Studio: international art (6.1896)

Lithographs and their Printing

ITHOGRAPHS AND THEIR
PRINTING. AN INTERVIEW

pines. Apart from this and other separate subjects the figures in that Borghese Gardens plate I have
which Mr. Holroyd has derived from Italian ex- already referred to. See the charming sketching
perience and Italian dreams, he has executed two of the figures, too, in the Ladies' Guest House.
series, one of which and the last finished of the And then turn to the grim and unforced satire of
two is the " Icarus series"—admirable for its his New Rome—to the massive and noble beauty
grappling with difficult composition as well as with of his Midnight Mass, another of the Monte
definite though somewhat fanciful story—while the Oliveto set. You will allow that here there is
other series illustrates, and is the direct result of variety—a measure of mastery too in the different
Holroyd's Italian experience, dealing as it does with themes—an execution not always indeed quite on
the daily life, in cell, in chapel, in guest-chamber, a level with the high thought; yet an execution
in monastery garden, of the monks of Monte adequate to express much, with no common power,
Oliveto. Mr. Holroyd lived with these brothers and with no common charm. Mr. Holroyd makes
for a while ; and in the quiet and solemnity of their no concession to the ignorant love of mere pretti-
daily ways he found at once his theme and the force ness—but he has, I am thankful to say, no leaning
with which to execute it. When his draughtsman- in the direction of the yet more ignorant love of
ship of the figure shall acquire subtlety—when on mere ugliness. Your own standards must be
a larger scale he shall be able to represent it with neither petty nor gross if you are to enter into
the last refinements of Art—he will go yet further the spirit of his work. His art, it seems to me, is
than he does to-day on his path to eminence as an the exponent of his personal delight in much that
original etcher. But perhaps having before him is dignified in Nature and dignified in Man.
the plate of the interior with the three standing Frederick Wedmore.

monks and the two seated in shadow, the reader
may think that even this qualification to my praise
is scarcely called for. And already how sensitive
as well as how dignified!—see the charming
sketching (sketching only, as I allow, and as I WITH MR. FREDERICK

even insist), see then the charming sketching of - M ^GOULDING.

To approach Mr. Gould-

,, , ing for a chat upon litho-

graphy seemed at first blush
almost absurd. Indeed,
etching is so closely associ-
ated with his name that it is
hard to think of him in any
other connection. For is he
not officially enrolled master-
printer to the Royal Society
of Painter-Etchers ? But for
some time past lithography
has been looked upon as the
popular successor to etching.
Not, perhaps, destined to re-
place etching in the artist's
estimation, nor in any way to
enter into direct rivalry with
eauxfortes; but to be the
subject of a new revival that
shall enjoy a " boom," to
- use expressive if undignified

slang, and gain recognition
as the movement, for the
time being.

Therefore to hear that

from an etching by l. raven-hill Mr. Goulding had seriously

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