DOI Heft:
No. 11 (February, 1894)
DOI Artikel:Bate, H. Francis: Old masters at the Royal Academy
DOI Artikel:Tomson, Arthur: Mr. Joseph Pennel's "The Devils of Notre Dame"
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17189#0192
The Devils of Notre Dame.
very choice little work, most exquisite in tone and -m ^ TOSEPH PENNELL'S
big in handling. Admirable figure pieces by Jan \ it u ' MnTPF
M
Ochterveldt and Ja'.i Ver Meer, of Delft, and a
half-length portrait by Frank Hals, serve to indi- | \/ I DAME." BY ARTHUR TOM
cate the nature of other examples of the Nether- ^ y SON.
lands School.
Sir Donald Currie has lent a landscape by John Happy is the artist who can find nowadays
■Constable, so simple and straightforward in its some subject that has not already been exploited
manner of execution, so just in its values and by one or more of his fellows, or who can at least
colour passages, and wearing such an air of accom- discover some new treatment for a motif already a
plished elegance, that one well-nigh feels the suffi- little over-familiar to the majority of picture-seers.
Now Mr. Joseph Pennell was par-
✓t ticularly to be congratulated when he
isV^'W ascended to the roof of Notre Dame
,\\ /'^^ i fesv^ and saw the artistic possibilities of the
- - ^ >-:~V V V V v v*ofc i*""**^ vast: series of subjects at his feet and
. £9* V*^^/ I \ all around; for he had, with one soli-
V \* o'Vc '•" ■ . JgnBis^s <-) Vj. * A I tary exception, absolutely nothing to
^vSjX' ^r^V X ^'^^^^^s^^^^faJ fear from the failures and successes of
\<V ' v Wbk. f the artists who had been there before
3js -^v <;>. x^\V'«r' Q JK^kkJ him. This one eminent exception
^ ^^.^ ^^^^^^^^^ |vas^the etolung Ijy M.^Meryon called
»db>JUbBMk^MhLbfcgfc^AJj^te^A i—i i — remain of the^ old houses), even as
m\\\\V\\\\\V\ \UU\\ H J <\ Meryon did, now man)- years since.
\ MllllljYl "NA The intrepid enterprise of Mr. Pen-
nell was crowned with success, as he
one of mr. joseph pennell's "devils" ^^NJ IV, Wh° l0°kS ^ ^ The D6W Lc
as drawn for the daily issue of H^Mst I ^ SUPeV10T t0 the °ld
the " pall mall gazette " \ '1H • one > stately as Meryon's is, Mr. Pen-
\ N' > nell's has far more vitality, more actual
\) \\ poetry, and in its workmanship infi-
ciency of the art. Not far from it, in nitely more accomplishment. By
Gallery No. i, hangs a good picture, a Waterfall, beating Meryon on his own ground he has shown
by John Sell Cotman, which is very broad and rich himself not only the most successful interpreter in
in colour. Sir James Linton has lent a Richard black and white of these weird forms, but one
Wilson so mellow and delicious in tone and colour, whose drawings of them are so good that he may,
that a George Mason hanging underneath suffers in fact, claim to have said the last word on his
considerably, and a Fred Walker hard by is even fascinating subject.
more put about. In Room 4 the interest seems In many respects these new drawings of the
absorbed by the amazing picture by Melozzo da Notre Dame devils may be said to be superior
Forli, which the Queen has contributed from to anything this artist has yet done. Together
Windsor Castle. It represents Federigo and Guido with that masterly execution, that beautiful com-
Baldi, the first Dukes of Urbino, with their attendant mand of a delicate and sensitive line, that subtle
courtiers, listening to a dissertation. The arrange- yet daring instinct for selection, or that appreciation
ment is simple and dignified. The heads of the of a decorative arrangement of forms that charac-
principal figures, fine in character and searchingly terised his earlier work—with all these charms the
drawn, are brought to the centre of the panel, artist has managed to invest his fresh productions
and made the chief interest • and this is further with a certain romance, something that has arisen
assisted by the plan of the light and shade, and from perhaps an unusual amount of sympathy
the perspective of the interior. The distinction of with his subject; a poetry, indeed, that cannot fail to
the work is undisturbed by trivialities. Collections impress the visitor to Mr. Dunthorne's Gallery with
of the works of T. Stothard, R.A., John Pettie, R.A., a feeling almost akin to awe.
and William Blake have also been brought together. Among so much that is good, it is a little difficult
180
very choice little work, most exquisite in tone and -m ^ TOSEPH PENNELL'S
big in handling. Admirable figure pieces by Jan \ it u ' MnTPF
M
Ochterveldt and Ja'.i Ver Meer, of Delft, and a
half-length portrait by Frank Hals, serve to indi- | \/ I DAME." BY ARTHUR TOM
cate the nature of other examples of the Nether- ^ y SON.
lands School.
