International studio (59.1916)

Studio-Talk

STUDIO-TALK
(From Our Own Correspondents.)
LONDON.—The attitude of the State towards
art in this country has never erred on the
side of generosity, and is in marked con-
trast to the friendly encouragement which
the arts in general receive from the governments
of Continental nations. But in spite of this
frigid indifference very few people thought when
the Chancellor of the Exchequer announced his
intention to levy a tax on entertainments that art
exhibitions were to be put on the same footing
as the so-called “ picture palaces,” football
matches, and other amusements of the popular
kind, and called upon to contribute revenue to
the State. Naturally the proposal excited strong
opposition on the part of the various bodies
affected, but unfortunately the vigorous protest
organised by the Council of the Imperial Arts
League, and supported by the Presidents of all
the leading academies and societies, failed to make

an impression on the Chancellor. When the Act
for the early closing of shops came into force some
two or three years ago, art exhibitions were held
to be subject to its provisions, and certainly there
is a good deal more to be said for putting them in
the category of “ shops ” than for grouping them
with kinemas and boxing bouts, since the most
important object for which an art exhibition is
held is to effect a sale of the works exhibited. Of
all professions art has suffered most by the war,
and recognition of this fact should have secured
the exemption demanded by its representatives,
especially as the amount of revenue which will
flow to the Exchequer from art exhibitions is likely
to be very small and indeed insignificant as com-
pared with that yielded by the popular resorts.

The Spring Exhibition of the International
Society of Sculptors, Painters, and Gravers now
being held at the Grosvenor Gallery is through
force of circumstances almost entirely national, like
the other exhibitions of the society
since the outbreak of war, the only
foreign artist represented, apart from
two with Japanese names, being a
Belgian painter, M. Leon de Smet.
At the Spring exhibition of last year
a series of delightful pastels by that
doyen of Belgian landscape painters,
Emile Claus, added materially to the
interest of the show, but there is
nothing of his in the current display.
If in this assemblage of paintings,
drawings, and prints—the sculpture,
in spite of the prominence given to
plastic art in the Society’s title, con-
sists of only about, half a dozen items
—it is difficult to single out any work
as of superlative importance, there is
yet much that does credit to the
reputation which the Society enjoys.
Portraits such as Mr. A. McEvoy’s
Hon. Mrs. Cecil Baring, Mr. John
Lavery’s Lady Ursula Grosvenor,
Mr. Gerald Kelly’s Lady Evelyn
Farquhar, Mr. William Nicholson’s
Symons Jeune, Esq., and Col. Stuart-
Wortley, Mr. Charles Shannon’s Lady
in a Fur Coat, and Mr. William
Strang’s Cyizthia King Farlow, each
different from the rest in its technical
methods, lift this exhibition far above
the commonplace. Mr. Nicholson’s
The Hundred Jugs is a veritable tour


“BETSY, DAUGHTER OF BARON PROFUMO.”
( Royal A cademy)

BY RALPH PEACOCK

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