fisherint'U hinding from the Xet Boat," and a 
marvellous harmony by Diaz, " A Group of Flowers." 
This is an in\entory of the contents of one s!de of 
the apartment under consideration. A masterpiece 
of sculpture — Gibson's "Tinted Venus," standing in 
an appropriately classic background of beautiful- 
coloured marbles — tinislies tlie vista at the lower 
end of this uoble room. The side facing what 



may be described as ' the wall of masterpieces " 
exhil)its a large and important pastoral picture by 
George Morland, " A Farm Yard," for silvery tone, 
glowing, gem-like pigments, and spontaneous freedom 
of handling unequalled, or at least unsurpassed, 
even by this master of harmonious colouring ; 
Eueburn's superb portrait of Mrs. Scott-Moncrieff, 
hanging on another compartment ; while set within 
the car\ed architectural framework of the deep- 
toned mahogany overmantel is one of Sir Thomas 
Lawrence's most favourable studies, "iliss Farren," 
replete with delicate charm, an example of the 
master's technical ease and dexterous handlincr. 

Within the entire range of John Linnell's art it 
would be difficult to find an example rejoicing in a 
greater breadth of full light and buoyancy of atmo- 
sphere than the beautiful English pastoral we havehere 
reproduced, which in its present position is enclosed 
in a carved overmantel of rich-coloured wood. The 
effect of looking at this brilliant example amidst 
these surroundings is aljsolutely illusory ; it is like 
taking in the actual scene direct from Xature, of 




A BARLEY FIELD WITH WAGGON AND HAYMAKERS. 
{From the Painting by John Unnell.) 



134 



THE MAGAZINE OF AET. 



wliicli it is .1 niiuvL'llim.s tiaiisiciiiit. Tlie fiul'ject is 
" A Barley Field, witli Waggon and Haymakers," 
ami it was painted in ISG"), described as " tlie cul- 
minating period " of Linnell's reniarkalile powers, 
when he was producing such glorious masterpieces 
as the •• Noonday Itest " (lS(i2), "The llaylield" 
(18G4), and "The Moorlands ' (ISd.".), all exliil.itiii;j; 
a niiislery which even liie painter had seldom 
excelled. 

Mr. Harratt's l.iinu-ll, whiili is nni'iiuiillcd of its 
kind, was secured at the Harter s<ile in 1890 : it 
had prexionsly figured at IIh' (Iriiu' sulr in 1SS7, 
when it was sold for .i'.inT. 

Noteworthy amongst the list of illustrious painters 
who have, at one or another jieriod of tlieir artistic 
careers, heen attracted by the scenic bcaulies of 
Hanipstead to reside in the xiiinity of the Ilciilii, 
is John T.iiniell, wlio in early days was induced to 
take uj) his abode on the Heath itself; and it was 
within tiiese picturestpie surroundings llial be iirst 
ilireeted his attention to land.'<cape, aUliouuh at tlie 
time his actual piactice was portrait-painting. His 



diary records that he made bis earliest pastoral 
sketch from Nature at Hanipstead in July, 1S22. 
This was in the first sunnner of his residence there. 
" He afterwards ma<le a large nundier of sketches in 
the neighbourhood of his home, ami used many of 
ibcm in subseipient pictures. Tliese studies are still 
in existence., and very tine work they display." 

In the summer of ISl'L', when in his thirty-first 
year, Linnell took lodgings for his wife and children 
at Hope Cottage, North iMid. His studio continued 
at Cirencester Place, to which he travelled by coach. 
Finding that the fresh air of Hanipstead had proved 
beneficial to himself and family, then nundjcring 
four children, he, the following year, took lodgings 
at Collins' Farm, North End, and removed thither 
Augu.st 29, 18:!:'.. In 18J4 Linnell took Collin.s' 
l'"arm for a peiinanent residence ; two years later, 
August, 1 SL't), he built a small additional room to 
tlie other apartments of the farm. This was of 
wood, and was his first venture of this description, 
the forerunner of the hou.sc building of which he 
did a great deal later on. 




BELINDA, OR THE BILLET-DOUX. 
{from Ihf Painting by Ocoryr Borland.) 



yn\. P.AERATT'S ATIT COLLFXTION AT "BELL-MOOR; 




THE VALE OF CLWYD. 
(From ihf P<tlnt!i:g by David Cox.) 



It was wliile on liis way to town from tliis spot 
that Linnell had an adventure with an infuriated 
bull, wliicli might have terminated tragically but for 
the painter's presence of mind. On the high road 
between Highgate and Hampstead, he suddenly 
heard the cry, " Mad bull I " followed by a charge of 
the animal Linnell's cloak was swiftly thrown over 
the bull's head, while he nimbly sprung aside ami 
thus saved his life. 

While enjoying several pleasant years at Collins' 
Farm, Linnell was a.ssociated with Blake and Varley, 
who were accustomed to argue on their pet theories, 
Blake's visionary sitters from the dead and ^'ailey'.s 
besetting craze for casting nativities. These meet- 
ings occurred in the painter's parlour at North End, 
where he was accustomed to sketch the spiritual- 
istic pair whilst in animated discussion. Here, 
too, Linnell, Constable, and Collins formed another 
friendly triumvirate of Hampstead artists, who were 
accustomed to exchange visits at their respective 
houses, and also to meet on the top of the Hamp- 
stead coach on their journeys to and fro between 
town and suburb. 

In the fine example of Sir Henry Eaeburn's 
feminine portraiture which forms the frontispiece to 
the present notice, Mr. Barratt has been so fortunate 
as to secure one of the first and foremost examj^les 
of that great and characteristic portrait-painter, the 
Scottish Velasquez. His own countrymen, with 



Willde at their Iiead, quickly recognised tlie ex- 
pressive and masterly art of tliis native painter, 
who was so happily at home amidst the scholarly 
and intellectual society of Edinburgh, the leaders 
of which ranked as his friends. To Eaeburn's 
vigorous manipulative skill is due tlie transmission 
to posterity of speaking likenesses of the most 
illustrious of "nortiiern lights." It was suggested 
of old that, powerful as was Eaeburn's genius in 
delineating the individualistic and forcible characters 
of his male friends and sitters, his magic brush was 
less successful in treating female portraits. Disproof 
of tins prejudiced insinuation is sufficiently given 
in the example at Bell Moor, " Isabel," otlier- 
wise Mrs. Scott-MoncriefF ; of which wondrous 
ei'lbrt of portrait art anoth(^r ^•ersioll, more famihar 
and equally convincing, is in tlie .Scottish National 
Gallery. With these examples in point may be joined 
the winsome portraits of Mrs. Robert Bell, and the 
exquisite full-length of the painter's wife ; there is 
an air of romance, which empliasises the interest in 
Eaeburn's likenesses of the lady whose alliance so 
materially added to his fortune and social position. 
By a lucky freak of fortune, when in his twentv- 
second year, he was asked to paint the portrait of a 
young lady, whom he had previously observed and 
admired while he was sketching from nature in 
the fields. She was the daughter of Peter Edgar of 
Bridgelands and widow of Count Leslie. The lady 



136 



THE MAOA>:[XK OF ART 



was speedily fascinated by the liuiidsome and intel- original sitter's (;?!se?)iWf. The fine " Mrs. Scott-^Ion - 

lectual young artist, luid in a month she iH'canie liis cricIV" is a fuithcr instance of liaeburn's marked 

wife, Ininj^ing an anijilc furluno. After the aii])nived adopiidii of llie theory, shared !iy Gainsborough, 

fashion of artists of tlic time, it was resolved that that as ])ortraits are intended In be viewed from a 

IJaebiirn slionM visit Italy, and lir aceordingly distance, and, rurllicr, as jilaced at a certain elevation 

started witli liis bride f(ir that jiaradise of aspiring on the walls of the a])artnicnt in wliicli they are 

artistic genius. Later on, it fell tij liaeburn's lot to e.xliibited, so ought the sitter to be elevated on the 




LIBRARY AT "BELL-MOOR." 
(F:om a PItotigrafili by Butl/urd Uwire nt\cl Co.) 



immortalise by liis portraiture the peisonalities of 
the illustrious woi-thies wlio ha]ipenpd to lie liis cdn- 
teniporaries ; cnriou.sly enough, in addition to the 
jiortraits of his wife, and of Mrs. Scotl-Moncriell' — 
amongst the finest examples of his fully- matured 
manner in the regions of male portraiture must be 
esteemed Ids own likeness, and that of the llev. Sir 
Henry Moncrieil' Well wood ; all of these arc veiitable 
vhcfs-d'wuvre of tiie first interest. 

As in the instance of Eeynokls, liis genius soared 
beyond liie effort of copying mere features, the 
studied exact proportions of brow, eyes, nose, and 
moutli — his brusii aimed at great breadth of char- 
acter and treatment of individuality, lidelity of ex- 
pression, and that " resemblance " which is as much 
intellectual as physical in its suggestiveness of the 



.same priiiciide, the jiainter Innking upwards at his 
model from an infeiinr level. .\ plausible idea, 
rei|uiring genius for its ajiplication, which other- 
wise might run to exaggerated foreshortening. 

When the critical world lirst lieard that the 
illu.strious .sculptor Jolni (libson wis thinking of 
reviving the tinted statuary whicii found favour in 
the heroic times of (Ireek art, people began to say 
that "a coloured statue could not fail to be vulgar," 
until they went to tiie sculptor's studio to see for 
themselves. Perhaps Gibson's own theories on the 
subject are of the first interest. Here is an extract 
fi-om liis letter to Professor Scliarf (4 October, 
18"i4) throwing all the necessary light upon this 
question, from the point of view held by liie 
great sculptor. 



^Ul. liAKKATT'S AUT COLLECTION AT " P>ELL-M()( )i;. 



U 



"Polyi-bioiiiy applied to sculpture has for a long time 
occupied my thoughts. I now join those who are of that 
sect, because I have attempted the effect. My 'Yenu.^ at 



she looked like a celestial spirit before me. As many 
people— who came to see it— .said that no words can give 
a true idea of the effect of the statue — it must be seen. 




THE "TINTED VENUS." 
{By John Gibson, R.A.) 



Rome ' is entirely coloured, flesh, eyes, hair, and gold 
ornaments in the head, and the apple in her band. I had 
to do and undo before I could satisfy myself, at lust I 
felt satisfied — as I sat before my Venus, alone and intent, 
104 



" During the winters that the statue has been seen in 
my studio some hundred people came to see it, numbers 
expressed their objection, but the majority admired the 
effect. I am convinced that if the moderns had always 



1.-.8 



THE ^rAGAZIyE OF ART. 



seen statues colouieil tlii-y oiukl not luivc toltrateil the 
cold white stoney-eyed statues. Such an object in a 
furnished room is out of liarniony with everything around 
it. On my arrival in Eufjland this year I coloureil my 
statue of tlie Countess lieaui'hanip, Imt a jiortrait statue is 
riot so favourable a subject as an idiai figure. 

"The colouring of the Venus is ranch more careful and 
lierfect. From my own e.\|icrience at jire.sent I am con- 
vinced that it would be very easy to iinnluce viil^'ur etlects. 
I'olychromy in sculpture should be applied with nice taste, 
the colouring' should not interfere with the plastic character 
but be subordinate to it. t'ornelius last winter in i!ome 
came to see my Venus. After conteniplatinf; it for .some time, 
he said, 'The ettect is beautiful. This is just my idea as to 
the degree it should be carried, and I have no doubt this is 
the kind of eftect the d'reeks ]irodu(c<l.' I was gla.l to have 
the opinion of so great an artist ; afterwards \isconti cx- 
pre.s.sed himsfjf the .same. I)nt he .said, 'The dillicuity will be 
to brii.g over the public.' 1 .said, ' I .seek to please my.'^clf, 
and do not care for the public.' List winter I finished a 
stivtue of Cupid, which was ordered .some years ago by .Mr. 
Holford, etc. To his ijuestioning, I replied, ' Polychromv 
wa.s practised by the Greeks, as we all know, in the best 
period of art. I have given this subject my most serious 
reflection, and I am convinced that our superiors, the 
Greek.s, were right in everything they did in art. I have 
attempte<l t he etiect— T am .satisfied. To my eyes polyclironiy 
gives a charm that cannot be described by words. The 
Cupid I will colour, and I never can complain if you reject 
it on that account.' 

"The Duke of Wellington wanted to have my Venus, 
but as his Grace could not have it, he has ordered ma to 
make him a coloured statue ; it is to be Pandora. Another 
gentleman lias orderoil also a coloured statue, and that is to 
be Helie, etc." 

When Gibson ventured uimhi tbi.s e.Npt'iiinent, lie 
occupied llie proud position of being esteemed llic 
foremost .sculptor of the age. The so-callod "1'iiitcd 
Venu.s," froin being tlie conversational theme of 
Itonie, came with a full herltiige of popular fame, 
some few year.s later, as the most-talked-of attraction 
of the Great International E.xhiiijlion of IXC)2, when 
the original in (piestion belonged to Mr. rrestoii, of 
Liverpool, the lirst proprietor. 

The colouring is the merest suggestion of delicate 
tinting; the flesh has the faintest blush of warmth, 
lending an air of feminine .softness to the figure. " The 
hands and feet," wrote a critic in l.sr.4, "arc small, 
beautiful, and ])eifeetly formed ; they seem as if 
they would be iiuite .soft and warm to the touch. " 
The eyes have the lightest touch of blue. The hair, 
plaited and arranged in the graceful and beconn'ng 
cla.ssic fashion, i.s touched with a pale auburn 
tinge, it is shown confined in the kekrupiiallos, a 
fragile net of threads and fillets heightened with gold 
and accentuated by a line line of pale blue down the 
centre; the armlet and the apple held in the left 
liand are gilt, and the earrings are of gold. Gibson's 
Venus is represented with a tortoi.se at her feet, as 
of old the Queen of Love and Beauty wius worshipped 
in lier temples at F^lis. 



The statue was sent to Christie's by the family 
of the first proprietor, June, 1S90, when a warm 
competition between the Master of the Drapers' 
Company and the present owner advanced the 
bi.lding to nearly .£J,000. 

Ihivid Cox, whose pictures of breezy commons 
and spreading heaths are nneiiualled, has not been 
fixed as a student of ilampstead Heath. Apart 
from tho.so loL'al a.s.sociations, whicii in this instiinee 
are incomplete, Mr. ISarratt's collection is rich in 
fine oil paintings by David Cox. Noteworthy as 
examples are that celebrated masterpiece " The 
^'ale of Clwyd," the most breezy example of all 
David Cox's numerous versions of " Going to the 
Haylicld" (isn^), Welsh land-seape from tlie Mar- 
quis dc Santurce's sale ; " Fishermen landing from 
tlie Net-Boat" (lSr,2) (same collection); "Welsh 
Itiver with Water-Mill and Bridge," from the Mur- 
rieta collection ; and among water-colour drawings 
from the same source, " Flint Castle." 

"The A'ale of Clwyd" is certainly David Cox's 
most ambitious and famous production; the scene is 
taken from the neighbourhood of St. Asaph, half-way 
between Kliyl and Denbigh; the first version (184G) 
was by the painter priced at eigiity guineas, and 
remained at Liverpool from July, 184(5, to March, 
1847, when it was returned uns(dd. The handling 
of this earlier exanijjle falls somewhat short of tlie 
freedom generally distinctive of the artist's appar- 
ently spontaneous work. Tiie r/icf-tro.tirre "Vale of 
Clwyd," dated lS4il. was painted for Mr. Briscoe, 
who paid Cox .£9."> for il : in ISdd Mr. Timiiiins 
secured it for £278 ; and it subse(iuenlly came into 
M de Munieta's collection for £2,:>0U. In 189l' 
this paragon examjile came to Christie's, and after 
a spirited competition amongst the chief connois- 
seurs of the day, was secured by Mr. ISarralt : as 
.Mr. .himes Orrock wrote on this occasion in Tin-: 
M.\<i.\/.IXK or A Itr (September LS 9 1'), "although the 
price, viz., 4,riOU guineas, astonished the imblic, Mr. 
liarratt is nevertheless to be congratulated on the 
possession of t/ic Jtiust juislornl ^kV/ioy in the nvrld." 
Mr. ( )rroek, as an artist and expert critic, has 
pointed out (hat David Cox's "Vale of Clwyd" is 
a convincing jnoof that English art jio.sse.s.ses a 
school which is une(iualled for cerUiin (pialilies ; 
thus elo(|uentl3' sunnnarising its pre-eminent merits: 
— "Like Turner, De Wint, James Holland, and other 
masters in water-colours. Cox carried the pure and 
brilliant character of this medium into his oil-pictures, 
and the ' Vale of Clwyd ' in tone also retlects the 
' modesty of Nature,' and is therefore an ' impres- 
sionist ' picture of the highest cla.s.s. . . . Cox, like 
a true Briton, stepped boldly into daylight and 
painted Nature as tlie sweetefit piustoral singer only 
could, and as the healthy, unjaundiced eye sees her." 



139 



THE ART SALES OF 1897.* 



By W. ROBERTS. 



THE fact which becomes uicwt clearly crystallised 
in tlie uiiiid of tlie student of past iiiid present 
art Sides is that the best period for selling nr 
collecting objects of art is when history is not 
being made. When affairs at home and 
abroad are in what may be described as 
a comatose state, money is secure, and 
collectoi-s never hesitate to buy or sell as 
the occasion may be. Wars, rumours of 
wars, straitened relations between neigh- 
bouring countries, internecine squabbles 
and boundary differences — good as these 
things are for the proprietors of daily 
new.spapei-s, they are the purgatory of 
the pastime of collecting. The last few 
seasons have been periods of unrest, and 
the few gi-eat collections which have come 
under the hanmier have been, almost 
without exception, 2^ost-moiicm Sides. 
The past season, however, compares very 
favourably with its immediate prede- 
cess(ji-s. If one had tij specify what the 
drapers describe as the " leading lines " 
of the season, the answer would be : 
Sir John Pender's pictures, Mr. Massey- 
Mainwariug's snuff-boxes, the Montagu 
coins (which are perhaps more correctly 
classified as antiquities than as objects 
of art), and the Bessborough engra^^ngs. 
It is a fairly obvious fact that when 
fashion dictates a run on any one special 
phase of art collecting all the others 
suffer. The Early English .school of 
painters has more than maintained its 
position with collectors during the past 
season, and absurd prices have been paid 
for pictures which do not bear the test 
of scientific criticism. Verj' few modern masters, 
living or dead, have been able to hold their own. 
It is true that many of the modern men have 
pauited far too many pictures to exhibit a uniform 
excellence in their works. The temptation to make 
hay while the sun shines is umleniably great ; but 
the wintry blasts of the auction-i-oom h;ive shat- 
tered many popular idols. Collectors invest their 
money in the Early English and the Dutch schools, 
but other phases of art they regard as extremely 
hazardous. The great founders and consolidators 
of the English school — Reynolds, Eomney, Gains- 

• Except when otherwise stated, the sales referred to in this 
article have taken place at Messrs. Christie, Hanson and Woods'. 



borougli, Liiwrenee, and Hoppner— well maiiiUun 
their position in the favour of collectors — not quite, 
liowever, in the order niinied, for this yeiir, as 
last, the top price of the season has been carried 




MISS FARREN. (2.250 Guineas.) 

{From the Painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence, P.R.A.) 

off by a I'lOmney. This picture, comprising life- 
size portraits of two children in a garden, and 
was sold at Messrs. Foster's, realised £5),100 ; its 
beauty as a work of art is undeniable, but its 
authenticity has been vigorously assailed by some 
experts. The Eomneys of tlie year included the 
beautiful portrait of Anne Kershaw, who married a 
cousin of the iJuke of Bedford, sold at Christie's 
for 2,300 guineas; and othei's of Mrs. Tickell and 
Mrs. Grove, for 2,000 guineiis and 3,.500 guineas 
respectively. 

No first-class examples of Reynolds occurred 
during the season ; those offered were, I believe, 
either replicas or copies. The pictui-e of Lady Anne 



140 



TIIK .MAfiAZlXK OF ART. 



Fitzpatiick as "Sylviii" brouglit 1,800 gviiiieas ; ii por- 
trait of Alexander WuiUlerbuni, Lord Loiigliborougli, 
afterwards Earl of Rosslyn, sold for 1,200 guineas. 
The Gainsborouglis make a very much more im- 
posing array than the Reynolds's. Baron Hirsch'.s 
portrait of I.nid Midgravc sold for 700 guineas — a 




ANNE KERSHAW. (2,300 GUINEAS,) 
^from the Painting 61/ Gecfyc Romnetj,) 

distinct advance n\ the 570 guineas paid fur it 

about four years previously; Colonel I'agel'.s purlrail 
of Mrs. Paget {nee Hawkins), in an oval, went for 
4,800 guineas; that of Charles Frederick Abel, the 
German musician, for 1,200 guineas; whilst otlier 
pictures, portraits and landscapes, realised very good 
figui-es. By far the most interesting "f tlic works 
of Sir Thomas Lawrence sold during tlie season was 
the Chohnondeley portrait of Miss Farren, after- 
wards Countess of Derby, in wiiite silk dress, 
trimmed with fui', and fur mull'. The full-length 
Liwrence of this lady is exceedingly well known, 
and is, perhaps, the artist's finest woi'k. An o\(r- 
zealous weekly )ia[ier oljlaincd an engraving of the 
well-known picture and jiubli.shed it as representing 
the Cholmondeley example ! The latter portrait is 
totally dillorcnt; it was formerly in the pos.se.s.sion 



of Sir F. Grant, I'.R.A., at whose sale in 1863 it sold 
for 70 guineas ; it now realised 2,250 guineas. Tlie 
same artist's unfinished canvas of the ilisses Fullar- 
tons realised the high figure of 2,200 guineas ; whilst 
the amounts fetched by the series of family portraits 
by Raeburn of the Frasers of Easter ^Moniack, N.B. 
suggested the possibility of a not very 
remote boom in the portraits of this 
artist. A few perfect specimens of Land- 
seer came umler the hammer, and helped 
considerably to disprove the general im- 
pression tliat the works of this great 
animal painter are declining in value. 
On March l.'Sth, "A I'iper and a I'air 
of Xuiiraekers" and "The Eager Terrier " 
icalisiMJ l,."i."i() guineas and ."i40 guineas 
respectively, anil in each ease more than 
twice the amounts at which they had 
]ire\iouslv clianged iiaiids. The exquisite 
little works of William IFunt fully main- 
tain their high raid< : whilst Borland, 
Ansdell, and .1. l.iunell are still obviously 
in favour with collectors. The finished 
w^orks of the last two (deceased) I'resi- 
dents of tlie Royal Academy continue to 
command higli figures, but for some of 
Lord Leighton's pictures the demand 
was not at all keen. The highest priced 
Millais was "The Proscribed Royalist," 
in Sir John Pender's sale, 2,000 guineas. 
I'liillips' masterpiece — and, indeed, one of 
the greatest works of the English school 
— "La Gloria: a Si)ani.sh "Wake," reached 
IJie (piite unexpected figure of 5,000 
guineas ; and it is now in the National 
(iallery of Scotland. Tlie Pender Turners 
ollered one of the sensations of the year, 
the four — "Mercury and Herse," "Wreck- 
ers, Coast of Northumberland," " The 
State Procession," and " Venice "—realising 28,000 
"■uincas. They ]U-obably cost Sir John Pender con- 
siderably under £10,000. 

A few good specimens of the Dutch sclun>l were 
sold, notably at Roliinsnn ami Fisher's, on April 1st, 
when a portrait of a genii. man by Franz Hals 
went for .'l.l'ioO guineas; next to Ibis in jiriee came 
Sir .lohu Millais' example of Holbein, a portrait of 
a man, :'.,000 guineas— it cost Jlillais 70 guinea.s. 
.\ N'andyek portrait of a boy in purple dress, 1,G00 
guineas: a good Hobbenia, a rural village scene, 
1,900 guineas; ami a very good Hondecocter, 2,180 
Ljuineas. The liesl N'elasiiue/ of the year, a \ irw of 
a back door of a house, with birds, was in the 
Cholmondeley sale, and fetched 1,.'U0 guineas : 
whilst of the Italian school, Messrs. Robin.son and 
Fisher sold a portrait— catalogued as by Giorgione, 



THE AET SALES OF 1897. 



141 



but obvious!}' uiuch later than this artist — for the It is impossible uot to be forced to the conclusion that 
sum of 900 guineas. Perhaps one of the most these prices are absurd ; they are very many times 
curious facts in connection with the past season's more than the sums which Reynolds received for the 

original paintings, and as objects of art an engraving 
bears no kind of relation to the original picture. 
Engravings after portraits by other English masters 
than Sir .Joshua have realised fancy prices ; notably 
a fine proof Ijefore all letters of theHoppner portrait 
of the daughters of Sir Thomas Frankland, by W. 
"Ward, sold for 280 guineas, whilst another copy of 
the same, " finely piinted in colours," fetched 290 
guineas. One in colours of (ieorgiana, Duchess of 
1 >evonshire, after Gainsborough, by W. liarney, ran 
it close at 240 guineas. The highest price paid for 
an engraving after Itomney was £180 for a very fine 
early impression of .1. A\'alUer's engraving of Mrs. 
Clusters. It is curious to note that .T. 11. Smith's 
rendering of Sir .Tosluia's portrait of the same lady 
iinly fetched 102 guineas. The quite inexpliealile 
demand for engravings printed in colours appears to 
lie as keen as ever. Comparisons are proverliially 
odious, but these smudgy productions of inartistic 




EMBOSSED AND DAMASCENED CASQUE. 

i^rom the Zichil.e Collection.) 



(£300.) 




auctions is the number of artists' "clearance" 
sales — E. Beavis, G. Fripp, Hamilton Macallum, 
Sir John Millais, and George Kichmor.d, li.A., 
come within this category. 

So far as the sales of engravings are con- 
cerned, the season ■ has been pei-haps more 
than an average one. The dispersal of the 
collection of the works of Bartolpzzi and of 
the very complete collection of engravings 
after Sir Joshua Eeynolds, formed at the 
end of the last and beginning of the present 
century, by Frederic, Earl of Bessborough, 
gave a distinction to the season which it 
otherwise may have lacked ; but even more 
remarkable than cither of these was the very 
small but choice collection of old mezzotint 
portraits after Eeynolds formed by the late 
H. T. Broadhurst, of Leamington. In respect 
to engraved portraits, Sir Joshua ranks first 
— 300 guineas were paid for a first state of- 
Lady Catherine Pelhani Clinton, by J. E. 
Smith ; 28.5 guineas for a similar state of 
Jane, Countess of Harrington, by \'alentine 
Green ; and two first states of Lady Eliza- 
beth Compton, by the .same engraver, fetched 
275 guineas and 19.5 guineas respectively ; 
for Mrs. Carnac, by J. E. Smith, 265 guineas ; 
and for Lady Betty Delme, by Y. Green, 250 guineas, printers bear the same relation to finely-printed 
But these prices fade almost into insignificance beside engravings as German-made cups and plates do to 
the staggering sum paid for the first state of Green's old Sevres. To what extent collectors are willing to 
engraving of the Ladies Waldegrave — viz., 560 guineas, pay for these "prints in colours" two illustrations 



MERCURY AND HERSE. (7,500 GUINEAS.) 

{From the Painting by J. M. W. Turner, R.A.) 



142 



THE MAOAZIXE OF ART. 



iiiiiy be sutticient. Two complete sets of "Tlie Peter Lely's collection, and this sold for £290. 
Montlis," after Hamilton, by IJartolozzi and Gar- The two sales most talked about during tlie 
diner, appeared in the market; for one of these in pa.st season were distinguished for v.-iy difl'ir.nt 




LA GLORIA. (5,000 Guineas.) 

(from the Painting 6y John Phillip, ft. A., now in thf National Galltrg of Scotland.) 



colour.s .£17'' wa.s the sum jiaid : that in brown only 
realised 70 guinea.><. An open letter proof of Mis. 
Siddons, after Downnmn, by Bartolozzi, sold for 
3"' guineas ; but one 
in coloui-s realised 
100 giiincius: The 
sales of the year 
inelude Mr. H." W. 
Bruton's choice 
colleetion of works, 
illustrated by 
Cruikshank, and 
the complete series 
of original water- 
colour drawings to 
Kiekens's "()l<i 
( 'uriositySiiop" and 
" Harnaby Hudge," 
and these ilrawings 
— 121 in all- 
fetched £(ilO. or 
the vcr)' few etih- 
ings by the old 
masters whii-h oc- 
curred during the 
year, I he only one 




LOUIS XVI GOLO BOX. (1,450 Guineas) 

[{From th* IKatuiflllalnmarinff Sale) 



reasons. The earlier of lliese eompri.sed water-colours 
and sketches made in ditlerent parts of the world 
in his travels during the last thirty-Kve years, by 

the liight Hon. the 
Karl of Dunmore; 
I lie day's sale of 117 
lots realised about 
tJUi! Tlie second 
" sale " comprised 
the collection of old 
masters of Mr. 1 ). P. 
Sellar ; the sale was 
ti.xeil for July 8, 
but, after fourteen 
lots were knocked 
down at prices 
wliieli varied from 
l.'is. to 10 guineas, 
ibe fiwner refused 
111 allow the sale to 
proceed. This fine 
collection of inferior 
copies, and of jiie- 
tures which have 
not even tiie merit 
lit being copies, has 



of note was a brilliant impression, lidl of burr, since been offered to tiie Corporation of bjudon, the 
of AlU-rt Diirer's "St. .lerome," formerly in Sir oiler, according to the newsjiaper reports, be-ing 



THE ART SALES OF 1897. 



143 



received with "■ loud cheers." But after exaniiiiation gentleman embracing, S inches high. A few un- 

of tlie collection by the ex-Lord Mayor and Sir E. usually big prices were paid for Chelsea ware — an e.\- 

J. Poynter, the gift was declined. Tht Times of ceptionally tine group representing Boucher's famous 

Xovember 20th contains Mr. Sellar's account of picture, "The First Lesson on the Flute," 10 inches 

the history of the pictures. Yet another incident high, 460 guineas : two vases, each of tlie highest 

of the year's sales may be mentioned as showing quality, with two medallions and scenes after Boucher, 



how little association influences prices. 
A Hower piece, signed and dated, by 
Mary iloser — one of the only two 
women ever elected to the Eoyal 
Academy — sold for the small sum of 
8 guineas. This picture was exhi- 
bited at the first lioyal Academy 
E.\]iibition in 1769, and is Xo. 74 
in tlie catalogue. 

Xo great collection of ohjds (Vart 
occurred in the sale-rooms during 
1897 ; but one of the smaller ones, 
that of the late Rev. Montague Tay- 
lor, was remarkable on account of 
its antique bronzes and gems of the 
fifteenth, sixteenth, and seventeenth 
centuries, and other objects of art, 
many of which were exhibited at 
South Kensington ii; 1862, and at 
the Burlington Fine Arts Club in 
1879 ; the collection of 436 lots real- 
ised £6,362. Of its kind the old 
Xankin porcelain of the late Cieijrge 
James was the choicest which came 
inider the hannner, seventy-five lots 
realising £2,700 ; it included an ovi- 
form vase and cover of tine quality, 
decorated with branches of hawthorn, 
lOi inches higli, 410 guinea.s. From 
another collection came a pair of 
oviform old Xankin porcelain jars 
and dome covers, i)| inches higli, ex- 
hibited at Xottiugham in 1880 : the 
price paid for this pair amounted to 




J. , _""« ■. *•* 



360 guhieas ; a helmet-shaped ewer 
and dish, dark blue and gold ground, 
p.iinted withgarden scenes, 3 lOguiueas. 
Mr. ilassey-Mainwaring's sale, at 
Robinson and Fisher's, of old I'rench 
suuff-boxes, bonbonnieres, etui.s, cas- 
kets, etc., of the periods of Louis XIII, 
XIV, XV, and X\'I, comprised a very 
choice array, the 114 lots realising 
£13,100; the collection is said to 
have cost close on £20,000. The 
choicest article in the sale was a 
Louis XVI gold box, with six plaques 
i>f figure subjects by Fragonard in 
brilliant colour.s, and measuring 3^ 
inches long, H inches high, and 2f 
inches broad: it sold for 1,450 guineas. 
A large Louis XVI oval crold box sold 
for 535 guineas, and a Louis XIV 
octagonal- shaped ditto for 520 guineas. 
Anotlier collection of quite a different 
character — Herr Richard Zschille's 
armour and arms and hunting equip- 
ments — may be liere mentioned, 862 
lots showing a total of over £11,200. 
A few very good pieces of tapestry 
occurred during the season. Sir John 
Millais' suite of fine old Beauvais 
panels brought 2,000 guineas ; a .set 
uf four panels of old Gobelin.s, 2,150 
guineas; and a panel of old Mortlake 
woik, £380. The demand for old 
French, English, and otiier decorative 
antique fuiniture is as keen as ever, 
1,220 guinea.?. In another sale two cylindrical vases and renliy genuine specimens fetch very high prices. 
of old Chinese faniille verte, richlv enamelled, one The Rev. Sir Aluernou Coote's mairuificent oblong- 
being 29i inches and the other 28 inches high, shaped table of inlaid lapis-lazuli and coloured mar- 
brought 650 guinea.s. The unique collection of bles, with a wreath and burder of flowers, foliage, 
fruit and vegetables in porcelain and pottery, and other ornament in Florentine mosaics, brought 
formed by Captain P. Green, and numbering in 300 guineas. I have space for but two further 
all 734 pieces, may be mentioned as a curiosity illustrations from the sales of the past season : — A 
rather than on account of either its beauty or its complete set of Jacobean silver apostle spoons (one 
prices, which were small. The small collection of of three complete sets known!, with the Loudon hall- 
porcelain of his Highness I'rince Viotor Dhulccp mark of 1617, realised £650; a portrait of George 
Singh comprised some capital old Dresden groups, W, enamel by H. Bone, in gold locket set with 
figures, serN-ices, of the highest quality, the highest eighteen diamonds, presented bj' the King to Eliza- 
price, 235 guineas, going for group of a lady and beth, first Marcliioness Conyngham, brought £450. 




PANEL OF GOBELINS 

TAPESTRY. 

{Design after Berjine.) 



144 



NEEDLEWORK AS A MODE OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. 

IN TWO PARTS. PART ONE. 



By WALTER CRANE 



I\ tlial rcmaikiililc iMi^lisli revival nf (Iccnialivo 
(If.sigii and liaiidicrat'L wliicli lias taken ])Iaee 
during the last tive-and-tueiitv vcavs, tlie ait and 




PORTION OF BAYEUX TAPESTRY. 

craft of the needle hdld a distinctive and disliii- 
gui.shcd position. J)is/iiic/iir, I would say, lieeause 
of the peculiar eliarin and dedicate beauty <if needle- 
work among the sister arts of deediation ; di-'i/in- 
f/iiis/iei?, because of tlie skill, taste, and devoticm of 
individual eraftswomen who liave rai.sed the standard 
of acconiplishinent. 

We sliould have to go back to tlu; early seventies 
to trace the movement, which seems to have deriveil 
early in.spiratioii and practical stimulus, in comnmii 
with so many of the other arts and handicrafts, from 
the work.shoj) of the great poet-craftsman we have 
so lately lost — William Morris — and his (olle^gues, 
wlio may Ite said to have carried into juactical 
shape the ideas of the great romantic and realist 
revolt of the mid-nineteenth century, associated, in 
painting, with the rise ami inllneiice nf the I're- 
Kaphaelite school. 

lmnie<liat(dy jiriur to this period the leading 
kind of what was called "fancy needlework" took 
the form known as Berlin-wool work, elaborate 
designs for which were sometimes prepared (liki' 
carpet desigiLs) on squared paper. The design was 
outlined upnn a very open kind of canvas, or still' 
white net, ami worked by means of a cross-stitch 
which neatly covered each hole of tlic camas, .sepiare 
by square, building up — in generally the crudest 
colours olitainable in dyed W(jo1 — the design, which 
was apt to take the foini, after the first geometric 
essays in eliequcrs, of ratlier emphatically shaded 
flowers relieved upon positive grounds of black or 
some dark hue ; or even, in its more elaborate 



])hases, of reproductions of some popular painting, 
undaunted l)y the mechanical necessity of turning 
every outline into that of a staircase. 

The i)eriiid was marked by an extensive deposit 
of slijipers — the favourite objects for daring ellects 
of I'olour, and olleriug not too arduous a field <if 
work to fair amateurs, while at the .same time they 
afforded a graceful mode of expressing .sentiments of 
esteem, .say, to a popular ecclesiastic, who, perhaps, 
nnght emulate Chaucer's squire, with 

'* l*;nilf\s window.'* (Nirvrn on liis sliocs," 

by designs .still more woiiderful and fearful. The 
earlier forms of sutdi work, however, were agreeable 
enough, as may be seen by an example on page 14S 
(■ontaiiiiug tiie royal arms. The sciuare stitches are, 
in this case, smaller. 

This was fiefore the roniiation of industrial art 
museums like oui' unri\'alled i^outh Kensington. 
.'Vnd hei'c let me .say, in expressing my oliligations 
to the authorities, who placed every facility in 
my way as regards illustrating the.se remarks from 
their magnificent collection of textiles, that it is 
impossilile to put too high iin educational value 
upon such collections, the mdy jiity being — indeed, 
1 would say it is nothing shoit of a national re- 
jiroaeh — that they cannot yet be properly housed 
and therefore not projierly dis]ilayed. It is, I think. 




PORTION OF BAYEUX TAPESTRY. 

Hot, sullieienlly realised by the piililie at large that 
a museum such as this is ically a reference library 
of e.xam]3les to the designer and the craftsman of 



XKKltl.KWol.'K AS .\ MdHK ok aK'TIs'I 



KXIMIKSSION. 



Uii 



iacalc'ulalile iuipoitaiiw aiul valiu\ aiid, as sutli, it 
bears upon the iiuhistvies i>{ ihc wIkiIo coiiiiliv. 

The cultivation of taste liy means of the study of 
the best examples of old work in such collections 
and existing in many historic houses in dillercnl- 
piirts of tiie country, the charming samplers of our 
great granil mothers' days, tlic influence of rich 
specimens brought from Italy and the East by 
travellers, or imported by commerce, all these had, 
no doubt, an important ellect in the creation ur 
revival of I)etter ideals and aims 
in decorative needlework. 

Before tlie Royal Sciiool of 
Art-Xeedlework was founded, 
which has done so nnich to spread 
the knowledge of the ditl'erent 
methods and applications of the 
craft, and has olVered both train- 
ing and employment to many 
workers; from wliicli, also, have 
sprung .so many branches and 
oH'shoots, and which is now enter- 
ing ii new existence as a tecii- 
nical school under the Technical 
Educatiitn J>oard of the London 
County Council ; before these 
organised eflbrts in teclniical in- 
struction and revival, here and 
there an enthusiastic needle- 
woman (ptietly set to work with 
coloured cottons, or crewels, or 
silk, to endeavour to give ex- 
pression to the new-old concep- 
tion of decorative beauty which 
not only was capable, in tin 




XanibilS 



BOHEMIAN SHIRT-FRONT, 



in the work. There is no background, and there is 
an ornamental border of (piaint animals, divided by 
diagonal bands, framing tlie frieze of subjects above 
and lielow. The design has very much the character- 
istics of the contemporary design of tlie same period 
as found in oilier materials (allowing for differences 
of adaptation)— as, for instance, carved stonework, 
illuminated ]\1SS., and mosaic — while showing a 
certain siiiipliliealion of treatmenl adapting it to 
that fonii of needlcwoi-k.* 

Tlie history of design in 
needlework, too, shows much the 
same characteristics and seems 
to fall under similar influences 
in the course of its evolution as 
design generally speaking. "We 
have the common origin of 
necessity and utility in tlie primal 
function of the needle — to join 
textiles together and to form 
garments — and in its early forms 
we find it closely united with 
weaving. We iiave the early 
symbolic period, the jiicture- 
writing, the ecclesiastical influ- 
ence, and we may trace, all alono-, 
the purely ornamental feeling 
influenced by the desire for 
naturalistic representation, the 
]nctorial influence from tlie tif- 
teenth century onwards, and this 
again mingling with tlie ideas of 
the classical revival, meiged with 
the later rococo forms, and so on 



omas 



\'ii""i^ forms of its to natuialisni again; all these forms or styles now 

ippheation, of giving a touch of peculiar refinement existing side by side in their revived forms, to the 

to the domestic interior and ciiaructer to dress, but confusion of modern taste, struggling to maintain 

aLso lent itself to the representation of certain its equilibrium amid such contrasts; albeit, one may 

forms and textures, and even to suggestions of be aware of a new spirit— a feeling distinct and 



spirit/ — a 
modern — asserting itself ; derived, it may lie, or in- 
to tlie past, needlework lias spired, from many sources, but with a certain fresh 



the record of important 
ich the famous S(j- called 
is an instance. Here we have 



l)oetry and romance. 

Indeed, if we look 
been tiie medium for 
historical events, of w 
" Bayeux tapestry 
the history of the events connected with and in- 
cluding tiie Xorman Conquest of Saxon Kn^daud. 
It is expressed in ;i very simple but very direct 
and dramatic manner. The figures are worked in 
coloured worsteds upon linen, mostly in a kind of 
chain-stitch. The design being treated as a con- 
tinuous patteiii, in frieze-form, the subjects are on 
the same plane, as in picture-writing, leading on 
without break one to the other; legends in Latin 
worked clearly upon the linen ground evplaining 
each incident and giving the names of the piincipal 
characters, the lettering forming a decorative item 
10.-, 



infusion of natural feeling, and a determination 
towards primitixe simplicity of form and arrange- 
ment. 

"We may trace the origin of decorative needle- 
work, as I have said, in necessity and utility. "We 
may see its traditional forms in the peasant em- 
broidery still surviving in some European countries, 
in patterns and methods handed down probably 
from quite early times, and often show-ing traces of 
media-val and Oriental influence. We all know the 
ffsta apron of blue or green cloth of the Itoman 

* 'J'lie work — wliich was said to have been bylfatiltla. wifo 
nf William the ('i)nqiu'i(ir — is to be seen in the little miisemn of 
the fjiiiet anil quaint Novnianrly town, whieh retains in this pieee 
111' needlework anrl in its noble eatlieilral llie relics of its former 
historic importance. 



14U 



TlIK MAGAZINE OK AIIT. 



IK'iisaiit, with its bands of ljii<;ht worsted iMiibioidiTV, 
soiuetiuR's lieigliteiicd by spangles. In pails of 
Doliemia peasiint women still deeoralo their cos- 
tumes with ernbruiilery. I sketched a man fioni 
the Austro- Hungarian frontier, at I'rague, who luul 
his name beautifully worked upon his shirt-front 
with a tloral design in red and yellow thread, 
'i'iie beanlitnl embroideries of the Cretans are 
well kiiiiwn: and in travelling in (irecce I saw a 
])easant woman by the wayside endiroidering one 
of those woollen Albanian jackets wliich are i)art 
of the distinctive national costume of the people of 
modern (!reeee. The Country-women sometiincs 




TOWEL BORDERS. 

(/(I Ihf South Hiitsington UtiKum.) 

wear a kind of .sleeveless overcoat of wool licavily 
endiroidered or darned with blue, green, and lirown 
worsted, which adds both weight and warmtli. 

There is a form of blouse worn by llussian girls 
whicii is decorated by bands of end^roideiy in bold 
conventional patterns worked in cro.ss-slilch. These 
garments arc worn liy (|uitc young girls, and growth 
is allowed for by simply adding on e.\tra rings or 
bands of endjroidcry, the garment being sulhcienlly 
amply constructed otherwi.se, and intended to be put 
on over the head. These cross-stitch borders recall 
those found on Spanish and Italian linen cloths and 
towels of si.vteenth-century date, of which beautiful 
specimens are to lie found in the Museum. 'I'hcsc 
arc workeil in red silk, and are generally of a ic- 
peiiting pattern of a wo\en textile character, wliiih 
may aiise from the pattern liaving been woven in 
the linen, as in damask talile-clolhs, and afli'rwarils 
empliasised by tin- in'cdlcworlc. 



Tlie Ivist, as the great source of the glowing 
stream of pattern invention and colour, however, 
seems to have been the natural home of endmmlery 
from the time of Solomon — who j)laces the art 
amom'the occupations of the ideal woman — onwards. 
.Modes of life and iiabits of the people continuing 
with but little ciiange, the artistic traditions have 
been much more ju'riuanent. 

The I'lisian women, for in.stance, still work, I 
believe, beautiful covers, carpets, and hangings for 
their marriage. The material may be only cotton, 
but the (lerorative I'll'ect produced by their large 
bdld pallerus of rich red llowers and the serrated 
green leaves and stems, worked in 
silk, is extremely fine. In tiie 
hangings from I'.okhara the Persian 
feeling is very marked. The pat- 
tern is iinely distributed over tlu^ 
grouiul, and the ri.dation of bonier 
to lielil well maintained. Tiiey are 
interesting, loo, ;is illustrating an 
inijiortant princi|)le in lloral design, 
well understood throughout the 
Mast, of a controlling shajie oi- en- 
closure which determines the limits 
I if the sprays — the favourite being 
the ci\al, or ]iine, (U- palmette shape 
from which llie iiiodern designer 
may learn much. 

Like sculpture and painting, in 
its early and media'\al forms, the 
most splendid arii ie\enien Is of 
iieeillework were dedicated Id re- 
ligion, anil had their place in its 
functions, the accessories of sym- 
bolic and .sacramental ritual. Per- 
haps .';onic of the most magnificent 
specimens III' the arl and craft of needlework are to 
lie I'linnd in the class of ecclesiastical vestments. 

i'roin the symbolic, .severe, and mystic dignity of 
llie endiroidered designs of the earlier centuries of 
Ihe Christian era Ihal have been pn'ser\ed — .say 
of the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries — 
which retain traces of Iiy/anline influence, to the 
lloral and decorative frceilom of those of the si.\- 
leenth century onwards, w^e may see a wonderfid 
series of examples of metlujils of needlework ex- 
pression, gcnci'ni'd by motives of ceremonial 
splendour. 

I'lnsely allied in s]iiiil and method were the 
heraldic embroideries contemporary with lhe.se, 
which .set forth in all llie beauty of material and 
splendour of texture, gold, and colmn', tlie bearings 
and badges of feudal families, of stales, aiul of cities. 
The colour condiinations and devices of heraldry, 
taking (Jothic modids, are peculiarly ad.ipleil to 



\ki:i>i,k\V(ii;k as a moiu-: ok AirrisTic EXPiiKssiox. 



147 



ik'forative expression by means uf tlie needle. The Apyliciue neetllevvork, \>y the judieiuus anil 

neeessan- boldness of design, and the typical imaginative use of textile material, may have a 



seleeti\( 



haraeterisation of form, tlie frank 




THIRTEENTH CENTURY CHASUBLE (ENGLISH). 
(/n fAe South Kensington Museum,) 

"irnamental system of edloratimi, all leml liicin- 
selves to its remarkable adaptability to the \arious 
metliods and materials of needlework, from the 
finest piece of delicate silk work on the scale of a 
book-cover to the boldness of a large appliqiu' 
hanging. 

There is jirnlialily i\n 
more effective method of 
covering large surfaces, 
such as lower wall spaces 
and large doorways where 
ilrapcries can be used, than 
by designs in ajjplique 
needlework of an heraldic 
character. Much, of course, 
depends upon the design — 
upon good (if simple) form 
of silhouette, good spacing, 
appropriate choice of scale, 
and harmonious if bold 
colour scheme. But tiiese 
considerations are connnnn 
to all decorative art. 



ricliness and distinction all its own, and posseiss 
([ualities which no flat painting or inlay can really 
rival. We have nuly to consider the difierent 
qualities of surface and texture represented by linen, 
liy wool, vehet, satin, and silk, and the ])ower of 
expression and emphasis of the needle in defining 
and uniting tliem — to realise the range and resource 
of the textile palette, in fact — to be convinced of 
this. Yet needlew(jrl< lias tiiis in common with the 
ai't of design generally — that it is not dt'iJCiidfiil. 
upon richness or costliness of material. A good 
and suggestive design, well spaced and judiciously 
treated, may be most elfectively and adequately 
expressed on linen with crewels, or cottons, or 
Hax-thread, and the result may be highly decorative. 

Needlework, too, has tiie advantage o\er manv 
other arts that it requires liut little space. Its 
niatrrials arc fi'W, light, and purtable; it is an art 
that can be i)racti.sid anywhere, requiring no ex- 
pensive plant, or even any special sort of workshop 
or studio. It is an entirely ilomestic art, and its 
greatest charm is its personal and homelike cli;iracter 
and suggestiveness. 

It was a gratifying thing to .sec so niucli good 
work of this kind anunig the works in the national 
competition at South Kensington last sununer, both 
as to design and execution. Much depends, as to 
choice of material and treatment, upon the object and 
purpose of the work, its .scale, position, and relations 
to its conditions and surroundings — the same con- 
siderations, in fact, which govern all decorative arL. 

I tliink we nn'ght discern veiy distinct differ- 
ences of aim in needlework which .should natur- 
ally regulate the treatment and choice of material. 
"When the design and expression is of a very 
abstract character, and its decorative effect mainh- 




PORTION OF A 
{From u Dratii 



COPE 'ENGLISH 

ncj by «155 Hunter in th 



FOURTEENTH CENTURYV 
South Kensington Museum.) 



148 



I'lIK MACA/IN'K OF AIIT. 



(lepeiiiis upon anaiigeiui'iil am! nuality of line, one afiaiil llial in neetllework, us in oilier things, llieie 
wuuUl say the simpler the belter, since the ideas are is but a step from the sublime to the riiliculous. 
(•onvi'ved bv means of su<i''estion rather than bv anv The unlv way rif avoiilini: ibis pitfall is in <;ettiiiL; 
attempt at realisntiim "f form in its full substance veiy simple ami slraightt'i>r\vai(l drawing to follow, 
and coloui'. which gives no complexities, and convcj's the ex- 
Designs of symliolical or typical figures on a pression with the utmost economy of line. 



liU'ge scale, for instame. can !»■ rendered ill'ectivcly, 



Large scale faces, owing to grealer cli'arness anil 




HERALDS COAT OF PHILIP 11. 



if the drawing be simple, in outline of one, cir of 
\arious colours, in thread or crewels upon an 
unlileaehed coarse linen ground. 

Sueli designs as some of tiiose of Sir Ivlward 
iJurne-Joncs, where the decorative cU'ecl depcn<ls 
rather upon the disposition of the lines, their iiuality, 
and the .sentiment of the figures than of iiualities 
of colour, texture, or surface, can be ai)]iro[irialely 
rendered in a bold but elo-sely-stitclicd outline 
which gaiirs a certain richness owing lo lb.' nlief 
of the needlework from the giound. The chief 
dilliculty in treating figures in needlework lies with 
tlie faces and features, where the expression is apt 
to be dislorteil liy the buckling of the material 
uniler the tension of the stitches, and of course the 
slightest twist of a line or displacement of featme 
makes all the dilVcrence. So that it may .sometimes 
happen that what is intended for an cxi)ression of 
gentle beiiignancu is a]it to liecome a grin. I am 



openness of drawing, are probalily easier for inter- 
pretation by meairs of llie needle than small ones, 
and a profile easier than a full face. When a face 
is filled up wilh stilchilig to give llie etl'ect of ihe 
full local colour, and the outline becomes distortei!, 
sliglil corrections to counteract it can be made by 
painting in lines or additions to lines wJiich may be 
I'ollowcil by tile needle. If faces and figures mr 
u.sed, it is lietter, however, to struggle with the 
ditliridlies and nial<e it ihroughnut a genuine jiiece 
of needlework llian to fly to the specious aid of 
anothei- art, as was done in the last century, in tlhw 
specimens of silk work we have .seen on fire-.sereens, 
or (^ven assuming the form of framed ])icturcs. where 
the faces are jtnin/nl in. the worker ha\ ing exhausted 
the resources of the silk in the endeavoui- to indtatc 
the cllects and <|Ualily of painting. Tlie ]iainled 
faei's always remain |)alehes more or less, and hasi' 
no real relalion to liu' ncedlewnrk. 

t^HII'iluti-it. ) 



149 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 

DECORATIVE ART AT WINDSOR CASTLE : INLAID WOOD FURNITURE. 



Bv FREDERICK S. ROBINSON. 
'BY SPECIAL PERMISSION OF HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN' 



IF our lluyal I'olleetois haw j^liowu a pirtVience 
for the style of Boulle, it is possible, neverthe- 
less, to illustrate almost every variety of eiuliti'enlh- 
eentury Freneli furniture from the colleitiiius al 
Windsor and liuekiughaui 
Palace. In tlie lattei- are 
to be found the earlier spe- 
einiens of that Florentine 
work in coloured stones or 
•" pietra dura " which Louis 
.\I\' and Colbert trii'd \n 
aci-jimalise in France at 
tlie (iobelins with no very 
happy result. The style it- 
self is. perhaps, one of tho.se 
mistakes to which artists 
of all limes, besiiles our 
own much- maligned ceu- 
tuiy, are occasionally 
prone. Tossibly the inlay 
of coloured stones in flower 
and landscape pictures re- 
([uired a more delicate 
colour sense than French 
craftsmen po.s.sessed. The 
llat mosaics are unsatisfac- 
tory enough: tho.'ic in which 
fiuits arc lepresented in 
high relief are more unfor- 
tunate still. The names of 
certain Italians imported by 
( 'ardinal Mazariu ha\e come 
down to us. The brothers 
Ferdinand and Horace ^lig- 
liorini, liranchi, and Louis 
(iiacetti were employed in 
making table tops and in- 
laying the Hoois of the royal 

palaces. Associated with llicm was a Frenclimaii, 
Lctclliei-. I'nder Lc llruu and lioberl de Colte 
successively these men executed many works, wliich 
M. de L'hampeaux admits were vei\" inferior to the 
Work of the artists employed by the Oukes of Tus- 
cany. Italy was the country in which this stone- 
work tiouiished, haviisg been introduced aliout the 
beginning of the seventeenth century. It was only 
continued for a time in Fi'ance. Louis .\I\' at the 
clo.se of iiis reign was compelled to restrict his sub- 



sidies to the (b.iljelins. and under Louis X \' the 
manufacture nf furniture ceased altogether, and the 
(iobelins wa.s conlined to tapestry. AVe cannot 
regret that the ri'lini[nishmen|. of pietni dura left 




CABINET WITH PIETRA DURA INLAY AND LOUIS XVI MOUNTS. 



tlie Held open for wood inlay and oiiimulu work, 
which wa.s .--o much belter suited to the French 
genius. 

Of the examples which we illustrate, the lirst 
has lale Lo\u's XVI ormiiiilu mounts. The round, 
fluted corner pillars, spiral feet, and striateil Hats 
of bra.ss on the plinth abo\'e tiie feet are char- 
acteristic of some nudvcr — possibly liencman — 
\vbo Houiished when that "industrialising" of the 
art was eonnuenciuL; which was fated to bring it 



150 



THE MACAZIXK nV WW. 



to ruin. Tlie stone panels liave a border of good 
liunlle work in brass and white nieUil. Tliis coni- 
l)ination is not happy, but it is interestin"; as 
suggestive of tlie attempt to naturalise an Italian 
mosaic style alongside of the more truly Kreiicli 
manner of Boulle inlay. The bronze statuette uixm 
this piece is French of tlie latter end of the seven- 
teenth, or early eighteenth, century. 

Our seconcl illustration shows mounts of a most 
pronounce<l Kmpire type. The coldly - UKjdelled 
Sphinx ■• console.s," the " palmettes " above and 
below them, and tlie cential trellis mounts of llu' 
two columns on each side of the middle panel may 
be set down as the work of J. Jacob or, jjcrhaps, 
his successor, .Tacidj Desmalter. On the marble 
slab is a pair of green and pink striped vases of 
Sevres, piite fhnr of the Louis .WI pt'riod, of a 
beautiful (piiet colour. These two iiank one of a 
pair of va.ses, mounted witii winged figures, whicli 
are also very tine of their kind. Thi'V arc euaniclliMl 
on coi)per. may be either (iernian or French, anil 
are more than two feet idgh. It will be nuliced 
that on both of these pieces of furniture the "Cniwu 
Imperial " lily is used as a motive. It occurs 
freiiuenlly in pielra ilura — probably beeau.'^e its 
peculiar grey-green and dull orange colour can be 
very exactly reproduced in certain stones. 

It is a subject for i)erennial i-egvet tliat the 
makers of line furniture have nut always made a 
]>oint of signing their woiks. If tliey had realised 
that, .some day, their achievements would fetch 
prices e<pial to those paid foi- the linest paintings, 
tiiey would not have helped, by this fatal habit 
of anonymity, to depress the status of the line art 
of furniture. For it is a Hue art, however wide llie 
gulf wdiich fashion has set in later days l)etweeu 
the arts of painting and sculpture on tlie one liand, 
and what are called "decorative arts" and " miiKir 
aits," on the other. In the splendid days ui ihe 
iJeiiai.ssance there was but one art, wilii many 
manifestations. Tiie goldsmith was a sculptor, 
and he often became a famous painter of pictures. 
Indeed, as N'a.sari tells us, if he did not show a 
competent knowledge of modelling and draughts- 
manshi)), he was reckoned no true goklsmitli. Men 
were not conlined to a narrow groove in the ilays 
when every obji'Ct <if daily use was imested with 
arlistie beauty. The decorative art of the eighleeiith 
century in France was the outcome of a similar 
versatility. AN'e have seen th.il Houlle hail a 
" vocation mixte," an iiitens(> desire to be a painter, 
a wonderful skill in the \arious processes neces- 
sary for the |)loiluetinu of his lliastcrpieees. It, is 
reasniialple to suppose that the pupils of a man 
who ruined himself by his love for tlie iiainlings 
and drawings of tin; Old Masters would have had 



no illiberal teacher. At any rate, the best-known 
pupil of Boulle was also a great artist. It is a 
pity that the collections at Windsor and Bucking- 
ham I'alace cannot show a masterpiece of the 
work of Jean Frant;ois Oebeii. It is, however, 
necessary to mention him as the master of the 
consummate liiesener, whose work is splendidly 
represented in both palaces. The date of Oeben's 
liirth is unknown, but in 17"4 he obtained the title 
of "I'beiiiste du loi " and lodgings in the Arsenal. 
I »ii his diploma was noted the fact that he was a 
pujiil of lioulle, and we tind him soon liHlging at 
the Louvre in rooms let to him by Charles I'xaiUe, 
and behindliand in his rent to the latter. He 
■ supjilied much tine furniture to Madame de I'oin- 
padoiir from the years 174."'i to I7-'>0, as may be 
learnt fiuiu the journal of Fazare Diivaux, who 
was ( 'ourt furnisher and inti'rme<liaiy at that time 
belweeii Oel>en and the Mari|uise. 

.\s I haM' meiilioiied, early i.ouisXIN' furniture 
is uciierallv straight-silled. < )rmoulu work is, com- 
pared with the later style of Louis XV, sparingly 
used, and runs in lines, generally .speaking, parallel 
with the nulline of the cabinet or commode which 
it adorns. There are, of course, as we have .seen 
on the ISoulle fniiiiluie, medallions at the tops of 
central panels, and line aeantiius scrolls ending in 
lions' feet below, wliile rosettes and ribands and 
garlands are added. Hut, on the whole, the oiimmlu 
oinament is kept wilhin the outline of the piece 
of funiilure it enlmnces. Xow, ()elieii was above 
all things a wood iidayer. Hence we lind that his 
work is not conspicuous for a profusion of ornioulu 
mounting, wliieh would have distracted the eye from 
the inlay. He seems lo ha\e been the legitimate 
artistic descendant of the earlier I lutch inlayers. 
Their. style of inlay, as I have already pointed out, 
was rather uiiiisl rained. The bold shajies of their 
tulip tlowers compel attention overmuch. It .seems 
characteristic of French inlaid work that it does 
not usurp the main fuiieliniis of ornament. It is 
kept as a i|uiet ground of a trellis ny lozenge 
pattern running all over the ])ieee. If natural 
objects are introduced, such as parrots or tlowers, 
they are coiitined to a panel in the centre, which 
is surrounded by the trellis or lozenge ground we 
have deseriiied. Characteristic Louis .\1\' inlay, 
indeed, is oflcn of a more simple character still, and 
merely consists of the clever disposition of the 
natural grain of one wood, four jiieces of veneer 
lieiii" so arranged in a jianel tiiat the lines of the 
grain start from a point in the centre and radiate 
oiilw.-irds. There is, )>erhaps, a band of darker wood 
to act as a fiaiiie fur the panel, This ipiicter 
Louis Xl\' fashion of inlay seems Letter calculated 
til show oil' line oinioulu mounts than that which 



THE (H'KKN'S TRKASUltES OF AKT. 



ir.i 



Jisplavs tlowiTS ruiuiiiiL; uiM in \ai'ii)us cdlimrs. 
Tlie intvicatc designs of IJonUe weiL' upon u vury 
<|uiot dark gvoiuul, and avoided very large masses 
whieh niiglit interfere with tlie ormoidu mounts. 
The straggling foliage of the Louis XV Cattieri's 
style of ormoulu is nut seen to the utuiiisl ad- 
vantage on fmniture veneered all ii\er witli tlnwers. 



day the steam saw was unknown. If we rememher 
that N'eueer, properly laid in the first instance, has 
been pro\-cd to last l.'iO years and more if preserved 
from damp — wliieh is oidy a reasonable precaution ; 
that beautiful etl'ects of opposition of grain are 
produced by it — a thing impossible to effect in the 
solid on accmnit nf warping: and that, if veneei 




CABINET WITH PIETRA DURA INLAY AND EMPIRE MOUNTS. 



The strong colours of the wood interfere somewhat 
with the effect of the elaborate mounts. A\'e shall 
find that the profuse Louis X\' ormoulu looks best 
upon a ground of dark lacquer. 

The process of veneering is much decried at 
present by a certain class of narrow-minded de- 
signers, who are all for simplicity and solidity of 
furniture. Sheraton i-emarks that, in his day, " in 
most cases the (oak) gi'ound, glue, and extra time 
are equivalent to the expense of solid wood, except 
it be to save verv rich solid board.s." But in his 



were given up, many kinds of beautiful wood (such 
as tulip, which is seldom more than five inches 
wide and four feet long) would have to be avoided, 
it will, we think, be conceded that the present 
prejudice against veneer is unreasonable. 

The work of Oeben is a sufficient answer to 
the critics of veneer. It is difficult to imagine 
anything more delightfully refined than some of 
his pieces in the Jones Collection at South Kensing- 
ton. They recall the warm tones of a Dutch 
picture, or the fim^ amber colour of the earlier 



ir,2 



THE \rAf:.\/iXK OF at;t. 




MAHOGANY CABINET WITH DIAGONAL VENEER. 



IlalJMii mari|iietiist,s. Speaking dt' llic l)iiteli inlay 
<i(' dalle ami A'orilt, Mv. Willianisim say.s, " I.cs 
cniilenis vivcs sc sont fondnes ilaiis un tonaliti' 
jannatic (pii nc niani|iii' \>a:< il'liiirminiir." A ic- 
fcrcnce Id Hobens winU in liie .loiii'S CollecliDn 
('/. Xu. 1107, 1111, 1114) will show lliat this 
"general tnni' (if aiiiiier or yellow " is eharacteristie 
of him. <>eljen hail married a certain Franc;oise 
Marguerite van der Cruse, hy whom he had a 
daughter, who married Cjiarles Delacroix, and was 
the moilu-r of the c(debrated ]iainter, Kugrne De- 
lacroix. When Oehen die<l — about 17()"> — his widow 
continued his Ijusine.ss, and soon mail ied her " pre- 
mier gan.-oii " or " eontre-maitre," tiie i)U]iil who 
had long assisted Oebeii, and actually completed the 
celebrateil " r.nreau du l.'oi," figureil in Mi. Willium- 
son'.s book, which ( )eben had begun. Tiiis is one 
of the live famous bureaux extant, one of which 
by liie.sener, is among ihi' chitd' glories of liiickint;- 
ham I'idace. 

.Fean ilemi Ilieseiiei- was aiiotiiei of those 
versatile foreigners who found iheir wmv to Paris 
as the centre of art. He was born at (Jladbeik, 
near Cologne, in IT-!"', and liecaine, the year after 
he iimrried Oeben's widow, " maitre inenui.sier- 
I'beiiiste," in ITOS. Horn in the reign of I,ouis W, 
his life-work wa.s accomplished chielly in the reign 
of I.ouis XW. Conseijuently there is not much 
trace left in him of the parsimony of ormoulu 
iiiounling which Oeben seems to ha\c had as a 
legacy from the style of l.ouis .\ I \' Tiiat slvle. 



th 



ple( 



as we have .seen, restricted 
the metal inounts, on the 
whole, within the outline; 
but befoi-e the death of 
Louis .\1\', the fa.shioii had 
set in which was to end in 
the negation of all straight 
line.s, and with its splayed 
curves and twisted endive 
fi il iagc, to be called " liococo." 
The lines of legs and table- 
tops take tho.se .shapes with 
which we are familiar in the 
age of Louis X^'. Ormoulu 
work s]ilays all over the 
fronts of ciumnodes, and 
colli in uously edges their 
outlines. As Mr. Williani- 
son ]iuts it, there is " un 
lilet lie cui\re uiii epousant 
loiitcs les combes de la sil- 
iioiielte," and in the earlier 
work of Rie.sener the.se con- 
tinuous lines of bra.ss which 
are " niariied to the sil- 
of furniture are found to 



boUette 
perfection. 

This new manner was perhaps due to liobert 
lie Colte (lii.'iii I7-''"i), biotiier-iii-law of ^lansart, 
eliief architect of Louis XIV in Hi'.)!). De Cotte 
ehietiy concerned himself with tin? elaborate panel- 
ling of rooms in oak or painte<l wood, out of which 
the spU'iididly profuse leaf ornament is so beautifully 
and lightly carved in that "style IJegence " which 
succeeded the more formal fashion of Louis .\I\'. 
That more jtouipoiis style, in which r>oiille winked, 
was lictter suited to the galleries and halls in which, 
during the palmy day.s of Louis XIV, the ever-public 
life of the king and court was pa.ssed. l?iit with 
the re\erses of France at the end of Louis X 1 \"s 
reign, and the iiiinoiity of Lmiis .W. the way of 
life liad changt'd. Privacy became '" the mode," and 
into smaller looiiis a lighter, more profuse, more 
delicate style was iiitiodiK ed. There is a still 
greater di\orce than ever between furniture and 
architectural influences in the days of Louis X\' 
than there was in the reign of the luevious monarch. 
If, for instance, you Hnd a pier-glass of Louis X\' 
of which you are comi'clled to admit that the 
.sides are straight, you will lind that the .straight 
line is completely niodilied by a continuous gar- 
land of flowers, which winds over the upiight 
mouliliiig from top to bottom. The Cabriole leg iu 
consoles, chairs, and tables, conii)letely takes the 
place of the straight, tei'miiial-shapcd leg of the 
severer stvle of Louis .\ 1 \'. Voii ijiiglit look in 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 



153 



vain, perhaps, for a cabinet made during the reign 
of Louis XV with square, straight, tapering legs 
such as those upon the little inlaid piece we repro- 
duced in a previous article as having belonged to 
""William and Mary." The tall clock by Le Roy, 
which we illustrated in our chapter on the Windsor 
clocks, has the quiet angulated veneer of Louis XIY, 
but it is impossible to tind a straight line either in 
its vertical elevation or its horizon till plans. It is 
of king wood, and contains an elalwrate movement 
" invented in ITotJ by Jnlieu Le Roy, of the Society 
of Arts," thirteen years after the end of the Regency. 
It is a typical specimen of Louis XV work in its 
shape and the style of its ormouln mounts. A 
companion barometer is b}- Ferdinand Berthoud, of 
Paris, and made later. The same diagonal veneer is 
found in the commode which we illustrate with a 
casket on the top. 

The work of Riesener is remarkable for a pro- 
fusion of ormoulu mouutintr. He combined tliis 



with considerable elaljoration of inlay, but by con- 
fining his " picture " to a panel in the centre and 
surrounding it with a trellis or lozenge pattern, he 
prevented llie one means of ornament from inter- 
fering with the other, and produced furniture very 
sumptuous in effect. At Windsor there are several 
beautiful and typical examples of his work. Most 
notable are a priceless commode and its two similar 
encoignures — all " en suite." It will be seen from 
our illustrations that although the fronts of these 
fine examples are curved so as to entail tlie utmost 
possible difficulty in fitting and fixing the inlay, 
and to add enormously to the expense, and al.so to 
the effect, the vertical lines are straight. This 
commode and its encoignures show, in fact, the 
distinct characteristics of the reaction from the 
perpetually curving Louis XV style, though they 
have not attained tlie greater severity of late 
Louis XVI work. Tliese pieces, which were ex- 
hibited at the great exhibition of " Art Treasures " 




INLAID COMMODE BY RIESENER. 



lOG 



154 



THE ^[A(:AZINK OK AI.'T. 



at ^[aIl(■llt'stl'l•, havf an inlay of jialo woods. The 
coniiiiotlo lias two lait;i' " sliapi'il " tlrawt'is anil tliioc 
small oni's in llic fianio. The two side-panels of 
the front are liouiincts of flowers, such as tnlips and 




INLAID ENCOIGNURE BY RIESENER. 

roses in vases. The centre panel has llnwcis in a 
basket, a whealsheaf, agricultural impli nionls, two 
J(jves, and other objects. The end panels are in 
a trellis inlay of u difl'erent kind to that wliieh is 
found on the front of the two encoignures. There 
is a eliarniin^' u.'<u of j^'reen stained wood. Tlic 
ornionln nionnls are niagiiilicentiy niodcili'd ami 
gilt. The caryatid consoles at the side, the scroll- 



work of the frames beneatli the Kosa marble slabs, 
the "enlot " ornament beneath the centre })anel, and 
the acantlms-iraf feet, are all entirely lulmirable. 
The eneoignures, mounted in similar style, have 
door-jianels inlaid with trfipliies of 
armour, a cock surmounting a 
wreath, and other (nnaments. Each 
piece has a drawer in its shaped 
liaine. A commode which has some 
vesenililance to the Windsor e.\amj)le 
is ligiiied ("Le Meuble," l'"ig. 04, 
A'ol. II.) by M. de Champeau.x, and 
is in tlie Palace of Fontainebleau ; 
Imt tiie only point in which the 
two are exactly similar is in the 
tine ormoulu mounts of the feet. 
Ii'iesener could design his own brass 
mounts, though there is not much 
doubt that he emj)loycd others also. 
A portrait of him exists which re- 
presents him sitting, pencil in hand, 
before a design placed npon one of 
those oblong slender tables with 
straight legs and a brass pierced 
railing on three sides which he made 
towards the end of his life. Al- 
tliougii liis work shows great variety, 
there are two general characteristics 
which mark his style. One is his 
ti'ndeucy to conline his picture in- 
lay to a ]ianel in the centre of his 
furniture, the rest being filled up 
with a trellis or lozenge design. 
Another great characteristic is his 
fondness for elaboi'ate ormoulu 
mountings, especially in the " cein- 
lure " or "frame" of tables or com- 
modes, just beneatli the top slali, 
and in the "enlot" einitre ornament 
oil tlie lower frame below, between 
the legs. He used lnli[i, ro.sewood, 
liolly, niajile, laburnum, and purple 
Woods, lie was also paitial to trel- 
lis inlay upon mahogany, as may lie 
seen in the secretaire with Sevres 
plaques and little short legs (No. 
1,040) in the Jones collection. An- 
other very fine piece in the .same 
coiicclion is tile cupboard (No. 1,0S2) with Horal 
inlay in \arious woods, and exiiuisite GouthicVe 
mounts of tiie freest possible execution. Others are 
the pedestal secretaire in tulip and king wood (No. 
1,117), two similar ones (1,012 ami l.Oil'.v), ami a 
charming little writing-table of tulip ami sycamore 
(No. 1,(117). The Wallace collection jiosses.ses amost 
celebrated example — the bureau made for .Stanislas, 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 



155 



King of Poland, which we shall have to compare 
with the bureau at Buckinghaiu Palace. It was, 
perhaps, Eiesener who popularised the use of nia- 
liowany and the cylindrical-fronted bureaux which 
in England degenerated into those fearful pieces of 
furniture familiar to us all. 

