DOI Heft:
No. 58 (January, 1898)
DOI Artikel:Reviews of recent publications
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18390#0334
Reviews of Recent Publications
its fulfilment is disappointing. Knowing Mr. displays perhaps some temerity, when o»e considers
Fisher's capability as headmaster of the Berkely how difficult of access the material is. A good num.
Square School, Bristol, we expected much; but her of single sheets and books have, indeed, within
his selection of illustrations would almost justify the last years found their way to the Western world,
the old protest against South Kensington as a But Japan has already begun to effectually prevent
school of design, and some of the reproductions further exportation on a large scale of such treasures
are so shockingly inadequate that we wonder they as may still be within her boundaries. What we have
were passed for publication—^., Nos. 6, 17, 60, secured has not, except in America, found a resting
6t, and 82. Again, to take gold medallists only of place in museums, where it would be at the service
recent years, we find no record of works by Wini- of student and general public. Besides, the greater
fred Smith, 1895 ; Charles Quennell, 1895 \ Ciffard part of it is nineteenth century work, more pleasing
Lenfestey, 1895; H. P. Clifford, 1895; Robert to us than characteristic of Japan. However, many
Spence, 1894; and the list might be indefinitely able writers, enthusiasts and travellers, have at
extended. The real advance of the South Ken- different times and in different languages offered
sington system would scarce be suspected from a us a good deal of information on separate branches
study of this book. If for official reasons it was of the art. There are even some monographs on
limited to represent work actually shown in the Re- individual Japanese artists extant. The author of
trospective Exhibition, one fancies (in default of a the present history admits that he has neither
published catalogue of that collection) that a better visited Japan nor even been able to profit by a
show had been possible. But to record the true perusal of the large American collections. Yet he
progress of design a wider selection should have has expanded his own observations, based on the
been made ; as it is, many examples of students'work study of what he was able to see in Europe, by a
that have won fame for their authors, and by repro- careful consideration of all the noteworthy publica-
ductions in periodicals have made the continental tions on this topic. Thus he has formed at once
critic curious, are here mostly conspicuous by their a basis for future writers upon which they can
absence. Setting out with the intention of praising found further researches—amplifying and correct-
this book, for its title was alluring and its author's ing—and a resume for the present reader, informing
reputation established, after studying its pages it is him of the state of our knowledge with regard to
impossible to
regard it as
much more
than a com-
pilation of
academic ex-
ercises which
have gained
official appro-
val—and ob-
livion at the
same time.
G esc Iii elite
des Ja-pani-
se he 11 Far be 11-
holzschnitts.
Mit 95 Abbil-
dungen. By
W.v.Seidlitz.
(1 )resden: (1.
K u htmann.)
Price 18.9.—
An attempt to
write a history
ol Japanese drawing by koriusai
colour prints from "geschichte des japanischen farbenholzschnitts" (g. kuhtmann)
282
its fulfilment is disappointing. Knowing Mr. displays perhaps some temerity, when o»e considers
Fisher's capability as headmaster of the Berkely how difficult of access the material is. A good num.
Square School, Bristol, we expected much; but her of single sheets and books have, indeed, within
his selection of illustrations would almost justify the last years found their way to the Western world,
the old protest against South Kensington as a But Japan has already begun to effectually prevent
school of design, and some of the reproductions further exportation on a large scale of such treasures
are so shockingly inadequate that we wonder they as may still be within her boundaries. What we have
were passed for publication—^., Nos. 6, 17, 60, secured has not, except in America, found a resting
6t, and 82. Again, to take gold medallists only of place in museums, where it would be at the service
recent years, we find no record of works by Wini- of student and general public. Besides, the greater
fred Smith, 1895 ; Charles Quennell, 1895 \ Ciffard part of it is nineteenth century work, more pleasing
Lenfestey, 1895; H. P. Clifford, 1895; Robert to us than characteristic of Japan. However, many
Spence, 1894; and the list might be indefinitely able writers, enthusiasts and travellers, have at
extended. The real advance of the South Ken- different times and in different languages offered
sington system would scarce be suspected from a us a good deal of information on separate branches
study of this book. If for official reasons it was of the art. There are even some monographs on
limited to represent work actually shown in the Re- individual Japanese artists extant. The author of
trospective Exhibition, one fancies (in default of a the present history admits that he has neither
published catalogue of that collection) that a better visited Japan nor even been able to profit by a
show had been possible. But to record the true perusal of the large American collections. Yet he
progress of design a wider selection should have has expanded his own observations, based on the
been made ; as it is, many examples of students'work study of what he was able to see in Europe, by a
that have won fame for their authors, and by repro- careful consideration of all the noteworthy publica-
ductions in periodicals have made the continental tions on this topic. Thus he has formed at once
critic curious, are here mostly conspicuous by their a basis for future writers upon which they can
absence. Setting out with the intention of praising found further researches—amplifying and correct-
this book, for its title was alluring and its author's ing—and a resume for the present reader, informing
reputation established, after studying its pages it is him of the state of our knowledge with regard to
impossible to
regard it as
much more
than a com-
pilation of
academic ex-
ercises which
have gained
official appro-
val—and ob-
livion at the
same time.
G esc Iii elite
des Ja-pani-
se he 11 Far be 11-
holzschnitts.
Mit 95 Abbil-
dungen. By
W.v.Seidlitz.
(1 )resden: (1.
K u htmann.)
Price 18.9.—
An attempt to
write a history
ol Japanese drawing by koriusai
colour prints from "geschichte des japanischen farbenholzschnitts" (g. kuhtmann)
282