DOI Heft:
No. 69 (December 1898)
DOI Artikel:Baldry, Alfred Lys: The work of Harold Speed
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19230#0191
Harold Speed
S
k>>:
of expressing the idea that is in his mind if he thinks harmonious, and he carries this same desire into his
that he can in some other way make his meaning selection of inanimate material from nature. His
more persuasive and intelligible ; but this change drawings of trees, of leaves, and branches of flower-
becomes just as much a subject of serious study as ing trees, even his landscapes, are eminently con-
the original motive upon which he had fixed. How sidered as line arrangements, as compositions in
elaborate he is in his preparations the studies which which nothing can jar or seem inappropriate ; and
are reproduced here show convincingly enough, he is careful always to select just what will help him
The series of drawings for the Autumn wall-paint- most definitely to complete the scheme which seems
ing is curiously instructive, because of the in- to deserve sincere consideration,
sight it gives into his manner of regarding no part Indeed, the idea of decoration is the one which
of his picture as of minor importance; and the two dominates the whole of his art. Not merely in his
studies for April illustrate a little conflict in his composition, but in his colour as well, and in the
mind as to the exact arrangement of line and turn manner in which he adapts to his use the realistic
of gesture which would best satisfy his precon- details which study of nature provides, he shows
ception about the subject. He has essentially the the strength of the influence that it exercises over
decorator's craving for subtleties of placing, for the him. He finds in his elaborate study of facts the
planning of forms in such relation to one another safest basis upon which to build up the fancies
that the pattern of the whole will be pleasantly which delight him, but he is discreet in his manage-
ment of the material
he collects, neither de-
scending into literalism
nor, on the other hand,
wandering away into
undisciplined and in-
credible perversions.
There is no fear that
he will waste his time,
and diminish his repu-
tation, by experiments
that give only vague
promise of good re-
sults ; his judgment is
too well balanced for
any such departure from
common sense ; but yet
there is equally no fear
that he will commit
himself to stereotyped
repetitions of his own
or other men's ideas;
his mind is too full of
artistic enthusiasm for
that. He promises to
go on as he has begun,
progressing steadily
from stage to stage;
and, influenced always
. ' by that keen sense of
^^J-^J^T*.. ■ decorative values which
is the best equipment
that an artist can have,
he bids fair to more
than justify in the
STUDY FROM NATURE BY HAROLD SPEED future the hopes that
t66
S
k>>:
of expressing the idea that is in his mind if he thinks harmonious, and he carries this same desire into his
that he can in some other way make his meaning selection of inanimate material from nature. His
more persuasive and intelligible ; but this change drawings of trees, of leaves, and branches of flower-
becomes just as much a subject of serious study as ing trees, even his landscapes, are eminently con-
the original motive upon which he had fixed. How sidered as line arrangements, as compositions in
elaborate he is in his preparations the studies which which nothing can jar or seem inappropriate ; and
are reproduced here show convincingly enough, he is careful always to select just what will help him
The series of drawings for the Autumn wall-paint- most definitely to complete the scheme which seems
ing is curiously instructive, because of the in- to deserve sincere consideration,
sight it gives into his manner of regarding no part Indeed, the idea of decoration is the one which
of his picture as of minor importance; and the two dominates the whole of his art. Not merely in his
studies for April illustrate a little conflict in his composition, but in his colour as well, and in the
mind as to the exact arrangement of line and turn manner in which he adapts to his use the realistic
of gesture which would best satisfy his precon- details which study of nature provides, he shows
ception about the subject. He has essentially the the strength of the influence that it exercises over
decorator's craving for subtleties of placing, for the him. He finds in his elaborate study of facts the
planning of forms in such relation to one another safest basis upon which to build up the fancies
that the pattern of the whole will be pleasantly which delight him, but he is discreet in his manage-
ment of the material
he collects, neither de-
scending into literalism
nor, on the other hand,
wandering away into
undisciplined and in-
credible perversions.
There is no fear that
he will waste his time,
and diminish his repu-
tation, by experiments
that give only vague
promise of good re-
sults ; his judgment is
too well balanced for
any such departure from
common sense ; but yet
there is equally no fear
that he will commit
himself to stereotyped
repetitions of his own
or other men's ideas;
his mind is too full of
artistic enthusiasm for
that. He promises to
go on as he has begun,
progressing steadily
from stage to stage;
and, influenced always
. ' by that keen sense of
^^J-^J^T*.. ■ decorative values which
is the best equipment
that an artist can have,
he bids fair to more
than justify in the
STUDY FROM NATURE BY HAROLD SPEED future the hopes that
t66