Rieseuer's first wife, the widow of Oeben, diinl 
in 1776, and, six years after, he married Anne 



Delacroix, who married the daughter of the widow 
of Oeben, was one of the directors of the sale. Quite 
possibly he bought up his owti works cheap ; and 
if so, it is pleasant to think that at least it came 
l)ack to appreciative liands. Thus " No. 205, Secre- 
taire d'acajou a dessus de marbre (du petit Trianon)" 
is adjudged "au citoyen Riesner, .':i26 livres ; " No. 
2,3-10, " Une table a ecrire en bois de palixandre 




INLAID COMMODE. 



Grezel. "When he first married he had no resources 
except his talents ; but on his second marriage he 
possessed — in money, and owing for work done for 
the king, the royal family, and private clients — 
more than 500,000 livres, without counting his 
stock-in-trade and other considerable effects. He 
was in full work when the Revolution broke out. 
Two pieces which were in the Hamilton collection 
bear the dates of 1790 and 1791 in their inlay. 
They were made for the Palace of Saint Cloud, as 
was to Ije gathered from the mark put upon them 
by the officials of the Garde-meuble of Marie 
Antoinette. He was appointed with David, the 
painter, to guide the members of the Convention 
in their selection of pieces of furniture which were 
to be reserved from that terrible sale described in 
our introductory article. It is interesting to find 
his name as a purchaser. His operations were 
probably facilitated by the fact that Charles 



en mosaique richement ornee de bronze dore d'or- 
moulu, au Cn. Riesner de Paris, 3,240 livres; No. 
2,503, Une pendule de Le Pautre, au Cn. Riesner, 
4,200 livres." 

But the glorious days of artistic furniture were 
over, and things did not mend. In the second year 
of the new calendar, on the date of the 11th 
" pluviose, au II" — a terminology which makes 
one wonder who was the stilted idiot that invented 
it— we find our poor Riesener, in spite of having 
discreetly become a "citoyen," compelled to announce 
a sale of fine furniture. A large part of it comes 
from the private rooms of Versailles and Trianon. 
But the taste for such fine things was gone, or else 
people had not time for them, and the sale had 
no great success. Riesener's last years were sad- 
dened by differences with his wife. They divorced 
each other as soon as they got tlie chance in tlie 
new order of things. He muv-ed froni'the Arsenal, 



156 



THE ^fAGAZINE OF ART. 



where he lind continued to live on the royal con- 
cession which had been made to Oeben, anil died, 
at the age of seventy-one, on the 6th of January, 
1806, in the "EncUis des Jacobins," leaving one 
son, who became a portrait-painter of repute. 

There are other fine pieces of furniture at 
Windsor which mav lie attributed to the most 



versatile Eiesener, " without a doubt," says M. de 
Champeaux, " the first of the cabinet-makers who 
lived in the reign of Louis XVI." As, however, they 
are in an entirely dififerent style to that which we 
have been considering, we shall reproduce them in 
a later article when we review the furniture with 
Sevres plaques and examples in ebony and in lacquer. 



ARTISTIC "ALPHABETS." 



rilHElIE is vastly more than the charin of the 
JL old chap-bnoks in "An Aljihabct" (\Villi;iin 
Heinemann), which Mr. William Nicholson has de- 
signed with as much spirit 
as originality. Those of 
our readers wlio remem- 
lier the design of " Per- 
simmon " in our pages 
last year — Mr. Nichol- 
son's debut in this style 
of art — will realise in 
some degree the quaint- 
ness, the suggestiveness, 
and the artistic quality 
of these apparently rough 
and summary pictures. 
As a matter of fact, 
despite the archaism 
afTected in these admir- 
able designs — in two or 
three colours apiece — 
and despite, too, the 
reticence practised, the 
character of each respec- 
tive subject is truly and 
unerringly obUiined. "M 
for Jlilkmaid," bold as 
the rest, reeks with the 
sentiment of the chap- 
book and the horn-book. 
" T for Trumpeter " is 
Velasquez-like in vigour, firmness, spirit, and dignity. 
The nias.ses of black are happily introduced tlinnigh- 
out. Children may not appreciate all of the designs, 
but there is no doubt that many of these are more 
within their undcrstiinding than some of the pic- 
tures of these latter day.s, wliicii, nominally addresse<l 
t<i cliilili. ti in reality make their appeal to adults. 



On the other hand, "Phil May's ABC; forming 
two humorous alphabets " (The Leadenhall Press), 
will be 



a delight 




THE BROKEN HEART, 
(from "PHI IDay't A SC") 



to old and young alike who 
can appreciate fun and 
humour, and who could 
.see how common subjects 
can lose their grossness 
if but the hand that pre- 
.senls them is refined. Mr. 
Phil May's pen is as skil- 
ful as ever, while he is 
inqiorting a delicacy into 
his work to a degree be- 
yond what we have ob- 
served heretofore. He 
can render character 
in the single line of a 
feature, or in tlie dot for 
an eye, with all his old 
facility and certainty, 
but he often seeks now 
for something more 
subtle and complete in 
the rendering of model- 
ling and expression. 
Strictly speaking, these 
"alphabets" consist 
practically of groups of 
guttersnipes.East-Endei's, 
and so forth — without 
any special reference be- 
tween the art and the letters ; but they are so full 
of hinnour, of human nature, of pathos, rendered 
with such unsurpassiible skill and feeling, that the 
.sketch almost suggests inspiration, and the volume 
is worthy to stand beside any work of the young 
master. A good example of the work is here 
reproduced — " Tiie Broken Heart." 



1^7 



THE CHATEAU CHANTILLY AND THE MUSEE CONDE. 



By ROBERT DE LA SIZERANNE. 



THE most notable artistic event that will take 
place in France in 1898 will probably be the 
transformation of the Chateau of Chantilly, the 
residence of the late Henri d'Orleans, Due d'Aumale, 




THE DUG D AUMALE 
^from the Medal bg Chaplain.) 

son of Louis Philippe, into a public museum, open 
to all the world under the designation of the " Musee 
Conde." I say " probably," because Chantilly is not 
yet in the hands of the Institut de France, to which 
it was left by the Prince, and when the Institut does 
come into possession next May, many months must 
elapse, in all likelihood, before the public can be 
allowed to visit the art collections of the Chateau 
" at least twice a week," as the Prince laid it down 
in his will. 

But this transformation is inevitable. Here, 
then, hard upon the Louvre and upon Versailles, is 
yet another palace about to turn museum ! Yet 
another home to become a place of passage for the 
bearers of " Bfedeker " and the hordes of Cook ! 
Yet another lordly mansion, peopled by the shades 
of some among the gi-eatest personages in the history 
of royal France, and screened until now from prj'ing 
eyes, to be invaded and overrun by Sunday sight- 
seers ! — persons who will wake with their vulgar 
talk echoes lulled of yore by the soft voices of prince 
or diplomat or academician, and who will find an 
absurd amusement in seeing themselves reflected 
in the polished floor ! Such, perhaps, will be the 
thoughts of certain fastidious partisans of the old 



order of aristocratic pomp. But let them not 
remain the victims of a misconception ! In opening 
its dooi"s to the public the Chateau of ChautLlly will 
change its character hardly at all. It became a 
museum long since, and the illustrious general 
who dwelt in it had long worn the air less of an 
owner than of a curator. Pending the actual trans- 
formation, however, that is to be, there is a certain 
melancholy pleasui'e for a lover of art in sketching 
out some idea at once of the treasures soon to 
be shown to all and of the artist-prince now gone 
for ever. 

If, a few years ago, a stranger had been led, 
witliout explanations, into the galleiies of Chantilly 
on some Sunday afternoon, he would never have 
had a doubt but that he was in a museum. On 
every side he would have seen long and well-lit 
halls filled with works of art, their walls hung with 
pictures by the gieat masters, from Giotto down to 
Eeynolds, and from Jehan Fouquet to M. Eonnat; 
here and there glass cases full of gems and medals 
and precious manuscripts ; beyond, examples of 
antique statuary, busts, specimens of old stained- 
glass designs, and tapestries arranged in proper 
sequence, as though by conscientious guardians bent 
on enlarging the minds of the people. After the 
lapse of a few minutes the stranger would, without 
surprise, have seen passing in front of him a group 
of visitors — men and women of position, a score of 
them, perhaps — preceded by an old man (leaning 
on a stick and limping a little) holding forth in 
a somewhat high-pitched and monotonous voice. 
Seeing this old man with the sparse white " im- 
perial" and with hands dreadfully disfigured by gout, 
dressed in black and wearing in his buttonhole 
a great red rosette of the Legion of Honour, the 
stranger would naturally have taken him for some 
old soldier, some pensioner appointed to the guardian- 
ship of the museum. This assumption would have 
been confirmed had he listened to the detailed but 
stereotyped explanations given by the cicerone every 
now and again as he raised the thick end of his stick 
towards some masterpiece which called for admira- 
tion, and had seen him then, his explanation ended, 
proceed upon his way with the air of a man who 
has carried out conscientiously his daily task by 
stages that have been mapped out beforehand and 
admit of no modification. The group would follow, 
silent and admii-ing, without understanding very 
clearly, without attending very closely, and not 
differing, therefore, very much from the ordinary 



loS 



THE MAGAZIXK OF ART. 



tourists to be seen making their way through any 
of the museums of tlie world. From time to time 
the words of the guide would be followed by a 
try of admiration uttered confidently, to which, 
liowevcr, he paid no attention. Then the whole 
parly would be lost to siglit in tiie distance, at 
the end of the galleries, wiio.se Hooi-s, like mirrors, 
become peopled with reHections. The uncertain 
footfall would die away, the monotonous voice 
become inaudible ; and never fur a moment would 
the stranger, thus distracted from his mediUitions 
on art, have formed the idea that these people he 
had seen were tlie guests — often the illustrious 
guests, generals, academicians, masters, great per- 
sonages from all countries— of the guide who had 
preceded tiiem, and that this guide, victimised l)y 
gout, was the greatest princely figure contemporary 
France had ever seen, the Maecenas of the great 
sculptors of his tinie, the author of the history cif 
the Condi'-s, the fortunate soldier wlio at twenty, in 
his devil-may-care fashion, by a wild heroic charge 
at tlie liead of tive hundred weary cavaliyincii, had 
routed the " Smalah " and five thousand fighting 
men of Abd-el-Kader. 

Every Sunday, in tnilh, ihe Due d'Aumale re- 
ceived a certain number of his friends at this spot, 
" situated on the confines of France, ten leiigues from 
Paris, and one from the town of Senlis;" and the 
wliok- reeei)timi tiwk tlie form of a di.ssertatioii 
on war and un ait, in the midst of trojjhies and 
masterpieces. When the guests arrived they were 
shown into the Salon, decorated by Huet, and in 
which the I'lince was to be found, engaged in a 
discourse uiion the friezes, imitations ascribed to 
Walteau ; or else, perhaps, into the Galerie des 
Batiiilles, where he would l)e pointing out the 
pictures by Martin representing the victories of the 
grciit Conde. In tlie middle of this gallery was 
to be seen the portrait of that hot-headed and 
troublesome hero who for eight years had fought 
against his king, and who, we see, in token of 
remoi-se, has torn some pages from the book of his 
life; these pages have fallen to the ground in front 
— but on them, in l)ig l(;tter.s, easily deciphered, are 
to be seen, carefully in-scribed, the names of tlie 
victories ("onde has gained in the eour.se of his 
rebellion, and whicli he is ready indeed to deplore, 
but not to allow to be forgotten ! From tlie.se 
salons one pas.sed to the gi-eat Salle des t'erfs, made 
one's way under the adiiiiral)le Uijiestries of Van 
( »rley, and took one's seat at the table placed under 
the mantelpiece, decorateil liy liaudry with a " Cha.s,se 
de St. Hubert " — in which it came as a surprise to 
one, in the midst of ilu> meal, suddenly to recogni.se 
in the tiaiutly hunter M. le Due ile Chartre.s, and, in 
a round-cheeked, ro.sy-hued, fair-haired .s(iuiie, the 



young Duke of Orleans. The dijcuner over, the 
picture-gallery was resorted to. Tiiere the Prince 
seated himself, drank his coftee, filled and lit his 
little briarwood pipe, and began to describe the 
marvels liy which his guests were surrounded. All 
around were paintings of the French .school of this 
century — paintings full of movement, for the most 
part, spirited, lavish of sport and war, whether in 
Africa or the East; ]5as!ii-l?azouks by Decumps, 
caravans by ilarilhat, hawking scenes by Fromentin, 
and the ^^('//V.s rhasseurs of Vincennes, by Protais, as 
seen both before the fight and after. They were all 
so many illustrations to the memories the Duke 
would unfold. He spoke of the wars of the First 
Empire, and we looked up at "The Plague-Stricken 
of Jafifa," by Gros; or of the Algerian expedition, of 
tiie most brilliant episode in wiiich — the tiiking 
of " Smalah," rich as a treasure and elu.sive as a 
mirage — he had been the hero, and one's g;ize 
was turned at once upon tiie delicate productions of 
Fromentin ; or he would speak sadly of the engage- 
ments of 1870, and all eyes were directed towards 
Neuville's " Combat on the IJailway-line." Or did he 
refer to the ehtsseurs a pied, about whom lie had 
written in former days, there they were in tiie 
paintings of Protais. On one occasion he had 
pointed out a drawing by Detaille in which he 
himself was depicted leading a cavalry charge, with 
a few riders ahead of him, liut the bulk of them 
behind ; and on the beauty of the drawing having 
evoked expressions of admiration — " Yes, yes," he said, 
" it is very beautiful, but it is not accimite. When 
I cliarged I had nobody charging in front of me." 
Ill the midst of tlie smoke-clouds ditTii.sed by his 
little pipe, the old soldier-prince seemed to live over 
again, delightedly, the days he had had the good for- 
tune to pa.ss before the eiieniy's fire : and in those 
blue eyes of hi.s, so infinitely kind and sad, one could 
read his regret that there had not been more of 
such days for liim to live. He thought mournfully 
on all the bailies llial lia<l been fought, irilhinil him, 
in France, while be iiiiist stand siside, quivering 
with impatience, and .see himself refused, for that 
he was a Prince, tiie right to tread his country's 
soil — in her defence ! Then lie would place his pipe 
upon the table, rise to his feet, and, that he miglit 
shake oH' these painful niemories, resume his pro- 
menade among the works of art he had gathered 
round him. Wiieiiever he came to one of iiis own 
]iorlrails, all of them by masters of the modern 
French school, one found oneself comparing the 
head that spoke with Ihe he id that the painter or 
.sculplor had produced. Turn by turn, he was to be 
seen represented as a chilil in a garden, by Tony 
Kobert-Fleury ; still as a small boy, by Winterhalter; 
at nineteen, as Colonel of tiie 17th Light Cavalry, 



THE CHAtEAF CHAXTILLY AND THE MUSEE C'ONDE, 



1.-.9 



by Eaffet; ivs Marechal de Camp, by tbe same 
artist ; by M. Bonnat, as a General of Division in 
command of a corps d'armee ; the bust by il. I'aul 
Dubois, to be seen at the end of the gallery, should 
also be mentioned : and, finally, that profile portrait 
on the medal, executed by M. Chaplain for the 
Institut, with which one could compare his features 
as they were in his later yejirs, and in which, indeed, 
the Prince seems to live again (see p. 157). From the 
purely critical and a?3thetic point of view, a series 
of opportunities for comparison was thus secured 
of uiestimable value, for it Ls seldom they are tlius 
afforded in the presence at once of the model, the 
works, and the workmen themselves. One portrait, 
however, was lacking — that by M.Benjamin-Constant. 
It coidd not long figure in the collection at Chantilly, 
having been finished very shortly before the opening 
of the Salon of this year, and when it returned from 
the exhibition, the Due d'Aumale was no more. 

The story of this portrait is a curious one. None 
of the likenesses of the Due d'Aumale quite satisfied 
his friends, and, in truth, whenever the royal guide 
pjvssed by these pictures, one could not but contrast 
the dull and commonplace aspect of the paintuig 
with the bright blue of the mobile, alert eyes of the 
Prince — that quality of blue which was peculiar to 
his family, and whieli prompted the remark of the 
Comte de Paris on his exile's death-bed, when 
speaking of his son : " In the eyes of D'Orloans I 
seem to see the sky of France." il. Benjamin- 
Constant was eager to make his attempt, also, at 
achieving the impossible, but those blue, ever-moving 
eyes were soon to be his despair, and there went the 
round of the studios of Jloutmartre a story about 
the woes of this eminent and amiable artist hunting 
among all his colour-tubes for " the blue of the 
eyes of the Due d'Aumale." 

His first idea had been to depict the Prince in 
his library, standing under the bust of the great 
Conde, with his hands in liis pockets to hide the 
great disfigurement produced in his fingers by the 
gout. He abandoned this idea, however, and painted 
the Prince, as is known, sitting on a bench in the 
garden, on his return from a walk, wearing gaiters, 
his head bare, his hands disguised in great fur 
gloves — the whole figui'e standing out in relief from 
a Ijackground of foliage a la Gainsborough. " Mon- 
seigneur," he said to his subject, " I want to paint 
you for the populace, for the masses who throng the 
Salon, for the Sunday crowds." Thus it was, indeed, 
he appeared to his visitors tired, his shoulders bent, 
but his spirit ever ardent and on the alert, simple, 
hearty, and infinitely bright. Eeceiving a visit one 
day from Mme. Benjamin-Constant, who is the 
daughter of Emmanuel Arago, he told her of an 
umusini; conversation he had with the illustrious 



Fi-anv,ois Arago at the Tuileries in the time of Louis 
Philippe. " Arago was wearing his dark gi'een 
coat " — members of the Institut dress in dark gi-een 
from head to foot on occasions of great ceremony — 
" and I being ten years old," so ran the Prince's 
story, " and being audacious enough for anytliing, 
a,sked the illustrious savanf how he came to be thus 
attired. ' Because,' he replied, ' I am extremely 
fond of parrots, and do all I can, therefore, to look 
as much like them as possible.' " 

Eecalliug these stories and a thousand others, 
the Prince would make his progress through the 
galleries, followed by his ever-gi-owiug fiock of 
visitors. Among them there were always some 
old generals who, in front of a Giotto or a BotticeUi, 
would exert themselves to conjure up some senti- 
ments proper to High Art ; and artists who would 
declaim with warmth concerning cavalry charges 
and firing at long range. And these things set one 
thinking of the twofold physiognomy — the soldier 
and tlie lover of letters — of the great figure whose 
shade haunts the chateau — 

'• Le grand Conde pleurant aux vers du grand Corneille" — 

and whose portraits by Juste d'Egmont or Teniers 

the yomiger (and the bronze by Fremiet) greet us 

at every step, as we pass from room to room. 

Simultaneously with the.se memories, there 

appeared before us on the walls a series of ad- 

miral)le works by the greatest men who have ever 

held a brush. There was the " Mystical Marriage 

of St. Francis of Assisi with Chastity, Poverty, and 

Humility," by Pietro di Sano, in whicli you see, on 

the earth, near the walls of Portiuucule, a great 

expanse of green stretching out behind, the monk 

affiancing himself with the three Virtues — with 

their long, slender fingers and in their long robes — 

and, if you look again, in the sky, these same 

Virtues winging their fiight. Poverty turning her 

face tiie while towards the .saint once again. This 

strange bride, 

'■ a cni, com' alia morte, 
La porta del piacer nessan disserra," 

is ascending in the air and treading the azure with 
her feet, conscious that she has no place in a world 
wliere she has found with difficult}' a single suitor, 
and where in all likelihood .she will not find a 
second. 

There, too, was the " Belle Simonette Vespucci," 
by Pollajuolo, with her high, bulging, somewhat 
bare forehead, surmounted by clusters of pearl- 
besprinkled locks thrown backwards, her white 
profile broken into by the dark thunder-cloud behind, 
lier face full of sensuality, and as tliough revelling 
in the cold touch upon her neck and naked breasts of 
the snake in enamel, twisted, as it were, into a living. 



ItiO 



TIFK MAOAZINE OF AIIT. 



liissing rope. And there was the " Vierge f Jlorieuse " 
of Perugiuo, painted for the church of St. Jerome at 
Luc4ue.s, in which tlie traditional lion places his 
hejivy paw on the cardinal's liat : there, the panel 
of a ciisKont painted hy l-'ilippino Lippi, in wiiicli 
you see the old king Ahasuerus on liis tlnone, in 
almost as deep a .sleep as is he in Burne-Jones's 
" Hriar IJose," and yet this king is receiving Esther 
in ids Ix'st style, siie bowing to liini modestly, while 
the eunuchs move oH' tlie other beautiful young 
women of the kingdom, who are marvelling at these 
beautiful porticos built by the Medici, ami at that 
distant coiiih- in wliicii they are keeping holiday 
in the Florentine fashion; and thei'e, the "Three 
Graces " of IJaphael, a quite smidl j)icture, a pretty 
piece of .symbolism, in which eacli of the three nude 
women holds in her hand not an apide but a sphere 
of gold, emblem of the world over which she reigns. 
Opposite this the Due d'Aumale would stand still 
and point out that the three figures represented 
woman at the three ages which corrcsjiond with tlie 
principal pha.ses of lier beauty. Tliere, liiially, was tlie 
" Vierge de la Maison d'Orleans," by Uapliael, thus 
entitled because it was in tlie gallery of tlie I'alais 
lioyal so far back as the eighteenth century. The 
Virgin is simpler and more humble, is surrounded 
by commoner objects, than in any other work by the 
same nuxster. This picture was sold for 1 2,500 
francs in 1798, for 24,000 francs in 1843, and 
finally repurchased by the Due d'Aumale in LSlii) 
for ir>0,000 francs. 

Xe.xt, we passed before that grave ami frigid 
l)ortrait, attributed to Iioger van der Weyden or to 
I'go van der Goes, representing tlie strange "(Jrand 
Hatard de Bourgogne," the valiant warrior who, having 
siifrereil himself to be taken prisoner by the I)uc de 
Loriaine, was sold by the latter to Louis XI for 
10,000 crowns. On his bead is a wonderful black 
felt hat, cylindrical and iiigli, similar to the horrible 
stove-pipe all'air we wear to-day, the centenary of 
which wc celebrated last year. Of this portrait, it 
is said, there are replicas or copies in the Orcsden 
Museum and in the SLall'ord collection in London. 
The " (Jrand Batard," in tliis picture, has the intract- 
able, inhiispitable air which .seems to be promised 
by his motto, " Nnf iic k'i/ froth:" 

A long stay u.sed to be made in tin- room that 
was devoted to the forty small jdctures by one of 
the gi'eatest of our old French painters, Jelian 
l-'ouijuet, that is to .say the miniatures detached from 
the "Heures" of Ivstienne Cavalier, jiainted in tiic 
middle of the fifteenth century. It was an amuse- 
ment to note the delicious anachronisms in these 
latter— the "Annunciation" taking jilace in a Gothic 
cliurch full of statues of the saints, to whom tlu; 
Virgin is j.raying; the representation of the 



"Adoration of the Magi," in which Charles VII, 
surrountled by his (jrand' garde, plays the rdlc of 
the Magi Gaspar, and in which, lest so exalted a 
personage should soil him.self, a cushion lias been 
placed under his knees, and under his feet a fine 
carpet embroidered with Jhur-dc-li/s; and then the 
picture of poor Job, whom his friends seem in no 
way astonished to see sitting on his dunghill at 
the foot of the prison of Vincennes ! 

But the modern French school claimed even 
more attention. The gaze roamed over the ceiling 
painted by Baudry — "The Rape of P.syche " — a 
deliciously-veiled " Matinee " by Corot; the famous 
" L'Assiissinat du Due de Guise," by Delaroche ; a 
replica of the " Malaria," Hebert's first success ; two 
masterpieces by Ingres, the " Stratonice " and the 
" I'ortrait de Mme. I )avau(;ay ; " " The Two Foscari " 
of Delacroix ; the " Turkish Children by a Foun- 
tain " of Decamps. The whole of the romantic 
school and part of the great school of landscape 
painters are represented there, to greater or less 
extent; and a visit to the Musee Conde will certainly 
be as \aluable as a visit to the Louvre to anyone 
who would gain an idea of the French school of the 
nineteenth century. The Prince did not conline 
himself to the works of the great painters who are 
dead. He gave many orders to living masters, en- 
couraging young sculptors, as he did, for instance, 
M. Tony Noel, for whose earliest works he paid a 
price far higher than had been agi'ced upon. Another 
picture to be seen there was the "Jeanne d'Arc" of 
Chapu. As we made our way round the gallery on 
one occasion, we talked of how the lievolution of 
1780 had destroyed the treasures of the Cliantilly 
of those days. How many statues of bronze and 
lead had gone to the making of artillery ! Tliere 
was a group by F'alcoiinet, " L'Amour ct Ic Silence," 
which disappeared, and was believed to liave been 
converted into cannon — a singular touch of irony ! 
Love and Silence transformed thus into a symbol 
of Xoise and Hate ! 

By the end of a couple of hours tlu' royal vinronc, 
tired by his exertions, would have regained his 
library. There he would sit down again by a table, 
littered with books, newspapers, and reviews, and 
would proceed to refill his jiipe. His white head 
was seen, thus, surmounted by the dark bead of the 
great Conde. Tiicii, his guests took tlieir leave of 
iiini. Descending to the court where the carriages 
were waiting, we looked out again on the calm 
horizon, on the expanse of wood and lawn and lake, 
stretching out in lines sim]de and maji'stie as a 
tragedy of Kacine. And now, in turn, (piite near us 
or far oil", we saw the eqiiesliian statue of Anne de 
Montmorency by M. Paul Dubois, the statue of 
P.ossuet by .M. Guillaume, that of Li lb uyi'ie by 



THE KEL'EXT IllISH TEXTILE EXHIIUTIi ».\. 



KJl 



M. Thoiuixs, of Le Notre and Molieie by ]\I. 
Tony X'ot'l, and of Conde by Coysevox. We heard, 
too, the fountains — fountains which were singiug 
tlie same song already in the ears of Louis XIY, 
and which sobbeil through the oration of Bossuet 
at Conde's burial. The can-iages crossed the moats 
at full trot and, traversing the wood, reached at 
last the station. In our eyes we retained a twofold 
vision — the vision of warlike and royal monardiy 
grown old and worn, and the vision of Art, young 
eternally. 

To-day silence reigns at Chautilly. The tribune 
of the Salle des Cerfs will resound no more with the 



blare of trumpet. The arms of bronze thai .stretch 
out from the walls to hold the torches in which 
gas-jets shone brightly in the guise of Jleurs-de-lys 
will illuuiine no more the whitened head of the old 
Prince. None will go now to Chantilly as to a place 
of royalist pilgrimage or as to a soldier's sanctuar\'. 
The pilgrims that the train will discharge upon the 
station platform will be more numerous, they will 
be of every party and every race; the pilgrimage 
to the Musee Conde will be one of those in which 
all the creeds, religious or political or social, blend 
and are forgotten in a sentiment more wide-em- 
bracing — it will be a pilgrimage of Art. 





"i^^K JSciw 



'>e3^L*- 



r:«Trfr«t'^^^ 







1 - « c B ~~ =15"=^ 










CHANTILLY : THE CHATELET. 



THE ART MOVEMENT. 

THE RECENT IRISH TEXTILE EXHIBITION. 



FOR some yeare past an industrial revival has 
been taking place in Ireland, but of its extent 
and importance few people had any conception, until 
the end of August, when the Textile Exhibition, 
organised by H.E. the Countess Cadogan, was opened 
in the Eoyal University Buildings, Dublin. Though 
the Irish Industries Association has expended time, 
money, and infinite patience in fostering old and 
promoting new industries, the results of its efforts 
were only locally known, and the recognition of 
Irish dexterity and skill by the public of Great 
Britain and other countries was still a longed-for 
but unaccomplished fact. 
107 



It needed the energy of Lady Cadogan and the 
practical co-operation of her committee to focus all 
the isolated industrial efforts, and to present them 
to the public in an exhibition which, if up to the 
present unique in Dublin annals, will, it is hoped, 
be repeated at no distant interval, and on a larger 
scale. 

No longer can it be said that tlie hand of the 
Irish lace-niaker has lost its cunning ; on the contrary, 
several famous specimens of old Limerick and 
needle-point lace ill bore comparison with recent 
efforts. In almost every instance the superiority of 
the new designs was apparent, this being due to the 



\&2 



TIIK MAiiAZINK ol' AI!T. 



to-oinT!iti>>ii of llie Scieuce ami Ail I )ri(iinineiit lace sclmol al ("lossmagk-ii lunis oui nmdi Ki-aiiti- 

(Soulh Keiisiiij^toii) with the Irish Indiistrii.'S Asso- fill work. 

elation, liy whitii means a constant supply of new In the Inishinacsaint, or raised point lace, some 

of the most beautiful 
work in the exhiliitiDii 
was fouiul. So like is it 
Id Venetian rose point 
liiat it needs an expert 
lo discover the diller- 
enee : except when the 
suhjeet of priee is 
mooted, and then the 
Irish laee is found to 
be very much cheaper 
— a somewhat curious 
fact when it is remem- 
bered that the cost of 
liviiiLj ill Italy is in. 
tiiiilrly less Llian in tliu Kmerald Isle. 

Si. Joseph's IndiisLrial Sclmol, Kin.sile, showed 
some good Limeiiek luce, and St. .lohii's Industrial 

conxents, where tlie lace-workers receive their School, Hirr, several fans, pocket handkerchiefs, and 




CARRiCKMACROSS GUIPJRE. 

and really artistic designs are h'lit to thi- \aiious 
centres, and grants are made foi tin' juodiutioii of 
trial jiieces. The best lace comrs from the large 



training, often continuing to work under tlie iiuiis, 
though some undertake orders in their own cottages. 
A fan of Irisii point made at the I'lcscnlatinn 
Convent, Youghal, was a beautiful exaiii]ili\ lioth in 
design and workniaiisliip ; the festoons of flowers 
connecting the medallions were exiiuisilely woij^ed. 
ami the centres of the medallions wcir liljcd in willi 
the very finest diaper designs. From the same 
convent came notable .sampli-s of ))oint lace co])ie(l 
or adapted from the tiiifst old lli iisscls and Italian 
])oint. A deep tiounce of run lace from the conveiil 
of the Good Slie]iherd, Limerick, is considered the 
best specimen of 
this lace exlaiil : 
many other ex- 
amples from Linie- 
rifk were shown, 
including \'al('iici- 
ennes, which has 
only lately been al- 
tcmiited in lielaiid. 
Till' r>atii and 
Shirley School's 
exhibit of C'ariick- 
luacross lace was 
remarkably line, 
and a vast imiir(jve- 
meiit in the designs 
u.seil was notice- 
able. Another im- 
]iortant exhibitor 
of this lyjiical 
Irish lace was Mrs. 
l)onaldson, whose 



flounces of point lace of exquisite ipuility. Oilier 
notable exiiibits were those of Jlrs. ^'ere O'l'ricn, 
the convents at Kin.sile, Keiimare, New Ko.ss, Airs. 
MacMorrogh Kavanagh, Miss Keane ((Jreek lace), 
and the magnificent ca.ses of the Irish Industries 
.Vssocialioii, containing lace from every centre in 
Ireland, all of wliicli, il is pleasant to record, was 
sold on the first day of the exhibition. 

Tile display of Clones guipure was excellent. 
This essentially Irish production is a fine kind of 
crochet, closely resembling the old raised N'enclian 
point, from which the designs are generally adapted. 




HANDKERCHIEF IN YOUGHAL POINT 



THE RECENT IRISH THXTILI' KXII I I'.ITK )N'. 



li;:! 




Fiisliion hiiving recently 
fiivouieil luces of heavy ami 
decided style, this <;iiipure 
has found a ready market 
liotii in London and I'aris. 

Tlie embroidery sections 
were extremely interesting, 
and it was difticult for visi- 
tors to realise that much of 
the most beautiful silk work 
was executed by peasant 
girls in their own cottages. 
Naturally tlie exiiibits of the 
Royal Irish School of Art 
Needlework, Viscountess 
Duncannou's Garry Hill 
classes, and the l>elfast School 
of Art Needlework take pre- 
mier place. The first-named, 
in addition to some large cur- 
tains, replicas of the seven- 
teenth and eighteenth century 
designs, .showed .some charm- 
ing work on white satin, the mofifs being chiefly 
of the Empire period, and most suitably applied to 
the decoration of fans. Mrs. Dalison's work was 
very good, notably a large piano-cover, decorated 
witli a floral design : the entire background being 
worked in white silk formed a wickerwork pat- 
tern. Several needlework pictures were likewise invariably good. 

commendable. In bold, striking work nothing could White embroidery and " sprigging " belong 

compare with the large portiere shown by Miss Terry, more properly to the " Linen Section," which, though 

the most important, cannot 
adequately be commented 
1 in. The improvement in de- 
signs for Irish damask is of 
world-wide importance; and 
now that the in.signiticant, 
niggling patterns of thirty 
and forty years back have 
lieen cast on one side, 
naught l)ut praise can be 
accorded tlieir successors, 
wliich include classical 
(Ireek motifs, Pompeiian 
designs, and adaptations 
from the Dook of Kells ; 
and certainly notliing shows 
to more advantage on the 
surface of a damask table- 
cloth than the "Kells 
Beastie " in various pos- 
tures, or the interlacing pat- 
tern which was tlie Celtic 
representation of eternity. 

LAPPETS IN CARRICKMACROSS APPLIQUE. AXXIE B. ilAlU'lHE. 



COLLARETTE, CLONES CROCHET GUIPURE 

Crawford School of Art, Cork. Amidst effectively 
coloured foliage, magniticent peacocks, half-life size, 
disported themselves, their gorgeous colouring lieing 
well thrown up Viy a dull russet green bacl^ground. 
In ecclesiastical work originality of design was 
somewhat lacking, though the workmansliip was 




KM 



THE AFAiiAZIXE OF ALT. 



ECCLESIASTICAL EMBROIDERY. 

SOME beautiful examples of needlewurk, of whicli robes of the Virgin beiiij; \Aw and ruil. Tlie angels, 

a series of alUiv frontals for tlie new eluirch areliaic in type, are worked in gilt tiiread, and the 

of St. Mary at Sledniere, now being built from roses in dflicate pink. Tlie shields along the top 

the designs of Mr. Temple Moore for Sir 'i'atlon havt' a blue ground with gilt oruiiment, and the 

Sykes, were tlie principal features, have lately been fringe is pale green and gold, .\notlier frontal of 




ALTAR FRONTAL. 
(Designed by TL'mtih' Moorv, Executed by Measrs Watta and Co.) 



e.xecuted and e.xhibiled by Jlessrs. Watts and Co. 
The one which wo illustrate is a most ornate piece 
of work, delicate in colour and texture, and very 
etlective as a decoration. Worked entirely on a 
white ground, the colours of the embroidery are 
charmingly blended and harmonised. The centre 
jjanel, containing a representation of the Virgin 
and ('hild, as the most important part of the tlc- 
eoration is executed in the brightest colours, the 



a red ground, with blue .shields and conventional 
roses in gold, when complete, will form a work 
of great richness. Two other frontals for side 
chapels ai'e executed, one in tapestry nf liliir 
ground and gilt ornament, and the otlici- witii 
the same decoi'ation on a red ground. Still an- 
other is of blue and wliite tapestry of excellent 
design. The wIidIc wimc designed by Mr. Temple 
Moore. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[.S.SJ WHO WAS 0. LUCAS?— 1 have in my pos- 
.se.ssion a pair of oil paintings by (). Lucas of nude 
ligures(18 inciics by 24 imhes). Will you kindly 
inform me if he is a prominent artist, as the pictures 
are so well executed ? — W. C!inB.s (Old Marki't 
Street, IJiistol). 

,*, O. Lucas was certainly not an artist of 
jirominence, nor Jire we aware of ever having .seen 
any works by him. The artist-family of T-ucas 
is, of course, widi known, and tlicir wurks, for the 
most part, stand high in the estimation of Ihr 
connoisseur. Jiut no ])ainter with the initials 
given had ever contributed, up to 18!).'?, to any 
of tlie leeognised exhibitions held in London. 



[S!)J REMBRANDT'S ETCHING OF UYTENBOGAERT.— 
Is liembrandt known lo liave painted rytenbogaerl, 
and where is the original if existing :' ! have a 
small oil-picture on panel, apparently contemporary, 
which in all main re.spects agrees with tlie etdiing. 
— T. (Cardill). 

„*,j .Ian l'ytcnl>ogaci'l (or lijienborgacrd — 
written " ^'vtenbogardus " on the Goltzius etch- 
in'') was the ^reat liciiionstrant Miidster and 
active theologian of Kcmbrandl's day, whom 
lacob Backer painted, the portrait being to this 
day shown in the Municipal Orphanage of the 
Kalvcrstraat. When liembraiult made his etch- 
ing in l(i.!."i (Bartsch, 27ft; Middleton-Wake, 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



105 



114; Wilson, 281) liis sitter was seventy-eight 
yeai's old. Xow, there is a painted portrait of 
Uyteiibogaevt, or so believed to be, by Eembrandt 
at the Stockholm ]Museum (No. n85 in the cata- 
logue), probably painted in ICoo. This is a half- 
length life-size picture called " Portrait of an 
Old Man," which used to be in the Adolphus 
Frederick Collection. Uut the master sometimes 
painted small oil sketch-portraits of persons he 
was about to etch, as in the case of the study 
(belonging to il. Bonnat) for the Burgomaster 
Six, so that it is not absolutely impossible that 
our correspondent has an original study. This 
Uytenbogaert must not be confounded with the 
Treasurer of the States of Holland (known as 
" The Gold-weigher" or " The Treasurer "), whom 
Kembrandt etched, and of whose country-house 
he also made a plate in 1651, known as " The 
Gold-weigher's Field." It was to the latter officer, 
and not, of course, to the theologian, that Eem- 
brandt so urgently and so pressingly applied for 
the moneys due to him for official portraits, when 
the instalments fell due for his new house in the 
•Tewisli quarter. — S. 

[90] SCULPTURE. — "Would you kindly inform 
me the subject and origin of the group of statuary 
of which I enclose a rough sketch, and, if practicable, 
the present location of tiie original ? — ( '. B. 

^*, The gi'oup is entitled " The Eape of 
I'olyxena." and is tlie work of a modein sculp- 
tor, Signor FedL It is in the Loggia dei Lanzi, 
in the Piazza della Signoria, Florence, and was 
erected in l■'^'Uj. Imitations are often sold. 

[91] COPYEIGHT AND ART SCHOOLS. — Is it lawful 

for the students of an art school to copy vithovf 
permission, for exhibition in fhir own roomf, any 
pictures which are freely circulated or published — 
such as " Bubbles," " Long Bill," etc., appearing in 
various Christmas numbers ? — Nemo. 

^*3, Copyright is the right to copy ; and, 
whether published or not, a copyright work 
had better not be copied, even for the innocent 
purpose named by our correspondent ; for, though 
the intention may be innocent, the result may 
eventually be damaging to the owner of the 
copyright. It is not difficult to imagine the 
students of the art school referred to all making 
excellent copies of " Bubbles " " for exhibition 
in tlieir own rooms ; " liut who is to guarantee 
that these pictures will stay there and that they 
will never be seized, say by a landlord, and thus 



tinil their way upon the market ? The best 
way is to avoid all copyright works. E\en the 
National Gallery contains some copyright pic- 
tures, for we have not yet reached the point 
attained abroad by which a picture loses its 
copyright as soon as it is Ining permanently in 
a public gallery or museum. 

[92] "THE CASCADE," BY J. RUYSDAEL. — Have 

you ever seen the original painting of "The Cascade," 
by .T. Euysdael, engraved in the Ar/ Journal, 1852, 
on page 183 ? It is there stated "that we have 
no clue as to where this picture is, nor can we oir 
referring to Smith's catalogue find any description 
of it." I have a painting by J. Euysdael, which 
is like it in every detail, signed thus — [signature 
copied]. I am certain it is the picture they have 
engraved in their Journal. Could you tell me if 
you ever came across this picture and who it 
belonged to ? I have written to the Art Jourmd, 
but have not succeeded in getting any light on 
it, nor even ascertained where the engraving was 
taken from. It is painted on oak, eighteen inches 
by fourteen inches, and it is in good preservation ; 
evidently been taken care of, carved frame, and 
covered with glass. — J. E. Symox.s. 

^*^ It is impossible for the present writer to 
give any positive reply — though other readers 
of this Magazine may be acquainted with the 
picture. That this is one of Euysdael's Norway 
pictures there is no doubt, painted under the 
influence (in a sense) of \'an Everdingen. It is 
probably, but not certainly, the picture in the 
Antwerp Museum w^hich was acquired at the 
Hodston Sale at Amsterdam in 1871^ for 58,000 
francs. That jiicture is not in good condition. 
But it must be remembered that Euysdael re- 
peated himself a good deal in his Norwegian 
pictures and painted a vast number of " cascades;" 
liut a picture signed as the querist says it is, 
may as likely as not be the original or a replica. 
It depends greatly upon the intrinsic (juality 
of the picture. The glass is against it. 

REPLY. 

[8li] PICTURE BY T. WOODWARD, — Colonel Malet, 
of 12, Egertou (burdens, writes : " The picture by 
T. Woodward, entitled 'A Tempting Present,' is in 
the possession of my brother-in-law, and I have the 
same subject (also attributed to this artist) in water- 
colours. If 'H. A.' cares to write to me, 1 shall be 
pleased to show him my drawing." 




SCENE FROM MR. FORBESROBERTSONS REVIVAL OF "HAMLET-; ROOM OF STATE IN THE CASTLE. 

{By Hatoes Craven. By Courtesy 0/ the Nassau Sttam Prtss.) 



THE CHRONICLE OF ART.— JANUARY, 



Art in the \1/'ITII the advance of autumn a goodly 
Theatre. } > j,^,,p ^^f stage productions lias riiiened 
in theatrical tiehls, and here and there one may glean 
evidence of an artistic appreciation of possibilities. In 
the happily-named White Henthn; at Drury Lane, a 
plea.sant suggestion of rising mists on " the moor " 
and a suital>le employment of the hydraulic lift in the 
scene of " Houltcr's Lock " may lie noted ; hut in lioth 
pictures Mr. H.\uker's growing tendency to a coarse 
technique is to he deplored. The rest of the scenery is 
contriliuted liy Messrs. ("aney, Perkins, and I'ui'ce-Smitii, 
and perhaps the most convincing .scene of the play is that 
of the divers and the sunken yacht, with an admirably 
contrived effect of real fi.sh looming vaguely amidst a tangle 
of wreckage and sulnnarinc growths — a subject difficult to 
realise without risking compnri.sons, here skilfully avoided, 
with effects familiar in pantomime. The Sloik Exchange 
scenes are satisfactory and unc.xaggerated. and the final 
tableau of "the Costume Hall ' — reviving the splcmlonrs 
of a recent notable Society function — is commendably 
dignilied in treatment. The Balter,seu Park scene is less 
successful, and one of the interiors shows a wall-decor.i- 
tion (1) needlessly crude in colour and design. At the 
Adelphi the Wellington drama. In the Dai/.< c</ Me Didr, 
present-* a .series of curiously uni><|nal scenes by .Mr. 
Hmikoimi. His best iiictnre is that of the prologue, with 
the sunglow on the distant Himalayas a capital snggc.ilion 
of height and distance. "A H>istelry near I'lymouth " is 
unatmospliciic anil reminiscent of ".Skelt," whilst his 



"l)nchcssof Richmond's Ball'" sets all accepted tradition 
at defiance. The closing picture, from the brush of Mr. 
Harkku, of the "Field of Waterloo" gives us a sky of 
unusual accomplishment. The mounting of ^fr. Furbes- 
Kobertson's revival of Hamlet at the Lyceum scarcely 
touches the high-water mark of distinction, and some of 
the costumes — those of Horatio and other courtiers, for 
instance— are singularly unpleasant in colour and device. 
The scenery, if fairly adequate, certainly does not represent 
Mr. Hawks Craven at his best. His " Hooin of State 
in the Castle," which does duty for the greater part of 
the play, is well composed, and lacks the mannerisms that 
mar the " Orchard " set of Act IV. A promising effect 
of dawn over the sea at the close of Act I is disajipointing 
in its deveiopuKMit, and the churchyard .scene is tame 
anil conventional. A new version of Ltt Prrivlmle at the 
Garrick Theatre hius attracted attention, but neither the 
sccnciy by .Messrs. SroNii ami HliKs nor the dre.s.ses 
designed by Corneli.i call for detailed criticism. Hotli are 
on accepted lines, and reveal no new iierception of colour 
or comjiosition. 

With reference to the article upon the 

Ha^rowTchooI."' <^'^i<-'l>i"K of drawing at Harrow School 
which apjiearcd in our November num- 
ber, we have received with .some surprise from .Mr. .Ani.l-rrr, 
the honorary director of the lioyal Drawing Society, a 
protest against our u.se of the word "exjiL'riment " in 
describing the teaching adopted by Mr. 1v;ert<>n Hine. 
Mr. Alilctt a-snres US at some length that such teaching is 



THE CHRONICLE OF AlIT. 



ICi 



no experiiueut, and that he himself has used it in connec- 
tion with the operations of his Society. No doubt. We 
never intended to suggest that memory drawing and so 
forth were an invention of Mr. Hine's, or were being tried 
for the first time. In referring to this teaching as a "novel 
experiment, " we meant — as surely the vast majority of our 
readers must have understood — that the system was an 
experiment as applied to Harrow School ; nor do we 
injagine that the Itoyal Drawing Society itself would claim 
any monopoly in the initiation of the system. This Society 
is doing good work, but credit should not be grudged 



much to be doubted whether as a whole it does itself any good 
in permitting so considerable a proportion of its members to 
exhibit '■ works " not only incomplete but to a sad extent 
unaccomplished. When the Society began there was some 
attempt to admit only miniaturists of a certain proficiency, 
but it appears that .since that time no sort of test is 
applied or standard exacted. The exhibition of maiden 
or very early efforts can have only one result — the ad- 
vertisement of the worthlessness of the Society's diploma, 
l^pon the roll of members are two or three miniaturists 
of distinct ability, even though some of them appear far 








THE NEW ART GALLERY AT READING. (See p. 16S.) 



to others who are helping forward the cause of art educa- 
tion. We are glad to hear that, as a consequence of our 
article already referred to, the headmaster of Up])ingham 
School has decided to follow the example of Harrow, and 
that Mr. F. S. Eobiuson has been appointed art master, 
charged with carrying the scheme into effect. 

The new President of the Royal Water- 
PUW^S Colour Society, in .succe.ssion to Sir .John 
Gilbert, was finally selected on the evening 
of November 30th. Thirty members out of the nominal 
forty assembled to vote, and considerable feeling was 
shown. Professor Herkomer, the energetic Dei)Uty- 
President, was for some time jiast considered certain of 
election ; but latterly an objection took root that he was 
not a naturalised Englishman, and the vigour of his efiforts 
in favour of the Society were interpreted as "autocracy." 
The ballot resulted in a tie— fifteen for each candidate. 
In the second voting one member spoiled his vote, and 
Mr. Waterlow, A.R.A., the admirable artist both in oil 
and water-colour, was elected. 

The Society of Miniaturists has held its ex- 

hiliition at the < irafton Gallery, and is believed 

to show some slight improvement on that of last year. It is 



too photographic in their method.s. The admission of tin- 
incompetent is injurious to all ; and though among them 
there may be embryonic Cosways and Hilliards, it would, 
we think, be better, until their talent is more fully fledged, 
that they be relegated to Associate rank or their little 
pictures subjected to the judgment of a jury not too com- 
plaisantly indulgent. 

The autumn exhibition at Messrs. Graves and Co.'s 
galleries consists of over three hundred water-colour draw- 
ings by living artists, British and foreign. Two charming 
little drawings of " Wood-Xymphs," by Prof. Hekkomer, 
R.A., are noteworthy among the former, though there are 
many others of high merit, among them being "Stirling 
from Abbey Craig," by Mr. Sam Reid ; "Lucerne," by 
Mr. Albert Goodwin, R.W.S.: and " Wensleydale, 
Yorks," by Mr. Oliver Hall, R.E. "Red Azaleas" and 
" Landscape and Animals, ' by Miss Bertue Arte, are two 
charming drawings by this talented German artist. 

At Messrs. Shepherds winter exhibition there is an 
interesting exhibition of British work, both of old masters 
and modern artists. Among the former the chief place 
must be given to a magnificent portrait of Mrs. Trimmer, 
by GEOR(iE RoMNEV. It is a dignified picture of an old 



IGS 



THE ^rA(;A/lXE of ai;t. 



lady, broiul in treatment and cliurming in colour. By tiie 
.same artist tliere are two smaller porti-ails of the Ladies 
Charlotte and Anna Walilejjrave. l!y (Jaissiiokol'uh there 
are three works — a portrait of "John Kestin," and two 
landsca|>es. One of these is a large early work, showing 
an expansive landscape, enrionsly Wilson-like in ](arts. Six 
CoNsTAHLKs. a good "Old Crnnie" ami a licautifiil " Welsh 
\'alley ' l)y Cox also claim atteiiticm. "Sir O. Cromwell ' 
(uncle of the Protector), by Houkkt Walkkr, is a charac- 
teristic example of this portraitist's work. Among the 
work of modern men, " The Empty Saddle," l>y Mr. !•'. A. 
Stokky, A.K.A., is of great interest, painted as it was in 
ISfiS under the inHuence of the Pre-ltaphaelites. "On 
Dartmoor,' l>y Mr. E. M. Wimi-khis, is ]ierhaps one of the 
finest works executed by this artist. The view of the 
m<mrlan<l stretching away in the distance, with a sky tilled 
with masses of cumnlus clouds, constitutes a i)icture re- 
markable for [lower and breadth of handling. "Sun 
ri.se," by the late Kdwin ICllis, is another strong piece of 
landscape painting, and Mr. C. G. Johnson's "Sunrise,"' 
E. J. NiKMANN s "(Jrand C^uay. liouen,'' " In Normandy,'' 
and "Golden Noon," and Hkniiy MooKK's"OfF Margate," 
are all interesting. Among the subject pictures, there is 
an early work of Mr. W. Q. OitcHAliDsox—" Imogen in 
the Cave of Keli.sarius'"— and a good example of Mr. 
Denhv Sadleu— "Shelling Peas." 

At the new Burlington Art Gallery are to be seen 
.several examples of the work of those extreuiely clever, if 
eccentric, artists, Messrs. Manuel, S. H. Sime, and Oscak 
EcKHAKDT, with, among others, pictures by Mr. G. C. 
Haiti':, W. A. PiHeaksi'eakk, and W. 1). Ai-monh. A series 
of Lanuham sketches is also included, the best of wliicli 
are two landscapes by Mr. Wai-tkf! Fowi.ki;. 

A collection of drawing.^, lately on view in illustration 
of r.unyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," has introduced to the 
World the dccoiative pen-work of l'"ord Madox Brown's 
pupil, .Mr. "WooLLi.scitoFT Bheau, and his two brothers, 
Frederick and Louis. There is no tloubt that the first- 
named is the strongest of the three, vigorous alike in his 
concejitions and his use of the pen ; all of them show 
decorative ability in imitation of the old ( ierman masters on 
wood. But there is a certain affectation about this rugged- 
ness which appears to be merely assumed in order to fit in 
with the great allegory— a suggestion, in our opinion, thai 
the book is not " for all time." .Some of the drawings are 
weak and lacking in relief, but others are striking in 
conception and excellent in design. Despite their defects, 
they should jirove satisfactory illustrations to the book. 

-Miss HosA Wai.ms has been exhibiting at the Rem- 
brandt Head a series of bright and clever drawings of 
Italian landscape, for the most part at the moment when 
trees are in blossom and flowers in full glow of colour. She 
manages her jialetle with considerable skill, and the reti- 
cence with which she meets the temptations to common- 
place efTcct is highly commendable. I'niikc most painters 
of Italy, she gives efl'ects of atmosi)here so as to add 
peculiar interest to the beautiful land which often lacks 
that particular charm. 

The pastels of Mr. FitANcis E. Ciiaudon at Messrs. 
Dowdeswell's Gallery constitute an interesting novelty. 
The chief merit of this large collection of views of Italy, 
Switzerland, and (icrmany lies not .so much in their 
felicitous choice of .scene as in the skill with which the 
medium is handled, and the delicate and often sul)tle 
appreciation of colour which is shown. In .some drawings 
Mr. Chardon is naturally le.ss successful than in others, 
but there are few indeed where he fails to prove his 



Miscellanea. 



mastery of Ids material. The adaptability of pa.stel to 
landscape is little recognised amongst Engli.sh artists 
The exhibition, therefore, is not less interesting to pro- 
fessional men ihan to others. 

Mr. C. L. Burns, of the Chelsea Polytechnic, has 
been appointed head ma.ster of the Caniberwell School of 
Arts and Crafts. 

The latest completed wnrk of the series at 
the Iloyal Exchange is that by Mr. Solomon 
.1. SoLo.MuN, A.H.A. It represents the visit of Charles 1 
to the Guildhall for the purpo.se of demanding the giving 
up of the live members of Parliament whose arrest was 
resisted by the House of Commons. The jucture is the gift 
of Sir Samuel Montagu, Bart., .M.P. 

We have received the .syllabus of the second winter 
session of the Northern Art-Worker.s Guild of Manchester. 
The papers to be given form a sequence of subjects relating 
to a one-staircase house, commencing with "Planning," 
and including " Furniture," " Household Pottery and Table 
(ilass," and "Exterior and Gardens." It is projwsed to 
hold a public exhibition of the work of members at the 
close of the se.s.sion in May next. 

We cannot congratulate Brighton on its memorial of the 
.lubilee. This statue of Her Jlajesty the t^ueen imiirosses 
us neither as a portrait nor as an exaniiile of .sculpture, 
liut what can be expected when the commi.ssion was placed 
with a commercial sculjitural company which undertakes 
to supply "busts of statesmen and others executed from 
photographs," together with "stairs, balusters, headstones, 
and other marble works " ( We have received from them a 
eulogistic descriiition of the Brighton statue, accompanied 
liy a biographical sketch of the "eminent sculpttir" who exe- 
cuted the work, which, however, omits that most im|iortant 
detail, his name. Is it that the company in i|uestinn is 
afraid of being outbidden f()r his services, (u- is the eminent 
sculptor — presumably an Italian — ashamed of his coiniee- 
tion with commercial sculpture I 

Upon a site given by the late Mr. Georiie Palmer and 
Mr. Samuel Palmer the Corporation of Reading has 
recently built a new art gallery. The building adjoins the 
l'"ree Public Library, and, as may be seen in the illustra- 
tion on ])age HiT, the whole forms an imposing block of 
buildin;;s. The position of the main gallery is shown by 
the tiroad unljroken wall surface between the ornamental 
bands. The room is (i^ feet in length, and is lighted 
throughout its whole length from the top. One of its 
features is a dado comjiosed of a reproduction of the 
Bayeux Tapesti'y, which was presented some time ago by 
Mr. Alderman Hill, J. P. In a smaller room arc dis- 
jilayed the British Roman mosaic pavements discovered at 
Silchester. The design of the new galleries was necessarily 
inlhunced by the jueviously existing buildings, but the 
architects— .Messrs. Cooi'Ki! and Howell, of Reading — 
have done well in their work. The modelieil frieze, 
executed by Mr. W. C. May, consists of four panels repre- 
senting " Ancient Britons," "Roman Arts and Industries," 
" Literature, " and " Science." 

Mr. llAMoTiiouNYrROKT, R.A., has lately completed and 
erected at Holyhead a monument to the memory of the late 
Hon. William Owen Stanley of Penrhos, Lord-Lieutenaut 
of .\nglesea, and for many years nn-mlier of the House ot 
Commons. It is a work on which .Mr. Thornycroft has 
been engaged for .some years, and is of rather iniusual 
importance as an intra-nuiral monument. It is jilaced in 
a chapel esiiecially built for its reception on the south side 
of the choir of Holyhead old church, and is visilile tlnough 
wide arches opening into the choir and transept. In >tyle 




108 



VISIT OF CHARLES I TO THE GUILDHALL. 
{From the Wall P„i„ti„g b) Solomoj, J. Sohnw,,. A.n.A., i„ tl,e Sgj,,/ £xvlHi«ge.) 



THE CnnoXTCLE OV ART. 



17 



it is Italian Renaissance, and consists of a lifesized re- 
cunilient statue of the deceased lying on an altar tomb, 
with winged angels at the ends — the one at the feet with 
inverted torch representing; " Death : " the one at the 
lieatl " Ininiortality," who places a wreath upon the pillow. 
The wings of these attendant tigures are outstretched, and 
form an arch-like curve aliove th? rocumHent one. The 
front and ends of the liasc immediately below this snnip 
are enriched by panels in low relief : the centre one of 
these contains the in.scription tablet, with kneeling winged 
figures of children su)>- 
|iorting it. The whole 
is executed in white 
Carrara marble, except 
the steps l>elow, whicli 
are of polished green 
.\ngle.sea marble. In 
front, and at some 
distance from the 
monument, is a finely- 
wi-onght iron grille, 
which jirotects, but 
does not greatly ob- 
scure, the work. The 
chajiel, wliich was de- 
signed by the archi- 
tect, Mr. H.\Ki)i.n 
HucHKs, is lighted by 
stained-glass windows 
from the designs of 
Sir E. BuRXE JoxES. 
The principal one, 
which especially lights 
the monument, is in- 
scribed to the memory 
of the devoted wife 
of Mr. Staidey. This 
is appropriate, as it 
wa-s by her will that 
the monument was 
erecte<l to him. 

_, . It is with monument to 

Obituary. 

^ great regret 

that we record the 

death of .Johx Ba(;n-oli> Bcrgess, I!.A., in the sixty-seventh 
year of his age. We have so fully dealt with the art and 
career of ilr. Burgess in a previous volume of this Magazine 
that we need not recajiitulate the details of his art-life. We 
would remind the reader, however, that this popular painter 
—popular alike in his art and personality— was born on 
Octi>ber 21st, 183(J, and, visiting his relations in Spain in 
company with Edwin Long, he became fascinated with the 
pictures. luene.ss of the land. A better draughtsman and a 
truer story-teller than bis comiianion, he regarded his sub- 
jects, not with the breadth of .John Phillip, but as an 
accomplished painter of anecdote, deliberate in composi- 
tion, conscientious in his craftsmanship— in fact, as a 
distinguished painter oi genie. His long series of pictuies 
of Spanish and Moorish subjects (the latter perhaps the 
best), and the numerous types of female beauty, gained 
him a circle of admirers which n<.t even the work of his 
later and less accomplished age very sensibly diminished. 
"Bravo, Toro!" ''The Letter-Writer," and other works 
of the kind gained him critical comparison with the 
decadent masters of the Italian and Spanish .school. His 
'• Licensing the Beggars, Spain," is in the Koyal Holloway 
College, purchased for it for £l,!G-"i. He began exhibiting 



at the Koyal Academy in 18.52, when he was twenty-one 
yeai-s of age, and thereafter contributed with regularity, 
the total number reaching to seventy, while those sent to 
other exhibitions amounted to a further sixty. Mr. Bur- 
gess was elected an Associate of the Boyal .\cademy in 
1877, and a full member in 1888. He often complained 
of the comparison with .John Phillip to which he was 
constantly subjected, iiointing out that to be .second in 
painting Spain seemed to be less ori.dnal and less ex- 
cu.sable than to be the two thousandth in painting Italy. 




THE HON. WILLIAM OWEN 

{By Httnw Thoniycroft, R.A.I 



Sir Hexry Doultox was a business man, an admini- 
strator. His value in this capacity was very great to 
many public in.stitutions. In his own business he showed 
that rare power of judging character which enabled him 
to surround himself with men of ability in the various 
departments of his great pottery, and it was characteristic 
of him that having found his man he trusted him and rarely 
interfered with him. But there was another side to his 
character. When you met him in yonr house or his own, 
"busine.s,s" was never mentioned. If he knew you in- 
timately, and you were an interested visitor, he might 
show you the last achievement of the potters art which had 
just reached him from Ijurslem or Lambeth, but you might 
see him a hundred times and never know that he was the 
head of one of the largest businesses in England. In 
literature, art, science, politics, men. he was profoundly 
interested. He had always read the latest books that 
were worth the reading, and his memory of what he read 
was marvellous. His knowledge of the English jioets and 
in quoting them his power and aptness were (|uite unusual. 
It was this side of his character that led him to develop an 
art branch of his business. Long before the development 
of what is now known as " Doulton Ai-t Potter^'," he be<»an 



172 



TIIK MACA/IXK nF AllT. 




THE LATE SIR HENRY OOULTON. 
(from a Photogrnph ty C Vandgh. ) 



of his own initiative to improve the forms und tlie decora- 
tion of some of tlie conunon ai tide- of daily use made in 
the pottery, and it was towards tlio end of the fifties that 
lie applied to South Kensington for desifins and models. 
At that time the I^mbeth Sch<x>l of Art, which was ulti- 
mately to play so im- 
portant a part in the 
develojinient of his 
business, hardly had 
an existence. It was a 
night school, meeting 
in theXational School- 
room of St. Mary the 
Less, of which church 
Dean Gregory was 
then the Rector. Mr. 
Sparkes, the present 
Principal of the Hoyal 
College of Art at South 
Kensington, was the 
master,an(l .Mr. Edwin 
Bale had charge of 
the modelling class. 
Their difficulties may 
he judged liy the fact 
that every night all 
signs of work had to 
be packed away to make room for the children of the Na- 
tional School the next morning 1 Dean (Jregory was chair- 
man of the committee of the school, of which Sir Henry 
Itoulton became a member. If the Doulton Art Pottery 
was due to the suggestion of Mr. Sparkes, it was not less 
due to the way in which the idea was taken up by Sir 
Henry. Mr. Sparkes found the designers and worker.s, but 
Sir Henry supplied the sinews of war. It has been .stated 
that Sir Henry Doulton made enormous sums out of this 
art pottery. This is mere go.ssip. Sir Henry Doulton lost 
heavily in money, but he got a new and intense interest in 
his work, and he gained much kiitlns. It was only when 
the change of fashion set in, which tended to the 
diminished demand for "'Doulton ware," that the more 
paying practice of manufacturing more or less artistic 
jiatterns for trade purpo.ses was adopted. It was a matter 
of sincere regret to Sir Henry that this change in fashion 
led to the necessity of parting from several members of 
his art staff, which took jilace some ten years ago. The 
effort to graft an art nuality on to a common material was 
fruitful in bringing intoexistence many similar undertakings 
all over the country, and it may lie .said that "Doulton 
ware" is the father of the numerous art pottery works that 
have been started since InTO, some of which .still exist. 
Sir Henry Doulton was an interesting combination of 
busine-ss man and arti.st. A love of the beautiful was 
always strong in him, but the perception of business 
necessities was also keen, and this is a key to many things 
in his life that to outsiders are enigmatic. He was a strong 
man ; he wa.s a Jnst. kind, and generous master : he was a 
good friend ; and the world is the poorer for his death. 

Signor Giovanni P).\tistk Cvv.m.caski.le has survived 
his collaborator. Sir .losejih Crowe, by little more than 
a year. Horn in IK^o, he studied an<l practised art, and 
threw himself into the political troubles in Italy in 1h4s 
and the succeeding year.s, and, e.scaiiing to Kngland, worked 
again at his art, and finally entered into literary harness 
with Sir .1. Crowe, whom he had met on the Continent 
years before. For twenty- five years they worked together 



in mutual friendship and esteem. In 1H57 appeared "Early 
Flemish Painters:" in 18(J4, "A History of Painting in 
Italy ;" in IHTl, " History of Painting in North Italy ; " in 
IK77. "Life of Titian;" and in \Hs-2, "Life of Kaphael."' 
When it was safe for Cavalcaselle to return to Italy, chieHy 
through the efforts of Sir Charles Eastlake, i>ermission was 
with tlifficulty ol)tained, and he became In.spector of the 
National Florentine Gallery, and afterwards Chief Inspector 
of Antiquities and Fine Arts in Home. His knowledge of 
art was profound : but he never succeeded in acipiiring the 
English language. 

We regret to have to record the death of Mr. JoHX 
Alda.m Heatox, the well-known decorator. Horn and 
brought u)) aniong.st the looms of Yorkshire, he had the 
fullest technical knowledge of what could lie done with 
every sort of fabiic, and tlii.s, united to an exceptionally 
good eye for colour, enabled him from the first to make 
interesting combinations of materials and to enrich his work 
with the most charming embroidery, every jiart of which 
he designed and arranged with his own hand.s. Whatever 
he produced was invariably stamped by his strong in<lividu- 
ality, and was always conspicuous by its freedom from 
affectation, its graceful drawing, ami vigorous colour. 







THE LATE J. B. BUROESS. R.A. 
(from a Pttotogrnpfi 6y Bo't^'O and Small. Sngraurd bj/ If. Klialiicnt,) 

.Mways a busy man, he had little time for the literary side 
of the central object of his life and work, but his chief 
book, in two folio volumes, " Furniture and Decoration in 
the Eighteenth Century,' published in 188!), is recogni.sed 
as the first authority on the subject. 

We have also to record the deaths of .Mr. Waltki; 
Cafkvx, the landscape painter, and .M. Cmiu.Ks Louis 
CoriiTKY, tht engraver. 



THE FACE OF CHRIST; 



A PAINTERS STUDY OF THE LIKENESS FROM THE TIME OF THE APOSTLES 

TO THE PRESENT DAY. 



By sir WYKE BAYLISS, P.R.B.A., F.S.A. 




4 



'^ 



1i 



v^-) ;>'/Y'»-^ 





b^.^ 



GLASS RELICS FROM THE CATACOMBS. IN THE MUSEUM OF THE VATICAN. (S-. 



175. J 



w 



HEX I eiitoieil my studio this luoniiiig I 
found a tiower on my writing-table. It was 
a rose. I admired its beauty and then wondered. 
For it is December — and the time of roses is long 
past. If I look into the garden all is colourless and 
sad — the lawn is covered with frost, the landscape 
is a pale etching in black and white. What is this 
lovely creation that brhigs colour into the dull light 
of the decaying year ? The children are busy in the 
house, decorating everything for Christmas. Is it a 
rose, then ? or is it only one of tho.se clever imita- 
tions in which the mind of a child takes delight. 

Whatever the thing may be, it is certainly 
beautiful. It looks like a rose — but one's eyes may 
easily be deceived by the cunning of the artist. It 
smells like a rose — but its perfume may have been 
imparted by the skill of science. I may be told 
that it was cut from the tree to-day — but that 
would be testimony, not proof. 

See, I will make sure for myself : I will examine 
the delicate texture of the petals ; I will pu.sh aside 
the corolla, and come to the stamen ; I will obser\e 
how these grow out of the sheltering calyx ; I will 
reach the living sap, and there shall be no longer 
any doubt. If the thing has the life of the rase, 
it is the rose itself. 

Xow in the Paradise of Art we have many 
beautiful flowers, and amongst them one more 
lovely than the rest. Whether or not it be the 
White Rose of the Paradise of God, it is at least 
the rose of our garden. Is it real ; or is it a sham ? 
Is the face we recognise as the face of Christ the 
real likeness of a real man ? or is it only the fanciful 
creation of an artist's dream ? 



The ddubts wliicli have been expressed with 
regard to the authenticity of the commonly received 
likeness of Christ have not arisen tlirough any 
defect in llie chain of evidence by which it is 
supported. Apart from religious sentiment, every 
(I 2>rlori consideration leads to the belief that it is a 
simple historical record — drawn by men who liad 
seen Christ, for men who had seen Christ — in an 
age and amongst a people with whom the art of 
portraiture was a common practice — imperfect, it 
may be, from the point of view of the artists of 
to-day, yet fairly trustworthy, or it would not have 
been generally accepted at the time. Against this 
common-sense view of the question, however, is to be 
set an esoteric feeling that it cannot be true — that it 
is too good to be true. It is held that Christ, lieiiig 
God — the very God who forbids the making of an 
image of God — cannot have given to the world an 
image of Himself. This argument, however, is 
based on incomplete premises, and contains a three- 
fold error. 

In the first place, it ignores the dual nature of 
Christ. These pictures of our Lord do not pretend 
to be representations of his Divinity, but only of his 
Humanity. Xo doubt the conanandment stands : 
He who is the same yesterday, and to-day, and 
for ever, will not be worshipped through an image, 
even though it be an image of Himself. And 
yet, in taking our nature upon Him, the Master 
gave us the right to look upon His face. If we 
refuse to look upon His face we deny Him as the 
Son of Man. 

