International studio (55.1915)

Reviews and Notices

living, nor weakness of government is causing the
decadence of civilisations.” Dr. Levy profoundly
admires the Roman Catholic Gobineau, and there-
fore in his editorial introduction to the translation
seems to experience some difficulty in making
him serve the anti-Christian propaganda which he
himself has at heart. The Doctor’s own method
is as naive as it is unconvincing. He simply
furnishes a list of qualities that are repugnant to
him personally, and heads it “Christianity.” But
Gobineau’s work is capable of delivering its own
message, or it would not be the book it is. It paints
a great picture of the Renaissance, with Raphael,
Titian, Michael Angelo, Leonardo, Botticelli,
Machiavelli, Cardinal Bembo, Aretino, the Sforzas
and the Medicis in the scene. The chapters take
the form of a series of dialogues, and they are
embellished with portraits by the half-tone process.
Home Interiors. A Practical Work on Colour,
Decoration and Furnishing. By R. Goulburn
Lovell, A.R.I.B.A., M.S.A. (London: Caxton
Publishing Co.) Five sections, 155-. per section.
The demand for practical advice in the decoration
and furnishing of the home is responsible for
the numerous books on the subject which have
appeared during the last few years. A few of them
fulfil to some extent their purpose, but the
majority leave the seeker after hints wholly
unsatisfied, if not entirely bewildered. The large
folio work we are noticing here cannot be included
in the latter category, for it contains much lucid
and helpful information. The author is chiefly
concerned with colour-schemes, and accompanying
the letterpress are several large plates in colour,
each room being represented by two drawings ; and
in addition there are diagrams of details which add
to the value of the illustrations. Though some of
the colour-schemes are not, to our mind, entirely
agreeable, it is possible to obtain from Mr. Goulburn
Lovell’s drawings a useful basis on which to build
up a pleasing and harmonious effect.
The Medici Society has recently brought out a
popular edition of Charles Kingsley’s The Heroes
with twelve delightful illustrations in colour, after
water-colour drawings by Mr. W. Russell Flint,
whose romantic vein is seen at its best in his
interpretations of these old Greek fairy tales. The
volume is printed in the beautifully clear type of
the Riccardi press and is published at 75. 6ff. net.
The “ Kultur Cartoons” by Mr. Will Dyson which
were recently on view at the Leicester Galleries
and were referred to in our London Studio-Talk are

now made available for a larger public in the shape
of a folio volume which Messrs. Stanley Paul and Co.
have published at 2s. net with a foreword by Mr.
H. G. Wells, who testifies to the artist’s “ extreme
distinction of personality ” and “ simplicity and
cleanness of mind.”

The new volume of The Year’s Art (Hutchin-
son and Co. : 55-. net) has been brought well
up to date by Mr. A. C. R. Carter, in whose hands
this annual has become such a veritable mine of
information concerning art institutions in the British
Empire. Though a complete list of practising
artists who have responded to the call of duty in
the great crisis through which we are passing is
reserved for a future occasion, he has been able to
include a roll of members of the Fine Art Trade
who are serving with the Imperial Forces, the list
filling thirteen pages. Besides portraits of leading
representatives of the Fine Art Trade Guild, the
illustrations include three reproductions of sculpture
shown at the recent Arts and Crafts exhibition in
Paris, one of them being a silver statuette of Victory
by Mr. Alfred Gilbert. A rumour was current in
London lately that this distinguished sculptor, who
for some years past has been living at Bruges, had
died there shortly after the outbreak of war, but as
his name does not appear in Mr. Carter’s obituary
list, and no other confirmation of the rumour has
been received, there is some ground for hoping
that the report is untrue.
The Committee of L’CEuvre du Vetement des
Soldats Beiges, an organisation which has been
started in London to provide warm clothing and
comforts for Belgian soldiers at the front, have
recently published two sets of picture-postcards
specially designed by prominent Belgian artists—
Baertsoen, Opsomer, Jean Delville, A Bastien,
Victor Rousseau, among others—which are on
sale at the Sackville Gallery, 28 Sackville Street,
London, W., at gd. per set of six cards.
BRITISH ARTISTS AND THE WAR
We are compiling a second list of British artists
who are serving with the Imperial forces at home
or abroad, to supplement the list published in our
December issue, and should be glad if secretaries
of art societies and other institutions would send
us particulars of any professional artists known to
them whose names are not included in this first
list. We are not including in our record the names
of architects, as full lists of these have been
published in the professional journals.
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