Studio: international art (71.1917)

JAMES STUARJ:
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Mr. Nelson Dawsoris Commemorative Panels and Etchings

with its shimmering, its even sometimes
a little meretricious, sparkle. That seems
to be in the reason of things: and assuredly,
one may say, the finest tradition of the art
entirely supports this view.

Mr. Dawson, I need hardly remind readers
of The Studio, is a distinguished Fellow
of the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers as
well as an artist in metal-work. Though
to call attention to his memorials in champ-
leve enamel is the special purpose of this
article, I cannot end it without also call-
ing attention to a less costly form of memo-
rial, which he has designed for more pri-
vate or domestic uses, and to meet the need
of those for whom enamels may have to
remain, unfortunately, out of reach. Mr.
Dawson, therefore, has admirably expended
his skill in producing some soft-ground
etchings, afterwards delicately coloured, of
a character not unlike that of his enamels.
These, framed and glazed, would serve as
entirely suitable and beautiful memorials
to be hung in some honoured position on
the wall of any private house. Such etchings
would, I suppose, be procurable at a cost
of a few guineas; while an enamel must
necessarily run into at least five or six
course, the most unrivalled luscious colour times as much. Yet even so, of course, con-
imaginable. In its place nothing can be more sidering the time inevitably expended on the
seductively fascinating. But really it
seems most appropriate for the enrich-
ment of jewellery, or for small cabinet
specimens of the art, or at any rate
when employed only here and there
judiciously in a design to give sparkling
points of brilliancy, as for the most part
it is in nature with those jewel-like
touches on a humming-bird's breast or
crest, or on a butterfly's wing. The
danger of translucent enamel lies in its
easily giving us effects overluscious,
and by consequence lacking in dignity.
At any rate, be this as it may, in work
intended to be used as an adjunct to
architecture, or to be seen usually at
some distance as in the varied furniture
of a church, rich but quiet dignity of
colour is all-important; so that here
certainly everything is in favour of using
opaque enamel, with its tenderly blossom-
like or restrained though forcible color-

,. 6 UU C ^Uiul panel of the arms of winchester college. BY

ation, rather than translucent enamel nelson dawson, r.e.

27

tablet in trinity college, cambridge
by nelson dawson, r.e