Secondly, the argument takes no account of facts. 
As a fact, the direct teaching of the stoiy of the 



174 



THE ^rA(;AZ[XE of art. 



Cross Wius — at least for the tii-st niilliMiimii of tin- 
('hureli's history — committed to Art rather tliaii to 
Lettere. Since the invention of printing; the written 
word lias taken tiie place of pictorial represenUition. 
liut forty icenenitioiis had lived and died and tiie 
World hail liecome Christian, hefore the sjvcred text 
WiUs in the iiands of the jieople, and the people were 
eilncnted to read it for themselves. In tiie preface 




LIKENESS ATTRIBUTED TO ST. PETER. 
(//t the Baulioa of S. Praistdt. Stt p. 178.) 

to the Kevised Version it is stated that the earliest 
MS. of the ( >ld Testament of which the age is 
certainly known, bears date A.i>. !)16; and that, of 
the New Testament, nearly all the more ancient 
of the documentary authoj-ities have liecome known 
only within the liust two centuries : some of the 
most important of tiiem, indeed, witiiin the last 
few yeai-s. So that, if the nearness of the record 
to the event counts for anything, the frescoes of 
the catacomhs have an advantage over the l?ible 
of nearly a thousaml years. 

In tin- third jilace, tlie ai'gunient is iirelevanl 
to the i.ssue. If it means anything it means tiie 
total jirohiliilion of all jiictorial representations of 
our Lord. I'.ut if ti/f are forliiddcn it matters nut 
whether they are true or false; the general iiitei- 
ilictiiiii would destroy true ;nid (,<]«■ Mlike. 

With this l)rief reply to tiie dillicullics wliicii 
have been rai.sed by theologians, I shinild be ccniient 
to leave Theology altogether, and pa.ss to the con- 
sideration of the snliject as it alleets .Art and artists 
alone, lint since l«!t:! — when, in the Il/u.s/rnf,,/ 
KiiijIUh .\ffii/(ninf, I .set forth the evidence which 1 
think e-Htabli.shes the anthtmticitv of tlie likeness — 



tile Very Reverend the Dean of Canterbury has 
contributed to the discussion a work of inestimable 
value. "Tiie Life of Clirist as Represented in Art" 
sums up for the tirst time all that can be s:iid 
against the views I have expressed. Hitherto 
olijeetions have tid<en the form of parenthetical 
allusions, scattered through the pages of many 
writci"s. At last a distinguishetl autiior has ad- 
dressed liim.self to the .subject, with tiie result tiiat, 
to his own mind at least, the controversy is closed. 
1 >r. Karrar .says, " Whatever may be written to the 
contrary, it is alisohitely certain that the World 
and the (."hurch have lost for ever all vestige of 
trustworthy traditirm concerning the a.spect rif 
• Ipsus on eartii." 

This is a bold statement ; and of cour.se, if it is 




THE VERONICA LIKENESS. (S« P. I7B.) 

^tn the Church of S, Sitvritri}, ffowe.) 

true, there is nothing more to be .said, except that it 
is as sad as it is strange. Happily it is only neces- 
sary to read a little further in Dr. Karrar's book to 
find that it is only a pessimistic view of the ca.se, not 
based on any solid argument. 

One notices, tirst, tiiat, liet'inniiitr with the assur- 
aiice that the likeness is fictitious. Dr. Farrar follows 
it through the long centuries into every ramification 
of time and jilace, style ami material — fresco, mosiiic, 
.sculpture, painting — with an aHeetion and reverence 
and ap]neciation ditficiilt to conceive in one who 
all the while believes it to be a fraud. One then 
perceives that the authorities he quotes against it 
are not historical or nrclueological or artistic ; tliey 



THE FACE OF CHRIST. 



175 



;nv solely tiieological. Moreover, they do not touch 
the question of the verisiuiilitude : they ileal only 
with the question whether an/i representation, true 
or false, should be permitted by the L'hureh. And 
on that question, on which alone the Church — as 
distinct from the Studio — has a right to speak, l)r. 
Farrar does not himself accept the authorities he 
cites. On the contrary, he gathers together in his 
beautiful hook nearly two hundred of the forbidden 
things, which he says invaded the Church at a very 
early date, and publishes them for the edification of 
the Church of the nineteenth century. 

And what are these authorities which l)r. Farrar 
himself sets quietly aside ? They are certain of 
the Fathers, of the second and third and fourth 
centuries. But it is obvious that if these objected, 
they were in a minority — that their objections 
were o\erruled by the Churdi — and that the 
Ciuirch itself became the guardian and keeper 
of the likeness. The first is Tertullian — " the 
tierce Tertullian," as Matthew Arnold calls him 
— who said : " The shay He saves, the ijoats He 
thifh not S(n-e." Xow, I am not concerneil with the 
opinions of Tertullian as a di\"ine ; but I can see at 
once that they are in direct antagonism with the 
belief of the artists who, in their humble way, 
taught Christianity by means of Art in the catacombs. 
With them the favourite subject for illustration was 
Christ as the Good Shepherd. And I observe that 
it is not always the lamb — it is the kid of the goats 
— that is carried upon His shoulder. The sheep can 
run by Mis suh ; it is the (jout that /iiusf needs be 
saved. Art is already in conflict with dogma. If 
Tertullian cannot liend it to his will, Tertullian will 
break it. 

But then there is Origen. The Church had been 
taunted by an Epicurean philosopher on the ugliness 
of their Ood. The first pictuies of Christ in tiie 
catacombs were indeed ugly — to Celsus — just as the 
teaching of St. Paul was foolishness to the Greek. 
But that is strong evidence that they were honest 
attempts by inefficient artists to represent one whom 
they had seen, and not ideal creations of tlieir own 
imaginations. Celsus was right in describing them 
;is ugly. The second-rate painter who can make a 
likeness, absolutely startling in the vividness of its 
physical re.semblance, will often fail to show the 
beauty of soul that underlies and transfigui'es the 
face of a man who has passed through the fires of 
suffering or tribulation. If Celsus could have seen 
the face of Christ as painted by the masters of the 
Renascence, he might have withheld that taunt. 

The time had come, however, when the Church, 
in defining her dogmas, had to face the subtleties 
of the Philosophers. ()rigeM undertook to answer 



Celsus. He admits the ugliness of the outward 
form: but to those who have eyes to discern spiri- 
tual beauty, he thinks Christ will ajipear beautiful. 
The likeness of Christ, so far fiom beiug unknown 
either to His diseiples or to His adversaries, had 
become a battle-ground even in tlie second century. 
The pagan Philosophers, to whom physical beauty 
was an attribute of deity, derided it. Some of the 
Fatliers weie for destroying it altogether — Ijut that 
happily was impossible — it was treasured in too 
many hands. Iren;eus inveighed against the Gnostics 
for elainiiug to possess a likeni'ss made by order of 




MOSAIC FROM THE CATACOMBS. (See p. 178.) 
,Now in ti.e Museum of the Vutican.) 

Pilate, but that only demonstrates at what a very 
early dale the claim was nuule. Eusebius gentlv 
reproves the Empress Coustaulia for asking' him 
to send her one of these likenesses. He does not 
say that he has it not ; nor does he (juestion its 
existence. < >u tlie contrary, he speaks of it as 
a thing well kuown. But he dissuades her from 
desiring it. " Do you desire," he writes, " the true 
unchangeable likeness whicli bears His impress, or 
that which, for our sakes, He took up when He put 
around Him the fashion of the forui of a slave i 
Such images are forbidden by the Second Connnand- 
ment. They are not to be found in churches." 
These words could scarcely have been written liy 
a man to whom the real likeness was unknown or 
inaccessible. He adds, moreover : " It would be a 
scandal if the heathen supposed that we took about 
with us the pictures of Him wlioni we adore." That 



176 



THE MAGAZIN1<: OF ART. 



was at lilt' tinii' wlii'ii tlic Climcli, iMiiergiiig from lu'iifc that paintings of tlu' mule were not ailniitteil 

tilt' tlavkness of the catacombs, Itrought in her haiul to exhihitions of the Koyal Academy in the nino- 

ihe treasured likeness of the Redeemer. Fifty years tt;enth eentnry because a distinguished Academician 

later Epiphanius was not so gentK-. Seeing one of inveighed against them at a ( 'lunch ( 'oiigress 1 No 

these jiictuics of Christ ])ainted upon a curtain in a aitist would believe it, especially if he fo\ind some 

church, he tore it down with his own hands, and of ihv condeunied pictures in the Kiploiiia (iallery 

ordered the vertjer to use it ius the shroud of a at Burliuirtou House. 



X2.W 




Now, the catacombs are in effect the Diploma 
(iallery of the early Christian painters, where we 
may .see what they were doing eighteen hundred 
years ago, and discover what were their ideas upon 
the subject which was the light of their life and the 
crowning glory of their Art. 

And the very first thing we note is that these 
artists, living in the time of Ciirist and His A](Ostles, 
were before all things painters of portraits. 

In the Text-Hook on ('lassie and Italian 



A FRESCO IN THE CATACOMBS. 
{from the Drituiing by Ur, Heaptiy, '" the Britibh Wi»st»/ii.) 

]iauiHM-. Hajipy pauper, to be wrapped in llie arms 
of Christ ! Was ever warrior or ecclesiastic or king 
bui'ied in sucli panoply as that .' Epi])liunius was 
counted one of the saintliest ami most (jrthodnx 
jirelates of his age, and he tells us this story of 
himself, .so we must l)elieve it. It is hard, how- 
ever, to rcccpiicilc the good Bi.shop's views witli tin' 
ideas of the early painters in the catacombs. Soiiic- 
tliing had hai)pened. The simple likeness, drawn 
by the contemporaries of Chri.st and llir Apostles, 
and cherished by their imme<liate friends and fol- 
lowers, conflicted with the subtle definitions which 
were being t'oiiiiulatcd by tliu ginwing Cliurcli. 
The Church was surrounded by idolatrous practices. 
Whichever way the conti'ovei'.sy as to tiie ])ei'.sonal 
beauty of ( 'lirist was settled, I lie Chuicii coidd not 
suH'er the likeness to l)e treated as that of one more 
adde(l to the many Sons of the(Jods in the raiilheon 
(tf liome. Theology was stronger than Art, and .\il 
perished in the conflict. I'ut not before it had left 
records which are unchangeable and imperisli.-ible. 

Such is the array of the o])inions of tin' latbris 
a.s to the unlawfulness of ])rcserving the likeness of 
I'hrist. The thing may have been unlawful, but it 
was done. To say that it was not done bi-cause 
after it was ilone it was condennieil, is illogical. T<i 
say that it was not done because it was forbidiien, is 
to attribute to the artist a spirit of docility to which 
he has no claim. Such an argument is about as 
cogent as would be the contention a hundred years 




A FRESCO IN THE CATACOMBS. 

(From the Drawing tt i ¥r. Hfaphy, in (/le British Wuscuni.) 

raiiiling, by Sir j-Mwanl Toyntcr and .Mr. I'crcy 
Head, we read that " i'lnui the time of Augustus 
to the time of Diocletian was the jieriod during 
which line Koman Art, such as it was, chiefly 
llourisiied. l*oitrait-j)ainting engrossed the energies 
of the most capable artists. Portraits were indeed 
produced in great abundance : ])iclures or statues of 
eminent men were multiplied in public j)laces and 
private collections: and portrait-painters in this 
(■[loch are mentioned for the first time as a distinct 
cla.ss of artists." 

'i'he scene is llumi'. The persons coiiicincd 
arc the early converts to ( 'hristianity. Tlic lime 
is when Paul, abiding in his own lioust' for two 



THE FACE OF CIIKIST. 



years, is teafhing tlie things coiicuniing the Loiil 
Jesus Christ with all hoklness, none forbidding liiui. 
He writes afi'ectionutely to Tinioliiy, sending sahi- 
tations from Fibulas, and I'lKleus, and Linus, and 
Claudia, and all the brethren. It is ineoneeivable 
that none of these should have had any authentic 
knowledge of the likeness of Christ. It is still 
more ineoneeivable that they should ha\'e sanctioned 
the perpetuation of any repi-esentation of Him, know- 
ing it to be untrue. The practice of portraiture 
was common amongst them. Chiist had himself 
pointed to the likeness of C;esar and based an 
argument upon it. Why should they have the like- 
ness of Ctesar, and not that of the Master i The 
writings of the Apostles are absolutely silent upon 
the sulijeet. Minute as are the instructions of 
I'eler and I'aul and James and .Fohn, in their 
Epistles, as to the management of the churches, 
there is not a word to be found in any one of them 
ftu'bidding ti.i the followers of Christ this natural 
desire to loiik up(.)n His face. 

What, then, were these pictures in the cata- 
combs ^ We see in our municipal galleries por- 
traits of mayors and councillors who have served 
their city well. But tlie citizens would not accept 
these portraits if they were imaginary sketches made 
in London by artists who had never seen the men 
they desired to honcjur. We see sometimes round 
the neck of a woman a miniature of husband or 
father or mother or child. But it would not hang 
there unless it bore resemblance to the dear original. 
And it is so with these portraits of Christ. They 
were sketches passed from hand to hand by the 
early Christians to remind each other of their Lord, 
or sent, as a newspaper is sent, to distant places tii 
spread tiie light. They were pictures painted on the 
walls of the Krst places of assendjly, to show to new 
di.sciples what the ^Master was like. TJiey were 
ornaments worn round the neck, which recalled to 
llii'ir nwners the face of their Friend and Kedeenier. 
When the Apostles preached in the catacombs it 
must have been with these pictures looking down 
ujiun tlieui. ( )ne seems to hear their very words. 
It is St. Paul wlio, witli great boldness of speech, 
says, " We are not as JLjscs, who put a veil upon his 
face, whiclr veil is done away witli (_'inist ; " and 
again, " We have the knowledge of the glory of (iod 
in the face of Jesus Christ." It is St. Jolui who 
says: "That wliich we have seen witli our eyes, 
which we have looked upon, whicli our hands Jiaxc 
handled, that declare we unto ynu — tiic Word dl' 
Life. No man hath seen Cml at any time; but \\\v 
Word was made Hesh, and dwelt amongst us, and we 
beheld His glory, full of grace and truth." I d(j 
not say that these words were spoken before these 

1U9 



l)ictures, but men who both speak and write find 
\ery often that the same words fall from their lips 
as from their pen. I do not say that St. John 
pointed to the.se pictures as he spoke. They were 
but poor works of art, and the beloved disciple may 
have been a connoisseur in painting. They would 
have been suHicient for his purpo.se, however, if his 
desire was to .show that, without derogating from 
the majesty of the l)i\ine Being or materialising 




MOSAIC IN THE CHURCH OF SS. COSMA E DAMIANO. 
{From the Dmminj bij Mr. Hmi}lnj, ill the British Museum.) 

tlie spirituality of our conception of the Father, we 
might yet tipproach Him as little eliildren without 
fear through the huiiianity of the Redeemer. 

The three medallions mi the first page are 
demonstrably of the time of the Apostles. They are 
of lilass, ensraved with lines filled in with gold. I 
have examined them very carefully in the Museum 
of the Vatican, where, through the courtesy of the 
late Carilinal Manning, 1 received great and special 
facilities for jiursuing this study. Observe, in tlie 
iirst of them, the individuality of the heads. Tiiey 
are oliviously poilraits. But when were they done ' 
Obviously again, while tiie men were living. They 



ITS 



TilK m.\(;a/.ixh ok aut. 



are not tr;tiliti(.iiial iiiiiij'iliiiii'.s ol I'uui Saints. Tliivo, 
iiuli-eti, aiv now ealletl Saints, bul llicst' iiiusL lia\o 
been drawn before they were so called, wliilr 1 »iiuias 
(who was Hamas .') was one of them, and tlu-y were 
not dill'erentialiMl by an anreole. No doubt .lohn 
and I'eler and I'aul had jiieaehed or ))rayed in 
these dark ehandiers, and Hamas may have takiMi 
tlie eliair. Tliis mechillion is periiaps the reeord of 
their visit, and Damas stands witli the other tliree, 
not knowing that while his name will be forgotten 
theirs will live for ever. But now turn to llie 
second and third of these medallions, and you will 
sec a strange thing. Again the figures are portraits 
— St. I'eter and St. I'auI, Timutliy and Justus. The 
four are treated alike. Over their heads are no 
aureoles; but One is crowning them with the Crown 
of Life — or of martyrdom, it may be, for Paul was 
beheaded, I'eter was crucified, and Timothy was stoned 
to death. The point is that these likenesses were 
executed before the three were diflerentialed from 
tlie fourth as Saint.s, when the aureole was for Christ 
alone. See, then, what follows ! At that early date 
the One who awards the ( 'rowu of Life, or gives the 
martyr's palm, bears tlie likeness we know to-day. 
And the artist, who thinks it necessary to write the 
names of I'aul and I'eter and Timothy and Justus 
over their portraits, does not think it necessary to 
write the name of ( 'liiist. AVhy :' liccause His face 
is so well known IhaL un Cbiistian amongst them 
can mistake it. 

I'lUl liow small are these tinv cnLfravinus I 
Surely they are a slender foundation upon which to 
build so migiity a structure as that of the likeness 
of Christ through nineteen centuries. \ow, it is 
in this snuillness, this .slightness, tliat the force of 
this jjart of the argument lies. It is not supposed 
that the masters of the Eenascenee — to say nothing 
of the nui.saic workers of the middle aws — rested 
on an outline so sliglit, an idea so falteringly 
expressed. They did not take the likeness from 
these tiny heads; it was these that indicated to 
them which was the true likenes.s. It was these 
that identilied the larger pictures — painte<l on tlic 
walls, or wrouglit in mosaic, or faintly sketched on 
cloth — us real portraitures and not exercises of the 
imagination. Imaginary likeiies.ses are ijuiti' out of 
jilace while tlie original, or those wlio knew him 
Well, are living. These minute outlines were made, 
not to .show to strangers what ('liiisl was like, liut 
to be recogni.sed liy thos(> who knew wliat ('hiist 
was like. That is a very dill'ercnl, thing. Tlie men 
wiio accepted the.se portraits of llicii' fiiimls — I'eter 
and .bihn, anil r)amas and rani — would not ha\e 
aceejited a mock likeness for the face of tlu' Civcr 
of the Crown.s. It is not the crowning siiiijily 



the crowning by anybody — that they asked of the 
artist ; it is the crowning liv Christ. 

The next three illustrations may be passed 
with little comment; for they are legenilary, and 
the evidence of the authenticity of the likeness 
is complete without reference to them. They are 
from fac-similes, now in the IJritish Museum, made 




MOSAIC FROM THE BAPTISTERY OF CONSTANTINE. 
(From tbv Drawing by Mr. Hvophtf, in ttiv Britiili Musnum.) 

liy the late .Mr. Ilcapliy, and Ihey lind a place here 
liccause of their very I'arly date. The first is the 
likeness atliiljuted to St. I'eter — to enshrine which 
St. Helena built the basilica of S. Pra.ssede. The 
second is tlie most remarJvable of the Veronica 
likencs.ses, or cloth pictures, in the church of S. 
Silvestro, IJome. Tiie third is a mosaic from the 
catacomlis, said to have been the. work of a jiagan 
artist, and to iiave Ijorne an in.scriptiou to the 
eH'cct that llic likeness was not satisfactory, having 
too much the appearance of a Creek philo.sopher. 
I say these likenesses are legenilary becau.se, be- 
yoiiil a ceilain puiul, (lie liisturv attachccl to them 
caiMiot be verilied. 'i'licre is nothing, however, in- 
credible or unworthy of belief in the story of their 
origin. The N'cronica picture I lielieve to be a face- 
clolii taken from the grave of one of ihe martyrs, 
updii whiih had lieeii originally drawn a likeness of 
uui 1,1 iKJ. Till' ci-inlacl n|' tile di 'ad f.icc with the linen 
wiiulil result in a slain or imjirint sujicrinipused on 
the original outline, that might well suggest the 
raiicit'ul Ic'icnd iif the N'ci'nnica handkerchief. The 



Til 



VM'K OK ClIKIS'l'. 



70 



interest attaching to the likeness ;itLvilinteil In SI. 
IVter is i)f a tlilTereut eliaiaeter. It is said to iiaxc 
been drawn liy the Aimsth.' lor S. I'rassede wiien 
he was slieitered in the linnse ol' iier lather, I'ihKmis, 
a leunan senator. It is liul a I'ainI jiennndira i>r a 
sketeli, but before tiie elo.se ol' the liiird century it 
was of venerable antii|uity, and it demonstrates that 
the likeness was not sineular to the cataeouibs, Imt 




FROM A PAINTING BY BELLINI. 
(/n the Gallery at Berlin, From a PI'ototjrapfi by Fram Hani stafiifjl ) 

existed and was treasured in the houses of the eai'Iy 
Christians of liome. 

But, passing from those likenesses which have 
traditions attached to them, let us look at one or 
two of the faded frescoes of the catacombs. They 
were painted over the graves of the martyrs, so 
that the face of the Eedeemer might at least 
overshadow the place where they lay, until once 
more they should see Him as they had seen Him 
before they fell asleep. 

That these men had a clear peiception of tin.' 
likeness of Him whom they should see when they 
awaked, is evident by the words of St. Paul. He 
appeals, in pioof of the Resurrection of (.'hrist, to 
more tlian five humlred witnesses, and he adds that 
the ,ii;reater part of them remain unto this day. It 
is obvious that their witness would have been vain if 
they had not known the face to which they testified. 

Two of the.se frescoes will be found on page 
170, The iirst is an attemjjt, for some reason un- 
known to us now, never completed. It has the 



miniistakable iiiaiks of portraiture — no! jiorlraiturc 
III' the highest class, liut of such a kind as a loniiaii 
artist could accomplish who felt his way, and iiad 
a moilel befort' biui. lly a niodid I do not mean 
Christ Hiniselt'. This jinrtrait was jiaintcd in lln'.iie, 
where Christ had ne\er been, and where His 
followers were hunted down like dogs; but it was 
done by a iloiiiaii, for iloiiiaiis who expected a 
portrait tu be a likeness. 

The other is a more tinisbed work', and of later 
date. It is proliably of the second century, and 
forms a connecting link between the earliest relics 
and the later frescoes of tin* third century — when 
the knowledge of the likeness of Christ had become 
tile connnon po.ssession of all the artists of Itonie 
and Byzantium. 

These are a few only of many records still 
existing of the face of Christ as represented by 
the contemporaries and in\mediate followers of the 
Apostles. But the argument does not rest upon 
numbers — if one petal can be found of the true 
substance it proves the e.xistence of the tlower. 
And yet men are so slow of heart to lielieve things 
concerning Him, that they tear the corolla to pieces 
— not kuowint;. Their bands are wet with the 
living sap — and they think it is oidy from dew 
that fell an hour ago. They pass through the 
catacombs and observe pictures on the walls, by 
I'loman artists, in the Boman style, of a Koman 
youth, a Fair Shepherd, an Orphens — and they say 
"These are imaginary likenesses of Clirist — but 
Christ was of the Jewish race — and these are 
Bomans — these are not like Christ — we have no 
likeness of Christ — we have no likeness Ijut that 
of (.'lesar." 

But consider. It is true that in the catacombs 
are found many representations of Christ that do 
not bear this likeness in any marked degree, and 
many more that do not bear it at all. There is 
the likeness as w-e know it, of which I have been 
speaking throughout, and there is the representation 
of Christ as a Iloman youth, showing no attempt at 
portraiture. Under one or other of these two types 
all the pictures in the catacondjs may be classified. 
There is no third type. The beardless lad, with 
crisp, curling locks ; or the solenni face we know, 
witli drooping eyebrows, long masses of waving hair, 
and parted beard. If we have the likeness of 
Clirist it nnist be one of these. 

How, then, came the conventional type into the 
catac(jmbs ;■ That is one of the most interesting 
episodes in the history of the likeness. To the early 
Christians it was not always safe to declare their 
faith by openly bearing upon their persons the 
portrait of their blaster; nor, iiidei'd, would it have 



ISO 



THE MACA/IXK OF ART. 



been in-iulent fur tlie iirtists tlu-y cMiijil.iye<l [n li:iw sucixrtl.d lo lUv lIuDiir, umbiaci.l ClirisLmuily, aiul 

ideiitifiwl tlieniselves with tli.' new sect \>y iiiiintiii<,' adojiUMl the Cross as llie Imperial ensign. Tlio 

or engiavinj,' the lilceness of Llie Calilcan. The Clirislians were free. Tlie Kniju'ror l)uiU many 

nalnral allernalive was syniliol. That which they chnnhcs, ami nmlcrtoolc a jonrney to .Icrnsalcm to 

could not venture to paint under llie direct likeness discover tlu' Holy Sepulchre. He erected a niagniH- 

tlU'V painted in a fmiii fannliar tu tlie i;,,iiians— cent hasilica at I'.cthlehem. At this time Die < 'lunch 





FROM THE PAINTING BY FRA ANGELICO. 

(In (/IP Cnlhry al Munkli. From ii Pholoqrnpl, bij From HanfslaemjI.) 

artists and people alike. ■■ i'aiut me Udw " — they 
would say — " I'aint me now the leopards and the 
lions we saw yesterday in the arena— and in the 
midst of them one playing upon a harp." And 
thus Ciirist subduing the hearts of men, was 
typified in the form of ( )ipheus attracting the 
wild beasts with his lyre. Christ, whose word 
runneth very swiftly, is tigured by D.ivid with a 
stone in his sling. Christ, as the good shepherd, 
is represented by a youth carrying a lamb ,iei-oss a 
stream. These were syndjols — safe yet intelligible. 
lint the casenUal aindiiion i>f them irriJi thut tliei/ 
should not hear f/ic /ih-oiexx. And so a ty]i(! was 
adopted — a simple h'oman type which Itoman 
artist.s, taught in the great jiagan .schools, umler- 
stood anil followed. ]'>ut side by side with it 
e.xistc'd always the other type— tlu' true type— the 
face at which Celsus .scoffed as being too ugly for 
that of a god — which fewer iiauds could reproduce — 
Itut which tiie di.sciples loved, ami in which artists 
1" day, as well as in the days of Constantine (U- the 
days of JJaphael, recognise the cliaracleristics of 
line portraiture. 

1 now piuss to tile eousideralion of the ino.saics 
of the basilica,s. In the year .\.i>. .SOU Constantine 



"REX REGUM," BY VAN EYCK. 

{hi titc Birlln dtlhry. From <i Hiotoijraph by Fram Htwjstacngt ) 

was torn by the controxersy between Arius and 
Athauasius. One triumphed for a time, and then 
the other. Like the figures in a Dutch clock, one 
was always in banishment. l!ut the final victory 
rested with .Vlliauasius. In a.h. :V2^> the Nicene 
Creed was adopted and the Arians were condcnmed. 
It was during this period that the likeness as seen 
in the basilicas was finally accepted by the Universal 
Church as the likeness of Christ. lUit it did not 
originate then. As we have seen, it came from the 
catacombs. It existed in frescoes l)y lloman artists: 
in enamels and small mosaics imported from Uyzaii- 
tium : in relies of ghu-^s engravcil with portraits of 
the .\postlcs; in pictures on linen wbieii had been 
usimI as face-cloths for the dead : in a faint outline, 
drawn not by an artist at all, but evidently ;in 
attempt to delineate the features l)y one who was 
not an expert. These were the materials out of 
which the beautiful mosaics of the basilicas wci'c 
<lesigneil — just as, in the lleiiaseeiiee, they ami (he 
mosaics of the basilicas together were the materials 
out of which llaphacl and his conlemiioraries de- 
signed their wonderful creations. The liken(>ss had 
never changed, and now it became stereotyped. For 
the difl'erenee between mo.viaic-woik and painting is 
that the one is mechanical, the other is the action of 



THK FACE OF ('111! 1ST. 



181 



a free liuiul. There is no briusli-work in the uiosaie, 
110 touch of a nuister's humi, no infirmity of a false 
fve or tloubtful vision. Tiie design being complete, 
the tessera^ can be counted as a child counts the 
t^titeiies in a sampler : and though there may lie 
good or bad workniansliip, there is little room for 
the difference between good and bad Art so far as 
the worker is concerned. And the workers of tliesi; 
mo.saics were copyists ; they learned the design liy 
rote, and executed the likeness as they had learned 
it. ( 'nly there could be no advance, no reaching 
out towards the infinite, no attempt to express 
passion. It is to tins limitation that we are indebted 
for tile preservation of the likeness during tlie ten 
(lark and silent centuries when Art scarcely so much 
as existed. On pages 177-178 will be found two of 
these mosaics. The first is the magnificent figure 
in SS. Cosma e Itamiano: the second is from the 
Baptistery of Constantine. 

These beautiful examples sutliee to illustrate the 
mosaics of the basilicas. Serene, solemn, dignilieil, 
they possess some of the finest characteristics nf .Vrt. 
They are a priceless inheritance. But they dn not 
give us all that we a.sk from Art. or that Art can give, 
in the likene.ss of Christ. 

" Full of grace and trulii," St. John says. His 
words are — ir\r)p7]<; j(apno(; kuI a\7]6eta<;. Now 
"grace" {yapiTO<;) means "kindness," and "truth" 
(uXr}6£ta<;) means " honesty." A kind and honest 
face — that is what St. John saw with his eyes. But 
St. John was speaking of the face of the living 
Christ, of which these early drawings give, as I have 
said, but a poor resemblance. To express adequately 
the exalted character and higher emotions of the 
spiritual life is the noblest achievement of Art. It 
needs the vision of a great painter, and the language 
of a great poet, to define the Art of portraiture at 
its highest. Lord Tennyson once asked Mr. G. F. 
AVatts to describe his ideal of what a true portrait 
painter should be — and Mr. AVatts' reply is en- 
shrined in the " Idylls of the King " — 

"As when a painter, poiins; on a face 
Divinely, throiigli all liinflrance, finds the man 
Behind it, and so paints him that his face. 
The shape and colour of a mind and life. 
Lives for his children, ever at its best." 

In this sen.se we have no likeness of Christ. Such 
an achievement would have been far beyond the 
reach of Itoman portrait painters in the time of our 
Lord. To delineate the features — the fine broad 
forehead, the arched eyebrows, the straight no.se, 
the kind and yet serious mouth, the falling of the 
hair upon the shoulders (for He was a Xazarene), 
the pai'ting of the beard — all this was well within 
their power. Beyond all this lay the soul, which 
lo:i* 



to their Art was an unknown quantity — ^,just as the 
Divinity is still an unknown quantity even to the 
greatest of the painters of to-day. 

Thus, if we look for expression in these pictures 
of the face of Christ, we shall look for it in vain in 
the earlier records of Christian Art. It came with 
the Picnascence. " Full of grace and truth," says 
St. John — and the frescoes of tlie catacombs say the 
same thing. The solenni eyes never change; the lip 
never quivers with emotion, is never compressed 




FROM "THH LAST JUDGMENT, BY MICHAEL ANGELO. 
(In the Sisline Chcipel, Rome.) 

with anoei' or rebuke. Ami (huiug the long centui'ies 
— from the time when the Church came forth from 
its hiding-place in the catacombs to the days of the 
early painters of the lienascence — the great mo.saics 
of the basilicas have repeated the same story. In 
S. Paolo fuori le Mura, in SS. Cosma e Damiano, 
in the Baptistery of Constantine, in S. Pra.ssede, in 
S. Pudenziana, it is always the same Christ, with the 
same grave and serene countenance, full of grace 
and truth. 

Then came the great change. The likeness re- 
mained, but to the likeness was added expression. 
The change is not very noticeable in the works of 
tlie Pre-Eaphaelites. Bellini, the immediate foi'c- 
runner of Titian, jjainted the figure of our Lnrd 
as the Great Teacher, His right hand pointing to 



182 



Tin-: MAGAZIXE OF AKT. 



licavi-n, ihf hvok in His loft, Uiil Uelliiii's picture 
is little more lliau a transcript of the mosaic in 88. 
Cosma e Damiano, where our Lord stamls in the 
same attitude, but holds in His left hand a scroll 
instead of a book. The faces are wonilcifully alike, 




FROM "THE TRIBUTE MONEY. BY TITIAN, 
(/n the Drtsden Cullcrif. From a Photograph i)i/ F. Haii/itaerg'.) 

and there was no occasion for the c.Npi'c.ssion of 
pa.ssion or emotion in the action of the bcnitin I.aw- 
j^iver. A generation before this \':i\\ l']\ -k had 
jiainted his " Hex llegiun." 'J'iiis iiicLuii; marks 
tiie transitiim from the simple poitraitme with 
which the Chunh had hitherto buen content, to 
the imaginative renderings which were to follow. 
'I'he frescoes and glass pictures of the catacondjs 
had .served tiieir purpo.se in securing the likeness. 
'I'he mo.saics of the basilicas had preserved it 
through the dark ages. And now the dawn of 
the ]Jena.scence of Art was breaking. The sun 
was indeed high in the heavens wiieii \'an lOvck 
invented oil painting, and painted his - l!e.\ 
lieguni." The .sacred tradition, however, sullices. 
The King of Kings is grave, but not wrathful. 
Van Eyck, liki- Hellini, is content to folluw the 
mosaics of the basilicas. 

And .so, when Venice and Flanders begin to 
speak the language of Art, they tell the .same story. 
J5ut they ilo not .speak alone. It is being told alsn 



at Florence. Fra Angelico da F'iesole, iiowever, lias 
a did'erent problem to meet. He paints the L'ruci- 
li.xion. Surely there will be a difference between 
the face of Christ upon the Cross and that of the 
Uivine Teacher, or the King of tHory! And so 
Angelico turns to the Veronica or cloth pictures, 
ill which, though they show the same likeness, 
he liiids a darkness and mystery more consonant 
to his subject. F'rom this time the painter is 
no more content to paint the likene-ss of Christ 
apart from expression. The whole story of His 
life must be told, not in the passionless simplicity 
with which it had been told in the catacondjs by 
men iif limited imagination, but with the fervour 
of tile great revival of Art, and with the knowledge 
tliat makes the human face an open book to the 
artist. 

<l|^the great jiainters of the Jtenascence there 
.ne live men In whom we must look as repre- 
sentatives (if Italian Art at its highest. Tliey are, 
naming tlu'in in the order of their liiith — Lionardo 
dii \'iiiei, Michael Aiigelo, 1'iiian, llaphael, and 
('oireggid. From this ijuintet have come the finest 
interpretations of the face of Christ the world has 
ever seen. Let us consider them for a moment. 

I w ill tal^e tiisl llic \w,id of our Lord by Lionardo 
da ^'inci. It is the work of a Florentine, a man 
hiijiily educated, and erring — if he err.s — in the 
direction of over-refinement. All his associations 
in Art were with the old school ; and his Art is, in 
effect, a transition between the simplicity of the 
earlier men antl the masterful daring of his later 
companions. His greatest work, jierhaps, is the 
picture of "The Last Supper." It is a fresco in the 
refectm-y of the Church of the Dominicans at Milan, 
and was painted abnut 1 404. I'ul the iiead of our 
Lord in that jiainting is not available for the 
purpose of showing Da Vinci's conception of the 
face of ( 'iiiist. He studiously avoided fiinshing 
it ; and, although he lived five-aud-twenty years 
after the picture was jiainted, he left it still only 
a shadow. The heail I lia\e chosen is from the 
Liehteiisteiu Callery in \'ienna. It has both the 
strength and the weakness of this great painter. 
Tiie tenderness — the learned teehnieality — become 
alniDst affectations, and distress us, as we are 
distressed by the works of the Decadents. We 
feel tiiat Da \'iiui liiid not yet seen the direct 
visiiin — just as we feel that (Juido Ileui had lost 
it, and that Carlo Dolci had never even been con- 
.scious of its existence. 

I'.iU when we turn to Michael Angelo it is a 
very dilferent matter. Michael .Viigelo Imlds us as 



THE FACE OF CHRIST. 



183 



ill the grasp of a giant. If we are distres,sed it is 
only for a moment, aiul it is with tear latlier than 
witli donlit; a fear, liowever, tliat ue\er degenerate.s 
into weakness, hut is rather transmuted into love. 
The head whieh I have chosen in tiiis case is 
undoubtedly from the painter's noblest work — the 
great fresco tliat covers the wall of the Sistiue 
Chapel. 

In aii[)roiuhing such a subject as this picture 
of tlie '■Dies Ir;e" one must move with careful 
step.s. Almost every writer seems to come with 
some pre-conception, tliat gives a false bias to his 
judgment. One critic describes Michael Angelo's 
Christ as "a thundering athlete — a nude, wrathful 
giant, without one toucli of pity or mercy in 
Him," and contrasts it with the " Fair Shepherd " 
of the catacondjs, the sweet, solenni mosaics of the 
basilicas, and the lovely sculptures of our Gothic 
churches. He condennis it as partly the cau.se 
and partly the effect of the cruel, dark views of 
Christianity prevailing in the sixteenth century. 
What a chasm, he says, sepaiates the Christ of the 
Sistine Chapel from tlie Fair Shepherd of tiie cata- 
combs 1 Yes : but what a chasm separates also 
lieaven and hell ! 

It is the common failing of amateur criticism to 
look for ipialities in a work of Art that are incom- 
patible with the artist's primary intention. Tims 
one complains that tlie eyes are stern — forgetting: 
that they are tlie eyes of ( 'hrist when He was 
rebuking the I'harisees. Anotlier objects that they 
are too tender — forgetting that they are the eyes 
of Christ comforting the women wiio wept as Hr 
fell beneatii the cros.s. When Angelo represents tln' 
infant Saviour, caressed by Joseph and Mary, ]ic 
represents Him ;is a child. "When he shows us 
(.'hrist as Creator, he gives Him divine strength 
and knowledge and benignity. AMien the dead 
Clirisfc lies once mon; on His mother's knee, Ik 
shows the pity of it. Wlien Christ rises to judgr 
the world, Miciiael Angelo represents Him as tin 
Avenger. Did the beloved disciple darken thr 
imagination of Christendom i and yet he writes : 
" Behold, He cometii with clouds ; and every eyr 
.shall see Him, and all kindreds of the earth shall 
wail because of Him. Even so, Amen." Tiiiit is 
wiiat Michael Angelo has painted. 

But whether Dr. Farrar's ciiticisin of Jlichacl 
Angelo's great picture is just or not, his description 
of it is magniticent. " This nude, wrathful giant," 
he says, " looks down upon the damned, whom he 
is liurling into darkness as a crushed, agonised, 
demon- tortured rainstorm of ruined humanity, 
with inexorable rejection. His muscular right ann 
is uplifted as though at once to drive away and 
smite. He is just rising from his seat, and in the 



next moment will stand terrifically upright. The 
\'irgin shrinks terrified under the protection of 
His arm." 

Is there a cryptogram underlying all great Art, 
that different men read such different meanings 
ill the same line, the .same brush-mark, the same 
presentment of vision ? To me it seems that the 
ilother, so far from shrinking from Him in terror, 
turns to find shelter in His wounded side. She 
remains a woman still, but He is a God. The picture 
wiiieh the Dean places in comparison with this is 
the "Dies Domini" of Sir Edward Burne-Jone.s. 
lUit I believe that both pictures are right. The 
attitude is singularly the same in each. Tlie right 
arm is uplifted. In the "Dies Irae " it is uijlifted 
to strike. "Thuti shall Ircak t/icin in pieces like a 
poffei's vessel." In the "Dies Lioniini " it is raised 
to show the pierced side. " Come un/o Me." Vmt 
it is the same Christ. Surely, as our Lord moved 
amongst men, the features remained the same. 
Suridy also, under dilferent circumstances, the ex- 
pression of his C(.)untenance changed. That is what 




FROM "THE TRANSFIGURATION." BY RAPHAEL. 
(/h Si. Peter'3, Rome. From a Photograph by Franz Hnnfstaengl.) 

Art says in the works of the great painters of the 
Renascence. Does the Church teach diflerently ;" 
Does the Cliurch say there is no wrath, no terror, 
ill the " Dies Irae" J' 



184 



THK .MACA/IXK OF ART. 



Hut tlieie is iti-ril to the critic wlm attempts to From Micluiel Angelo we turn to Titian. I'li- 

iiiterpret the work of a great painter through liis haj)pily, tlie relations between Angelo and Lionardo 

eliaracter, or to interpret liis character tlirough his 1 la A'inci were strained. Micliael Angelo drove 

works. Art is a force tliat Kends uii-n to its piirpo-se 1 »a N'inii from Florence: but Titian was his friend. 





FROM A PAINTING BY LEONARDO DA VINCI. 
(/n fAe Lichttntlein Gallery. Vienna. from a Photograph 1)1/ franz Hanfitaengt.) 



ECCE HOMO. BY CORREGGIO. 
{In the Naticn^l Callerv, London.) 



despite llirir cliaractei'. .Vt llir \eiy time wlu-ii 
Michael Angelo was paiiitinu lliis picture of tin- 
terrors of the Last dudgnieiit, lie wrote to \'ittoria 
Colonna, the woman he loved : " I am going in 
search of Irulli with uiieerlaiii slep. .My heart. 
always wa\ering between vice and virtue, sull'ers 
and faints, like a weary traveller wandeiing in the 
dark." There is no fierceness in this. Xor, indeed, 
when the great painter turns from tiie mood of .self- 
inlrospeetion to the controversies of the studios, does 
he a])j)ear to be the " terribli' tVllow " the critics lo\e 
to paint him. He contenils for tiie supremacy of 
Italian Art. But that is natural in a i)ainler born 
in Arezzo, educated in flonnee, living and working 
in Home. Flemi.sh Art, he tliiid<s, is mine devout 
than that of Italy. " kalian painting," he .says, 
" will never bring a tear to the eye, while Flemish 
will make many a tear to How. Flemi.sh Art will 
always seem beautiful to women and jiriests and 
nuns, and even to nol)le s])irits if they are deaf to 
true iiarmony. But it is only works executed in 
Italy that are really true Art." And he adds that 
"(iood jiainting is in itself religious and nolile. It 
is a reaching after His jierfection, the shading of 
His jiuneil, and unites us to (iod." 



Tiiey were nearly of llie same age, and met each 
other in N'eiiiee and Floreni-e and Home, each the 
accredited master of a great school. Titian is a 
man strongly built, full of life and movement; the 
jnoportions of his face are perfect, the forehead high, 
the blow bold and projecting, the features finely 
chiselled. There is a marked likeness between 
Titian and .\ngelo, t'ven to the lines of their beards, 
worn a little short and pointed, and thi' linene.ss of 
their hands. I'.ut how dilVercnt are their tempera- 
ments ! How diiVerent tiieir Art! Angelo is "of 
imagination all compact." Titian is altogether con- 
Irolleil by the sense of lieauty — and of beauty 
especially the beauty of cijlonr. .\nd now these two 
men, both masters of their craft, but each from a 
diU'erent ])oint of view, approacii the subject of the 
likeness of Christ. The bead I have eho.sen to 
rejiresent Titian is from the i'anions picture at 
Dresden of "Tiie Tribute Money." Christ is stand- 
intr between the two disimtants, who think to dis- 
arm him \\itii a little tlattery. " Master, we know 
that Thou art true, and teachest the way of God, 
neither carest for any man. Tell us, therefore : Is 
it lawful to give tribute to (.';esar:'" One is showing 
Him the coin, not yet realising the signilicance of 



THE FACK OF (Hi; 1ST. 



185 



tlie niit«tiou, " AVhose is lliis image and suijersei ip- lias yet been painted, even as 1 am by so many years 

tion ? " There is no great manifestation of passion the nearer to seeing Him myself." Titian was an 

t>r ennttion in this. It is tlie strong pre.sentnient of old man then, bent with the age of ninety-nine 

a living man ; it is the spliMulnin- of cdlmir : it is tlie years, and the " pieta " was never finished. 

And then, from a little town in the East, be- 
tween the Apennines and the Adriatic, comes 
Raphael d'Urbino. Eaphael was, as so many great 
painters have been, himself the son of a painter. 
Nothing that Art conld yield in the way of teaching 
was withheld from hiai. Xot only was he trained 
from his earliest years by his father, but he was a 
pupil of I'erngino. Michael Angelo and Da Vinci 
and Masaccio were his inspiration in Florence and 
Konie. He had learned all that could be taught 
'if perspective, of the technique of Art, of the science 
of Art. Artists were employed for him to make 
.sketches in Southern Italy and Greece. And now 
he too must paint this face of Christ. Again we are 
able to turn to the greatest work of a great master. 
The picture of the Transfiguration is his masterpiece. 
The figure of Our Lord is sublime. And the face I 
It expresses the rapture of actual communion with 
God. The hair is lifted bj- a breath that comes 
from Paradise. The eyes, large and fidl, look up 
without fear, without regret. There is no cloud 
between Him and the Father ; there is no exulta- 
tion; there is no pain. Eaphael has realised the 
words of St. John more nearly than they have ever 
been realised Ijefore. 




FROM "CHRIST DISPUTING WITH THE DOCTORS, BY LUINI. 
{In the NatiQnaJ Gallery, London,) 

mastery of technique ; in a word, it is the work 
of Titian. But it is also tlie face of Christ — not 
agonising in the garden, not dying upon the Cross, 
not transfigured witli blissful emotion : but calm 
and thoughtful, the Jewish type well ob.served, the 
likeness vividly realised. It cannot be described 
better than in the words of St. John — an honest 
and kind face. 

Titian, however, is by no means limited to the 
expression of beauty without passion. His range is 
through all the regions of intellectual, sensual, or 
emotional Art. How this subject of the likeness of 
Christ held his imagination may be seen in the few 
patlietic words with which his life closed. " Dear 
to me," he says — " dear to me are the mountains of 
Cadore and the rushing waters of the Piave, and 
the mnrmur of the wind in the pine-trees, where 
my home lies far away. But not there 1 In the 
city where I have laboured, in the church where 
I achieved my first triumph — bury me there ! 
Promise to bury me there, and I will yet live to 
paint for you another ' Christ,' a ' Christ of Pity,' 
that shall be more near to what He is than anv that 



Eaphael and Da Vinci died in the year l."i20 — 
the one a veteran of seventy-ti\e, the other scarcely 
having reached the full strength of manhood. And 
now we come to the youngster of the group, 
Correggio. Titian and ilicliael Angelo were still 
living, both of them men of between thirty and 
fort}', when Correggio was a lad of nineteen. There 
is nothing more interesting in Art than to observe 
the relation between the elder and younger men. 
Xaturally the young learn from the old, but the old 
learn also from the young if they are true artists. 
Correggio has left his mark upon Art, wliich can 
never be effaced ; but lie was not a follower of any 
School. He never studied the antique, yet he is the 
apostle of the grace of form. He never ti-oubled to 
visit Eome, yet Giulio Eomano, a Eoman born and 
bred — the favourite disciple of Eaphael — declared 
that the paintings of Correggio were the finest he 
had ever seen. There are no smart touches in 
his handling; his technique is tender and sweet. 
Women and children, and angels, nymphs, and 
goddesses, are his theme ; but the face that every 
Christian painter is painting draws him by its 
fascination, and he too must paint Christ. He paints 
" Tlie Agonv in tlie Garden " and the " Ecce Homo," 



ISO 



■]•]]]■: MACAZIXK (IF AKT. 



and of tliesL' I have taken llie laller fiuni dui- own 
Xational (Jalleiy. As Da ^'illc•i shows us llie (.'oni- 
fnrtiT, as Amlji'Ii) shows ns the AvenLjiT, as Itajiliacl 
shiiws ns iho Sim ccinininninL; with llie Kalhi-r, as 
Titian shows ns the Man <'lnist .Ic^sns reasonin" 



reasonableni'ss. Tliu likeness is linely invseiveil, 
even thoujfh there is no beard, for it is the face of a 
yiiiith. It is the lad with kind and true eyes, with 
whimi St. .Iiilni had ]ilayed wlien they were eiiildien 
togetlier — one of the most beautiful visions left to 
us liy the painters n( the Itcnascence. 




FROM "THE CRUCIFIXION,' BY VELASQUEZ, 
(n f/n- Priii o Munrimi, UadriJ.) 

with His opponents, .so C'orre<^tj;io simws us tlic 
Christ "made flesh " and sufferinf^. 

Tiiere were, of course, many otiier groat painters 
of the IJenascence who not only exalted ,\.rt, but 
poured out the passion of their lives upon this 
subject, fihirlandaio, the master of Michael Angelo, 
the favourite of Florence and Home and Pisa and 
Lucca and Siena — a little dry, perhaps, and stifT in 
manner, but fertile in invention. Uotticelli, tlic 
master of Lippo Lippi the younger, as lie was the 
disciple of Lippi the elder. Fra Lippi, the scape- 
t^race of convent life, who, again, was the disciide of 
Ma.saccio. Then there was Andrea del Sarto — the 
special rival of Itaphael — with capacity for the highest 
achievements, but weighted ditwn with the chains 
of a dissolute life. There were ('imalme, tJiotto, 
( )rc;igna, ( 'inia, Mantegna, Verrocchio, I'erugino, 
Tintoi'etto, \'eron(\se, (iiulio Ifomano. The woiks of 
these men, masters and pupils, cover tlie whole 
period of the transition from twilight to dawn, from 
dawn to midday, of Italian Art. Anil thert' were 
besides these, Mcmling of Mandeis, .Morales of 
Spain, lliirer and Ilollicin of (lermany. .\mf>ngst 
the Italians, Luini has left a record more lovrly 
than the rest, in the painting, now in the National 
Gallery, of thi- youthful (.'hrist discoursing with tlie 
doclor.s. The face is fidl nf aiiimation ancl sweiM 



Tlie.se iiii'ii all painli-d ( lirisl, whether they 
knew Him or not, whether they iollowed Him or 
not. Theii' paintings are the corolla of my flower, 
as the mosaics of the ba.silicas and the relics of the 
ratacombs are the stamen and the caly.x. Hut the 
[letals witiiered in the Decadence, and though they 
retain something of the colour and perfume of tlie 
rose, they are scattered leaves rather than the rose 
it.self. In the three heads which I have selected 
lo represent tlie likeness of Christ as rendered by 
llie iiainteis of this period there is still much to 
remind one of the great niagician.s. (iuido Ueni 
amongst the Italians, \'elasiiuez of Spain, and 
N'andyck of the Low Countries are not unworthy 
i>r tlu! traditions they inherited. The " Ecee Homo" 
of (iiiido is fiuiii tlu! famous picture in Dresden — 
one of many painted by the artist, in his dextrous 
ami arcomplished manner. It is, perhaps, more 
human and less di\iiie — if we know what it is to 
l)e divine — liiaii tlie conceptions of the earlier 
schools. The ■ ( lucilixioii," by \'clasriuez, is the 




FROM "ECCE HOMO BY GUIDO RENI 
(/ri the Qiilttr^ nt Ort9<1»n, From a Photograph by Frant Hanfstarngl.) 

expression of the agony of dealli, by llie most 
realistic of ])aiiiters. How many times had Wdas- 
ijuez seen such suH'ering as that in lh(> li\iiig — the 
ilying — faces of the mailyis in the eily of Madrid, 
where Ihc picture now bangs ' The magnilici'iil 



THK FACE (IF ('HKIST. 



187 



head by ^';UKlyL•k is from liis iniiuliiii; in liiKkiiig- 
haiu Pahice, of Christ liealiiig tlie sick. Tiiere is 
little sentiment in it, but tliere is tine painting — 
and its frank realism almost disarms the critic. 
But when the petals have fallen from a rose they 
never grow again. 

Of the likeness of I'hrist in Modern Art the slory 
is ([uickly told. It does not change — any more 
than it lias changed during the darkness of the 
eatucombs, or the twilight of the middle ages, or 
the blaze of meridian splendour tliat made Art the 
glory of the world during the llenascence. Ci'eeds 
have differed : Churches have separated ; Nations 
liave struggled for the mastery in religion, and for 
their particular interpretation of the teaching ol 
Christ ; but they have all alike accepted Him a> 
represented in Art. If Art was the battle-gronnd 
of tiie early Church, it is now the only common 
ground on which there is no strife. There is no 
difference between the likeness as adopted in Italy, 
or Spain, or Germany, or France, or England ; there 
is no difference between the Latin, the Greek, and 
the Englisli communions ; there is no ditlerencc 
between Catholic and Protestant; there is no 
difference between the Old Woikl and the Xew. 
As the petals of the Hower are one and live by the 
same .sap, so the likeness is one and is inspired by 
the s;ime original. 

This fidelity to a tyjie does not l)y any means 
detract, however, from the originality of conception 
with which tlie modern painter can deal with his 
tlieme. To have a theme is not a restraint tn 
genius but an incentive. It is only the fal.se that 
cannot conform to facts. The portrait painter 
never claims to iiave invented his subject. Tlu- 
problem he has to solve is to put before us, not 
something new and strange, but something we shall 
recognise. Thus, in taking for his theme the his- 
toric likeness of Christ, the painter has inherited 
all tlie splendoiu' of the past and all the promise 
of the future. He holds in liis hand treasures the 
use of which can be limited only by liis capacity 
to reflect the di^•ine mind. 

Ho\v are these treasures being used to-day { 
The three examples by Holman Hunt, Eonnat, and 
Von I'hde are from England, France, and Germany. 
They serve to show the retention of the likeness, 
lint that is an incident only in tlic movement that 
is taking place in ilodern Art with regard to tlie 
representation of Christ. It is a necessary incident, 
however — for, without the retention of the likeness, 
the special meaning of tiie new school would be 
unintelligible. I refer, of course, to tlie painting 
of the figure of Christ in tlie midst of scenes and 
accessories of the present moment. 



l-'ur instance, in \'on Chde's beautiful painting 
of " The Journey to Enimaus," we see a lane outside 
a 1 )utch village ; the light lies low on the horizon, 
tiie trees are dark against the sky, for it is evening ; 
two men are trudging liomewards along the lane, 
wliiii tliey are joined by a third — (Jhrist. It is the 
old story freshly told, and seems to make I'alestine 
lie \ery close to our doors. 

After all, however, the new movement is not 
so very new. It is just what Eembrandt did when 
he painted Christ amidst Dutch Boers. It is what 
the Churcli ie(]ni)ed wlicii it nsked for altar-pieces 




FROM "CHRIST HEALING THE SICK," BY VANDYCK. 
{//I the Buckingham Palazt' Collection. From a Photograph by Fram Hunfstaengl.) 

in which Ciirist and His Mother should appear, 
surrounded by ecclesiastics. Or is Christ oiil}' for 
ecclesiastics and not for laymen '. 

Before 1 lay down my pen I would refer to a tine 
passage by one who differs altogether from my views 
on this subject. Dr. Farrar says that " Art can- 
not deceive. It is an unerring self-revelation of the 
character Ijotli of nations and of individuals. The 
Art of e\ery age and country infallibly reHects the 
tone, the temper, the religious attitude of wliich it is 
the expression." If this be true — and I, of course, 
cannot but accept it, for it is the wiiole thesis of my 
book, "The Witness of Art" — if this be true, then 
everytliing that I iiave said here is vindicated. The 



ISS 



Till'; MA<;.\/IXK OV AKT. 



relics of the catacombs infallibly 
temper, the religious attitmle of 
from the days of the Apostles, 
chambers beautiful as with the 
the Master. His face over- 
shadowed the graves of his 
martyrs. His likeness hung 
round the necks of women 
who died in the faith. His 
acts of love and mercy were 
l)ictured on the dreadful 
walls. Since then the ( 'luirch 
of Christ has been the guar- 
dian and keeper of the like- 
ness of Christ. 

We are told to-day that 
this likeness is a delusion. 
If so — has the Cliurch been 
the deceiver — or has it been 
deceived ? Looking back on 
what I have written I per- 
ceive that it is not the year 
only that is growing old — the 
centuries^ the millenniums 
— are growing old too. It 



rellect the Lone, LJie phaiilasm — a will-o'-the-wisp ? Before we can bc- 

the caily Christians, lieve it to be so we must be convinced that two 

They made the dark special miracles have been wrought — the first to 

visible presence of conceal the true likeness, in order that it might 

ne\'er be degratled to .super- 
stitious uses ; the second, 
for the purpose of mislead- 
ing the Universal Church 
into accepting the false. In 
reply to the first hypo- 
thesis, it is sudicient to point 
out that if a miracle has 
been wnnight for such a 
purpose it has been ineflec- 
lual. The second hypothesis 
is even more untenable. It 
violates our faith in the 
Divine IJeing as the Author 
of Veiity. If the petals of 
our rose were only artificial, 
n(jt all the gold of Arabia 
or the wisdom of the Wi.se 
]\[en could so put them to- 
gether that tliey should grow 
as a living llower. I'lUt if 




FROM "THE CRUCIFIXION.- BY L^ON BONNAT. 

(^M>i» (I PliLtojr.iiili bij Sraiin ) 





FROM "THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD.' BY W. HOLMAN HUNT. 
(Sfi Pi-rmistion of tht ArtUI.) 



FROM "EASTER-MORNING.' BY FRITZ VON UHDE. 
{By Permission of From Hanjstaciigl. ) 



is noL (inly Liial the time of roses is i>asl — we are Liiey are real, even though they may be torn 
invited to throw away the (jne ro.se that remains to asunder and scattered, their colour remains and 



us, because it seems a little touched by the frost. 
And yet — as the children are still decorating the 
house — so our artists arc still striving to make the 
world more beautiful. Amongst tlieir highest con- 
cept ions of beauty 1 liiid this lik<'ne.fs. They liav<' 
followed it fi>i' nearly two thou.sand years. Is it a 



tluir fragrance clings to them still. 

.\nd it is .so with the likenesses we have 
been considering. They are but scattered petals; 
nevercheless they come from :i living stem, and 
.\rt reverences tiiem, beiiiL' trui', for their truth's 



>^ 



ST. STEPHEN. 

(From the Painting by Sir J. E. Millais, Bart., P.M. A., in the National Gallery of British Art, Millbank. 
By Permission of Henry Tate, Esq., the owner of the Copyright.) 



Maoazihc or Am 




HAMPSTEAD HEATH, 
(from the Painting by John Constable, R.A.) 



THE ART COLLECTION AT "BELL=MOOR," THE HOUSE OF 
MR. THOMAS J. BARRATT.— II. 



By JOSEPH GREGO. 



FOI'KMOST ainonL;st the works of piiiiiters 
ideiit-ilieil witli Hanipstead, the pictures of John 
Constable, IJ.A., iiud WilHani J. Miiller arc most con- 
spicuously represented in Mr. Barratt's collection. 
At " BcIl-JIoor" tliere are found nine examples of 
Constable in vai ious degrees ; three of these possess 
a local interest, " Hampstead Heath," " Hampstead 
J'ield.s," and " Sir Richard Steele's Cottage, Haverstock 
Hill." There are further, by tlie same artist, one 
of the" Dcdham " series ; the fine examples — smaller 
s-ersions of two of Constable's well-known master- 
pieces — " Hadleigh Castle near the Nore " (1829) 
and " Sunmierland," a view near Bergholt. Another 
wondofnl harmony of colour is a palette-knife sketch 
for another of Constable's famous works, the water- 
mill with " Willy Lott's " liouse. It is familiarly 
known that the artist manipulated his palette-knife 
with marvellous dexterity, and, allowing for the effect 
of being viewed from a distance, the example in 
question is unsurpassed for its breadth, brilliant 
colouring, glowing harmonies, atmosphere, and 
illusory qualities. Theie are also two small worlcs 
— one from the Wells collection. " Hampstead, 
sweet Hampstead " — as Constable designated his 
no 



chosen spot — held out for the painter special 
attractions; picturesque nature, of which his art 
is the best interpreter, completely satisfying his 
requirements as regards the presence of unri\alled 
atmospiieric effects, with boundless expanse of 
varying prospects, themes most congenial to Iiis 
hand and to his pictiirial preferences. Writing of 
the artist's best efforts in 1818, his .sympathetic 
biograplier, C. 11. Leslie, E.A., has recorded: " Con- 
stable's art was never more perfect, perhaps never so 
perfect, as at this period cjf his life. 1 remember 
being greatly struck liy a small picture — a view from 
Hampstead Heath — which I first saw at his residence 
in Kcppel Street." This refers to a picture appa- 
rently wholly painteil in tlie open air, in wliieh the 
midday heat of nudsununer is so admirably expressed 
that, but for the shade thrown over the foreground 
by some young trees that border the road, and the 
cool blue of water near it, " one would wish, in looking 
at it, for a parasol, as Fuseli wished for an umbrella, 
when standing before one of Constable's showers." 
The year following Constable " settled his wife 
and children comfortably at Hampstead," things 
being in an agitated condition in town, owing to the 



100 



THE MAGAZrjTE OF ART. 



excitement of Queen Caroline's tiiiil then proceeding. 
Tlie results of this retirement amidst these favour- 
able surroundings were sent to the lloyal Aradcniy 
in 1821, where the painter exhibited another of his 
wondrously faithful versions of Hampstead Heath. 

In tlie summer of the same yeiir Constable was 
residing at 2, Lower Terrace, Hampstead, where 
he was working assiduously from nature. AVitli 
characteristic ardour he wrote to his friend Arch- 
deacon Fislier : " I have made some studies, carried 
farther than any I have done before ; particularly a 
highly elegant group of trees (ashes, elms, and oaks) 
wliieh will he of as much service to me as if I had 
bought the fielil and hedgerow which contain tlicm ; 
I liave likewise made many skies and elVects ; we 
have had noble clouds, and ed'eets of light and dark 
and colour, as is always the ciise in such seasons as 
the present." The world of art-lovers has long since 
realised liow perfect were these studies, absolute 
transcripts from evanescent effects, on which pic- 
torial truth must rest; they are set down with 
seeming ease, yet, like everytliing that wears the 
rare charm of spontaneity, they were the outcome of 
constant efl'ort and untiring observation, and the 
indefatigable artist wrote from the same address in 



the autumn : ' 1 have done a good deal of skying, 
for I am determined to conquer all difficulties, and 
that among the rest." Hampstead studies were 
turned to account at tiie following Academy (1822). 
where three of Constable's five exhibits were drawn 
from tliese experiences : " A View of the Terrace, 
Hampstead " (wliere he still kept liis residence), " A 
Study of Trees from Xature," and another vereion of 
the practically inexhaustible aspects of " Hampstead 
H&ith." 

Existence at Hampstead, with the ever keen 
delight of drawing at will direct from the undiluted 
font iif nature, evidently refieshed and stimulated 
Constable's energies; under tlu'sc invigorating aus- 
pices he is found writing (1822): " I am determined 
to overcome all my dillieulties while a great deal of 
health and some little youth remain to me." "Green 
Highgate " was engaging his attention at the time, 
and he I'ecords having " made about fifty studies 
of skies, tolerably large to be careful." This close 
application, directly in toueh with tlie effects he 
thus diligently assimilated, rendered Constable's 
work the perfect embodiment of local truth. 

After a protracted familiarity with the varied 
beauties wliich there delighted his eye, Constable 




SIR RICHARD STEELES COTTAGE, HAVERSTOCK HILL 
{Fnm Iht Painting by Jahn Can^tabt^, ft. A.) 



Mi;. BAREAITS AltT COLLECTION AT " BELL-MOOl!." 



191 



seems to have felt that 
he had found the spot 
best suited to his artistic 
aiiibitioi), and there he 
hoped to pass the rest of 
his career. In 1827 he 
sent to the Academy his 
picture of " Hampstead 
Heatli," produced on the 
spot, and here he painted 
the very numerous studies 
of those unsurpassable 
sky effects and eloud- 
modellings, more readily 
secureil on "Hampstead's 
breezy heights " and ex- 
pansive heath than else- 
where. "Steele's Cottage" 
belongs to this series of 
Hampstead pictures, and 
dates from his temporary 
residence there, which he 
trusted to make perma- 
nent. In tlie August of 
ISl'7 the painter was 
fixing up his abode in 
Well "Walk, Hampstead. 
He wrote: " Jly plans in 
search of health for my 
family have been ruinous; 
but I hope now that our 
movable camp no longer 
exists, and that I am 
settled for life. So liate- 
ful is moving about to 
me that I could gladly 
exclaim, ' Here let me 
take my everlasting rest.' 
. . Tliis house is to 
my wife's heart's con- 
tent : it is situated on an eminence . . . and our 
little drawing-room commands a view unsurpassed 
in Europe, from "Westminster Abbey to Gravesend. 
The Dome of St. Paul's in the air seems to realise 
Michael Angelo's words on seeing the Pantheon : 'I 
will build sucli a thing in the sky.' We see the 
woods and lofty grounds of the East Saxons to the 
north-east." 

Sir Ricliard Steele's cottage stood on the ri^ht- 
hand side of Haverstock Hill, within a "arden facinar 
the public-house known as " The Load of Hay," now 
modernised into the usual suburban tavern. The 
cottage was pulled down in 1867. Steele's retreat 
had a further literary interest as a link with the 
past, for the gay courtier, witty poet, and playwright 
of the " Piestoration" epoch, the notorious Sir Charles 




THE WAY THROUGH THE WOOD. 

(^rom the Painting by "Old" Crome.) 

Sedley, liad died in tlii.^ retiicment in 17ol. In 
his " E.ssays illuslralive of the I'athr, Spcctcdor, 
and Guardian," Drake has set down concerning the 
fortunes of Steele that, in 1712, he retired to 
Sedley's cottage from motives of choice, for the 
advantages of pri^acy and seclusion, or, more prob- 
ably, from the necessity of keeping away fiom those 
unfortunate creditors whose importunities constantly 
harassed the careless author. Steele himself is 
found writing to Pope, June 1, 1712: "I am at a 
solitude, an house between Hampstead and Loudon, 
where Sir Charles Sedley died. This circumstance 
set me thinking and ruminating upon the employ- 
ments in which men of wit exercise themselves." 
Steele describes himself as writing in the very room 
in whicli eleven years previously the brilhant Sir 



192 



THIC MAGAZIXK OF AHT. 



Clmrk's Sedley breathed lii.s liusl. Nichols alleges 
pecuniary reasons for Steele's refuge in tiiis retreat. 
Here, at least, the Sprtntor was able to work at 
peace, and, at the same time, was within easy access 
of his friends and fellow-members of the famous Kit 
Cat ("lull, w!io«c summer meeting-place happened 




THE OPIUM SELLER. 
{From fAe Painting bg William J. Mftl'tr.) 

to be the "Upper Flask" at Hamp.slead Ilealli, 
premises still standing witliin extensive grounds, 
and merely divided from " Ik-ll-Moor" by the patli- 
way leading down to the Lower Heatli. 

Ajjpropriately, the original i)ortrait-slu<Ues by 
Sir Gotlfrey Kneller of the most brilliant members 
of the Kit Cat Club— Steele, Addison, ("ongreve, 
Vanbrngh, t-tc, "The Wits among Lords," and inclu- 
ding "Lords among Wits," such as tlie Dukes of 
Marlbornngh, Kingston, CJrafton, etc. — are in Mr. 
liarratt's collection of Hampstead notabilitii's. 

In LS28 Constable sent to the Academy his large 
upright landscape " iJedham Vale," wiiich he frankly 
mentions, under the .seal of friendship, writing 



to Archdeacon Fisher, his " father confessor," as 
"perhaps one of my best, and noticed by John Bull 
as a ' redeemer '; " and another, " Hampstead Heath," 
of which he tiius speaks in the same letter, " le.ss in 
size but eipial in quality, purchased by Cliantrcy." 
In IS.">0, when Constable was elected into the 
Academy as a full member, another im- 
portant " View of Hampstead Heath " was 
his principal contribution. "Well Walk" 
continued Constable's address in 1830, and 
in the opening of the year, as he wrote 
to Leslie, his attached friends the brotiiei-s 
< 'halon — as usual, in.separable — " were 
liere on the Heath for si.x weeks, and it 
was delightful weather." 

Among the artist's contributiuns to 
tlie British fJallery in 18.>4 was another 
" Heatli," and to the Academy he .sent a 
large diawing in pencil, "A Study of Trees, 
made in the grounds of Charles Holford, 
l'".s((., at Hampstead." This connection wa.s 
life-long; "his placid and contented wife,'' 
who.se delicate health was another motive 
fur the painter's choice of the invigorating 
llcath, had died at Well Walk, Xoveni- 
bor 23, 1828, and was buried in tin- vault 
pmchased by Constable in Hampstead 
f'liurchyard, and tlicre the painter was 
laid by the side of his loving partner 
nine years later, tiuis carrying out the 
expression in his letter already quoted : 
I could gladly exclaim, 'Here let mc 
take my everlasting rest ! ' " " Alas ! by 
liow slender a lliread hangs whatever in 
life is most firmly set up" is tin- render- 
ing of the Lntin in.scriptit)n by Constable 
placed upon the tablet over his wife's 
last resting-place. 

With the evidence of Constable's nu- 
merous paintings of Hnnqxtead it mu.-;t 
be realised that the breezy locality exer- 
cised a well-marked influence over his 
jiractice. Whenever tlie most favourable aspects 
of Hampstead views, with their wondrous atmo- 
spheric ell'ects and their wide-spreading horizon, 
present them.selves to the eye familiar with the 
artist's masterpieces, the suggestion at once arises to 
the mind : " There is a true Constable of the freshest 
and cri.spest description." The place and the artist 
.seem made for each other, and to Constable's 
thorough insight into the charms of Hampstead are 
due the most perfect reali.Siitions of its ever fresh 
and picturesque resources. 

Constable's interest in Hampstead has be- 
queathed to po.sterity a scries of pictures which must 
be esteemed amongst the foremost achievements 




Q: ? 

? I 



I- » 



IME. BATJKATT'S AET COLLECTION AT " BELL-MOOE." 



19c 



ac- 

llie asseniMy- 
remeniber that 
on the day on 



of huulscape painting. Beyond tliis tlie painter 
has also left the strongest literary evidence of his 
attachment to the spot, for he has embodied the 
fruits of his experience and deep knowledge in 
the form of three lectures, which were there de- 
livered, eloquently conveying, with a charm which 
was Constable's gift, the teachings of his 
lifetime in the series described as "An 
Outline of the History of Landscape Paint- 
ing." Tlie first lectui-e was delivered in 
June, 183o, at the Literary and Scientific 
Society of Hampstead at the assembly- 
room ; the abstract of this discoui-se is 
printed by liis biograplier. 

The second lecture was given June, 
l<S3o, at the same place. Leslie, who 
companied Constable to 
room, has recorded : " I 
the sky was niaguitieent 
which it was delivered, and as 1 walkeil 
across the West End Fields to Hampstead, 
towards evening, I stopped repeatedly to 
admire its'splendid combinations and their 
effects over the landscape, and Constable 
did not omit in his lecture to speak of the 
appearances of the day." 

