DOI Heft:
No. 8 (November, 1893)
DOI Artikel:The Arts and Crafts Exhibition: Second notice
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17189#0071
The Arts and Crafts Exhibition, 1893
brother j two dainty stained-glass designs by Louis
Davis, some excellent cretonnes by Lindsay P.
Butterfield ; and a very instructive set of ten varia-
tions of the same title-page by C. T. Jacobi of the
Chiswick Press. Here also are Heywood Sumner's
designs for Sgraffito in the parish church, Sunbury-
on-Thames, F. D. Bedford's frieze, and A. Silver's
Thicket, all illustrated by us last month.
It is with regret that we postpone illustrations of
the architectural work by H. Wilson and F.
Pomeroy—the Mantelpiece, Font, and gorgeous
Altar Cross (Longden & Co.), which show a new
departure in Gothic art, in their ornate employ-
ment of colour. This, which many have felt is the
only legitimate development of our native architec-
ture, is noticeable throughout the work destined for
Welbeck Abbey. We all know how the various
periods of "Gothic" art grew more and more
elaborate until they became extravagant and
merged into the Renaissance. Had that irruption
of Neo-classicism not intervened, one can but
feel such artists as these might have kept the
tradition from being lost ultimately in the art
of Inigo Jones. Colour is unquestionably a
heritage of " Gothic" architecture; new and daring
innovations marked each step of its growth; so
that of all styles it should be less bound to use the
fossilised traditions of any definite period, and
ready to assimilate the feeling of contemporary art
if it be found capable of doing so. The lack of
archaic grotesqueness, hitherto deemed almost
essential in an attempt to carry on the Late Decor-
ated style, is also strikingly noticeable. Uncouth
modelling and primitive drawing have been held
beauties in new work based on old models; but
where the deliberate attempt is to gain force by
merely omitting beauty, surely it needs but the
dying of the moment's fashion that welcomed it
for its novelty to pass into eternal oblivion.
In a final glance around, one sees many things
perforce omitted from our notices. Among
those deserving illustration are an Escritoire
by Mervyn Macartney, elegant and finely pro-
portioned ; the painted bowls by Thackeray
Turner; the repousse work by Mrs. J. R. Newbery,
A. L. Gwatkin's cleverly arranged embossed frieze ;
VELVETEENS, HAND-BLOCKED AND MACHINE-PRINTED. DESIGNED BY LEWIS F. DAY,
. EXECUTED BY TURN13ULL AND STOCKDALE
59
brother j two dainty stained-glass designs by Louis
Davis, some excellent cretonnes by Lindsay P.
Butterfield ; and a very instructive set of ten varia-
tions of the same title-page by C. T. Jacobi of the
Chiswick Press. Here also are Heywood Sumner's
designs for Sgraffito in the parish church, Sunbury-
on-Thames, F. D. Bedford's frieze, and A. Silver's
Thicket, all illustrated by us last month.
It is with regret that we postpone illustrations of
the architectural work by H. Wilson and F.
Pomeroy—the Mantelpiece, Font, and gorgeous
Altar Cross (Longden & Co.), which show a new
departure in Gothic art, in their ornate employ-
ment of colour. This, which many have felt is the
only legitimate development of our native architec-
ture, is noticeable throughout the work destined for
Welbeck Abbey. We all know how the various
periods of "Gothic" art grew more and more
elaborate until they became extravagant and
merged into the Renaissance. Had that irruption
of Neo-classicism not intervened, one can but
feel such artists as these might have kept the
tradition from being lost ultimately in the art
of Inigo Jones. Colour is unquestionably a
heritage of " Gothic" architecture; new and daring
innovations marked each step of its growth; so
that of all styles it should be less bound to use the
fossilised traditions of any definite period, and
ready to assimilate the feeling of contemporary art
if it be found capable of doing so. The lack of
archaic grotesqueness, hitherto deemed almost
essential in an attempt to carry on the Late Decor-
ated style, is also strikingly noticeable. Uncouth
modelling and primitive drawing have been held
beauties in new work based on old models; but
where the deliberate attempt is to gain force by
merely omitting beauty, surely it needs but the
dying of the moment's fashion that welcomed it
for its novelty to pass into eternal oblivion.
In a final glance around, one sees many things
perforce omitted from our notices. Among
those deserving illustration are an Escritoire
by Mervyn Macartney, elegant and finely pro-
portioned ; the painted bowls by Thackeray
Turner; the repousse work by Mrs. J. R. Newbery,
A. L. Gwatkin's cleverly arranged embossed frieze ;
VELVETEENS, HAND-BLOCKED AND MACHINE-PRINTED. DESIGNED BY LEWIS F. DAY,
. EXECUTED BY TURN13ULL AND STOCKDALE
59