DOI Heft:
No. 79 (October, 1899)
DOI Artikel:Vallance, Aymer: British decorative art in 1899 and the Arts And Crafts Exhibition, [1]
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19783#0066
Arts and Crafts
that, reproduced on paper in black and white, the latter class belongs a bust of Keats's Lamia, now in
fulness of the silk not only loses its proper charm, course of being modelled in clay. The flesh parts
but looks almost like a blemish. In the majority are to be carried out in ivory, to meet the resources
of the tapestries here illustrated pale shades of and limitations of which the artist has to exercise par-
green and blue, with golden-olive tints, predomi- ticular ingenuity, contriving to veil the joints of the
nate. The fabric in which the swallows are intro- material with an ornamental network of gold about
duced, all facing to the right upon a diagonal branch, the throat and forehead. The sleeves and drapery
recalls in its colour-scheme somewhat the aspect of are to be of silver, embellished with mother-of-pearl
the artist's favourite herb, rue. and coloured enamels. The features are beautiful
Now, unless that canon be an arbitrary one which and full of dignity, and yet the expression is snake-
requires a floor-decoration to be planned on such a like withal, as befits the character represented,
basis as not to give the sense of being upside down Some plaster models for memorial tablets are
from whatever aspect it be looked upon, it must be here reproduced. The most elaborate of all shows
owned that, despite the excellently architectonic a projected scheme, of which one of the simpler
system on which Mr. Voysey builds up all his designs is again a modification. Both of these
patterns,: his carpet-designing is decidedly at fault, have several features in common. One of the two
In one Axminster carpet shown, the effect is practi- was designed to be erected in Birmingham, the
cally nullified by the fact that the leaves point the trees in the lower portion being intended to bear
opposite way to the flowers ; but in too many respectively the names of the children and grand-
instances, whether the
motif take the shape of a
powdering, or, as is more
usual, of a flowing pattern,
Mr. Voysey consciously
disregards the received
order. It may, in conse-
quence, fairly be objected
that those carpet patterns
of his which have a
marked tendency in one
direction, are rather suit-
able for stair-carpets than
for use in an ordinary
dwelling-room.
The art of Mr. George
Frampton, A.R.A., may
perhaps best be described
as composite sculpture;
that is to say, that he
seldom confines himself
in any given work to one
single medium, but draws
upon many materials—e.g.
bronze and various kinds
of marbles; stones, such
as lapis lazuli; mother-of-
pearl and other shells ;
amber and ivory, to
obtain the effect desired.
Yet even these do not
suffice for some of his finer
pieces, which are further
enriched with- enamelling, plaster sketch for the leighton memorial
gold and silver. To the by george frampton, a.r.a.
5°
that, reproduced on paper in black and white, the latter class belongs a bust of Keats's Lamia, now in
fulness of the silk not only loses its proper charm, course of being modelled in clay. The flesh parts
but looks almost like a blemish. In the majority are to be carried out in ivory, to meet the resources
of the tapestries here illustrated pale shades of and limitations of which the artist has to exercise par-
green and blue, with golden-olive tints, predomi- ticular ingenuity, contriving to veil the joints of the
nate. The fabric in which the swallows are intro- material with an ornamental network of gold about
duced, all facing to the right upon a diagonal branch, the throat and forehead. The sleeves and drapery
recalls in its colour-scheme somewhat the aspect of are to be of silver, embellished with mother-of-pearl
the artist's favourite herb, rue. and coloured enamels. The features are beautiful
Now, unless that canon be an arbitrary one which and full of dignity, and yet the expression is snake-
requires a floor-decoration to be planned on such a like withal, as befits the character represented,
basis as not to give the sense of being upside down Some plaster models for memorial tablets are
from whatever aspect it be looked upon, it must be here reproduced. The most elaborate of all shows
owned that, despite the excellently architectonic a projected scheme, of which one of the simpler
system on which Mr. Voysey builds up all his designs is again a modification. Both of these
patterns,: his carpet-designing is decidedly at fault, have several features in common. One of the two
In one Axminster carpet shown, the effect is practi- was designed to be erected in Birmingham, the
cally nullified by the fact that the leaves point the trees in the lower portion being intended to bear
opposite way to the flowers ; but in too many respectively the names of the children and grand-
instances, whether the
motif take the shape of a
powdering, or, as is more
usual, of a flowing pattern,
Mr. Voysey consciously
disregards the received
order. It may, in conse-
quence, fairly be objected
that those carpet patterns
of his which have a
marked tendency in one
direction, are rather suit-
able for stair-carpets than
for use in an ordinary
dwelling-room.
The art of Mr. George
Frampton, A.R.A., may
perhaps best be described
as composite sculpture;
that is to say, that he
seldom confines himself
in any given work to one
single medium, but draws
upon many materials—e.g.
bronze and various kinds
of marbles; stones, such
as lapis lazuli; mother-of-
pearl and other shells ;
amber and ivory, to
obtain the effect desired.
Yet even these do not
suffice for some of his finer
pieces, which are further
enriched with- enamelling, plaster sketch for the leighton memorial
gold and silver. To the by george frampton, a.r.a.
5°