The third and last lecture was given 
under similar circumstances on July 2'), 
1836, but a few months before his death. 

Few examples of John Crome of Nor- 
wich, known as " Old Crome," surpass the 
tine picture engraved in this notice from 
the collection of Mr. Barratt. It must be 
remembered that Crome's art was largely 
founded on Euysdael and Hobbema. The 
specimen in question recalls the foremost 
landscape art of the Dutch school, with 
certain inimitable qualities distinctive of 
native British art of the eighteenth century 
in addition, a combination which leaves 
nothing to desire, and attains the per- 
fection of technique. Another example, re- 
markable in various respects, is the freely-handled 
version by George Morland of one of his " Farmyard 
Scenes," of important size (36 by 28), which must 
be esteemed a rare instance of that gifted genius's 
most successful efforts. Painted con amove and with 
phenomenal facility, it retains all the spontaneous 
qualities of a " first painting," and really seems to 
have been executed " sti-aight away," so fresh, clear, 
bright, and juicy is the colouring, so breezy and 
dexterous the handling. Monochrome fails to convey 
the special attractions of this most harmonious 
picture, and its silvery tones and glowing hues are 
imtranslatable by any black-and-white process, and 
this may account for the circumstance that this tine 



work, strange to say, has liitlierto remained nn- 
engraved. 

The works of William J. JMliller are equally 
well represented in Mr. Barratt's collection. One 
of the most important examples is the fine and 
powerfully coloured " Waterfall on tlie Lyn, near 




A WATERFALL ON THE LYN NEAR LYNMOUTH. 
{From the Painting by William J. Mnller.) 

Lynmouth" (55 by 40), painted in Mtiller's strongest 
manner in 1844, and, as mentioned in the artist's 
biogiaphy, for the most part direct from natui'e. 
This admirable work was secured from the David 
Price collection, and was exhibited at the Municipal 
Art Gallery, Leeds, in 1889, and, at the present 
moment, is at the New Gallery. Other important 
works by ]\Iiiller are the " Landscape with Cottage 
and Children," concerning which the artist wrote 
in 1844, " The one ' Cottage ' is very Ijrilliant, 
and, I think, is as fortunate as any picture I 
have painted for some time past ; " and " The 
Opium Stall, Cairo," from the collection of Samuel 
Mayou of Edgbaston. Examples of Midler's 



196 



TJiK :\rAf;A/iNK of ai;t. 



Egyptian experiiMiccs suv fouiiil in Lhc glorious be imagined, as it is painted in a daz/.ling key of 

specimen of colouring, " Slave Market at Manfalout, transparent colours — suggesting translucent enamels 

r])per Egypt," and another "Slave Market, Cairo." — which "pale the ineffectual tires" of nearly every 

The painter wrote: "1 only wish some artist would picture jdaced in proximity. 

make this the spot of his studies, and i)aint tlie In tlie .same collection arc some water-colour 

figures and the groups." drawings hy Miiller, " Turcoman Tent, Eycia," and 

In his subsciiueiil work Mullrr puL lliis siiu- "(Innipsof Fir Trees," studies from clumps of firs 

gestion into practice: many weiv tlic womlnful slill slandin;.,' on the neighliouring heatli. 




l^uTTAut AND CHILDREN. 
(fri)m (ft.- Painting 69 William J. Uulhr.) 



versions of .slave markets, ylnwing wiili all the 
ellulgencc of Oriental cdlouiing, which spnad his 
reputation as the foremost colouristof his lime. \vi 
his ))icturcs fre(iuently sold for the modest ei|uivalent 
of ten pounds: and, willi llir ad\anced n'(|ncsl I'di- 
his splendid ])r(Mluctions, destined ultiniatidy to bring 
their lucky i)osses.sois as many hundreds. l'"or in- 
.stance, "The Slave Market, Egypt" (1841 ), 1 .'> in. by 
'!'< in., from the collection of Charles I>inb. bnnight 
at the Oillolt .sale, ill J.STli, .t 1 ,-"i 1 0, w hen "The Chess 
Players, Egypt," from the same collection, reaehrd 
ni'arly .t;4,(>00. Another transcendent cxamjilc of 
glowing harmonies painted in the full breadth of 
tirecian suidight — a group of dancers, with musi- 
cians seated, one of the Lycian jiietures — is in Mr. 
liarratt's pos.sc.ssion. Nothing more brilliant ran 



It is intcTcsliiig to note the artist's partiality for 
llaiiipstcad as asketching ground. Oiie of numerous 
exainph's of "Ifampstead Heath" is described as 
formerly in ;\Ir. Koberlsoii P.Iain's collection : " A 
view 111' ibr licatli, with trees and a few ligures ; a 
.sandy, gravelly bank and a pool of water complete 
the foreground : the colouring is warm, rich, and juicy; 
the baiidline very rapid." " l>ird Catchers, Hanip- 
.stead Heath," was another ]iicture of local interest, 
painted in 184:1. Of this the artist wrote to Mr. 1!. 
.Idlinsdii, the pureha.ser : — "The • I'.ird Catchers' is 
another inlililnij bit, being clear, etc. ]\Iy price will 
be .£10, and this evening I will get your .son to 
leave it at the ollice for you." The ydutli mentioned 
was Harry .bihii.son the artist, Mnller's impil, the 
eonipaiiidn df bis journey to I.yeia in 184:1 4. 



107 



NEEDLEWORK AS A MODE OF ARTISTIC EXPRESSION. 



SECOND PART. 

By WALTER CRANE. 



WHERE the whole gist and beauty of needlewoilc 
lio in the qualities of surface and texture 
over and above that of form and abstract or symbolic 





T^Sr&'c^^^ 



^ 






#-i^i^-^: 



t^. 



'-^ 




"THE FIVE SENSES," Coverlet of Light Red Linen, worked 
IN Coloured Threads. (Sixteenth Century German.) 

{tn the South Kensington Museum. ) 

expression, material becomes of great consequence, 
as, for instance, when we desire to work a design of 
birds and flowers, for the purely decorative beauty 
of their natural tints, and when the work is intended 
for comparatively small panels, .screens, or hangings 
near the eye. 

If a peacock were our subject, and we desired to 
present the bird in all its glory, we .should naturally 
choose the lustrous surface and sheeny quality of silk 
to work in, and in that material might approach as 
near to nature as perhaps it is po.ssible to do in any 
art, since the natural beauty of the silk, by means of 
cunning stitches, is enhanced by the way in which 
the light falls upon its surface when worked ; and in 
meeting that contingency — regarding it as an essen- 
tial condition of the work, and making the most of 
it — all the skill and resource of the worker, all the 
art and craft of the needle, may be exerci.sed. Look 
111 



iu his fresh phunagc, as he may be 
day in Ken.sington Gardens by the 



at a peacool 

studied any 

Serpentine, with the promise of a fine London spring 

morning. See him on the grassy slope, the tender 

green of the new .springing grass leading up to, as 

tlie highest note of the harmony, the flashing gold 

and emerald of the tail coverts. 

Tliei-e are, perhaps, no otlier decorative methods 
which could reacli the pitch of brilliancy in the 
rendering of such qualities of colour as is attainable 
in silk endiroidery, and none can rival it in beauty 
of texture and surface, and therefore in fidelity to 
the character of plumage. 

The atmo.sphere, whicli mal;es a difference to our 
vision, only painting can express, but that is its 
prerogative, and the attempt to imitate the special 






..*• 



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K^ 



-;^ 



^W-.t 



r 






,.^f -^iK 



W 






.,:N I 








^^^^' »^ -^ 






yjg-^:^. ■■-.^■'■^'- --..■■■.:^:«^,^/j^. 



HANGING OF WHITE COTTON. (PERSIAN. Eighteenth Century.) 

{In the South Kensington Museum.) 

qualities of painting in any other art is a mistake 
and quite beside the mark. 

I'erhaps the best examples of beautiful silk work 
in the I'endering of birds and flowers are those of 



198 



THK MAGAZINE OF A1:T. 



CliiiKi and .lajjaii, wliicli for tiiRiii-.s>, luniiiiss, uni\ 

IJiecisioii of Wdrkniuiisliip, liiilliaiifT «>f lolmii-, and 

chaiacU'iisatiou of iiatmal fi>iiii are woiideiful. 

liutli birds and flowers lend tlicnisi'lvi's peculiarly 

well to represenUilioii in needlework, not only 

lieeaus(! of their obvions decorative value, 

but also owin<^ to the fact that both the 

structure of feathers and the structure of 

llowei's and leaves can be rendered witli 

close fidelity by means of the needle. A 

feather, for instance, very obviously adapts 

itself to repiesentation by stitches, and 

in fact it might almost be said that in 

this ease representation and imitatii'U inr 

synonymous — by no means fi/irii;/s the 

case. The feather, by the way, gives its 

name to a particular stitch familiar to 

needlewomen. 

The structure, colours, and surfaces of llowcrs and 

leaves can be expressed witli extraordinary fidelity 

ill needlework, iiml 
Imi niucii attenlioii 
can hardly be given 
to the study of the 
direction of line 
which characterises 
in nature the differ- 
ent types of leaves 
:iiiil llowcrs, for not 
only will the design 
lie stionger and ninre 
lull iif character, but 
lia\e more beauty of 
line whore these 
things are (il)ser\eil. 




or iTiVcHti 

IH LEAVES 
FLOW6R ^' 



# 



.'}!? 



/////iiiif n 

//////| WW 






I 



It is tolerably evi- 
dent that the nature 
<if a leaf (of, say, a 
bay oi' laurel) ami 
the law iif its growlli 
are conveyed with a 
better sen.se of design if it is represented by 
stitches .springing from the central stem and slojiing 
upwards towards the point, tlian they would be if 
jilaced the reverse way and nature contradicted. 
A leaf of the plantain or arum character and the 
palm tribe, on the other hand, would be represented 
by veitieal stitches diminishing towards the poinl. 
It would be jKissible to work leaves, .say, like lime 
and hazel, by long horizontal stitches at right angles to 
the centre stem, and afterwards cross them by single 
lines of stitching to express the veining, after the 
method kmjwn as "laid " work (p. I9!l) we may iind 
in I'ersian and Portuguese and old Italian silk work. 
The steins of trees are very suggestively expre.sseil 
by a series of vertical stitches cro.ssed liy closely 



laid horizontal ones, which plea.-;:iiilly lecall llie 
texture and sm-face of the baik. 

The lines of structure in llower petals, again, 
demand diflercnt trealnienl, though lliere is no 
doubt more range for varied treatment. A ro.se, 
iK'rliaps, might be treated 
ellectively by stitches laid 
either horizontally oi- veiti- 
cally (or by .satin or feather 
stitch) according to the ile- 
gree of convention, realism, 
iir relief drsiicii, llHUigb 
the best means of ulilain- 
ing the proper colour value 
would be of more import- 
ance here, perhaps, than the direction of line. The 
lily, however, would naturally be worked on the 
.same principle as the palm 
leaf, the stitches tapering 
liingitudinally towards the 
]iiiiiils iif tlie petals or 
worki'd in the laid method 
before mentioned. 

(Inlil lliread has always 
been a fine decorative re- 
souixe ill embroidery, and 
when judiciously used 

rich and splendid ellecl. 








->>\^ 



"i 



it may be 




THE TREE OF LIFE," Linen Cover Embroidered i<i Cdloured 
Silks. IPehsian ) 

(/n ttiK South Kvniington tfuMum.) 



Ni-:i:i>i.r:\V(»i;K as a mode or aimistic exi'kession. 



199 



used throughout a ilesign as au oiuliuo to uui- 
phiisise tlie silhouette of, or dear the colours of, 



distinguish precious things, as 




■^7t^^ 



■^ 

t/ 



KM 










CARPET OF WHITE COTTON. EMBROIDERED IN Coloured Silk. 
Persian. Seventeenth or Eighteenth Century.) 

(/n the South Kensington Museum.} 

an araliesijue of flowers and leaxes (soiue%vhat after 
tile method of cloisonne enamel); or it may he used 
to heighten the effect of parts only and used in masses, 
as in the case of an aureole around the head of 




saint iir angel, or to 
gold ornauients, ar- 
mour caskets and 
vessels, much on 
the same principle 
as such things were 
introduced in mural 
paintings hy the 
early Italian paint- 
ers, raised in gesso 
and gilded. 

The Japanese 
kinimo u.se gold 
eftectively in em- 
broidering parts of 
a printed ilesign, while otiier parts are enriched 
by coloured silks, and others left in the printed 





SQUARE FOR MANDARINS ROBE, GOLD Thread Laid, 
{In the South Kensington Museum.) 



Chinese.) 



pillow mat Embroidered with Storks. IChinese.) 

(fn the South Kensington Museum.) 

pattern. Persian and Indian printed cotton and 
linen hangings and colours are often found em- 
broideied upon wholly or in part. This suggests 
that the piint was originally intended as a guide 
to the embroiderer. The Japanese, in their large 
chain-stitch worsted 
embroideries of figures, 
generally rather dark 
and sombre in colour, 
frecpiently introduce 
large disks of gold 
thread with wonderful 
eflect and apparently 




5piRA.- /METHOD 

oF L/\frN<; <;OlD THREAD 



200 



TilK MAGAZINE OF AKT. 



solely with oriiiiiiienUil piupusu, the thread in laiieil'ul pdiiiegraiiate-like fruits and flowers wliicii 
these disks Ix-ing s]iintlly twisted rnund and miind form tlie pattern. Tlie nieUil lias no doubt blac-k- 
froni the centre ami stitched down or laid on to the ened a j'ood deal witli time, but a certain ciiarni 




PORTION OF BORDER OF A COVER IN YELLOW SILK. Damask Ground. Embroidered with Birds and Flowers. (Chinese.) 

[In the SQUth Hen^ington Uusrum) 



fabric by fine thread. 
U])on the masses of 
gold tiius formed tlie 
light falls into broad 
radiations of shade and 
shine, planes of lumin- 
ous gold with all sorts 
of variations of surface, 
so that the efTect is 
extraordinarily bold 
and ricii. "We have be- 
sides from the Japanese 
embroideries entirely of 
gold thread, which are 
very wonderful. The 
u.se of gold in Cretan, 
Syrian, and Persian em- 
broideries is very effec- 
tive. Silver llnead, 
owing to its liability t<i 
Uirnisii, is difficult to 
use, though tliis does 
not appear to have been 
an obstacle in old work. 
In a sixteenth-century 
cope in my po.s.se.s.sion 
silver thread i.s very 
beaut ifuily wmught 
into the culoui's of the 



^E 


^E^^^^B^^^^B^Bl 


9 




W^^^^^^K^P'mK^^^^^^^^K^ 




^^^Ifak^" 




^fl 

^^H 
^^^» 


Bj 






jH 




H 


rJ^^^^H 


wB.JffS^^^^^^^K ^^^^^H 


H 


^^^^^T^fc^ 




1 


BS 


^Mrafev^lNiPBJ^W- ^^ ■ - 


mJ 



COVER OF DARK BLUE SATIN. Embroidered with Storks in 
Silk in Gold and Silver Colour Silk Threads (Japanese ) 

{In tfif Sauih K*raington IKumum,) 



attaches to its present 
condition as of a kind 
of subdued crystallised 
splendour. The method 
in which the flowers 
and leaves are worked, 
the direction ' and use 
uf the stitches, etc., are 
well wortli study. 

To revert again to 
such forms, as their 
natmal characteristics 
are capable of being 
expressed by needle- 
work, animals may 
be included, with 
flowers and liirds, as 
being extremely adapt- 
able, their forms being 
decoratively valuable 
as j)atterns, while the 
colours and textures of 
iheir coats, the direc- 
tion of tlie hair and 
cliaiacteristics of its 
li'Ntuies, distinctive 
markings, all belong 
to the methods of ex- 
pression by the needle, 



NEEDLEWORK AS A MODE OF AKTISTIO EXPHESSION. 



201 



iiUR'h ill the same way tliat was obser\ed in tlie 
case of feathers and leaves. The Howing mane of 
the lion, the blaek stripes of the fiery tiger, the 
spots of the yellow leopard, the rough coat of tlie 
wild boai', the dappled sides of the fallow deer, the 
woolly fleece of the sheep, all seem to fall into the 
range of what might be called the natural expres- 
sion of the needle, which by the very necessity of 
its Kbrous method can characterise the rongli and 
the smooth, the wavy, or the straight. 

In the adoption and adaptation of the forms of 
nature by any art or form of handicraft we slionld 
expect some distinct and characteristic treatment, 
separating them in the particular design and 
material from any other; and so far from trying 
to imitate in one material or method efl'ects or 
treatments only adapted to another, we should rather 
seek to obtain more distinct character by eiiqfhcoiia- 
itiff the tcchnmd difcnnccs between one method of 
design and expression in handicraft and another. 

Xature in all art is the great storehouse of 



important in ilesign of any kind than the use made 
of natuial form and fact. They may only reappear 
in highly abstract shape after passing througli the 
crux of ornamental and technical demands, or they 




PORTION OF PIECE OF EMBROIDERY FORMERLY 
BELONGING TO TIPPOO SULTAN. (Indian) 

(//I the South Kensington Museum.) 

suggestion and revivifying inliuenee, Init it is often 
through art — historic or traditional art — that we get 
the key to its fitting expression, and this is perhaps 
especially so iu needlework. Nothing is more 







SAMPLER IN COLOURED SILKS. (Spanish, Seventeenth 
Century.) 

{In the South Kensington Museum.) 

may be almost a direct transcript. Much depends 
upon method and material, and more upon decora- 
tive use and purpose; and within this range both 
abstract ornament and close naturalism must have 
due place. Everything finally depending upon judi- 
cious individual choice, or what is called taste — 
perhaps more important in these distracting days 
tlian any other factor in art. 

We shall find no better models for treatment of 
Horal design in textiles than in Persian art, of which 
our South Kensington ^Museum contains a wealth 
of beautiful specimens. Persian Horal design appears 
to me to be so donnnated by decorative instinct 
and invention, that tliu blend of naturalism anil for- 
malism is ])erfect. The unity is so complete that we 
feel here is a world of ornamental beauty with 
laws and harmonies as well as forms of its own, 
just as natural, on its own plane, as Nature herself, 
because just as much the result of adaptation to 
conditions. We can identify the rose and the pink 
and the iris, the palm and the pomegranate in 
I'eisian embroidery, but they are each of a spe- 
cialised decorative genus perfectly adapted to tlieir 
purpose, and governed by the principle of controlling 
boundary before alluded to. 

Now I feel that the ideal to aim at in needlework 



202 



TIIK MACAZINK OF AUT. 



tlesij,'!! is soiuetliinj,' ili.stiiu-tivc uud iiist'iPiinibU' tVoui 
tilt' i-liar;iett'ristics ami (.'uiHlitions of tlie craft. Wo 
slioiilil not 1»L' foiiteiit witli ini'ivly imiUdinij citlier 
luituii', or Pei-siaii work, or Indian, or Chinese, or 
Japanese, or Cretan, or Italian, or Siianisli. If em- 
broidery is to be a living art it must, lila' the otiier 
arts, find its own distinctive forms of expression, 
gatliered from many sources, perhajps, and havinj,' 
roots in the traditions of the past, liul liflonginj^ 
to the present. 

A general survey of needlewiprk as part of tiie 
great historic record of design, after lis rude and 
l)rimitiveefrorts, shows us, in the course of its artistic 
dcvidopnient, e.\(|uisite workmanslii]) perfectly united 
to decorative licaut}' both of form and colnur: we 
may .see, perhaps, tlu^ results of patient years of 
labour la\ishetl upon a few square inches of line 
silk or gold work ; we may find the sacred sym- 
bols of religious fiiilh. llie badges of family and 
race, the fraid< colour and artless traditions of tlie 
pea.sant, the proud ensigns t>f nations and peoples, 
tile little child's sampler, the timr ik force of the 
expert, the (plaint shadows of human follies, fancies, 
and fashions, and the romance of faded lives — all 
these the needle has recf)rdcd for us in unmistakable 
characters, so that there can be no ([ucstioii of its 
place in art and liistoiy, its human interest, its range 
of suggestion and expression, ajiait from its un- 
doubted dec(jrative and domestic value. 

Yet all this decorative richness and liistoric 
significance has sprung (Put of the eummnn ^muiiil 
of necessity and utility — the necessity of tlie neeille 
and thread applied to the fundamental utility of 
cl<pthing. So it is with any baiidiciaft: pursued 
under natural, human, and free condiliipiis it is cer- 
tain, sooner or later, to blossom into design, .'^o it 
conies aliout, 1 suppose, that (.'inderella, stitciiing 
tipwels or marking linen by the kitchen fireside, is 
Iransformcd in the course ipf time into a dre.im ipf 
decfpiative lieauly in a fairy iialace. 

It is well that the technical metbipcls and 
mysteries of needlewoik should be studied, just as 
we shcpuld sludv the grammar and liteialuie (pf a 



language while eiidea\(puiing to write or to speak in 
it ; the traditional stitches adapted to the dill'erent 
kinds of work, the expression of surface and decora- 
tive efl'ect, and so forth. 

AVhat beautiful works s.implers can be made may 
be seen in the fine Sjianish specimens of the .seven- 
teenth century in the South Kensington Museum, 
one of which exhibits forty dillert'iit i>alterns of 
stitches. Yet I presume there is no Knality in the 
art of the nee<lle, and it may be passible to invent or 
adapt new ones and new fipinis of design. 

The nunc thoroughly the resources and limita- 
tions of a craft are understood the better for the 
W(prk, since in meeting conditions we really coiujuer 
them, and working freely under them, are more 
alple t(p make them the medium of new nuptives in 
design. 

A few years ago, I remember, in \ew ViPik the 
head of a school cpf industrial design there wrote 
to me, and he said, "We have a primitive art n/iic/i 
/.-mnrs iiolhiiif/ iif ta-hnique, and we have an up-to- 
date art wliieli Innws noihimj hut tfchnique." 

That, [)erha))s, is a condition of things character- 
istic of the age. \jii us take care that Ipi'twcen the 
two stools art does ikpI fall to the grouiul. I.et us see 
that while we strive to [perfect ourselves in methods 
of expression — tip mastei' the technical dillicuUies and 
necessities of any art or handicraft — we do iKPt lose 
sight of the ciiil in t'udeavouring to realise the iiu'iinx. 
Let us not forget that every art is a method of 
exincssinu, and that the highest expression of any 
ait is, afti'r all, the expression of beauty. And how 
can that expression Ipo full or perfected unless it 
springs (Hit of the joy of life and pleasure in handi- 
work, and answers to the spijiitaneous demand of the 
linnian .spirit for harmonious ccjiulitions ^ 

Nip'i'i:. — 111 Ihu firsi iii.'^l.iliiR'iit cf lliisiirliclc. whioh iipiioaRMt 
ill llie .laiuiaiy mimlici' of Till-; Ma(i.V7.ink oi' Aur, llio refcrpiico 
111 llio licialil's coal of I'liilip II illii.-liaU'il on i>. 1 Is was iiiserlol 
liy iiiislatic. Till' i'.\aiii|iU' iiilomloil to l>c rcfcircd lo (on p, Ml) 
is one of tll<^ lime of our James II, aiiil is in the iSoiilli Kensing- 
ton Miisoiiin, but not, illiistiateil in the ailiolo. Tlio heralilV 
coat was, of coiiise, jfiven as an example of ,'ip|>lii|ii('' ami its 
I'lTc'diveiiess in rendering licialilie devices. 



"ST. STEPHEN." 

By SIR JOHN EVERETT MILLAIS, BART.. P. R A. 

I).\l.\TI';ii towards the close of the career of tiie on detail. The feeling for colour, ahhoiigh almost 

arti.st, llie ])icture forming our fronti.si)iece, serves, monochronmtic, and beauty of line is still here, and 

with the "Ojihelia," tlie [purpose at the Xational the .sentiment of the jiainter, religious and ])oetical, 

(ialiery ipf liritisli Art of atlording a means of com- as the martyr is discovered lying in thi> early iiiorii- 

parison between the methods of the rre-riaphiielite ing light, is true — reminding one not a little of 

and lali'st periods of his work. We see how breadth I lidaripche's " Christian Martyr"— but there can be 

of treatment has given place t>p the early insisteiiee little doubt as to which is the greater picture. 




'CASE A, IN THE GRAND CORRIDOR. 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 

DECORATIVE ART AT WINDSOR CASTLE : THE PORCELAIN. 



By FREDERICK S. ROBINSON. 



IT is difficult to give any iideciuute idea of the 
porcelain collections at "Windsor witliiii the 
limits of one paper. A V(jlunie would be require<l 
to do justice to the hundreds of pieces there to 
be found, and then the tale of these royal treasures 
would remain incomplete, for at Buckingham Palace 
are other .splendid examples of Sevres, and an 
astonishing collection of Oriental porcelain adorned 
with French mounts. We are compelled to restrict 
our remarks to the more important decorative 
specimens, which are now no longer in daily use. 

The gieat andjition of the potters of the eighteenth 
century was to produce a genuine hard porcelain 
similar to the Oriental, whicli had been introduced 
to Europe by the Portugue.se.. How Bottcher the 
German .succeeded in 1715 at the great Meissen 
factory, near ]Jresden, is an interesting story too 
long to repeat. The exportation of the kaolin or 
white clay, which was its base, was strictly for- 
bidden, and the endeavours of other nations to 
obtain the secret do more credit to their persistence 
than to their honesty. But technical artistic secrets 
of this nature are bound to leak out in time. (Jne 



of the foremen of ihe l)re.-iilen factory — wliich was 
ordered almost as a prison — escaped to Vienna, and 
from that city the knowledge of the u.se of kaolin 
spread all over Germany. From 1731 to 17"iG was 
the great period of the Dresden porcelain. 

In England as early as 1G9S a ceramic factory 
had existed at CheLsea, and in 174.5, wlien Louis X^' 
gave exclusive pri\ileges for thirty years to tlie 
predecessor of Sevres, " for the establi.shment of the 
manufacture of porcelain in the manner of Saxony 
(i.e. of Dresden) at the castle of Vineennes," cue of 
his inducements was the desire to counteract the im- 
portation of the wares of England and tiermany. 
Chelsea flourished exceedingly from 1750 to 1705, 
and its ware " does not disgrace the company " of 
fine Sevres. 

In 1754, owing to tiie buildings of Vineennes being 
too small, the company formed by de Fulvy, brother 
of Ony, tlie director of the King's buildings, moved 
to Sevres, where a place less like a factory than a 
French chateau, with its outside blinds and dormer 
windows, received the workmen in 1750. Tlioudi 
unsuiled for a factory, tlie new abode was well 



204 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 




CASE E,' CHELSEA VASES, WITH THE "VAISSEAU A MAT. 



Ill ( 

tioii 



adiipleil for a loyal lioliliy. A suite (jf idnins, iii- 
cliiilin;^ a cliaiio'l, was rmiiislu'd and kept up for 
llic Kiii;i's us(> when lie sliould visit tJic iiorcidaiii 
works, in wiiiiii lir iiad at liist, a liiird sliaic 
\'inf'('iiiics liad Ikm^ii too lar away IVoin \'cisaiil(',s 
and the Court. Tliougli ijuantilics of cliiiia were 
made for coiinuoii use — generally of a jilain wliiic 
ground painted witli flowers in ])atfcrns or medal- of tlie discovery in France of the earth required. 



llie .lones collection may be seen speci- 
mens of nearly every colour that was 
cvei- made at Sevres. 

The products of the factory attained 
]M'rfection for anotiier good rca.son besides 
that of royal support. To pay his ex- 
penses, in 17"'9 Louis XA' had, like his 
predecessors, resorted to a wholesale melt- 
ing of plate. Even the Church had been 
"invited" to contrilmte to this destruc- 
tion. Till' nobility, who, following the 
example of tiie Due d'Antin, had dis- 
covered ill 170!) that they could manage 
to eat tJieii dinner off earthenware as 
well as oil' silver i>late, were eager to buy 
a fine porcelain as soon as it was made 
in France. Yet the management of Sevres 
were always in financial ditiicnlties, chiefly 
owing to their methods of distribution, 
and in 17(J0 Louis XV took over the 
iiiinpany, and Sevres liecame a hkiiui- 
jKrhtir ivi/alf. 

Its artistic history is very similar to 
that of the Gobelin.s. At first triumphs 
ill colour were rightly aimed at. The 
best painters and modellers — Boucher, 
■jiciiifrr I'll tifir to Madame de I'ompadour, 
1 )iiplessis, the King's goldsmith, who sup- 
plied the shapes and the beautiful metal 
mounts, helped to make the }Mr tendrc 
what it is. I'.ut for every day use the 
pdlf Inidir was not ]ierfect. It rubbed 
easily, and tiioiigli it was not so tender 
as its name ini])lies, it was apt to break 
iiijisy liaiicis. Tile exiieiise and complica- 
of the paste, and its habit of falling 
during the process of firing, were anathema to 
tiie seieiitilic ])otter. .'-^o the chemists set them- 
selves to work, and the hanl porcelain, pdti- 
ihnr, was iineiited sixty years after it had been 
maile at 1 •icsden. \'erv interesting is the tale 



lions — the firlir/fx ilr lii.ce, with which we are con- 
cerned, were the special cruze of ibe Kin.;- and 
the nobility. The grounds of these were in the 
well-known colours, " gros bleu" c)r "bleu de roi," 
first to be invented; then, in \7i'>-. luii|iiois(' or 
" lileu de ciel," discovered by llellot. In 17."i7 
came the " rose carne dit I'ompadoui'," called after 
llie ill-natured woman who cost the nation in ti'ii 
years' time the sum of thirty-six millions of francs. 



Tiic desiri'd object was gained at last, but at 
wiiat an artistic sacrifice ! Tlie liard jiorcelain 
would not give the .same depth of glaze and 
softness of colour which so beautifully sufl'u.seil 
the ]in/c tinihr. The more compact and less ab.sor- 
bent material Iroublwd the painters, and the glory of 
finest Sevres was over. It was ruthlessly sacrificed 
by llie chemists, just as at the Gobelins they were 
alielted by the painters in forcing the ta))estry- 



She died in 1704, and was succeeded by the good- maker to muUiply his shades and overstej) the 

natiired Madame du ]5arry, after whom the pink limits of Ins art, 

colour invented Viy one Xzrovvet Ls erroncfiusly Kioin I74U to 1774 is the great period of pdtf 

called ill Juigland. Then came "violet pensce," /<■«</«' at Viucenues and Sevres. In the latter year 

" vert pomnie," "vert anglais," and "jonquille" In IJoileiiu, the able ilirector, died, and llie manufacture 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 



2or. 



of till.' hard porcelain was first in full swing. In 
17^>0 began the manufucture of porcelain decorated 
witli enamels, "jewelled" with little drop.s set in the 
glaze to imitate rubies and other precious stones. 
There are several specimens of this species in the 
(Jreen Drawing Room at Windsor. It may be 
observed that examples of jewelled Sevres which 
have a ground other than "bleu de mi" shduld be 
regarded with suspicion. 

These are beautiful things, but the artistic 
quality of the porcelain was waning. In 1780 
Hettlinger the Swiss, who, with Regniev as co- 
director, succeeded Boilcau, in\ented the snull-box 
imitative of agate — a bad sign of artistic degeneracy. 
He had also a desire to make big things, and follow 
tiie example of the Gobelins in imitating j)ictures. 
In 1784 eommenced the practice of copying .sculpture 
in while " biscuit." Louis XVI had been as great 
a well-wi.sher of the Sevres manufactory as his 
predecessor. l)uring his reign the best artists had 
always been employed. Amongst 
the sculptors were Caffieri, Pa.jou, 
and Clod ion ; amongst the painters 
Fragonard and Boizot, .lulien and 
Roland. Up to 1780 the inspira- 
tion of lioucher and Watteau cun- 
tinues. Gradually, says M. Havard, 
" allegory ceases to be galant and 
becomes philosophical." It is the 
ideas of the Revolution which are 
approaching — " Friendship stretches 
a haml to Love," "Hymen conducts a 
young L'ouple to the Altar" — ^'enus 
and Cupid make way for these. To 
amorous mythology succeeds his- 
tory, with portraits of heroes and 
inventors. An evilly inspired real- 
ism is superadded, worthy of the 
Revolutionaries who voted that 
Marat's portrait should be repro- 
duced broadcast in tapestry. "As 
at the (bjlielins, the habit of crea- 
tion is gi'adually lost. I'ainters no 
longer make special designs for por- 
celain. The potter begins to bor- 
row from pictures." Then come the 
financial ami revolutionary troubles 
of 1789. The workmen starved, as 
they did at the Gobelins, but still 
they worked and remained faithful. 
Both factories survive, and tiourish 
to this day ; but the artistic glory 
of Sevres, the fine flower of finish, 
the best work of the artists of the 
old rdfjime, who worked for Kings 
of France and a feudal nijbility, 

112 



belongs to the first three or four decades of its 
history. 

The collection of Sevres, Dresden, Chelsea, and 
other porcelain at Windsor is placed partly in eight 
large cabinets in the corridor, partly in the Green 
Drawing Room, but large and beautiful examples are 
scattered about on furniture in many other rooms. 
Let us begin with the first cabinet that we meet as 
we enter the corridor. "Case A," or rather its con- 
tents — for the cases are not beautiful — is in many 
respects one of the handsomest of all. The centre- 
piece on the upper .shelf in our illustration happens 
to be a piece of Worcester on three dolphin feet 
in a Sevres style. On the white satin quilted back of 
the cabinet are Chelsea plates. The two white vases 
fianking the Worcester centre-piece are Sevres of a 
2>dfe tcmlrc model, but made of ixite dure. "As good 
as po.ssible of their kind, with genuine Louis XYI 
mounts," says the inventory with pride. " Worth 
.filTiU the pair." The outside end pieces on this 




'VAISSEAU A MAT. 



206 



THE MAGAZINE OE ART. 



shulf arc Sevres "jarcliiiitrus" willi ilaik Miie groiiml, 
riclily pencil-gill, and nine inches liiijli. The flowers 
are painted with birds encircled in wreaths of 
fluwci-s. The marks on these are for 177:2 and 
1785, and they are worth a matter of £l,r>00 apiece. 



curling handles. The height of these is one foot five 
inches each. The inventory marks them as " Dresden, 
very good, fine old Erench C'atHcri mountings, £100 
the pair " — a price which, we fancy, would be far 
exceeded now. Lurking in the two cornei-s, next to 




■case f.— three rose pompadour vases on centre shelf. 



On the lower .'^hclf of "Case A" is auKihcr Wor- 
cester centre-piece, Hanked by two little ])iecc.s of 
Tournay, a factory established in 17o0 and tlourisb- 
in" most in 1702. Then conic two iiiiii;iiitifcnt 
iJresden va.ses with covers ami si>lt'ndid orinoulu 
mounts. The ground of the.se is dark blue and purple, 
jicncil-gilt. The pastoral subjects on white panels 
are very strong in colour compared with the painting 
of Sevres. Of one of these we give a large repro- 
duction for the .sake of the beautiful fine detail of the 



these broad 1 Ircsden \ases, are two Sevres vases of 
" gros bleu " with acanthus handles rising from the 
lower body. These handles are in white and gold, 
and arc connected round ilic neck uf the vase by 
a reeded and riliboiieil baud in while, which is very 
pretty in ellect. The panels are Oriental figure- 
subjects by the hand eilhcr of I.e Ouay or Durand 
perhaps, who were both miifd painleis in this style. 
" Cabinet 15" contains nothing but apple-green 
Sevres " vert pomnir," ami has a very fine efl'cct. 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 



207 



The next Ciise is full of white Dresileii painted 
with flowers. Amongst the numerous pieces are 
fijie tui-eens with Cupid handles and lemon tops to 
the covei"s. 

" Cabinet 1) " vies with the cal>iiiet-full of " vert 
pomme " which we have mentioned, by the complete- 
ness of its series of turquoise -blue Sevres. 
It includes sixteen plates, en stdlf, with pale 
turipioise-blue borders and a medallion por- 
trait on a white giound in the centre of each 
plate, representing, in each case, an historic lady, 
such as Diane de Toitiei-s. These are of the 
date of 1761. Tureens, ice-pails, and sauce- 
l>oats complete the cabinet. 

In "Cabinet E," whicli we illustrate, the 
upper shelf contains a soup tureen and dish 
of Chelsea, and two superb Chelsea vases with 
covers, about thirteen inches high. These have 
a dark blue ground and pierced handles, necks, 
and covers. They are beautifully painted with 
conversational groups. The brilliant scarlet 
of the coats against the greyish background 
of the pictures makes an extremely gay and 
unexpected piece of colour. These are of the 
finest Chelsea, and " certainly worth £2,000 
the pair." They appear again in our illus- 
trations as pendants to a very tall Se\res 
vase, which we shall presently describe. 

On the centre shelf are Chelsea dishes and 
small pieces of Tuurnay. The curiously -shaped 
" jardiniere " on the lower shelf, which rears 
its steeple head above the centre — a foot and 
a half high in all — is not Sevres work, though 
it seems to be at first sight. It is Messrs. 
Mortlock's copy of the celebrated Buckingham 
Palace " Vaisseau a Mat," to which we referred 
in our introductory article. This specimen of 
modern English skill in china-painting was 
made by command of Her Majesty in 1S80 
at a price of 240 guineas. It was purposely 
varied from its prototype. The gi'ound is 
" gros bleu " pencilled in gold " vermicelli." 
One picture panel represents a battle scene, 
with officers on horseliack, illustrated in our 
large illustration ; the other panel is of flowers. 
There is no danger of this being confounded 
at any time with any original example, as the 
Buckingiiam Palace prototype has a mixture 
of " gros bleu " and green for giound and a differ- 
ent picture-subject. Messrs. Mortlock's mark upon 
their own piece — in which the pictures are paler 
in colour than Se\Tes work would be — will prevent 
it being confounded with the similar specimen 
which is reproduced in colours in T. Marryat's 
" Historj' of Pottery and Porcelain" (second edition : 
MiUTay, 1857). Further description of this curious 



form, made fur holding bulbs or flowers, we shall 
defer till we come to the genuine piece at Bucking- 
ham I'alace. 

"Case F" is very beautiful to look at, and con- 
tains most priceless treasures. In the upper shelf is 
a Chelsea soup tureen of white, dark blue, and gold, 




"CASE G. — VASE WITH SATYR HANDLES AND "CEIL DE 
PERDRIX VASE PAINTED BY MORIN. 

with binis, flowers, and butterflies, backed by three 
large dishes, all marked with the well-known anchor 
on the back. The smaller pieces are Tournav, 
painted with oblong panels of birds and butterflies, 
the names of tlie birds being w^ritten under each. 
This ware is very pretty, but the gold pencilling, 
though elegant, is very thin aud empty compared 
with the best of Sevres. In the centre shelf are 



.'OS 



THK ^lACJAZINK OF AHT. 



the great prizes. Tliese me tliree pieces of the 
colour "rose came dit I'onipiulour," known liere ns 
"roseihi Barry," thoiij,'h the only recoiil,. says Marryat, 
of Madame du Harry in conneclion with Sevres is a 
label atlixed to two vases in liic model room, " \'ase 
dii liarry." It was, however, probahly her favourite 
eolciur, and hei- ehaleau al \'iiiccinies was stoekcd 
with Sevres, as lielle \'\w was fur Madame du 
Pompadour before her. This lovely pink, wliicli 
shows against tiie ivoiy-white .satin as a warm 
"strawberry ereani " colour, is ipiite superiur in 
((ualily to its faded counterpart in the tapestry of 
liie period. Tiie centre-piece, over fourteen inches 
high, is painted with flowers and hihoiivs, and is 
perforated to serve as a "jardiniere." The cover has 
(lowers in relief, and the date of the piece is IToT, 
us the K between the two L's interlaced signiHos. 
The two side vases in siii/r are also perforated. 
In the design of tliese three the inHucnce of the 
silvorsniith upon iinicclaiu uiodcls is wry apparent. 




VASE BY MORIN (••• !•■ 301; AND CHELSEA VASES (••'' v ^m}- ENLARGED REPRODUCTION 



It is an instance of one medium being tortured into 
the shapes more suited to another. 

On the lower shelf are two soup tureens witii 
covers, ten inches high. The ground of these is 
turquoise-blue ; tiie handles and feet are white 
and gold. The blue is splendiiUy brilliant, though 
one tureen luis a fire (law at the bottom to 
show how diHicull it was to produce perfect pieces 
of tiiis precious puii'clain. Wlien the practice of 
forging Sevres commenced in England, by alteration 
of tiie old stock, which was bought up by dishonest 
dealers, the turi|Uoise-blne was found to be the 
easiest to sophislieate. Tliere is more of this about 
than of any otiier colour, and, thougii dilticult of 
detection, the coiiiparative deadncss of the colour 
is one sign by which it may be known. Tiie double 
" V>\\" mark on these signilies the date 177S. CJilt 
artichokes form the knobs of the covers. Tlie three 
plates that Hank them are bordered with pale 
diapered blue and white, and have Cupids in the 

eeiilie panels. 

" Cal)inet ( 1 " has on the 
upper shelf of its centre 
jiart a splendid vase of a 
"gros bleu" ground, with 
raised trellis-work on its 
cover, richly pencil -gilt. 
Oval medallions of Cupids 
ill ornioulu mounts also 
decorate tiie cover, which 
rests on an open liin of 
vine foliage in ormoulu. 
Tiie handles are satyrs' 
heads, with long, curved 
horns. Tlie base is of 
ormoulu, with a large guil- 
loclie ornament and four 
lion's-paw feet. Tliis hand- 
some vase is one foot eight 
and a half inches iiigh, and 
has tlie mark " E," proving 
it to be /«/'/( tiiiihrol i7"i7. 
( )n the lower shelf is 
a very tall vase of "gros 
bleu," pencil -gilt in the 
dotted circle pattern known 
as (/■// f/c prrdru: A pic- 
l lire -subject of a quay, 
witli lish, lisbfiineii, and a 
niasl with a lateen sail 
furled in the background, 
adorns the iiody of tlie 
vase. A bouquet of lloweis 
is on the other side. This 
vase, nearly two feet six 
inches high, is iiioiintfd 



THE QUEEN'S TKEASUEES OF AKT. 



•200 



witli griU'L't'ul onnoulii liaiulles, and its vowv rests musical instruments. Four small rings take the 
on an open-work ornioulu rim. Tlie painting is liy place of handli's. These are pdfr kndrc of the finest 
Morin, and is of the very finest (|uality. We give a quality, and worth at least .£2,500 the jmir. The side 




OAK-LEAF AND RIBBON VASE AND TWO VASES EN CAMAIEU" ("CASE H 



large reproduction of this vase, flanked hy the two 
fine Chelsea vases before described. Oidy two otlier 
specimens of this shape of Sevres vase are known. 
Mr. Harvey I'arkes had one, Mr. Angerstein the 
other — a broken one — a good many years since. On 
December 6th, 187o, a well-known dealer cheerfully 
offered to pay £o,000 for the Windsor vase — if it 
were only for sale! It may be noticed that on the 
cover of this v;ise there are pendent gilt garlands 
sunk in the Mutes, just as one finds the little ornioulu 
hanging garlands in the flutes of contemporary 
furniture. 

The illustration on this page is of three vases more 
or less en suifr on the upper shelf of cabinet " H." The 
centre is of a dark-blue ground, with o-il dc peirh-L'- 
pencilling. It has a long oak-leaf festoon going over 
the centre medallion, which represents two Cupids, 
and a ribbon flutters above it. The medallion and the 
base are ornioulu mounted. This vase has suffered 
misfortune. Its top is a clever wooden imitation, and 
the whole was found in the stores broken to pieces. 
It was carefully mended in 1874. The two vases 
which flank this are of a plain " gros bleu " ground, 
and ai'e decorated with white circular medallions en 
camcdcu painted with Cupids, torches, quivers, and 



wings of cabinets " (t " and " H " are tilled with a tea 
and eofl'ee service of the finest Dresden, said to be 
" King's-raark " — i.e. when the factory, in 1778, was 
under the immediate direction of the King. It con- 
sists of two cro.ssed swords and a dot between the hilts. 
The Green Drawing Eoom contains the celebrated 
dinner service which was ordered in 178-1 by Louis 
XVI, but only used on two or three State occasions. 
So numerous and crowded are the pieces that they 
do not lend themselves to photography. It is "gros 
bleu," pencil-gilt. Each plate has five medallions, 
separated from the blue by a thin zone of white — a 
large medallion in the centre and four smaller ones 
on the rims. The most talented artists, including 
Dodin and Le Guay, were employed to paint the 
pictures, which represent classical subjects and 
animals, and only about <a dozen pieces could be 
completed in a year. All were of the highest finish, 
defective pieces being i-eplaced and the bad ones pre- 
sumably destroyed. The details of the Windsor 
inventory are copied from the sedulously kept 
archives of the Sevres factory for each separate piece. 
This is important, as we shall see. George IV used 
the service at Carlton House and St. James's Palace. 
During that period some of the pieces, doubtless, 



L'lO 



THE MACIAZIXK OF ART. 



weiv broken, for tliore are iwx'lvu inissiiiy in all. one other, in llic exliilMlinn of IS.SJ. The Sevres 

In 18S2 there took pkce in buulon an exliibition archives are of inestimable value for allirniing the 

of fine Sevres, promoted by a well-known dealer, authenticity of a piece — or the revor.se I 
Amongst the exhibits were sixteen piece.s, which Tlicre are also in the (Jreen Drawing Kooni two 

were said to belong to the celebrated Windsor other .sets which rctiuirc notice in this context. The 

service. That could hardly be, for only twelve were first is of twelve plates of "gros bleu " ground with 




DRESDEN VASE. WITH LOUIS XV MOUNTS 



ini.ssing. I biy had been culKclcd liy anolbci dealer 
of a former generation, who in 1S40 had oflered them 
to Her Majesty for Cld.OOO. The oiler — very wisely 
refused — gives some notion of the approximate value 
of the entire service. The.se sixteen pieces have 
been comjtared with the Sevres list, and found not to 
agree wilh the record of the twelve mi.ssing from 
Windsor. The di.screpaney between twelve and 
sixteen — an extra four— seems puzzling enough, but 
is capable (jf explanation. In the Loan ]'^\hibition 
at South Kensington in 186!) there were lifteen 
pieces ajuiarently belonging to this celebrated 
Windsor .service. Two only of these were the 
jiroperty of the dealer who matle the oiler in 1840. 
These fifteen specimens were similar to the Windsor 
service, but were not authenticated by the Sevres list. 
It is possible that they may have been extra jiieccs 
made in case of necessity, or else that some of them 
were .slightly imperfect, and were condemneil but, 
as not unfnMpiently happens in a case like this, 
not destroyed. They may have figured again, with 



figures of llir nine Musrs, and of Flora, Teres, and 
Pomona as centre subjects, and Cupids on the 
borders; the second is a breakfast service of "gros 
bleu " painted with medallion portraits of celebrated 
painters. Uotli ol' these, though i|uitc excellent, 
are counterfeit. Tiicy have the double"!/' mark 

of Sevres, and underneath a signature, " S ." 

The old ixile imdir was not made after 1804. In 
1812 the white unpninted stock was sold to three 
workmen, .Iaci[uemart, Peres, and Irlandc. These 
men speculated in having the stock finished as old 
Sevres, emidoying, in particular, for the s\ibjects one 
Soiron, a very clever painter and cnanieller, Swiss by 
origin, but working in Paiis. He u.scd the signature 

"S "here found. The Sevres Museum has a 

cott'ee service of " gros bleu " with portraits of Louis 
XIV and the ladies of his Court, which these 
workmen palmed oil" on lx)uis XVI 11 as having 
belonged to his brother, Louis XVI. When counter- 
feits are as clever lus this, it behoves the amateur 
of Si"vres to be wary ! 




FRI ENDS OR FOES ? 

{Engraved by P. Hahdtmann. ) 



THE NEW PRESIDENT OF THE ROYAL WATER=COLOUR SOCIETY. 

ERNEST A. WATERLOW, A.R.A. 



By M. H. SPIELMANN. 



THE election of Mr. Ernest A. "Waterlow to the 
Presidentship of tlie Iloyal Societj- of Painters 
in Water-Colours was one of the principal events of 
the art-jear 1897, and a surprise alike to the public 
and to the eminent painter on whom the honour fell. 
Xot until within a few days of the election had he 
con.sented to be nominated, when he was assured of 
substantial support, and when Sir Edward Burne- 
Jones (to whom he was personally unknown) put 
forward his name as a candidate — as a character- 
i.stically English painter who had for many years 
been connected with the Society. How the first ballot 
was a tie, while the second was won by a Ijare majority 
(through one voter marking the name of an artist 
immediately above that of the loser), constitutes an 
exciting incident in the annals of recent art-history. 
Mr. Waterlow accepted the honourable office, and 
with it responsibilities of an onerous kind. And, 
inasmuch as the "Old Society" by seniority ttikes 
precedence of the Pioyal Institute of Painters in 
Water-Colours, he assumed the headship of English 
water-colour art, which for years pa.'^t had lieen the 



undisputed possession of his great predecessor. Sir 
John Gilbert. 

In Ernest Waterlow there reappejired a talent 
for art wliich had lain dormant in his familv for 
nearly two hundred and fifty years. Antoine 
Waterlo (or ^^'atcrloo), who was born at Lille in 
the early part of the seventeenth century, painted 
landscape with unaffected simplicity, into which 
Jan Weenix would paint the figures, coming to his 
chateau near Utrecht for that friendly purpose. In 
the Low Countries, too, he executed his seven-score 
plates before the family name dropped permanently 
out of the roll of artists until ilr. E. A. Waterlow 
revived it in the catalogue of the Pioyal Academy. 
Born in 1850, the boy was so delicate that his health 
was a serious anxiety to his parents, who in due 
course decided — in order to provide him with an 
easy, an agreeable and light profession — to encour- 
age him in his passion for drawing, and to help 
him enter on an artist's career. 

parents : who devote your children to Ai t, 
little do you wot of the severity of the fealtv 



212 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 



I'xacleil liy llial stern l)iviiiily : Lillleilo you know 
of the intensity of the application deniandeil ; little 
do you <;uess of seliocls liy day and classes l>y niglit, 
day after day and niglit after niglit, of work in an 
atmosphere suited better to the needs of tlu' uii- 
drapcd model than of the student, in a liglil that is 
often enough a strain to the woi king eyes ; little have 
you heard of the training in which to the earnest and 
detfiniined the day's work is never dune, the day's 
progress is m^ver enough, tiie day's aiiiliitioii never 
sjitistied. And when the student has become the 
ind.-iiendent jiainter, and the ligure-draughtsiiian 
stands before his ](icture in the studio all llir live- 
Ion"' day in anxious toil, or is stopjicd in liis w<irk 
by the many accidents that attend liiin: or when, 
having to sacrifice a whole morning's work witli 
which he has become discontented, he tiiids tlie 
responsiliilities of life weighing heavily upon his 
spirits and cramping his hand : or when the land- 
scape-painter haunts the fields all through the trying 
day, and works by weather— in sun, and wind, and 
cold, and wet— that strains the very strongest: the 
(piestion arises whether the calling of the painter 
is of siuli luxurious ease, and whetlier it is not to 
be ranked in very deed among those dangerous oc- 
cupations for which tlie interference of legislation 
lias been railed into play. The Arts hold forth 
an enviable judfessioii for tlie apt and healthy: 
painful and t'dliiig toil, for all its delights, is the 
price that must be paid by the weak. And this 
you may see by reference to the history of artists 

in the extreme longevity that is commonly the 

lot of the robust among them, and the early 
extinction of the weak and ailing. The names of 
Kred Walker and Cecil l.awson spring from the 
pen at the word. 

So Ernest Waterlow was .sent to study at Carey's 
School of Art at Dloomsbury— stmlying from the 
life : and when he left, he travelled through 
Switzerland and Germany, and ]iainled on tlic 
wav. This practice fixed him in bis future w.nk: 
be applied himself to landscape, ;iiid lamiscaijc be 
lias been jiainting ever .since. lie ivluinrd {>< 
Englaml in I'^^T'J, and .set to work with all the 
eon.scientiousne.ss and care that diaracterise him. 
I hiive se(!n a study of the steps and terrace at 
Haddon Hall, worked out with an accuracy of 
perspective and detail that is almost pathetic : 
and it is worthy of note that this early work is 
a water-colour, strengthencil with boily coloui. 
which, however, might almost be taken, by its 
vigour, for a picture in oil. Tlicn be entered the 
Itoyal Academy .schofils, and there w.nkcd f«ir a year 
and a half, when he gained the Turner gold medal 
for a laiKl.scape (exhibited at the Academy in ISTI) 
on the given subject— " A Lmil Stmiu"- in wliidi 



a wind-blown figure strives along tlic palli, while the 
trees are bent sharply liack, and the driven mist 
sweeps nil. .\ course of out-of-door land.scape 
study followed, inlluenced .somewhat by the fact 
that his first contribution to the exhibitions of 
the Academy (in 1872) had been hung— but 
skied. That treatment, of course, matters little 
to a young painter in regard to a first picture : 
the artist is content to find himself upon the 
walls on any terms, and the lesson he learns from 
the aspect of his work in such surroundings rarely 
fails to leave an indelible, as well as a valuable, 
impress on his mind. "An Evening in Dovedale," 
,1 scciic in Derbyshire, had been accepted — that was 
the main point; and the encouragement was not lost 
upon the ])ainter. Next, a visit was made to Newlyn, 
before that village hail been invented by the School 
of that name, and there he painted a strongly 
coloured iiicture (not very well composed, by the 
way), which would iiave been the despair of those 
of the subseipieiit colony for whom Nature is only 
at iier best on "a nice grey day" — when colour is 
melancholy, emasculated, and subtlued, and there 
can be thought of little beyond tones and values. 
Then ]\Ir. Waterlow seems to have passed under 
the influence of (ieorge Masi}ii and Fred Walker, 
with whose sentiment he then and since constantly 
showed himself in harmony, just as in later years 
lie over and over again proved his strong symjiathy 
with Constable and Corol. 

The 2^l<^'» ""■ theory — work in the open air — he 
was now po.ssi'.ssod of ; but it was a theory with a 
limitation. The artist, he felt, must conceive his 
jiicture upon the spot, and collect all the necessary 
details, make numerous studies — bring about him, 
so to say, all the materials and the scallolding of 
the work which he had already planned and which 
he was about to construct. I>ut that construction 
had to be carried out in the studio. The ever- 
shifting light and colour of nature, comiiaii'd with 
which the chameleon is a beast of permanent hue, 
render the comiilete painting of an elabdiate laiid- 
sca]ie upon the .spot a feat almost impossible, ;is if 
is undesirable, of execution, save in exceptional 
circumstances, it was the natural dillicullies of 
the task wbicli led the great Northern landscape 
seliool ^ which has had to deal with a climate 
and a sky far more variable than is to be found 
in the sunnier but less interesting S(hi|1i — in adopt 
with few exce])tions the studio system, liuysdaid. 
Van Everdingen, and Hobliema, for example, 
carried the principle too far. and appear to have 
)iainted their pictures ihrongliout, with but few ex- 
ce)itioiis. in their ill-liglitcd studios— anil that not 
finm ]iainted studies, but lather fniui iieiicil noles, 
so lliiil ihe artists po.s.sessed nol e\eii a rapidly 




113 



ERNEST A. WATERLOW, A.R.A., P.R.W.S 
{From the Painting tiy L Alma~Ta(tema, R.A.) 



214 



THE MAGAZINE OF AKT 



executed colour scheme to guide thoin. The residt 
was tliat their pictures are all wrought ou oue or 
other of a few well-differentiated types of composi- 
tion, light, and atmospheric cllect — exquisite as paint, 
but, from tiie point of view of truth, unrepresentative 
of brilliant nature. Indeed, save for the pine trees 
introduced into some of tliem it is impossible to tell 
whicii of Euysdael's and ^'an Everdingen's pictures 
represent Holland and wiiich Norway ; nor can it be 
pretended tliat the rich greens of Rubens' landscapes 
and the browns of Rembnindt's arc aspects of nalurc 
seized upon the spot. 

On tile other liand, painlers wlio execute tlicir 
linished works eiiLireiv out of doors dare not matcii 




STUDY OF TREES (W„Ur-Colo,„ 

their colours by tlie nature before them, or the result 
— as well they know — when viewed indoors will 
appear ilat and devoid <ir himinosity. The work niusl 
be "forced" in order to impart to it sonic of ihul 
vividness which Nature puts into her landscapes, 
but wliidi .siie witbludds fiom mere ]]igmenls. 

For tiiis main reason Mr. AValiilow lives and 
cairies out in London tlie jiicluies lio has ])r('- 
pared in the cnunlry. Such a man, indeed, could 
hardly live elsewhere, for without the companionship 
of artists, and without communion with men upon 
whose brains to sharpen his own, his vigour and 
interest in life and art woulil alila; evaporate. For 
the artist is a man of .sentiment; and he has been 
true enough to him.self always to have painleil what 
pleased him, uidfonnly indiflerent to the sugges- 
tions of dealers and the reijuesls of picture-buyers. 
He has never listened to the blandishments of the 



tempter who has lured so many an artist to his ruin 
— never consented to repeat a work which has gained 
the success of popular approval, or to embark upon 
a ])re-eommissioned series, how seductive soever the 
ofler might be. One of his first paintings was a 
picture of the sea, and he was, in consequence of its 
merit, referred to as "our coming marine painter;" 
yet not for many years did he produce another. 
Landscape, sheep, cattle, the beasts and birds of 
the farm, claimed him in turn ; he was always 
changing, and so contracted no mannerisms. Sincere 
and modest in his work always, he has gone on his 
way sinijily and (quietly, and .such success as he 
has gained has come to him by itself. 

Every summer 
the artist makes his 
usual trip to form 
ideas and collect 
material for bis 
year's work. Bui, 
in the first place, 
he always paints, 
jn carefully wrought 
studies, what strikes 
him at the moment; 
it may not be re- 
quired at once, but 
it is stock-in-trade 
that is sure to have 
its use. He takes 
iiis box before him 
and makes studies 
of foregrounds — 
leaves, ilitches, 
sedgy bits and reeds, 
water, road, rock, 
and all the rest — 
(if middle planes 
and dislaiices nt upland and inmir, nl' Iri'cs and 
stream and waterfall, of skies and rlmids and 
atniosphcric crrrcLs; of I'verylhing, in shml, lliat 
comes williiii ihr landscape-painter's ken. These 
studies are veiy elaborate. In the vast nundier 
which he has collected (every mie of which he 
remendjers whenever lu^ rtHjuires to refer to it) 
are accurate studies of cloud forms and eH'ects, of 
tree-form searchingly portiayed, of waggon and 
cart and plough, of horses and cattle in every sort 
and variety of attitude and position, all with back- 
grounds painted in, that true relation of tone may 
lie jneserved. I have .said tlial tliese studies 
— all cif them i'aiily large and iniimrtant — are 
numerous ; but a word of explanation will alVord 
a better idea of the labour they represent. Last 
year the painting-tour was at Walberswick — that 
(luaint and charminu district which Charles Keene 




GREEN PASTURES. 



21G 



THK MAGAZIXE OF AliT. 



discovered — and it produced forty studies of land- 
sc-ape and thirty of cattle ; so that, as tlie artist lias 
been painting fur a quarter of a century, tiie aggre- 
gate number, at a like rate of arithmetical progression, 
would amount t<^ something like l.T'iO. And in the 
ineansvinle Mr. Waterlow has exhibited, in round 
ligurcs, oO works to the IJoyal Academy, 100 to the 
Ito^'al Watcr-Ciiliiur Soeiety, 2"i to the (Jrosvenor 
and New (Jallcrics, and 100 U) various other ex- 
hibitions; and we have a total of l!7'> jtictures in 
oil and water-ciilour and l.T'iO studies — which is 
eloquent enough of industry and enthusiasm. 

The fii-st tinu' I visited Mr. \\',i(crli)w lie had 
moved into the house in liavswater which had lieen 




A HAMPSHIRE STREAM {l.V.,1. r-Colm 

occupied by Fred Walker, his sometime ideal. It 
was not for some while after iliat he erected a 
gla.sshouse behind the house and painted in that 
Tlie result was magical. Surrounded by a strong 
and brilliant light, the artist's health and eyesight 
were improved, while the result upon his work was 
not less marked. His colour became lighter and 
Mu>rc sparkling, and his outlook upon nature entered 
into a more poetical and more .sympathetic pha.se. 
Tlie human intei-est and sentiment — which have 
always been one of the characteristics of Mr. 
Waterlow's pictuies — were not .sacrificed : but there 
Wius a disposition to become more thoughtful and 
to invest iiis pictures with a finer feeling than tlie 
more romantic element of previous year.s. 

.Since 1H72 the jiainter has lieen a regular ex- 
hibitor at the lioyal .Acailcmy, the year 1S7C only 



excepted, and lias touched every subject tiiat comes 
within his range. He has painted them all with a 
love that tells of close observation and intimate 
knowledge : only of winter have I never .seen a 
picture from his liand. He has been charged with 
liaving imitated Corot in I'icardy and Brittany, and 
Constable in Sutlolk. IJut surely it is fair to believe 
his pictures aic wliat they are, not because they are 
like Constable or Corot, but because tiicy are true 
to .Sullblk or I'icanly. 

It was in 1XS7 that "Oalway Gossips" was ex- 
hiliited at tiie Academy, and was bought fur the 
sum of £:!(I0 under the terms of the Chantrey 
rn'i|U<'st. He liad been for .';even years past an 

Associate of the 
i;nyal Water- 
Colour. Society; but 
liillierto the Aca- 
demy had shown 
him no more at- 
tention than is 
conxeyed in the 
acceptance and 
hanging of his 
works. Xow, how- 
ever, things were 
changed, and in his 
case, as in that of 
so many before 
and since, such 
" Chantrey notice " 
was a first official 
acknowledgment of 
success, and herald- 
ed furtiier advance- 
ment. Tliisoccurred 
tlnee years later, 
when he was elected 
an Associate of the 
Academy (1S90). The election, no doubt, was in 
immediate recognition of the admirable exhibits 
of 1888 and 1889 ; for in the former year there 
was the touching picture of "The Orplian"^ — a 
shepherd feeding a lamb — and in the latter "St. 
.MacDara's Day" (a ti.shernuin's religious custom) and 
"Wolf: Wolf!" In 1800 there appeared "Friends 
or Foes ? " — childien frightened by an advancing 
phalan.v of gee.se. The .same subject had been 
worked out before by Fred Walker and others, on 
much the .same plan : but Mr. Waterlow's rendering 
had mucli individuality and charm, and his drawing 
of tiie gee.se — the long-lived, loyal, vigilant, and 
courageous ausn- (/omcfitints — (thougli to the un- 
thiidiing it is only " silly " and ungainly) was at 
once correct, characteristic, anti humorous. In the 
same year "Homewards" was exhibited — a well- 



THK XKW I'KESIDENT OF TIIK IJOVAL WATER-COLoli; soclKTV. 



217 



liglited scene of sheep returning from pasture, along 
the dunes by the sea. Then in 1891 came "A Best- 
ing Place," representing Bavarian peasantry resting 
by u wayside shrine on the borders of a town. 
" Launching the Salmon Boat " was first shown in 
18!):;, but as 1 first saw it in the studio it appeared 
sciniewhat lieavy. This fault has since been removed 
by careful re-toucliing, which has rendered it at 
once more brilliant in parts, more delicate and tender. 
His other works need liardl}- be mentioned in detail, 
for during the past decade they have nearly all been 
reproduced in these pages or in those of " Boyal 
Academy Tictures." 

So far 1 have spoken of ^^'aterlo\v almost ex- 



Moor" first carried his name into the catalogue he 
has diligently pursued the wooing of Art in her most 
fascinating and lier most winsome aspect. In 1894 
he was promoted, along with Professor Herkomer 
and Mr. Lionel Smythe, to full membership of the 
Itoyal Water-Colour Society, and after an interval of 
only three years has been selected to rule the affairs 
and guide the destinies of the " Old Society." His 
career has therefore been a brilliant one; its develop- 
ments will lie watclied by all who take an interest in 
him and his art, for the distinctiun whicli fortune has 
put in his way offers a fiebl for action wliich most 
men miglit envy and \Miuld turn to best account. 
Every year his art improves, liis touch becomes 




STUDY IN OILS OF FOREGROUND 



clusively as a painter in oils. But, as I lia\e sliown, 
his earliest work with which I am acquainted is 
a water-colour, and to that medium he has lieen 
constant during the whole of his artistic career. It 
may be observed that he never talces up the practice 
of this branch of painting now and then between 
whiles; feeling that the medium is so essentially dif- 
ferent to that of oil, he must have a spell at it when 
oil-colour and oil-painting are for the time wholly 
laid aside, and if possible forgotten. His general 
pi'ocedure, notwithstanding, is not so very different. 
For his water-colours as for his oils he makes his 
studies of tree, sky, and country with the same care, 
accuracy, and elaboration. Tliis method of work he 
has adopted ever since the opening of the Dudley 
flallery in 1870 — in several respects the most im- 
portant and pregnant event in tlie political history 
of water-colour art during the last half-century — 
I'ave him his chance. Since "The House on the 



more sympathetic, his \ision better focussed, and his 
appreciation — or, at least, his power of demonstra- 
tion — of the sentiment of landscape, quickened. 
How true this is may be seen in the little exhibition 
of landscape which he, along with five fellow-artists, 
now annually organises at the Dudley (iallery. 
There, in my opinion, you may see the most 
poetical of his work — little pictures, apotheoses of 
the potboiler, some miglit say, in which he tells us 
all he has to say of Nature, in his tenderest and 
most unaffected way. These works may not have 
what is called the " importance " of pictures in- 
tended for tlie Iioyal Academy: but to my mind 
they are all the more valuable for that — more 
intimate, more truly felt, awakening more readily 
and gratefully an echo in a responsive chord of the 
spectator's heart. Tliey show that IVIr. AA'aterlow 
has not yet readied tlie lieyday of his career, and 
in truth hold out the bright promise of the future. 




CHIMNEVPIECE. 



VALLGREN: ARTIFICER AND SCULPTOR. 

By prince bojidar karageorqevitch. 

A BOT'T tour years ago, Pierre Loti, passing Uirougli artist, wliicli I spnku oul Idud, " Vulli/rcti." A geii- 
-Lx. I'aris, asked nic to take him to tlio ('liaiiip ile tlcmaii who liad lici'ii rullowing vis all tlie time 
^lars to see the pictures — I have now furudttcu we liad lieen walking i(unid the tahle, very much 
what — III' some famous painti'i'. (In ifadiing the amused liy nur conversation, smiled outright as I 
e.\hiliiti<in, wc both almost inxuluntai ily stoj)])ed i)ron(iunceil the name, and. as I turned away, we 

exchanged a little sympathetic 
glance, idmost a how. 

JMen in the presence of 
the masteipieces we had come 
to see I was haiuited l)y those 
statuettes ; their intense art- 
istic feeling, their truth, so 
genuine, free and living, 
certainly detracted from the 
other works exhiluted, and 1 
iiiaile the round of the gal- 
leries thinking of them alone, 
and presently of the gentle- 
man's smile a rather large- 
made man, very fail', with a 
genial, ojjeu, hapjiy expres- 
sion — and I racked my hrain 
to imagine what tie there 
might he between him and 
the artist Vallgren, the sculp- 
tor of fragile forms, of the 
widows of the shipwrecked, 
(■yes looking for ghosts, and 
of cinerary urns wet with the 
A BENiTiER ^'^"■^^ °^ heartbroken women. 



to look at a group of statu- 
ettes, bronzes, and busts. 

A wonderful heail of a 
woman of liritlany, with a 
light in hi'r wide-open eyes, 
gazing into infinite distance, 
captivated Loti ; and I, for 
rny part, was no less in love 
with an ex([uisite statuette 
of a widow bearing in her 
arms, with a most expressively 
caressing gesture, the urn con- 
taining her husband's ashes. 
Another statuette of a blind 
woman, reminding us iHjtli in 
its rigid action of one siniilai ly 
ulllieted whom we knewso well 
on the Bridge of ( 'iboure, nnuh' 
us exclaim with admiration ; 
and we lingered looking at 
these ligurcs, and finding 
some new perfection every 
moment. 

At last we looked in the 
catalojruc for the name of the 




VALLGEEX: ARTIFICER AXD SCULPTOR. 



219 




A week later I 
happened to be on 
a visit to some 
friends at Grez, in 
the Forest of Fon- 
taiuebleaii, when a 
message by tele- 
graph announced 
that Vallgren was 
coming. AVe all 
went to the station 
to meet the gi'eat 
artist, to whom I 
was already de- 
voted, and I natu- 
rally expected to 
see a being con- 
sumed b y art, 
haggard and absent- 
minded. And the 
man I saw was 
my friend of the 
Champ de Mars. 
We needed no in- 
troduction ; he re- 
membered what 
Loti and I had said 
so freely of his 
work.and the statu- 
ettes and sketches 
were stamped on my admiring memory. 

Still, I was a little disconcerted. He ami 
Madame Vallgren — such a pretty, fair creature, as 
lively and cheerful as her husband — talked without 
ceasing, and in the garden they took to running; 
and my ideal, compounded of poetry and romance, 
had vanished into thin air, when Vallgren, presently 
gathering a flower, selected a huge purple poppy. 
But never have I more thoroughly felt or under- 
stood the sculptor as I did on seeing the caressiuL' 
touch of those hands as they held the flower, the 
eyes that drank in its form and colour. This 
Vallgren, holding the poppy so lovingly, suddenly, 
and as if transformed, was the A^allgren of his 
work, of his sorrowful statuettes, of his dreamy 
and exquisite art. 

Since then we have been intimate friends; and 
many hours spent in the studio with these two 
artists — for iladame Vallgren is also a subtle and 
refined seeker after novelty in art — have bound 
nie to them more and more closely by the ties of 
afTectionate admiration. 

From a bust Vallgien turns to a monumental 
fireplace ; sunflowers supply the motive for the 
decorative ornament in slight relief; an old man 
and woman crouch humbly to wann themselves on 



A DOOR-KNOCKER. 



each side of the hearth, while, on the front, a group 
of children that may have sprung from the flames 
dance with nimble grace. 

Then he moulds flowers into fruit-dishes, twists 
leafy tendrils round the handles of spoons, and 
adapts poppies to the bolts and handles of a glass 
case. Again, he takes up a bust, or a group, giving 
life and actuality to every subject. 