Sir Donald Currie has lent a landscape by John Happy is the artist who can find nowadays
■Constable, so simple and straightforward in its some subject that has not already been exploited
manner of execution, so just in its values and by one or more of his fellows, or who can at least
colour passages, and wearing such an air of accom- discover some new treatment for a motif already a
plished elegance, that one well-nigh feels the suffi- little over-familiar to the majority of picture-seers.
Now Mr. Joseph Pennell was par-
✓t ticularly to be congratulated when he
isV^'W ascended to the roof of Notre Dame
,\\ /'^^ i fesv^ and saw the artistic possibilities of the
- - ^ >-:~V V V V v v*ofc i*""**^ vast: series of subjects at his feet and
. £9* V*^^/ I \ all around; for he had, with one soli-
V \* o'Vc '•" ■ . JgnBis^s <-) Vj. * A I tary exception, absolutely nothing to
^vSjX' ^r^V X ^'^^^^^s^^^^faJ fear from the failures and successes of
\<V ' v Wbk. f the artists who had been there before
3js -^v <;>. x^\V'«r' Q JK^kkJ him. This one eminent exception
^ ^^.^ ^^^^^^^^^ |vas^the etolung Ijy M.^Meryon called
»db>JUbBMk^MhLbfcgfc^AJj^te^A i—i i — remain of the^ old houses), even as
m\\\\V\\\\\V\ \UU\\ H J <\ Meryon did, now man)- years since.
\ MllllljYl "NA The intrepid enterprise of Mr. Pen-
nell was crowned with success, as he
one of mr. joseph pennell's "devils" ^^NJ IV, Wh° l0°kS ^ ^ The D6W Lc
as drawn for the daily issue of H^Mst I ^ SUPeV10T t0 the °ld
the " pall mall gazette " \ '1H • one > stately as Meryon's is, Mr. Pen-
\ N' > nell's has far more vitality, more actual
\) \\ poetry, and in its workmanship infi-
ciency of the art. Not far from it, in nitely more accomplishment. By
Gallery No. i, hangs a good picture, a Waterfall, beating Meryon on his own ground he has shown
by John Sell Cotman, which is very broad and rich himself not only the most successful interpreter in
in colour. Sir James Linton has lent a Richard black and white of these weird forms, but one
Wilson so mellow and delicious in tone and colour, whose drawings of them are so good that he may,
that a George Mason hanging underneath suffers in fact, claim to have said the last word on his
considerably, and a Fred Walker hard by is even fascinating subject.
more put about. In Room 4 the interest seems In many respects these new drawings of the
absorbed by the amazing picture by Melozzo da Notre Dame devils may be said to be superior
Forli, which the Queen has contributed from to anything this artist has yet done. Together
Windsor Castle. It represents Federigo and Guido with that masterly execution, that beautiful com-
Baldi, the first Dukes of Urbino, with their attendant mand of a delicate and sensitive line, that subtle
courtiers, listening to a dissertation. The arrange- yet daring instinct for selection, or that appreciation
ment is simple and dignified. The heads of the of a decorative arrangement of forms that charac-
principal figures, fine in character and searchingly terised his earlier work—with all these charms the
drawn, are brought to the centre of the panel, artist has managed to invest his fresh productions
and made the chief interest • and this is further with a certain romance, something that has arisen
assisted by the plan of the light and shade, and from perhaps an unusual amount of sympathy
the perspective of the interior. The distinction of with his subject; a poetry, indeed, that cannot fail to
the work is undisturbed by trivialities. Collections impress the visitor to Mr. Dunthorne's Gallery with
of the works of T. Stothard, R.A., John Pettie, R.A., a feeling almost akin to awe.
and William Blake have also been brought together. Among so much that is good, it is a little difficult
180