DOI Heft:
No. 52 (July, 1897)
DOI Artikel:White, Gleeson: Some Glasgow designers and their work, [1]
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18389#0104
Some Glasgow Designers
these differed from his neighbour, the characteristics from within their own circle, and all are more or
which distinguished his work from that produced less swayed by a common impulse,
in other localities, are still more evident to an un- Glasgow to-day presents to an unusual degree
prejudiced observer than any family likeness among this aspect of the case. In the work of the Glasgow
members of his group. School of Painters there is a broad likeness which
In these days of rapid intercommunication and separates it from that of men of Newlyn, or the
increased knowledge of the work of distant countries, members of the New English Art Club, and yet
so that New York knows to-day more of what Paris the Scots' work is by no means all schemed within
or Berlin may be doing than London knew of any hard-and-fast limit. In decoration Glasgow at
Norwich a few generations ago, it might have been present shelters a not dissimilar group. In addition
expected that cosmopolitan tendencies would pre- to a few artists, all more or less intimate, the authors
vail. Yet there is plenty of evidence to show that, of most of the examples chosen to illustrate this
as always, work which rises above the level of paper, there are several others unconnected by
commercial design is usually the outcome of a dis- friendship and working in totally different manner
tinctly isolated group. We have seen during Her who are all interested in decorative art, and doing
Majesty's reign the rise of the Pre-Raphaelites : the good service to advance its aims. The locality
influence of Mr. Morris and his personal friends : which thus develops its own ideas of expression
the far-reaching results from a small and little-known may comprise a province, or it may be limited
society—the Century Guild; and many other definite to the work of a single studio. In Glasgow
classes of design which have sprung from the asso- the newest and most individual manner is un-
ciation of a few sympathisers and energetic workers. doubtedly that which is seen in the work of the
These may be really isolated by geographical limits, Misses Macdonald, Mrs. F. E. Newbury, Mr.
or only separated from outside workers by the Charles Mackintosh, Mr. J. Herbert McNair, and
boundaries of a clique. Yet in either case they Mr. Talwin Morris. Mr. Oscar Paterson, in his
pay little regard to adverse criticism unless it comes very original stained glass, must not be placed quite
in the same group, nor can
Mr. George Walton, whose
work is entirely devoid of
the qualities which make
the first group so promi-
nent, nor the Messrs. Guth-
rie. But to a Southerner
all these factors combine,
and he is willing to accept
the result as the Glasgow
Arts and Crafts movement,
even as he accepts the
work of men so different as
Messrs. Guthrie, Lavery,
Walton, Stevenson, Henry,
Hornel, Cameron, Christie,
and the rest, as represent-
ing the Glasgow School of
Painters.
It is peculiarly delicate
ground that one touches in
an attempt to appreciate
the work of artists who are,
by force of circumstances,
to a certain degree, com-
mercial rivals also. For if
the natural purpose of fine
HONESTY " MIRROR FRAME IN PURE TIN decorative objects is first tO
DESIGNED AND BEATEN BY FRANCES MACDONALD y[dd satisfactjon tO their
87
I5»
these differed from his neighbour, the characteristics from within their own circle, and all are more or
which distinguished his work from that produced less swayed by a common impulse,
in other localities, are still more evident to an un- Glasgow to-day presents to an unusual degree
prejudiced observer than any family likeness among this aspect of the case. In the work of the Glasgow
members of his group. School of Painters there is a broad likeness which
In these days of rapid intercommunication and separates it from that of men of Newlyn, or the
increased knowledge of the work of distant countries, members of the New English Art Club, and yet
so that New York knows to-day more of what Paris the Scots' work is by no means all schemed within
or Berlin may be doing than London knew of any hard-and-fast limit. In decoration Glasgow at
Norwich a few generations ago, it might have been present shelters a not dissimilar group. In addition
expected that cosmopolitan tendencies would pre- to a few artists, all more or less intimate, the authors
vail. Yet there is plenty of evidence to show that, of most of the examples chosen to illustrate this
as always, work which rises above the level of paper, there are several others unconnected by
commercial design is usually the outcome of a dis- friendship and working in totally different manner
tinctly isolated group. We have seen during Her who are all interested in decorative art, and doing
Majesty's reign the rise of the Pre-Raphaelites : the good service to advance its aims. The locality
influence of Mr. Morris and his personal friends : which thus develops its own ideas of expression
the far-reaching results from a small and little-known may comprise a province, or it may be limited
society—the Century Guild; and many other definite to the work of a single studio. In Glasgow
classes of design which have sprung from the asso- the newest and most individual manner is un-
ciation of a few sympathisers and energetic workers. doubtedly that which is seen in the work of the
These may be really isolated by geographical limits, Misses Macdonald, Mrs. F. E. Newbury, Mr.
or only separated from outside workers by the Charles Mackintosh, Mr. J. Herbert McNair, and
boundaries of a clique. Yet in either case they Mr. Talwin Morris. Mr. Oscar Paterson, in his
pay little regard to adverse criticism unless it comes very original stained glass, must not be placed quite
in the same group, nor can
Mr. George Walton, whose
work is entirely devoid of
the qualities which make
the first group so promi-
nent, nor the Messrs. Guth-
rie. But to a Southerner
all these factors combine,
and he is willing to accept
the result as the Glasgow
Arts and Crafts movement,
even as he accepts the
work of men so different as
Messrs. Guthrie, Lavery,
Walton, Stevenson, Henry,
Hornel, Cameron, Christie,
and the rest, as represent-
ing the Glasgow School of
Painters.
It is peculiarly delicate
ground that one touches in
an attempt to appreciate
the work of artists who are,
by force of circumstances,
to a certain degree, com-
mercial rivals also. For if
the natural purpose of fine
HONESTY " MIRROR FRAME IN PURE TIN decorative objects is first tO
DESIGNED AND BEATEN BY FRANCES MACDONALD y[dd satisfactjon tO their
87
I5»