Studio: international art (13.1898)

The Work of E. Borough Johnson

for a while must be one of inquiry and investiga- is most interesting, while he is most active in
tion : and if at the end of it all he is saddened by experiment. There is a peculiar freshness and
the discovery that the limitless field, which seemed speculative charm about the productions which
at first to be open to him, is but a narrow space to mark the period during which the consciousness of
which for the rest of his life he is to be confined, himself is slowly developing into exact knowledge-
he has at least the satisfaction of knowing that he of the limitations by which his powers are bounded,
has also discovered how to gain the worthiest Besides, everything that he does at this time is
results from the exercise of his powers. No doubt, equally important, because it is impossible to say
by then, remains to him as to the work he must which of the many things he attempts is most
do ; some of his experiments have failed so obviously significant or most likely to point the direction in
and completely that his error in hoping for good which the effort of his later life will tend. There-
results from them is beyond question, but others fore he is worthy of attention as much on account
have met wTith distinct and definite success, and in of what he may do as of what he can do, and
following them up he builds up the life record attracts no less by the actual value of his enthusi-
which fixes the position he is eventually to occupy astic experiments than by the promise wrhich he
in the art history of the world. gives of future and more specialised mastery.

But to the students of contemporary history he It is because he has reached this stage in his

career that the work of
Mr. E. Borough Johnson
claims at the present
moment a degree of
critical attention which
is more often reserved
for that of men who are
by many years his seniors.
He has already, young
though he is, given quite
convincing proofs of
capacity sufficiently great
to set him apart from
the majority of his con-
temporaries ; and in the
matter of quality his
comparatively limited
achievement needs no
apology. From the first
he has showTn himself to
be possessed of a very
well-balanced sense of
technical necessities.
His knowledge of the
craft of painting is
< / notably complete. He-

is an able manipulator,
and a draughtsman of no
mean skill; and he has
also a gift of dramatic
expression wrhich has
repeatedly stood him in
very good stead. Every-
thing that he has hither-
to produced has been
sound and sincere,

study in lead pencil by e. korough joiiNsox marked by excellent

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