DOI issue:
No. 50 (May, 1897)
DOI article:The work of Miss Ethel Reed
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18388#0241
The Work of Miss Ethel Reed
for example, are faithful to the precedent already praise, but merely as an apparent fact which is sup-
established by their male colleagues, others ported by much published evidence. It is true,
like Miss Woodward, produce work more virile indeed, that to claim for her a distinct personality
than that of many a male artist; as, for in- is indirectly to rank her as an artist, as something
stance, Miss Mary Newill, whose trees have the more than the trained expert, more than the skilful
strength of those by a little master of Germany, re-adaptor of ideas already shaped by others, in short
Perhaps Miss Alice Havers was one of the few to credit her with something inborn, which is beyond
whose graceful fancy was distinctly, in the best the power of any teacher to impart. It is true
sense, lady-like. that this personal expression may be accompanied
That the English language supplies no feminine with insufficient technique, as in the case of
for the word artist may be taken as a hint that in William Blake, or it may invent a technique of its
considering works of art the sex of the worker is own and set all academic rules at defiance, as Mr.
absolutely unimportant; yet so long as artists of Aubrey Beardsley has done at times. It may start
the one sex are " appreciated " by writers of the an entirely new convention, or renew one worn out
other, the fact is certain to be present, and the by centuries of dull imitation. But however it
difficulty of criticising courteously, yet candidly, is assert itself the power of expressing his sense of
increased tenfold. beauty in a way distinctly unlike all predecessors
This attempt to separate Miss Ethel Reed from is one of the attributes of a genius. For it is only
her sister artists is brought forward without any in- those who found schools that can be called
tention that such a classification implies censure or masters, and the matured work of any founder of a
style can never be mistaken
y . „.. r^^, ^...... —-.....- .............: for that of previous artists.
On the strength of a few
""'""^ ill^st^tions in books, ^md a
novel character in her work
which the present writer
believes to be present. Yet
to say that Miss Reed has
' \ ( already discovered herself,
and made her own style, is
not to place her at once
among the immortals. One
/ ' 0 must not forget that if per-
\. sonality and individuality are
inseparable from the other
/' attributes of a great artist,
yet they are by no means
i sufficient to equip him. It
would^ be^^olish ^to allow
particular quality makes it
1 SLEEPING PIERROT " FROM A DRAWING BY ETHEL REED appear good to him, it is
232
for example, are faithful to the precedent already praise, but merely as an apparent fact which is sup-
established by their male colleagues, others ported by much published evidence. It is true,
like Miss Woodward, produce work more virile indeed, that to claim for her a distinct personality
than that of many a male artist; as, for in- is indirectly to rank her as an artist, as something
stance, Miss Mary Newill, whose trees have the more than the trained expert, more than the skilful
strength of those by a little master of Germany, re-adaptor of ideas already shaped by others, in short
Perhaps Miss Alice Havers was one of the few to credit her with something inborn, which is beyond
whose graceful fancy was distinctly, in the best the power of any teacher to impart. It is true
sense, lady-like. that this personal expression may be accompanied
That the English language supplies no feminine with insufficient technique, as in the case of
for the word artist may be taken as a hint that in William Blake, or it may invent a technique of its
considering works of art the sex of the worker is own and set all academic rules at defiance, as Mr.
absolutely unimportant; yet so long as artists of Aubrey Beardsley has done at times. It may start
the one sex are " appreciated " by writers of the an entirely new convention, or renew one worn out
other, the fact is certain to be present, and the by centuries of dull imitation. But however it
difficulty of criticising courteously, yet candidly, is assert itself the power of expressing his sense of
increased tenfold. beauty in a way distinctly unlike all predecessors
This attempt to separate Miss Ethel Reed from is one of the attributes of a genius. For it is only
her sister artists is brought forward without any in- those who found schools that can be called
tention that such a classification implies censure or masters, and the matured work of any founder of a
style can never be mistaken
y . „.. r^^, ^...... —-.....- .............: for that of previous artists.
On the strength of a few
""'""^ ill^st^tions in books, ^md a
novel character in her work
which the present writer
believes to be present. Yet
to say that Miss Reed has
' \ ( already discovered herself,
and made her own style, is
not to place her at once
among the immortals. One
/ ' 0 must not forget that if per-
\. sonality and individuality are
inseparable from the other
/' attributes of a great artist,
yet they are by no means
i sufficient to equip him. It
would^ be^^olish ^to allow
particular quality makes it
1 SLEEPING PIERROT " FROM A DRAWING BY ETHEL REED appear good to him, it is
232