A large statue of " Hunger," a man cramming 
his fist into the gaping mouth in the middle of his 
horror-stricken face, is one of the most terrible 
things I have ever seen in art; and, by the side 
of it, tlie bust of the Comtesse de C. displays a 
womanly grace in lines of perfect harmony, finish- 
ing below in a plinth wliicli gives to the whole the 
magical effect of a flower which has expanded into 
a woman. 

In his curious glass cases, made by Vallgren him- 
self out of bits of old carved wood, worked over 
again by his own hand, and joined by engraved 
metal of sober and original design, dwells a whole 
crowd of little statuettes — Luxury and Misery, 
hieratic dancers supported on pointed pyramids, 
their hands calmly clasped on their bosom and their 
heads crowned with a tiara, side by side with a 
mother sitting on the worn steps of some old 
church, suckling her infant, and a nymph on tip- 
toe, her slender body stretched to the utmost to 




MATERNITY. 



220 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 



smell a flower that liaiigs above l.er. A "Door vestigalions, tentative triuls, aiul great iiuputience 

Knocker " represents tlie figure of a suppliant, witl. over tlie huge stu.lio stove brought to a while heat, 

hands uplifted to tlie barred glass panel, behind 

which a drama may be imagined ; she strikes with 

all tiie weiglit of her supple body, whicii ends, 

siren-like, in drapery that clings to her feet and 

finishes in a flower, the whole admirably projior- 

tioned. " Consolation " is a group of two figures 

closely clasped in an eternal embrace— an almost 




REVERIE. 

painful grip; in spite of their nudity exquisitely 
chaste, a i)ure kiss of souls. 

Here are admirable busts of IvIcllVIl ;iiiil df 
Strindberg, and another of Madame Segoiid 'Weber ; 
three busts of children forming one group, elbow lo 
elbow, crowded together in sweet harmony; another 
chimney-place where wonien-ilowi'is spread tlicii 
skirls like fragrant petals, and their liny feel, like 
pistils, .scarcely touch the ground. 

Vallgren gels a patina on his bion/.es of amazing 
brilliancy ami vivid ricimess, shaded oil' by .some pro- 
cess, from verdigris green to a rosy tint, through all 
the tones of gold. A little girl, her Ixidy of a warm 
gold, smells a flower of very dull red ; tlie iiliiitli 
and the leaves of the spray are of a pale soft green ; 
at a short distance the slaluetlc api)ears to be all of 
one colour— it is only on looking into it llial tlie 
varving lints appear and charm the eye. This is tlie 
result of elaborate chemical trealmenl, liiing and 
re-firing the bronze witli din'crenl acids thai affect 
its colour; the outcome of curious experiments, iii- 




CURIOSITY. 



ill which llie statuettes are baked, oniing out 
iride.scent witli every colour of llie rainbow, lo be 




GIRL OF LOCTUDY. 



rubbed down, scraped here and there, and polished 
with the application of some other acid perhap.s. 
^■alll.:ren was born at Borgo, and educated at tlie 



valu;i;en: autifkki; and sculptoil 



221 




THE WIDOW. 



GIRL-FLOWERS. 



THE WEEPER, 



Polytechnic School at Helsingfors. His parents had 
decideil tliat he was to be an architect. As a favotir, 
his masters, with whom he was very popular, allowed 
him to copy some Pompeian frescoes and architec- 
tural ornament ; but liis instinctive predilection, to 
wliich he could give himself up entirely only in the 
holidays, was unmistakably for sculpture, so, in spite 
of the adverse judgment <>f the learned professors of 



Arts, and became Cavelier's pupil. Nothing can be 
funnier tlian his account of his first arrival in Paris; 
he could not speak a word of French, and his pro- 
tector was a fellow-countryman who was, like him, 
studying at the Beaux-Arts, and knew mi language 
other than Russian and Italian. 

He could fill chapters of jest and fun witli the 
story of his first efibrts as a student— a student 




GRIEF. 



CINERARY URN. 



art, after producing a bust of liis father, whieh was destined, indeed, to become a master — the master 

a marvel of likeness and vitality, Vallgren obtained of sculptured elegance, of undulating female forms 

parental permission to become a sculptor, and even ending in flowers, of funeral urns suggestive of the 

the unlioped-for joy of being sent to study in Pari.s. void and of the woes of the poor, appealing, when 

He was at once admitted to the Ecole des lieaux- admiration lias had its s.iy, to Charity and to Pity. 



Ill 



009 



NEW GALLERY AND "OLD MASTERS." 



IT is fifteen years since the IJnyiil Academy, wliicli 
for Wfll-di'fiiR'd reasons liad never recof^iiise<l 
Dante tJalaiel Itossetti with election, paid postliu- 
nions liononr to his genins. The attitude of the 
Academy was doubt- 
less clear niul loj,'ical 
enough. Suiii insti- 
tulicjns are jirimarily 
establislied to teach 
the crafts of diMwinu 
and painting even 
before it preaches the 
l)eauty of sentiment 
or the elevation of 
thought and style. 
It is not their busi- 
ness — nay, it is not 
their right — to en- 
courage the neglect 
of the grammar of 
art by honouring 
relatively untutored 
genius, however genu- 
ine, passionate, and 
powerful that genius 
may be. We all, 
academies included, 
admit the existence 
of higher qualities in 
art than mere draw- 
ing ; but academies 
are bound to insist 
on .some degree of 
])roficiency in school- 




DANTE GABRIEL ROSSETTI. 

i^From tln' Portriilt by Himself. Tha Properly of Af. H. Spitlmann, Esq. Reprinted 
from "The Magallne of Art,'' 1SS9, p. I3S.J 



hibition, better than all ilic writing in ihe world, 
sets l)efore the visitor the full merits and defects of 
the man. His career, indeed, resembled the life of 
a flower. There was the early growth and budding ; 

there was tlie fidl and 
gorgeous blos.somiiig ; 
and there was the 
noble <lecay — a decay 
t liat reminds us 
always of the glory 
that has p;issed. Hut 
this, unhappily, is 
niislakrii by many as 
a n-inearMation of the 
beaUiiy s])irit of the 

IliiWrr. I liileeil , in 

the.^e splendid fail- 
nies — such as "A 
N'ision of Kiammetta" 
and "The Hlessed 
i 'amozel," for relative 
failures they unques- 
tionably are — many 
collectors see Hos- 
.setti's apogee, and 
contend for their 
posses.sion with all a 
coinioi.sseur's eager- 
ness, while they look, 
almost unmoved, on 
such miracles of 
glowing colour as 
" The Borgia Family," 
" I'aiilii and l'"ra n- 
The DuLlilcliem tJale," and on surli 



granwnar in the members of tlie society. lUit when cosca," or 

the artist has died, their protest being made, they a pure piece of pious painting as the early "(iirl- 

may not illogically claim to pay the highest respect hood of Mary Virgin" (wrongly named in the cata- 



in their power to the genius of the man. Even in 
France, Manet, Monet, and their schools have been 
flouted by the Institut with cold disdain ; l)Ut the 
doors of the Lu.xembourg have been openctl to 
them notwithstanding. 

Now the imperfection of technical accomplish- 
ment in the work of l'ios.setti — whicli (ills the whole 
South Koom of the New Gallery — is sufficiently 
obvious to need no ilenionslration. lint there is a 



lognel .\t the Koyal Academy there were eighty- 
linci' nnnibci's; here there are seventy-four; yet in 
sjiite of this ninnerical inferiority, and in spite, too, 
of the absence of many of lios.setti's best-known 
works, the artist is perhaps better represented than 
if the whole of his .'lilo works, in all medituns and 
methods, had been collected together. 

There are, no doubt, two ordinary classes to 
whom liossetti's work will never appeal: the first, 



sustained poetic vein of thought, an opulent .sense of those who see in him merely tlie imi>i'rfect ])ainter 



decoration, a strictly original and creative reali.salion 
of romance, an ability to nnike colour ling and 
re.soiuid, .so to speak, like; the strains of the organ, 
that force tlie .spectator to rcali.-^e tlie s|)lendid 
gifts of this extraordinary artist-poet. This ex- 



<if dreams, whose power over hand and materials 
is limited: and the second, those who legard with 
temperamental aversion his " heart-sick, sad refrain 
of Love, Love, Love," of Dantesque yearning and 
of nivth — who decline to forgive, for the sake of 



224 



TlIK MAC.AZIXE OK AKT. 



Uk' puiiL'liatiii",' poL'try, liis eleiiial subjcclioii to 
woiiiiin's tliriill, to love uiirefiiiiteil or elsu requiti'd 
too iiiudi, to sensuous human passion oftentinios 
yuilty, or else to some mystic (Jrail, or else, again, 
to the siieriKce of robust ami healtliy life to beauty 
of affected pose. To none of these ilocs Rossetti all 



combines in some measure the poetry of Itossetti 
with the strengtli and the disposition towards the 
hcl/v lionrnr of ^lillais at tliat period. Kich and 
strong in colour, the work is of higii merit, of great 
interest, and considerable facility ; but the stsitement 
of the catalogue that this is the only picture of 




MIDSUMMER, 
(from (/!• Painting 6y Albrrt ¥oorc. The Profivrtj/ of W. Coniial, £»q., juit. fli'pn'nti-d from " Tliv Magatine of Art," 1894, p, 361,} 



aflame appeal — nor liy any nf Uiciii iiiusl ln' lir 
judged; robustness, breeziiiess, tlie vigorous health 
of the Anglo-Saxon, must not be asked from this son 
of the South, wlioin only chance brouglit to our 
shores, and who — for all his lov(! of England and 
prejudice against f(>reign nations— in his ciiaracter- 
istics lus in liis (pialities, belonged little essentially to 
liis foster-country. In proof df wliich it maylie pointed 
out tliat his pictures illustrating 1 )ante (4."«) about 
c<pial in number tho.se illustrating all otiier writers 
]>ut logcllier. Among his ])ictun'soiu! is set which is 
from the brush of W'ilbam Morris— a practical joke 
of tlie I'irectors, one wnuld say, upon the public. 
Tliis powerfid little woik, " (^lueen ( !iiiiicvcr," 



W'illiiiin Mciiiis is a liltlc uniiitclligililr. Why, 
lluii, is no account taken of liis " Sii- 'rrislraiii and 
Isi'ulL's I'og" ? 

Tlie duty wliiili tlie itnyal .Veailemy lias leliii- 
i|uished — at least, for a time — lias been a.-^sumcd at 
this ( lallery, where there has been brought together 
a gathering of Old Masters, not quite, perhaps, up to 
the standard of llurliiiglon llimse, yet line, never- 
theless, and supported by .several famous collections. 
We have here tlie Duke of Norfolk's masterpiece by 
\'andyck, "Thiiiiias Howard, Karl of .Vrundel.aiid his 
(IraiiilsiMi," and Mr. Charles I'liUler's line " i'lulrait 
of a I-idy and Child," by Cornelius de Vos, and Mr. 
Mailiii Cnlnaghi's still mure remarkable "rditiait nf 




? I 

U_ 

o ^ 

I- I 

3 = 

O " 



22G 



TTiK :\rAr.AzrxK of akt. 



ii I-uly," liy Cornelius .Tiiiissens. Tliere is Mr. limn 
jiliry Ward's pleasing "Juditii," with tlie lieail << 
lldliitVrni's by Sir IVtcr I-dy^ — (.'liieHy ri'markiiblo 
jK-riiaps, apart fnini llie unjiislitiahly engaging \nvl 
tiness of the principal figure, 
for being one of the few snl)- 
Jecl-pictures of tiie painter. 
Then there arc the fine dasli- 
ing sketch by I{ul)eiis of " The 
lioar Hunt:" liie sui)erb little 
portrait of a demure young 
man in a black doublet sla.shed 
with red — ascribed to Hans 
Holbein, and certainly worthy 
of his brush ; and the ex- 
tremely important rjriniillli 
painting by Albert Diirer of 
" The Procession to Calvary," 
of which other versions are 
known. These three master- 
pieces all belong to Sir Francis 
Cook. Tiie Duke of Norfolk 
sends his " Lord Mowliray and 
JIaltravers," by Vandyek, an- 
othav chcf-croiuvrc ; Mrs. Samuel 
Joseph the superli little .Ian 
Ochterveldt — "A Singing 
Practice" — exquisite in touch 
and entirely individual as to 
colour. Lucas ^■an Leyden's 
" Ecce Homo " is another work 
of exquisite delicacy and 
beauty. There is interest in 
the series of pictures illustra- 
tive of tlie att'airs of the King 
and (^ueen of Bohemia, attri- 
buted to Otto van Veen — the 
master of Enliens. I'tit tiie 
pictures are evidently I)utcli, 
l)otli in subject and method, and 
the authorship of lliese laigc 

canvases recoiding Duteli events in Holland re(iuires 
.some further proof than mere catalogue statement. 

Some of the chief among the later ma.sters of 
llie liritisli school are admiralily represented. Of 
Miiller there is tin' superb " Ciie.ss Players" — 
glowing like Jewels, ami sliuiding testimony of how 
colonr can repay rapid, fortiiright, iioni'.«t work, 
even wiieii a ))icture is painted in two days — 




WHITE HYDRANGEAS. 

{From tht' Painting by Albert Moort. The Property of 

W. Connal, £tq., jun. Reprinted from " Tlie 

Magaiine of Art," 1894, p. 383.) 



aihaiitage in "The (lander" and "The Calves" 
and tiie cool " Young Anglers ; " while the celebrated 
" Evening Hymn," a little too obvious in its com- 
po.^ition, perhaps, is here to roinind us of his more 
ambitious work. Fred A\'alker 
is represented by "The Plough" 
— the large work with the 
ruddy glow — and " Tiie AVay- 
farens." Hut Walker suffers 
!)y being seen in too many of 
his works; in his larger tiguie 
subjects his (ireek swing of 
body — his view of "style" — 
;i]i]ii'ais ahnost an affectation 
and (juile an unreality; and 
ill his water-colours such de- 
vices as spotting in his back- 
ground sky with blots of 
wliite body-colour becomes a 
trick neither (|uite honest nor 
effective. Indeed, at near 
(luarters, his l)lotted-iii sky 
among the trees looks more 
like blos.som. Pinwell, curi- 
ously enough, looks more sym- 
]iatlietic liere, especially in the 
wilter-eolours, lent cliieily by 
Mr. H. Hartley and Mrs. 
.Io.sepli, such as "The New 
Book," " Mamma's AVatcli," 
" Old Time and his "Wife," and 
"The A^igrants." His famous 
"Village Cross" — here called 
" ( )ut of Tune " — is here from 
Sir Cuthliert l^luiUer's collec- 
tion. 

The older painters — such as 
"Wilkic.Coiistable.Gainsborough, 
Ktty, and Wilson — are not 
iiiadei|uale] y represented ; 
and of the lale Albert Moore 
there are " Iteading Aloud," " Tiie (j)uartette," " The 
Toilette," " An I'liiibroidery," " .Miilsuiiiiiier," and 
" Wliite Hydrangeas." Tiiese are, all but the lirst- 
iiaiiii'il. hung togellier, and support one another by 
llieir delicary and lemler deeoialivciiess. They 
have already been fully described in tbe.se pages, so 
tiiat no further comment is needed ; but satisfaction 
may at least be expressed that Albert Moore has 



and tiie "Waterfall on tlie Lyn," illu.straled on at la.st been reeogni.sed not only as a " ma.'^ter," but 
1). Hl.'i of tiiis Part. (leorge Ma.son, liner in his as an "old master," and that he rises to tiie ranks 
smaller than in his laigei' works, is seen to great of the non-academic Iniiiiortals. 



00- 








THE ART MOVEMENT. 

THE NEW ENGLISH ART CLUB. 

XE is apt to forget when consiileiing the New the all-saving elanse in art, instead of securing 
English Art Club that it is after all a club, some one particular excellence of the sort which 

for many years has played 
the will-o'-the-wisp to so 
many of the painters. 
Such " style " may be found 
in the elegant " Souvenir 
of Yandyck,'' by Mr. C. H. 
Shannon. This child, mas- 
querading in a cook's dress, 
graceful and, with very 
slight qualification, exqui- 
site in drawing, charmingly 
posed, and seductive in the 
technical quality of the 
paint, proclaims the artist 
a painter of a high order 
who, if he adheres to oil and 
canvas, should develop an in- 
creasing reputation, swiftly 
and surely, in the coming 
years. "The Quarry" 
of Mr. W. Y. MacGregor 
is equally distinguished in 
style — a landscape, broadly 
seen and executed with 
sobriety yet strength of 
and iKjt an exhibiting society of the ordinary kind, colour, which contains an element of nobility. These 
and that accordingly the members have a right to are the chief works upon the walls, but others claim 
exhibit what they choose — 
however experimental, how- 
ever " a m using ," however 
incomplete — without justi- 
fiable complaint on the part 
of the critic. There is the 
greater reason, therefore, foi- 
congratulating the club on 
the increasing reticence and 
sincerity displayed in their 
last collection. French in- 
fluence of the worse sort is 
disappearing gradually from 
the walls, and the sjjirit of 
the old masters of England 
and the Continent is re- 
a.sserting itself in many 
of the contributions, herald- 
ing the complete return 
of the intransigeants to 
sanity. There are several 

attempts, singularly success- bushey park. 

ful too, to achieve " style," ,f™„, „„ p„,„„„s, 6,, o. s. «accoH.) 



THE QUARRY. 
(From the Painting by W. Y. Mncgregor.) 




228 



THK MAOAZIXK OF AKT. 




STUDIES FOR ■SOUVENIR OF VANDYCK 
(8y Charles H. Sliannon ) 

iilteiition. Tlic lajiid ouL-of-iloor 
clleet of Mr. D. S. ^racO ill's 
" Biishey I'ark " suggests the 
honest swiftness of Constable as 
nnich as Mr. Fred lirown's 
"Coming Storm " recalls his im- 
pressiveness in llie emnposition 
of cloiuls against a blue sky. 
Tiie ideal treatment of " Tiie 
Sliiulow of the Cliir," liy -Mr. 
Henry Tonks, gives ns a eharm 
ipf atmospheric (piality and a 
ci.linir wliieh could only have 
been obtained by an intelligent 
study of Turner. Another atmn- 
spheric cfliect bathed in sunlight 
is Mr. Charles Condor's " Sea 
N'iew," which represents a female 
tigiire bathing in the sunlight 
beneath tiie dill'. Mr. Francis 
r.ate has never done better than 
ill his thoroughly ca])ablc sylvan 
study, entitled " 'riiniiigh tlie 



Trees." ilr. Wilson Steer, in an unfinished 
.sketch which he calls " l?y Lanii)light," gives 
us a clever imitation of a laughing head by 
Komney ; Mr. Fry, in " Xeini," a coniposition 
by WiLson ; Mr. Titcombe, in "Misty Morn- 
ing," a study after Whistler; Mr. Artliur 
Toni.sdii, ill " \\'alberswick Church," reminds 
the spectator of Old Croiiic ; and .so on — all 
of them clever and welcome, and all of them 
founded upon the men who helped to make 
the great traditions of art. To Mr. Douglas 
liobiiison's "Nude Figure Heading" we re- 
tViied when dealing with the Salon of the 
I lianiii ill' Mars: tiie flesii-paiiiting is ex- 
cellent, ami tlie little picture altogetiiev an 
achievement. It is, unfortunately, on too big 
a .scale for its frame, for a perfect effect, lie- 
sides tiiese, we have tiie well-designed " Pre- 
lude "—a girl at the piano — by Mr. David 
.Muiilieail : tlie powerful study of "An Autunui 
Cluuil," liy Mr. liertraiii I'riestnian : and in- 
teresting diiiwiiigs by Mr. lliabazon, Mr. 
Laurence llnusniaii, Sir William l*Meii, and 
iliss Mary Hogarth. 



SOUVENIR OF VANDYCK. 
<0y Charitt H. Sttantton.j 



THE ART MOVEMEXT. 



229 



THE ROYAL ACADEMY SCHOOLS. 



THE gold inetlul competitions for tlie Iloyal 
Academy students for the year just ended 
revealed the fact that landscape painting was by 




SUBJECT: "A LOCK." 
(from the Painting tiy C. ¥, Q. Orctiardson. Atvarded the Cresuiick Prize.) 



Tliu fourth gold medal, for design in architecture 
was gained by ilr. Arcliibald H. Christie. 

In aildition to tlie gold medal for historical 
painting, the first Armitage prize 
for a design in monochrome for a 
figure picture ("Jephthah meeting 
his L)auglitcr ") was not awarded, 
nor was the silver medal for a 
design for a Jubilee medal. Aliss 
Mary E. F. Brickdale carried off 
the prize for the design for the 
decoration of a public building, 
upon the motive of " .Spring." 

An interesting series of works 
was submitted for the silver medal 
for the painting of a head from 
life. The first prize was secured 
by ^Ir. Alfred Guy Smith and the 
second by 'Sir. Edmund L. \?i\\ 
Someren, the latter gentleman also 
being awarded the Landseer scholar- 
ship for painting. The silver medal 
for a cartoon of a draped figure 
(" Hermione as a Statue ") was 
easily secured by Miss Mary Tow- 
far the most successful branch of the work of the good, and that for a painting of a draped figure 

schools. So unsatisfactory, indeed, were the com- (open to ladies only) by Miss Hilda Koe. 

peting woiks for the gold medal 

for histoiical painting that the 

prize was not awarded. While 

making full allowance for the diffi- 
culty of the subject — " Cleopatra 

clandestinely introduced into the 

Presence of Cicsar" — it must be con- 
fessed that the performances were 

unexpectedly poor. Of the Turner 

gold-medal work (Mr. Alfred Priest) 

and the Creswick prize picture 

{Mr. C. M. Q. Orchardson) we give 

reproductions, as well as of Mr. 

Turner's group " Charity," which 

gained the gold medal and travel- 

ling scholarships. For the sake of 

comparison we have placed opposite 

to it the illustration of the work 

which was lately awarded tlie Grnnd 

Prix de Rome, and it will be seen 

that the result is not altogether 

confounding to the English student. 

Mr. Turner was also awarded the landscape: subject-" after-glow.- 

Landseer scholarship for sculpture. (From the Palmlng by Alfred Priest. Awarded the Turner Cold Medal.) 




115 




SUBJECT: "CHARITY." 
(»» Hfrtd Turnir. t„ard,d Ih, OM Mtdal at l(i> Kffal Acadtn,, Sctiodt.) 




orphsus and eurydice. 

(By A. J. \l Segegin. Awarded the Orand PrU de Some tit l/ie fco/e des Beaux-Arts. Plintojraph by Barier, Paris.) 



THF: CHRONICLE OF ART. FEBRUARY. 



The Camberwell TYWiK oiieninj; of the Siliool of Arts and 
Art School. 1 t 'rafts at Camberwell marks an em 

in the advance of art education, inasmncli a.s it is the 
first institution of the kind in London to l>e placed 
under the control of the local yoverning l.ody— in this in- 
stance the \cstry of Caml«erwell. The l.uilding has l)een 
erected at the .joint cost of Mr. 1>.\ssmoke Edwards 
and the City IVirnchinl Charities, and is intended as 




MR. JOHN BURNET, ARCHITECT. 
(from thr Paintino fey Jumts Gutlirit, U.S.A.) 

a memorial of Lord Leighfon. Sir Edward Poynter, 
I'.IS.A., oiiened the institution, and took the opiiorlnnity 
to eulogise his |iredeccssor as an artist, for, as he said, 
"the very exalted i>lace which lie held as a jiaintcr 
was, in view of the ceasele.ss energj' he displayed in 
other matters, and his numerous brilliant accouii>li»hments, 
apt to l«e overlooked." 

Sir Wvkk Bavu.ss, IMt.H.A., when dis- 
■■ The Bogey of t,ilmtiii- the prizes to the students of the 
the Studio." nj,,u^gj. g,.|,„„i „f Art, .lelivercd an in 
tere.sling ond cloi|Ucnt address on "The Bogey of tiie 
Studio." Me referred in the first place to the incrcising 
competition against which young artists have to contend. 
"Art was such a common thing that everyone diil it," 
and to that he replied, "Well, let them do it, it will 
raise the standard of the world." "Art might be common 
as everything in nature is, it might be imperfect, as every- 
lliinu the aititt did must be, but there was one thing 
it could not be— it could not be conmionplace." The 
second liogey " wiis that art must not be commercial. ' His 



reply to that was " Let your work be sincere and your 

commercial dealings honest, and the art shall sanctify the 

commerce.' The final part of the lecture dealt with the 

assertions "that the English are not an artistic race, and 

that the golden age of art is past.' Sir Wyke reniinde<l 

his audience of Turner. Cox, and Con.stable, and that two 

special devel<>i>ments of modern painting— landscape and 

water-colour— hail come from the Engli.sh School. 

(J.NcK again the School 
The Goldsmiths' _ . ^ ^ ^j^^ j^^^^. ^.^^^^ 

Institute. . . , , , 

Institute leads the way 

for London schools in the National Art 
Competition, its record for 1897 being 
three silver medals, si.xteen bronze medals, 
twenty liook prizes, and tight other prizes. 
Out of this total of forty-seven awards 
no fewer than twenty-eight were for 
applieil design — strong evidence that the 
tuition in this .school is being carried on 
in the right direction. The silver medals 
were gained l>y Mr. Albert Coi.MitKK, 
for architectural design ; Xfr. t'r.ANK P. 
Maiskiott, for nio<lelled design (figure); 
and Miss Mauuaret E. Thompson, for 
applieil design (book illustratioui. Mr. 
Marriott and his stati" of a.ssistants are 
to be congratulated upon this eminently 
satisfactory outcome of the year's work. 
On De<-eniber 2S the art students held a 
conversazione in the large hall of the in- 
stitute, the principal feature of which was 
a very successful series of Utlihaux " re- 
prcKluciug the styles of illustration." About 
l.')0 students were in costume repre.scnt- 
iii:; cliaiacteis from the drawings by Jliss 
K. ( Jrkksaway, Caldkcott, Sir Edward 
IliRNK .IoNKs,Messr.s.E.A..Vi!BEY,A.H A . 
Waltku Crane, .\nnin.; Hkll, Hi'ch 
Thomson, Ai'hrey Heaudslky, etc. A 
number of the costumes were made by 
students of the dressmaking class from 
designs .supplied by members of the book illustration class. 
lioYAL Institute of Painters in Water- 
New Members, o.iou,..,. Mes.srs. .1. (ii'i.KH, Mortimek 
.Meni'es, Di'Di-EY TIardy. W. W. Collins. Charles 
Sainton, and 1>avid (iliEEN. Institute of Painters in 
Oil-Colours :-Mes.srs. L. Alma-Tadema, 1!.A., and .loiiN 
S. Sargent, I!. A. (Honorary .Members): E. Matthew 
Hale, Dudley Hardy, (!aiiriel Nuolet, G. C. Hindley, 
.\. I). liEiD, A.K.S.A, and It. (!. Somerset. 

We have so lately dealt at length with the art 
c'^hW*" °^ ^''' ''""^ -Millais that it is not iiecessjiry 
to review in detail the wonderful collection 
of his works brought together at the Winter E.\hibitiou of 
the li.iyal Academy. The collection as it stands. numl>er- 
ing l;io oil iiictures, besides a few black-and-white drawings 
— although it leaves out of account over a hundred pictures 
in oil— presents his full jiower to public view with a com- 
pletene.HS which is amazing. The virility, the independence, 
the variety, the brilliancy of this wonderful painter— our 
greatest jiainter of the century and on the whole our most 



THE (.HKONICLE OF AltT. 



233 



other 

Exhibitions. 



remarkable colourist — stand forth with triumphant splen- 
dour. This is an exhibition to draw not only all London : 
it will draw all England, if Millais' memory is to be duly 
honoured, or his countrymen are to do justice to thenlselve^^. 
Thk landscape exhibition, which has now 
become an annual feature at the Dudley 
Gallery, is as usml exceedingly bright 
and iutere-sting. Messrs. E. A. \V.\tei;low, P.K.W.S., 
A.RA., J. AuMoxiER, E.I., A. D. Peppekcokx, R.I., 
Lesue Tho.mson, E.I., K. W. All.\s, R.W.S., and James 
S. Hill contribute works each in his own style, which are 
sufficiently diversified to destroy any sujcgestion of mono- 
tony. Mr. Waterlow"s drawings, for the most part, repre- 
sent scenes in and around the picturesque Sufl'olk 
village of Walberswick. "The River Blyth ' is a 
delightful little transcript from nature— the fa.'^t- 
llowing stream, the red-roofed cottages, the decaying 
jetty, the solitary fishing-boat, forming a character- 
istic representation of this charming old-world village. 
His largest contribution is "Launching the Salmon- 
Boat," referred to in the article on p. 217 of this Part. 
One of the best of ilr. Aumonier's dozen pictures 
is "On the River Arun," .showing a stretch of the 
stream above Arundel, with the curious patch of 
bald white cliff at the end of a vista of wooded 
banks. " Lingering Sunlight "' is an exceedingly 
clever drawing of a flock of sheep seen in the twi- 
light. The moon is already up, but the reflection 
from the setting sun still illumines the scene, tinting 
half of the flock with its rosy hue. Jlr. Peppercorn's 
" Corn Ricks "' is full of the atmosphere of evening, 
and "The Estuary of the Avon at Christchurch ' is 
delightful in its silvery greyntss. The river scenes 
in Dorset, SuBblk, and Essex by Mr. Leslie Thomson 
are excellent, "On the Waveney"— a stretch of 
typical f5road scenery, with a lofty sailed wherry on 
the sluggish stream — being noteworthy among liis 
other works. The sea pieces of ilr. Robert Allan 
are as refreshing and invigorating as ever ; while 
his " Lowlands of Holland " and " Moret, France," 
prove that his powers are not confined in one groove. 
The.se landscapes are fully equal in excellence with 
his paintings of his well-loved North Sea. Mr. Hills 
work shows once more his talent as a poetic landscape 
painter, his "A Canal," with its white horse on the 
towing-path, being one of his most successful pieces. 
If the selection of the Queen's Jubilee presents 
on exhibition at the Imperial Institute is a represen- 
tative one, it can only be said that artistic merit, generally 
speaking, is more than commonly absent. The infinite 
opportunity aflbrded, in the innumerable Addresses which 
have been presented to her, for the displaj' of such national 
improvement in design as has been effected under the rule 
of the Science and Art Department, appears to have been 
thrown away. Caudy intricacy seems to have been mis- 
taken for design, and highly coloured fussiness for decora- 
tion. Of course there are exceptions both in the direction 
of taste and skill. But the vast majority of these Ad- 
dresses irresistibly suggests ticket-writing in e.rct/sis. The 
ca-skets, similarly, are for the most part of the old pattein, 
turned out, like the Addresses, by firms and not by artists. 
Exception should l>e made of the charming cover in olive- 
wood, diamonds, and gold, by the Jewish Board of 
Deputies, and of the presentations from the English 
colonies in Munich and Milan, and the French colony 
in London. M. DetaUle's equestrian portrait of the Prince 
of Wales and the Duke of Connaught has already been 



noticed in The M.a.g.\zine of Art. The gifts from the 
Emperor and Empress of China and their Ambassador 
to England are without question the richest and most 
magnificent : superb ancient bronzes with rare patinas, fine 
jade, both white and yellow (including symbolic Joo-ees of 
the same stone), rare porcelain, and magnificent cloisonne 
screen, form a group which alone demands a visit to the 
Imperial Institute. Besides these are the two superb 
gifts of the Emperor of Japan — the first an incomparable 
cabinet in gold lac, and the .second a screen in silk 
embroidery, which in its own way we have never seen 
surpassed. To the other rich gifts of value, except the 
little vases pre.sented by the Comtesse de Pari.s, we need 




CHIMNEVPIECE IN WOOD 
Designed by J. A. Simpson. Executed by J. Aldam Heaton and Co.) 

not refer, as art has not in them been tlie chief con- 
sideration. 

The Glasgow Art Club Exhibition, which was open 
during November in the Royal Institute Galleries, Sauchie- 
hall Street, is always of an intere.-ting character. Glasgow 
at the present time is undoubtedly a centre of art activity 
and influence. Within recent years it has done much to 
leaven — in one direction, at all events — the landscape art of 
Scotland ; and as the Club exhibition is confined to mem- 
bers, it affords an opportunity of taking stock, as it v.'ere, of 
the "Gla.sgow School." Judged by the work on the walls, 
the Club is still, artistically, in a healthy state. Many of the 
members show a keen perception of tone and good colour, 
and the 2.3i) works exhibited attain, on the whole, to a high 
standard of merit. Two of the members of the Club w hose 
reputation extends far beyond the boundaries of the "second 
city " are Mr. James Gutheie, R.S.A., and Mr. John 
Layery, R.S.A. The former shows a masterly portrait 
in a grey scheme (which we reproduce) of Mr. John Burnet, 



2U 



THE ^rA(!AZTXK OF AIJT. 



architect in Glasgow, aiid the latter a graceful half-length of 
a lady, posed and painted in the style of the early Kntrlish 
masters. One of the most jironiising of the younger men 
is Mr. David Gai'i.d. His landscapes attracted attention 
on account of their 1>rilliant lighting, and latterly he has 
taken to portriiturc witli excellent results. On this oc- 
casidu he exhibits a full-length of a l>oy in a yailor costume, 
ivhich has some admiralile i|ualitics. .Mr. W. ( !. Gli.i-lKs 
also docs cretlit to himself as a young artist hy a dainty 
portrait of a pretty giil in pinii and lilack. Mr. .Maiaim.ay 
Stevknson and .Mr. (tH(isvi;n(.1{ Tiio.mas sliow poetically 




BOARD ROOM AT 



MESSRS. KACMILLANS NEW OFFICE. (*«•' P' !3e.) 



treated landscaiic? ; Mr. RTfAiir 1V\i;k iKiuitiriil fluwor 
studies ; and Mr. W. Fulton Hkow.n limad and effective 
water-colour drawings. 

The Oxford Art Society for the first time holds its 
exhibition in the gallery of the fine new Municipal liuild- 
iiigs wliicli have been contributed by Mr. Hauk to tiie 
nrcliitectural attractions of the university city. The 
Society, it should be explained, has adopted the somcwliat 
dimbtful policy of exhiliiting the work of none but men 
identified with Oxford either by biitli, residence, or 
university connection. It may well be questioned whether 
this exclusivencss will in the long run be the more bene- 
ficial to the Society, or whether it will not ratlier militate 
against its ]ii)i)ularity amongst the visitors to wliosc support 
it jiartially appeals. .Apart from the several distinguished 
arlist.H, such as Sir IOdwakd I'.iune .Ioxks and .Messrs. 

HUITON ItlVlKIti:, Al.l!KUT (lOODWIN, J. Fl' I.I.KVI.OV K, 

.Matiikw Hai.k, and Si-encek Stasiioi'k, together with 
Mr. T. F. .M. SliKAlii) and Mr. Cari.ktos Orant, the 
exhibition contains over two hundreil paintings. It must 
be adndtted that the majority of the.se do not stiunl the 
test of exhibition witli any degree of credit, as the work 
proclaims itself that of amateur.s, clever though many of 
them are. Mr. Walter S. Tvuwimtt, however, the liack- 
Ijone of the Society, as well as its honorary secretary, 
shows a number of drawings, chiefly of the East, in which 



sunlight, colour, and luminosity are so remarkable that 
they deserve to be seen in the Metropolis. It is unneces- 
sary to refer to the exhibition in greater detail, but we 
would suggest the propriety, if the Society is to be in- 
tluential for good and to obtain the popularity anil ajiplause 
of the general public as well as of its members, of raising 
the standard by stitleniiig the back of the Selecting 
t'ommittee. 

The work of the students of the Royal Female School 
of Art for the past year is well up to the standard of 
previous exhiliitions. Two of the National Queen's Prizes 

were awarded, one to Miss 
E.MILV (!. GoiRT for a 
study of flowers in water- 
colours, and the other to 
Mi.ss .Mildred Jackson 
for a monochrome painting 
of ornament from the cast. 
Mis9 linuTiiA Smith, who 
for the second year gains 
the (iilchrist Scholarship, 
shows some interestingly 
varied work. A wallpaper 
and frieze and an altar- 
cloth and super-frontal 
gained for her National 
Silver Medals : a water- 
ciplour drawing of cocka- 
toos; a clever liesign for a 
fan to commemorate the 
Queen's reign wsis awarded 
the prize of t'lO at the 
Fan makers' competition. 
Besides these, .she has a 
good design for a lace collar 
and some clever landscajie 
work in water-colours. The 
Queen's (iohl Medal was 
awarded to Miss EvKLlNE 
M. .(. IlowKi.i. for a char- 
coal drawing from the life 
of the head of an Italian peasant. Tlie water-colour sec- 
tion was the strongest of any of the work shown, the black- 
and-white being relatively weak and uninteresting. Among 
tlie modelling exhibits Miss Si'illi'.r's design for the back 
of a mirror and her panel of "Wild Hops" were the mo.st 
original and dainty. 

.\ HOOK to be connnenled wiiliout ipialification of 
Reviews. .^^^^. |.j|j^j j^ ^[,. ],>|,^.,,^^, j^^^^.-^ •' Short lli^U,,-,! of 

Ilninplon Cmti-t" (George I'.ell and Sons). That admirable 
work in three volumes whieli we de.dt with at length as it 
appeared, being t.io exi)ensive for the ordinary book-l)uyer, 
has here been condensed into a single volinne not less au- 
thoritative and, it may be added, hardly less delightful than 
the fascinating work ujion which it is ba.sed. Indeed, we are 
not sure that, from a certain jioint of view, this last book 
is not the more useful one, unencumbered as it is Ijy much 
of the discursive mitter which, thoroughly in jilace in 
" History of Hampton Court I'alace," is nevertheless not 
indis|>ensablc to the reader. In oidy a few cases can wo 
make any re.servatior^s as regards the utility and adeipiacy 
of the numerous illustration.s, those exceptions being the 
reproductions of certain of the pictures, which, over- 
reduced in size and printed on rougher i)aper than is 
suited to them, are somewhat blurred. In a work of such 
importance, however, the technical ipiality of the illustra- 
tions is a matter of comparatively little concern. 



UO^^I 



THE f'HROXICLE OF ART. 



235 



la daintiest garb, beautifully jiriuted and tastefully 
arranged, the extremely well-selected anthology edited by 
Mr. Frederick Wedsioee and Miss Wedmore, and 
entitled "Poems of Love and Pride of Enr/land" (Ward, 
Lock, and Co.) is one of the daintiest volumes of patriotic 
verse ever issued. The selection, which extends from 
Skelton to Mr. 'William Watson, is intended to inculcate 
patriotic virtue and to inspire a pas.sionate pride in 
the great deeds which form the Englishman's noblest 
inheritance. 

The tirst six parts of Mr. Will Rothexstein's ''EiKjlifh 
Portraits' (Grant Richards) testify not only to the artistic 
ability of the young artist but to the very real imiiortance 
and historic interest of the work. Mr. liothenstein's method 
is to select men and women of distinction in the worlds 
of art, literature, science, criticism, and so forth, and to 
execute for each part two portraits. Now these portraits, 
whether as heads and as likenesses, are admirable ; they 
are executed with a sympathy and a ready skill that make 
xis forgive the often summary and careless drawing of the 
bo(.lie.s under them. The)' are exercises in character and 
expre.ssion— sensitive, keenly seen and realised, and well 
sustained throughout— that are surprising in so young a 
man. As "lithographed drawings," too, they have great 
charm for the lover of the stone. Mr. Rothen.stein has 
learned the secret of making the stone, or the transfer- 
paper, "sing;" his touch is delicate yet firm, and the 
silvery quality of his delicate greys is charming. Though 
sketchy in effect, these drawings are often very subtle ; 
but the suggestion of amateurishness affected at times 
by Mr. Rothenstein now and again militates against their 
effect. All the same, the series is one to be iiossessed 
by every lover of lithography who can appreciate the true 
touch and good jfrinting. 

A work of great value— not even so much important 
by what it gives as by what it heralds — is the altogether 
admirable "Leonard Limosin : Peintre des Portraits 
(Societe Francaise d'Editions d'Art ; May : Paris). For 
many years past the authors, Messrs. L. Bocedery and 
E. Lachexaud, have been engaged on a complete survey 
of the works of enamel painters of Limoges, accumulating 
some 17,0(10 slips, descriptive and critical, dealing with 
every detail of technique, of particulars, of collector's facts 
of every sort : and the first volume of the series is now 
before us. This remarkably detailed handling of the 
subject, it must be observed, treats of Leonard Limosin 
as a portraitist only, setting forth the facts, dates of 
exhibition, and symposia of criticism of the 1.31 portrait- 
enamels known to be by, or traditionally attributed to, 
the master. But there is nothing here of Leonard's 
purely decorative work — dishes, tazze, and so forth •. 
these will come into another volume. The elaborately 
classified indexes and tables would satisfy by their com- 
pletene.ss a German profe.ssor. I'nder the heading of 
" Collections,' however, some of the most recent changes 
have not been included — such as the Francois ler. and the 
Queen Claude from the Seilliere collection, which now 
belong to Mr. George Salting, and the Henri d'Albert 
(91), now the property of Mr. .1. E. Taylor. It is diffi- 
cult to praise too highly this scholarly work. (Illustrated, 
15 francs.) 

We have more than once borne witness to the excep- 
tional ability of Mr. Byaji Shaw as an able revivalist in 
his own person of the Pre-Raphaelite school. In the 
volume of " Poems hy Robert Browning " (George Bell and 
Son) he gives another phase of his individuality, and 
displays a Rossettian appreciation of the poet, and the 



possession of a responsive talent, that will be cordially 
recognised by every reader. Rich fancy, beauty of design, 
and excellence of draughtsmanship are evident in most of 
these drawings, and feeling and humour too. He is some- 
what imequal, and the printing is not always of the best ; 
but such an illustration as, for example, "' Hist ! ' said the 
Queen,'' compensates for a great deal more than there is to 
forgive. 

Mr. Wm. Nicholson has followed up his "Alphabet" 
with an " Almanac of Twelve Sports " (Heinemann), accom- 
panied by clever verses by Mr. Rudyard Kiplixg— verses 
which as often poke fun at the sports as celebrate them. 
These lithographs show a developing talent and a keen 
appreciation uf the value of masses of black. It is a book 




ALMS DISH. 
(By Henry Hnruey. See p. 236.) 

to acquire as an entertaining curiosity. Mr. Nicholson 
thoroughly understands the capability of the rough wood 
block. 

To all lovers of the " West Couutree " we can recom- 
mend " //Ay/( (cays and Byways in Devon and Cornirall," 
by Arthur H. Norway (Macmillan and Co., London). 
The author starts from Lyme Itegis and takes us round the 
coasts of the county of Devon and " The Duchy " — making 
occasional jaunts inland to places of interest — and dis- 
courses pleasantly upon the folk-lore, historical associations, 
legend.s, superstition.s, and topograjihical beauties of this 
delightful corner of our country. There is not a dull page 
in the whole book. Mr. Joseph Pexnell supplies illus- 
trations of many of the places mentioned in the author's 
itinerary, some of which are not altogether satisfactory — 
as, for example, the view of Plymouth (page 109). Mr. 
Huc;h Thomson contributes half a dozen or so charac- 
teristic drawings of old-time scenes, which add to the 
interest of the volume. 

Mr. .lewitt would hardly know his old magazine, 
^' The Reliquary" (Elliot Stock), in quarto form and full 
of illu-strations. It still keeps up a high reputation, and is 
more instructive and valuable than ever. An article on 
the "Florentine Caged Crickets" is a very important 
contribution to a little-known subject, and those on 



2:-iG 



THE MACAZIXE OF AT!T. 



"Tallies" (fully illustrated) are worthy of the Society of 
Antiquaries' Proceediiij;s. This volume is thoroughly in- 
teresting, and its articles are of permanent arc'ha;ol>>Kii-al 
value and well illustnited. 

We have received the "Ooldnmil/m' Instilule Calentlm; 
Set'ion 1B97 8"— a volume extending to over a hundied 
pages, and dealing with the work being accomplished 
under the diri-ction of the enerj.'ctic secretary, Mr. J. S. 
ItKKMAVXK, M.A. It is well illustrated liy photograi>hs, 
and drawinfis l>y memliers of the art classes. 

To all interested in the progress of phutograpliy during 

the jiitst year " J'/i'iloi/inins <>/ ''.)' " (l)ii«barn and Ward : 

London! is an indispensable 

volume. The work of the 

leading photographers in 

England, France, and .\mer- 

ica is dealt with by comiie- 

tent writers and illustrated 

liy excellent re)iroduitions. 

The book is faultlessly 

printed, (is. cloth.) 

Mi:..I..I.SirAN- 
Miscellanea. ^.„^._ .^ ,. ^^ 

was awarded a gold medal 
(with £30(1) at the Pitts- 
burgh, U.S. A., International 
Art Exhibition. 

Mr. T. A I!. MsTKoXi :,('.!'... 
has been permitted by the 
Treasury to retain his posi- 
tion as Director of Art in 
the Science and Art de- 
partment for another year. 
Mr. Whale's dismissal has 
not been rescinded. 

The illustration of Sir 
.JoilN (Jilhekt's "Itichard 
II resigning the Crown to 
Holiugbroke" in our No- 
vember I'art was wrongly 
described as a reproduction 
from the oil-painting at 
Liverpool. It was done 
from the water-colour draw- 
ing in the possession of W. .1. Baker, Esq., of Streathiim. 

The work of the late Mr. .\li>am Hkatox is not to be 
lost, for the business established by him is to be carried 
on botli at liloom.sbury Street and at the iircniises opened 
shortly before his death at Mount Street. We illustrate 
on p. -S-Vi a cliimneypicce in wood, a laudable feature of 
the firm. It was designed by Mr. .1. A. SiMi'sos, and 
has been exec\ite<l in tlie Hlooinsbury workshop.s. 

The alms-ilish illustrated on p. 235 is the work of 
Mr. Hknkv Harvkv, and gained for him some time ago a 
)irize of £•")(» given by the (ioldsmiths' Company. The 
central pla<|ue has for its subject "The Scapegoat,' the 
whole design being .skilfully tieateJ, especially in the 
border. Mr. Harvey gained a National Scholarship fi>r 
three successive yenrs, the last two of which were spent 
under M. Dalou. lie has exhibited several busts at the 
Uoyal Academy, one of them " < ieneral Lord IJoberts.' 

The new publishing otficcs of Messrs. Macmillau are a 
miKlel of good taste, architectural and decorative. I)e- 
•signed by Mr. .Iohn Cash, the building is a good exam])le 
of (.'lassie, moditied with a few touches of Renais.sancc. 
It is particularly in the interior that the .sober an<l judicious 
taste of the architect is most ajiparent, in the )>lanning and 




THE LATE J. L. 
(From thf Paintlnij by 



the designing of the fine hall and staircase, the corridor, 
and principal roonn. The high oak-panelling, the refine- 
ment and general reticence of the decorative treatment, 
impirt an air of elegant luxury at once charming and re- 
jjoseful. The carving in stone and wood, by Mr. William 
.\u.MoNlEl!, is not less admirable; an excellent craftsman, 
he has shown himself an artist as well. The well-known 
series of portraits of distinguished authors, by Mr. F. Sasdv.s, 
and other pictures now acijuiring the interest of tradition, 
add considerably to the pleasing etJ'cct of the whole. 

Wk regret to have to record the death of Mr. 
Obituary. ^^^^^^ LouiilluoKoL'cH Pkakson, H.A., in his 

eighty-first year. The emin- 
ent architect w;is the .son 
of a water-colour arti.st, and 
Wius born in Durham. At 
the age of fourteen he be- 
came an articled pupil of 
Honiuii, and early in his 
jirofessiiinal career showed 
his predilection for ecclesi- 
astical architecture. Com- 
ing to Lcmdon, he worked 
firstly tor .\ntliony Salvin 
and afterwards with Philip 
Hardwick, and it was not 
long before his talent at- 
tracted attention. Holy 
Trinity Church, Vauxhall 
liridge, was his first public 
work, and this Wivs followed 
by St. Peter's Church and 
Art Schools in the siiine 
neighbourhood. His repu- 
tation rapidly spread, and 
in course of time he became 
architect to Hochester, Bri.s- 
tol, Peterboi'ough, Lincoln, 
and Exeter Cathedrals. In 
1KT4 he was elected A.sso- 
ciate of the Koyal Academy, 
and in ISHO full member. 
His greatest aehievenicnt 
in F.ngland was the design- 
ing of Truro Catheilial, a work which he had the satisfac- 
tion of .seeing completed. As a student and exponent of 
(iothic arehiteeture his knowledge was unrivalled. 

The death is announced of Mr. W. .1. LiNToX, the 
ceLbrated wood-engraver, at the advanced age of eighty- 
live. At the age of si.xtcen he was ajipniiticed to Mr. 
W. (i. P.onner, and fourteen years later he entered into 
partnersiiip with Orrin Smith, and worked for the llhtit- 
triiti-il Lrtiii/iin ^'firs. He took rank as one of the most 
artistic exponents of his craft, and wrote one or two books 
dealing with its history and practice, and extolling the 
"white line." He lived in America from IHW!, and was a 
niemler of the American Society of Water Colour Painters 
and the National Academy of Design. 

The death of Mr. T. B. Haudy removes one of our most 
])Oiiular marine painters. He was pos.sessed of extra- 
ordinary caiiabilities, being probably one of the most 
rapid and pmlitic of our water-colour men, and this 
doubtless militated against his latterly accomplishing 
much work really worthy of his talents. 

We regret to learn as we are going to press of the 
death of Mr. H. Stacy >rAnKs, R.A. We shall deal more 
fully with his career in our next number. 



PEARSON. R.A. 
W. W. Ou/os<, R.A.) 



V" 




A BELLE OF SEVILLE. 
(From Iht Painting by J. B. liiirgess, A'.I. /« Iht ColUction of Tliomas J, Barratt. Esg J 



KUouaa or Am. 








THE LATE H. STACY MARKS. R.A. 
(from Ihc Painting ij W. W. OuUss, R.A.) 



a 



y 



^n ())Xemonam: 



HENRY STACY MARKS, R.A. : born Sept. 13, 1829: died Jan. 9, 1898. 

By GEORGE D. LESLIE R.A. 



IN the obituary 
notices, that 
iiave latel}' ap- 
peared, it seems 
to iiie that those 
writers have been 
somewhat hasty 
in forming their 
opinions who as- 
sert that Henry 
Stacy Mark.s was 
not a genius. It 
is quite true that 
liis works lack 
the glamour of 
mystery, that he 
had but little 
feeling for grace 
or beauty, or for 
grandeur of effect 
and composition, and that his execution is neither 
brilliant nor facile. But are there not many man- 
sions in heaven ! Are there not glories of the moon 
llG 




SCIENCE IS MEASUREMENT.' 
(From a Sketcli by the Artist. Diploma Work.) 



and stars as well as of the sun ? Originality, a keen 
and refined sense of humour, an infinite capacitv 
for taking pains, a reverence for truth and nature, 
— are these not also characteristics of Genius ? All 
these qualities "Marco" possessed in a high degi-ee 
and, what is more to the purpose, made good u.se 
of theuL 

Although of course we may not rank him on 
the same shelf with ^lichael Angelo, Kembrandt, 
or Velasquez, yet is he entitled to find an honour- 
able place on that whereon Hollar, Bewick, and 
Chodowiecki repose. 

Marco had a good and sufficient education for 
his work. Not at school, nor at tlie Eoyal Academv. 
nor even at "Dagger Leigh's" nor M. Picot's. Thanks 
to his father, Marco made an earlv and thorough 
acquaintance with the works of William Shakespeare: 
these he knew, loved, and appreciated. His Shake- 
speare was very nearly his only book, but he knew it 
well, by heart and in heart, and it sufficed for him. 
It was to Shakespeare that Marco owed the refine- 
ment that always characterised his humour, and tliat 
reverence with which he always approached nature. 



238 



THIC MACAZIXK OF ART. 




ST. FRANCIS PREACHING TO THE BIRDS. 

Miiico's pictures are never viilg;ir. He never 
dishonours his Creator by giving human eyes and 
Inunan expressions to the bird.s that lie portrays in 
order to gain a ciieap pojiularity for liuniuur; he 
seeks to raise feelings of kin.sliip in our hearts to- 
wards the creatures, but never at the expense of their 
true bird nature and aspect. 

Marco always painted everything he liad tn, as 
well as he possibly could; ids works have ever a 
sense of completeness and sound execution about 
them that gains them llie approbation of his fellow- 
craftsmen. 

To the younger artists of the i)resent day — 
when flimsy shorthand painting is so much in vogue 
— Marks' works may appear dull and laborious 
lirodueti<jns ; but, no matter what the pa.ssing 
fashion may be in the art world, there will always 
be those capaVile of appreciating the merits of siich 
complete and con.scientious work, coniilecl with such 
earnest purpose and refined humour as arc to bo 
found in his jiicturcs. 

Born and bred in town, as he was, and brought 
up under the influence of the gloom of Calvinism, 
with but rare glimpses of sweet country life per- 
ndtted to iiim, we are not astonished to find in Ids 
later life a strong reactionary attachment to nature 
and her beauties. His exquisite little water-colour 



landscapes ought to be better known ; 
they all testify to his feeling for the 
truths of nature. I especially recollect 
one of a rabbit warren that I think I 
coveted more than anything he ever 
painted. 

He passed many weeks in the country 
sketching with me, and I was particu- 
larly struck by the intense enjoyment 
that he showed in rural life and scenes. 
T, who had been always accust<imcd to 
liie country, used much to envy the keen 
appetite and relish that his early en- 
vironment had given him : whilst he used 
t'r('i[uently to lament that his knowledge 
of plants and the animal life of nature 
was but limited, owing to his having 
been forced by circumstances to pass the 
greater part of his early youth in town. 
.\ similar lament occurs in the conclud- 
ing lines of tlie first chapter of his 
Ileminiscences : — • 

" It has ever Ijeen a matter of regret 
to me that I had so little acijuaintance 
with country .sounds, scenes, and occu- 
jia lions in the more impressionable hours 
of rliililhood and early youth." 

My introduction to Marco took place 
in tlie Antique school of the Koyal 
Academy, in tlie winter of 185.1 He was en- 
cased on a chalk drawing from the (.Jermanicus, 
but his heart was very little in his work ; he de- 
rived, I believe, but little good from our school ; 
lie never succeeded in getting into the Life Class, 
and left the place altogether soon after I first met 
him. 1 remember tliat almost his first words to 
me were from Shakespeare, apropos of the weather 
— "The air bites shrewdly; it is bitter cold." 

Those were exciting times for a young artist just 
commencing his career. The electrifying eilbrts of 
the Pre-lJaphaelite Brotherhood and the writings of 
.bihn Kuskin were stirring the hearts of every- 
one. At each succeeding e.xliibition the new scliool 
increa.sed the numbers of its adherents, and that 
such a painstaking and conscientious worker as 
Marco should have inclined towards this revival 
of nature rrrxus conventionalism can scarcely be 
wondered at. 

But thougli greatly taken by the aims and 
lu-inciples of the new sect, Marco never became a 
mere imitator or plagiarist, for he was, above all 
thin"s, honest and original in all he did. His little 
]>ictnrc of "Dogberry" and his "Toothache in the 
Middle Ages" exliibitcd a style and methoil and a 
refined dryness of humour which was entirely his 
own. Marco retained tiiis style to the end, for 



m MEMOBIAM : HENRY STACY MARKS, ll.A. 



239 



although in the choice of his subjects and in the 
arrangements of his compositions he varied occasion- 
ally, according to the changing fancies of the times, 
lie never altered his simple and effective style of 
execution, and always told liis stories with t!:e same 
delightful nuainlness of humour. 

Marks hated to be considered as a comic artist, 
he never intended to raise a broad giin, and he care- 
fully avoided all vulgar exaggeration. His humour 
was, perhaps, somewhat akin to Hogarth's, but it 
diifered from Hogarth's in that it had little or no 
satire or moral attached to it. Marks resembled 
Hogai'th very closely in the skill he displayed in 
the introduction of details and accessories, every 
object introduced having some bear- 
ing on the subject. And like Hogarth, 
Marco gave his spectators credit for 
discernment, leaving the pleasure of 
finding out these little bits of by-play 
to them : neither artist ever forced 
these accessories upon the careless and 
unobservant. 

Marks always shone to the best 
advantage when the subject of his 
picture admitted of simple treatment 
— in such pictures, for instance, as 
" The Franciscan Sculptor and his 
Model," "St. Francis Preaching to the 
Birds," "Science is ]\Ieasurement," "A 
Page of Eabelais," " The Apothecary," 
" The P>ook\vorm," " Cowper and his 
Hares," and many others of a like 
character. In those pictures which 
had many figures in them he was at 
times embarrassed by the difficulties 
of composition, trammelled by the 
cares of correctness of costume, and 
haunted by recollections of the works 
of Baron Leys and Viollet-le-Duc. 
But when engaged on the more simple 
themes, his works have a peculiarly 
naive and placid charm about them 
very analogous to that which is to be 
found in the writings of Isaac 'Walton 
or iJefoe. 

We are captivated Ijy the very 
artlessness of the work and the utter 
absence of all attempt at cleverness 
or show off. 'No one succeeded better 
than he in portraying some little 
episode in the everyday life of an 
old-fashioned country gentleman. You 
cannot help feeling an interest in 
these old men, for the artist himself 
has been so fond of them, and has 
painted them so carefully and lovingly. 



It is tlie same with his bird-portraits, for in these 
Marco is in entire sympathy with his subjects, 
levelling in their quaintness of expression and 
habit. Marks did not possess much feeling for 
ideal beauty, nor, indeed, did he succeed in his re- 
presentations of women or children, and in his 
bird-paintings he is far more at home with birds 
of quaint and grotesque form, sucli as the pelicans, 
storks, parrots, penguins, and kingfi.shers, than he 
is with the nightingale, the swallow, the robin, or 
the thriLsh, to grasp the slender and dainty beauty 
of whieli seemed beyond his power. I do not think 
we sliould find fault witii him for this ; an artist 
is not to be blamed for the fewness of his talents 




THE APOTHECARY. 



240 



THE MAGAZINE OF AlIT. 



so long as he makes the best possible use of those 
which lie possesses. Marco had a very strong ami 
keen natural perception for tjie charms of age and 
ciuaintness of form and ciiaracter; by means of this 
he interests us in tliat with whicli he sympatiiises 
ami feels an interest himself. 

.Marco made good use of the Zoological Gardens : 
his kindly, .sympathetic nature gained liim the 
friendship of all connected in any way with the 
collection there. He was always a good picker-np 
of information, and possessed the art of extracting 
it from people of all .sort.s. I even fancy the birds 
themselves must have liked him, for these creatures 
have a wonderful faculty for recognising a friendly 
eye and voice, and are known to take strong likings 
or dislikings to persons at first sight. 

I only paid one visit to the Zoo in Mark.s' 
company, but it was a great treat to me, and I 
regret much that, owing to my residence in tlic 
country, I had not the opportunity of going there 
many times with him. 1 can well imagine the 
delight which .Idhu Knskin must, have jiad in going 
round the gardens with his friend Marco. 

In his bird pictures I lliink he always succeeded 
best in those in whiili lie was unembarrassed by 
having to think of a subject or title, in order to give 
a popular handle to them at the exhibition. When 
not thus troubleil, as in his water-colour studies or 
in his decorative panels, the individuality of the 
liirds is, perhaps, better preserved. Mast uf his 
water-colour studies are astonishingly beautiful in 
colour and execution, and full of the very essence 
of bird character; a good .selection of these should 
certainly find a place in our National collection. 

Marco had to work hard for his living from first 
to last, for, though his pictures were always welcome 
to the public at the exhibitions, they pleased only a 
few of the most discerning of the i)alions ; in cou- 
.seqnence of which the prices he obtained were never 
over high. Marco, however, though he gruml)led a 
little at times, never lost heart or became sour or 
discontented; he would redouble his industry and 
energy, and when he foinid any diHiculty in disposing 
of his productions in one branch of art he would 
cast about and find a means of Inci'ative occupation 
in another. Thus it is we find liini busy at one 
time on oil pictures, at others on water-colour work, 
wood-<lrawing, decoration, or even turning an honest 
penny by designing book-plates or Christmas cards. 
Decorative work, at least as far as the execution was 
concerned, came easily from his hand, which had 
had an early ami accurate training in the days when 
he was employed Ijy Me.ssr.s. Clayton and Hell, and 
others. His designs, though generally a little con- 
ventional in treatment, abonndeil in pleasant and 
even Ixfautifnl pa.ssuges of composition. The dancing 



figures on the frieze for the Gaiety Theatre are full 
of the pastoral feeling of the Shakespearian age. 
" Here a dance of shepherds ; " one seems to hear the 
drum and tabor and the morice bells. The little 
frieze which was bought for the South Kensington 
Museum, and which most of my readers will be 
familiar with from the reproduction of it, on tiles, 
in the refreshment room, is replete with honest, 
liealtliy life, as well as being a very beautifully 
balanced little piece of line aiul colour. 

Of liis decorative work at Eaton Hall I cannot 
form a just opinion, never having seen the works 
in gi(u, but certainly the bird panels are bright and 
pleasant in a.spect, ami cleverly varied in arrange- 
ment and composition. 

Wiiatever work he umlertook, Marco always 
tried his very utmost towards success, and in 
forming our judgment of him as an artist we shouM 
not forget to take into account his great versatility. 
Indeed, it would lie diflieult to point out any other 
artist of the present day who held his own so easily 
in so many difVerent liranches of art. Ami, be it 
remembered, he was no "Jack of all trades and 
master of none." His subject-pictures were full of 
iiiteresl and originality: his waler-colonr drawings, 
both of landscape and of birds, were marvellously 
beautiful ; he was the first to introduce a new 
departure in the illustrations of our children's 
books : his decorative skill was far above medi- 
ocrity, and his little boolc-plates and Christmas 
cards were the best of his day. 

That Marks had consideralile literary skill the 
two volumes of personal reminiscences entitled 
"Pen and IVik il Sketches" (Chatto and A\'indns, 
1894) 1 think amply testify. In these volumes will 
lie foinid .several .songs and venses which he com- 
posed and used to sing to his friends at their 
convivial meetings. I felt sorry when I found that 
he had in.serted these in his book, because read 
tiiere, in cold blood — po.ssibly by many who would 
be strangers to the personality of ilarco — the 
impression they convey is, I must confess, to a 
certain extent, one of feebleness. These same songs 
were fidl of allusions to the doings and sayings of 
the time when they were written, and of person- 
alities which have since lost their force. They were 
intended to be sung at our "clique suppers," or 
after one of the Greenwich dinners of the Royal 
Academy Club, and thus sung by Marks himself in 
his unique and inimitable manner they delighted 
everyone. Hut it seems to me that they might very 
well have been left to the recollection of those 
friends who heard them sung at the time and place 
for which they were intended. 

It wius very much owing to Marco's good nature 
in amusing his frieiuls so readily at all times by his 




AN ODD VOLUME. 



242 



THE :\rAf:AZTXK OF A TIT. 



siuging and dramatic power that people came to re- 
gard him as a comedian, and no doubt it happened 
thus tliat Marco unconsciously tied the very 
label iif •'Comic Artist" on himself that he so 
bitterly resented as the deed of others. Tlie fact 
of the matter is tliut Marco was liardly ever any- 
thing else but grave and serious; even when singing 
these songs his face reUiined the utmost gravity, as 



His impersonation of a drunken man entering a 
public-house was one of the most terrible pieces 
of reality in the way of acting that I think I 
ever saw. 

.Marco was a most delightful companion : lie had 
a wonderful power of adapting himself to times and 
circumstances ; no one could be more gay and play- 
ful on a lioliday; no one more .sympathetic and kind 




A SKETCH IN THE ZOO. 



the little caricatures of him in the act of .singing, 
by F. Walker, bear witness. 

As an evidence of the triilli of my assciliun tli;it 
gravity was the prevailing tone of INlarco's character, 
1 would also point out that in no portrait of him 
that remains — not even in the caricatures and 
little <lrawing3 of him by his friends — can llie 
slightest ajiproacli to a smile be traced. Mr. Onless, 
in liis wonderfully succe.s.sful portrait, lias bit exactly 
tlie iisual grave and tliouglitfnl expression ti^at was 
habitual to him. .Marco himself has .supplied us 
with a clue to Ids most inner self by introducing 
a skidl lieneatli the jester's cap and bells in the little 
book-plate which adorns the cover of one of bis 
volumes of Reminiscences; and by tlie setting siui 
and ]iensiv(' expression of the jester whieli appenr 
outside the other volinne. 

At any rate, his comedy was not of the vulgar 
musie-ball tyjic. He had great dramatic powers. 



in the day of trouble. There was no self-a.ssertion 
ill his manner ; he was a good talker and a good 
listener, always ready and glad to obiaiu informa- 
tion from those able to allbrd it, paying the utmost 
(leferciice to the aged, and winning the hearts of 
eliildreii by nuiiierous little tricks and devices. 

It was the siniplicily and maidy sincerity of 
Marco's personal character that gained liini the 
hearts of so many fiieiuls: it was for tliese quali- 
ties that dulin Kuskin loved him .so well. Marco 
was always welcome in the stn<lios of his friends; 
for they trustc<l him, and bis advice was ever sound 
and wiiolesomc. 

Marco had ([iiite his share of this world's troubles, 
lint he never aired his grievances in the presence of 
his frienil.s. He was heroic in his ciulurance, his one 
and never-failing solace and comfort luing hard work. 
No more fitting motto for Marco's gravestone could 
be found than — " T.id)orare est Orare." 




CHAIRMAN OF COMMITTEE. 



245 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 

DECORATIVE ART AT WINDSOR CASTLE : WOODEN FURNITURE. 



IBY HER MAJESTY'S SPECIAL PERMISSION! 

BY FREDERICK S. ROBINSON. 



IX our last chapter upuu wood-iiilaid furniture we new nietliod of shading. Until his advent shading 
dealt chiefly with tiie nianiueterie of Riesener. had been accomplished through scorching the little 
He was not the' only master in tliis beautiful style pieces of veneer by plunging them into hot sand, or 

else by skilful gradations with a brush filled with 
a biting acid. Eoentgen's method, which greatly 
impressed his contemporaries, was to attain the 
modelling of his figures by letting in small pieces, 
each of suitable colour or duly tinted, to form the 
sliadows, so that the juxtaposition of three or four 
pieces in successive tones produced the effect of 
modelling required. He no longer used " etching " 
or engraving, or the burning process to make a 
graduated tint on a single piece of wood. At 
Windsor there is no example of his work, but at 
South Kensington, in the Jones collection, he is 
very well represented. An oval-topped table with 
an inlaid representation of .Eneas carrying Anchises 
away from Troy is a good example of his style of 
tiiiure shading. A similar one with the same subject 




JAPANESE CABINET ON LOUIS XIV GILT CONSOLE. {Seep. 247.) 

of decoration, though he seems to have understood 
the artistic limitations of his craft better than any. 
A younger compatriot was to carry it by his 
wonderful technique too near to the confines of 
realism. David Roentgen was the successor of 
Eiesener in popular favour. He was born at 
Nieuwied, in Germany, about 17-45, and became a 
master ebhiiste, thanks to tlie patronage of Marie 
Antoinette in 1780. He was, however, not a 
resident iu France, but had his workshops in his 
native town, from which he used to make periodic 
visits to I'aris. The development of inlay with 
which the name of " David "—as he is sometimes 
known, or " David of Luneville " — is associated, 
consisted in a use of large figure subjects and a 
117 




JAPANESE CABINET uN fcMPiRE 



^0;vaUuE. (Sec 11.247.) 



246 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 



is ill tlie boiuloir of tlie Marquise de Scrilly (No. 
1,736), which is set \\\> in anotlier part of the 
nmseinn. A thinl example is tlie large writiiig- 
tahle (No. 1,076), with Sevres plaques and two 
figure groups on the top, wliicii M. 'lo Champeaux 
regiirds as the most interesting of all his work. 
These are an addition to the t^ible, which had 
originally oidy a leather top. They represent 
Geographv ami Maritime Commerce. 



1790. He left France completely at the Revolution. 
The Convention, never averse to seizing anything, 
pronounced him an emigre — on the score of his 
iiaviug had a shop at Paris and a diploma from the 
queen — and confiscated his stock. He died about 
the year 1807. M. de Champeaux conspares him 
unfavourably with Riesener, though he admits that 
the vigour and brilliance of his iidav is remark- 
able. As to the form and shape of his design and 




LACQUERED COMMODE, WITH CELADON VASES. MOUNTED IN ORMOULU. (I- ihc R^bt.» Room. S^, p. 24S.) 



Wliile admiring the .skill willi which his inlay 
is executed, it is penni.s.sible to regret tiiat Roentgen 
.should have Ijeen tempted to embark upon the 
inlaying of human figures nine or ten inches high, 
instead of confining himself, as Riesener did, witii 
a more correct taste, to qtiiet tlower-panels ui)on a 
ground of lozenge or trellis inlay. Uoentgeu was 
not the first to euqdoy figures; Cressent, a suc- 
cessor and pupil c)f I'.oullc, and I'henistr to the 
Regent Philippe d'Orleans, had made a .'specialily 
in his panels of diildren jdaying with dugs and 
monkeys, during the Regency and the commence- 
ment of Louis XV's reign. These, however, had 
not the realistic nature of Roentgen's wfirk. 

Roentgen's Hourishing time was from 17f^0 to 



decoration, "the (ierman workman," lie remarks, 
"is crushed by the French artist." 

Now this opens up a very interesting subject, 
for the truth is that, as we have seen, neither the 
one nor the other was a Frenchman at all. Riesener 
came from near Cologne, and Roentgen from the 
neighbourhood of Colilenz, and it is a fact that for 
many of her most famous furniture-makers France 
was indebted to Cermany and the countries north 
of France. In the early years of Louis -XlII 
Fiviicii furniture had so lost its reputation that 
for a royal present of a cabinet, recourse was hail 
to Germany. When the fresh impulse was born 
for making inlaid furniture, it was the Dutch who 
showed the way. We need oidy repeat once more 



THE QUEEN'S TREASURES OF ART. 



