Coloured Bas-reliefs
ANEW TREATMENT OF BAS- whether 011 a foundation of carved wood, gesso, or
R E L IE FS IN COLOURED f***1 k muattere °0trWe are co»h™^ with a
PLASTER decoration that, while it may easily be made vulgar,
is yet at its best far more in accordance with good
It is pleasant to note in the re- taste than the more ornate enrichments dear to
vival of the sculptor's art in England, which, if the furnishing upholsterer, and it is to be feared
but a thing of yester- _ to the public at large.
day, is rapidly matur- | ^ [ ■.....mm* ,,, ... Here, however, we are
ing, that two varieties, .1 *L 1 -^/W I *.*vfj not concerned with
so long almost forgot- ^^^^fj^jsj^ ' "'tt^^yi^^1';' the main questions of
ten bj English sculp- . . -!^f_ ; 1 ;• .§ ^^^Wv" high relief, much less
tors, are receiving due ■ < I . , . 8 I j of coloured sculpture,
consideration. The rmmAa^rmBmm^^mmmsmv'B''":. •, a topic that has pro-
first is the art of .tt . .g&M- ^frtf % voiced more bitter ex-
the bas-relief, which, |p |) J pression of opinion
except during the \ \ Ji f| t'la" '* aesen"ed- The
period of Flaxman J^&SlM- ■ Greeks may or may not
and Wedgwood, has L-^JIKt' le^^'^f ;fT have coloured their
but rar.-ly tl<>uri>ii.-<; ( V&laflLF ' ^'' / statues and friezes; the
among us; the ik-m. I j&SMfe.'.. !\ naturalistii carvings of
the use of applied j • * mSSSmk.-. Grinling Gibbons, and
colour, which, as ex- . jBr^. < V\% ; j; ■ / the rococo decorations
amples of the Middle /f ft of 1851, may be left
Ages and Renaissance || to their defenders,
still left us prove, has | M " ^ne name alone need
before taken firm hold ■ ; P be cluoted as a sPlen"
of popular taste at ' j (jfji did precedent for low-
certain periods. BajSi.-.: '-<-l relief work in colour
To delight in high ^|BL^ W$ Lucca della Kobbia.
relief in carved work, ;.' •f'Jl^k I True, the faience he
whether it be in stone K ; ^ Ov' afl f m adorned diners essen-
or wood, is not neces- tially from the work
sarily evil, but the >'v ,>/lk we illustrate here; but
recognition of the the difference, great
delicate charm of low U '' 9Hm9H&r~^-sf *- though it be, is not so
relief might almost be | ' Wff^Wyl^^^^f^ """ '' a> lllU likt'"
claimed as a proof of J.v .1 it •;Stifflj^^;5;'^|^'*' ,u'ss- x'" that Mr.
educated taste. The i,| ^ . •''/ v .- ' ji R- A. Bell, the young
deep shadows and -^j ■ ■ '(sZj/jf artist wlio has in these
more sensational effect \ s-ik' V^ji ^l>MiBr made for himself a
of alto-relievo work at- » '■Wr^r^S^^^^^S^^ distinct mark has imi-
tract attention sooner - ,' Jr?*WWPP^^ tated glazed earthen-
than the subtle planes I ■■' ^^SS^a -ware in plaster; but he
of that modelling j has seen the charm of
whi. : low relief modelling
shadow in the most *™emphasised by colour,
refined way. For honeysuckle, from a relief in coloured plaster an(j has followed good
1 by r. anning bell ... , , ,
merely practical rea- tradition in the hand-
sons, the comparatively slight harbourage it affords ling of his materials, while imparting the accent
for dust, the greater facility for cleaning the sur- of individuality which separates them from pre-
face, and its subordinate effect in interior decora- vious attempts. It may be urged that coloured
tion, combine to render work in low-relief better plaster decoration is not permanent, that its
adapted for our climate and for our homes. colours are liable to fade, and its material easily
When to such low-relief work colour is applied— damaged ; yet, considering the alteration in form
S3
ANEW TREATMENT OF BAS- whether 011 a foundation of carved wood, gesso, or
R E L IE FS IN COLOURED f***1 k muattere °0trWe are co»h™^ with a
PLASTER decoration that, while it may easily be made vulgar,
is yet at its best far more in accordance with good
It is pleasant to note in the re- taste than the more ornate enrichments dear to
vival of the sculptor's art in England, which, if the furnishing upholsterer, and it is to be feared
but a thing of yester- _ to the public at large.
