Studio: international art (10.1897)

The Work of Byam Shaw

In ranking Mr. Byam
Shaw among the later fol-
lowers of the P. R. B., we
need not shut our eyes to
the fact that although the
so-called pre-Raphaelite
movement, which is Eng-
lish to the core, has had its
morbid and hysteric dis-
ciples, it has also found
sane and accomplished
painters to develop its
tenets upon more sober
lines. Of late a passion
for sheer ugliness has be-
witched many. That to be
repulsive is to be powerful,
is a most foolish formula;
yet it is one that too many
realists and idealists appear
to accept as gospel, even if
they do not put the statement into words.
To shock is quite within the reach of the
least competent artist ; to disregard acade-
mic rules is much easier than to obey them ;
even to let nature go in pursuit of a so-
called decorative style is not so hard as to
keep truth and beauty in harmonious pat-
tern and well-balanced schemes of colour.
The material limitations must always be
obeyed, yet to bend a limb at an impossible
angle, or distort a joint to preserve a certain
line in the design may be forgiven if the
idea is great enough to condone the offence.
Yet, no matter how good the work, it is less
good, not more so, because of any liberty
taken with incontrovertible facts. When
you are working in purely conventional
ways on a poster or in mosaic, subtleties of
"drawing" are not desirable; yet even in study tor "whither" by byam shaw

such a case it is a mistake to think that
merely bad drawing is a good substitute

for the simple statement which the material de- mannerisms. In his quest for beauty he has pos-
mands. Incompetence loves to shield itself under sibly included comeliness also ; this is peculiarly
certain labels—"soulful," "intense," "precious," obnoxious to certain critics. Yet if one takes the
and the rest. But in the long run it is genuine accepted masterpieces of Greek art, there are but
power in expressing ideas worth expression that a few which would not be called "pretty" by the
will survive. Technical shortcomings, such as person of average taste, although at the same time
those that cramped Rossetti, may not stand in the they are also things of exquisite beauty. It is
way of his assured position among masters. Yet natural that a contempt for mere comeliness should
there is danger that youthful loyalty to a chosen produce a reaction; but beauty does not confine
master not merely defends his errors, but some- itself within such narrow limits, and is quite able to
times copies them, knowing them to be faults. please the many as well as the few, provided the

So far, Byam Shaw's work has escaped any fatal artist is broad enough in his sympathy to dare to

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