International studio (16.1902)

Gilbert Bayes


SEA-HORSES

BY GILBERT BAYES


independent genius, like Segantini, broke away
fr°m the Old Masters, and gave themselves up
gladly to the art tendencies of their own time.
Qne may say, then, of Mr. Gilbert Bayes, that he
sho\ved wisdom in the manner in which he spent
^is time as a travelling student of the Royal
Academy. His quick run through Italy was a
delightful holiday after much hard work; while the
nitle months of study in Paris kept him abreast
the most potent influences of present-day
sculpture.
hhe work illustrated in this paper is all of recent
date, and anyone who studies it will detect its
graces and its limitations. The talent that produced

it is not one that has a strong bent towards monu-
mental and architectural sculpture; its real forte
is a fanciful distinction that is most attractive in
sculpture of a small size; in household sculpture,
more effective in homes than in public galleries.
This is why Mr. Gilbert Bayes wins so much
sympathy by his admirable statuettes and by such
decorative panels as A Derelict and Jason plough-
ing the Acre of Mars. In the Jason—an admirable
piece of work—may be seen one of the sculptor’s
strongest points—namely, his love of animals and
his knowledge of their natures.
In his horses Mr. Bayes takes us far away from
the clap-trap of Landseer, who prepared most of his
animals for the picture-
market by making them
pretty with an expression
of girlish intelligence. He
humanized most of his
horses, whereas Mr. Gilbert
Bayes likes a horse for
its own sake, and keeps
all the humanity for the
rider. How characteristic
is that little group of
mounted knights in the
act of charging! They
have reached the crest of
the hill, and you may see
in the heavy movement
of the powerful horses
that the weight of an
armoured knight tells on a
rising ground. Touches like
this one speak of close ob-
servation ; but, on the other
hand, are the knights quite
107

AT rr,-

BY GILBERT BAYES

CREST OF THE HILL’