International studio (51.1913/1914)

Reviews and Notices

Academician. To artists it will be interesting for
the revelation of refined skill in pencil-draughts-
manship. The late artist failed to preserve in his
paintings the highly artistic qualities, the expressive
touch and appreciation of tone which the delightful
drawings in pencil show.
Guillaume Charlier. Par Sander Pierron.
(Brussels: G. Van Oest et Cie.) — Generally
speaking the contemporary school of sculpture in
Belgium is a very interesting one, and the work of
the artist who forms the subject of this latest
volume in the “ Collection des Artistes Beiges
contemporains,” in particular is well worth a study.
Unquestionably Meunier is the dominant figure in
modern Belgian sculpture, but in the case of
Charlier it is interesting to note that while his
artistic outlook has been somewhat similar his
development was entirely independent. A number
of excellent illustrations accompany the text.
Subsoil. By Charles Marriott. (London:
Hurst and Blackett.) 65. net.—The author, well
known as a novelist, is also familiar, though per-
chance to a smaller circle, as an art critic. In
“Subsoil” he seems to combine the dual role, and
interwoven with a story which is hardly as con-
vincing as have been some of his other novels we
find him dealing with some aspects of the unrest
in art generally at the present day. Whether he
wishes to be here the novelist or the art critic one
cannot feel quite sure, but the “ mixture ” is un-
deniably interesting.
Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. Illustrated in
colour by Rene Bull. (Hodder and Stoughton.)
155. net; edition de luxe, 425. net.—Publishers
have evidently found that the public are not tired
yet of Omar Khayyam in gift-book form. The
cover of this volume is of a beautiful though highly
elaborated character, and Mr. Rene Bull’s colour
drawings are full of inventiveness and charm of
colour and design. Mounted simply on their cream
paper they would have been wholly delightful, but
here the effect has been marred by an unnecessary
bordering of excessive gold ornamentation. The
black and white—or rather green and white-
embellishment of the letterpress is not a success.
Whether from the effect of this green ink, or from
the style of the decoration of the page and the
lettering itself, the letterpress pages are common-
place and detract from, instead of comporting with,
the exquisite pattern work and inspiriting style of
the coloured drawings.
The Old Curiosity Shop. Illustrated in colour by
Frank Reynolds, R.I. (London: Hodder and
Stoughton.) 155. net; edition de luxe, 425-. net.—Mr.
170

Frank Reynolds, who is a most scholarly draughts-
man and attractive colourist, whole-heartedly
adopts all the Dickens conventions. His treatment
of his subject may be said to have every quality but
originality. But your true lover of Dickens is above
everything conservative, and probably nothing
could recommend this pleasantly embellished book
to them so much as its staunch adherence to the
types which the earlier Dickens illustrators created.
Vanity Fair. By W. M. Thackeray. Illustrated
by Lewis Baumer. (London: Hodder and
Stoughton.) 155-. net; edition de luxe, 425. net.—In
this case, as in the case of Dickens, one does not
look for any marked departure from precedent, and
indeed as the various characters have to appear in
the costumes and environment of a certain epoch,
the illustrator has definite limitations imposed upon
him. Mr. Baumer’s illustrations are, however,
instinct with vitality and charm, and it is clear that
he has striven to interpret his author conscientiously.
The Jackdaw of Rheims. By Thos. Ingoldsby.
Illustrated by Charles Folkard. (London : Gay
and Hancock.) ioj. 6d. net.—Mr. Folkard has
an undoubted gift for illustration, though we hardly
think colour is the chief element in his artistic en-
dowment. We are judging, of course, by the coloured
illustrations to this ever-attractive legend of Thomas
Ingoldsby; here the colour is rarely pleasing and
at times decidedly unpleasant. It may be, of course,
that they have suffered in the printing-press, like
many of the coloured illustrations one sees nowadays
In some of his illustrations of three or four years ago,
Mr. Folkard showed somewhat too plainly the
influence of Mr. Rackham, but though we are still
reminded of that influence here, it is far less obvious ;
the drawings show a humorous inventiveness of his
own, and among them are some which also disclose
a new technique, being apparently executed in part
by the aid of what is called “poker work.” The
text pages contain numerous black-and-white draw-
ings which do the artist credit.
The Song of Songs, which is Solomon's. Autho rised
Version. Illustrated after the drawings by W.
Russell Flint. (London : P. Lee Warner.)
Cloth, 65. net; parchment, 12W 6d. net.-—This is
a reprint in smaller format of the first Riccardi Press
edition published four years ago. The binding,
with its sinuous scroll in gold, is adapted from a
Persian manuscript in the British Museum. The
reproductions of Mr. Russell Flint’s charming
drawings are fully mounted, but in some cases the
rich mellow colour characteristic of the artist’s
water-colour drawings has not, we think, had full
justice done to it.