Studio: international art (36.1906)

The Etchings of Sir J. C. Robinson

tricks of practice which would interest people who
are curious about the way in which an artist
works. He is in his water-colours an absolute
purist; he paints entirely with transparent pig-
ments, and never has recourse to opaque colours ;
his brushwork is broad and confident—free, on
the one hand, from affectation of showy clever-
ness, and, on the other, from niggling minute-
ness or over - elaboration; and he does not
insist, as is the fashion with many present-day
painters, upon excessive lowness of tone. In his
oil paintings he works as far as possible with
transparent colours, and on a tempera ground,
a straightforward method which enables him to
attain an agreeable brilliancy of colour and makes
for the permanence of his pictures. But his fitness
for his profession is so evident that there is no
need for him to adopt any tricky devices to secure
popularity; he can hold his public by legitimate
means. A. L. B.

The etchings of sir john

CHARLES ROBINSON. BY
A. MAYGER HIND.

Few etchers have been more chary of entering
the lists of public criticism than Sir John Charles.
Robinson. Certainly, his professional activity has
been chiefly that of collector and connoisseur, and
his by no means numerous etched-work may be
regarded as the outcome of the occasional exercise
of the amateur. In all, he has produced, or at least
thought well to submit to the world, less than thirty-
plates. Nevertheless the special aim on which his
efforts have been centred, the rendering of atmo-
sphere and light, and his original and convincing,
treatment of this theme give his work a distinct
place in the history of modern etching. One of his
most excellent plates was reproduced three years-
back in [a summer number of The Studio, but
beyond this his work has received slight recogni-
tion. If it has been too
little known, the fault lies,
in part, with the modesty of
the artist, who has seldom
sought publicity, except by
occasional exhibits at the
Painter-Etchers. Perhaps
the lack of response ac-
corded to the only public
issue of any of his plates
(by Messrs. P. and D. Col-
naghi, 1872-73) induced a
certain diffidence in his own
powers. In any case, from
that day, Sir Charles Robin-
son has chosen to dissemi-
nate his etchings only as
gifts among his friends. It
is to be hoped that the ap-
preciation of a wider circle
will necessitate a different
course.

Sir J. C. Robinson’s
earliest artistic efforts were
devoted to painting, which
he studied as a young man
in the ’forties under Drol-
ling in Paris; and for some
years be was a not infre-
quent exhibitorof oils at the
Royal Academy. He did
not, however, take to etch-
ing until after his duties as
organiser of the Victoria

“a rustic toilet” (In the Luxembourg) by w. lee hankey

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