DOI Artikel:
Reviews
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20712#0102
Reviews
even more from its domestic than from its aesthetic
side that the new history of furniture will appeal to
the wide public by whom it will doubtless be wel-
comed. In addition to his expert knowledge of
his subject, Mr. Macquoid is fortunately gifted with
an insight into the pathos inseparable from the
survivals of the home-life of long ago that have
escaped uninjured in all the vicissitudes through
which they have passed, remaining witnesses to
the loving solicitude expended on their ornamenta-
tion. In his “Age of Oak,” covering the period
between 1500-1660, the first of the four volumes
into which his work is to be divided, one of the
most interesting chapters is certainly that in which
nursery furniture is dealt with, and many beautiful
cradles and children’s chairs are reproduced that
did service for several generations of babies. The
author, in spite of the limitations of his sex, knows
how to enter into the feelings of the proud mother
receiving congratulations in her richly-decorated
chamber, with her new-born babe in an elaborately-
carved oak cradle beside her equally ornate bed-
stead ; he can read the romance of the ancient
coffers, cupboards and settles he has selected from
widely-separated sources to illustrate his history, as
readily as he can determine the date and country
of each example. He traces domestic furniture
back to its origin in architecture, dwells on its long
and complete subjection to ecclesiastical influence,
and describes how its makers gradually raised its
production to the position of an independent art.
Strange to say, however, he does not touch on the
significant fact that the table, wardrobe, dresser,
bed and settle were one and all evolved out of the
chest or coffer that was long the only article of
furniture even in wealthy houses, and was carried
about from place to place as a matter of course by
its owners. In fact, in spite of the great extent of
his knowledge, Mr. Macquoid deals with results
rather than original causes, a peculiarity that de-
tracts somewhat from the completeness of his work,
though not perhaps from its value. The complete
life-story of domestic furniture still, after all, re-
mains to be written, though it is already rumoured
that it is engaging the attention of a famous French
authority.
The Royal Academy and its Members. By the
late J. E. Hodgson, R.A., and F. A. Eaton, with
eleven illustrations. (London: John Murray.)
Price 21s. net.—This book was commenced by
Mr. Eaton in conjunction with the late Mr. J. E.
Hodgson, R.A., Librarian and Professor of Paint-
ing at the Royal Academy, and completed with
the assistance of Mr. G. D. Leslie, R.A. The
84
history of the Royal Academy is not brought
beyond the year 1830, but the changes that have
taken place in its constitution and laws down to
the present time are noted, and the useful appen-
dices, containing, amongst other interesting infor-
mation, a list of diploma works from 1770 to 1904,
a list of pictures and statuary other than diploma
works and various objects of interest belonging to
the Royal Academy, a list of students who have
obtained gold medals and travelling scholarships
from 1769 to 1904, and a list of works purchased
under the terms of the Chantrey Bequest from 1877
to 1904, will be found of the greatest value. So
much attention appears to have been devoted to
verifying the information contained in this book
that it is more than a little surprising to be con-
fronted in Mr. Eaton’s Preface with the statement
that no trustworthy work dealing with the Royal
Academy and its members has appeared since 1862.
It is difficult to believe that the Secretary of the
Royal Academy has lived his life for the past
twelve months so apart from the everyday world
as to have failed to make the acquaintance
of the Special Summer Number of The Studio,
1904, entitled “ The Royal Academy from Reynolds
to Millais.” This Special Number contained six
photogravures, nine coloured plates, three tinted
plates, one lithograph, fifteen facsimile autograph
letters, and one-hundred and thirty-five text illus-
trations, and was published at 5s. Moreover,
many of the facts contained in the Special Number
were derived from Mr. William Sandby’s book, a
work acknowledged by Mr. Eaton to have been
the source of the information contained in his
own volume.
A History and Description of French Porcelaiti.
By E. S. Auscher. (London : Cassell.) 305-. net.
