International studio (15.1901/1902(1902))

Studio-Talk

his own ; but the accompanying illustrations prove
that his style is softened by the tenderer medium,
and also that it is capable of expressing more
homely ideas than those which are so boldly
realised in the drawing of Love, Youth and Death.

The Studio has felt called upon more than
once to draw attention to the art of making statu-
ettes, for it does not re-
ceive from contemporary
sculptors even half the
respect that is due both
to its charm and to its
usefulness. Subjects ad-
mirably suited for it may
be found everywhere, in
all walks of life; and we
may say with truth that,
whilethe purchasing pub-
lic for statues is but a
tiny one, the number of
art lovers who w’ould be
glad to buy attractive
statuettes may be
reckoned by hundreds
in every town. A few
English sculptors of the
younger school, like Mr.

Derwent Wood and Mr.

Gilbert Bayes, have in-
deed hit upon some
charming subjects, and
have worked them out
with much fancy and
with great cleverness of
execution. But, for all
that, the statuette market—to put the matter
in plain commercial English—is slill chiefly pro-
fitable to dealers in second-rate Italian' work,
weakly round in form, and detestably sweet in
homeliness of sentiment.

To be really great in character, a statuette must
have that peculiar merit which makes a perfect
short story from a literary critic’s point of view.
It is a little thing complete in a big way. Its note
of excellence is always clear and well defined;
that is to say, it is always very something—very
tragic, or very pathetic, very graceful, very
humorous, very rustic, or very homely. If a
statuette is not satisfying, if it suggests a scheme
for a larger work, then it is nothing more than
a sketch for a larger work; just as Mr. W. S.
Gilbert’s short stories are often “patented”
T34

ideas, to be carried out in his librettos for comic
operas.

So it must not be thought that the art of making
statuettes is an easy one. On the contrary, it
requires much study and much self restraint.
Very particularly is this the case when a sculptor
aims, in a statuette, at a full-length portrait; for
here, besides conquering
the usual difficulties of
the art, he has a given
personality to make real
in a few inches of
modelled clay. It is
clear, then, that Mr.
Louis R. Deuchars, in
his statuette of Mr. G. F.
Watts, has attempted
to do a very difficult
thing. Yet we have no
doubt that his miniature
portrait will be widely
appreciated.

Newcastjle-

ON-TYNE.,
— In a cha-
racteristic
preface to the catalogue-
of the first annual exhibi-
tion of the Northumber-
land Handicrafts Guild,
Mr. Godfrey Blount put
in a plea for “decorated
useful things, instead of
useless decoration.” It
wras, perhaps, inevitable that much of the work from
local centres recently affiliated to the Guild should
demonstrate that decoration had received a larger
measure of devotion than utility. On the whole,,
however, stiffened by loan exhibits from kindred
agencies, from sympathisers and from the Board of
Education, the exhibition was an excellent beginning.
Mr. George Frampton, A.R.A. and Mr. Godfrey
Blount w'ere the judges, and the Merit Shield, pre-
sented to the Guild by Mr. W. A. Watson-Armstrong,.
was awarded to the wood-carving display of Lucker
— a small village in North Northumberland.

Among local associations, the exhibit ol the
Newcastle-on-Tyne Handicrafts Gompany calls for
particular mention. It included several beautilul
examples of embroidery, enamelling, bronze and
silver work, and cabinet-making. The fruit bowl,.

STATUETTE OK
G. F. WATTS, R.A.