International studio (35.1908)

Reviews and Notices

master, and Mr. H. Childe Pocock, R.B.A, who
is one of the teaching staff, were both pupils of Mr.
John Parker, R.W.S., in the old St. Martin’s
School, and art students who are now working for
the Gilbert-Garret competitions may be interested
to know that both Mr. Mason and Mr. Pocock
were connected with Mr. Seymour Lucas, R.A., in
the foundation of the original Gilbert Sketching
Club. The Birkbeck School of Art always takes
part in the competition for the Gilbert-Garret
prizes, in addition to its own vacation competitions
for prizes, which are offered this year for out-door
sketching, design, illustrations to a story and flower
studies. Modelling, wood-carving, enamelling and
silversmith’s work are all taught in the classes
directed by Mr. Mason and his able staff, and
there are excellent day and evening life-classes. A
special feature at the Chancery Lane school is the
Saturday afternoon life class, which gives to many
amateurs opportunities of painting from the life
that they could not otherwise obtain. The school
is, of course, carried on under the same governing
body and in the same building as the Birkbeck
College, which is affiliated to the University of
London, so that exceptional facilities are afforded
to students who wish to pursue their art training
concurrently with their general education.
W. T. W.
REVIEWS AND NOTICES.
Seven Centuries of Lace. By Mrs. John Hunger-
ford Pollen. With a Preface by Alan Cole.
(London : Heinemann.) 30s. net.—The raison
detre of this work was the desire of the owner of
the beautiful examples reproduced in it to avoid
unfolding the delicate fabrics when her friends
wished to see them, a desire for which all who
delight in fine needlework have every reason to
be grateful, so faithful are the interpretations
given and so clearly do they bring out not only
the exquisite symmetry and appropriateness of the
designs, but also every minute detail of stitchery
that contributes to the general effect. Mrs. Pollen
is an enthusiast on the subject of ancient needle
and bobbin-made lace, and has added value
to the fine series of plates in her book by
an able introduction, in which she traces the
evolution of the sister crafts, and defines the
distinctive peculiarity of each variety, adding a
complete glossary of technical terms, for some of
which no adequate English equivalent had pre-
viously been given. She has, moreover, secured
in the form of a letter to herself an interesting
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essay from the pen of the well-known expert-critic
of industrial art, Mr. Alan Cole, who reminds her
that from the sixteenth to the eighteenth century
men were as fond of acquiring and wearing
lace as women, and claims that certain members
of his own sex were no mean proficients in
the use of the needle. For the sake of com-
pleteness, Mrs. Pollen has included amongst her
reproductions three remarkable relics not in her
own possession, an alb said to have been worked
by the nuns of St. Clare for St. Francis of Assisi,
a thirteenth - century vestment that belonged to
Pope Boniface, and a pre-Reformation pyx-veil pre-
served at Hessett in Suffolk.
The Tower of London, painted by John Fulley-
love, R.I., described by Arthur Poyser. (7s. 6d.
net.) Kew Gardens, painted by T. Mower
Martin, described by A. R. Hope-Moncrieff.
(6s. net.) Galloway, painted by James Faed,
jun, described by J. M. Sloan. (6.c. net.)
(London: A. & C. Black.)—From our point of
view, the interest of these books of course largely
pertains to the illustrations. The recent death of
Mr. John Fulleylove, who well understood the
requirements of coloured book illustration, leaves a
place among artists who have turned to this work
which will not be at once filled. His “ Tower of
London,” as well as any of his books, shows the
adaptability of his brush to the ends in view. He
successfully conjoined the almost map-like accuracy
which is valuable with some freedom and charm of
style, but perhaps his chief merit was the avoidance
of cheap and merely pretty effects and the
endeavour to retain truth of atmospheric colouring.
It was this last which gave his illustrations their
peculiar value, since, in dealing even with the above
books, we find the usual fault of these publications
recurring, viz., sameness of colouring, so that,
despite the character of the vegetation and the
atmospheric conditions which differentiate places
remote from each other, all the pictures seem to be
nearly alike in regard to colour. This is not some-
times the artists’ fault, and the three-coloured
process is a very limited one. Mr. Fulleylove,
however, to some extent freed himself by the indi-
vidual character of his colour from the limiting
process. As regards the other two books, the
printing seems to have done all it could for the
artists, whose work is careful and pleasant, but not
in either case very interesting in treatment.
A History of Art. By Dr. G. Carotti. Vol. I.,
Ancient Art. Revised by Mrs. S. Arthur Strong,
Litt.D., LL.D. (London : Duckworth & Co.)
55. net.—Dr. Carotti’s work is being published in