—Although it is impossible to deny that the ornate,
over-elaborated productions of Vincennes and
Sevres do not appeal with anything like the same
force to English connoisseurs as does the early
Rouen, St. Cloud and Chantilly work, the
history of French porcelain, as a whole, will ever
be full of interest for those who remember how
much the manufacturers of Bow and Chelsea owed
to their neighbours on the other side of the
Channel. For dealing with this history few better
authorities could be imagined than the author of the
new monograph that has been ably translated by
his fellow-expert, Mr. William Burton. M. Auscher
was from 1879 to 1888 Chef de Fabrication at the
Sevres manufactory; he is thoroughly familiar with
every phase of the technical processes employed
there and elsewhere, and has spent many years in
even more from its domestic than from its aesthetic
side that the new history of furniture will appeal to
the wide public by whom it will doubtless be wel-
comed. In addition to his expert knowledge of
his subject, Mr. Macquoid is fortunately gifted with
an insight into the pathos inseparable from the
survivals of the home-life of long ago that have
escaped uninjured in all the vicissitudes through
which they have passed, remaining witnesses to
the loving solicitude expended on their ornamenta-
tion. In his “Age of Oak,” covering the period
between 1500-1660, the first of the four volumes
into which his work is to be divided, one of the
most interesting chapters is certainly that in which
nursery furniture is dealt with, and many beautiful
cradles and children’s chairs are reproduced that
did service for several generations of babies. The
author, in spite of the limitations of his sex, knows
how to enter into the feelings of the proud mother
receiving congratulations in her richly-decorated
chamber, with her new-born babe in an elaborately-
carved oak cradle beside her equally ornate bed-
stead ; he can read the romance of the ancient
coffers, cupboards and settles he has selected from
widely-separated sources to illustrate his history, as
readily as he can determine the date and country
of each example. He traces domestic furniture
back to its origin in architecture, dwells on its long
and complete subjection to ecclesiastical influence,
and describes how its makers gradually raised its
production to the position of an independent art.
Strange to say, however, he does not touch on the
significant fact that the table, wardrobe, dresser,
bed and settle were one and all evolved out of the
chest or coffer that was long the only article of
furniture even in wealthy houses, and was carried
about from place to place as a matter of course by
its owners. In fact, in spite of the great extent of
his knowledge, Mr. Macquoid deals with results
rather than original causes, a peculiarity that de-
tracts somewhat from the completeness of his work,
though not perhaps from its value. The complete
life-story of domestic furniture still, after all, re-
mains to be written, though it is already rumoured
that it is engaging the attention of a famous French
authority.
The Royal Academy and its Members. By the
late J. E. Hodgson, R.A., and F. A. Eaton, with
eleven illustrations. (London: John Murray.)
Price 21s. net.—This book was commenced by
Mr. Eaton in conjunction with the late Mr. J. E.
Hodgson, R.A., Librarian and Professor of Paint-
ing at the Royal Academy, and completed with
the assistance of Mr. G. D. Leslie, R.A. The
84
history of the Royal Academy is not brought
beyond the year 1830, but the changes that have
taken place in its constitution and laws down to
the present time are noted, and the useful appen-
dices, containing, amongst other interesting infor-
mation, a list of diploma works from 1770 to 1904,
a list of pictures and statuary other than diploma
works and various objects of interest belonging to
the Royal Academy, a list of students who have
obtained gold medals and travelling scholarships
from 1769 to 1904, and a list of works purchased
under the terms of the Chantrey Bequest from 1877
to 1904, will be found of the greatest value. So
much attention appears to have been devoted to
verifying the information contained in this book
that it is more than a little surprising to be con-
fronted in Mr. Eaton’s Preface with the statement
that no trustworthy work dealing with the Royal
Academy and its members has appeared since 1862.
It is difficult to believe that the Secretary of the
Royal Academy has lived his life for the past
twelve months so apart from the everyday world
as to have failed to make the acquaintance
of the Special Summer Number of The Studio,
1904, entitled “ The Royal Academy from Reynolds
to Millais.” This Special Number contained six
photogravures, nine coloured plates, three tinted
plates, one lithograph, fifteen facsimile autograph
letters, and one-hundred and thirty-five text illus-
trations, and was published at 5s. Moreover,
many of the facts contained in the Special Number
were derived from Mr. William Sandby’s book, a
work acknowledged by Mr. Eaton to have been
the source of the information contained in his
own volume.
A History and Description of French Porcelaiti.
By E. S. Auscher. (London : Cassell.) 305-. net.
—Although it is impossible to deny that the ornate,
over-elaborated productions of Vincennes and
Sevres do not appeal with anything like the same
force to English connoisseurs as does the early
Rouen, St. Cloud and Chantilly work, the
history of French porcelain, as a whole, will ever
be full of interest for those who remember how
much the manufacturers of Bow and Chelsea owed
to their neighbours on the other side of the
Channel. For dealing with this history few better
authorities could be imagined than the author of the
new monograph that has been ably translated by
his fellow-expert, Mr. William Burton. M. Auscher
was from 1879 to 1888 Chef de Fabrication at the
Sevres manufactory; he is thoroughly familiar with
every phase of the technical processes employed
there and elsewhere, and has spent many years in