International studio (53.1914)

The Art Screens oj Robert Chanter

has left the school behind him. It was some eight
or ten years ago that he became obsessed with the
idea of working in the particular vein that he now
follows so consistently, this painting with raised
pigment on a polished and highly varnished back-
ground, and he was more or less inspired with
themes of the Hudson-Fulton celebration when all
New York was excited with the story of the
explorer and his maritime achievements. So there
began a series of pictures, allegories, wonderful
combinations of ships, figures, landscapes, archi-
tecture, disclosing astonishing invention and origi-
nality. A series of panels ensued wherein the
metropolis was outlined against the sky, where the
great bridges were introduced and where strange
vessels floated on the broad stream that flows past
the city. About these compositions were borders
of strange maritime life, fishes and sea growth,
quaint forms, daring colour innovations, unusual
combinations that struck a brand-new chord.
Technically they were well executed, but how
they were evolved was not so readily apparent.
Invention is a matter of individual temperament
and artistic endowment which a man has, or has
not, as the good, kind Providence has originally
endowed him. Mechanically, as to the means of
arriving at the mere preparing of the wood and
the putting on of the pigment, explanation is
entirely possible. First of all, the utmost care is
exercised in selecting the wood and having it well
seasoned, just as for that matter the piano manu-
facturer sees to it that his timber is of the proper
sort. This is painted and rubbed down, painted
and rubbed down with infinite patience. After
the background is thoroughly ready, which means
a long, long while and great supervision, the design

having been definitely decided upon is drawn on
the wood with a brush loaded with heavy white,
and this pigment has been mixed with driers, the
proportion of siccative, oil and turpentine being
the result of much experimentation and research.
Patience now—and, indeed, from the first, is an
important factor. When this white is dry—dry
as a bone—it is scraped down—how much, how
little, the worker himself must decide—and what
further manipulation is necessary is likewise a
question that circumstances arrange. And when
this white for the raised part, and the pure color ;
for other parts have dried solidly—not until then J
—comes the further individual experimenting with
the pigment, the scraping here, the adding there,
the glazing, the addition of gold or silver, and final
varnishing. But always he who commits himself
to this particular method must possess patience,
patience, and again patience. The result is some-
thing of the quality of a Vernis Martin effect,
something of a lacquer, something of an enamel;
all effected with oil pigment and varnish.
After all, however, the mechanical part of any
trade is only a question of intelligent application.
It has been said that any one by serious practise
may learn to draw. Colour, on the other hand, is a
direct gift. You have it, or you have it not! And
the making of a picture is again something that
comes as an inspiration, though this is not to say
the artist must not make many attempts before
the arrangement of the work is finally decided
upon. Mr. Chanler’s compositions are of infinite
variety and delightful originality, as I have said,
even though at times he may have been influenced
by the work of the great masters both of China
and Japan in the matter of these screens; but these


a screen

BY ROBERT CHANLER

XII