DOI Heft:
No. 62 (May, 1898)
DOI Artikel:Baldry, Alfred Lys: Henry Moore's animal studies
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18391#0255
almost exclusively for the last twenty years of his for textures and subtleties ot detail, which they re-
life, have ranked as an all-round exponent of veal, are those which belong to the work of the most
Nature, capable of the highest achievements, and practised painter of animal life. In such studies
possessed of a power of varied interpretation which there is none of the conventionalised expression
would compare advantageously with that of the which would imply that they were merely the notes
chief masters of his craft. That the opportunity of a landscape man who was collecting foreground
for this was denied him is a subject for regret. In objects for the filling up of his canvases with
his younger days he did so much, and so well, touches of incidental interest. On the contrary,
that we may fairly grieve because he did not after- they are as careful and elaborate as if the exact
wards do more; but our quarrel on this score representation of animals was to be the one object
must obviously be not with him but with that of the artist's life, and they are dwelt on with a
large section of the public which has the power to loving care that seems to suggest the absolute
lay down the rules that the artist, if he would live occupation of his mind with the intention to excel
at all, must definitely observe. That these rules in this branch of his profession. As an example
are more often than not applied tyrannically is of manipulation, nothing could be more minute
unfortunately true ; and it is the worst form of than the study of the sleeping dog; as a piece of
tyranny that there should be no exemption from exquisite draughtsmanship it would be difficult to
them even for the leaders in the world of art. All equal the group of stags' heads. And in them all
workers, great and small, are subject to the same is the same sense of responsibility, the same
control; but what is, perhaps, a harmless restric- student-like devotion to facts, and the same reve-
tion to a man who has not sufficient initiative lation of a superlative degree of technical skill,
energy to show what is best in him
unless he is led by others, becomes
a most serious limitation when it is
' "I
applied to force a great master into
a groove too narrow and cramped
to allow proper scope to his genius.
To many people the illustrations,
to which this article is the text, will
come as a great surprise. That
Henry Moore, the sea painter, the
student of waves and skies, should
also have been an admirable-
draughtsman of animals will seem
incredible. Yet these drawings
are, in their way, hardly to be sur-
passed. The sense of character,
the knowledge of form, the feeling from a study by henry moore, r.a.
231
life, have ranked as an all-round exponent of veal, are those which belong to the work of the most
Nature, capable of the highest achievements, and practised painter of animal life. In such studies
possessed of a power of varied interpretation which there is none of the conventionalised expression
would compare advantageously with that of the which would imply that they were merely the notes
chief masters of his craft. That the opportunity of a landscape man who was collecting foreground
for this was denied him is a subject for regret. In objects for the filling up of his canvases with
his younger days he did so much, and so well, touches of incidental interest. On the contrary,
that we may fairly grieve because he did not after- they are as careful and elaborate as if the exact
wards do more; but our quarrel on this score representation of animals was to be the one object
must obviously be not with him but with that of the artist's life, and they are dwelt on with a
large section of the public which has the power to loving care that seems to suggest the absolute
lay down the rules that the artist, if he would live occupation of his mind with the intention to excel
at all, must definitely observe. That these rules in this branch of his profession. As an example
are more often than not applied tyrannically is of manipulation, nothing could be more minute
unfortunately true ; and it is the worst form of than the study of the sleeping dog; as a piece of
tyranny that there should be no exemption from exquisite draughtsmanship it would be difficult to
them even for the leaders in the world of art. All equal the group of stags' heads. And in them all
workers, great and small, are subject to the same is the same sense of responsibility, the same
control; but what is, perhaps, a harmless restric- student-like devotion to facts, and the same reve-
tion to a man who has not sufficient initiative lation of a superlative degree of technical skill,
energy to show what is best in him
unless he is led by others, becomes
a most serious limitation when it is
' "I
applied to force a great master into
a groove too narrow and cramped
to allow proper scope to his genius.
To many people the illustrations,
to which this article is the text, will
come as a great surprise. That
Henry Moore, the sea painter, the
student of waves and skies, should
also have been an admirable-
draughtsman of animals will seem
incredible. Yet these drawings
are, in their way, hardly to be sur-
passed. The sense of character,
the knowledge of form, the feeling from a study by henry moore, r.a.
231