Studio: international art (9.1897)

The Arts and Crafts

environment, say a room finished entirely in white,
with but a few pieces of equally dainty furniture,
there would be no question of living with it.
Black and white could convey no hint of its beauty.
Except a wish that the panels instead of being flat
oil paintings had been worked upon in raised gesso
and encrusted with gems to raise them to the key
of the rest, we can find no point for criticising it.

On the balcony of the central hall, a portion ot
a frieze modelled in relief and coloured, with
Honesty for its theme (see page 117), is a charming
instance of the conventional treatment of plant-
form. The curious semi-transparent seed-vessels

"MUSIC." COLOURED FIBROUS PLASTER PANEL

BY G. J. FRAMPTON, A.R.A.

Il8

of the flower so oddly named, are most happily
treated. The various planes of the discs them-
selves impart great variety to the frieze without
impairing the unity of its effect. The legend in
incised letters which runs behind the "trunks" of
the little trees, can hardly be deduced from the
fragment shown.

Another work, the Music panel, has already been
seen in cast silver as one of the doors of a cabinet.
Here it appears in fibrous plaster, coloured some-
what vividly; but by no means too richly for
placing amid appropriate surroundings. The illus-
tration suggests a " spotty" effect, which is not
apparent in the original. Colour, as we all know,
often secures a "breadth" which a black and
white version loses entirely; and in this case the
extremely difficult task which confronted the photo-
grapher has not escaped a certain disaster, in the
undue prominence of the details about the key-
board of the organ, and the decoration of the
chest whereon the trumpeters stand.

The placques in Hammered Silver (page 119),
by Mr. R. Catterson Smith, after designs by Sir
E. Burne-Jones, Bart., are so well represented by
the illustrations given here that it is unnecessary
to add a word, even of praise, for the very faithful
manner in which their worker has preserved the
spirit of the artist's design.

The only regret raised by Mr. R. Anning Bell's
contributions this year is that they are so few.
True that there are nine entries in the catalogue,
but three of these, 460, 609, 615, refer to one
work, The Altar Book, and two others to a book-
plate, and a school certificate, both dainty and
delightful, but naturally of secondary importance.
The Cherubs' Heads, a plaster relief coloured, was
illustrated in the first volume of The Studio, and
is too old a favourite to necessitate a re-assessinent
of its value at this date.

The Altar Book, published by Mr. Berkeley
Updike, of Boston, U.S.A., is a really notable pro-
duction. Without dragging in a comparison with
the Kelmscott books by way of exalting its merits,
it may be praised very heartily ; but all the same,
the build of the whole volume is obviously
founded on the style Mr. Morris revived, and
therefore must be considered as an imitation.
Now, there are those who think that one who takes
an existing theme and works it as well, or a shade
better, is entitled to as high praise as its model
deserved, or possibly even higher. But this view is
too commercial to be applied to art; a designer
who perfects a bicycle or a sewing-machine may
be as great a benefactor of his species as the original