DOI Heft:
No. 55 (October, 1897)
DOI Artikel:Little, James Stanley: Frank Brangwyn and his art
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18390#0029
Frank Brangwyn and his Art
in
counts, which has served him so well in his large dencies, these irresponsible wanderings; that
pictures. A responsive wrist must accompany a true consuming he is consumed. The fact impresses
eve, and it is evident that Mr. Brangwyn must have itself upon him, that however wide his range may
been fairly well trained both in wrist and eye before be, however far-reaching his aim, performance—that
Mr. Morris cared to entrust him with costly silks is to say, definite accomplishment—can only result
and cloths. No rubbing out is possible in such from the deliberate curtailment and abridgment of
work : the first effort must be the last; hesitancy his range, and the ruthless suppression of his aim.
or inaccuracy are fatal; and mistakes are clearly Then when this hard fact is learned, he consents to
inadmissi ble. bring himself to anchor, and to undergo daily self-
I have hinted that in these early days Frank imposed drudgery in an appointed spot. Even
Brangwyn was not able to regard art as his sole then his soul rises in revolt against this hard neces-
mistress. He alternated between devotion to the sity ; seemingly hard. But the brevity of life, the
abstract and devotion to the material, as we all do ; limitations of power, must be acknowledged. The
artists most of all. The artistic temperament is by impossibility of achieving one hundredth part of the
its very nature erratic and uncertain, the artist is programme—in seeing and in doing, in learning and
essentially a rover; a butterfly who sips nectar in imparting—which all vital men sketch out for
where and when he can ; a seeker after the new and themselves, has to be acknowledged and frankly
beautiful, who refuses to be bound by time and accepted, or the most wealthy in potential power
place. Experience teaches him that he must put a are stranded in the subjunctive shoals and quick-
curb and impose a period on these wayward ten- sands of inanition and inactivity. Still it is essential
that the tyro should gain
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ knowledge, should widen
his horizon, else he can
never come to the sane con-
elusion that if he is to ac-
complish his mission, he
,7* must subject his ambitions
" ^ and activities to severe self
suppression and rigorous
self-direction. Mr. Brang-
wyn has taught himself
this lesson, and has already
entered upon that settled
productive stage in the
career of an artist, which
comes to some early, to
some late, but which must
come to every artist if he
is to reap the harvest of
his powers.
It was after Mr. Brang-
wyn had been for a year or
so in Mr. Morris's employ
that the necessity for seeing
the world and its wonders,
of taking an active part in
its affairs, forced itself upon
him. The spirit of adven-
ture, the daring spirit, was
strong in him, and he em-
braced for a time a seafar-
ing life. Indeed, during
the three years he was with
study in o:ls by frank brangwyn Mr. Morris he was fre-
i t
in
counts, which has served him so well in his large dencies, these irresponsible wanderings; that
pictures. A responsive wrist must accompany a true consuming he is consumed. The fact impresses
eve, and it is evident that Mr. Brangwyn must have itself upon him, that however wide his range may
been fairly well trained both in wrist and eye before be, however far-reaching his aim, performance—that
Mr. Morris cared to entrust him with costly silks is to say, definite accomplishment—can only result
and cloths. No rubbing out is possible in such from the deliberate curtailment and abridgment of
work : the first effort must be the last; hesitancy his range, and the ruthless suppression of his aim.
or inaccuracy are fatal; and mistakes are clearly Then when this hard fact is learned, he consents to
inadmissi ble. bring himself to anchor, and to undergo daily self-
I have hinted that in these early days Frank imposed drudgery in an appointed spot. Even
Brangwyn was not able to regard art as his sole then his soul rises in revolt against this hard neces-
mistress. He alternated between devotion to the sity ; seemingly hard. But the brevity of life, the
abstract and devotion to the material, as we all do ; limitations of power, must be acknowledged. The
artists most of all. The artistic temperament is by impossibility of achieving one hundredth part of the
its very nature erratic and uncertain, the artist is programme—in seeing and in doing, in learning and
essentially a rover; a butterfly who sips nectar in imparting—which all vital men sketch out for
where and when he can ; a seeker after the new and themselves, has to be acknowledged and frankly
beautiful, who refuses to be bound by time and accepted, or the most wealthy in potential power
place. Experience teaches him that he must put a are stranded in the subjunctive shoals and quick-
curb and impose a period on these wayward ten- sands of inanition and inactivity. Still it is essential
that the tyro should gain
^^^^^^^^^^^^^ knowledge, should widen
his horizon, else he can
never come to the sane con-
elusion that if he is to ac-
complish his mission, he
,7* must subject his ambitions
" ^ and activities to severe self
suppression and rigorous
self-direction. Mr. Brang-
wyn has taught himself
this lesson, and has already
entered upon that settled
productive stage in the
career of an artist, which
comes to some early, to
some late, but which must
come to every artist if he
is to reap the harvest of
his powers.
It was after Mr. Brang-
wyn had been for a year or
so in Mr. Morris's employ
that the necessity for seeing
the world and its wonders,
of taking an active part in
its affairs, forced itself upon
him. The spirit of adven-
ture, the daring spirit, was
strong in him, and he em-
braced for a time a seafar-
ing life. Indeed, during
the three years he was with
study in o:ls by frank brangwyn Mr. Morris he was fre-
i t