247 



the names of Golle, Vordt, Somer, Oppenonl, and 
Staber, wlio wei-e all eithei- Low Country natives or 
men who had been apprenticed there. For stone 
iulay it will be remembered that the Italians 
supplied the workmen with such names as Miglio- 
rini, Branchi, and tliacetti. Even for sculpture, 
Domenico Cucci, an Italian, was the chief artist 
employed by Boulle, who himself was probably 
Swiss, if his family did not come from Flanders. 
The Caffieri family, his celebrated successors, also 
came from Rome. Then we get the famous Oeben's 
name, which is not French, though we have no data 
as to his birthplace. He is succeeded by Riesener, 
Roentgen, Pieneman, Janssen, Weiswei'er, Jacob 
Desmalter. Amongst the very best known of the 
cabinet-makers as many are foreigners as French, 
and the most famous are the Germans. 

It seems, therefore, quite unnecessary for il. de 
Champeaux to draw any distinctions of race between 
Riesener and Roentgen. Neither would it be wise 
to lay too much stress on the assumption that 
French taste always guided foreign workmanship. 
The Cafheri family certainly themselves helped to 
make that taste, nor must we forget Jacques 
Yerberckt, of Antwerp, who directed the decorative 
sculpture-work at Versailles during the whole reign 
of Louis XV, and was a most versatile artist. Oeben, 
too, as M. Maze-Sencier says, was " a master of the 
first rank, and the expert Remy rightly styled him 
famous." Riesener was equally skilful as a designer. 
Roentgen invented his own technique and colouring. 
No doubt they assimilated French ideas, but in 
their turn they helped to guide them. It is better 
to agree with M. Havard (" L'Ebenisterie "), and to 
extend his dictum to the eighteenth century, when 
he says, " It seems that our craftsmen in the Middle 
Ages and in the period of the Renaissance seldom 
practised the art of the inlayer, which necessitated, 
in particular, qualities of precision, patience, and 
perseverance little in accord with the somewhat 
hasty and unthoughtful genius of our race. These 
qualities, on the contraiy, are characteristic of the 
slow and methodical natives of Germany and 
Flanders." 

It was a happy concatenation of circumstances 
which brought the patient and skilled foreign work- 
man to the assistance of the Frenchman with ideas. 
The splendid results of their co-operation could not 
have been otherwise attained, and it would be a 
very great mistake to suppose that in the partner- 
ship the labour only was on one side and the brains 
on the other. 

A reference to Roentgen was necessary, if only 
for the sake of comparing him with Riesener, who 
stands out as the greatest of the inlayers. We 
should not, however, be doing justice to the latter's 



versatility if we did not include him amongst those 
who produced the charming furniture which was 
constructed either from old Chinese and Japanese 
lacquer panels or from French imitations of the 
same. 

Japanese and Chinese lacquer cabinets with gilt 
metal mounts are comuinnlv known to most of us. 




LACQUERED CORNER CUPBOARD. WITH PORPHYRY 
VASE, MOUNTED IN ORMOULU. (,See p. 250.) 

Many an old country house contains a specimen 
similar to, tiiough perhaps not originally so tine or 
in such perfect preservation as, the two which we 
illustrate on p. 24.'i. They are nearly always of the 
same type, with a large centre key-plate of fantastic 
shape profusely but sketchily engraved, triangular 
corner-pieces, and six or eight hinge-plates on each 
side. Their two folding doors reveal, when opened, 
lacquered drawers of various sizes; and they are 
mounted, as a rule, though not at Windsor, on 



248 



TiiK :\iAOA/!:rxE of art. 



four spindly plain black legs, with peviiaps a C 
curve at the junction of the latter with the frame. 



Louis XIV attempts at lacquer - producing were 
made. So nianv cabinets of the kind were included 




ORIENTAL LACQUER SIDEBOARD. WITH ORMOULU MOUNTS. PROBABLY BY RIESENER, AND 
CISTERN MOUNTED BY CAFFIERI. (Sm p. ^50.) 



Tlie J)ulih were prubaljly the fir.st importers of 
these, and Louis XIV is said to Iiave been presented 
with many of tlieni by the embassy from the King 
of Siam, which created such a stir at his Court. 
These cabinets in their original state did not long 
satisfy French taste. The cabinet-makers saw their 
way to turn them to account. The panels were 
divested of their hinges, were framed in ebony 
stiles, and were decorated with the handsomest of 
ormoulu mounts. The transformation was complete, 
and though sometliiiig was lost, French furniture 
gained in the process. There are many fine 
specimens at Windsor like those wliicli we illus- 
trate. Tliey look very handsome on their gilt 
con.«ole.s. The most elaborate of the latter is in 
I^uis XIV style ; the more simpli? and .slender one 
in late Ix)uis XVL 

The French very soon began to imitate the 
Oriental lacquers. It is probable, indeed, that tlie 
imitation was prior to the adaptation of the genuine 
pieces into new furniture. In the first years of 



in tlu^ inventory at his death tliat it is very likely 
some at least were imitation.s. lluygens, a Dutch- 
nuin, is .said to have been liie tirst to invent an 
imitation lacquer which was very deceptive, but 
even earlier rougli English attempts are found. 
Tiie " Livre Commode " of I'radel, published in 
1692, mentions a maker named Le Koy as a painter 
of all kinds of furniture " en vernis de la Chine." 
The celebrated Martin family of four brother.^, 
while endeavouring to imitate the Oriental lacquers, 
discovered tiie varnish which has made their name 
famous, and which led to the production of that 
charming furniture painted with Howers or Watteau 
and P)Oucher figure subjects on a line gold (or .some- 
times green or red) ground, with which most of us 
are familiar. Tiiere is no example of this at 
Windsor, but at BuckingliaMi I'alaee there is a 
notable piece, to which we siiall refer in due course. 
For the present we must confine ourselves to the 
black and gold lacijuer, of which the Martins were 
granted a monopoly for twenty years in IT.'^O and 



THE QUEEN'S TEEASURES OF ART. 



249 



1744. In 1748 their several establishments were 
declared " Manufacture Nationale." 

Windsor is rich in this beautiful style of furni- 
ture, and Buckingham Palace also. An elegant 
example, which also is earliest in date, is the 
commode with two drawers which we iUustrate on 
p. 246. This has Louis XV mounts in the style 
of Caflleri (to whom, in another article, we shall 
refer), but with a certain l)utch element liesides. 

It will be seen that in this beautifully-shaped 
piece of furniture there is no trace of the pomposity 
of the earlier age of Louis XIV. "We have stepped 
into the period of a court life carried on in private 
rooms with less ceremony and greater intimacy. 
The long, lofty gallery is deserted for the boudoir 
scattered with a hvuidred little playful ornaments 
in the Rococo style which jnirists condemn. In 
its less extreme manifestations, nevertheless, how 
charmiuir it is 1 The ormoulu mounts are no longer 



silhouette " is here found to perfection. How 
devoid of awkwardness, and yet how free from 
weakness, are the lines of this commode ! AVhat 
unity there is between the shape of the structure 
and the ornament applied to it may be .seen from 
our illustration. 

A favourite device on these pieces of furniture 
is to raise the twisted ormoulu stems of trailing 
foliage from relief to full solidity so that they may 
be grasped by the hand and act as handles for the 
drawers. This system of occasional complete solidity 
may be found in exactly the same way on the carved 
oak panelling of rooms in late Louis XIV style. 
I have seen a complete room from the castle, 
near Bordeaux, of PhcEbus d'Albret, Baron de Pons, 
in which the motive of ornament on the oak panel- 
ling carried out almost exactly that of the ormoulu 
mounts on a Caffieri commode placed against the 
wall. On the wall the stems were detached merely 



"ViW""-'^i 



Vi-7'f?' 










LACQUER SIDEBOARD. WITH ORMOULU MOUNTS, PROBABLY BY RIESENER, AND VINCENNES 
VASE MOUNTED IN THE STYLE OF CAFFIERL (S«e p. 250.) 



confined, as in the furniture of BouUe, within the as a wonderful four deforce. On the commode they 

straight outline or profile of the piece. They seem admirably serve a useful purpose. In the Jones 

to run at their own sweet will, and the " continuous collection are one or two magnificent lacquer Caffieri 

thread of brass married to every curve of the commodes with handles fashioned in the same style. 



250 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 



The lacquer upon " bonibe " or curved and swelling 
furniture is probably of French manufacture. It 
would not be esxsy to find Oriental panels wliich 
could be adapted into the curves of the Louis XV 
style. Tiierefore tlie surface of this connnode, which 
has a liosa marble top, cannot be conii)ared wilii the 
mirror-like polish of true Oriental wi>rk. It has, 
however, a fine character of its own. 

Tiiere are two "corner cupboards" or " enci)i,L;ii- 
ures," one of which we illustrate on p. 247, which 
may be reckoned as being ru siii/c witli this commode. 
Their panels are in black and gold lacquer, but tlie 
borders are of a red wiiieli makes them very pleasing 
in effect. Tlie ormoulu curves, round wliich light 
foliage so beautifully twines, are almost identical in 
feeling with the mounts on a book cupboard in rose- 
wood in the bishop's palace at Mans (" Le Meuble," 
Fig. 4;j, vol. ii.), and are very characteristic. Tiiese 
encoignures also have Itosa marble slabs, and came 
from 105, Tall Mall, bouglit August ord, 182'J, 
from Mr. Owen, of Bond Street." Whether the 
commode is from the same house we have not been 
able to discover, as we were not able to see tlie back 
of it, but it is more tliaii probable. The two green 
Celadon vases on the top are mountfd with good 
ormoulu ornaments chased and repou.sse in the same 
style. On the encoigmire is a porphyry vase with 
ormoulu mounts of the later date of Louis XVf. 

We must remind llie reader that the llocoro 
style of shell .uid mck work and twisted endive leaf 
("feuilles tordues en chicoree ") has many manifesta- 
tions. Tiie less pronounced is better than that which 
was carried to extremes. There are one or two 
clocks at Buckingham I'alace wliich will show us 
what it could become, Viut we may refer here to 
one of Caftieri's pieces of furniture as a pronounced 
e.xample. It is a bureau in the collection of riinee 
Jletternich, and is figured (Fig. 4:3, vol. ii.) in M. 
de Champeaux's book " Le Meuble." At the same 
time it is well to state thatCafiicri was quite callable 
of otlier forms of design. 

Our next illustration (p. 24S) is of a sideboard in 
which the panels are stiaight and probably of genuine 
Oiiental manufacture. Tiiis is a very interesting 
example. M. de Champeaux says, "Windsor Castle 
contains some large pieces of furniture wliich come 
from Versailles. Amongst them are some low side- 
boards with mounts representing female figures." 
Tliese he attributes to Iliesener. He makes, however, 
the mistake of referring to tliese in connection with 
the furniture with Sevres iihupies wliich Iliesener 
also manufactured. Now of the three tine pieces of 
furniture with Sevres plaques at Windsor not one 
is a "sideboard with female figures." But there are 
three pieces of lacquer furniture which may be 
described as having terminal ends with figures of 



women. We can only imagine that his survey was 
neces-sarily hasty and that he has confused the 
dillerent pieces of furniture. It will be remembered 
thai the Kiesener commode and encoignure whicli 
we illustrated in our former article on inlaid furni- 
ture had terminal female figures at the corners. In 
our sideboard, one of a pair here shown with three 
mounted pieces of porcelain, are similar figures. 
Moreover, there is rich ormoulu scroll ornament on 
the "ccintuic"or frame (below the marble top slab), 
and beneath the centre panel is a rich " culot " 
ornament. Tiiese characteristics of Hiesener's style 
incline us to attribute this piece to him. It is very 
likely that if it could be moved his stamp would 
be discovered. Perhaps the finest examples of his 
work in this style were bought from the Hamilton 
I'alace collection. They are two secretaires from 
St. Cloud, sold for a song at an anonymous sale 
" le 28 Germinal an XI." They are now in the 
possession of the Vanderbills. The fine pair in 
the Vandyke IJoom, one of which we illustrate, are 
six feet long and fitted with three doors in the front 
and three drawers in the frame. The mounts are 
finely gilt and cliased. On the top slab of whiti' 
marlile onr illustration shows a beautiful blue 
Oriental porcelain cistern with exquisite scroll 
handles and base of ormoulu in the style of Catberi. 
This is fianked liy a ])air of green jiorcelain vases 
with mounts, iiududing twisted drop handles, 
probably made for George IV. (See p. 248.) 

Tlie other "bullet" is found in the Eubens Koom. 
This also might be attributed to Kiesener, but not 
perhaps with so great imibabilily. It is, however, 
worthy of anyone on account of its splendid corner 
busts. Clodiun ])er]ia]is might have modelled and 
Gouthitre have executed them. ( )n the top slab is a 
low chandelier surmounted by a \-ase of a Vincennes 
shape, but with the enamel " jewels" of ^vvves pdte 
Inithr, which attracted the notice of M. William- 
son, the French connoisseur, when he paid his visit to 
Windsor. Tiie ormoulu base might be by the same 
hand as that whicli ]iiobably executed, with such beau- 
tiful freedom, the mounts of the Oriental cistern above 
mentioned— namely Thilippc Callieri. (See p. 249.) 
Tlic name of Carlin is best known amongst the 
men wlio began to use up tlic old Oriental lacquer 
panels in the construction of new furniture, because 
they fouiiil that the previously popular imitation 
lacquer was not refined enough for their oriiKiulu. 
lb' liecanie «(''(7;v f'/ie/((.syc in I Tliti and worked in a 
]iure l.oni.s XVI manner. In his roiidiicss for a profu- 
sion of ormoulu, especially on \.\\v. upper frames of his 
riirniture, he rest'uibles Biesener, but his designs are 
generally in a smaller, less massive style, with much 
detail. ^lany of his works were made for the Chateau 
de Bellevue, the former pleasure house of iladame de 




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UJ 

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THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 



Pompadour. After lier death it was stripped of its 
furniture, and the two daughters of Louis XV, 
Victoire and Adelaide, lived there during the reign 
of their nephew Louis XVL They were great 
collectors of lacquer and porcelain, and called in 
Carlin to construct their furniture to match. The 
circular table with two tiers and Sevres top in the 
Jones collection (No. 729) is signed by Carlin, and 
another small table (No. 1,0;"^) has the stamps nf 
both Carlin and I'afrat, his collaborator. A special 
interest attaches to a cabinet (N<i. I,ii74) in cliony 
and black and gold lac(|uer in the .same collection. 
It has a main panel lacipiered with a large va.se 
of Howurs. The edge mounts are elaborate beads. 
There arc also large corner rosettes, and pretty little 
leaf ornaments in onnoulu are sunk in tlie llutcs at 
the corners. This is stamped N. Petit, and is .«aid to 
be similar and c<impaiiion to one in possession of 
Her Majesty at Buckingham Palace. Carlin also 
was addicted to the use of these little ornaments 
sunk in the flutes of panels, and legs of furniture. 
In the liubens Itoom is a very large and striking 
piece of furniture which, on account nf the profusion 
of its moiuits, their design, and tiie presence of the 
sunk ornaments before described in the flutes of its 
round legs, we are disposed to attribute to Carlin, 
though it is not in lacquer but entirely of ebony 
veneer. This writing-table, on eight leg.s, si.\ of 
which are fluted, is .seven feet lliree inches long, and 
contains live drawer.s. A cabinet on the top of this 
table at the back lias eight deep drawers (t'uur at 
each end) and sI.k shallow ones in the frames. lu 
the centre is a cupboard with mirror doors. This 
very hand.some piece has an additional interest as 
the keyhole mounts of foliage liave tlie monogram 
DL everywhere repeated. U wrndd be inteiesting 



to know who was the DL for whom lliis was made. 
It was hardly a royal personage, or the monogram 
would have been probably removed by the Pevolu- 
tionists. The "swag" wreath iiandles and the mag- 
nificent gilding are two very characteristic signs of 
the work of Carlin. This effective piece, which is 
placed under the equestrian portrait of the Arch- 
duke .\ll)ert, (iovernor of the Netherlands, helps 
with the rest of the black and gilt furniture to 
nialo' the lUibens Poom one of the most hand.some 
in Windsor Castle. Thr vase im the centre of the 
irrih: untiijiic top slali is of blue Oiiental mounted 
with angulated and curved ormoulu handles, and 
is pniliably the wnrk nf ^'assnn, wlm affected that 
shape. (See p. 2.jl.) 

It will have been noticed that the furniture we 
have been describing is, with the exception of the 
Caftieri style commode, in a straighter and more severe 
manner tlian that of the style known as Louis XV. 
Towards the end of iiis reign the Kevolution had 
swung back, and a reaction had taken place in 
favour of straight instead of curved lines. At 
lUickingham Palace we .shall find charming little 
straight-legged tables of Louis X^'I, which at length 
make way for the cold classicality of the Empire. 
In nur cnucluding article upon the "Windsor furniture 
we have to deal with the inlaid examples with Sevres 
])laques which became the fashion when that porce- 
lain attained its great perfection. We have also to 
notice the propensity towards plain mahogany with 
ormoulu mounts. This jjliase will be exemplified by 
the magnificent cabinet nuule for the Comte d'Artois 
and called after the name of the incomparable 
CJouthiere. This is the pride of the Windsor Castle 
collection, and can scarcely lie apprnailicd by any- 
thing of the kind in the world. 



METROPOLITAN SCHOOLS OF ART: THE CALDERON SCHOOL. 



By aymer vallance. 



rpiIE princiide to which the Sclmol of .\nimal 
-L Painting in Paker Street owes its existence is 
tliat. just as a regular and definite training is required 
for the proper understanding and delineation of the 
human figure, so for the correct representation of 
animal forms a special cour.se of study is no less 
indispensible. This is obviously true ; and yet, 
strange to say, while schools for human figine study 
abound, it hail until recently no adequate means of 
being put into effect in the Metropolis. It is only 
fair, however, to record that a somewhat similar 



attempt had been made previously in Gower Street ; 
Ijut, at the lime when .Mr. Frank (.'aileron established 
his cla.s.ses for tlu' purpose, some four years ago, his 
enterprise stood alme. It had to be so far experi- 
mental that the school was started for landscape 
study conjointly with that of aninud.s. Put the 
iai)id development of the latter feature, and the 
success which the school began to attain, attracting, 
as it has done, jiupils fnim France and Auu'rica as 
well as frniu all parts of the I'nited Kingdom, proved 
liiiw real a want tiiere was for an institution nf the 



\ 
,1/ 




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I- s 

CO cj 



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Q- I 




THE (Al.DFJJON SCHool 



253 



sort, iiud justified Mr. I'aUlerou in ciirryiiig out his 
intention more fully rhan he had ventured to do at 
the first. And so, as his coadjutor, llr. Johnson, 




weekday during term time, and furnishes accommo- 
dation for forty students, a considerable proportion 
of whom are ladies. The school year is divided 
into three terms of twelve 
weeks each, commencing re- 
spectively at a given time in 
• lanuary, April, and October. 
In tlie interval between the 
end (if the summer term 
and tlie betrinnin" of the 
next, the London school is 
closed and 'Sir. Calderon 
conducts a class for the 
purpcjse of (ipcn-air work 
in the country. Last year, 
for example, he seemed a 
farm in the pictures(iue 
neighbourliood of ]\Iid- 
huist, Sussex, and pupils 
ti) tlie number of forty 
availed themselves of the 
opportunity thus afforded 
to study animals and figures 
in relation to their natural 



transferred his landscape 
cla.ss to Eiuiunond, the 
Baker Street .school, from 
the beginning of last year, 
has been devoted exclu- 
sively to the study of ani- 
mal painting and anatomy. 
Mr. Calderon's method, 
it may be observed, .so far 
commands the approbation 
of distinguished authorities, 
that they act as official 
visitors of the institution. 
Foremost among them is 
:Mr. Briton Eiviere, ll.A., 
wiio has taken the live- 
liest interest in the school 
from its foundation. To 
popularise the school, and 
for the benefit of those 
students to wliom pecu- 
niary assistance may be 
helpful, the Principal ofl'ers 
three Free Studentships 

annually. The competition is open witiiout re- 
striction, save that any intending candidate is 
recpiired to have attended regularly throughout 
the school course of three months preceding the 
examination in April. The school is open every 
118 




N THE STUDIO AT BAKER STREET. 
(From Plwtogniphb bij Elliott atui Frtj.) 

siUToundings and under varying conditions of light, 
and so on. A constant supply of horses, cows, 
calves, goats, donkeys, and sheep was forth- 
coming ; and, since Mr. Calderon has his own 
studio on the spot, his pupils were enabled to 



254 



THE MAGAZTXE OF ART. 



work every day in all weathers. It will naturally the study of dogs and three for horses, the latter 
be understood that the country offers the readiest occasionally mounted, or otherwise accompanied 




THE OUTDOOR CLASS AT MIDHURST. 

{From a Pltotouropii bg F. Cozf, Midhurst.) 



facilities for obtaininj^ animal models. But neither by a human figure in costume. So fewer than 
is tiiere any lack for the use of the London three hundred horses are posed in tiie Calderon 
classes. Two days a week are set apart for studio in the course of the year. Many of them 





STUDIES OF FOXHOUNDS. SHOWING METHOD OF SUPPORTING THE ANIMALS 

(«( Kfll /mogxi Co//itr.) 



THE CALDERON SCHOOL. 



255 



are pressed into the service from the various livery 
stables round about the school headquarters, but 
others are brought thither from more distant 
parts ; for Mr. Calderon is continually on the 
alert, in the streets of London and in the country 
also, to note and apply for suitable models for his 
purpose. In the kennels upon his own premises 



hour at a time tlirougluml the day, while an 
attendant — as, in fact, in the case of horses and 
other animals too — keeps watch lest they should 
show any inclination to be restive. Experience 
proves that, no matter how vigilantly tended, an 
animal rarely stands for long together absolutely 
motionless in one position, and even a slight change 




COSTUME MODEL ON HORSEBACK. 
[By the late R, Shober.) 



he keeps a terrier, a greyhound, and three wolf- 
hounds — splendid animals the last-named, one of 
them of Eussian, two of Irish breed — all trained 
expressly for "sitting." It is wonderful how 
quickly they can be accustomed to it, the chief 
difficulty being to make them keep in a standing 
posture while required. "With this object a light 
band or halter is passed round tlie middle of the 
body and attached to some point above at such a 
height as allows the animal to stand quite com- 
fortably but keeps him well suspended should he 
attempt to lie down. Moreover, the dogs are 
relieved by being made to take turns for half an 



is enough to shift the balance of the body and alter 
the whole attitude. The students, therefore, are 
encouraged not to trouble themselves with over- 
anxious endeavours to complete a drawing in the 
first position if the animal shall have moved before 
it is completed, but to begin to draw the model in 
the next position assumed, and the next again if 
a further change should interfere with the second 
For it often occurs that the animal returns of its 
own accord to the original position, or to somethiug 
so nearly approaching it that the first drawing 
begun and perforce left unfinished can, after a little 
patient waiting, be completed. Not only are these 



■2r,G 



THE magazine: of akt. 



stuilics useful iu tlieniselvcs, but lliey help the Dccasionally the study of horses and dogs is varied 
student to acquire a vei-satility, a riuickness of by the introduction of cows or donkeys. Even- 
observation, and a facility of handling, perhaps nut ing classes for black-and-white work are held on 





PEN-AND-INK SKETCHES WITHOUT PRELIMINARY PENCIL WORK- 
(«(, «.S8 «. A. ermn.) 

to be surpassed by any other kind of artistic training. Mondays and Thursdays. Five days a week the 
Of this fact the spirited pen-draW'ings wliicli some school is under tlie iiiiiuediate personal direction of 
of tile students learn to ])niduce bear witness. Mr. (.'alderon, but on Saturdays it is in the hands 




LIFE STUDY. 
(S> «/•> ( Collltr.) 



SWAXSEA POECELAIX. 



257 



of Dr. Armstead, for the purposes of the class 
for Animal Anatomy, on which subject he is a 
specialist. To this department Mr. Calderon rightly 
attaches particular importance, for though, of course, 
the subject is necessarily incidental to all studies 
in the school, under Dr. Armstead it is systematised 
in a way that pre\ious teachers do not appear to 
have deemed it worth while to do. The anatomy 
lesson takes the form not so much of an oral lecture 
as of actual demonstration by means of dissection 
and by the display of diagrams, etc. The collection 
of casts is, indeed, a special feature in the school. 
Many of them have been moulded expressly from 
dissections made by Dr. Armstead, others taken 
from dead animals under his and Mr. Calderon's 
joint supervision ; and these, together with a quan- 



tity of casts of wild and domestic animals selected 
from among the best existing supplies attainable 
in Paris and in this country, and a number of 
skeletons and life-size diagrams, constitute a valuable 
museum of animal anatomy. There is, in addition, 
a reference library of standard works on the subject. 
If there is anything that one might wish changed 
with regard to the Calderon School, it is its situation. 
Could it only be transferred to the region of South 
Kensington, and the ample resources of the Xatural 
History collection there made practically available 
for the use of Messrs. Calderon's and Armstead's 
classes, the usefulness of museum and school to- 
gether might be capable of being augmented to 
an almost indefinite extent to the advantage of 
all concerned. 



SWANSEA PORCELAIN. 



BY COSMO MONKHOUSE. 



iT wiis quite time that somebody should attempt 
to rescue from oblivion the still surviving facts 
about the once 
famous potteries of 
Swansea and Xant- 
garw. Except what 
may be called the 
brief but brilliant 
Billingsley period, 
there is not much 
that is fascinating 
in their historj', but 
if it were only for 
the sake of that 
potter's gallant at- 
tempt to make an 
ideal porcelain com- 
bining the qualities 
of Xankin and 
Sevres, the pains 
which Mr. Turner 
has taken would be 
well justified.* But 
of course Mr. Turner could not confine himself to 
Billingsley and his products, and having once set 
his shoulder to the wheel he has done his work 
thoroughly, and presented such a picture of the rise 
and decline of Cambrian pottery that his name will 
hereafter be ranked as an authority with Binns of 

* " The Ceramics of Swansea and Xantgarw," by William 
Turner, F.S.S., with an Appendix on the mannerisms of the 
artists, by Robert Drane, F.L.S. (Bemrose and Sons.) 




THE SWANSEA WORKS. 



Worcester, Owen of Bristol, and Haslem of Derby 
— at all events, as far as liistory is concerned. Nor 

is it only with re- 
gard to historical 
facts that his book 
will in tlie future 
be sought for re- 
ference. Although 
he modestly dis- 
claims any technical 
knowledge of cera- 
mic processes, and 
distrusts his ability 
as a critic of art, he 
has done his best 
to provide connois- 
seurs with all a^•ail- 
able means to de- 
termine not only 
the dates of their 
specunens but the 
artists by whom 
they were decorated. 
To aid in tliis he has called in the assistance of a 
learned lover of Cambrian pottery, Mr. Eobert 
Drane, who has selected the illustrations with the 
special object of distinguishing the mannei'isms 
of the china-painters employed at Swansea and 
Xantgarw, and has contributed a very helpful ap- 
pendix on this difficult subject. 

Like every other serious and determined in- 
vestigator of the truth, Mr. Turner has had to 



258 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 



eijcoimter great difficulties, not only in discovering 
new facts but in demolishing old falsehoods, and 
he gives one very amusing instiince of the latter. 
"Another error," he writes — "a newspaper one — is 
this : the rea.son for the works being open at 
Xantgarw is there said to have been because 
(amongst other advantages) there was plenty of 
china clay at Caerleoii, near Newport. By corre- 
spondence and search I traced tliis error to its 



was 1811 to 1824. It might be called Billiugsley 
porcelain, for though it was made at Swansea for 
some five years after that remarkable man returned 
to Nantgarw, it was made there after his receipts, 
more or less modified. 

These facts assumed, one would have thought 
that there could not be much ditliculty in deter- 
mining pieces of Nantgarw and Swansea china, 
especially as (thaid<s in a great measure to Mr. 






THE AURICULA (Full Size). Painted bv- 1. Billingsley 2 T. 

5. Webster. 6 Unknown. 



Parooe. 3. Morris. 4 Pollaro. 



.source. The writer — an anonymous one — was dis- 
covered ; his alleged authority was interviewed. I 
found it was a misunderstanding, and lluit, in all 
])robability, as Marryat had mixed Pardoe up with 
Billiugsley, so he (the anonymous writer) had mixed 
up the words Cacrleon, a village, witli Kaolin, a 
china clay." 

One advant^nge of Mr. Turner's subject was the 
definiteness of its limits. Altogether the Cambrian 
potteries had but a short existence. The Nantgarw 
works were sUirted in ISll and finally closed in 
1822, the finest porcelain being jjroduced from 1S12 
to 1814 and from 1817 to 1819, while Billiugsley 
atid his son-in-law Walker managed the works. The 
works at Swansea la.sted from about 1704 to 1870, 
but it was only from about IKLS to 1824 that porce- 
lain was made there, and the best of it was produced 
from 1814 to 1817, when Billiugsley and Walker 
were working for Dillwyn ami lievingtun. Tiie 
entire jxTiod, therefore, of that renuirkably trans- 
lucent porcelain which, under the names of " Nant- 
garw " and " Swansea," is so sought by connoisseurs. 



Turner) we know pretty well all the artists who 
were employed at both tho.se places ; but as a 
matter of fact the right assignation of pieces to 
tliese factories and to the artists who decorated 
tliem is of iniusual difliculty. In the firet place, 
a great quantity of white china maile at Swansea 
was stamped Nantgarw, and at Swansea also two 
receipts (and probably a good many more) were 
used, as experiments were consUmtly being made 
to get a more trustworthy paste, and so save the 
enormous loss cau.scd by the habit of Billiugsley 's 
" body " to crack and spit and shiver and fuse in 
the kiln. Though not " refractory " in the technical 
sense, it was very refractory as we use that term to 
a naughty child, and the continual destruction of 
a \ery large percentage of the pieces fired, many of 
them after elaborate and costly decoration, wa.s, no 
doubt, the reason why the works both at Nantgarw 
and Swansea were ultimately abaiuloned. The 
" body " was very beautiful, clear, and white, and 
with a soft glaze in which the enamels melted 
almost, if not quite, as Ix'autifidly as in the soft 



SWANSEA PORCELAIN. 



259 



paste of Sevres. At tirst it dift'eretl little fruui 
the Pinxtoii " body," being principally composed 
of a grit, made of Lynn sand, and bone with a 
little potash, whicli was ground and mixed with 
very varying proportions of china clay. No paste 
so nearly uniting the beauties of glass and porce- 
lain has ever been made, but it would not pay, 
and all attempts to make it more practical by 



white stock was decorated for sale, and the same 
happened with Nantgarw when Billingsley removed 
to Coalport, some of the pieces not being painted 
till many years afterwards. In order to help the 
collector in the midst of all these dillieuU.ies 'Sh: 
Turner and j\li'. Drane have done what they could 
in a manner not before attempted, by giving 
examples of tlie styles of all tlie painters which 




PLAQUE (Half Size). {Pamted t,y William Pegg.) 



increasing the proportion of china clay and the 
addition of other materials appear to jiave been 
unsuccessful. 

Tlie difficulties of the collector are greatly in- 
creased by the fact that much of tlie ware made 
in AVales was not decorated at the factoiy. To 
begin with, a good deal of it probably was brought 
by Billingsley to Swansea and decorated there, 
and more was sent out in white to London and 
other places, to such fiiiiis as Mortlock's, and 
painted by London artists to suit the custom of the 
dealer. iMr. Turner tells us of one service in which 
pieces of Sevres were mixed with pieces of Swansea 
and decorated to match. After the manufacture of 
porcelain ceased at Swansea a quantity of the old 



are known to have decorated china at Xantgarw 
and Swansea, examples attributed with some 
certainty to the respective painters themselves. 
Unfortunately this method has its limits, as the 
painters as a rule did not sign their work, and 
therefoi'c the number of indubitable specimens of 
their skill is very limited. Jlorcover, many of the 
artists — Billingsley himself, for instance — had two 
styles, perhaps more. Of Billiiigsley's two styles 
Mr. Turner gives illustrations on one page, contain- 
ing portions of Billingsley's "Prentice Plate" which 
ser\'ed as a pattern for boys at the Derby Works 
for seventy years, and of a plaque in the collection 
of F. Walker Cox, Esq., of Breadsall, Derby. The 
" Prentice Plate " has an interesting history of its 



260 



THE MAGAZINE OF AIIT. 



own wliicli is well told by -Mr. Turner, and it lius 
now found a resting-place in the Museum at Derby. 
On iinotlier page Mr. Turner gives I'.xainpli'.s of tlie 
slyli" in wliicli several painters drew the auricula. 
Tliese artists are Billing.sley, T. I'ardoe, Morris, 
riiUanl, Webster, and an " unkimwn." It is im- 
possible, in looking at tliese two full-page illustrations 
— incomparably the most imporliint of the illustra- 
tions to the volume — not to wonilcr why they aie 
in monochrome, for the ah.scnce of I'olour robs them 
of at least half their value. 

Of all the ])ainters on .'^wansea chinii, though 




THE NANTGARW WORKS. 

liillingsley is the most celebrated, and probaldy 
unsurpassed in knowledge and fiidsli, the work by 
I'ollai-d is marked by tlie greatest originality and 
the linest artistic feeling. Examples of his painting, 
both of giirden and wild (lowers, are given in this 
book (I'lates XI and \I\') and justify tlie admira- 
tion whicli Ml'. Turner cordially eiitert;dns for this 
artist. The author has given us too little critieisin, 
probably through diliidciice, liiit his description of 
a i)late by I'ollard shows what a true apprecia- 
tion he has of tlie special quality of a finely 
decorated Swaii.sea jilate. liillingsley with all his 
skill could never have inspired a passage like 
that, but he was a reinaikaide man, forming, 
indeed, the central interest of this book. Mr. 
Turner traces his history with more tliorough- 
ne.ss and care than has hitherto been done, and 
writes of him with that enthusiasm which is so 
often generated in an author by his subject. The 
little " clouds " in his career — the dilliculties which 
prevented him from visiting his native Derby after 
he left it about 1700, his separation from his wife, 
his breaking his engagement with I'lighl and I'.air, 
the a.ssnmption of a fal.se name to avoid arrest — 
are all brushed aside very lightly. It is certtiinly 
in his favour that iiis daughters followed his for- 
tunes rather than remain with their motlier, ami 



he no doubt devoted a great part of his life to 
the improvement of English porcelain, but there 
is sciircely suflicient material to make a hero of 
him. Nevertheless he was a remarkable man of 
talent and energy, if not of genius, and his life 
of constant edbrt and invariable misfortune cannot 
fail to enlist our .sympatliy. Nor can anyone 
who reads his letter lo his wife after the tleatli 
of his two daughters doubt the dejjtli of his 
allectioiKS. Altogether he certainly demands our 
admiration and our pity, if not lair love and our 
worship. Not the least i)athetic fact of his life 
was the obscurity of his later years. 
He had risen to be the best china 
painter at Derby, perhaps in England. 
He had founded the porcelain works at 
I'iiiNldU and Nantgarw. If unsuccessful 
commercially he was at least successful 
in tliis, tiiat he made porcelain of a 
ipialily so laie and beautiful that it 
was the admiration of his contempo- 
raries, and is now a treasure for the 
rich. Vet of his last nine years scarcely 
a record is left, except that he lived at 
Coalport or near it, and painted china 
for Mr. Uo-se, until his death in 1.S2S. 

Mr. Turner has spent so many years 
in collecting the information contained 
in his book, and has cstablislicd so much 
that was doubtful, that it seems ungrateful to sug- 
gest anything in the nature of a defect, or to hint 
iJiat lie sliould add to his labours. He has supplied 
us with mucli interesting information about the 
" Etru.scan Ware " made by the later Mr. Dillwyn, 
and some good illustrations of it, but our curiosity 
is not satished with regard to tlie early light stone- 
ware made at Swansea, or the once celebrated 
" opaipie china." Of a very important ligure in 
the history of these Cambrian Works, Mr. William 
Weston Young, he supplies a number of very in- 
teresting facts, l)ut he gives but one illustration, 
and that an uncoloured one, of his remarkable skill 
in painting. The book would also be improved by 
a fuller index to the plates, which sliould tell us 
where these objects were made, by whom they were 
painted, and to whom they belong. A chronological 
list of events in the history of the factories would 
also be convenient. This book and its illustrations 
have been very carefully produced by -Messrs. 
liemro.se and Sons, of Derby, the head of which 
lirni is a well-known collector of china. 'i"o the 
valuable ]iaiiiphli'ts which he has already written 
upon Isnglish ci'ramics it is understood he is about 
to add a small volume containing some hitherto 
unpuijlished documents relating to the history of 
the factories at liow, Chelsea, and Derby. 




THE LIBRARY. BELL-MOOR, SHOWING "THE TINTED VENUS.' 
{From (I Photograph by Bedford, Lemire and Co.) 



THE ART COLLECTION AT BELL=MOOR, THE HOUSE OF 
MR. THOMAS J. BARRATT.— IIL 



By JOSEPH GREGO. 



IX tlie present chapter nii ]\Ir. IJarratt's pictures 
at Bell Moor, a selection has been drawn from 
the tine apartment here illustrated. On the prin- 
cipal wall of this artistic chand)er are found side 
by side "The Monarch of the (lien," "The Vale of 
Clwyd," witli the breeziest version by David Cox 
of " Going to the Hayfield," besides the masterly 
example by George Vincent, " Crossing tlie Brook." 
The winsome example by the late John Bagnold 
Burgess, R.A., one of that accomplished artist's 
happiest efforts in portraying female comeliness, in 
which his art excelled, was formeily in the col- 
lection of Mr. (i. Godwin, F.PlS. The picture 
of this typical Spanish belle is reproduced as tlie 
frontispiece of the present number. The qririfvelk 
head of Miss Farren, by Sir Thomas Lawrence, has 
already been described as inserted in the overmantel 
of the fireplace, which faces the more noteworthy 
masterpieces here reproduced. It has been men- 
tioned that Mr. Barratt's predilectinn for landscape 

119 



art is practically evinced by the numerous picked 
examples of tlie English school found in liis col- 
lection — among others, t!ie Norwich school being 
adequately I'epresented. " Tlie Way through the 
Wood," by " Old " Crome, already reproduced, was, 
by the founder of the Norwich school, bequeathed 
to Mr. Rainger, Secretary of the Carlton Club, and 
was bought l)y tlie late Mr. Henry ( Iraves at that 
gentleman's .sale, in ISIjlI. Besides the cltcf-d'diiny 
by Croine's great pupil, " Crossing the Brook," at 
Bell Moor there is quite a collection of the finest 
specimens of George Vincent's fascinating art : " ( )ii 
the Yare," a perfectly Cuyp-like example ; another 
"View on the Yare," surpassing in golden atmo- 
spheric effects ; a Hobbema-like " Land.scape, with 
Group of Cows and Haycart ; " " Cattle Crossing a 
Bridge;" and "A Mill, with Women and lioys on 
a Bridge." All tliese Vincents are typical examples, 
and full of the subtle "charm" which that deliglitful 
painter liad tlie .secret of conveying in so unusual a 



m-2 



THK MAGAZIXK OF AUT. 



degree. "The I'atli tlirougli ilie Wnod " is one nf Tlicit' an- also two beautiful examples of .rmnes 
the choicest siieciniens of Stark's most prized land- Holland's tlower-puintiiig in oils, from the Huth and 
scapes: and a large picture of '• Win<lsor Forest, Burton collections respectively; and examples of 




CROSSING THE BROOK, 

(from the Panilintj by Gvorge fr/ocenf.) 



with Jlen Ferreting Italibits," liy the same painter, 
ranks as another niasteipiece of the Krst importance. 
In the list of leading examples of landscape art 
nuist be mentioned two choice specimens of I'atiick 
Xasmyth, of unusually distinctive (juality and crisp- 
ness of execution ; one, a sea-piece, possesses the 
most perfect freshness, and expresses all the buoy- 
ancy and colour of real nature at its breeziest. Xor 
must the works of R. P. Iionington pa.«s unrecorded; 
the characteristic work. ' Church at Kouen," from 
tilt; collection of Mr. .1. \V. Adamson ; and one of 
that gifted painter's interesting [lictures of the quaint 
French cities by the sea, like St. ^lalu. aTi<l the 
.sea-board towns of Normandy and I'.riltany, whicii 
Iionington loved to paint. .lames Holland is also 
well re](resented, in his richest key of hainiony and 
most brilliant efforts of colouring: from the Manpiis 
de Santurce's collection and the Murrieta sales come 
the glowing ^'enetian examples — " On the Grand 
Canal, Hiallo in Distance," IS'iS, "San Giorgio, from 
the Dogana," and " A Canal Scene in Venice," 1852. 



tlie same gifted artist's water-colour drawings. 
Thomas Creswick, R.A., is appropriately represented 
by one of his waterfalls ; and at Hell Moor may 
be seen two superlative examples of Henry I)awson 
— " The Bend in the Biver, " and " The Keeper's 
Pool : " the latter example presents the finest pos- 
sible ett'ect of sunlight in full ell'ulgence, and was 
painted at Sutton Coalfield Park, near Birmingham, 
towards Warwick. A more gorgeous representation 
of the glories of a resplendent sunlit sky it is 
difhcult to imagine. The artist and his family 
esteemed this the most successful typically rich 
sunset ever jjainted by Henry Uawson; one of the 
happiest efl'orts of sun-delineation, when the painter 
contrived to hold Apollo's team harmoniously in 
hand by a marvel of cleverness rarely achieved and 
almost unsuri)assed — a veritable r/irf-i/'a iinr as 
regards richness, luminosity, and the glowing bril- 
liancy of sunlight, seized at the most impressive 
stage of a "jlorious sunset, where all is molten and 
dazzling. 



MK. BARKAIT'S AET COLLECTION AT I5ELL-M00I!. 



263 



The majestic " Mouarch of the Glen " is ac- 
counted by many the foremost achievement of animal- 
painting: in fact, it rises to the memory as the 
best -recognised masterpiece of this order of de- 
lineation, the chef-d'(einre with whicii the fame 
of Sir Edwin Landseer must be most pnpularly as- 
sociated. It is interesting to recall the lines, from 
"The Legends of Glenorcliy," appended to the title 
by the painter on the i)icture's first exiiibition in 
the Iloyal Academy, 1851 — verses which fully ex- 
plain the artist's intention : — 

•'W'lien first the dav star's clear cool light 
Chasing night's shadows grey, 
With silver touched each rocky height 
That girdcil wild Glen-Stras, 



public attention, and the famous " Historical Car- 
toon " competitions had been lield for three or four 
years at Westminster, Landseer received from the 
" Conmiissioners on the Fine Arts " a proposal to 
paint in oils tliree subjects illustrati\e of tlie chase, 
appropriate for the embellishment of the Peers' 
Eefreshment Eoom. The remuneration suggested 
for this commission was, according to some accounts, 
£:500 each picture: or, on more trustworthy authority, 
as stated by Mr. F. G. Scephens in his account of Sir 
Edwin Landseer, £.500 apiece ; the sum in either case 
was wretchedly inadequate, and it is evident that the 
painter undertook this congenial task on patriotic 
grounds.and for honour rathertiian for profit. Happily 




THE MONARCH OF THE GLEN. 
{From the Painting by Sir Eduin Landseer, R.A.) 



Uprose the monarch of the glen, 

ilajestic from his lair, 
Surveyed the scene with piercing ken. 

And snuffed the fragrant air." 

As early as 1848, when extensive schemes for 
decorating the Houses of Parliament were engaging 



for Laudseer's interests, but to the national lo.ss, the 
scheme was burked. The House of Commons, as 
paymasters, marked their disapproval of the manner 
in which the plans for decorating the palace of 
Westminster were being conducted by the Fine Art 



264 



THE MAGAZINE OF AKT. 



( 'oinniissioiiers : for when llie iU-iii of .tl.'iOO was 
suliuiittcd ill the estimates as the projioseil payment 
to one of the ffieatest artists of the time for these 
three important works, after a sharp debate this sum 
was struck out by a vote of the Commons, and 
Ijindseer was tliereby released from an uiiiemunem- 
tive baruiiin. 

"The Monarch of the (IIi-d," intended liy 



on steadily inereasiiiL; in value. From Lord I.ondes- 
borough's collection it passed into the hands of other 
art-lovei-s. In 1884 "The Monarch of the Glen," 
sent to Christie's by Lidy Otlio Fitzgerald, was 
pureha.sed by Lord Cheylesmore (then Mr. Eaton, 
-M.r. ) for £0,510. On the death of Djrd Cheylesmore 
liis collection was sent to Christie's in ISOii, when 
an animated competition for Lind.seer's masterpiece 




GOING TO THE HAYFitLi 
(From the Panting by David Cox.) 



Ijuidscer to occupy in the I'eers' Kefresbnifiil Knoni 
one of the ])aiiels of the then new Houses of I'ar- 
liament, was thus free to be sent for e.\liibiti(jn to 
the Iioyal Academy. There, in IS.'d, it evoked 
iiiiiver.sal adiiiiiatioii, ami was ])romi>tly purchased 
by Lord Londesboiougb for £840 ; Lamlscer, at tin- 
same time, having sold llie copyright for engraving 
to Messrs. Henry (i raves for a further sum of 
£ri(.Hi : thus at once bringing up the amount to the 
more adequate Hgiire of £1,.S40. The eiigiaving by 
Thomas Lindseer, publishetl in I8,">:i, has enjoyed 
the vast popularity such a work was certain to eom- 
iimnd, proofs having mounted up to high lignres. 
For instance, an artist's jiidcif realised £ll.'0 at 
Christie's in 18'.I4. 

The painting, as was inevitable, has since gone 



brought the price up to .£7.1^4."i. Mr. T. J. Barratt 
subseciuently purchased this covelable painting from 
^lessrs. Agiiew. 

Messrs. Graves's copyright ha\ ing expired, " The 
.Monarcli of the (Hen" was .successfully engraved 
a"ain in ISO:', by Mr. .1. H. I'ratl. and iiublishcd 
by another lirm. 

The works of that -aniens genius George 
Morland — " Nature's favourite eliild," according to 
the \crdict of his coiitciiii)onuies — are extensively 
ici>resented at ISell Moor. There arc installed, 
amidst congenial surroundings, nearly all his most 
interesting engravings — choice examples juiiited in 
colours, which constitute the " Morland liooiii," and 
are fnund lining the walls of three stairca.ses. In- 
deed, in itiis respei't the collection offers the best 



ME. BAKEATT'S AKT COLLECTION AT F.ELL-MOOK. 



265 



possible review of those popularly-appreciated ex- the first time. In this collection there are several of 

amples which have iniiiiortalised the artist's name, the artist's choice-st cabinet specimens, displaying his 

for nowhere can Morland's productions be seen art to perfection — examples which, in their beautiful 
under more favourable conditions. 



ease of treatment and glowing harmonies of colour. 




MISS FARREN. 
{From the Painting by Sir Thomas Lawrence. P.R.A.) 



In speaking of ilorland's more interesting original 
paintings, I have already alluded to these in The 
Magazine of Art for February, the impoitant rustic 
example (36 by 28) being reproduced for ab.solutely 



can only be compared with corresponding cJirfs- 
d'uiuvre by Watteau. The pen may describe the 
subject, or the engraver's art may paraphrase, but 
nothing short of the originals can convey true 



266 



TIIK MAC.AZINK OF AKT. 



iiniUL'ssians of till' iiiicM|Uiilli'd tocliiiical iiiiiililies, per- foniied when it is lueiiLioiied thai XGU was Llie 
vailini,' mellow iic'ime.s.s, witli the charming secret of price recently asked for an original impression of 
wrapping up gem-like pigments in enduring glazings "Contemplation" jjrinted in colours (publisiied in 
wiiiili are the specialities of these rare masterpieces. 17HU) ; while, as regards the original paintings, 

As legards 
subjects, 1 may 
mention " IJeliiida 
or the I'.illet- 
D.mx." Of this 
example a graphic 
version has al- 
ready heen given 
(Tart I.) which so 
far tells the story, 
hut of necessity 
fails to convey liie 
principal i|uality 
of this work, the 
lieautiful harmony 
and surpassing 
richness of its 
colouring. Tiie 
suljject is that of 
a fashionaljle 
nymph, supposed 
to iiave hci'U 
aroused from a 
siesl)! by tlie in- 
sistence lit" her 
pet spaniel. Tlie 
awakened .sylpii's 
emotion is caused 
liy the discovery 
on her table of a 
liMider etrnsion 
from an admirer 
— Uelinda's first 
view of the hillel-ihiu- in (juestion. 




THE PLEDGE OF LOVE. 

(from the Painting by Georye hlorland.) 



Tlie 



£1,200 represents 
tlie elevated figure 
demanded for the 
three foregoing 
cabinet examples 
the last time they 
were sold. 

.Air. IJarratt 
had tlie singular 
\\wk til add to 
tliis little group of 
cabinet gems liy 
Morland another 
examjileof C(|ually 
choice (jualily — a 
well-known work, 
familiar to Mor- 
land collectors 
tliroiighW.Ward's 
engraving, and 
originally painted 
in illustration of a 
ballad; the stipjjle 
version was pub- 
lished in 17.HS 
under the title of 
■' Constancy ," com- 
panion work to 
" A'ariety." 

It was while 

travelling in Spain 

that this work was 

di.scovercd by the 

I early history of 

some interest, for it passed from the artist's own 

possession into that of J. Hassell, who, in 180r>, 

favoured Mmiand's admirers willi a life of the 

artist, bt'aring the apposite motto from I'ope, "His 

ait was Nature." " ' Constancy ' " — wrote Morland's 

biographer, who at that time treasured the original 

painting — " u sweet, engaging lignre leaning against 

a rock, with a handkerchief in her hand. The ex- 



aving fortunate proprietor. It has 



of this work by Ikirrows appeared in IT'.M, with e.v- 
planatory verses. In the hall at ISell Moor, side 
liy .side with "the gems" by James Holland, hang 
the two wonderful examples alike of " quality " 
and alisolute imstudied ease of execution, " Con- 
templation " — otlierwi.se "Caroline of Liciitield " — 
and the companion painting " Contemplating the 
Miniature," works familiar through the engravings 
liy William Ward ; the latter was published in 17SH prcssion of the countenance is truly indicative of 
under tlie title "The Pledge of Love," with the .sorrow for the loss of her lover. The liguie is simple, 
following descriptive lines engraved beneatli to elegant, and emiilematical of innocence; a white 
explain the subject : — 

"Tlie lovely Knir willi riipliirc views 
Tliia token of tlieir love : 
Tln-ii nil her promises renews, 

Ami hopes he'll const.iiit prove." 

Some idea of the value, in the estimation of 
collectors, attaching to these engravings may be 



dress witli a straw hat and white feather. In the 
distance is tlie ocean." \\. \\'arirs engraving of 
"Constanry " appe.ired with the exjilanatory lines: — 

'• l'"inn as tin,- mclv mi which I le.in. 
Mv iiiinil is li.'cl, and eniiiint rove, 
The fdiiniinK bilhiws roll between — 
I'll ni''er forsake tlie \oiitli I love." 



MR RAERATT'S ART COLLECTION AT BELL-i\IOOE. 



2G'; 



It is iiiidci-stooil, fmiu tlie evidence of the time, records his beinn-, witli a party of friends returning 
tliat "Variety" was painted from Mrs. Morland from Hampstead, confronted by Morland. who had 
(sister of W. Ward, the engraver); while :Maria taken a passing fancy for turning night-patrol. 
Morland (Mrs. W. Ward) was the nnulel for " ('(Ui- There was the ]minter " mounted on horseback, with 
stancy." The 
cabinet examples 
of ^Morland at 
Bell Moor all 
belong to the best 
period of tlie 
painter's powers, 
wlieu his art 
attained its amaz- 
ing ease and per- 
fection of tech- 
nique — long be- 
fore he became 
indiflerent to his 
professional 
standing or de- 
generated into 
careless manner- 
isms, the beset- 
ting sins of his 
declining days. 

Among local 
traditions, espe- 
cially as concerns 
the Hampstead 
Road, the eccen- 
tric i-eputation of 
George Morland 
cannot easily be 
forgotten. "\Mth 
his friends and 
colleagues, Fran- 
cis Wheatley, 

R.A., and P. de Loutherbourg, R.A., ]\Inrland was 
accustomed to seek at the Heath, and the lanes 
near Hampstead, Hendon, Willesden, and the neigh- 
bourhood, inspiration and materials for his rustic 
pictures ; and there, from early days, and while 
following in the footsteps of Wheatley and J. C 




CONTEMPLATION. 
(from the Pitiiithtg by George Morland.) 



a parish great- 
coat, girded round 
with a broad lielt, 
and a pair of pis- 
tols depending." 
In this assmned 
character he chal- 
lenged the party, 
crying "Horse 
patrol ! " but, fail- 
ing to disguise 
his natural voice, 
the painter was 
quickly discover- 
ed, much to his 
own relief, as he 
promptly seized 
tiie opportunity 
of shedding his 
official trappings, 
and carried off 
his captives to a 
deep carouse at 
the " Mother Red 
Cap " — more to 
his inclinations 
than patrolling 
the lonely roads 
at night. 

On another 
occasion Morland, 
from acting as 
volunteer patrol, 
for which office his ardour cooled with the approach 
of cold weather, was tempted to test the courage of 
the real patrol. Returning to town late at night, 
or in the early hours of the morning, it is related 
that the painter, armed with a brace of pistols, 
discharged both weapons close to the ear of the 



Ibbetson— whose success in the treatment of English guardian of the night, to try his resolution, and 
pastoral influenced :\Iorland to produce compositions 
of rural nature — he also sought appropriate human 
interest to animate his delineations of the surround- 
ing scenery. With .spirit he studied those groups 
of sturdy peasants, with cattle, horses, donkeys, and 
dogs ; especially the incidents of gipsy camps, which 
he introduced with picturesque effect into his fore- 
grounds and middle-distances. 

Morland's biographers relate instances of the 



started off at a run. The watchman pursued with 
h.xed bayonet, but, being unable to overtake the 
fugitive, threatened to fire if he did not stop, 
" when Morland, having carried the joke as far as 
he durst, laughed and disclosed his name." 

Another escapade in this connection was the 
painter's assumption of the duties of "head borough." 
It is related that he paid a friend, who was cast as 
constable, for the privilege of serving as his sub 



buoyant spirits and of the boyish love of practical stitute. Morland fancied that, while wielding the 
joking which were characteristic of the painter's dis- staff of civil power, he would enjoy plaguino- his 
position at this early period of his career. Hassell friends and mal;ing things unplea.sant for anyone 



2(58 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 



aj,'iiiii.st whom lie clu'iisln'il a grudge. His discliarge 
of these duties — billeting soldiers hy day and jne- 
.siding ill the constables chair by night — amused 
him for awhile; but he found this emiduymeiil 
iiiconvenieiil in many way.s. " If he had to serve 
a summons for a Jury he was ever behindhand in 
executing it, and seldom aecoini>lished it till he had 
exhausted the [latieiiee of the coroner, who did not 
fail to reprimand him severely. He was not only 
embarrassed in the di.scharge of his duties as ' head 
borough,' but his companions, the hired constables, 
imposed on his inexperience by feigning that there 
were disagreeable commissions to be executed, to 
get rid t)f wiiich he would treat and bribe them 
in various way.s." Tiie inevitable consequence of 
Morland's disillusionment was that he was obliged 
to pay someone else to relieve him of tlie dis- 
agreeable duties he had bribed his friend to 
transfer in his own favour. It has been wondered 
that Morland should neglect his opportunities for 
such eccentric whims, but even the.se ciicum- 
stiiuees were turned to artistic account. His ex- 
periences of billeting soldiers brought the artist 
into acquaintance with a serjeant, drummer, ami 
trooper in pursuit of deserters ; this party he 
promptly carried olf to his own hou.se, regaled 
them liberally, detained tbeni in his painting-room 



carousing freely for a couple of days, while 
seizing the opportunity of painting their por- 
traits, cross-examining tiiein upon the business 
of recruiting; by iiKjuiries making himself familiar 
with the usual practice in relation to deserters, and 
obtaining everything suitable for the purpose he 
had conceived of painting a ihaniatic sni/i- of pictures, 
in the Ilogarthiaii spirit, grapiiically unrolling the 
story of " The Deserter," thus eflectively arranged 
in successive fxhlani.v : — 

1. Enlisting a Itecruit. 

2. Itecruit deserted, and detected hiding in his 
wife's room. 

• ">. The Deserter liaiulriilled, and conveyed to 
a court-martial. 

4. The De.serter pardoned and restored to his 
family. 

Tlie Consideration of the tine original Morland 
pictures — amongst the choicest examples of that 
painter's art — and the vast collection of rare en- 
gravings, printed in colours, gathered at IJell Moor, 
togetlier afford the most complete evidence of tlie 
talents and industry of that gifted genius, and fully 
Justify the epitaph written by the artist's friend, 
William Collins : — 

■• Pine X:il hit's dniling son, of nils tlio prMe, 
Thy works the test of ages sliall abiilo." 



ART TEACHING AT THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS. 



THE article on the .\rt classes at Hariow School, 
published in TiiK Mac.vzixk ok Akt for November, 
has in some ([Uarters been somewhat misunderstood. 
The sub-title of the paper, " A Notable Experi- 
ment," which was intended to apply to Harrow 
only and not to art teaching in public schools in 
general, has been interpreted by several inlliun- 
tial correspondents in the narrower .sense. They 
have drawn our attention to the fact that certain 
portions of the system in vogue at Harrow have 
for many years been practised at Ilugby under the 
distinguished direction of Mr. Thomas M. Lind.say. 
It is hardly neces.sary for us to .say that not the 
slightest desire exists to deprive anyone of tlie 
smallest fraction of credit that may be due to iiim 
for having initiated the attempt to popularise art 
teaching in its fully developed form in our public 
schools. That this credit lielongs to the art master 
at Uugby is an undisputed fact which we duly 
recognise and record. The good w(jrl< which he 
accomplished at Helfast, and which he is accomplish- 
ing at 1 1 ugliy, secured I'^r him the reputation, alike 



in tiiis country and mi tlie ( 'initiiieiit, as tlie most ex- 
perienced exponent up to his day of modern methods 
of art education. In Ireland he holds the position of 
art examiner to the Intermediate Education lioard, 
and from the .Minister of Education in France a per- 
mit wliicli enables him to enter any governmental 
schiHil in the country where art is taught. 

Whilst adhering to .some extent to the South 
Kensington methods, he has adajiled the .system 
suggested by Kichard Kedgrave, 1!.A., to the needs 
of public-school teaching; whereby incorporating 
with them ideas born of his own experience, he 
has been enabled to produce at Kugby a revolution 
ill the art education of the great school. What he 
has there accomplished can best be told in his own 
words, taken from a lecture whicii he delivered in 
tlie Nottingliani .Vrt tJallery in ISO:!. 

" The problem to be solved was 1k)W to make the 
study as practical and complete as possible, con- 
sidering the jieriod the lioys are under instruction. 
I'ntil live years ago drawing at Hugl)y was, as it 
is still in many public schools, a voluntary subject. 



ART TEACHING AT THE ITIILIC SCHOOLS. 



260 



Too often it lias been treated as a pastime or amuse- 
ment. I'nder Dr. Pereival, drawing lias been made 
a compulsory subject, of one hour a week, for all 
boys in the middle and lower schools, as well as for 
the army class. Many of these, together witii a con- 
tingent from the upper school, .attend tlie \oluntary 
classes on the half-liolidays. Eecently a scheme has 
lieen started so that boys may ' specialise,' taking 
drawing as a technical subject in place of Greek or 
Liitin verses, which enables them to get about six- 
hours a week in the drawing school. At Kugby 
drawing from Hat copies is confined to beginners 
and backward boys, large diagrams being mostly 
itsed. As soon as a boy can use the pencil he takes 
up model and object di'awing. All boys draw from 
flowers and foliage in tlie summer term ; they liaxi; 
also to take a course of geometrical drawing, and are 
trained to draw rapidly from memory — a practice 
they delight in. Freehand sliould be essentially free; 
it should represent graphical!}' what the eye sees 
or the mind apprehends ; it is a misnomer to apply 
it to the methodical, the meciianical mapping out of 
the Hat examples. A little perspective is taught as 
a friendly guide, and the blackljoard is largely used 
for all explanations. Boys are induced to attend the 
voluntary classes, where they may immediately take 
up shading from models and the cast. Shaded 
copies and elaborate outlines are never used. Pencil 
is used by most of the army class for rapid work, 
but the ' stump ' is chiefly in favour. There is a 
plentiful supply of the best examples for study, such 
as pictui'esque objects, casts from fruit and foliage, 
ornament, masks, busts, and full-length figures, etc. 
Occasionally there is a draped life model, which 
causes considerable excitement. 

"The institution of the modern side at Eugby has 
brought a large number of boys whose future career 
will demand a knowledge of the use of instruments. 
The.se take up practical geometry, machine and 
architectural drawing and building construction, from 
copies and actual measurements. Twice a year 
there are set examinations for prizes. First a pre- 
liminary trial secures the best of the pupils, and 
these afterwards go in for the further examina- 
tions. 

"All boys have to take up a holiday ta.sk, some 
latitude being allowed in its choice. Parents are 
thus enabled to judge of the unaided ability of their 
sons. Xot a few bring back well-filled sketch books 
after the long holidays, drawings of ancient buildings, 
landscapes, boats, etc. One pupil after leaving school 
carried off the Pugin Silver Medal for a set of draw- 
ings from English cathedrals." 

In addition to the .subjects he mentions in this 



extract, Mr. Lindsay furllier interests his pupils by 
delivering lectures in the museum on various pliases 
(jf ail, witli talks upon the pictures and objects 
there; and the results are said to be eminently 
satisfactory. 

Thus when, tliree years or so ago, it was decided 
to give to art a more prominent place at Harrow, 
and Mr. Hine visited various schools in order to 
.see the latest developments that might help him 
in his work, Paigby claimed a due share of his 
attention. ^Ir. Hine readily acknowledges in- 
debtedness to ^Ir. Lindsay's methods in certain 
particulars, and the excellent plan of the Eugby 
drawing school-room was partially adopted in the 
new building at Harrow. Mr. Hine, too, secured 
as his assistant 'Sh: Walter Gilbert, who received 
his early art training in Mr. Lindsay's South Ken- 
sington class — a class outside his school-work — and 
afterwards liecame his assistant at the "big" 
school. 

The methods wOiieli are in practice at Harrow 
were fully de.scribed in tlie article, but ^Ir. Hine 
subsequently painted out to us that " the sub- 
stance of teaching there is essentially design with 
the intention of after application to handicraft. 
The principal antecedents of my methods of teaching 
— for I do not claim to have a fixed system — are 
first my Continental training at Xiirnberg, Paris, and 
a fair amount of travel in Italy, but more recently I 
owe somewhat to the progressive ideas emanating 
from Birmingham." Mr. Hine's colleague has been 
of much .assistance in carrying out this part of 
the scheme; fur after leaving Eugby he worked in 
schools and studios at Leicester, West Broinwich, 
Birmingham, the Eoyal College of Art, and at 
Bushey, with Professor Herkomer's craftsmen. 

It will thus be seen that both at Eugby and 
Harrow the masters, with the same enthusiastic en- 
deavour to make their teaching attractive to their 
pupils, and working on somewhat similar lines, have 
each adopted modifications, dictated by their own 
personal experience, of a system not entirely inaugu- 
rated by either. Mr. Lindsay, as the pioneer among 
Public School art- masters in renouncing the old- 
fashioned iron-bound methods which were calculated 
to destroy rather than foster the art instincts of the 
pupils, has attained a reputation which places him 
in the forefront of art -masters in England. His 
experience, like that of all reformers, will be of 
the greatest service to those who follow him. 

We hope at an early date to place before our 
readers some account of the Art ]\Iuseuni at Eugb}' 
— a development of art school work which we be- 
lieve, so far, to be unique. 



120 



270 



RECENT ILLUSTRATED VOLUMES. 



A "WliITEli wli.i, I'rimi motives of delicacy, illus- 
.£JL tnites an important work upDii iii.s craft 
almost entirely with his own designs, liiys himself 
open to a charge of weakness. IJeally, in his 
elaborate essay on "Stained Glass as an Art " (llac- 
millan and Co.), Mr. Henry Holiday need have had 
no sneh scrnples. E.xpert in knowledge and dcter- 




I^ANEL FROM THE EAST WINDOW i)i 1Mb CHURCH 
EPIPHANY. WOLVERHAMPTON. 



mined, if not still', in his opinions, he would liave 
liad nothing to fear had he decided to inclnde 
s]iecimens of other leading workers besides iiimself. 
The hook snU'ers .somewhat from tlie similarity of 
character in the profuse and beautifully executed 
illustrations (alike in colour, collotype, and half- 
tone); but if the author's intention was to impress 
the reader liy the numerical and 
artistic importance of his work, he 
certainly lias achieved his j)urpo,se. 
The amount of his work i.s very 
considerable, so that it would be 
strange were he not entirely com- 
petent to speak upon his fa.scinating 
art, whi'tlicr as designer or crafts- 
iiKiii. .Mr. Holiday is a painter of 
singular suavity and grace of line, 
witli an academic correctness of 
drawing (a \irtue not too connnon 
ill Ihis counliy), witii jileasing, even 
dainty, ideal of beauty, with in- 
vention and resource, and a gentle 
liaiiiiniiy of ciildur that fairly corre- 
sponds with bis facile sense of com- 
l>osition. I '.lit of vigour there is 
very little, and imt much more of 
tliat sort of "grit" we look for in 
great ilesigners of such important 
and enduring works as stained gla.*<s 
winclow.s. Tliis is the more surpri.'-- 
ing as ]\Ir. Holiday's well-known 
opinions — artistic, political, or .social 
— are extremely well-defined, vigor- 
ous, and uncompromising, overflow, 
indeed, licre anil there into Ids book 
ill fashion soniewlial more insistent 
lliaii to some woulil appear needful, 
liut ]\fr. Holiday's work is a 
\-eiy \alualp|(' one all the .same In 
the tiisl ]ilace, it is ihoi'oughly jirac- 
tical ill the manner in which it .sets 
I'oitli the tecbniipie of the art. It 
is, moreover, useful in liie references 
^.somewhat too slight, perhaps) to 
line works of tlie past. And the 
pa.s.sages n]ioii the sentiment that 
must animate tlii' artist before he 
can hope for style or any other of 
the highest merits are wisely and 
sincendy put. H is hardly neces- 
.siiy to ])oint out tiiat Mr. Holi- 
dav must, lieliexe in ibe virtue of 



RECENT ILLUSTEATEI) VOLUMES. 



271 



pmnted glass as superior to that of stained ^lass 
— the cliaracter of his designs deinaudiiig more fine 
pencilling than would be necessary in that broader 
treatment of design which to our mind constitutes 
the highest beauty of stained glass. " Pot-metal " is 
more applicable to ilr. Seddon's work than to Mr. 
Holiday's. And Mr. Holiday, we think, is a little 
hard — for all his courteous deference and ai)precia- 
tion — on Mr. La Farge's Tiftany glass, for his main 
objection is not entirely to be sustained. He says 
that " it substitutes accident for design." Not 
quite; for, when the "accident" is completed, the 
deliberate selection and intention of the artist begins. 
Xo doiibt, such relatively subjectless glass cannot 
appeal highly to the artist of important subjects 
involving drawing and composition and sentiment, 
dignity and intention ; but there is a magic about 
this American glass not to be met with in the more 
calculateil Bible-pictures. Furthermore, it must be 
remembered that even in this glass pictures may be 
produced, as those of our readers will call to mind 
who saw Bai-on Kosenkrantz's window at "\\'ickluim- 
breaux, near Canterbury, reproduced in these pages. 
Mr. Holiday's book is a very serious contribution 
to the literature of the subject, thoughtful and 
suggestive. The artistic possibilities of the material, 
either inherent or considered in relation to the 
purpose of the work ; light and .shade ; style, 
whether in relation to arclntecture, ornament, oi' 
arciuTiology, as well as its limitations — are all the 
subjects of careful consideration. But probably 
nearer to the author's heart is the desire to prove 
— as he successfully does — that tliere is nothing in 
stained gla.ss to require the traditional niediaevalism 
of treatment that many pei'sist in thinking cliai-ac- 
teristic of stained gla.ss. On the other liand, the 
style adopted by ilr. Holiday sometimes bears in 
too strongly on the spectator, by comparison, the 
almost over-emphasised moderimess of his own pro- 
ductions. Nevertheless, ilr. Holiday can think 
about his art and induce his readers to do so too. 



highest credit to the young artist. She is not a 
mere illustrator ; she shows the power of original 
thought which marks the true artist. It is possible 
here and there to find fault with drawing of face 




THE ASPIRATION OF THE SOUL. 

i^Drawn by P.o^iis M. Af. Pitman.) 




cnrace, 



HE new edition put 



forth by Messrs. 
Macmillan and 
Co. of iJe la 
Motte Fouque's 
exquisite fairy 
tale " LTndine, " 
has been illus- 
trated by Miss 
Eosie il. IL 
p,imc„.) Pitman with the 
delicacy and 
invention and resourcefulness, that do the 



' Undine. " Drawn by Ruaie 



or figure, but even in such cases the daintiness of 
lier technique, the unfailing fancy of the decorative 
heading.s, and the intelligent .sympathy with which 
she realises the author's meaning, or even helps to 
develop it, are niei'its well seconded by lier clever 
pen-work and her knowledge of effects of light 
and shade, at one time dainty and at another 
vigorous and strong. (_)n its own merit this achieve- 
ment is a very considerable one ; but there is little 
doubt that the book introduces the public to an 
artist of whom we arc destined to hear a good 
deal more, and to whose power and charm we are 
likely to owe much. It is too late in tiie din- 
to say aught in praise of tiio romance itself. 



272 



THE MAGAZINE OF AKT. 



No luoif (Icliglit- 
ful book of its 
kind can luitiiralist 
or artist iiiiagiiu' 
than Mr. IJicliard 
Kearton's volume, 
" With Nature and a 
Camera." * 1 1 i.s a 
hook written by an 
expert who deserves 
some of the jjraisc 
commonly reserved for 
the scientist and the 
explorer, for he is ori- 
ginal in all he de- 
scribes, and as fresh 
and breezy as his own 
beloved wild Nature 
in the setting forth of 
his discourses. Field 
natural history would 
in the ordiiuiry course 
olitaiu no mention in 
llie pages of an Art 

• " Willi Nature and a 
Camera," l>y Hichard Kear- 
ton, K.Z.S. Illustrated by 
180 pictures friini jiholo- 
graplis by Cherry Keartmi. 
(Cassell and Co. 1H!I7.) 




