Studio: international art (12.1898)

Stadio-Talk

{From our own Correspondents.)

middle of a large vase, for instance, or on the the magic of the fire and radiant in the rich splen-

brim of a goblet or water-jug- -this is all he allows dour of its material, holds in the eyes of all who

himself in the way of ornamentation. For my own really understand what art means, a place of

part I prefer pottery devoid of all line work and equality beside the masters of the brush and the

decorative ornament, relying for its richness and chisel. Gabriel Mourey.
beauty on the charm of the vitrified material, on

the various effects of the fusion on the enamels, STUDIO-TALK,
and on the oxydations.

As may be seen, one of the dominant charac-
teristics of Delaherche's work is its saneness. It W ONDON.—The font-cover, of which we
is firm and full of power. He has no fancy for | ; give an illustration, is interesting as not
any but normal harmonies of colour, if one may so ! | only indicating in its design some fancy
express it; in other words, he ignores—and very j ; . and freshness as well as a wish to avoid
wisely so—the complexities and subtleties which the more obvious and hackneyed, but
resolve themselves so easily into mere " Byzan- also as a fine piece of craftsmanship and skilful
tinism." He loves the rich robust forms akin to technique. It was made at Menai Bridge by Mr.
nature, those which spring sanely, normally, I had Llewellyn Rathbone, from a design by Mr. Har-
almost written naturally, from the potter's fingers. rison Townsend, for the Church of All Saints,

To adorn all he touches, this is the raison d'etre Ennismore Gardens, a building that has been the

of every artist. The blacksmith, the illuminator, recipient within the past few years of much good

the cabinet-maker of the Middle Ages put his decorative work. The cover is carried out in

whole conception of the beautiful into his pro- copper, entirely hand-beaten, with no spun or cast

ductions, whether it was the iron-work of a box or work. The font, of which the illustration only shows

a candlestick, an ornamental letter or a piece of a small portion, is a huge bowl of Mexican onyx

furniture. There is as much beauty in a Greek with burnished copper inner lining, and the play

vase as in the sublimest statue; and the man who of colour between the faint tones of the onyx, the

to-day makes a stoneware pot, adorned with all purple-brown of the copper-work, and the soft

FONT COVER

118

DESIGNED BY C. HARRISON TOWNSEND, EXECUTED BY LEEWELLYN RATHBONE