Studio: international art (23.1901)

Home Arts and Industries

In his pastels Mr. Pryde shows that he frankly pencil, he has fully made up his mind what he
accepts the limitations of his medium, and while is going to attempt. His work, therefore, is
he gets as much as possible out of that medium, marked by intellectual, as well as purely
he never commits the crowning stupidity of technical, qualities.

attempting effects in pastel which properly belong It must not be thought that the subject of
to oil or water-colour painting. If the fantastic this brief note devotes the whole of his time
nature of his pattern is open to criticism, his to the production of work in one medium. As
colour can hardly fail to satisfy those who sincerely I have already remarked, he was one of the
appreciate the pictures of the great colourists of pioneers of the artistic poster movement in this
old days. Mr. Pryde is in no sense an adroit country, and his enthusiasm for this branch
trickster who has become the slave of a single of design has not waned since the time when
happy arrangement; he has no pet scheme which he and Mr. Nicholson produced their splendid
he repeats with tiny variations in every pastel bills. As an illustrator Mr. Pryde has likewise
which comes from his hand. No reproductions distinguished himself. Indeed, whatever he does
in black and white, however carefully they are is unmistakably stamped with his own individuality,
made, can do more than hint at the harmony, and whether his work prove agreeable or the
the richness, and the dignity of the effects which reverse to those who see it, nobody can honestly
he produces. He preserves these qualities as describe it as either commonplace or uninteresting,
conspicuously when he deals with glowing

crimsons and insistent blues as when he employs \ T OME ARTS AND INDUS-
silver greys, subtle browns, and exquisite ivories. I-1 TRIES EXHIBITION. BY

Perfect restraint, a total absence of garishness, lend ! 1 ESTHER WOOD
to all his designs a rare degree of distinction.

They are restful because they are never over- The most pleasing feature of this year's

elaborated; details are not introduced for their exhibition of Home Arts and Industries, held at
own sake; every line is a vital part of the whole, the Albert Hall in May, was the improvement in
Mr. Pryde's art is very deliberate, and proves con- some of the "developed" sections ; that is, in the
clusively that, before he takes up his brush or productive and decorative handiwork which the

devotion of a good teacher has
rescued from amateur methods (or
lack of them), and brought suc-
cessfully into line with expert crafts-
manship. This result—to have
trained and organised a number
of unattached workers with real
aptitude for applied art, and en-
abled them to take their place in the
English market with wares of dis-
tinct and individual worth—is the
best justification of the Home Arts
and Industries classes, and the
reward (though far too scanty)
of classholders working under the
Association in obscure and un-
promising districts throughout the
kingdom.

The group of craftsmen led by
Mrs. G. F. Watts at Compton,
Surrey, were the only exhibitors
of architectural examples, and re-
peated their excellent work of last
year in terra-cotta sundials, carved
panels, vases, and structural orna-
plaque in repousse copper (yattendon class) ments. Mrs. Watts showed a very

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