day, is rapidly matur- | ^ [ ■.....mm* ,,, ... Here, however, we are
ing, that two varieties, .1 *L 1 -^/W I *.*vfj not concerned with
so long almost forgot- ^^^^fj^jsj^ ' "'tt^^yi^^1';' the main questions of
ten bj English sculp- . . -!^f_ ; 1 ;• .§ ^^^Wv" high relief, much less
tors, are receiving due ■ < I . , . 8 I j of coloured sculpture,
consideration. The rmmAa^rmBmm^^mmmsmv'B''":. •, a topic that has pro-
first is the art of .tt . .g&M- ^frtf % voiced more bitter ex-
the bas-relief, which, |p |) J pression of opinion
except during the \ \ Ji f| t'la" '* aesen"ed- The
period of Flaxman J^&SlM- ■ Greeks may or may not
and Wedgwood, has L-^JIKt' le^^'^f ;fT have coloured their
but rar.-ly tl<>uri>ii.-<; ( V&laflLF ' ^'' / statues and friezes; the
among us; the ik-m. I j&SMfe.'.. !\ naturalistii carvings of
the use of applied j • * mSSSmk.-. Grinling Gibbons, and
colour, which, as ex- . jBr^. < V\% ; j; ■ / the rococo decorations
amples of the Middle /f ft of 1851, may be left
Ages and Renaissance || to their defenders,
still left us prove, has | M " ^ne name alone need
before taken firm hold ■ ; P be cluoted as a sPlen"
of popular taste at ' j (jfji did precedent for low-
certain periods. BajSi.-.: '-<-l relief work in colour
To delight in high ^|BL^ W$ Lucca della Kobbia.
relief in carved work, ;.' •f'Jl^k I True, the faience he
whether it be in stone K ; ^ Ov' afl f m adorned diners essen-
or wood, is not neces- tially from the work
sarily evil, but the >'v ,>/lk we illustrate here; but
recognition of the the difference, great
delicate charm of low U '' 9Hm9H&r~^-sf *- though it be, is not so
relief might almost be | ' Wff^Wyl^^^^f^ """ '' a> lllU likt'"
claimed as a proof of J.v .1 it •;Stifflj^^;5;'^|^'*' ,u'ss- x'" that Mr.
educated taste. The i,| ^ . •''/ v .- ' ji R- A. Bell, the young
deep shadows and -^j ■ ■ '(sZj/jf artist wlio has in these
more sensational effect \ s-ik' V^ji ^l>MiBr made for himself a
of alto-relievo work at- » '■Wr^r^S^^^^^S^^ distinct mark has imi-
tract attention sooner - ,' Jr?*WWPP^^ tated glazed earthen-
than the subtle planes I ■■' ^^SS^a -ware in plaster; but he
of that modelling j has seen the charm of
whi. : low relief modelling
shadow in the most *™emphasised by colour,
refined way. For honeysuckle, from a relief in coloured plaster an(j has followed good
1 by r. anning bell ... , , ,
merely practical rea- tradition in the hand-
sons, the comparatively slight harbourage it affords ling of his materials, while imparting the accent
for dust, the greater facility for cleaning the sur- of individuality which separates them from pre-
face, and its subordinate effect in interior decora- vious attempts. It may be urged that coloured
tion, combine to render work in low-relief better plaster decoration is not permanent, that its
adapted for our climate and for our homes. colours are liable to fade, and its material easily
When to such low-relief work colour is applied— damaged ; yet, considering the alteration in form
S3