Studio: international art (3.1894)

Afternoons in Studios.—/. Mr. G. H. Boughton, A.R.A.

say it has a bad effect on the students' work. To would be doubly interesting to those engaged in
me it seems rather good. If I find a pupil who, drawing for publication."

working under Mr. Herkomer for instance, has To which Mr. Boughton laughingly rejoined,
been strongly influenced by him, I do not attempt " I know nothing of the subject, except that the
to counteract this influence, but merely leave him more I study it, the more ignorant I feel."
to do his best in the manner which he feels to be Then from a bookcase which runs along the side

of the studio until it is stopped
by the great fireplace, he
searched for several typical
volumes which might be taken
as the earliest examples of the
modern illustrated book. As
a fellow collector, Art for a
moment was forgotten when
Editions princeps, in autograph
copies, bound by Zaehnsdorf
and other noted binders, pri-
vately printed Grolier' rarities,
tall copies of early illustrated
chronicles, superb Dutch em-
blem books, in short a crowd
of bookish books, old and new,
tempted one away from the
subject. Presently, however,
Mr. Boughton lighted upon
Menzel's German Battles and
a few finely illustrated French
poets of the early forties.
" Look how new it is," he said,
opening Menzel's famous book;
" how up to date Menzel seems
even now, yet this edition was
published in 1844 ! That
vignette is worthy of Rem-
brandt, yet see the difference
he adopts in style in the very
next illustration with the free
movement and impetuous
lines of its horses! To-day
Menzel is over eighty, but he
is still turning out matchless,
marvellous work. I remem-
from a sketch in water-colours by g. h. boughton, a.r.a. ber Charles Keene's intense

appreciation as he first
right. Of course it is a little fatiguing, but it is showed me this very book."

also very interesting." " You prefer woodcuts to process engraving,"

" Were you satisfied with the progress of the I said, after Mr. Boughton had pointed out with

Academy Schools, as shown by their last display the passionate appreciation of a student some of the

of paintings and sculpture ? " finest examples of the superb work of Menzel and

"Yes," said Mr. Boughton, "there seemed to the other men who immediately followed him on

me some very promising students." similar lines. " Yet do not you feel that your Rip

" I want to have your opinion on the illustration Van Winkle drawings would have been more faith-

of books," I said. " You are, I know, a collector fully reproduced by photographic process ? "

as well as an illustrator, therefore your opinion " No," said Mr. Boughton ; " we tried that first,
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