THE FULMAR PETREL 



Magazine ; but Mr. 
Kearton's woik makes 
an indirect claim to 
artists, full of instruc- 
tion as well as charm. 
For tlie Hrst time a 
pliolograpli of the Ful- 
mar petrel has been 
taken ; and it shows 
liuw inaccurate have 
been artistic represen- 
tiitions of it hitherto. 
He gives a jdate of a 
kingfisher — obtJiined, 
like most of the other 
negatives, after in- 
finite expenditure of 
patience and skill — the 
tirst time tliis shy and 
lirilliaiit bird has had 
his photograph taken. 
This fascinating book 
— wiiicii, apart from 
its lively and well- 
informed text, demon- 
strates so well tlie true 
function of the camera 
— appeals to an ex- 
tremely wide circle. 




A KINGFISHER. 

{From Photo^rt>f)ha bg C, ff«ir.'oif.) 



273 



THE ART MOVEMENT. 

ARTISTIC METAL WORK. 



OF the several craftsuieu wlui have uiKk'rtala'ii tlic 
aitistic treatment of metal work of late years, 
although tiiere is no need here to men I ion names, it 
may be said roughly that while some 
aftect an almost archaic ruggedness, 
others incline towards over-refine- 
ment, which eliminates the stronger 
and more virile qualities of the 
material. Now, between these two 
opposites on eitlier hand the mem- 
bers of the Birmingham (iuiki of 
Handicraft seem to have struck a 
middle course ; and in this respect 
no doubt they have done wisely. 
"With the exception, however, of 
certiiin exhibits shown at the Arts 
and Crafts at the New Gallery, the 
London public has hitherto had little 
opportunity of judging of this por- 
tion of the Guild's work, until re- 
cently, when an arrangement was 
entered upon by which a .selection 
of representative objects is lieing 
permanently shown at the rooms 
of Me.ssrs. Morris and Co. The collection in- 
cludes various articles in the precious as well as 
in the less costly metals. While the latter class 
of work owes its inception chietiy to Mr. Dixon, 
the jewellery and goldsmith's work is, in the main, 
designed by Messrs. tiere and Clavering, well-known 
artists of liirmingham. In some pieces gold wire is 



employed with delicate and happy effect; but tlie 
same cannot be said of all the jewellery .set with 
stones. For here, unfortunatidv, is to lie found the 





LOCK PLATES, &c. 



READING LAMP, &c. 

old mistake (jf mixing dillcrent kinds of liansparcnt 
stones together in one composition. AMiereas, not 
once nor twice only, have connoisseurs pointed out 
that the juxtaposition of opaque with transparent 
stones is the .surest way to preser\e tlie full beauty 
of the former without sacrificing the brilliancy of 
tlie latter ; wliilc, on the other hand, wliite trans- 
parent stones tlu-ow into the shade 
and deaden the effect of coloured 
ones by sheer force of overwlielm- 
ing rivalry. On tiie wliole, tln-n, 
the brass, copper, and iron work is 
more satisfactory than the other. 
Simplicity of form, combined with 
straightforwardness of construction, 
seems to be the two most prominent 
aims of the Guild in tlieir copper 
and brass vessels, door furniture, 
and fittings for various kinds of 
ligliting. Tiiese are excellent cpiali- 
ties, certainly. But the present 
affectation of extreme simplicity — 
not to say overtness — of design con- 
tains elements of a possible dangei-, 
which it were wise to bear in mind 
lest a deplorable erroi', like that of 
the " Oxford " fnmie, be i i-newed. 



•274 



THE AfACAZIXE OF ATlT. 



We can all H'IiumhIkt how welcome, in the days of 
artistic dearth and hideous shams, was the solitary 
object thiit ventured to avow the nianner of its 
fasliioiiing. The iiislory of the Oxford frame, never- 
theless, is a fearful warning;. The iionesl nails, the 




COPPER AND BRASS FENDER. 

marks of construction, became degenerate and falsi- 
fied, so that where the Oxfonl frame still survives, 
it is as an utter monstrosity, with excrescences of 
blackened wood sliajiud like nail-hea<ls bradded on 
to the points of intei-section at each corner. Could 
any more perver.se travesty of a principle, itself 
sound and true, be imagined than tliis ;' It would 
be almost a calamity if anything of the sort were 
to oceur again. Some slight symptoms, however, 



would seeni to indicate a tendency on the part of 
the tJuilil to exaggerate the use of bolts, clamps, 
and rivets ; or even to resort to such where they 
are not required for constructive purposes. It is 
perfectly legitimate, of course, to convert necessary 
items into as ornamental a feature 
as may be ; to ariange such factors 
as nails in the order of a methodical 
pattern, where the exigencies of 
tile case admit of it. But, though 
lliis much were grantial, it were 
well, for the rest, to keep the two 
kinds of bolts, etc., viz. tho.se which 
are constructive and those which are 
decorative, distinct from one another, 
l)y giving them such diverse aspect 
tiiat their respective functions may 
l)e unequivocally apparent, and there 
be no risk of tiieir being confounded. All tiiis 
may, i)erhaps, sound like the hard restriction of the 
]>urist ; but unless a new organisation, such as the 
liirmiiigbam (Uiild, be scrupulously watchful to 
avoid errors at the outset of its career, it may 
awake one day to find itself far advanced in a 
wrong course, from which the having to retrace 
its steps cannot l)ut prove a laborious and time- 
consuming discipline. Ay.mki; Vai.laxce. 



THE GREAT NEW DOORWAY BY RODIN. 



A' 



M()N(! the creations of a great artist or a great one of the grandest and most impressive works of 
writer there is often one to wjiicli he has de- genius of our day. 

Tiiis doorway, a true cathedral portal, is, .so to say, 
a sort of \ast fresco full of ligures stiinding out in 



voted the chief jtortion of ids life, on wliich lie has 

bestowed his most loving labours, .nid wliiili is lucist 

representative of iiiinself — his 

aspirations and his soul. It is 

from such work as this tliat an 

artist's talent may be delinitely 

pron<tunced upon, and that wo 

form a Cfimpreliensive idea and 

a just estimate of his geniu.s. 

Thus did Michael Angelo 
paint the Sixtine ehaiicl, and 
thus has Iiodin executed his 
great doorway — a nipo d' opera 
on which the sculptor has 
worked incessantly during 
these last year.s, after cherisiiing 
the concei>tion from his earliest 
youth. It is now on tlic eve of 
completion; mdy a few details 
remain lo lie tinished, and it is 




FIGURES FROM THE NEW DOOR BY RODIN, 



THE ART MOVEMENT. 



275 



magnificent relief. The leading idea is taken from yet what a vein of reality runs throngh it all ! It 
Dante's '• Divine Comedy," which has been the never- seems as though the sculptor had succeeded in per- 
fa'iling source of inspiration to so many artists, an petuating here every sentiment of humanity. With 
endless mine of ideas, of images, and of attitudes. what burning pathos has he created the eternal pair, 

Eodin has derived from Dante his conception of Paolo andFrancesca, who appear living on one of the 

jambs. What nightmare horrors beset us as we see 
I'golino and his children, a group of wondrous feel- 
ins, in wliich the artist seems to have sounded the 
secret depths of human sorrow and suffering. 

No one is more anxious than IJodin for absolute 
perfection : no one, witli equally spontaneous im- 
pulse, can reflect more seriously on eacli work lie 
takes in hand. Every group, eveiy figure of 
tills diiovwiiy, has ripened .slowly in tlie mind 
(if Ihi' lliiiikcr and tin- senlptnr. Every day 





1 


1 II^^BiHl^^H^^I 


< 


1 ^ H^S^^^^^^^l 






y 



GROUP FROM THE NEW DOOR BY RODIN. 

hell as a whole. His doorway is the gate of hell, of 
which it depicts an epitome. At the top sits Dante, 
absorbed and tlioughtful, his eyes fi.\ed on tlie 
infinite, with the lofty expression assigned to him 
by tradition, into which the sculptor has infused 
increased .serenity. The great Floi-entine here 
appears as released from human sorrow, and he 
contemplates his work — that swarming creation that 
surges about him. 

Here the damned are toissing deliriously, writhing 
in convulsions of pain and angui.sh, terrible in their 
truth, but full of plastic beauty. Supreme harmony 
.seems to liave guided the artist to the whole result ; 




GROUP FROM THE NEW DOOR BY RODIN. 

has bi'ought some new inspiration to this great 
work. He did not conceive of this portal as in 
bas-relief ; on the cuntrary, every portion of it 



27ti 



THK MACAZINK (»F ART. 



was finislit'ii in tliu roiiinl and sulisequently took 
its place in the general design, where eaeh of lliese 
innumerable parts finds a position so exactly riglit 
that it fits them of necessity. 

^Vllat is especially characteristic of Kodin's art 




GROUP "UGOLINO AND HIS CHILDREN FROM THE NEW DOOR BY RODIN 



is ills gift of life-like creation. He appears to oiitstej) 
the liniiUitions of his art by giving an impression 
of action, of movement, such as sculpture in most 
other liands .seems incapalile of producing. His 
art is a combination of the sulitlest shades of form 
with an almost architectural tieatment of line. TIic 
beauty of detiiil is never impaired l>y the grandeur 



of the whole, and never sacrificed to it. Tlie artist 
adheres to the geometrical scheme of the masses, 
the essential and primordial structural forms on 
which nature insists. 

Kodin's portiil was originally intended to form 
the entrance to a Palace of 
l)ecoiative Art, which was sub- 
seijucnlly given up. It will 
figure at the E.xhibition of 1000 
as one of the finest works of 
the .sculptor's art of this cen- 
luiy. The artist's dream is to 
have the jambs carried out in 
marljle and the two doors in 
bronze. The splendid decora- 
tive cH'ect of the combination 
of these two materials may be 
imagined. 

It is impossilde to rid one- 
self of a certain melancholy 
pathos as one refiects that few 
indeed of the innumerable works 
which every day brings forth 
are likely to be immortal. In 
llie somewhat troublous times 
ill which we live, and in which 
so much tident is spent in 
vain, especially in sculpture and 
]iuinting — for in decorative art 
strong individuality is not lack- 
ing — few works seem to liave 
lioth the beauty of form and the 
dei)lh*'of inspiration whidi will enable them to sur- 
vive triumpliantly all the lluctuations of taste and 
fasiiion. l>ut Kodin's pcn'tal will, T believe, escape 
tlie doom that tlireatens most of the works of tiiis 
century ; it so clearly bears the sUimp of genius of 
the highest kind. The sight of such a work is en- 



couraging and consoling. 



Hexki Fkaxiz. 



LUKll FRULI.INI. 



B\ llie death of Luigi l-'rullini in Florence a 
short while ago the art of woml-carving lost 
a jiast-master, indeed one of the first of modern 
artisl.s to devote himself to this brani'h of the artistic 
]irofession, wliich lias hardly even yet emeiged fmin 
the realm of the arti.siin and the craftsman. 

.\lii)Ut the miildle of tlie ]nc.sent centiny some 
Italian .lews of wealth and culture united their 
efforts to collect fiom all parts of Italy examples of 
an art at that time fallen into neglect and olili\ idii. 
Their richest aei|uisition» were made in Tuscany. 



always famed for its woud-earvcrs. With the 
demand lor the antiipie there naturally followed a 
coiTcsponding desire for cojiies of old furniture and 
works of art that should match as nearly as uiight 
be the treasured collection.s. Amcaig the young 
arti.siuis encouraged to tiike an interest in this then 
hundile industry was one, a boy nf only twelve 
years. The .sou of a struggling artist, Luigi FruUiiii 
bad no education except that gained in the studio 
of his father and in the eonversjilinn tif his father's 
friends. IJeginning in the workshop of ime of these. 



THE AKT MOVEMENT. 



2Ti 



who copied after the antique, the young lioy rapidly Nevertheless, his course ended, Frulliui determined, 

rose to the position of foreman. AVliile merely against tlie counsel and advice of all his friends, to 

copying, he gave to his work a touch of originality return to his first occupation. His desire was to 

so hold as to attract and please his master, who soon convey tluougli the medium of wood whatever he 




AMORINI SYMBOLICAL OF "THE ARTS.' 
(8tf Professor FniUuji.) 



relieved him of this labour and set him to following 
out designs of his own imagination. Thus encourageil, 
Frullini determined to subject himself to the course 
of iirstruction given liy the Florence Academy of 



felt he had the power of presenting. Bringing all 
liis newly acquired knowledge antl his rich imagina- 
tion to his aid, Frullini set himself to revive the 
well-nisjh lost art. He studied the works of the 




DANCE OF THE HOURS 

(fly Professor Frullini.) 



Fine Arts, where he studied modelling, design, and great masters of the fifteenth century, and having no 

architecture. Very soon his masters perceived that school to follow and no living master to imitate, he 

ihcy had the guiding of an unusual intelligence, and made for himself a school from Nature, reproducing 

persuaded him to adopt a .sculptor's profession, realistically all things lieaidiful he found theiein. 

121 



278 



THE MACA/IXK (1F AKT 



W'liaL lie iiiiiy liaxx- hitked lliii)iij,'li llio aliscnci' 
of conU'iiiporaiies he inoro tliau gained in llir luvmllli 
(if liis iiiitriuil (ii'lil ami tlie libcilv wiili wliidi lir 




A PANEL 

(Sj Profrstor Frullml.) 

rnlluwed any and all avenues wliieli seemed to iiim 
lo lead to success. While stiiving to dejiiet simple 
designs of Howers, lea\es and fruit, and afteiwanls 
figures and groups, he liecanie discouraged in his 
first resolve to (h'\dle iiimself to wood-carvin" 
heeanse he found it inipossihle to repioduee witli the 
l)riniitive and meagre supply of tools tlieu in Mii^ue 
the desired effects and eond)inations. 'J'hinking he 
migiit have nnstaken his career, lie turni'd his atten- 
tion to sculpture: Iml after an hunest trial lir luuml 
that he could not make stone respond to iiis 
synipatiiy : tiierefore, returning to his first material, 
he resolved to effect what lie desired and to create 
the means hy whieii his ideas should he materialised. 
Turning to the anti(ine, lie found that ceilain cuts 
must have been made hy certain edges. Le.l hy the 
study of tlie.se works anil the hints given hy tluni, 
and with his own ingenuity, he fahricatetl iinpleinents 
liy which the wood-carvers of to-day are supplied 
with such a diversity of tools as are reijuired for all 
po.s.sihIe varieties of work. In his ard(Uir t(» execute 
his designs he impre.s.sed eveiy means to the service. 
In his studio there are to he fnunil hlailes ami ]Hiints 



and eilgi-s and hies maile hy himself, at his own 
forge, and only finished .so far as the necessity of 
their use demanded. 

\e\er did Kiullini allow an ohject to enter one 
of his works until its nature had been minutely 
studied from every aspect. Never a flower of his 
modelling iiad a petal too many or one too few. He 
was a mall who saw the beautiful and the graceful 
in all, ami with his unerring genius he plucked out, 
as it were, the heart of his subjects, realistically 
ivllectiiig the central point without being over- 
claljorate. ( loing straight to Nature, his work-bench 
was covered witii the tlowers or leaves which he was 
reproducing with e\en more delilieration than a 
paintcn-. In fact, with more than a paintei-'s atteii- 
lioii was every line e.xecuteii, fin- from the livimr 
model he worked straight upon the final study. 
.\nd thus he brought the life and movement of his 
suljjoct into the very fibre of the wood. His own 
reason that he could not be a sculptor in tlie general 
-ense of the word was that it is not the work of the 
-culptor that really comes before the world hut a 
1 hiid-h.iiid eojiy. He said tlial if the clay were the 
















A PANEL. 






















(Sv fn/tinr fnillinl.) 










n 


suit 


he 


mi 


ghl 


iia\ e 


hrouglil 


his 


fee 


inifs 


to 


it ; but 


w 


hell 


Ihl 


St 


itUi 


■ was 


finished 


t woul 


1 he 


no 


longer 


h 


s ^Vl 


uk 


If 


lis 


iiidi\ i 


liialily w 


liel 


u 


ml.! 


■'!' 


lear ill 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



279 



the marble, ami all the personal touches would have 
disiippeared. Frullini woiked withmU design or 
sketch, following Michael Angelo in cutting innuc- 
iliately from the final material, and, like him, he 
often found tiiat the block from which he worked 
was not of sutfieient size to contain the wurk of 
his imagination. Consequently iu iiis studio are 
numberless figures in graei^'ul jxises, one lacking an 
arm, another a bit of floating (hapery. But tlie 
similarity does not stop here, for in many of his bold 
half-Hnished studies there is seen a striking likeness 
to the great master. So careful was he of e\ery 
detail in his work, so conscientious and scrupulous 
that he would not, for example, twine primroses and 
morning-glories together, insisting that though thev 
might appear iu the same panel, they must represent 
a dilferent set of thought and ideas, for they could 
not be in bloom at the same time, and therefore 
could not be copied together, unless one of the two 
were faded. 

Frullini specially succeeded in the figures of 
children. The cupids in his work were so life-like 
as to be startling. In the representation here given 
each curve of the plump limbs reveals the true 
artist and tiie acute student. 

Luigi Frullini drew his inspiration from the 
anti(iue and attracted from it all the good it had to 
give, yet he added to its frequent conventionality 
and absence of life the vibrating realism that is a 
characteristic of modern art. He has touched a note 
so long unheard as to create the impression of novelty, 
and he is in truth the master of liis school. 

After many years of faithful work and unstinted 
admiration in his own country, Frullini launched the 
results of his hands upon the great art centres of 



the world. The first appearance at I'aris won for 
liie Italian all that he could desire in the line of 
[ivaise, and the medal ol tlie Legion of Honour was 
accorded him up(ju the e.xiiiliition of "The J)ance 
of the Hours," babies that might have come 
from l>onatello's chisel. In England he also won 
gicat appreciation, and was the recipient of all the 
medals and honours tiiat were available iu tiiis 
country. The novelty of his work was at lirst a 
.shock to critics, who found it ditiicvdt to classify 
such eHbrts. Xevertiieless it is (^uite fitting that 
fairy-like sylphs and floating draperies should lie 
executed iu a material light in itself, which by its 
very nature lends to tiie delicate effect of unstability. 

Perhaps one of the chief charms of Frullini's work 
is that he never attempted to force wood to perform 
the duties of marble or bronze; he never forgot 
his material, and inxiiriably utilisi'd it tii its best 
advantage. 

To Frullini was entrusted the carving of the 
choir-loft of the New Old South Church in Boston, 
I'.S.A. The soft draped figures, the chubby cupids, 
and the delicate bas-reliefs are so exquisite as to 
ri\al the most delicate ivory tracings. Unquestion- 
ably Frullini was the Donatello of \vood-car\ers, and 
faithful to the maxims of his famous countryman, 
never did he allow a piece of work to be touched by 
his artisans until it had been entirely blocked in by 
himself. AVitii the same care and skill that a sculptor 
uses in giving the last touches to his statue Frullini's 
hands were the last to toucli work ere it left the 
studio. His death is a grave loss to his art, though 
happily he has formed a school and has disciples, 
none of whom, however, a])proach the master in skill 
and invention. 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[!•;:')] HAYDON'S PORTRAIT OF KEATS.~I believe 
that Benjamin Eobert Haydon painted a portrait of 
Keats. Was this a portrait in the ordinary sense, 
or was it — iu the manner of the artist — only a 
portrait introduced into a figure picture ? The 
known portraits of Keats are not many. — A. Er.\r- 
Bi'i.i,, Florence. 

,*,j It was into his picture of "Christ's En- 
try into Jerusalem " that Haydon introduced the 
portrait of Keats (there was no other), along 
with those of Hazlitt and Wordsworth. The 
fact is recorded in Tom Taylor's " Life " of the 
artist. It may be added that Wilkie "sat" for 
the uplifted hand of Christ. Of this hand a 



beautifully drawn pencil study exists ; it was 
sold a few years ago at Christie's for three or 
four guineas. 

[94] AN "UNKNOWN" ENGRAVING — Can you en- 
lighten me as to an engraving made from a picture 
by F. Luecarelli, published by F. Nivares, 7th 
August, 175:1 ? In the left - hand corner is the 
painter's name, and on tlie right, "F. Nivares, 
Sculp." I cannot find any mention of painter or 
engraver in any books I have consulted. — H. M. 
Keih (Muckamore, Antrim, Ireland). 

^*, We are not surprised at Mr. Reid's lack 
of success ; he has evidently been defeated by 
the florid scrijit engraving of the words he has 



2S0 



THE MAGAZINE OF AKT. 



niisiviiil. The ]i.iiiiter is 1'". Vucciiiclli wIki 
wnrki'd ill Kiiglaiitl from ITo- to 177^!, ami was 
ospcciiilly popular willi the owners of great 
lioiisos. At Wiiulsor C'astli' there is a whole 
room full of his i)ictures. After the painter left 
I'jiglaml and retired from his profession, lu' came 
to grief and died in indigence. The engraver is 
V. N'ivarea, who is to he reckoned an engraver of 
the English school ; he was one of the thirty-one 
children of his father, an engraver of France, who 
emigrated to England and passed many years in 
this country with considerable honour in his art. 
'J'hc son cngiaxcd many of Vuccarelli's pictures. 
[!•■"'] VANDYCKS SISTER — \'andyck is said to 
have painted a portrait of his sister, and presented 
it to a convent at Facon, near Antwerp, where she 
then was. What was it like ! Is there any en- 
graving of this painting ! "Where is the original, or 
where was it last heard of ! 1 have a painting of a 
nun stiinding, holding a rosary in the left hand. 
The right is resting on a table on which stands a 
crucili.x, bearing a scroll ; on this is inscribed a te.xt 
from St. Augustine. The painting is unsigned, but 
bears the following inscription :— " .VLtatis Su:e 
L'4 An" 166l'." It is said to be by Vandycl<, 
evidently a portrait. I would like to know of whom 
whether my surmise be correct. — EiiAi; (Wrydc 
Teterboro'). 

,*, Tlie only portrait of ^'andyck's sister of 
which we have any record is the circular one 
which represented her reading and was sold in 
189G at Christie's for :'.00 guineas. In 18!)o 
there was sold the " Portrait of an Abbess," 
which came from the liar])erini Palace, and was 
knocked down for 2-"'0 guineas. A considerable 
price for those days. 

['.I(j] CONCERNING ART STUDENTS 1 should be 

glad to know if there are any examinations held in 
Loinlon or elsewhere which it is possible for an art 
student in an out-of-the-way place to study for 
without going up to town for examination. I am in 
a place where there arc no art schools or teachers, 
and cannot allbrd to proceed any distance for ex- 
aminations in connection with art schools. What 
prizes are ofVered to such students ? — and is the 
money value suflicient to enable him to study in his 
own district ?— H. O. S. (Storiioway). 

,,*, We rcconnnend our corresj)ondent to 
apply to the Secretary of the Science and 
Art Dejiartment, South Kensington, who will 
gi\i' him all needful infiirmati<in on these points. 



[07] A PICTURE BY ROBERT WALKER. — 1 have a 
picture which purpniis liy the laliel <iu the flame to 
be a portrait of .Samuel Kntherford, the well-known 
Scotch divine, and painted by Koliert Walker, the 
eeleiirated poitrait painter of Cromwell's time. I 
should be glad tn liavc the name <ir any exjtert who 
could identify the work as genuine or otherwi.se. — 
.1. i;. P.. (Liverpool). 

^*^ We have received from our correspondent 

a photograph of the i»icture, and we may inform 

him, while he is waiting the reply of .some 

connois.seui', lliaL the style of his picture is 

certainly that of the painter by whom the 

picture claims to be, and that tlie treatment 

greatly resembles that in the portrait of liobert 

Walker by liimsclf, now in tlie National Gallery. 

[US] THE LATE T. B. HARDY. — Will you please 

inform me whether the late T. 15. Hardy was ever a 

jiainter in oil colours; al.so whether he was ever a 

member of any other society than that of the Koyal 

Society of Pritish Artists /— T. T. 

^*^ Mr. Hardy painted occasionally in oils 
some years ago, but of late years did very little 
in tliat medium, lu 1891, however, he recom- 
menced to work in it. The last big canvas he 
executed was in 1892, the title of which was, 
we think, " Oil' 1 )over." He was not a member 
(jf any other society than the I'ritish Artists. 
[99] OUTLINE OF THE SPHERE. — Is the outline 
of the sphere aU'ected by the principles of perspec- 
tive /— Sti'dent. 

^*^ A perfect sphere in perspective is repre- 
sented by a circle and from every aspect has the 
same appearance. It may, as C. K. Leslie, E.A., 
points out in his " Handbook for Young Painters," 
be subject to the apparent change of sixe, but not 
of shape. Every plane section of a sphere is a 
circle, ami all sections made by planes equ.ally 
distant from the centre are equal. A circle of 
the sphere whose plane passes through the 
centre is a great circle; all other circles are 
small circles. — F. 
I UK) I IDENTIFICATION OF FIGURES IN TRUMBULL'S 

PICTURES. -Could you obtain fur iiir the names of 
the principal groujis in tiiese prints (• — "The Pattle 
of lUinker's Hill," published 1798, painted by .1. 
rruiiibuU, engraved by L. d. Muller: " The Death of 
General Montgomery," painted by J. Trumbull, 
engraved by P. F. Clemens; and " Sortie made at 
the Siege of Gibraltar," painted by .L Trumbull, 
engraved by W. Sharp. — . I. J.VMK.s C.vitKV. Giierii.sey). 



I'Sl 



THE ROYAL ACADEMY ELECTIONS. 

"ITTITH the details of the elections which have number of figures however complex, yet with a 

' " taken place at the Koyal Academy since our strain of poetry entirely individual to the artist, 

last number went to press, we deal fully later on. Mi'. (Jregory, since first he came before the public 





J. SEYMOUR LUCAS. R.A. 
{From n Photograph bg Elliott and fry.) 



B. W. LEADER. R.A 
{From a Photograph by Elliott and Fry. ) 



E. J. GREGORY. R.A. 
(From (I Photograph by H. S. Mendelssohn.) 



These elections have s^'iven not fewer than four 
new Academicians and three new Associates — tlie 
results, except in a single case, being fully in 
accordance with anticipation. 

The promotion of 'Mr. E. J. Gregory is a step 
which all approve. A fine draughtsman, a superb 
artist in water-colour, and an admirable painter in oil, 
gifted with an exquisite touch, capable of grappling 
with any composition however elaborate, with any 



about a i|uaitcr of a century ago, has always shown 
himself an artist of the right fibre, even though 
he has not always e.xerted himself to the utmost. 
" Boulter's Lock," exhibited last year, was recognised 
as a great achievement in spite of the peculiarity of 
its colour. It is, perhaps, not remarkable that Mr. 
Gregory's qualities are more thorouglily appieciated 
abroad than they are in his own country. 

Mr. George Aitchison has received that acknow- 






H H. LA THANGUE. A.R.A. 



121* 



G. AITCHISON, R.A. 
{From a Photogr.iph by Elliott and Fry.) 



LIONEL P. SMYTHE A.R.A. 
{From a Photograph by A. Larmier.) 



282 



TlIK MAflAZINE OV ART. 



leilginent fioui llie Aciiileiny wliitli was liis clue, fui Ix'CiUiie an Associate in IMM.'! — two years later tlian 
no one in the character of professor anil lecturer Mr. Aitchison — is essentially the landscape painter 



has sliown himself more assiduous and more devoted 
to its cause. It is probable that he has been 
elected more as a tcaciier than as a practitioner: 
for his work he has separately been linniniKMl wiili 
the I'residentship by the lioyal Institute of iJritish 
Arcliitects. Kest of all is Mr. Aitchison known for 
his kniiwled<i;e of decoration and ornament, and 
for the work, executive and liU'rary, wliieii he has 
accomplished in connection witli it. Seventeen years 



of the jieiiple. His power of aj,'reeable C(jmposition 
anil ids pleasing view of Nature arc doul>tle.ss more 
striking than the subtlety of his colour, and it may 
well be dovdited if the name of any member nf 
the Academy is so widely kninvn or so generally 
applauded as that of the new Academician. For 
many years we iiave recorded with all the fulness 
that " Iloyal Academy Pictures " has permitteil, the 
successive works of Mr. leader, which, e\en tiirough 



ago he was called to occupy the jdace left vacant the medium of black ami white, have amply illus- 
by William IJurges : now he has been promoted in t rated to our readers the secret and the strength of 



succession to Jlr. Pearson. 

The electiiin of Mr. Lionel 
r. Smyllie was a suii>rise for 
the public more than fm 
])ainters: perhaps the .\cadeniy 
was not credited with going to 
seek for an artist of distinc- 
tion and poetic power, rather 
than to accept one of the 
several of obvious merit and 
undoubted claim who have 
louii stood ready at their hand 
for selection. For more tlian 
thirty-si.\ years Mr. Smytlie 
has liecn before the i)ublic 
with poetic renderings of 
Nature and simple themes 
]iainted aliout his much-loved 
iiome in tlie I'as-de- Calais. 
Mr. Smytlie has never made a 
bid for ixjpularily, but every- 




C. NAPIER HEMY, A.R.A. 
{From a Ph<ito(/m/)h by Hollyr.) 



the public esteem in which 
^Ir. Leader is held. 

.Mr.. I. Seymour Luea.s — still 
a young man as Academicians 
go, being at present not more 
than forty -eigiit — is to be 
considered the most dramatic 
and, at tlie same time, the 
most vigorous historical painter 
wiihiii ilir ranks. His great 
(■a[)acity as a draughtsman is 
not less striking than his 
sound knowledge not only of 
art itself liut of tho.se ac- 
cessories which are necessary 
to accurate and convincing his- 
tory painting. His "(iordon 
IJiots" and the "Armada in 
Sight" have long since ceased 
to be ids best or even his 
.second-best pictures. An ad- 



thing that he has done has been cliarnnng and niirable artist in black and white, Mr. Seymour Lucas, 

graceful of its kind, whether the work be an elaborate like Mr. Herkonier and one or two more, is a crafts- 

pictnre or the merest memorandum in his sketch- man-artist — and his lirst teaching of wood carving 

book. Thrc^e years ago lie was elected member of has had no sliglit effect in the development of his 

the lioyal Water-Colour Society. sense of form. 

in Ml". H. H. La Tiiangnc the Academy has Jlr. C. Napier Hemy is anotiier great aeipdsition 

taken to ilself another of the strong independent to the lioyal Academy; his knowledge of the sea, sky, 

young artists who formed and led the New English and weather has not been obtained at his home in 

Art Club in its as.sault on tlie Academy .some Lalmouth alone, but on board his other home, his 

tiuileen yeai-s ago. ]>ut the institution in Wuv- yacht the Van ik Vcldr. from whose studio-cabin he 

lington House is diO'erent now from what it was has for many years devoted his whole - minded 

in those times; and Mr. La Thangue, the adndrable attention to bis art — seeking only to record poetic 

painter of "The Man with the Scythe,' and within truth, and caring nothing for the ai)]ilause of the 

the last two years of more powerful pictures still, multitude. Last year's picture, " I'ilciiards," is per- 

will add to its strength, and aid that gradual evo- haps his nearest approach to popular subjects, but 

lution which is taking place within its rank.s. its suli.ject was more than justilied by the masterly 

Mr. r>. W. Ix-adei-, who, along with Mr. tJregory, tieatment. Tlie picture now hangs at .Millbank. 



283 



THE CHROiNICLE OF ART.— MARCH. 



The Royal I X accordance with our usual ])ractice, we 

Elections *'''^^ '''"^ principal figures of the Academy 

elections, the first four of which took jilace on 

the 19th January, and the last three on the 2nd February. 

FiBST KlECTIOx. First •■ Smitihiuij . " Mr. Gregory, 10 ; Mr. 
Leader, S: Mr. .\ittliisoii. 7: Mr. Luoa^, 7: Mr. Bodley, .'). Others 




KATHERINE PARR. 



(? English School. Recently acquired by the National Gallery. 
No. 1,652, Boom XVIII) 



A FINE example of Romney's work has 

'^Tt'uie""' ^"^^'^ ''*^^'-^' '''^'^'"^ *" ^^^ ^'ational (Jallery 
National Gallery. '" tl'^ portrait of "Mr.-^. .Mark Currie" 
(No. 1, (;.')!, Itoom xviii). " Katherine 
Parr,'' the w^rk of an nnkiiuwn arti.st of the lllth century, 
has been hunu in the same room (No. l,6-")2). Two other 
liortraits have .ilso been added — one of " Madame Vigee Le 
Brun," by her.self (Xo. l,<;."i:!, Itooiu xvi), and the other of 
"Mr. Itus.sell Gurney " (late liecorder of London), by Mr. 
G. F. Watts, R.A., has been pie.senletl by the Kev. Alfred 
Gurney, M.A. (Xo. l,n.")4, liooinxxi). 

Another old En.ulisli Kciom has 
l>een set up in the Western .Vrcade of 
the South Court by the side of the 
" Iidaid Room '' from Sizergh Castle. 
Tt is from an old house, now pulled 
down, at Kromley-by-Bow, and belongs to the early years 
of King James I.— the date l(iii6 having been carved on 
the outside of the house. The spacious stone fire-jilace has 
over it an elal)orate ]nantelpiece in oak with the Royal 
Arms very Iioldly carved. The ceiling be;irs in the centre 
the .same arms with the initials " I.R.," and is covered with 
Hue strapwork ornament having floral enrichments and' 
medallions containing heads of ancient warriors. An 
extensive alteration was made in the last century whereby 
the room was shortened and the ]ianelling was .shifted to 
suit the new conditions. A fe^v mouldings and door-heads 
of the latter j)eriod have been left out, as they were in pine 
wood and consequently appeared incongruous by the side 



Rearrangements and 

Additions in the 

South Kensington 

Museum. 



received support but did not get upon the blackboard. Second 
" Snalc/iiiii/ :" Mr. Gregorj-, 19; Mr. Lucas, 11; Mr. Aitchison, 
10: Mr. Leader, S; Mr. Bodley, S. ISiitlol : Mr. Gkegory, 'i'.) : Mr. 
Lucas, 2o. 

Second Election-. First Snntiliiiir/ .- Mr. Aitchisou, 1.5: Mr. 
Lucas, 10: Mr. Leader, 9; Mi-. Bodley, 7. Sivoirl Srratchin// : Mr. 
Aitchison, i'^ : Mr. Lucas, IG ; Mr. Leader. VI ; Mr. Bodley, 3. Ballot : 
Mr. Aitchisou and Mr. Lucas, 27 ear/i. The President gave the cast- 
ing votein favoiu- of seniority, and Mr. Aitchison was elected. 

Thied Electiov. First Seralchhiij : Mr. H. La Thangue, 9; 
Mr. Lionel Smythe, 7: Mr. Alfred East, G ; Mr. J. Faniuliarson, -5; 
Sir George Reid, P.E.S.A., 4. Second Scrntrliiiii/ : Mr. Lti Thangue, 
1.5 : Mr. East aud Mr. Smythe, 13 each ; Sir George Eeid, 10 ; Mr. 
Farquharsou, 4. Fir-it Ballot for He : Mr. Smythe, "29 ; Mr. East, 
2C. Final Ballot : Mr. Smythe, 28 : Mr. La Thangue, 27. 

Foueth Electio.v. First Scrateliiiirj .• Mr. La Thangue, IS ; JIi-. 
East, 8:",Sir George Beid. .S : Mr. Aston Webb. 4. Second Seratchiny : 
Mr. La Thangue, 22 ; Mr. East and Sir George Reid, 1 4 each ; Mr. 
"Webb. 4 [one vote^here not accounted for]. First Ballot for tie : Sir 
George Keid. 29 : Mr. East, 20. Final Ballot : Mr. La Thaxgue, 2S : 
Sir George Reid, 27. 

Fifth Election. First Scratchin;/ : Mr. Lucas, 1.5; Mr. Leader, 
14 : Mr. Macbeth, .5 ; Mr. Waterlow, 4 ; Mr. Swan, 4. Second 
Scratrhine/ : Mr. Leader, '20; Mr. Lucas, 1.5; Mr. Swan, (i : Mr. 
'W^aterlow, 4. Ballot : Mr. Leader, 28 : Mr. Lucas, 21. 

Sixth Election. First Scratching: Mr. Lucas, 23; Mr. Mac- 
beth, S: Mr. Swan. -5; Mr. "Waterlow and Mr. Colin Hunter, 4 
each. Second Scratc/iin;/ : Mr. Lucas, 24: Mr. Macbeth, 11: Mr. 
Swa:i, 6 ; Mr. Waterlow, o. Ballot : Mr. Seysioue Lvcas, 30 ; 
Mr. Macbeth, 14. 

Seventh Electio.i. First Scratchimj : Mr. East, 10; Mr Far- 
quharsou, 7 ; Mr. Xapier Hemy, 6 : Sir George Reid, 5 : Mi-. Cope, 
Mr. Corbett, Mr. Belcher, .lud Mr. Aston Webb, 4 each. Second 
Scratchimj: Mr. East, 11 ; Mr. Hemy, 9: Mr. Cope and Sir George 
Keid, 6 each : Mr. Corbett, 5 : Mr, Belcher, 4. Balloi : Mr. Hemy, 
2G : Mr. Ea.st. 2-5. 




MRS. MARK CURRIE. 

(fly Geonje Romney. Recently acquired by the National Gallery. 
No. 1,(151, Room XVIII.) 



of the old oak : the room is, therefore, more nearly in its 
original form than when demolished. Specimens of furni- 
ture of the period have been taken from the Museum and 
arranged in the room in order to give it a furnished 
aspect. The rooms in tlie Picture Galleries formerly given 



2S4 



THK MACAZrXK OF A1;T. 



u|i to llu' pictures (if tlic ( 'liantrcy l'n'i|uest Iimvo imw lici'ii 
liiinf- with water-ciiliiiir |iiliiitiii';s wliicli were i>iv\ iousiy on 
scri'i-us. Many iiili'ivstiii;; worlcs can tims lie seen to 
;.'icatiT ailvanta^rc, Imt tliis change is only lunvisional. 
Tlic ariani.'cnicnt of two vooMis in the ('ids.-. (Jallerv cmi- 




THE WOMAN OF SAMARIA, 

{Bg Wiltinnt Difcr. ft. A. /TiTffflt/y acquired bi/ the Birmhujimm Aft Galleri/. 
Sec p. J8«. ) 

liecting till' liiiiiaii Src-linn and Sciciici' ( 'ollccl ion^ l)a> 
now l)een conililetcil. 'i'lir lir>l mnin im ilcsiHMnliir^ tin- 
staircase is (levotcil, lor the nio.-t pait, to Cuinnr Art : 
tliive of tlie well-known lattice windows are shown lure 
witli their curious jiro.jections for hohliuf,' watcr-liottles : 
on one side is a Mos(ii;e pulpit of wood tlcconitcd with 
(h'licate carved ivory ])la(pies : spcciuiens of doors with 
similar ivoiy plaipies are arranycd in cases against the 
walls : casts of architectural oriianient from the Mosques 
of the Sultan Hassan ami Kait I'.ey, aM<l the Wekaleli of 
tlie latter Sidtan fill tlir upper parts of the walls and the 
corners of the room. In the second room are textile 
faliricsand embroideries fnim various jiarts of the 'I'Mrkish 




1ME SHEEP DROVE. 
(0y John Linnell. Rtetntlg aequiiid by th9 Bir,iiii>ylttt 



I Art Oalleru. Ste fi. 



:8B.) 

mI.1v 



Kmpire. To the left are lirocades ami velvets, pi 
from l5roussii, while to the rij;ht iire the remains of 
seventeenthcentury lirocaded dres.ses from the tomlis at 
(.'iinstaulinople of younj; 1'riuces.ses. The screens contain 



riulnoiilerirs in endless variety of stitches from Syria, the 

islands of the Levant, and other parts of the !•' ist : ajrainst 

each of the lonx walls is one side of a room from I )aiiia.si-us, 

one of the eaily eijjhteenth centiuy and the other aliout 

fifty years later, with their ipiaint cuplioar<ls atid rece.s.ses. 

On the j;rouud floor of the Indian Section an important 

adilition has been made to the plaster casts by a collection 

of ornamental details from the palace of the great Akbar 

al l-'athpur Sikri, near Agra. 

„ , , Oh- the few mildly sen.sational events in the 
Henry Morland .,,■.■, ^ -^ .1 

iu the '"' '■"'^^-'^ "' 'he past sea.son, (piite the most 

Sale Room, startlin.i,' wa.s that which diajjued IIknkv It. 

.Moi:i..\xii, the father of a celebrated .son, from 

r.iiik obscurity into sudden celebrity. The portrait of the 

lady ironing had been on view for a week or two before the 




LADY IRONING. 
(By H,nry Morland. Rcceniri/ sold /of 3,i'50 guineas.) 

sale on l)ecend)er I, and attracted a very wide amount of 
interest. It was a pretty picture, and by general consent 
admitted to be ipiite the best of the .several known 
e.\amples; but the jirice, :i.-2'>U guincii.s, at which it was 
knocked down to .Mr. Charles Wertlicimer, was far beyond 
anything geiurally anticipated. No single exami)lo of 
( leorge Morland. who was in every way a much liner artist 
than his father, has realised so high a price in the open 
market ; and the incident is only one illustiatiou of many 
uliirli go to jirove that reputations are (ickle and obscurity 
by no means a ipliintily to be neglected. "The l.ady Ironing" 
and "The l,a ly Washinj;" form a pair of well-known pic- 
tures, and one, if not both, was engraved twice. There is a 
pail- ill llie National ( iailery which cost the authorities 
about !; Ion about f(>nr years ago. it is .said that this pair 
wa-s at one time in Lird .Mauslield's jiosse.ssion at Caen 
Wood ; if that is so, then they were in the Stowe sale of 
IM'^. when they wei-c purchascil bir (is guine.ls the two. 
They Were at South Kcnsiin;ton in IHIIT. The lady ironinj? 
is said to be a porliait of .Maiia tiunning Countess of 
Covetdry, and tin- lady washing' is described as her sister, 



THE CHRONICLE OF AET. 



285 



Eliaibeth Duchess of Hamilton. Both these ascriptions 
are absurd : it is niiic-h more likely that they represent the 
artist's sisters. The mezzotint engravings by Phili]) Dawe 
were once very popular, but are now not at all common. 
We do not think that the extraordinary price <iuoted al)Ove 
is likely to result in much of a boom for this very third- 
rate artist, but it will almost certainly result in a very 
"e.xtensive" appearance of his works in the market 
during the ensuing season. Colossal reputations are often 
founded on mere flukes. 

Art in the ^"'' "'*' ^rury Lane Pantomime, Thr Jixln-s in 
Theatre. '^"^ II'o'j(/~admittedly intended "for children"— 
exception must be taken to the gruesome night- 
mare goblins, and the nur.sery cots that become sheeted 
ghosts in the opening scene. The picture of tlie "Sporting 
Club," excellent in its way, clearly defines the limitations 
of Mr. Emdkx's work: his "Palace (iarden" clotli is 
l)rettily imagined, but .scarcely fulfils its 
possibilities, and his " Coronation ' scene 
is almost as meretricious in colour and 
design as the ill-assorted dresses that 
jiervade it with glittering furbelows and 
feathery fans, in which an unpleasant 
beetroot tint asserts itself. The cos- 
tumes of some "jockeys" (or are they 
postillions ?) in another scene may reason- 
ably be termed indiscreet ; and in the 
bewildering " Fair " scene, a dance of 
electric-grey and white yokels with girls 
in scarlet and white morrice dresses alone 
calls for mention. Kautsky's panorama 
of the usual pattern comprises one tab- 
leau of significance—" Gulliver's Glade," 
with its skeleton trees and weird sug- 
gestions. The much-talked-of "Orchid " 
scene displays Mr. C.\xey's skill in a 
picture of delicate greenhouse growths, 
but the association of a group of in- 
explicable chanticleer trumpeters, and 
of the inevitable Grigolatis troupe as a 
flight of fantastic spangled " blue birds," 
may be pronounced detrimental to the 
full efifect of the wonderfully detailed orchid and insect cos- 
tumes and acces.sories. These are ably interpreted by Alias, 
to whose skill at least as much recognition is due as to the 
sketches of C'omelli. At the Garriek Theatre Mr. Oscar 
Baerett has been happily inspired to revive the grateful 
impressions of his Lyceum Ciwlerella, and it is plea.sant 
to renew one's acquaintance with Mr. Hawes Craven's 
"Woixl " scene, and its beautifully painted undergrowth of 
tangled bracken ; and with Mr. Wilhelm'.s .subtly devised 
interchanges of colour. These find, perhaps, their most 
fortunate expre.ssion in the costumes of the "Prince's 
Ball," to which is now assigned a white and gold saloon 
from the brush of Mr. E.mden, instead of the garden fete 
originally presented. There is no doubt that the .scheme 
of golden hues in the masiiue illustrating the chronology 
of the dance finds its newer setting the more .sympa- 
thetic. The departure of Cinderella's carriage from 
the "Fairy Boudoir" kindles all the old enthusiasm, 
and the Watteau harmonies of turquoise and coral 
and silver have been enhanced by some striking 
electrical eflFects. The story of Beauty and the Beast sup- 
plie.s the Alhambra management with a seasonable " ballet 
feerie." Mr. Ryan's mise-en-scene is oddly Tonkinese in 
chnracter, and rarely soars above the commonplace in 
conception. Mr. Howell Russell's rose-dresses are well 



contrived, but crudely contrasted with a bevy of gorgeous 
butterflies. The final tableau (apparently at the base of a 
monolith nearly related to Cleopatra's Needle'/ introduces a 
succession of vaguely Orientalised groups— tiring to the eye 
in their over-insistent and Hamboyant decoration — a medley 
that recent ballets at this house have made usal I familiar with. 
The resurrection of Offenbach's Grand Bucheu at the 
Savoy seems to have inspired the scenic artists with a 
surfeit of old-fashioned conventionality. Mr. Spong's 
" Camp " scene is chiefly remarkable for fir-trees that 
might more appropriately have figured in " The Mikado " 
as the tyi)ical Japanese Cryptomeria, and Mr. Harford's 
pictures of the "Throne-Room " and "Market-Place" sadly 
lack distinction. Mr. Percy Anderson is at his best in 
the dainty old-world toilettes and wonderful coiffures of 
the court ladies, and his peasant girls are smart, if a little 
remini-scent ; but the dingy mustard colour conspicuous in 




GLACIER RANGES, HEAD OF LAKE WAKATIPU, N.Z. 
{^From the Water-Colour Drawing by W. J. Wadhain. See p. 287.) 

the uniforms of the regiment might advantageously be ex- 
changed for the fresher tint sported by Her Grace of 
Gerolstein. Peter the Great, Mr. Laurence Ieving'-s in- 
teresting historic play at the Lyceum, calls for all the 
assistance that admirable stage appointments and embellish- 
ment cin give to relieve its gloom. The opening scene in 
the Kremlin is throughout a fine picture, revealing ^Nlr. 
Hawes Craven's ma.stery of colour and composition ; and 
Mr. Haeker's "Tribunal" is an impressive "set." Mr. 
Telbin's Neapolitan picture unfortunately suflfers from 
a faulty construction that permits a series of disconnected 
sea-horizons to ofTend the eye, whilst the transitions of 
lighting are somewhat clumsily contrived. The second act 
passes in a log-built cabin on the Neva, and the sumptuous 
court-robes of the Empress Catherine and the gaudy dress 
of Euphrosine accord but ill with such surroundings. 

We have before referred in courteous terms to 
Mr^teTar's ^^'- ^' ^' Cellar's ofl-er of a great number of 
Pictures, so-called "Old Masters ' to the City of London. 
These pictures, after examination by Sir Ed- 
ward Poynter, Director of the National Gallery, and Mr. 
Temple, of the Guildhall -Art Gallerj-, were very jiroperly 
declined. Since that time, however, unconvinced by the 
ridicule of the "trade," and contemptuous of the opinion 
of the first professional expert in the country, Mr. Sellar 



286 



THE MAGAZINE OF AKT 



appealed to Press and public by exhibiting his pictures at 
the Cirafton (Jallery ; not tlitm nloiw, but a great numljer 
of other (and, it has been suggested, slightly better) can- 
vases—three collections in one. Taken as a mass, and 
with but a few exceptions, this combined collection forms 
about as absurd and impudent a display as we have ever 
seen, in a saleroom or out of it. But Mr. Sellar, having 




CHARITY 
(0jr William Bougutreau. Rfcentli/ acquired by the Birmingham Art Gallery. See p. 

charged the dealers with boycotting his jiicturea (or 
making a "knock-out") " becaiLse they were offered with- 
out reserve'' (!), and having by imputation charged Sir 
Edward Poynter with gross ignorance at the very best, 
now turns upon the Press, which, with curious unani- 
mity, had laughed at his unfortunate infatuation, and, 
jiersisting in the infallibility of his own lack of judfjment, 
thinks that art-critics are greater ignoramuses than him- 
self, whose duty it is to echo the opinions of !Sir Edward 
Poynter. lie ajipeals in the last instance from Press to 
the public, in the hope that " the man in the street " may 
reverse the judgment of those who form the expert art 
opinion of the country. The whole episode is a pitiful 
one; but it should not end here. As Mr. Sellar asserts 
the genuineness of his canvases, and prints in his cata- 
logue that certain of them are " the originals " of celebrated 
pictures in celebrated galleries, or rei)lica.s of others, it is 
his duty to prove that he is not je.sting at the expense of 
his fellow-citizens, by stating from whom he acipiired 
tlie.se pictures. He should deliver up the dealers' names 
and iussume the onus of jiroving that they do not come 
from the hot-bed of spurious picture-manufacture in Belgium. 
If he refu.s&s, the public will form their own conclusion. 
It is somewhat unfortunate for the repu- 
M Mu^aciy ,.^i„n ^f Monsieur Munkaizv that at the 
Bouveret!^ moment of the exhibition at the Dowdes- 
well ( iallery of his " Ecce Homo I '' there 
should be exhibited in London the "Christ and the Dis- 
ciples at Emmaus." The latter has the di.sailvantage of 
artificial lighting throughout the day, as if the colour were 
not gooil enough to stand the test of daylight, an arrange 
ment worthy neither of the picture nor of the highly re- 
putable gallery at which it is exhibited ; yet with its 



ijuiet intensity of religious thought it makes ten times the 
impression of the .screaming rabble that curses and insults 
the Christ in the picture of the Hungarian painter. M. 
Munkaczy's work reraimls one of perfect stage-management 
and in6nite scenic skill ; we .seem to have here a religious 
picture-jilay for which the Saxe-Meiningen company have 
stood as modcl.>:, with all the success and failure of such an 
arrangement. Ten times as many jiersons will 
lirobably visit the "Ecce Homo!" as the other 
picture : yet (so far as we can jmlge by the arti- 
ficial light) the picture by M. D.mj.van is as in- 
finitely sujierior in colour and handling as it is in 
conception and execution. We are sorry to hear 
that the latter picture is going to America for 
good ; we do not very much care where the former 
will find its home. 

We have so lately dealt with the work 

"^^^ of the late Sir John Ch.bert, 1;..\., 

John Gilbert ,,i,^ir.. .1 . 1 » 1 1 •.■ • 

Exhibition 1 It-W.S., that any detailed criticism 

of the great memorial collection now 
on exhibition at the gallery of the Hoyal Society 
of Painters in Water Coloui-s would neces.sarily in- 
volve tiresome repetition. We may say, however, 
tiiat this collection wliicli Mr. Herkonier has 
brought together fairly staggers the visitor by its 
beauty and excellence, in spite of the .somewhat 
monotonous character of the subjects. There are 
in this great .sample of the man's life-work a 
ilignity, a sonorous rhythm, a sense of style and 
Hue, richness of imagination, infinite invention and 
resource, a superb power of eloquent and har- 
monious colour— which seems to issue from the 
l)ictures like the .sounds of a great organ — that 
convince those of their mistake who thought that 
Gilbert's greatest achievement was his work in black and 



2S8.) 




THE LEIQH HUNT MEMORIAI- 
[By Oeorge Frampton, A.R.A. Sre p. SUB.) 

while. We have here his first drawing, exhibited when 
he was sixteen, and, by its side, the la.st, on which he was 



THE CHKONICLE OF AKT. 



287 



at wiirk at the time of liis ileutli. The change after his 
Krst youth was not very great ; hut lie became early a 
great oolourist and a great stylist, apart from his minor 
merits ; and so deserves an undoubted and ungrudge<l 
l>lace in the sjiarse rank of our really great artists. 



Reviews. 



^^^ 




DEERSTALKING IN Tr.c n.wnLANDS : A QUIET SHOT. 
(Bjf E. J. Niemann. ftecentts acquired by the Nottingham Art Ga/lery. See p. 288. 

An interesting exhibition of water-colour sketches of 
Australian and New Zealand scenery has been held at 
Messrs. Graves's galleries. The drawings are the work of 
Messrs. W. J. Wadh.\.m and A. Sinclair, both well known 
Australian artists. The picture we illustrate is one of the 
largest, and is characteristic of the whole collection. The 
white-topped mountains in the distance stand up clearly in 
the brilliant atmosphere, and with the red-brown foliage of 
the foreground make up a plea.sing picture. The river 
.scenery of Australia affords good opportunities for the 
display of ilr. Wadham's skill, and his views on the Yarra 
and Murray are excellent pieces of work. 

Very slowly the old art of miniature painting is 
reviving. The artists at last are developing their 
own personal characteristics. Mrs. Chaedon's re- 
markable work at the Jliniature Painters' show at 
the Modern Gallery is the most noteworthy in the 
room, and ne.xt to it conies Mr. Alyx Williajis's 
dainty delicate brush-work and the clever work of 
the Hobson family. Mr. Cecil Hobson's portrait 
of a child is delightful, and Mr. and Mrs (Mi,ss 
Hobson) Lee Han key's miniatures are really good 
work. A word in favour of Mis.s- Gib.son, whose 
work if somewhat hard is yet sound and meri- 
torious, and a mention of Mr. Robeet.->on must 
be made. The others did not interest us, nor have 
we .space to allude to them. 

Two exhibitions of landscape have recently taken 
place — the " ( jardeiis of England and Italy " in 
water-colour by Mr. Eloood, R.I., at the Fine Art 
Society's Gallery, and " The Down Country ' by 
Mr. Thornk Waite, R.W.S., at the Dowdeswell 
Gallery. The former handles his subject with singu- 
lar good taste and good sense ; his colour is not 
forced beyond a judicious point, his drawing is 
excellent, and his treatment of this out-of-door vision of 
gorgeous colour and dainty forms, in an atmosphere now 
Italian and now English, is not only judicious but alto- 
gether delightful. Mr. Waite's drawings are thoroughly 
characteristic and, as usual, highly accomplished. His view 



(Ba J. 



of nature is becoming, perhaps, a little mannered ; but, 
granting the charm of that view, we gladly reali.se the 
delicacy and beauty that inspire it. 

The past season has been rich in books for the 
architectural student, from the most elementary 
sort to the most elaborate. Mr. T. S. Kobekt- 
son's " Prof/res.<< of Art in En(//ix/i Church A rc/ii- 
fecfitro" (Gay and Bird) belongs to the former 
class. It is a clear and sensible manual, well 
suited to the introduction of the subject to readers 
for whom the more scientific treatises are liable to 
prove too heavy. There are certain expressions 
we would object to ; we would not, for example, 
describe the pointed arch as a characteristic "de- 
tail" of Gothic. The illustrations, though not 
satisfactory as architectural drawings, sufficiently 
serve the author's purpose and the reader's, (os.) 

Nowadays, when the prowess of the collector 
and the art-movement of the sale-room become 
matters of interest not to buyer and seller only, 
but also to every intelligent lover of the arts, 
books upon this important subject become not 
only entertaining but necessary. In England we 
depend, for the history of art-sales, upon the 
works of Seguier, Bedford, and ilr. Roberts. In 
) France, hitherto, we have had to content our- 

selves mainly with the annual volumes dealing 
with the doings of the Hotel Drouot. We have before 
us a work which is practically an index of all the chief 
art-sales which have taken place in France, and the most 
im])ortant in other countries, from 1800 to 1895. This 
book, entitled " Le.t Ventef: de Tableaux, Dessins, et Ob- 
jets d'Art au XIX' Siecle" — an elaborate bibliographical 
compilation, being based upon the catalogues of the sales 
themselves — has been written and published by Monsieur 
Louis Soullie (Paris : Rue de Lille), who is, perhaps, best 
known for his speciality of issuing to his clients priced 
and annotated catalogues of any given sale. The total 




SALISBURY CATHEDRAL, FROM THE SOUTH. 
W. W, Tiinier, R.A. Recently acquired by the Birmingham Art Gallery. See p. 288.)] 

number of sales here alphabetically catalogued amounts 
to not less than .<('.»■ thoamnd. There is a cross-chrono- 
logical index which sets forth the sales in each year — 
from the eleven in 1801 to the 113 in 1894. Assuredly 
these things are better ordered in France than here. 



288 



THE MACAZINE OF AIJT. 



In "The Print Galleri/" (Grevel and Co.), of wliirh tlie 
tirst volume has just l)een issued, there are reprwluced over 
a liundred examples of the art of the eiij;raver in various 
iiK-tliods. Tiie Work is clearly not intended to ajipeal to the 
connoisseur, fertile conditions inseparalile from a fine pririt 
cannot |iossibly be obtained from ordinary process-blocks, 
printed without the extraordinary care which the printer of 
real en-travings is forced to use. lint the volume is a work 
of reference and instruction, in which the examples .selected 
are grouped by nationality, and in wliidi the notes appear 
to contain trustworthy information. It is to be hoped that 
this magazine will be continued. 

Among the .several children's books issued since our 
last notice are the followin.; :— " 'J'wo Old Li«li<s" (C'ussell 
and Co.), a stoiy written witli much freshness by .Miss 
M.tci.'iK Urowv, and illustrated with daintiness by Mr. 
AitTHiK l!.-v(KH.AM a fairv story that deser\cs to W 
po])ular. The book is a companion volume to "Wiintcil 
— a King." " Michji Ma;/ir's Mrwi- 
f/fri"," by Mr. H.vmkk, intcnilefl for 
young folks with sjiccial love of " un- 
natural history." is illustr.ited by .Mr. 
IJAHKV Xeii.son with much more 
humour than is generally extractid 
by draught.snien from the animal 
world. Another of Messrs. Ulackie's 
stirring and thoroughly wholesome 
stories for boys is Mr. HKiiiiKur 
H.vVEXs's " Pai-is at Bay: A Storif 
of the Siefie and the Commvne." ]t 
is ettectivdy illustrated liy Mr. Wood. 
and reprixluces witli .s])irit the reign 
of pa.ssion and heroism. liut " Vive 
la Polandc ! " is not French. 

" y/tf Went End Review " appears 
in a new coloured wrapper — designed 
and printed in France. Well illiis 
tratcd and printed, the publication 
ea.sily takes a front place in the ranks 
of society journals, (is. monthly.) 
Mr. Oeorije (Kmi.vv 
liEiD has been elected 
.Member of the Koyal Scottish Acadenjy. The final vote 
was Mr. Keid, 21 votes; Mr. A. Roche, IT votes. 

The memorial to Lekjii Hint, illustrated on p. -ISC, 
has been ]>laced in the vestibule of llunimersmith Free 
Library. It is similar in general design to the C'harles 
Keene memorial in the same building, which we illus- 
trateil some months ago. The two figures represent '"Prose" 
and "Poetry." 

The art gallery in connection with the .Maidstone 
Mu.seum, which was established by the late Mr. S. Hentlik 
in lHi)(), has recently benefited to a further extent under the 
will of the founder. The executors are to pay the trustees 
of the " lientlif Wing " (as the art gallery is called) LM,(i(i(» 
as an cnd(pwment funil,and after the decease of the testatoi's 
sister a further sum of LC.oiiii is to be jiaid for the .same 
purpose. Also, at the same time, all pictures ard books 
ill Draycott House (.Mr. I'enthf's residence) are to be 
handed over to the trustees of the gallery. By a (o<licil 
to the will Mr. Hentlif becpieathed t<i the gallery all his 
bronze.s, together with photographic portraits of himself 
and his late brother, George Amatt P.cntlif (to whose 
memory the gallery was built), and flic ilhimiiiatcd copy 
of the minutes of a resolution of the Town Council ac- 
knowledging the gift of the lientlif Wing to the Maidstone 
Mu.seum. 



dnctions of flies 




Miscellanea. 



THE LATE W. C. T. DOESON. R.A. 
(from <( PhotOfjr(tph by Window (i/lrf Orovc.) 



The liirminghani .\rt (iallery has recently received 
some important additions to its permanent collection of 
pictures. Mr. Charles Harding has gracefully jiresented 
the line example of the work of the distinguished French 
painter, .M. Bouciiereau, called "Charity." In this paint- 
ing his technical .skill and a certain intellectual i|uality in 
his art are characteristically represented. In addition to 
this notiible work, the Gallery has acquired by purchase 
a small but extremely interesting specimen of the I're- 
liaphaelite manner of Wii.i.i.vm Dvce, I!. A., called "The 
Woman of Samaria," in which the jiainting of detail al- 
most enualsthat of .Mr. llolniiin Hunt for accuracy of obser- 
vation ; an early and notable drawing liy .1. M. W. Tr:i{NEi!, 
a view of Salisbury Cathedral taken from the .south ; 
and a good landscape, a hilly scene with trees, figures in 
the foreground, and sheep in the distance, by JouN 
LisxEi.L, called "The Sheep Drove." We give repro- 
four pictures. 

Several iiiiportant additions have 
recently been made to the iieiinanent 
collections of the City Museum and 
.\rt (iallery at Xottingliam, probably 
the most important being the iiotaVde 
pictuic by Knwix Ellis, K.B.A., 
entitled ".Vfter Three Day.s' Gale." 
Tliis |ii(ture figured prominently 
in the collection of works by this 
arti.st which Mr. Walli.s, the Art 
hirector, brought together in 18!»3. 
liy lieiiuest the Gallery has been 
eiuiched by another valuable addi- 
tion, the very fine jiainting by K. J. 
NiKM.\NN, entitled " Deeivtalking in 
the. Highlands: a Quiet Shot," pro- 
bably the painter's best work. To 
the collection of local portraits a gift 
of considerable interest and imjiort- 
aiii-e has been made by Miss .M.\R- 
i;.\i;i'.r HowiTT of the portraits of her 
parents, William and Mary Howitt, 
who for .some time resided in Not- 
tingham, and whose career of joint 
authorship is so widely known. It is a charming painting 
upon ivory by the celebrated artist, M.\ki;.\1!ET (Jillies. 
The death has occurred of Mr. W. C. T. Dohson, 
Obituary. |{ .^^ .jj. (jjy advamctl age of eighty-one. He was 
the .son of an iMiglish inerchant residing in Hamburg, and at 
a very early age exhibited a taste for drawing. When nine 
years old he was brought to Kngland, and at fourteen beg-an 
to draw from the antique at the British Museum. Five 
years later he was admitted to the Koyal .\cademy Schools, 
and in 184:5 was apjiointcd to the important ])ost of head 
master of the (iovernment School of Design at liirminghani. 
He only held the position for two year.->, when he resigned, 
for the purpose of visiting the various art centres on the 
Continent. He exhibited little figure-subjects regularly 
at the .\cademy, and in isfii) was elected an Associate, 
the full membership being accorded to him twelve years 
later. Similar works to those execnteil in oils for the 
llnrlinglon House I'lxhibitioiis were .sent to the Hoyal 
Water-Colour Society, and showed his skill to belter advan- 
tage in the lighter medium, for his water-colour drawings 
were exceedingly delicate and refined even if sentimental 
ill subject. He was a member of the "Old Society "and 
till a few years ago, was a constant contributor to its cxhi- 
bition.s. I'ull details of Mr. Dobson's career have already 
been recorded in Tin: M^iA/iNE of Art. 



'y 




< Dq 

5 t 



O -v. 



X 

» 

o 

I 






^ 



<3 

I 



.^ 




LINCOLN, FROM THE BRAYFORD RIVER. 
(From the Waier-Co'.our Drawimj by Peter dc Wint.) 



THE ART COLLECTION AT BELL=MOOR, THE HOUSE OF 
MR. THOMAS J. BARRATT. IV. 



Ev JOSEPH GREGO. 



IX the sucoikI iiolicu of j\lr. Barratt's ail follec- 
tioii al r.ell-;\ronr (IMagazixe ok Akt, February) 
references were made to tlie two pietiues liy WW- 
liam J. Miiller, "Slave IMarket, Cairo" ami " Sla\e 
Market at Manfalout," brilliant examples of liis 
Egyptian experiences. Of these picturesquely tyjii- 
cal Oriental scenes the artist has set down some 
interesting notes, which appeared in the Ar/ ruimi 
at the time of his residence in the P^ast : — 

" The slave market was one of my most favourite 
haunts, although no figure painter. One enters this 
building, which is situated in a quarter the most 
dark", dirty, and obscure of any at Cairo, by a sort 
of lane ; when one arrives at some large gates. The 
market is held in an open court, surrounded with 
arches of the Eoman character. In the centre of 
this court the slaves are exposed for sale, and in 
general to the number of from thirty to forty, 
nearly all young, many quite infants. The scene 
is of a revolting nature ; yet 1 did not see, as I 
expected, the dejection and sorrow I was led to 
imagine. The more beautiful of the females, I 
found, were confined in a chamber over the court. 
They are, in general, Abyssinians and Circassians. 
When anyone desires to purchase, I not un- 
frequently saw the master remove the entire 

122 



covering of the female — a thick woollen cloth — ■ 
and expose her to the gaze of the bystander. Many 
of these girls are exceedingly beautiful — small 
features, well formed, with an eye that bespeaks 
the warmth of passion they possess. The negresses, 
(lU the contrary, have little to please; they di.sgust, 
for their hair is loaded with two or three pounds of 
a sort of tallow-fat, litei'ally in thick masses, and as 
this is influenced by the heat of the sun, it gradu- 
ally melts over the body, and the smell from it is 
disagreeable in the extreme. Yet in this place did I 
tiud more delight than in any other part of Cairo; 
the groups and the extraordinary costume can but 
please the artist. You meet in this place all nations. 
When I was sketching — which I did (Hi many 
occasions — the masters of the slaves could in no 
manner understand my occupation, l.mt were con- 
tinually giving the ser\ant the price of the different 
slaves, to desire me to write the same down, thinking 
I was about to become a large buyer." 

In 1841, when Miiller was in his twenty-ninth 
year, he is described characteristic illy as enjoying 
the buoyant spirits of youth, his natural vivacity 
stimulated by the invigorating air of the Heath on 
the sketching expeditions which afforded him keen 
enjoyment. Here is a typical account of one of 



290 



THE MAGAZINE OF ART. 




THE PATH THROUGH THE WOOD. 
{From the Pmntlng bj James Stitrh.) 

these jaiHits, as related by liis biograplier, X. Neal 
Solly, foiciljjy lecalling Miillei's own sentiiiients, as 
expressed in a letter written very few months be- 
fore his untimely end : — " I am looking forward to 
sketching green fields, trees, etc., the works of a 
living (!od — these things make my heart glad. It 
is in nature, and not in streets, that I find my 
turn self." " ]\Iiiller and his young friend.s, Dighton, 
Gooden, and others, also often made excursions to 
Hampstead. Starting in the morning on foot, they 
walked by the fields (since built over) on the nortli 
of the canal, sketching pollard-willows or other little 
' bits ' that came in his way. The .«!and-pits on llie 
Heath were Miiller's favourite subject. Of tiiese 
he made many capital sketches and little pictures. 
Late in the afternouns they adjourned to some inn, 
generally tlie ' IJull and ISiish,' where the day's 
sketches were discu.ssed over a light .supper, and 
the evening was wound up with .1 game of .skittles. 
Going iiome, it was .Midler's deligiit to go sliaight, 
' like a bee,' over hedge, over ditch or swamp, or aiiy 
other obsUiele. ( )n one of tlie.se excursions to Hamp- 



stead, Midler and his companions 
were passing along a lane near the 
Heath, when one of them observed, 
« propos of subjects, ' Well, at all 
events, there is nothing to sketch in 
ihia lane ! ' ' Xothing to sketch ! ' ex- 
claimed MiiUer, ' why, the road and 
that gutter would make a capital 
sketch.' So he sat down and sketched 
the 'gutter,' and afterwards worked 
it up into a capital drawing. It has 
often been remarked that Miiller 
' could not exist alone.' He always 
contrived to get some young com- 
panions to join him, and innumerable 
were the merry and sociable evenings 
spent in his front room in Charlotte 
Street." 

Referring to tlie examples chosen 
for illustration, as reproduced in the 
present review of Mr. Rarratt's col- 
lection at Bell-Moor, we have already 
instanced the picture by .Tames Stark, 
"Tlie Path through the Wood," as 
one of the choicest specimens of this 
fa\'ourite artist's most appreciated 
landscape paintings, and, as may be 
seen, suggesting tlie iiiHuence of John 
Crome, the honoured founder of the 
Xorwich school, to whom the faithful 
Stark was articled for three years at 
the beginning of his career. 

" Tlie Fair Widow," by Rochard, 
is an example of a rare master, whose 
practice was inHuenced by the schools of Greuze 
and Hoppner; the few examples Rochard executed 
of tliis order were reproduced in " Keep.'iakes " 
and " Books of Beauty," in one of which ornate 
"Annuals" a version of "The Fair Widow" was 
engraved in the distant days when these expen- 
sively produced publications embodied the popular 
art. Conspicuous among the water-colour drawings 
collected at Bell-M<ior is the ambitious and very 
important example by Peter de Wiiit, " Lincoln 
from the Brayford River," a noteworthy drawing 
both as regards size (39 by 26) and superlative 
ipiality. In the whole range of this accomplished 
master's practice it would be ditlicult to discover a 
finer example, or one more typical ; embodying, as 
it does, all the excellences which endear De Wint's 
pictures to connoisseurs. Among the w-ater-colour 
drawings in Mr. Barratt's possession, I have already 
alluded to small examples by AV. Miiller and David 
Cox. The late Thomas Collier is well represented 
in tiie ranks of artists who have selected for their 
headquarters tiie picluresi|ue vicinity of breezy 



Ml!. BAKRATT'8 COLLECTION AT BELL-MOOE. 



