DOI Heft:
No. 110 (May, 1902)
DOI Artikel:Levetus, A. S.: The exhibition of the Vienna Secession
DOI Artikel:The cult of the statuette: The Fine Art Society's recent exhibition
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19875#0290
The Cult of the Statuette
a white house. Watzek is to photography what Government, which has from the early days of the
Whistler is to painting, and this he shows in his Second Empire been a prolific, if not a very
Sailing Boat and Manufactories; while Spitzer's remunerative, patron; from the Salon and the
Old Woman of Katwyk and Sea Shore are Champs de Mars, which have adequately displayed
masterpieces. A. S. Levetus. his products ; and, lastly, from business houses with
taste and discrimination, which have acquired
THE CULT OF THE STATUETTE, originals, reproduced them at a popular price, and
THE FINE ART SOCIETY'S fostered and educated a desire in the public to
RECENT EXHIBITION possess them.
The British sculptor has hitherto had no such
Take up almost any French contemporary encouragement. Excluding portraits, the Govern -
novel, and turn to the first of the many descrip- ment has, we believe, never commissioned or
tions of the contents of the hero or heroine's bought a statue for its artistic merits, and the few
sanctum (a species of padding of which the foreign which grace the National Gallery of British Art are
author is at the moment even more guilty than the there only through having been bequeathed to
British) and you will assuredly find a statuette the nation by an English sculptor. The public
occupying a prominent, if not the foremost, position has hitherto been so oblivious to the charms ot
amongst their bibelots.* the statuette maker that, the only serious trade
It is perhaps a somewhat
arbitrary assumption from this
that " sculpture in little" is
an inseparable adjunct to the
furniture of a French house-
hold, but it is evident that a
writer who wishes to appear
up-to-date considers it neces-
sary to give it almost the
pride of place in his inventor)'.
On the other hand, it is certain
that any description of an
English living room which
included statuettes would be
altogether incorrect, unless it
were of some Bloomsbury
lodging-house, where a pair
of treacley-coloured "Marly
Horses," purchased in the
Tottenham Court Road, were
cited as evidence of early
Victorian taste reflected in
the garniture of the chimney-
piece.
The reason for this differ-
ence in the Art appreciation
of the two nations is not far
to seek. The French sculptor
has had his opportunity, not
only for the display but for
the sale of his figurines.
Encouragement has been
afforded him, first by the
* For example : Les statuettes Slevies
sur des colonnettcs."—" Lys Rouge,"
Anatole France. BURNS BY F. W. POMEROY
275
a white house. Watzek is to photography what Government, which has from the early days of the
Whistler is to painting, and this he shows in his Second Empire been a prolific, if not a very
Sailing Boat and Manufactories; while Spitzer's remunerative, patron; from the Salon and the
Old Woman of Katwyk and Sea Shore are Champs de Mars, which have adequately displayed
masterpieces. A. S. Levetus. his products ; and, lastly, from business houses with
taste and discrimination, which have acquired
THE CULT OF THE STATUETTE, originals, reproduced them at a popular price, and
THE FINE ART SOCIETY'S fostered and educated a desire in the public to
RECENT EXHIBITION possess them.
The British sculptor has hitherto had no such
Take up almost any French contemporary encouragement. Excluding portraits, the Govern -
novel, and turn to the first of the many descrip- ment has, we believe, never commissioned or
tions of the contents of the hero or heroine's bought a statue for its artistic merits, and the few
sanctum (a species of padding of which the foreign which grace the National Gallery of British Art are
author is at the moment even more guilty than the there only through having been bequeathed to
British) and you will assuredly find a statuette the nation by an English sculptor. The public
occupying a prominent, if not the foremost, position has hitherto been so oblivious to the charms ot
amongst their bibelots.* the statuette maker that, the only serious trade
It is perhaps a somewhat
arbitrary assumption from this
that " sculpture in little" is
an inseparable adjunct to the
furniture of a French house-
hold, but it is evident that a
writer who wishes to appear
up-to-date considers it neces-
sary to give it almost the
pride of place in his inventor)'.
On the other hand, it is certain
that any description of an
English living room which
included statuettes would be
altogether incorrect, unless it
were of some Bloomsbury
lodging-house, where a pair
of treacley-coloured "Marly
Horses," purchased in the
Tottenham Court Road, were
cited as evidence of early
Victorian taste reflected in
the garniture of the chimney-
piece.
The reason for this differ-
ence in the Art appreciation
of the two nations is not far
to seek. The French sculptor
has had his opportunity, not
only for the display but for
the sale of his figurines.
Encouragement has been
afforded him, first by the
* For example : Les statuettes Slevies
sur des colonnettcs."—" Lys Rouge,"
Anatole France. BURNS BY F. W. POMEROY
275