Studio: international art (11.1897)

Studio- Talk

to suppress too lavish praise and allow the work
of art to speak for itself.

The exhibition of " Dramatic and Musical Art,"
which has been in preparation for nearly two years,
opened last month at the Grafton Galleries. It is
distinctly a success, for it contains a very large pro-
portion of notable pictures by artists of various dates
and schools ; and as an historical record of theatrical
and musical personages it is unexpectedly complete.
It is, perhaps, unfortunate that there should have
been, just at the time this show was being organised,
a great amount of competition with other exhibitions
arranged on similar lines; but, as far as can be
judged, this competition has affected but little the
proper development of the Grafton Gallery scheme.
At any rate, a sufficient number of canvases has
been brought together to present to the visitor
there a very interesting summary of what is most
attractive in the representation of professional
favourites. Many of the pictures are great wrorks
of art, as memorable on account of their treatment
as for the people they depict, so that the exhibition
is not less important artistically than it is subjec-
tively. It is likely to equal in its success the pre-
vious showrs under the same management.

modelled, but the fundamental idea and the manner
of treatment are mutatis mutandis the same. The
archaic sketches represented the men and women
of that day, just as Miss Potter's represent the
modern American society women and babes of our
own. Another advantage of these spirited figure
sketches is, that they are within the reach of many
to whom heroic sculpture is an impossible luxury.
Women of fashion in America have discovered that
they are more beautiful than sun pictures, and
flock to her studio to have themselves immortalised
in these instantaneous photographs in clay. Nor
does Miss Potter insist upon classic draperies or
aesthetic gowns in her models, but reproduces the
pretty women just as they come to her studio in
their stylish modern dresses. And though it is the
fashion among a certain set of artists to condemn
modern attire as ugly, nothing can exceed the grace
of outline and artistic charm of these fascinating
sketches, writh their intense modernity and dreamy
realism. " I find," says Miss Potter, "lines and
grace enough in the nineteenth century maiden and
her gowns to satisfy my interpretation of art." In-
deed, without going to extremes, Miss Potter is an
impressionist.

Miss Potter has had very little regular instruc-

FLORENCE.—-Miss Bessie O.
Potter, the young American
sculptor, who has been
staying here this last winter,
true to the spirit of advance
characteristic of her nation, seems to
have discovered a means of admitting
the every-day busy man and woman
into the realms of the truly artistic.
Miss Potter, with originality, power
and force, models the modern society
women, as they promenade the boule-
vard or receive in their own drawing-
rooms. Her figurines take the place
in sculpture that miniatures do in
painting, their average height being from
twrelve to fourteen inches. Their inspi-
ration is, of course, the Tanagra figures,
and it is truly surprising that it should
have been reserved to this " wrild
Western girl," as she calls herself, to
take a hint from these graceful fancies
of Tanagra and give them a modern
imprint. True, Miss Potter's statuettes
are larger than the Greek clay sketches,
and the faces are more carefully

THE TWINS" BY BESSIE O. TOTTER

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