DOI Heft:
Nr. 45 (December 1896)
DOI Artikel:The Arts and Crafts Exhibition, 1896 (third notice)
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17298#0216
The Arts and Crafts
Hyde Park) were both placed in the Central Hall, the comparatively few things of its class, of which
Conceived in entirely different moods, each has London may be justly proud. It is the duty of
distinct merit of a high order. Mr. Colton has those who take serious interest in sculpture, to
proved by these two his right to be considered one stand by the artists who are trying to remove the
reproach which an army of scarecrows has
aroused. When you realise what he must
needs suffer from the criticism of com-
mittees, the entire ignorance of the public
as a whole, and the apathy of the few excep-
tions, a sculptor needs all the sympathetic
appreciation of his fellow craftsmen to
confront the task and maintain the effort.
The Misses Macdonald show so much
novelty and so much real sense of fine
decoration in their works that a tendency
to eccentricity may be easily pardoned.
But this same tendency constitutes a very
real danger ; and those who are most eager
in defending the posters (not shown here)
and various subjects from their hand,
should be also quite candid in owning
that "the spooky school" is a nickname
not wholly unmerited. Can it be that the
bogiest of bogie books by Hokusai has
influenced their weird travesties of hu-
manity ? Or have the shades whence came
the ghostly long-drawn figures, with pained
faces and sadness passing words, afforded
them special inspiration ? It is hard to
consider the work of these sisters without
referring to that of Charles R. Mackintosh,
whose Hall Settle, a most pleasant and
decorative piece of furniture, here illus-
trated (page 205), is obviously under the
same influence, which is still more clearly
noticeable in a panel, entitled " Part seen
and part imagined " which was hung in the
balcony.
In each, lines which impress you as
symbolic, and part of some strange system
of magic or ritual, are the chief features,
but these new combinations of lines gene-
rally reveal themselves as crowned by
.„„„ ,, . faces of weird import. In The Star oj
THE VIGIL, STATUE IN COLOURED PLASTER V
Bethlehem by Frances E. Macdonald, a
tall panel in beaten aluminium, and its
of the group of younger sculptors who are doing companion, the Annunciation, by Margaret Mac-
so much to restore the art amongst us. Some of donald, the modelling of the draperies, serves to link
his enamels in silver show that he, in common these said lines to the rest of the figures ; whereas in
with the rest, is not content to be a sculptor only, some designs by these artists, it is hard at first
but has appreciated the beauty of colour as much sight to disentangle the lines which belong by right
as the beauty of contour. The fountain, despite to the figure, from those others which (since Mr.
some exhibitions of ignorance on the part of the Beardsley set the fashion) only "exist beautifully;"
reporters of the daily press, is a notable addition to with no common-place explanation of their object.
BY WILLIAM R. COLTON
Hyde Park) were both placed in the Central Hall, the comparatively few things of its class, of which
Conceived in entirely different moods, each has London may be justly proud. It is the duty of
distinct merit of a high order. Mr. Colton has those who take serious interest in sculpture, to
proved by these two his right to be considered one stand by the artists who are trying to remove the
reproach which an army of scarecrows has
aroused. When you realise what he must
needs suffer from the criticism of com-
mittees, the entire ignorance of the public
as a whole, and the apathy of the few excep-
tions, a sculptor needs all the sympathetic
appreciation of his fellow craftsmen to
confront the task and maintain the effort.
The Misses Macdonald show so much
novelty and so much real sense of fine
decoration in their works that a tendency
to eccentricity may be easily pardoned.
But this same tendency constitutes a very
real danger ; and those who are most eager
in defending the posters (not shown here)
and various subjects from their hand,
should be also quite candid in owning
that "the spooky school" is a nickname
not wholly unmerited. Can it be that the
bogiest of bogie books by Hokusai has
influenced their weird travesties of hu-
manity ? Or have the shades whence came
the ghostly long-drawn figures, with pained
faces and sadness passing words, afforded
them special inspiration ? It is hard to
consider the work of these sisters without
referring to that of Charles R. Mackintosh,
whose Hall Settle, a most pleasant and
decorative piece of furniture, here illus-
trated (page 205), is obviously under the
same influence, which is still more clearly
noticeable in a panel, entitled " Part seen
and part imagined " which was hung in the
balcony.
In each, lines which impress you as
symbolic, and part of some strange system
of magic or ritual, are the chief features,
but these new combinations of lines gene-
rally reveal themselves as crowned by
.„„„ ,, . faces of weird import. In The Star oj
THE VIGIL, STATUE IN COLOURED PLASTER V
Bethlehem by Frances E. Macdonald, a
tall panel in beaten aluminium, and its
of the group of younger sculptors who are doing companion, the Annunciation, by Margaret Mac-
so much to restore the art amongst us. Some of donald, the modelling of the draperies, serves to link
his enamels in silver show that he, in common these said lines to the rest of the figures ; whereas in
with the rest, is not content to be a sculptor only, some designs by these artists, it is hard at first
but has appreciated the beauty of colour as much sight to disentangle the lines which belong by right
as the beauty of contour. The fountain, despite to the figure, from those others which (since Mr.
some exhibitions of ignorance on the part of the Beardsley set the fashion) only "exist beautifully;"
reporters of the daily press, is a notable addition to with no common-place explanation of their object.
BY WILLIAM R. COLTON