Studio: international art (13.1898)

Studio- Talk

of (lowers, and (.'specially in a large landscape, Low
7Y</c\ gives admirable evidence of the steady pro-
gress towards exceptional mastery which has for
some time past made his work worth)' of close
attention. The chief departure is, however, that
of Mr. Waterlow, in his Launchingthe Salmon Boa/,
a subject out of his accustomed vein, but certainly
one of his greater successes.

The Annual Exhibition of work by the students
of the Royal Academy should have been of more
than usual interest, because it was a Travelling
Scholarship year. None of the paintings sub-

mitted, however, proved sufficiently worthy, and
an outside critic could but feel that the judges
were fully justified in withholding it. Despite
a few passable renderings of the theme set,
Cleopatra before Cicsar, none were notable :
indeed, a set of more unalluring Cleopatras or
doddering Caesars could not be conceived. One
indeed, with the Roman emperor m a white robe,
looking like an ascetic monk, and the Serpent
of Old Nile, kneeling (nude, it is true) with all
the modest penitence of one who desires to be
shriven, deserves mention for its remarkable read
ing of the theme. In nearly all tesselated pave-
ments were introduced, but the perspective and
drawing of these were as inexact as the figures they
supported were unreal. The landscape subjects,
An After-glow and A Lock, both showed a much
higher level of excellence. The former, for the
Turner gold medal and scholarship, was won by
A. Priest. In the latter subject C. W. Q. Orchard-
son won the Creswick prize for an excellent low-
toned canvas; and another, by John Hunter, was
also admirable in many respects. In architecture,
a really fine design for a college tower, by Cecil
Brewer, was in many ways more dignified and
novel than that which was placed first.

But if the other classes rarely showed more than
a mean average merit, mural decoration and sculp-
ture were far above the average level. Eleanor F.
Brickdale, with a scheme for a lunette (cut into by
a doorway), treated Spring with a very tender
colour and no little distinction. Another version
of the same subject, excellently decorative in treat-
ment, depicted a youth with wind-blown drapery
on a car; in yet another—and perhaps the most
pleasing of all—little spirits whispering into the
ear of the central figure, and a youth plough
ing behind, were daintily drawn, and the colours of
the blossoming boughs were delicately managed.

The subject for a group in the round was
Charity, the gold medal and travelling scholarship
being won by Alfred Turner, with a group of a
seated female figure, draped, supporting a nude
figure. Another, of a blind man who is saved by a
boy from Stepping over a cliff—by Mortimer |.
brown was almost level with the first ; indeed, the
judges must have found it difficult to assess tin-
relative values. Another, by a student of a few
months' standing only Mr. Young—was full of
promise. Two Gladiators (one horsed, the other
afoot), by Gilbert M. Hayes, won a medal, and

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