Studio: international art (11.1897)

Some Glasgow Designers

ceived in the same spirit as the panels shown at the same hands, it is impossible not to recognise a

the New Gallery, but lack the jewels which, on the distinct method in their apparent extravagance,

beaten silver of the others, gave a certain precious- To-day, when almost everything in decoration can

ness to the work. be traced to an established style, it is so unusual to

A Book-Plate, for John Edwards, here repro- find original endeavour, that one tries to hark back

duced, is by Miss Margaret Macdonald. It fulfils to some precedent. Because of its use of vertical
most admirably certain * lines, and its archaic treat-

larly felicitous. ^ ^ ^ ^ ^"'^B^^ ^^^^^w ^ of the early art is in these,

tion of an elaborately illu- ^Pfipre ' '^"^ffl^^^K^ll'^ To represent adequately

minated manuscript the the work of Mr. Charles

Misses Macdonald have Rennie Mackintosh, who

! ^1 M ■ * ft

just completed. Nor is an architect by profes-

would it do justice to the :\ ,.J:'''\W"''■ :]!":■ sion, some of the build-

wo^ | j| i^

harmony of colour which ^^^H^* *] | j j^j^ this paper would be to

missal, although at the I^^BBfe '^-t ;il quently, even the most

same time it has not a tBf flKf '^EpHfiKflj brief notice of his achieve-

trace of mediaeval feeling, Hp^-rrr^^ ^^Sct^^MI ments in this art must be

but is of the Macdonald ^Bj^^^ || ^Sj^5^^MB excluded, although a very

small poster of the Nomad ^^9r ' ^BS just finished in Glasgow,

planatory paragraph. It |^Mj^B^i^9Ki^S=^^^S^S j qualities that distinguish

those who dislike the work matter of regret to pass it

r . u i • , DECORATIVE PANEL BY C R. MACKINTOSH TT ,

of these clever sisters to over. Here, however, we
a degree perhaps unap- are concerned chiefly with
proached by any other work pictured herewith. his schemes for interior decoration, for furniture, and
It is just because the naivete and daring of these for posters. To him has fallen an opportunity rare
designs controvert all well-established ideas that at the present time ; and that he has fully grasped the
it is very hard to be quite just in criticising them. possibilities it offered we shall endeavour to show,
Either they offend without extenuating circum- so far as black-and-white illustrations can convey an
stances, or, having become attracted towards them, idea of a scheme depending to a great extent upon
one is inclined perhaps to defend their weakness as its colour. A large building to be known, I be-
well as their strength. Seen with many others from lieve, as " Miss Cranstoun's Tea Rooms," has been
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