Studio: international art (1.1893)

The School of Art Wood-Carving

rIE SCHOOL OF ART WOOD- fr0m the work of one of its branchesi or whether

CARVING, SOUTH KENSING- the inufluence °f.the hldividual master be strong

enough to assert itself and mould the work of his

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school in distinct fashion, so that the whole system,
A In the series of articles upon the to be fairly treated, must be judged separately,
various Art Schools which begin in this Num- school by school, will be more apparent when a
ber, we propose ^ to iMnVHHHBMMBBMH^^HMHH^B^H^HHn sufficient number of tl^ese

history, and an unpre- ' , ?\ Jf f*. whether an independent
judiced account of its w; ^'""^Sffij^^*V*jrV' f \ body, or connected with
plan and aim. So far i»J | '^^^v^(^^J^^^iT"jj A South Kensington, will
as possible, the details 1 * ^^Wc Itofiif 4JyP^.££~*-. >'['.. :£j| be criticised upon its own
of the routine observed, H(j J X^sT ^^Wfew^^!^ '.iJf-'-:-:^i merits; and that each is
and the objects it has \ $ ' ^fe^ffi^ ^ifcjfr' '''-Sj ,' './j! intended to be regarded
most in view, will be J'&f.j 3'^ .^/^JF*^ ^^■(^^^/ \\'''■ f\ *"or our purpose as a
supplied by those ac- ^ ' , v,^\^**^#J*wr^- ^ , ' |/^j separate school, and
tively engaged in the Wp m ^Jj£'v* :J{ Qj judged accordingly,
work. The series is not ' | jj«f , , ^^S^ ■ 2 The School of Art
intended to represent a . S' /^^Sy ^'''^y^^*^^.' 1' /jj Wood-carving which is
commission of inquiry, ^ 't * 1 /i dle subject wl~ trie nrst
eager to find fault, stil! »\:: | '^m^^^.m^^f^^' J , "i paper, is peculiarly inter-
less to be a mere report *§ } :..*r '^^^fifix 2[ ^ esting, because it is en-
accepting the good in- J*V 3 '^j|^^^^^^^^S^/ 3, *<j deavouring to revive an
tention of the schools -'J /*^f^^SfSS^^tf?S^ [ \J| art that has been for
with no effort to dis- • .' :i * 1. . a some time past unduly
cover how far they are j.l _.1 > < C '3i neglected. That the
practically carried out: Wi\\ 5 N /' • \- •=„» \ Jj V craft of carving in wood
but to give an unpreju- M >;'> ■'^7 ■ j N^jfl has been, and should be,
diced statement which ~. ; ^Xjf J '! ' \IB a native industry, need
may convey some de- j.'Jh ^^'^^y^m'm^mW^irl^ff^f J ' ■ not be urged. We have
finite information to one ;3| '^TZ'-r'Z:^'' i™,i=r r-C"7 3f B <-'xamples stm extant to
intending to become a W^j jj,, ^J^. ' f \nB show what excellent work
student. We shall also m «■ ?&$M3^-±^')&-i!f J'l"'\W was produced in our own
endeavour to draw at- V 1 3j' "ty" <^^^j^>* ^"^ *j \jB country for many cen-
tention m :my muivi 2| .'-^j ' 3| ]' - .'iiSH turies. A bigoted parti-
wherein the manufac ■ [f 'J^gmimm^ZMBSIIi-1^liirij ! • ■ san> who would have us
turer or the patron of \J- .' .'jji' ^^WpWBP^yW^iiP '-'i'ji :N^U ,K-'"CVU lhat lingland
Art may find the school ^ tfi^fflg»ippj||i -jB never rose to eminence

of actual use, whether £p'\ , ........:'^SH 'n anY °f the arts, must

in the preparation iKjfttHldMMnH^M^ needs make exception on

designs or in theexecut- this point. Yet while to-

C „„™' ■ FROM A PANEL BY W. H. GRIMWOOD ,

ing ol commissions. day the most sanguine

To consider the whole system of subsidised Art- would hardly venture to assert that wood carving

tuition in England as one complete scheme that was in a flourishing condition, it is not for lack

can be easily dismissed with a few general words of of clever craftsmen. Times and manners have

blame or praise is surely to ignore the most im- changed; false notions of the lawful conventions

portant factors of all—the personality and individual of the art have done no little to cause its disuse,

influence of the instructors and of those who are and the introduction of machine-made carvings

assisting them. Whether the system of South has further helped to debase much of the work in

Kensington be, as its enemies assert, a merely the market. Here and there certain villages and

mechanical organisation that can be fully studied towns retain the legend of the craft, but it might
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