International studio (81.1925)

mceRtiAUonAL

of many of these have long been familiar to students of HOW TO SEE MODERN PICTURES. By

Italian architecture, but there are many garden details Ralph M. Pearson. Lincoln MacVeagh—The

which have never been available before and the collection ^ p^ ^ p^ ^
as a whole is an extraordinarily fine one. In combination

with the text they make a volume of real and lasting value. .

J 7~)etter than any criticism of his book that can be

/") given in a short space are the articles, Etchings as
Works oj Art, in the February, 1925, and June,

THE STUDY OF COLOR. Bv Michel Jacobs. D. issues of Internationa!. Studio From a careful

. . „ j reading of these articles one can judge of the value of Mr.

Van Nostrand Company, New York. Price, #3. pearson>s philosophy of art. In his book the principles

propounded in these essays are expanded and illustrated.

-\ ^"ichel Jacobs, whose book, The ArU-oj Color, was j\/[r_ Pearson bases his principles of art appreciation on

jyl reviewed in International Studio sometime ago, design. This, he believes, is the one quality common to

is the director of The Metropolitan Art School in an WOrks of art, and the thing without which a work of

New York. Both his former book and'this present volume art cannot exist. These principles which, he frankly states,

are based on the instruction he has found most successful ]le; VVas first led to recognize through a study of modern

in his school work. As its name implies, The Study oj Color ari ne fmds are equally applicable to great works of the

is a more elementary work than the first and is designed past. His book is, therefore, a study in the nature and

as a preparation for consideration of the problems of the appreciation of fundamental design as revealed in the

painter, illustrator, designer and decorator which are con- works we call "classic" as well as in those of the modern

sidered in that work. Except by the numerous examples school. Everyone recognizes that as between the paintings

given in the book, no attempt is made to set rules for color Gf Michelangelo and Del Sarto there is a difference which

combinations, but these examples are so completely has nothing to do with the subject matter or skill displayed,

worked out that in doing them the^eye will be trained to It is that difference which Mr. Pearson seeks to define,
see harmonies and whatever creative gift the student may
have will be properly directed.

The most important teaching of this book is that of
color mixing. The student is trained not only to obtain EVERYDAY ART. By Ami Mali Hicks. E. P.
the hues and tones which he desires but also to be able to J)utton & Co., New York. Price, $3.
analyze the colors he sees around him. "Study the color-
mixing charts," says Mr. Jacobs, "with their shades and „ .
.• 1 , ,,, T ■. t 1 „„_!, ..i_r ;„ / <Jive us this day our daily art, says, in effect, the
tints and make yourself familiar with how each color is / J . J ■>

j , , t jT • j„„„ tr„ t_ ( I author. But that is perhaps a too limited statement,

mixed, and when you see color outdoors or indoors try to / . , ,

c *i ■/ ,1. it *J,;„ w„,r ™,r raP -S For alter all most ol us are content with bread three,

figure out how it would be made. In this way your eye . , ., . ,

1 ..... , j t it 4 1 +u„ or perhaps lour, times a day. Not so with art and Ami

and your mind will become trained to be able to mix the .. .

, . .... ,, Mall, from our rising up to our going down,

exact color that you wish without experimenting. , , , , , . .

in our

The first half of the book is divided into three sets of cIothe^ our sPeech> houses> Sardens and handwriting, art

lessons in color mixing and combination. The second halt mu*f be ov\ constant companion. Not to mention its

, , • , • 1 guidance in the way we live,

is given over to pages containing ruled-in designs and lec- 0 ■' .■»»».,.., m

1 1 ■ t j , „ „ „„„m„To= Cine cannot disagree with Miss Hicks. There are too

tangles on which the student may carry out the examples &

given in the lessons.

many pages in her book to allow of that; no less than
twenty-four chapters in which she has stated her credo.
But as to what constitutes art? Again one can hardly dis-
agree, for apparently it has never occurred to her to ask

THE DEVELOPMENT OF VARIOUS DECO- herseIf thc simi?Ie IlttIe quesfon> "wh£rt is art?" To her

„ „ ^,„^r^ it means something more or less decorative, concerned, as

RATIVE AND UPHOLSTERY FABRICS. has been said, with the proper hat.

F. Schumacher & Company, New York. Now all that is very well. It is quite important that,

for the sake of their peace of mind and the pleasure of their

A lthough this is a book which can never have any associates, women should dress their hair well and wear

OCJ general circulation and is not for sale it is so fine an becoming clothes. It would be pleasant to have our friends

example of bookmaking that it merits more than write at least a legible hand. One turns to the chapter

passing mention. It has been prepared by the Schumacher More Art—Less Furniture to find the excellent suggestion

Company as an advertisement for the fabrics which they that unnecessary pieces be eliminated and the walls kalso-

produce. The text is a short history of decorative textiles, mined. It is quite possible that a person of good taste

carefully prepared and simply presented. The illustrations might find suggestions in this book which could be followed

are taken from modern Schumacher productions in the to advantage, ft is equally possible that too close adher-

various styles mentioned. And it is interesting to note ence might result in a multicolored family in an arty

that the representation of the greatest periods in textile bungalow.

making by these contemporary fabrics meets the standards In Jerome K. Jerome's Idle Thoughts there is an amus-
set by the ancient looms. ing essay—On Dress and Deportment. It is not The "Art"
Typographically and in quality of engraving, the book of Dress. We need a new noun, for when costumer, mil-
is a credit to its producers. The color pages are as fine as liner, barber and bootblack are all artists, what is there
any we have seen made in America. Both skill and good left for Michelangelo? And we need to watch our steps,
taste have been shown in the choice of type and the too, lest we be led by the army of persons who have "gone
arrangement of the illustrations; and the binding, well in for decorating" into a period as dull as the Victorian
designed, is both handsome and appropriate. and lacking its comfort.

may 1925

one Jijty-three