DOI Heft:
Nr. 153 (November 1909)
DOI Artikel:The fall art books
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19868#0154
The Fall Art Books
comprehensive and copiously illustrated volume by
James L. Caw, director of the National Galleries
of Scotland (Stokes). The author divides the sub-
ject into two periods—the "earlier school," 1787-
1860, with its precursors and the last five decades,
1860-1908. The Dutch influence is discernible in
the technique of the earlier genre and historical
painters, and, with the Italian, in the beginnings of
landscape. The majority of the earlier landscape
painters followed Hobbema, Cuyp and Berchem
or Van de Velde and Bakhuysen. Despite a noli"
of passing discouragement as to the present mo-
ment it is held that Scottish art is "one of the few
original and distinctive manifestations in modern
painting." John Pettie (1839-1893), a Scotch mas-
ter of historical genre, vigorous, deft and dramatic
in his work and remarkable as a colorist, is the sub-
ject of an interesting illustrated biography by Mar-
tin Hardie, his nephew, and himself a painter of
distinction (imported by Macmillan), This is the
first monograph on Pettie and comprises a com-
plete descriptive catalogue of his works. Fifty of
the illustrations are color plates. Edward Dillon
has prepared a good introduction to the "Arts of
Japan" for the useful series of "Little Books on
Art" (McClurg). The exposition is divided into
two parts, the first treating of painting and sculp-
ture in connection with a general sketch of Jap-
anese history, and the second devoted to the so-
called "minor" arts, colored woodcuts, metal
work, nctsuke, lacquer and ceramics. A short
bibliography is added and the book is illustrated.
These "little books," within their acknowledged
limitations, are something of a triumph in the
making of compact treatises.
Another volume just issued in the same series is
the handbook on "Illuminated Manuscripts," by
John W. Bradley. He falls into the seductive error
of beginning with Adam or his contemporaries.
The question as to what art is may serve well
enough by way of subject for a disquisition in
esthetics, but it is high time that the topic should
disappear from introductory paragraphs. If Mr.
Bradley were writing a history of railways he would
hardly begin with the question "What is motion?"
All of which, perhaps, goes to show that the book-
worm will occasionally turn captious. The book is
compact of information, treating the subject on a
historical outline and should prove of real service.
James Ward, an English mural painter, once a
pupil of Leighton's, has followed up his previous
books on ornament and design with a practical dis-
cussion of " Fresco Painting " (Appleton). His sug-
gestions on processes and methods are based on his
XXIV
own experience in the practice of buon-fresco and
spirit-fresco. The illustrations include four color
plates, and there are several chapters on Italian
frescos, but the discussion of technical points, such
as the method of laying on colors and the prepara-
tion of the wall, will be more likely to command a
hearing. It is a pity that a book of this sort should
be issued so badly sewed.
One of our friends who sets frankness of thought
above exactness of expression is accustomed to de-
clare that all books may be divided on the score of
authorship into two classes; by which he intends,
first, those written by hacks, and, second, those
written by cranks. Few informed persons will be
inclined to classify C. J. Holmes, Slade professor of
fine art at Oxford, in the latter category. But if the
airy generalization comes to mind in referring to his
new book, "Notes on the Science of Picture Ma-
king" (Appleton), it does so because such a book is
immediately distinguished among the flood of pub
lications that pours through the appointed channels
of the seasons. The book in no sense belongs to
that class which we owe to the manifestation of pro-
fessional authorship technically known as "book-
making." No one could sit down and concoct it
from encyclopedias or set out to collect the contents
with guide book and camera. It offers the fruit of
full-grown personal theory and should not be neg-
lected by any reader who keeps abreast of current
philosophic art criticism. As it can hardly be ade-
quately noticed in the present space available we
shall hope to return to it later, noting at the mo-
ment that the theoretical scheme divides the con-
sideration of emphasis of design under the following
heads: Symbol, plan, spacing, recession, shadow,
color and emphasis of material; each of which IS
subdivided as to the pictorial conditions of unity,
vitality, infinity and repose..
