Studio: international art (12.1898)

Reviews of Rei

confuse art with morals, and a hundred other
things that have aged and no longer arouse sym-
pathy, what a wonder-house it is ! The lucid
method of its arguments, its marvellously just appre-
ciation even of those qualities which Mr. Ruskin pre-
ferred to deem ignoble, its clear vision, and at times
its almost perfect style—these do not age. New
prejudices have arisen, new ideas have been set up,
since the author launched the first volume of this
book; yet it would be safe to assert that he was not
blind to many truths which later students rank so
dearly, even if by his amazingly individual per-
sonality he chose to be bigoted to Turner and a
few others who are by no means the chief deities in
the Walhalla of art to-day. It is a real service to
art, this admirable and inexpensive edition of the best
or at least the most complete effort at art criticism
which the nineteenth century has produced.

Daphnis and Chloe. Illustrated by Raphael
Collin. (London : The "Fin deSiecle " Library,
H. S. Nichols. 1896. Pp. 166-xvi.)—In a well-
bound, well-printed, and well-illustrated edition of
that famous love idyll of antiquity, the Daphnis
and Chloe of the Greek romancer Longus, Mr. H.
S. Nichols presents us with the first volume of his
somewhat inaptly entitled "Fin de Siecle " Library.
The illustrations rather than the text, however, are
what give distinction to the volume. These con-
sist of some very careful, if at times mechanical,
etchings by Champollion after designs of Raphael
Collin, printed in various colours, and apart from
as well as in continuation with the text. There is
a purity—one might almost say a chastity—about
these studies of the adolescent nude, as striking as
grateful, when one considers the latter-day preva-
lence of qualities quite other.

Arbeiten der Osterreichischen Kunst-hidustrie.
(Vienna : Kunstgewerbeschule.) The works illus-
trated have been executed under the direction of
Professor Unger in the school of the T. R. Austrian
Museum. They reveal every quality that deserves
praise, except the one which happens to be valued
most highly by English art-workers to-day, i.e.,
original design. Conceived for the most part in a
florid style, chiefly based on the German Rococco,
it is not easy to bring them within the range of
one's sympathies. It is true they are works of art
in their way ; but it is the way that leads to the
debased horrors of continental bric-a-brac. All that
learning and craft can achieve may be theirs, but
for evidence of original thought, or of creative
design, we search and search and find no trace.

A Note on the National Gallery of British Art.
By Charles Hiatt. (London. 1897.)—This
130

mt Publications

well-written, calmly-argued pamphlet deserves
careful reading. It presents a well-considered
ideal of a British Luxembourg, managed with
broad catholicity within a very distinct and
sharply-drawn line ruling out mediocrity of any
sort. It is rare to find a controversial subject
treated so dispassionately.

A Plain Guide to Oil Painting. By Hume
Nisbet. (Reeves & Co.)—The dedication of the
book " to the greatest living genius in oil painting,
Mr. G. F. Watts," is typical of Mr. Hume Nisbet's
state of mind. An ordinary disciple of Mr. Watts
would have felt that "a great living genius" would
have expressed his entire admiration, and would
not have extolled his hero at the expense of others.
In the preface the author says : " Artists, although
fluent and constant exponents of the theories con-
cerning art, are too often, unhappily, not lucid
writers." In this class Mr. Hume Nisbet must
certainly be placed. Much of its information, if
spoken to a student at work, might pass muster as
reasonable, if not very new or profound advice;
but to print the jerky sentences was a mistake.
" Before you attempt to take (sic) impressionist
pictures " is a fair example of the very colloquial
style. The phrase "to take a photograph" is
possible-—but " to take a picture " has so far been
limited to buying or stealing one. It would serve
no purpose to criticise exhortation and advice
which the author has not troubled to make plain.

The Shakespearean Guide to Stratford-on-Avon.
By H. Snowden Ward and Catharine Weed
Ward. (London : Dawburn & Ward. \s. net.)—
Though a guide-book pure and simple, this dainty
little volume deserves commendation above the
majority of its kind, not only by reason of the
superiority of its literary matter, but also on ac-
count of the care displayed in its production. In
addition to a number of pen-and-ink drawings by
Mr. W. T. Whitehead, the illustrations include
eight carefully printed half-tone plates from photo-
graphs, and a plan of Stratford-on-Avon.

Mrs. Keith's Crime. By Mrs. W. K. Clifford.
(London : T. Fisher Unwin. 6s.)—This is the
sixth edition of Mrs. Clifford's pathetic and well-
told story, which was first published in two-volume
form in 1885, and was subsequently translated into
French, and appeared serially in the Paris Temps.
The new edition is clothed in a neat green cover,
and has for frontispiece an " Imaginary Portrait,"
reproduced from a drawing by Mr. John Collier.

Ornamental Design for Woven Fabrics. By G.
StephensonandF.Suddards. (London: Methuen.
7s. 6d.) The joint authors of this work have done