International studio (50.1913)

Charles Conder: an Appreciation


gradations of color on the silken surface make rich
atonement for any shortcomings.
Mr. Birnbaum acted wisely in showing The,
River Nymph and the too obviously influenced
Souvenir de Venise, as the viewing of these two
paintings in oil taken
in conjunction with
other media display-
ed showed so un-
mistakably the art-
ist’s limitations.
Conder, like other
craftsmen, loved to
dabble—he dabbled
in pen-and-ink, he
dabbled in water
color, but he will al-
ways be known for
his work upon silk,
the sheen and tex-
ture of which ap-
pealed so strongly
to his senses and to
his craftsmanship.
T ouj ours laF emme
was certainly his ar-
tistic motto, but his
infinite variety of
subject, his bewild-
ering repertory of
Spanish ninas, ballet
girls, columbines,

coquettes, nymphs, sultanas, etc., in every mood
and caprice, conjured up picture upon picture, with
all the dazzling abandon of a kaleidoscope, and
toujours la femme never becomes toujours perdrix.
Meretricious he may have been in a mild way,
but coarse, never.
Mr. Birnbaum may
take credit for hav-
ing helped mate-
rially to shelter the
memory of Conder
from neglect. An-
other cause helping
to banish all dread of
Conder being forgot-
ten is the publication
of an important work,
entitled “Charles
Conder: His Life
and Work,” just
issued by Mr. John
Lane at the Bodley
Head. The author
is Frank Gibson,
and it contains a
choice collection of
illustrations and
material calculated
in every way to do
honor to an artist
who deserves the
fullest recognition.


SILK SCREEN

BY CHARLES CONDER

LXXV