291 



Hainpstead Heath ; laaiiy of the.se connnissioiis were 
painted for Mr. F>arratt by that gifted master of 
English landscape, whose unmistakably strong and 
distinctive art so sympathetically continues the 
sterling traditions of De Wint, L)avid Cox, and 
the great founders of English water-colour art in 
the direction most congenial to Mr. Barratt's sym- 
pathies and tastes — the delineation of native pas- 
toral landscape. CTeorge Barret is also represented, 
and there is a grouji of charming and characteristic 
examples by Copley Fielding. John A'arley is repre- 
sented by his " Kilgarvan Castle." Glancing at the 
productions of members of the Eoyal Institute of 
I'ainters in Water - Colours, among the present 
workei-s, whose aim is truth and sincerity, and 
whose observations of Nature impel them to regard 
landscape delineation with the vision of their illus- 
trious predecessors, we find at Bell-Moor a group 
of chosen examples by Mr. James OiTock. There 
are tliree large and important drawings by Mi-. A. 
Thorburn, respectively Grouse, Partridges, and 
Pheasants, admirable specimens of 
the accomplished art which that 
painter has brought to perfection 
in the delineation of those ob- 
jects of the sportsman's delight ; 
attesting the strongly - marked 
sportsmanlike predilections of their 
owner — tastes further evinced in 
quite a collection of " sporting 
pictures." These include repre- 
sentative examples of all the 
famous sporting delineators: 
George Stubbs, J. N. Sartorius, P. 
Reinagle, Charles Hancock, Sawrey 
Gilpin, E.A., Aiken, Eolfe, etc., 
affording ample materials for a 
comprehensive "sporting number." 
In considering the works by mem- 
bers of the Eoyal Institute of 
Painters in "Water - Colours the 
names of a distinguished group of 
figure-painters claim mention as 
having executed characteristic 
drawings for Mr. Barratt — for 
instance, Messrs. F. Dadd, Doll- 
man, and Brewtnall (of the Eoyal 
Water -Colour Society), and the 
late H. Stacy Marks, E.A. ; and 
again the refined works by Mr. 
Charles Green, " 'Tis a Century 
Ago," " The Minuet," and " Sir 
Eoger de Coveiley ; " by Mr. G. 
G. Kilburne, " A Duet ; " both 
painters being dwellers at Hanip- 
stead; together with Mr. John 



F'ulleylove, who lias joined the " Northern Heights " 
contingent, with his old-world residence in Church 
l!ow, Hampstead. There is also a Constable-like 
picture of Bell-JIoor by this gifted member of his 
Society, and se\'eral masterly examples of his water- 
colour art, the outcome of recent studies in classic 
Greece. There is also a gorgeous and important 
example, " A Carpet Bazaar," glowing into Oriental 
efiulgence of colour, by Eobertson. 

^Mention has been made of the grand historical 
work of vast size (8 ft. '■'> in. by 5 ft. 2 in), a gorgeous 
chef-d'ceuvrc by the late Sir Joliii Gilbert, E.A. — the 
characteristic example, "Meeting of Henry VIII and 
Francis I at the Field of the Cloth of Gold." There 
are further examples by Mr. Aluia-Tadema, E.A., 
j\lr. Thomas Faed, E.A. ("The Silken Gown," from 
the collection of the Mai'quis de Santurce), E. W. 
Cooke, E.A., Henry Moore, William Collins, E.A., 
George Chambers, Hey wood Hardy, E.I., and a 
vast number of similar works by representative 
artists both of the early and modern English 




THE FAIR WIDOW. 

(From the Painting by Rochard.) 



292 



THK MACA^IXK <1F AKT. 



sulioiil. Ainonji iiiaiiy foivij^ii cxiiiiipk's tlie must This lisL l)y no means exhausts tlie muster roll 

iniporlaiit arc two ailmirable ami ehuracteristiu- of iiainlers whose works are hung at Ik-ll-Moor, iu 

ally brilliant masterpiwes, "A (Iroup of Flowers" either branch of iiiutures in oils, or water-colour 

ami "I liana." bv Ilia/: "The Smithy," bv K. A. ilrawinifs. 




THE BRIDPORT RELICS. 



Sihmiilt (1S87): Lucien fieranl ; V. Chuvillanl : 
by ]. (Jallego.s, "The Notary;" by F. Weisser, 
"Cheek:" by W. Kauler, "MiiUlay Halt;" '■<»" 
duanl," and Groups of HoiincLs, by Otto de I'enne 
(from the collection of Henry Wallis); "The Rus.sian 
Post," by Schreyer (from the collection of Geoige 
Stevens); by .1. H. Koekoek, "A Calm, witii 
Men-of-War;'" "The Signal," by P. Korle ; F. 
Soulacroi.x ; C. le P>lant; by C. Seller, 'Off Duty " 
(The Smokei) and "Card Players;" with numerous 



Particular reference has been made to the 
masterpiece of sculpture, " The Tinted Venus " 
In the category of sculptui-e mention must be 
made of a beautiful work by II. .1. Wyatt, "The 
Piather:" of " Hereward the "Wake." by Mr. Thomas 
Pirock, P.A.: and "Esmeralda with her (loat," by 
P. Pra/.zanti. 

I have further to speak of artistic memorials 
of silver-plate iu Mr. Barratt's collection, other- 
wise rich in treasures of antique silver, ancient 




THE NELSON PLATE. 



Other examples, including pictures by \'an Os, Old cups, and cxaiiiples by the great arlilieers, like Paul 
Teniers, and lepresentiitive masters of the Dutch I-amerie. .Muiv than ordinary interest attaches to 
school (seventeenth century). the relics here reproduced. The Xelson pre.senta- 



yin. 1!ai;i;atts collection at i^.ell-mooe. 



293 



/e^ 




tioii plate has quite a 
national importance ; 
for the pair of Ice-] (ails 
were ott'eied as a public 
recognition of the {n\\- 
lant Admiral's heroic 
exertions at the mo- 
mentous seatight oft' 
Copenhagen, when tlie 
heroic Danish defence 
was with difficulty 
overcome by the 
intrepidly daring and 
resolute attack of 
Lord Xelson's fleet. 
These Ice-pails are of 
silver, with covers and 
linei-s, with lion's mask 
and ring handles, the 
lower part fluted, and 
with gadroon borders. 
On one side are en- 
graved the coat of 
arms, crest, and supporters, with the famous motto, 
Falminn qui meruit firof, granted to Lord Xelson " for 
his brilliant .services at the battle of the Nile, 1st 




THE ABERCROMBIE ICE-PAI 



Eieiioli force." Anions 
Lord Nelson's crests 
-*t engraved on the co\ers 

* are the two armorial 

gi-ants commemora- 
tive of Aboukir Bay, 
the stern of the 
Vanguard (Nelson's 
flag-ship), the naval 
crown, and the star 
and plume of honour 
offered by the Sultan, 
surmounted by the 
Nelson coronets. 

The story of this 
memorable presenta- 
tion from the Lender- 
writers, Meu)bers of 
Lloyd's Subscription 
];oom.s, is embodied 
in the inscription en- 
giaved on the respec- 
tive lee-pails : — 

Committee aijpniutetl to mauage the 

the benefit of the wounded and the 

were killed in the glorious victory 



"Presented by the 
subscriplion raised for 
relatives of those who 
obtained off Copenhagen on the 2nd April, ISOl, toTice-Aduiira'l 




THE DICKENS SALVER. 



August, 1798, when a British fleet under his command LORD NELSOX, K.B., DLKE OF BRONTE, &;c., ic, ic, in 
obtained a most decisive victory over a superior testimony of the high sense entertained of his meritorious and 



294 



TTTK ^rAr;AZTXK of art. 



nnprecedented exertions in defence of liis country, wliicli, iit the 
peril and danger of liis life, lie so nobly sustained iirevinus to 
the engagement, and as a token of his brilliant and galliint 
condnct during the whole of that evormemoralile action. 

".Ions Jri,lf.s Anc;er.stki.n, Chairman. 
•' Lloyd's Coffee House." 

Tn the .same groupwltli tlie.se iiiteicstin^' iiu'inoiiiil.s 
is Lord Xel.soir.s teapot, witli headed and threaded 




CONSTABLES PALETTE. 

borders, also bearing the crests and coronets granted 
for his services at tlie signal victory of Ahoukir I'.ay. 
The portrait is the Wedgewood pla([ue, showing ]>oid 
Nelson in profile, wearing those prized decorations 
and honours he had gallantly won at such imminent 
jiersonal ri.sk. On the reverse is the facsimile of 
Horatio Nelson's autograph. 

Another group of commemorative relics belonged 
to the gallant Admiial Hood, Vi.scount Ihidporl : 
the pair of oval sauce-tureens and covers, with 
giidroon borders and handles, and claw feet, are 
similarly engraved with the arms and sujiporters 
granted to this brave Admiral for his .services at 
sea, including the signal victory of Trafalgar. The 
two casters in the same group also helonf,'cil lo 
Viscount iiridport. 

The Ice-pail, one of a pair, appropriately designed 



and ornamented with Egyptian devices, resting upon 
four winged " Sphinxes," is also a relic : commemora- 
tive of Sir Ilalph Abercromby's successes in Egypt, 
the important campaign of 1801, in which, at the 
battle of Alexandria, the intrepid commander gained 
at once a brilliant victory and " a death of glory." 

The " l>ickens Memorial" at Uell-Moor is a large 
and highly elaborate salver (2.j by 19) in antique taste 
of the ornate order, with Jupiter in the centre, and a 
series of mythological and classical ligiires and situa- 
tiniis in high-relief figuring in the various compart- 
iiicuts. all drawn fr(jin episodes of "Tile Iliad." 

This unusually interesting example of the artistic 
taste and excellence attained by Engli.sh craftsmen 
under the Victorian Era is by the producers, Messrs. 
i;ikiiigton, described as " The Iliad Salver," and 
was designed by Mr. Cliarles Grant, who deserves 
recognition for this adequate instance of har- 
monious composition and .sculptor-like modelling. 
Tlie central compartment represents the appeal 
of Tiictis to Jupiter on behalf of her son Achilles, 
unjustly deprived by Agamemnon of his beautiful 
captive ISrisei.s. The further details are thus given 
un the same authority: — " In the angular compart- 
ments surrounding the centre are sea-nymphs 
attendant upon Tiieti.s, who, although the mother of 
(lie mortal Achilles, was herself a goddess of the 
Mccan. The outer border is divided into eight very 
larefully wrought designs, representing the contest 
lietween Agamemnon and Achilles; the heralds 
leading Briseis from the tent of her captor; the 
(irccks driven from their fortifications : the body of 
I'alroclus, slain by Hector, rescued by Menelaus and 
Ajax ; the flight of the Trojans at the reappearance 
'if Achilles; the grief of Achilles over the body of 
I'alroclus: Achilles' cruel revenge on the corpse of 
liis foe Hector: and the supplication of Priam for 
the liody of his son." The various compositions are 
of elaborate character, and are skilfully combined 
into an artistic whole. 

The circumstances of the presentation are detailed 
by John Forster in his "Life of Charles DiekeiKS." 
The following in.scription is engraved on the salver : — 

'• Tliis Salver, together with a diamond ring, w.as presented to 
ClI.VUhKS DU'KE.NS, E.sy""' by a number of his admirers in 
liirmiiigham, on the occasion of the l<ilerary and Artistic 
r.anciuc-l in that town on the (Uh of .lamiary, IS")!), ;is a sincere 
r<'stimonyof their appreciation of his varied literary acquire- 
ments, ami of the genial philosophy and high moral teaching 
which charnclerise his writings." 

The novelist treastired this salver throughout 
his life, and it was, by his last will, dated ll'th 
of May, 18G9, specially bequeathed to his eldest 
son : — " I give to my eldest son Charles the silver 
salver iire.scnted to me at Birmingham." This 
memorial was secured at the .sale of the cllects of 
Charles Dickens the younger. 



295 



CHARLES VAN DER STAPPEN, 



By EMILE VERHAEREN, 



CHA1;LES van DEI; STAITEN has miukldm- 
self a name both as an artist ami as a professor. 
He works and he teaches ; he is in the first rank of 
Belgian sculptors, and one of the foremost masters 
of the a'Sthetic school. I propose to study liini 
from both points of view. 

First as an artist. His beginnings were 
humble. At the age of twelve he was ap- 
prenticed to Monsieur Leonard, a decorator ; 
lie was a workman before he was a scul|)tor 
and familiar with simple, elementary, com- 
mon craftsmanship. Beauty bewitched him 
even when it was as yet scarcely visible in 
its most primitive form in human work. 
Art in its widest sense, taking the world and 
man for its subject, though it must study 
both body and soul, must remain plastically 
decorative. Hence it is no loss of time, but 
a con.'^picuous advantage, for a sculptor to 
begin with an initiation into the charm of 
pure line, of the effects of masses and spaces, 
before setting to work more seriously on his 
own art. 

Charles van der Stappen had this advan- 
tage. In IMonsieur Leonard's studio he made 
the acipuiintance of Monsieur Charles Buls, 
who was also a pupil there, and who has 
since become a burgomaster of Brussels; and 
their friendship subsists to this day. 

Till the age of nineteen Charles van der 
Stappen haunted the Bru.ssels studios — a 
nipin, a painter's devil, so to say — ready to 
undertake the humblest task, eager to learn 
everything, never neglecting the simplest 
craft, till the day when, thanks to the in- 
terest of Joseph Gerard the painter, he was 
admitted as a student to Jean Portaels' studio. 
I'ortaels, his real master, was at the head 
of the only school where art was truly under- 
stood. This was in 1860. The Belgian art 
academies sacrificed everything to routine, to the 
classic model, to copying — doing nothing — deatli 1 
There was no life at all. What had been done 
was to be done again ad infinitum. Nature was 
the enemy. Formula was everything. Although 
Jean I'ortaels was a painter, he admitted all forms 
of art and all artists, and his teaching was life- 
giving. He enforced nothing, and set the example 
of persevering toil. He respected individuality, 
spontaneity, living force. These were what he 
valued in himself and in others. He led the way 



for the most dissimilar artists: Emilc "Wautcrs, 
Agneessens, and Cormon. 

Among such surroundings Charles van der 
Stappen began to train himself. His mind shook off 
its swaddling clothes and asserted itself by degrees. 




THE W/RESTLERS. 

He entered into all the awakening, all the ardour 
that was animating the brain of his new comrades 
and friends, and warmed himself at the fire of their 
boldness and insight ; he took up the struggle with 
entliusiasm, and from a decorator determined to 
become a sculptor, At that time his former masters 
icgarded him as a m;idman, a revolutionary, just as the 
younger generation now look upon him as classical. 
And every true artist goes through these two piiases. 
The work he sent in to the Salon of 1863 was 
refused by the jury. In 1866 a sketch was accepted. 



296 



THK ^rAGAZTXE OF AT^T. 




Ill 1869 "The Fiuiii," Llio liist <if liis works wliich It is exceplionally line. Tlio iiigcinunisiies.s, tlie 
mack' him a naiiu'. won the iiieilal. Thus in six niixtuie of confidence and recklessness in this figure, 
years the levohilionary iiad gained liis footing;. \:\n its sleiiderness and strength, the novelty of the 
dcr Stajnien's ania/enient was great. He had hardly attitude, the certainty and delicacy of tlie sculptor's 

toucii, all give distinction to this statue, which is in 
marble. 

On his return to I'.russels, after a prolonged visit 
to I'aris, Charles van der Slappen began in ISSr) his 
LTVou]! for tiie facade of the Talais des IkMux-Arts. 
Ill tliis he .seems to have returned to the old Fleniisli 
tradition. Strength, not free from some heaviness, 
manly power, broad and strongly marked vigour 
eliaracterise it. His statue of "William tlie Sik'nt" 
is, on tlie contrary, severe and closely wrought, 
as beseems the liero. And then wc liave the two 
"Saint Jlichaels" of the Brussels Hotel de Ville ; 
the patron saint is seen proud and exultant, tlie 
demon raging but conquered, as legend requires. 
The artist had striven to give them, if not a 
new character, at any rate a new aspect. The 
lu Imet, .sword, and armour are very simply treated ; 
and all tiic purpose of the figure is concentrated in 
its bright and liery s]iii'itualily. 

Tiie two "Saint Mieliaels" were lini.slied for the 
town coinicil at tiie same time with a table ilecora- 
lion for tiie municipal banquets. Here the decorator 

IMPERIOUS FANCY 

ilared to hope tiiat his statue would be accepted, and 
he wa.s admitted to academic honours with Constantin 
^Icunier, Hermans, Cluysenaer, l)evigne,.leliitte, and 
Artiin, his elders, almost his masters! 

"Tiie Faun" stood out among tlie statues its 
neighl)ours. It showed truth of attitude, mndel- 
ling, and muscle. The figure bent his knee and 
smiled, not like u model, but like nature; he was 
fre.sli from the woods and fields, and liad not come 
out of aceUar where old students' work lay rotting. 

In 1872 a "Charmer;" in IS""' the caiukdabra 
for the palace of the Comte de Fliuidre : in l<S7(i Ihi' 
" Swordsman " in tlie Brussels gallery were added to 
tlie works of Charles van der Sta])pen. Tiie " Swords 
man " is almost French in style ; Mercie's iiiHuence is 
very perceptible. It is supple, reliiied, and elegant, 
and it won golden opinions, Init I doubt wiietlier at 
the juesent day it lias any charm for its creator. 

I)uriiig tliis period of success tlie artist came back 
to his beginnings; liie arts of decoration, lb' 
executed a balcony for the orcliestra of tlie Con- 
servatoire, another for tiie Aliiambra Tiieatre, some 
decorations for the Post OHice, and I lie caryatides 
for the Hotel de Curte. Then lie went to Italy 
to refiesli iiis niiml at tlie fountain-head of modern 
sculpture. He executed several busts, Init the mas- 
terpiece which stamps this jieriod is tli(> " I tavid." 




JEAN PORTAELS. 



again came to tlie front. In a iiiomeiit of true in- 
spiration he designed these two candelabra and a 
centrepiece, in which episodes fioiii the history of 
the town were illustrated ; the decorative features 



CHAKT-E.^ VAX PETt STAPPEX. 



.'97 



being adapted from the iris, an original and novel 
style of treatment which has since been extensively 
imitated. 

Before speaking of his later works, mention must 
be made of two groups, one called " Ompdrailles " 
or " The Wrestlei-s," and the other, " The Builders." 
" Ompdrailles " is a personage who figures in a 
romance by Leon Cladel ; he is typical of youthful 
agilitv which decavs and is exhausted in its bloom 



strongly marked spaces and an excessive play of 
light and shade. " The Builders " is in the simplest 
style of art, strong and severe, the sense of line 
predominating over the feeling for chiaroscuro. 

Until this time, however, that is to say, before 
1893, large schemes of work, whole effects, cycles 
of figures, had had no place in Charles van der 
Stappen's work. In spite of groups and statues 
his talent was to some extent frittered in what 





MONUMENT TO LABOUR. 



under the fierce breath of Love. The group repre- 
sents the wrestler beaten, carried out of the fight 
by his fiiend, and displayed piteous and dejected 
to the public in the amphitheatre. The different 
character stamped on the figures and the flesh of the 
two champions, the well-knit, mature strength of one, 
the elegant but broken energy of the other, the 
variety of attitude, the crestfallen and dying com- 
batant, the epical and solemn character of the whole 
composition, stamp it with the style of the truest 
beauty. Here already Charles van der Stappen had 
shaken off his tendency to indulge in detail for its 
own sake, and to elaborate parts to the detriment of 
the whole. He has not aimed at gracefulness, hardly 
even has he thought of the picturesque. 

In ■' The Builders " the figures are treated in 
masses. The sculptor had been blamed for working 
out his groups from the point of view of tone, with 

12.3 



miglit be termed cusvl work — commemorative tablets, 
bas-reliefs, busts of painters, his friends, and of 
literary personages, statuettes, portraits — he had 
taken no wide flight. 

At the present time he is working with great 
promise of success on three important schemes. 
In collaboration with Constantiu Meunier he is 
directing all the monumental decoration of the 
Botanical Gardens at Brussels. Balustrades with 
allegorical figmes and emblems, designs for 
fountains, statues of the seasons, groups of animals, 
reapers and sowers, unite to harmonise art and 
nature. The general design was exhibited and the 
execution entrusted to ten or more sculptors. 

His " Chimiera " fountain is to be retained in 
the "Pare du Cinquantenaire." In the centime, on a 
granite rock, a stalwart young hero in the pride of 
his strength seizes a chimrera by its wings, and 



298 



THE :\iac;azixk of ai;t. 



liokls it captive it not conquered ; at the four angles glory, Constantin ileunier ; and last year lie lent 

of the pedestal are seen the Child trying to reach its his studio to a party of young artists that they 

own chima?ra ; Youth abandoning itself to tlie power might do honour, among his statues and casts, to 

of his: Motherliood taking refuge under its pro- tiie artist whom Paris had proclaimed to be~a 

tection; Old Age silting dejected at having failed master. 

to subdue it. The originality of this work consists We have seen tlie Artist and the Man : now fur 

in liaving ajjpropriated an idea of universal meaning the Teacher. 

and clothed it, for a decorative purpose, in glowing Ilefore he was appointed professor at the 

and vigorous plastic forms. I'locks of rock form Academy he iiad opened a free scliool. All might 

water rushes come who wcjuUl 



tlie base of the whole composition 

out from among them, 

and the monsters also 

spout water from their 

open jaws as they rear 

with their forefeet in 

the air and outstretched 

neck. Tliis fountain was 

exhibited at the I'niver- 

sal E.xhibitioii of ISOT. 

A " Monument to 
I-abour" is as yet only 
sketched. Cliarles van 
der Stappen liere recurs 
to the time-honoured for- 
mulas symbolical of Art, 
Commerce, Agriculture, 
and Science. Among the 
ligures and emblems of 
science he introduces the 
skeleton of an iguanodon. 
He has illustrated the 
other allegories by less 
priin;uval objects ; and 
the group representing 
" Art " is full uf spon- 
taneous inspiration. 

This is a hastily compiled list of bis mine 
important works. If we go to seek in Iiis sludiu 




SILENCE. 



The first tests were soon passed; 
he knew at once whetlier 
to keep or disnii.ss a 
learner. I'aul Dubois, 
l'"ernand J)ubois, De 
llaeii, Samuel, l)e Vreese 
and Charlier had their 
lirst teaching under 
Charles van der Stappen. 
As soon as he was elected 
U) the Academy he began 
ti) act largely on Ids own 
principles of instruction. 
In a letter lie wrote 
Id me some time since, 
be thus expresses him- 
self: " In my opinion, 
since there is no doubt 
that classes for teaching 
Art are indispensable, 
the lessons ought to tend 
to develop the pupil's 
teini)erament and iiuli- 
vidiialily. To explain : 
To begin, outline-drawing 
must be taught, from 
vegetable forms or ob- 
jects in daily use ; tliis is to give the learner 
])iactice in the use of liis materials and some sense 
of relation and [jropoilion. From the lirst the 



the author of so many pieces, many of wiiieh will 

hold a permanent place in T.elgian art, we are master sliould incite liis pupils to a love of nature, 
startled to find quite a little man instead of the and 
colossus we might expect to see. We meet an 
amiable and good-humoured personage, \'ery eager 
in talk. His eyes are keen and look large l)ehiiid 
his eyeglasses, his shoulders square, his bands active 
and pliant. Well-knit strength lurks in tlial com- 
pact frame, wliicli is sturdy tlunigh short. We 
feel the presence of a tenacious will. If we arc 
privileged to know the man well we liml liiui Idndly, 
oV)liging, a ])leasant ccnnpanion, a faithful and 
generous friend. I know many admirable facts 
concerning him. He is well iid'ormcd, well read, 
and familiar witii the history of his art. lie loves 
the great geniuses — ^Michael .Vngelo, Donatello, 
Kude. He is devoted to his fellow-worker, his 
companion in many a struggle and sometimes in 



impress on them tliat nothing is unimport- 
ant in liie life around them : tliat tlie man who 
feels the lieautiful side of everytliing he sees will 
easily penetrate to tlie soul of things, which is tlie 
supreme end of art. Above all else, I insist on 
the laudation ami eiuouragement of that feeling; 
for, observe : tiic rapidity and certainty of a young 
artist's a'sthctic gnnvtli (whether painter or sculptor) 
depends on his first impressions. As soon as the 
])upil tlins predisposed begins to give style to his 
(hawing of what lie .sees — tliat is to say, begins to 
render bis own view of what lies around him — 
alisolute respect for Ids ]ioin1 of view is tiie first 
tiling to be considered. 'I'he master must then 
divest himself of his personality. He must be a 
.sym]iathelie <^ntidc ami not a pedantic ])ioneer. 



CHARLES VAX DKIi STAITHX. 



299 



" This apprenticeship to art is a sort of graimnar 
lesson for the pupils. "When they have mastered 
the proportions and tJie living sense of the simplest 
objects; when througli this they have begun to draw 
thing's from nature and in accordance with their own 
temperament, it will soon be easy to discern wliich 
arc equipped for tlie great struggle — that is to say, 
for art — in the highest and widest sense, and which 
will never be anything more than its journeymen, 
gifted witli skill and something beyond. Such a 
classification is of the first importance and ought 
to be carried out after a few yeai-s' study at most. 

" Since art must yield to needs, and in the age 
in which we live is so much in demand that 
we cannot conceive of existence without it, the 
craftsmen of art are more and more indi.spensable. 



Academies arc made for them above all others. But 
those who are of such metal as fits tliem for the 
loftier struggle can learn in any school : they are 
above all conventionality. Is better teaching 
desirable in the academies ? Certainly ; for even 
there a mechanical and intellectual training are 
needed to equip the craftsman, and he cannot dis- 
pense with tliem." 

Such, in brief, are Van der Stappen's tlieories of 
teaching. They may be summed up thus. The pro- 
fessor must be able to awaken the pupil's mind, and 
his teaching must not impress his own individuality. 
Tiie artist, on the other hand, must develop an in- 
dividuality or he is not an artist. It may be added 
that Charles van der Stappen has fully come up to 
his own standard both as a teacher and as an artist. 




THE OCTOPUS. 





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fT="- 






By J STARKIE GARDNER. 



IN" mediiuval days, if fpcace prevailed, it was the 
custom of the inoiiareh and court to prorrrcss 
from city to city in order to keep a watchful eye on 
tlie doings of high slierifTs and the powerful nobility. 
Royal residences were then numerous in many coun- 
ties, yet of all the feudal castles thus used by royalty 
in England, few remain inhabitable except the Tower 
and Windsor, while of purely domestic residences 
scarcely one exists in a peifect state except Hampton 
Court. Built in titat deeply interesting age when the 
new lights of tlie Renaissance were blending with 
feudal tradition.s, its erection is indissolubly linked 
with the memories of two of our greatest historic 
figures — WoLsey, who made it a palace, and Henry, 
wiici made it royal. In no way inferior in historic 
interest, for the time it has existed, to eiliier AVimlsor 
or the Tower, its mellowness has been less impaired 
by official restoration, and it remains not only one 
of the most charming of nm- miticmal monuments, but 
one apparently ke[)t \\\\ mainly for tlie people, wlio 
are free to linger in its apartments or wander about 
its lawns and terraces, even on their one day of leisure, 
without being eitlier personally conducted or harried. 
Though stripped of a good dcnl to enrich Windsor, 
not a little of ils original fuiiiiture and pictures 
remain. Tliere are still to be seen some of the 
tapestries collected by A\'olsey, once resplendent in 
liiilliiint silks and threails of gold, the glorious roof 
of tlie bamiueting-hall, the carved badges of the 
Cardinal and of Henry and his uidiappy consorts, the 
curious pictures of incidents in his reign, the great 
clock, the superbly decorated closet, and capiicious 



kitrlieus of Ttidnr days, to say nothing of the niag- 
niticciit apartments in the wing added by Wren, 
still with some of their Queen Anne and Georgian 
furniture. 

Tn so vast a building, where everything is dcciily 
interesting, even tiie most important examples of the 
minor arts may scarcely attract attention ; yet few 
visitors can fail to observe the ironwork, which is 
probably, e.Kcept that attributed to Queuliu Matsys 
in Antwerp, the most famous in the world. 

T.ittle, if anv, <if the ironwork, however, belonifs 
to the Tudnr buildings. No (l(jubt fine work of that 
period must have existed, for both Wolsey and Henry 
had sumptuous tastes, which they gratified in every 
direction. Nonsuch, (Jreenwich. and liiclimond 
l]ristled with gilded ii'on and cnpinT prnncins and 
girouettcs, and old illustrations show tliat the roofs 
and tenaccd gardens of Hampton Ciant were simi- 
liLily adi)incd. Some <if tiie beasts that supported 
the pennons yet remain on the old bamiueting-hall. 
Indeeil, the king considered tiie quaintly carved 
monsters and the pennons they supported so essen- 
tial to his royal estate that, according to Hall, he 
even took them to France with him. ]\Ir. Liw, the 
historiographer of Hampton Court, has jiublished ex- 
tracts from the building accoiiiits relating to the 
vanes, sliowing them to have been the work of John 
a Guelders. The name of this smith, whose employ- 
ment at Hampton Court extended over many years, 
suggests the country of locksmithing, and it is, 
indeed, imjirobable that this jialace was wholly 
without the fiuelv ciui.scd ii(pii links wliicli are so 



!i;nX\V()i;K AT HAMPTON CorilT. 



301 



prominent in contemporary Flemish, 
French, or German interiors, anil which 
are not inconspicuous features in St. 
George's Cliapel at "Windsor, or King's 
College Chapel, Cambridge. The total 
absence of any Tudor lookwoik in the 
rooms open to the public would be even 
more singular were we not aware that 
Henry YIII had a special lock car- 
ried about with him, wliich accompanied 
him on all his journeys, in charge of a 
special locksmith, and which was fixed to 
the royal sleeping apartment, wherever 
that might be. A fine and unique ex- 
ample of a lock, with Henry's rtiyal arms 
and cypher, is preserved at Carshalton, 
which may well be the identical one he 
travelled with. The great rarity of locks 
with royal badges of the Tudms is most 
remarkable when contrasted with the 
abundance of locks with royal cypiiers in 
France, especially as Henry had mignons 
at times who greatly afl'eeted the manners 
and dress of the French Court. 

Whatever lockwork, however, there 
may once have been at Hampton Couit, 
none is now to be seen or heard of, and 
the only Tudor ironwork remaining ap- 
pears to be the kitchen-range, the works of 
the great clock, and some window gratings. 

The existing ironwork is indeed al- 
most wholly connected with Wren. The 
panels of the great garden scieen, separ- 
ated and deposited in various museums, 
have rendered the Hampton Court work 
familiar all the country over. These 
formerly passed as the productions of 
Huntingdon Shaw, of Nottingham; but it is now 
conclusively proved, however disinclined we may be 
to give the credit to a foreigner, that not only nearly 
the whole of the Hampton Court ironwork, but that 
at St. Paul's Cathedral, Chatsvvorth, and many other 
places, was actually designed and supplied liy a 
Frenchman named Jean Tijou. This gifted iron- 
worker has, like many of his compatriots, left a record 
behind hina, in the form of a splendid book of designs, 
recently reprinted and published by Messrs. Batsford. 
The engravings in it are very fine, and comprise 
most of the work at Hampton Court and Chatsworth, 
as well as some at Burleigh, Trinity College Cam- 
bridge, etc., which is thus seen to liave been de- 
signed not later than 1693. Of the author's life 
nothing is known, either as to the time of his 
arrival in this country or his departure or death ; 
nor do we know the sites of his workshops nor 
places of abode. The solitary fact that has been 




EAST ENTRANCE GATES. 

recorded concerning his domestic affairs is the 
marriage of his daughter with the famous painter 
Laguerre, who had been originally educated for 
the priesthood. Tijou could therefore hardly have 
been a Protestant refugee, and was possibly attracted 
over by AYren, or else induced to seek liis for- 
tune abroad, like many other noted craftsmen and 
designers, through a superabundance of famous 
workers at home. The status of his son-in-law 
Laguerre was no doubt good, he being a god-son to 
Louis XIA' and a favourite of William III, and this 
marriage, taken with the fact that the Ti'easury 
accounts disclose balances of nearly £:2,000 owing to 
him for two or three years at a time, show, notwith- 
standing that he pleaded poverty in some letters 
pressing for payment, that he was a man of substance 
and of fair position in life. As neither will nor place 
of burial has been traced in this country, it seems 
probable that Tijou returned to France soon after 



MO 2 



TTIK MACAZINE OF AKT. 



1711, llio date of the liist entry yet met with relating 
to liini, wlien he eompletetl tlie magnificent series of 
works enlrusteil to liim liy AVren for St. I'aul's. It 
is strange that, tlimigli Wren patrmiiseil liini so 
extensively for :^0 years, there is no allusion to Tijou 
in nny of his letters or mi>nioirs; while lliere are 
none of till- usual exprcssiniis uf giatiluilc to Wren or 
to any other patron in the peroration U> Tijnu's Imolv 
of designs. An explanation of tiiis may be perhaps 
foinid.foron comparing the designs and tiie executed 
work, it is apparent that important modifiaitions 
were introduced, imparting a more nolile appear- 
ance as well as an English look to tiie work ; 
though Tijou him.self did not appreciate them, and 
ignores them in his hook. The French amour- 
propir was possilily pi<jued so far as to annul all 
sense of Ijcnefits received. May 200 years of 
ohlivion not he the deserved penalty of undue 




THE HKINCbs olAIKCAbb. 



egoism and vanity ? Anyway, not only was the 
credit of his work given to Huntington Siiaw, hut 
his design hook was filched hy a compatriot in 
France, who appropriiited and repuldisiied as his own 
all Tij(ju's plates of designs ; while iJatty Langley 
acted not dissimilarly' in England hy embodying the 
best of them in his work without the slightest 
iiiknowledgnient or ( uuiiurul as to tiicir authorship. 
As to the possible collaboiation of Ilmitington 
Sliaw in the work, the epitapli in Hampton Ciiuich, 
the locul tradition, iiis intimate association witii 
the king's mason in charge of the works, Shaw's 
removal from his liou.se near the Palace to London 
coinciding with the completion of the ironwork for 
Hampton Court and the commencement of the long 
series of work for St. Paul's, and the fact that 
Tijou's career in this country as an ironworker 
apparently closed soon after Siiaw's death, all tend 
to show that they were a.ssociated 
together in the work. Shaw's posi- 
tion in life and handsome monu- 
ment sliow that he was a person 
of consideration, and it may be in- 
ferred, therefore, that if he took a 
part in it, it would not be a mciin 
one. Perhaps, even, Tijou was but 
the designer and master-mind and 
no smitli at all, while Shaw was 
the individual who actually carried 
out the work. There is much to 
favour this idea, but whether wliolly 
or partly due to Shaw, this Hamp- 
ton Court work marks an epoch 
in the artistic working of iron in 
England. 

In any account of the ironwork 
at Hampton Court, the imposing 
garden screen — mentioned as having 
been distributed over several pro 
\ incial museum.s — must come first. 
Standing about ten feet liigh, it 
consisted when all together of 
twelve strikingly bold, lich, and 
tlorid panels, wliich displayed var- 
ious badges, emldems, and cyphers 
of iMiglish royalty, separated by 
stately pilasters surmounteil hy royal 
crowns, and buttresscil by mas.sy 
scrolluil supports. The acanthus 
work and arabes(iucs are in the 
most llorid taste of Louis XIV, but 
the pilasters are dignified and 
English in feeling. Screening the 
forniid terraces and Dntch jiartcrres 
lit' tiie private garden of William 
and Mary, tliis range of stalely 



IKONWOEK AT HA:\rPTON f'OFET. 



303 



ironwork must have pvesented a niaguificent ap- 
pearance, but the ever-changing views as to the 
hiyiug-out of the gardens, and tlie ti'ansfoniiation 
of terraces into grassy slopes led to its being sliifled 
from pillar to post, until — no place remaining in 
the g-drdens — it was finally got rid of and banished 
to the Park. Though its removal from the gardens 
must be lamented, there can be no question as to 
the propriety of transferring it from its late in- 
congruous position in the Park, where there was 
nothing to screen and a total lack of appropriate 
surroundings, and where, to jud.ge from the con- 



cyplier they bear, and inferior in execution. This 
position was apparently intended to receive some far 
more grandiose gates, but only tlie stately stone 
piers were erected — under Queen Anne — and these 
" pitiful low gates," as Defoe calls them, sub- 
stituteil. 

Tlie somewhat plain railing, nearly 500 yards long, 
separating the gardens and park is Tijou's, and was 
put up, as ascertained by Mr. Law, in 1700, at a cost 
of od. per lb. The picturesijue railing to the garden 
terrace with its simple but finely - proportioned 
pilasters and panels, as well as the balustrade with 




BALUSTRADE OF THE KINGS STAIRCASE 



dition of the gates left behind, it must have fallen 
to rust and decay. Even now, the extensive re- 
pairs necessitated by time and exposure consider- 
ably detract from its beauty and interest. 

In far better preservation, due to a sheltered 
position, and scarcely inferior in importance, are the 
three pairs of noble iron gates which still close the 
arched entrance to the Queen's side of the Palace. 
These were pi-oduced between 1694 and 169G, and 
must be ranked among Tijou's finest works. The 
central and the richest are illustrated on page 301. 

Of the many park or garden gates recorded as 
having been made for Hampton Court by Tijou, 
but one pair of any importance now exists : those 
banished to the Long Walk, Tjeside the Home T'ark. 
These are in his de.sign-book, but with proportions 
improved in execution. The well-known Lion gales, 
facing Bu.shy Park, are as near as may be a fac- 
simile of them, but of the time of George I, whose 



ovals at the head of the ornamental water in the 
paik, so frequently copied, and the railing to the 
orangery, are also in the style of Tijou. To him, 
again, are due the various simply designed stair- 
rails, which were formerly Ijack stairs to royal, but 
now lead to private, apartments. They were pro- 
duced prior to 1690, the accounts for them being 
still in existence. One of these, not accessible to the 
public, has the curious addition of two rich brackets 
and festoons, perhaps added to subdue the severe 
ettect of the stone and iron above. Tiie superb 
King's staircase — by wliich visitors ascend — painted 
Ijy Verrio, presents in its balustrade another of 
Tijou's works, finislied in 1699. The somewhat 
geometric panels are cleverly designed, and follow 
tlie rising steps without elfort. The moulded iron 
iiandrail shows that the use of mahogany, fiist 
introduced for this purpose under Louis XIV, did 
not reach England till after the close of the centurv. 



304 



THE ^rA(;AZIXE of art. 



The corresponding liandrail to the Queen's staircase ;uul was the last of any importance erected about 
— liy wliicli visitors descend — is of niahogjxny, and Hampton Conrt Palace until the Ottice of Works 




BALUSTRADE OF THE QUEENS STAIRCASE. 



exactly repeats the older iron section, tiie early wood contributed, a few years since, a kind of Tudor 
rails being usually reproductions of luetal. This pattern gate, to hand down the Victorian taste in 
ironwork was not put up till 17ol, under George II, ironwork to posterity. 



JULES CHHRET: PAINTER. 



SPIELMANN. 



"VrfJTHINii could be more unjust tiiaii to write 
i-l down Jules Cheret " the I'oster King " — and 
leave his fame at that. There is no doubt that the 
many hundred postere he has designed since 18G() 
have carried his name tiiruughout the world, and 
have identified him for ever with the nj/ir/n: Yet 
this very creation of his — tliis apotheosis of the 
advertisement, wherul>y the i<lea of commerce has 
been carried up into the liigh places of the artistic 
elysium — by occupying too completely the aspect in 
wiiich the public regiird Cheret, leads them to neglect 
what arc in reality his greatest attainments and his 
finest works. It is idle to pretend that, admirable 
as are these postei"s, and brilliant as original decora- 
tions, they contain any of the subtlety tliat is 
to be found in the artist's pastels, or represent in 



any complete fashion the richness of his imagination, 
or the playfulness of his fiincy. 

The fact is, that the peculiar demands made upon 
him in his poster-work constitute a decided restric- 
tion, although to that restriction M. Cheret owes 
the chief triumph of his life. Tiie commercial 
economy which at first called tlie poster into being 
dictated a further economy in the number of litho- 
graphic stones employed by artist and printer, as 
well as in the inimber of iidcs used. Thus M. 
Cheret became a pioneer in the use of the three 
primaries which nowadays has developed the 
" three-colour jiroccss." Xo one has Ijcen more 
learned in the eJlective u.se of .so limited a number 
of colours ; no one has better known how to make 
these colo\irs sing, .\fter his early apprenticeship as 



->' 



w 








A CHALK STUOy. 
(»» Mes OUtnt.) 



.III.ES CHf:i!ET : rAlNTElJ. 



80i 



a lit,liot;i;ipher, ami (huint; his long stay in Enw- 
laml, he began to think of work more original and 
artistic than that at which he was set, for the art 
of the advertiser was at a very low ebb in the early 
'Sixties ; and when, iu 18G6, at tlie age of thirty, 
he returned to Paris he had laid out for liiinself a 
ciairse from which he has never deviated one inch. 
He would regard coloui-s as flowers, and would make 
up his bouquet so that tiie impression of his com- 
binations should be that of a floial composition. Hut 
for that colour was not enough : the spirit — beauty 
and brightness — must be there as well, so that dainty 
grace and joyousness should 
combine witli pleasing hues 
to present the commercial idea 
in an alluring and fascinating 
form. AVitli this ruling idea 
he designed his first poster 
" Zi( Biche ail hol%" and it has 
governed him to the last, 
whether with "At the Wings 
of the Opera," " La Terre," 
"The Dancer's Lover," " Dance," 
•' Music," " Olympia," " Span- 
ish Dancers," " Our Sailors," 
" Punch Grassol," " Saxoline," 
and " Pastilles Geraudel "— 
that is to say, whether the 
subject be gay and qiiint-essen- 
tially " Parisian," or whether 
it be patriotic, or even sombre. 
For thirty years Paris — nay, 
all France — has been charmed 
by the original design and 
grace of the artist, and by the 
pleasing jwdUhes of his imi- 
tators ; and even now as much interest is taken 
as in the days before the artistic quality of his 
designs called the poster-collector into being. That 
strange product of commerce, art, and the passion 
for acquisition, who successfully brings together all 
M. Cheret's performances, will have his hands full — 
and his house as well — if he succeeds in his task, for 
the artist has produced hardly, if any, fewer than 
fourteen hundred. This, as a simple calculation 
will show, represents the extraoidinary average of 
nearly one poster a week for tlie whole period of 
his lithographic career. 

But, as I began by saying, it is by something 
more dignified, more complete and subtle, that 
Cheret's great talent must be judged : tiiat is to 
say, by his pastels, his decorations, and by his wall 
paintings. Commerce is then banished from his 
mind; he is an artist pure and simple, revelling in 
colour, and, freed from a difficult and sometimes 
almost nntreatable subject, playing with his ideas 

124 




JULES CH^RET. 

(From a Photograph by Nadar, Pai 



and his materials as a cliiM willi his toys, evolves 
things of fresh beauty and unsophisticated charm. 
Then he will go a step farther and make studies in 
chalk from life — such as those which are produced 
in these pages — studies made in all earnestness, 
searching for artistic significance of pose a.s well as 
for truth of character, of person, and of attitude. In 
all of this, of course, he is as the poles asunder from 
Mr. Iiuskin, ilr. Watts, and the artist philosophers, 
the very foundation of whose beliefs it is that art is 
for a higher purpose than mere amusement. Well, 
JL Chc'-ret — a philosopher, too, in his way, finding 
grim consolation in the perusal 
of Schopenhauei- — pretends to 
ilo nothing but to trifle deli- 
cately with life, to amuse with 
his pretty girls, his dainty 
idealisations, his quaint pier- 
rots, his funny polichinelles, 
his charming babies, floating 
and scampering aljout in a 
tirmament of blue delight 
flecked with strange, laughing 
mask.s bright flowers, and 
coloured streamers. Some 
have traced in these designs 
a resemblance to the floating 
divinities, ornorini, and angels 
of Correggio and Tiepolo : with 
perhaps better reason could 
the ceiling decorations of the 
Italian and German decadents 
be pointed to as the fount of 
in.spiration. But for my own 
part, knowing as I do M. 
Ciu'ret and his work, I am 
inclined to believe that there is no imitation, no 
direct source of conscious inspiration — only a ren- 
dering of the thoughtless gaiety of the moment 
based on the knowledge — and disregard in some 
cases — of the resources of art. 

Offensive to the artist beyond all else is the 
conventionality against which his life has been a 
perpetual protest. Anything that savours to him 
of academicism is so little sympathetic that he is, 
perhaps, too appreciative of originality for its own 
sake. In any case, he will not use the professional 
model, except for his serious drawings ; and even then 
he will ask a friend to sit in preference. " Models," 
he told me once, " are not models. Ca sont In jiosc. 
The spirit of the lay-figure is over them all." He, 
therefore, pro\ides himself with the casts with 
which his studio is hung, laughing heads of children, 
dimpled limbs of iniinrini, and torsi of women, 
which are of such help when foreshortening is re- 
quired. It is, therefore, not just to say — as is so 



306 



THK .ma(;a/ixe of art. 



,® 



t 




<^- 






W' 



i'.l' 



I' 



\.r^ 



often said of M. Clieret's work — that it is all ilime in France itself for lightness of toudi and \\\>- 
(h rhic. Indeed, these chalk studies are drawn preciation of tlie most allnring and delicate of 
from friends of the artist, or, in one case, perliaps, feminine grace and charm — a tribute at once to the 
from a professional model, whose singular freedom lithographic stone and to the gentle sex which he 
from conventionality was suHicicnt to recommend has spent his life in idealising. But not tlie stone 
her to Ids notice. These drawings, with their alone has engaged the legitimate practice of his art 
refined passages, their knowledge of the figure, their in this direction. In the bigger of his studios in 

the I!ue Laugier, there was lately 
to be seen a wonderful suite of 
furniture, the panels of which had 
been decorated as a private com- 
mi.ssion. These panels, painted upon 
maple, mounted upon furniture of 
oak, chestnut, or moire .satinwood, 
are ciiaruiingly adapted to the pur- 
poses to which eacii room is put. 
What could be more appropriate 
than that the panels in the bedioom 
sliould be decorateil with " Night," 
"Day," "Waking," " (iood-night," 
and •• I'leasant Dreams"? or that 
the electric lights beside the chim- 
ney-piece should be held up by 
the merriest and prettiest of al 
M. ('beret's nymphs ? or that the 
breakfast, sitting, drawing, and 
dining rooms should have " Ureak- 
fast," "Tea and Coftee," "Wine," 
" Gaming," " Smoking " — all repre- 
sented with such pretty and rather 
obvious symliolism as the artist may 
obtain from the amusing puppets of 
his (Iramtitls 2i(rsiiti/i\ with all the 
suggestiveness of a prolific fancy and 
luxurious and fertile imagination ? 

But more important tlian all 
these various demonstrations of 
whimsical grace, are the decorations 
with which the Salle des Fetes in 
the Paris Hntel de Ville is about to 
be embellished by the painter's 
brusli. No subject could be more 
feeling for drapery, and absolute natiiralness, present thoroughly in harmony with his talent and his bent, 
a clejir contradiction to those who protest that the no commission more welcomed by tlie artist himself, 
art of the nf/irhier makes no demand whatever upon Panels, over-doors, inter-windows, of diflerent shapes 
the power f)f the draughtsman or upon the higher and sizes, have oftercd an o]ii)0itnnity, both as to 
capabilities of the artist. JI. Cheret has shown treatment imd extent, of which the artist lias taken 
that he is a descendant of Watteau and his school, full Mdvaiitagc. Tlie fetes that take place in such 
by virtui! of the elegance and chaiin of his eighteenth an aitartment are various, and as various are 
century daintiness, modified by the (juality of grace the topics taken by M. L'ln'-rct as his subject, 
which he has had the wit to adapt to the needs and Dancing and music prevail throughout in all the 
the temper of his own tinn-. Babelaisian, yet really inofTensive, riot — Parisieiinc, 

(Jheret the diauglitsman and painter is not to policlunelle, picrrot, pierrette, hehes once more, 
be confused with the designer of posters. The dancing upon thin air, very bubbles of fanciful 
lithographs which he has produced, based upon humanity, created but to burst into a shower 
these very studies, have hardly been exceeded even of prismatic colours. Song, music, and dance^ 



\ 



^ 



^ 




A CHALK STUDY. 



JT'LES CH1?.RET : I'AIXTKi;. 



307 



siippk'iiieiiled by the colours of the painter — these 
typify the idea of rarisiau fetes in this beautiful 
rooiu : while the upriglit yiunels, devoted to tlie 




mi 




(Of- w:S? 




I'ather the little ladies of Watteau, Ikmcher, and 
Laiicret eome to us through the puppet sh(jw, as 
innocent as they are uncon\'entional, and incor- 
ruptible and uncorrupting, tliough their costume be 
not staid nor their attitudes severe. Mr. II. H. 
Sherard has pointed out how, in the search after lifi' 
and nu:)\'enieut, " idealisation and intensification — not 
to use the word exaggeration — are, indeed, the prin- 
cipal factors in M. Cheret's artistic process, and just 
as there never were such postures as he depicts, so 
never either were such men and women seen as his. 
And this, perhaps, is the chief charm of the painter 
who has come in an age of the crudest realism." 

It is hardly correct to imply that M. Cheret is 
influenced solely by the " bouquet ; " the rainbow is 
even a closer guide — one so closely followed that 
it is very clearly seen in some of these elaborate 
pictures that represent " Pantomime," " Comedy," 
" Moliere's Personages," and the rest. Here in one, 
the scheme of colour is from the reds and pinks 
to the blues and greens right through the whole 
tramut, and in another from greens and blues back 



A CHALK STUDY. 

delights of children, show congeries of little ones 
with toys and objects of infantile bliss and affection. 
It has been objected that these figures, male and 
female, who revel in /" Jvii' de vivrc in the best of 
all .saltatory humorous, dainty or quaintly artificial, 
exquisite though they be in their way, adopt atti- 
tudes and gestures impossible, or at least unnatural, 
to human haliit and to the human frame, even 
when engaged in the wildest dance or other occupa- 
tion suggested by the refinement of lu.xury. Wine 
and women are 'SI. Cheret's artistic divinities, how- 
ever [ilatonic may be his love, despite the exuberance 
of his wor.ship ; but those women of the painter's 
fancy have little in common with the woman of 
the earthy world. They are the women of his 
palette, the creatures of his primary colours as fai' 
removed from the dctni-iiiiniilaini: cm the one hand 
as from tiie inondainc on the other. Tliey are 







/ '^ 



y. 



7 



.^ \ 



:«A ^ \ 









A CHALK STUDY. 



308 



THE ma(;azi.\k of art. 



again to lliu ix-ils and pmplos. And we may signiKcance of tlu' work will lie made clear lo him, 
see, generally speaking, how in his bigger works and he will realise why lliis painter — who is so 
the artist cleverly varies the system by intro- much freer than ^\'illelLe, lliongh without that 



ducing his colour in one work the actual dresses 
of the figures, and in another by scumbling or 




\s 



%% 



^■} 



designer's depth nf sentiment, and wIkisc motive is 
neither jihilosopliy, politics, nor humanity, but frank 
( lallic brightness and jollity — has adopted the simple 
scheme of softly vibrating tones that are intended 
to awaken a response in the breast of the merry- 
maker lit' life. Fiom liic lithographic workshop of 
the London ticket-writer to the a/elicr of the Hotel 
de Ville decorator is a long stride ; but M. Clieret 
has not forgotten the years he passed in England nor 
the tongue he learui'd there, and he — a type, one 



''h^.. 



^L7:i. 





A CHALK STUDY. 

glazing llie graduated scale over the variegated 
composition. M. Cheret's feeling for colour is very 
delicate ; it has not sullered, but has rather been 
kept fresh, by his contijuial dealings with the 
juimaries, and his technique is admirably adapted 
to his subject and his methods. 

In judging of these mural decorations, as of the 
furniture panels, the spectator must bear in mind 
that the artist has adapted his work to its main 
purpose, and the visitor to the Hotel de Ville must would almost 
remember that these pictures are intended to be bei|ueathed to 
viewed principally by artilicial light. Then the full serving in the 



?*>' 




A CHALK STUDY. 

say, of ail JMiglisJi guardsman —has 
this country a son who is now 
Iii'itisli nax'V. 



MOO 



HUMOUR IN ANIMAL PAINTING: THE WORK OF 
MR. A. W. STRUTT, R.B.A. 



BY ALFRED LYS BALDRY. 



"ITTHEX artists attempt to be tlelibeiately 
1 1 humorous in their pictures, and to paint 
subjects that are calculated to make the beholder 
smile, the result is more often than not depressing. 
The sustained effort to be funny seems to exhaust 
the painter, and the witty intention formed in his 
mind rarely takes any form that can be regaided 
as even moderately amusing. Some men try to 
make their point by open carica- 
ture, othei-s by exaggei-ations which 
are only momentarily comic, and, 
if repeated, become absolutely 
wearisome : and some few descend 
to depths that are really not per- 
missible, and paint pictures that 
are alternatelj* childish and gross. 
These mistakes are, as a rule, caused 
by a misconception as to the sort 
of humour that lends itself to pic- 
torial treatment. Tiie artist does 
not think out his motives, and 
does not, in his wish to be wildly 
funny, stop to consider matters from 
any reasonable and dignified point 
of view. He lowers his art to the 
level of the common herd, and puts 
himself in a false position as a 
trickster whose mi.ssion it is to 
make the groundlings laugh, while 
he is leading the judiciou.s, who 
see in him greater possibilities, to grieve sincerely. 
What makes this perverted idea of humour the 
more distressing is the fact that some have proved 
the feasibility of combining really subtle and in- 
telligent quaintness of subject with technical ability 
of quite a high order. That pictures, excellent in 
all the essentials of execution and tlioroughly carried 
out in every detail of treatment, can be so painted 
as to delight every lover of a good, wholesome joke 
is fortunately quite undeniable. There is plenty 
of true humour in the art world, humour that is 
gained witliout grimace or contortion, that is free 
from malice or unpleasant suggestion, and that 
adds legitimately to the enjoyment of everyone that 
does not take life too seriously. But the artists 
who have so treated this branch of expression as 
to make it worthy of acceptance by people of dis- 
cretion, have done so by the help of acute observa- 
tion and thorough understanding of those occasions 
when nature unbends and shows the frolicsome spirit 



that underlies her impassive dignity. They have 
avoided trivialities that are unfit for perpetuation 
in paint, and have accentuated the point of their 
story by embroidering it with a pattern of well- 
chosen details. In this way tlie merely jocular 
subject has been made the motive for many a sound 
work of art, deserving respectful C(jnsideration, and 
capable of being judged by the higher standards. 




"HOW MANY MORE?" 
(from the Painting by Alfred W. Strutt. f!.Bt.) 

As an example nf what may be done by com- 
bining the intention to amuse with a correct appre- 
ciation of the value of careful study, the w^ork of 
Mr. A. "\V. Strutt merits to be quoted. He has 
always kept in view the idea of representing 
humorous situation.s, and has chiefly occupied him- 
self witii the material that would give him oppor- 
tunities of playing on the lighter emotions of his 
admirers ; but at the same time he has steadily 
striven to make his pictures as exact as possible 
in their reproduction of natural facts. It is not so 
much the comic side of life that he has insisted 
upon, as the momentary glimpses of character that 
he has noted during his observation of the people 
and things that have seemed to him to be pictorially 
useful. His attitude has been that of a devoted 
lover of nature, keen to study her ways, and anxious 
to record them with absolute fidelity ; but in doing 
so he has seen and seized upon every chance of 
telling pleasant anecdotes about his experiences. 



no 



THE MAIi A/INK OF AKT. 



Tlie recoiil of his work is a sumniary of small Directly any IoirIi of huiiiaii cunning is inUmluced 
events, each one of wliich is of a type to apinal the comicality of the creature is gone. It becomes 
to anyone who concerns himself with the by-play at once a mere sham, without distinctive character 
of the great drama of life, and holds even the or personal quaintness, simply a lather unpleasant 

piece of all'ectation. 

By his care in illustrating natu- 
ral history from the point of view 
of absolute fidelity to the originals, 
.Mr. Strutt has succeeded over and 
(ivci- again in giving us pictures 
lliat arc <iuite genuine in their 
comicality. In his first e.xhilnted 
works he chose as a uiotlcl that 
curious little beast, the stoat, and 
jiainled it with all the accuracy of 
a siientilic observer. Indeed, but 
for the titles he gave to these 
studies — " I liope I don't Intrude," 
a stoat disturbing a sitting part- 
ridge ; " Tiie History of a Crime," 
where tiie bloodthirsty robber is 
meditating a descent upon a black- 
bird's nest full of callow young; and 
" The Way of Transgressors is Hard," 
auiillicr stoat looking at a wall hung witii the dead 
bodies of many of its relatives — the jocular intention 
wiiuld have been scarcely jterceptiblc, and the series 




A FLYING VISIT. 

(from the Painting by Alfrtd W. Strutt, ft.B.A. By Permission of J. P. ¥i-niloza, King Street, 
St. James's, the Owner of the Copyright ) 



trifles of existence to be tit for the attention of 
thinking men. 

It is not surprising that he sh<iuld, in his desiic 
for the realisation of varieties of humour, Iiave 



Would have claimed attention simply because the 
limited himself to subjects from animal life and study revealed in them was exact and intelligent, 
to incidents in which men and animals could be Kven when, as years went on, lie widened liis range 
shown together. The characteristic habits that in and began to deal with the sporting and liunting 
all sections of the animal kingdom distinguish every subjects, by which he is best known, the episodical 
individual have an essentially comic side, that is side of his pictuns was nexcr allowed to come in 
the more fascinating to the human 
observer because it is absolutt'ly 
natural and unconscious. There is 
no posing and no intentional fooling 
on the part of furred and feathered 
things. They are always in deadly 
earnest ; and they take tiiem.selves 
.so seriously that their very air i^f 
conviction becomes (punntly amus- 
ing. Everyone who gives to animals 
the study they deserve is constantly 
impressed with their self-importance: 
and the less prominent the place 
occupied in the scheme of creation 
liy any particular beast or binl, 
the more calculated to amuse the 
superior Innnan are its manners 
and customs. For tliis reason, the 
painter who would depict the 
iiumorous peculiarities of animals, 
wilil or tame, must know them so well that lie can 
simply .show them as they are, free ami uncon- 



K-™-iiyf 


^^^^^B^&^h^h!<^^V^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^h 







the Painting tj Alfred W. Strutt, R.B.A. By Pe, 
ttir Copyright.) 



THE RETURN VISIT. 

ssion of R. Dunthorne, the Owner of 



.strained, and uncontaminated by human inlliu'iici 



contiict 
motive, 
realism, 



witli their illustrative ami naturalistic 

" I )azzled," for instance, is a piece of pure 

a record "f the baliits nf tlie fox set down 



HUMorK IX ANIMAL l'AIXTL\"(;. 



Mil 



with a degree of truth tliat only a naturalist who almost luiinan synipatliy. It was only when Mr. 
had observed the beast in its wild and independent Strutt began to paint comedies, in which the chief 
state could hope to gain, and painted with a feeling parts were played by men and women, that he 




STUDV OF A nOOND FOR "THE RUN OF THE SEASON. 
(Bi, /l//r,i/ w. Stnitl, R.B.A ) 

for colour combination, and liglit and shade variety, tried to make the luimuur of his motive tell obvi- 

possible only to an artist. In the same way, " How ously. " In a Fix," an old woman vainly striving 

Many More?" is made important by its interpretation to induce an obstinate donkey to do its duty as 

of equine chanicter ; " A Flying Yi.'^it " and its sequel, a beast of burden, was plainly designed to please 

" The licturn Visit," by their representation of the a public which derives its chief enjoyment from 



^^^r ^ 


m 

if 


l-,;,^ 


■1^ 


[ 




Ka-' 


-.,.>- I 


i 


-.m 



STUDY OF A HOUND FDR "THE RUN OF THE SEASON." 
(Sy Alfred W. Stmt. ft.B.A.) 



cunning and ready resource of the fox ; and " Live the ridiculous misfortunes of others ; and to the 
and Let Live," a St. Bernard mastiff benevolently same category belongs "Move On," a costermonger, 
tolerating a half-starved terrier, by its touch of whose liarrow has broken down, worried by an 



■Mi 



THE MAOAZINK OF AUT. 



unsynipiitbelic iioliocuiaii, who, seeing no patlios in 
the situation, is only concerned about the inter- 
rnption of the traftic in a crowdcil street. A more 
legitimate piece of humour, a contrast of opposites, 
was to be found in " The Praises of Flora," a burly 
and not too prepossessing young costermongcr 
juxtaposed with a barmw loaded with delicate 
Howers, but here again the chief point of the joke 
lay in the title. 

Such street .scenes, however, hardly showed tlic 




SKETCH FOR "THE RUN OF THE SEASON. 

best side of the artist's ability. His rural sympa- 
thies and knowledge of animal life were displaye.l 
to better advantage when he returned, as he did 
?oon after painting " Tiie I'raises of Flora," to the 
material that the country districts provide in \nn. 
fusion. Tiie hunting subjects, by which in recent 
years he has added to ids popularity, seem to accord 
more completely with his instincts, and to give liim 
the opportunities that lie can >ise most satisfactorily. 
In the trio of canvases that are among bis latest 
productions— " Any Tort in a Storm," "The Run 
of the Season," and "Not Caught Yet "—the subtle 
devices of his old model, the fox, are once more 
illustrated. The first of the three shows the beast 
taking refuge fi'om the hounds on top of some hen- 
coops in an old woman's donkey-cart, the second tlic 
wild bolt of the donkey, roused to action ))y the 
(•lamonr around it, and tlie third the strategic 
retreat of the fox from its temiiorary place of con- 
cealment to the distant woimIs, wiiere it may have 



a chance to escape its pui-suers. llin' the humour 
is genial enough, and the atmosphere of liie country- 
side is well suggested. Tiie whole sentiment is 
healthy, and a i)leasant touch of nature is felt 
througiiout. r>ul the chief merit of the series lies 
in the serious and faithful manner in wiiicii it is 
worked out. Like all the best of Mr. Strutt's pro- 
ductions, these pictures are acceptable maiidy l)e- 
cau.se they reveal sincere stuily, and ilepend not at 
all upon a deliberate purpose to be funny by the 
u.se of unjustifiable exaggerations and eccentricities. 
They are worthy of attention even from the purists 
who are indifTerent to, or perhaps dislike, the intro- 
duction of a joco.se idea into a work of art, for it is 
possible to examine them detail by detail, and to 
respect the knowledge tiiat is apparent in every part, 
without being oflendcMl Ijy the manner in whicli a sub- 
ject exactly suited to please the crowd is made to tell. 
Indeed, all art work whicli is so honest, and so 
.soundly liascd upon (dose study of tlic best class of 
material, deserves to be taken seriously, wiiatever 
may be the form in wliicb it is presented. Every 
encouragement shoidd be given to a painter who, 
if he does not wish to aim at lofty ideals, is 
still con.scientious enough to desire to make iiis 
craftsmanship and his characterisation as complete 
as it can be made liy assiduous toil and constant 
endeavour. His choice of humorous titles for what 
are really accurate records of nature is not to be 
ipiarrellcd with, if by deciding upon them he ctm 
Caiii attention for sound achievements, that would 
not be so generally respected by the untechnical 
]iublic if the labels on them were less attractive, 
llnnioiir may be, as the higher icstheticism declares it 
to be, a blot upon art, but it will be asked for, and 
artists will do tlieir best to supply it, so long as the 
great mass of art lovers know little, and care less, 
about the thoughtful purpose of llie idealists. It 
is better to accept the craving for amusing pictures 
as a fact which cannot be disputed, and to try and 
educate it, than to seek to force unwilling people 
into a grudging admiration of things they do not 
understand. Tiie dignity and perfection of art can 
only be brouglit home to the ])opular mind by a 
process of long lueparation, and at present the 
condition of this mind is by no means well suitetl 
for tiie appreciation of vast abstractions. How soon 
the ])roiier degree of enlightenment may come it is 
impossilile to .say, but mejinwhile it is the business 
of every capable exjiert to tlo his best with the 
nieans at his dispo.sal : and from the.se a touch 
of humour can certaiidv not be excluded. 



3i:^ 



RECENT ILLUSTRATED VOLUMES. 



THE present age is fortunate in the nunilier and 
excellence of the books that are devised foi- 
the use of the student of decorative art. The coni- 
prehensiou of the arts of design has \-astly developed 
since the days of Owen Jones and Digbv Wyatt- 



not only better understood 
measure in respect of 
taste. The present ten- 
dency appears to con- 
trast favourably not 
only in the direction of 
intelligence of apprecia- 
tion, but also in regard 
to that spirit of pedantry 
which, when they were 
right, seems to have 
governed onr earlier 
ilecorators. Xowadays, 
instead of being one of 
the W(jrst served, the 
section of ornament and 
decoration is amongst 
the liest treated in the 
ilomain of artistic text- 
book comijilation. This 
much may, in a \erv 
great degi-ee, fairly be 
placed to the credit of 
the work of the Science 
and Art Department at 
•South Kensington. It 
is that vast, unwieldy 
institution which, acting 
as a factory of art 
students, has created a 
demand for better text- 
books, to which a num- 
ber of competent authors 
have been induced to re- 
spond. The art " move- 
ment " in this section is 
both rapid and vigorous, 
and the present season 
is as promising as any 
other which we remem- 
ber in respect to tlie 
production of works 
ilesigned to meet the 
higher requirements of 
the student. England 
now takes the lead in 
the.se matters, but other 



but improved beyond 




TABERNACLE. 



countries are following closely at her heels ; indeed, 
the first number of an excellent magazine published 
in Munich under the title of " DecuratUr Kiimt" and 
another from Darmstadt called " Deutsfhe KvnM mid 
I ckoration" reach us as we write. Amongst recent 
authors is Mr. .T.vmes W.\i:ii, to whose "Principles 

of Ornament " we have 
on more than one occa- 
sion had reason to refer 
in terms of approbation. 
There now comes from 
him a work more im- 
portant in its way — 
" Historic Oiiiniimit .- A 
Treatise on Decorntivc 
Art (tnd Architectural 
OriKiiiiciif ■' (tJluipman 
iind Hall), a work which 
we accept with cordial 
recognition of its ade- 
quacy and high utility. 
It is the first of two 
volumes tracing the sub- 
ject from pre-historic 
times down to the pre- 
sent day, that now be- 
fore us stopping short 
at the Renai.ssance. The 
authoi-'s former book set 
forth the pi-inciples of 
design — that is to .say, it 
was a practical instruc- 
tion-l)ook on the .spirit 
and planning of orna- 
nicnt. Idealising, how- 
ever, that instruction by 
bare jH-ecept is not in 
accordance with the 
more philosophical spirit 
distinctive of true edu- 
caticjn, Mr. Ward has 
i-ightly sought to infuse 
a good deal more than 
craftsmanship into his 
students by setting con- 
cisely before them the 
history of the develop- 
ment of ornament and 
decoration, arranged geo 
graphically and racially 
in its plan. Only by lliis 
method is it possible to 



End of FiFTEENTH CENTURY 
{From "Historic Ornament.") 



(Italian ) 



:;u 



THK MA(;AZ1XK of AI!T. 



filucatc llic ili'si<;iicr. wlio icqiiiivs li> look into tin- tfcliiral funns: lliat cniiaiiiciil slnmlil lie t'sseiitiiilly 
Kiijiiii iif till' jiiiuciples iipini which \w is taiiijht tn cMiistiiirlftl on thai liusis : ami lliat iniMo ajiplicil 
wiivk. ii'alisini,'. in lirit'f, that it is as iieco.ssnry for ornaiiient is not iifcessixrily ilecoratioii. The hook 




CARVED PANEL, FROM THE MARiSTAN OF KALAUN. (AFTER Pbisse dAvennes.) LATE THIRTEENTH CENTURY (Saracenic). 

(frail "H<$t<tn.- Orniimrnt ") 



the pioiliK.'tioii of tine work llial the slndent should is an elalwrale sketch, accnrately anil intelligently 
know how a rule or an order has been evolved ns it drawn uj), with careful deniouslralion of the truths 
is tn know the principles of that rule or older. ^Ir. hy whidi good ornauieut must inevitably be governed. 
Ward has very ably covered the whole field up to It would have been better, however, had a more 
the Itenaissauce, and has crowded iiis pages with successful ajiplication of Mr. Ward's taste and know- 
excellent illustration.s from many sources to illumine ledge been made to the binding of his book, 
his text. We might well critici.se the somewhat In his attempt to do justice to his theme of 



disproportionate 
length of the chap- 
ters which he has 
accorded to certain, 
especially theeailier, 
periods of art, and 
a few of his state- 
ment* we might feel 
inclined to dispute ; 
but a work like this 
is .so big in its cha- 
racter that lesser 
matters of opinion 
may Ik- dismi.s.sed in 
recognition of the 
soundness of the 
greater principles 
involved. < >ii all 
the chief ipu'stions 
Mr. Ward is a 
trustworthy guide, 
sonnilest on the 
most important of 
all — that i.s to sjiy, 
hi- makes it clear, 
and insists through- 
out, that ornamentnl 
design and jiattern 
are to an extremely 
great extent de- 
pendent on nrchi- 




NELL OWVNNE. 

iBt Si> frltr Itl). fitm "Hlilcrleal Patlmlla") 



national portraits, 
particularly in re- 
spect to the Na- 
tional rortrait 
( iallery, Mr. H. B. 
WiiK.VTi.F.v has not 
been unsuccessful 
in the delightfully 
chatty volume 
called "Historical 
I'or/ntil.-i" (d. Bell 
ami Sons). Regarded 
as a contribution 
towards the import- 
ant undertaking of 
drawing up a com- 
plete catalogue of 
the portraits of 
English worthies 
in whatever collec- 
tions they may be 
found, U cannot be 
taken very seriously. 
Not only are form 
and matter so 
chatty and amiably 
instructive, hut the 
manner is so dif- 
fuse that very 
many volumes such 
as this would be 



EECE>'T ILLUSTEATKI) VOLUMES. 



:!15 




JOHN MILTON. 
(Sy Pieter uan der Plaas. from "Historical Portraits.") 

required to carry out the task. As a a com- 
pauioi>, however, to the Xatioual Portrait 
(_iallery in particular, aud as a general dis- 
sertation upon the title-subject, it merits 
strong conimeudation. Mr. Wheatley shares 
the belief of many non-artistic master-minds, 
from John Evelyn to Carlyle, that portraiture 
is the most worthy and the most valuable 
and