Lewis F. Day, in preparing a fourth edition of
his "Nature in Ornament," has enlarged the plan
to embrace two volumes under the title, "Nature
and Ornament," the first of which, "Nature, the
Raw Material of Design," appears with eighty-
seven illustrations from drawings by Miss Foord
(imported by Scribner's). Dora Miriam Norton,
instructor in the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, has pub-
lished a book which will be found of great value to
all teachers and students of the subject, "Freehand
Perspective and Sketching." The book, which is
attractively illustrated with great practical detail)
covers its subject comprehensively and will be
found a thorough guide in pictorial representation
of common objects, interiors, buildings and land
scapes. The best and most thorough review of the
comprehensive and copiously illustrated volume by
James L. Caw, director of the National Galleries
of Scotland (Stokes). The author divides the sub-
ject into two periods—the "earlier school," 1787-
1860, with its precursors and the last five decades,
1860-1908. The Dutch influence is discernible in
the technique of the earlier genre and historical
painters, and, with the Italian, in the beginnings of
landscape. The majority of the earlier landscape
painters followed Hobbema, Cuyp and Berchem
or Van de Velde and Bakhuysen. Despite a noli"
of passing discouragement as to the present mo-
ment it is held that Scottish art is "one of the few
original and distinctive manifestations in modern
painting." John Pettie (1839-1893), a Scotch mas-
ter of historical genre, vigorous, deft and dramatic
in his work and remarkable as a colorist, is the sub-
ject of an interesting illustrated biography by Mar-
tin Hardie, his nephew, and himself a painter of
distinction (imported by Macmillan), This is the
first monograph on Pettie and comprises a com-
plete descriptive catalogue of his works. Fifty of
the illustrations are color plates. Edward Dillon
has prepared a good introduction to the "Arts of
Japan" for the useful series of "Little Books on
Art" (McClurg). The exposition is divided into
two parts, the first treating of painting and sculp-
ture in connection with a general sketch of Jap-
anese history, and the second devoted to the so-
called "minor" arts, colored woodcuts, metal
work, nctsuke, lacquer and ceramics. A short
bibliography is added and the book is illustrated.
These "little books," within their acknowledged
limitations, are something of a triumph in the
making of compact treatises.
Another volume just issued in the same series is
the handbook on "Illuminated Manuscripts," by
John W. Bradley. He falls into the seductive error
of beginning with Adam or his contemporaries.
The question as to what art is may serve well
enough by way of subject for a disquisition in
esthetics, but it is high time that the topic should
disappear from introductory paragraphs. If Mr.
Bradley were writing a history of railways he would
hardly begin with the question "What is motion?"
All of which, perhaps, goes to show that the book-
worm will occasionally turn captious. The book is
compact of information, treating the subject on a
historical outline and should prove of real service.
James Ward, an English mural painter, once a
pupil of Leighton's, has followed up his previous
books on ornament and design with a practical dis-
cussion of " Fresco Painting " (Appleton). His sug-
gestions on processes and methods are based on his
XXIV
own experience in the practice of buon-fresco and
spirit-fresco. The illustrations include four color
plates, and there are several chapters on Italian
frescos, but the discussion of technical points, such
as the method of laying on colors and the prepara-
tion of the wall, will be more likely to command a
hearing. It is a pity that a book of this sort should
be issued so badly sewed.
One of our friends who sets frankness of thought
above exactness of expression is accustomed to de-
clare that all books may be divided on the score of
authorship into two classes; by which he intends,
first, those written by hacks, and, second, those
written by cranks. Few informed persons will be
inclined to classify C. J. Holmes, Slade professor of
fine art at Oxford, in the latter category. But if the
airy generalization comes to mind in referring to his
new book, "Notes on the Science of Picture Ma-
king" (Appleton), it does so because such a book is
immediately distinguished among the flood of pub
lications that pours through the appointed channels
of the seasons. The book in no sense belongs to
that class which we owe to the manifestation of pro-
fessional authorship technically known as "book-
making." No one could sit down and concoct it
from encyclopedias or set out to collect the contents
with guide book and camera. It offers the fruit of
full-grown personal theory and should not be neg-
lected by any reader who keeps abreast of current
philosophic art criticism. As it can hardly be ade-
quately noticed in the present space available we
shall hope to return to it later, noting at the mo-
ment that the theoretical scheme divides the con-
sideration of emphasis of design under the following
heads: Symbol, plan, spacing, recession, shadow,
color and emphasis of material; each of which IS
subdivided as to the pictorial conditions of unity,
vitality, infinity and repose..
Lewis F. Day, in preparing a fourth edition of
his "Nature in Ornament," has enlarged the plan
to embrace two volumes under the title, "Nature
and Ornament," the first of which, "Nature, the
Raw Material of Design," appears with eighty-
seven illustrations from drawings by Miss Foord
(imported by Scribner's). Dora Miriam Norton,
instructor in the Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, has pub-
lished a book which will be found of great value to
all teachers and students of the subject, "Freehand
Perspective and Sketching." The book, which is
attractively illustrated with great practical detail)
covers its subject comprehensively and will be
found a thorough guide in pictorial representation
of common objects, interiors, buildings and land
scapes. The best and most thorough review of the