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#0107
Some Glasgow Designers
the old protest against any infraction of established rators would have been attractive to jaded palates,
custom. But as a rule even the most lukewarm supporter of
Alphabetical sequence and common courtesy are the 'things that have been' feels called upon to pro-
both alike in placing the Misses Macdonald first test at the ' things that might be,' did these two
in order. These young ladies are not unaccus- young people have power to work their wicked will
tomed to receive the first missiles which are so undetected. One would almost think that Mr.
liberally hurled at the coterie of artists of which Aubrey Beardsley had satisfied their craving for the
they are part. Such attacks they suffer not unexpected, and that in future they debar any fresh
merely stoically, but apparently with a keen sense experiments in design. Surely it is but decent
of the humorous attitude which folk in bad temper civility to treat any serious experiment with some
usually fall into. In a day when novelty is sup- show of tolerance; and the work of all Glasgow
posed to atone for any artistic revolt, we might have school of designers is singularly free from vulgarity
expected that the experiments of the Glasgow deco- of idea, redundance of ornament, and misapplica-
. . tion of material. It may
controvert established prece-
dent, but it does so in an
accomplished manner, and
with a sincere effort to obtain
newr and pleasing combina-
tions of mass and line. It is
quite open to any one to
deny that the attempt has
succeeded in pleasing him or
satisfying his abstract ideas
of fitness ; but it is only mere
justice to acknowledge that
the attempt was well-inten-
tioned, and not ignorantly
prejudiced; in short, that if
precedent was set aside, it
was abandoned politely and
deliberately.
It is with some relief that
one finds the Misses Mac-
donald are quite willing to
have their work jointly attri-
buted—for actuated by the
same spirit, it would be diffi-
cult, if not impossible, for an
outsider to distinguish the
hand of each on the evidence
of the finished work alone.
Perhaps the most striking fact
that confronts one at first is to
find that some comparatively
large and heavy pieces of
wrought metal were not only
designed, but worked en-
tirely by the two sisters. In-
deed, with the exception of
certain assistance in joinery,
all the objects here illus-
trated are their sole handi-
PAIR OF SCONCES IN BEATEN BRASS BY MARGARET AND FRANCES MACDONALD WOrk
90
the old protest against any infraction of established rators would have been attractive to jaded palates,
custom. But as a rule even the most lukewarm supporter of
Alphabetical sequence and common courtesy are the 'things that have been' feels called upon to pro-
both alike in placing the Misses Macdonald first test at the ' things that might be,' did these two
in order. These young ladies are not unaccus- young people have power to work their wicked will
tomed to receive the first missiles which are so undetected. One would almost think that Mr.
liberally hurled at the coterie of artists of which Aubrey Beardsley had satisfied their craving for the
they are part. Such attacks they suffer not unexpected, and that in future they debar any fresh
merely stoically, but apparently with a keen sense experiments in design. Surely it is but decent
of the humorous attitude which folk in bad temper civility to treat any serious experiment with some
usually fall into. In a day when novelty is sup- show of tolerance; and the work of all Glasgow
posed to atone for any artistic revolt, we might have school of designers is singularly free from vulgarity
expected that the experiments of the Glasgow deco- of idea, redundance of ornament, and misapplica-
. . tion of material. It may
controvert established prece-
dent, but it does so in an
accomplished manner, and
with a sincere effort to obtain
newr and pleasing combina-
tions of mass and line. It is
quite open to any one to
deny that the attempt has
succeeded in pleasing him or
satisfying his abstract ideas
of fitness ; but it is only mere
justice to acknowledge that
the attempt was well-inten-
tioned, and not ignorantly
prejudiced; in short, that if
precedent was set aside, it
was abandoned politely and
deliberately.
It is with some relief that
one finds the Misses Mac-
donald are quite willing to
have their work jointly attri-
buted—for actuated by the
same spirit, it would be diffi-
cult, if not impossible, for an
outsider to distinguish the
hand of each on the evidence
of the finished work alone.
Perhaps the most striking fact
that confronts one at first is to
find that some comparatively
large and heavy pieces of
wrought metal were not only
designed, but worked en-
tirely by the two sisters. In-
deed, with the exception of
certain assistance in joinery,
all the objects here illus-
trated are their sole handi-
PAIR OF SCONCES IN BEATEN BRASS BY MARGARET AND FRANCES MACDONALD WOrk
90