Studio: international art (1.1893)

Students Work at South Kensington

together with the still-life studies, and all the non-
inventive work may be dismissed without further
comment.

In the whole display there is nothing fresher
than the first exhibit which confronts one on
entering—Stencil Decorations (10) by Francis
Heron, who has deservedly won a gold medal for
a very happy treatment of stencilling in various
colours on a piece of sackcloth, or some similar
material. His stencil plate (53-8), shown in the
same group as the dado from it in brown pigment
on a gold background, is an example of delicate
craft that we had thought was only possible in
Japan. In each the designs are exceedingly good,
but the handicraft deserves a very superlative word
of praise.

A design for printed textile in a single colour, by
Leon Solon (605), is full of modern feeling in the
figures and especially in the flowing ornament; no
other exhibit seems so inspired by the arrested
movement of line which reflects the spirit of to-day,
and yet displays an accomplished knowledge of the
past. The design for a cotton damask (482), by J.
H. Bolderston, Padiham, would appear from the
notes in its margin to be a working drawing; it is
an excellent and novel treatment of the peacock,
admirable alike in itself and for its intended
purpose. No. 592, by William Giles, " in the
Sicilian style," shows a very naive stiff symbol of
the same bird that would be quite good in hanging
folds with a domestic quality which is not ill
adapted for its purpose.

Joseph M. Sadler's (Glasgow) wool-tapestry (35),
with honeysuckle and acorns, is not peculiarly
novel, but very rich and suitable for actual use (the
examiners criticise it as printed cretonne, but we
copy the catalogue description). The design by
William Rewcastle, Glasgow, for a hanging (36) is
pleasant in colour, but spoilt by the restless out-
line and detail of the vases whence spring sprays
of conventional pink flowers. Emily C. Brothers'
(Canterbury) textile (307) bears a pattern of
parrots and foliage, symmetrical and satisfactory;
356, by W. R. Dunn, Glasgow, is a curious blend
of Botticelli and Japan. The arrangement of ships
and foliage for a silk brocaded hanging (331), by
Clarence Mawson, Shipley, has many good points;
perhaps it is rather overladen with ornament, but
in the material for which it is planned exaggera-
tion of detail is less offensive than in a meaner
fabric. One of the most satisfactory groups is that
of designs for Mosaic. A design (137) by
Charlotte Trower, Hertford, shows very clever
treatment of animal forms and foliage ; whether
the skilful drawing of such details as the eyes of the
tigers could be preserved in tesserae seems doubt-
ful. In 310, by Gertrude Roots, Canterbury, also
a really admirable design, the same doubt applies
to the foreshortened drawing of the animals.
Other patterns worthy of study are those by (2)
Mary Caldwell, Canterbury (gold medal); (39)
Evelyn D.Foster, Hertford; (207) Oswald Garside,
W arrington, which is a little spotty in colour ; and
one in (49) a group of drawings for a hall by
William Amor Fenn (New Cross Goldsmiths' In-

stitute). In all these the inevitable joints of the
tesserae have been boldly emphasised to define the
pattern. In linoleum designs the imitation
material appears to have been less well under-
stood; to print 180, by Fred Appleyard, Scarboro',
by necessary process would be to ruin its beauty,
as the " splarge " or " smasher " used for flattening
the moist colour must destroy the details which
look charming enough upon paper. The same
criticism applies to another ingenious pattern (172)
by Frederick Gregory, North Shields. On turning
to the report of the examiners we find they have
noticed this defect.

Designs for tiles have attracted a large number.
One of the happiest patterns (427), by Samuel
Palmer, Macclesfield, employs a wall facing of
oblongs and squares like that of a bonded brick
wall; the beauty of the finished effect with its
foliage and quaint spotted animals is, however,
gained by each tile being merely an arbitrary sec-
tion of the pattern, which would be equally effec-
tive as a wall-paper. In 134, May Lines, Hertford,
a very ingenious pattern, white ferrets, with
diagonal bands, like those Mr. William Morris
employs so happily, this departure from the
recognised convention of tiling is even more
marked. Other noteworthy designs are 136, by
W. M. Overell, Hereford, and 156, John W.
Sherratt, Macclesfield.

The pottery designs are not marked by any
bold originality. Among the group (630), by
William Hindley, two at least are good. Why
165 has been awarded a medal is not evident.
The plateaux (132) by Leon Solon, Hanley, are
creditable to the owner of a name so honourably
connected with pottery decoration. 138, by Horace
E. Drake, Hanley, a plaque with ships and storks,
is powerfully drawn and admirably decorative.
Why 135 gained a bronze medal is hard to dis-
cover.

The studies of birds conventionalised from
nature by William Giles (591), and a similar set by
William Hindley (592), although entirely different
in character, are each of more than usual interest. In
the former, considerable humour has been preserved
with really fine structural drawing. In the latter,
the breadth of treatment is noticeably good. The
damask designs by Samuel H. Moss (598) show
a really beautiful treatment of Indian corn, capi-
tally drawn, but the lines could hardly be ex-
pected to keep their delicacy in a woven fabric.
Among the lace designs, No. 173, by George F.
Holmes, Nottingham, arrests one's attention and
appears practical. Could the very pleasant draw-
ing of 244 (Anne Haynes, Nottingham) be pre-
served in the material? Anyway it deserves
commendation for its most graceful detail.

The gold medal is awarded to John Alfred Dunn,
Birmingham, for his measured drawings of Glou-
cester Cathedral, which have more than accidental
right to be No. 1 of the catalogue; they are
excellent in technique and sympathetic in their
appreciation of architectural detail. Harry Clifford,
of Rochester, in No. 9, shows excellent knowledge
of the local cathedral.

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