Studio: international art (71.1917)

The Paintings of Joseph Southall

Mr. Southall is a close observer, though no drawing. Fortunately, it is possible to repro-

mere copyist, as the tempera decorative com- duce in colour one of his Southwold shore scenes,

position on linen of The Barque, exhibited at the The Beach is an example both of the strength

Salon in 1912, reveals. It is a typically quattro- and weakness of this artist's designs. As in

cento composition, reminiscent of Tuscan artists' The Coming of Peace decoration at the recent

work in the National Gallery. But it possesses Arts and Crafts Exhibition, he is prone to mix

a more perfected detail than the more immature the types of the forms in their spaces. Yet, in

Tuscans attained. How real is the barque, his rendering of sailing ships, he is comparable

with her yellowish-grey sails and hull, reflecting to Brangwyn as a clever lineal designer. The

in the gold tinting of the blue water ground ; central foreground figure is an embodiment of

and in the middle distance of sloping fields, in a Florentine realism at its best; but the maiden

combination of earth colours—browns, greens, is essentially Venetian in her facial idealization

and reds. The farm on the summit visualizes, and in the colour-scheme, and it does not har-

so to say, the central invisible line of the per- monize happily with the stiff formalism of her

spective illusion. In The Harbour, another companion showing a cornelian. His children,

tempera on silk, exhibited at the New English however, are frankly lovable ; there is none of

Art Club, there is a fine gracefulness of line in the sentimentalism of the later Millais: they

the mizzen mast of the barque, and the sweep are natural, not " studio " types. The tonal

of the hill background gives a sense of distance scheme might be described as a study in browns

lost in some of his similar compositions. and blues. There is depth in the distance of

Touching upon his distinctively pictorial com- cloud-swept sky, in blue, broken by patches of

positions, the tempera painting on silk of A white. A slight criticism might be made

Bucket of Salt Water, and exhibited at the 1912 against the grouping of the subsidiary figures;

show of the New English Art Club, reveals a they appear to be dwarfed against the mass of

wonderful characterization in the main com- the seaman's back, though the colour ensemble

position, vivacity of movement, and vigorous lessens the effect of ill-proportion.

"BACCHUS AND ARIADNE '
46

TEMPERA PAINTING ON CANVAS BY JOSEPH E. SOUTHALL