Studio: international art (14.1898)

Studio-Talk

THE ZOLA MEDAL

BY ALEXANDRE CIIARPENTIER

well to avoid the show-cases
of M. Lalique, of whose
exhibit at the Salon de la
Societe des Artistes Frangais
I shall have something to
say presently. For, com-
pared with these latter, M.
Nock’s display seems of but
slight interest.

I am astonished that an
artist of ability like M.
Constantin Meunier should
permit his works to be re-
produced by manufacturers
in stoneware. This mate-
rial is employed nowadays
for every sort of purpose,
often in the most inadmis-
sible forms. A statue in-
tended for bronze or marble
should under no pretext be
executed in grls. This is
an elementary principle of
decorative art, but one
which in France at the

demand attention; as do
those of MM. Marius-
Michel, Camille Martin,
Rene Wiener, and Victor
Prouve. The bindings by
these artists, although as a
rule somewhat unpractical
and inappropriate, reveal
nevertheless great technical
skill, and at times extreme
delicacy of treatment.

Nor must I omit to men-
tion the parchments—-parche-
mins eglomishs—by M. Pierre
Roche,who also sends several
very effective statuettes in
glazed earthenware.

M. H. Nock’s exhibits—
jewellery work, plaquettes,
brooches, rings, and mount-
ings for stoneware vases—
are full of originality and
freshness of treatment; but,
having seen them, it were
140

REVERSE OF THE ZOLA MEDAL

BY ALEXANDRE CHARPENTIER