DOI Heft:
No. 12 (March, 1894)
DOI Artikel:Marshall, Herbert: Letters from artists to artists, [6], London as a sketching ground
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17189#0227
Letters from Artists to Artists.—VI. London
the sun rise in December; you can easily do so, every-day scenes—such as are offered to each man
for it is hardly up at eight o'clock. At first a pure as he walks along the pavement—are the most
amber sky, all buildings cut out sharply in pale characteristic and impressive. An artist might be
brown. Then, as the light creeps up and the tempted to retreat into quiet corners for the sake
mists begin to rise, greys and blue-greens come of peaceful sketching, either in old courtyards or
into play, and by about nine o'clock the sky has in the parks, but there will not be in such records
become less brilliant—the housemaid and her fires any genuine ring of our City, and a spectator might
accounting for this—but only to burst out again as be in doubt whether the resulting picture was a
the sun gains his fuller strength, into that wonder- presentment of a provincial town or a Surrey
ful tremulous brightness which beautifies every pastoral.
object under its influence. Such effects, either in To deal more practically with this vast area as a
the mornings or in the tawny and dusky after- sketching ground, I would initiate an artist into its
noons and evenings, make London in winter beauties by a preliminary tour through a few
look like an Old Master. sections, choosing only those which are typical,
These extraordinary and quite distinctive appari- and have little in common with other cities either
www
A.
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MILLBANK FROM LAMBETH BRIDGE
tions render London, compared with other cities,
so unique in its picturesque aspect. Beautiful it is
not; its streets wind aimlessly without plan or
system, it has no coup d'ceil: of its public monu-
ments, many are execrable, and those of which we
might be proud stand neglected, nay, so little
thought of by its citizens, that they are threatened
with annihilation, or, worse still, with mutilation, to
make room for cabs and omnibuses ; its thorough-
fares are peopled by a crowd without colour, dull
in dress and graceless in action ; yet the vitality of
its streets, the vastness and hurry of the stream of
life, the unceasing roar of traffic, day and night,
hold in astonishment and fascination any one
gazing thereon for the first time. The simple
in subject, effect, or sentiment. Commencing
with the City itself, how picturesque is its move-
ment, its locked traffic, the huge vans gathering
round the goods' offices in the evening, with often
one of Wren's beautiful church towers as a set-off to
the surging mass below. Few people go into the
City to draw anything except cheques or dividends,
but if they were to devote a few Saturday after-
noons when business quiets down, or, better still, a
Bank holiday, to wandering about its byways, they
would find many an undreamt of subject in such
places off the main thoroughfares as the Charter-
house, Smithfield, Little Britain, St. Giles's, Cripple-
gate, Billingsgate, and the Tower. Many of the
old churchyards are now converted into quiet
215
the sun rise in December; you can easily do so, every-day scenes—such as are offered to each man
for it is hardly up at eight o'clock. At first a pure as he walks along the pavement—are the most
amber sky, all buildings cut out sharply in pale characteristic and impressive. An artist might be
brown. Then, as the light creeps up and the tempted to retreat into quiet corners for the sake
mists begin to rise, greys and blue-greens come of peaceful sketching, either in old courtyards or
into play, and by about nine o'clock the sky has in the parks, but there will not be in such records
become less brilliant—the housemaid and her fires any genuine ring of our City, and a spectator might
accounting for this—but only to burst out again as be in doubt whether the resulting picture was a
the sun gains his fuller strength, into that wonder- presentment of a provincial town or a Surrey
ful tremulous brightness which beautifies every pastoral.
object under its influence. Such effects, either in To deal more practically with this vast area as a
the mornings or in the tawny and dusky after- sketching ground, I would initiate an artist into its
noons and evenings, make London in winter beauties by a preliminary tour through a few
look like an Old Master. sections, choosing only those which are typical,
These extraordinary and quite distinctive appari- and have little in common with other cities either
www
A.
n
MILLBANK FROM LAMBETH BRIDGE
tions render London, compared with other cities,
so unique in its picturesque aspect. Beautiful it is
not; its streets wind aimlessly without plan or
system, it has no coup d'ceil: of its public monu-
ments, many are execrable, and those of which we
might be proud stand neglected, nay, so little
thought of by its citizens, that they are threatened
with annihilation, or, worse still, with mutilation, to
make room for cabs and omnibuses ; its thorough-
fares are peopled by a crowd without colour, dull
in dress and graceless in action ; yet the vitality of
its streets, the vastness and hurry of the stream of
life, the unceasing roar of traffic, day and night,
hold in astonishment and fascination any one
gazing thereon for the first time. The simple
in subject, effect, or sentiment. Commencing
with the City itself, how picturesque is its move-
ment, its locked traffic, the huge vans gathering
round the goods' offices in the evening, with often
one of Wren's beautiful church towers as a set-off to
the surging mass below. Few people go into the
City to draw anything except cheques or dividends,
but if they were to devote a few Saturday after-
noons when business quiets down, or, better still, a
Bank holiday, to wandering about its byways, they
would find many an undreamt of subject in such
places off the main thoroughfares as the Charter-
house, Smithfield, Little Britain, St. Giles's, Cripple-
gate, Billingsgate, and the Tower. Many of the
old churchyards are now converted into quiet
215