DOI Heft:
No. 81 (December, 1899)
DOI Artikel:Studio-talk
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19783#0221
Studio- Talk
told that " the improvement of art in churches to and dainty little beings, that set us thinking of
which this Association is addressed will never be Christmas books and Christmas cards. We do not
arrived at by the employment of the artist merely, feel called upon to mention the artists by name,
unless accompanied by a corresponding effort on We wish only to draw attention to a few weaknesses
his part to make his service not one offered to Art that emasculate certain forms of decorative art in
only, but to Religion as well. It is religion only England. All art needs strength as a foundation
which has ever been able to call out the best for its poetic qualities ; and of strength there was
powers of Art, and before the artist can express it plenty in the thoughtful and diversely admirable
through his art, it must be in his life." This works exhibited by Mr. Anning Bell, Mr. Alexander
passage implies that no agnostic could be grandly Fisher, and Mr. A. H. Skipworth. The main point
inspired by the tragedy and the loveliness of is, however, that the Exhibition of the Clergy and
Christ's life. It also invites us all to criticise Artists' Association caused every visitor to think,
the Association from the point of view which is -
enforced upon us by the greatest men of cloistral On page 197 appears an illustration of a poster
genius belonging to the early Renaissance. The just designed by Mr. Brangwyn for The Studio.
members of the Association are really too cou- -
rageous. They would do well to talk more This year, as on several previous occasions, the
modestly, so that their well-wishers might have a Royal Society of British Artists has opened an
chance of accepting their best work without cavilling exhibition in which there are few pictures of more
at its want of unction.
Some of the work may be
criticised from another
standpoint. For instance,
the cartoons for stained-
glass windows are, at times,
not cartoons at all, but
pretty pictures, for the
saddle-bars and the deco-
rative treatment of the lead-
lines are too often left un-
indicated. This is all very
well when the designer is
also the stained-glass
worker ; but, when he does
not carry out his own
scheme, his cartoon should
enable us to see at a glance
the effect made by the lead-
lines and the saddle-bars.
Again, mere prettiness
ought to be avoided in all
serious art, yet mere pretti-
ness was not at all uncom-
mon in the cartoons for
various purposes that we
saw at Leighton House.
In some the figures were
even flimsy, so weak were
they in their anatomical
construction; in others
there were little nursery
children with wings, sweet "the cloister, Tarragona" {See Paris Studio-Talk) by Santiago rusiSol
198
told that " the improvement of art in churches to and dainty little beings, that set us thinking of
which this Association is addressed will never be Christmas books and Christmas cards. We do not
arrived at by the employment of the artist merely, feel called upon to mention the artists by name,
unless accompanied by a corresponding effort on We wish only to draw attention to a few weaknesses
his part to make his service not one offered to Art that emasculate certain forms of decorative art in
only, but to Religion as well. It is religion only England. All art needs strength as a foundation
which has ever been able to call out the best for its poetic qualities ; and of strength there was
powers of Art, and before the artist can express it plenty in the thoughtful and diversely admirable
through his art, it must be in his life." This works exhibited by Mr. Anning Bell, Mr. Alexander
passage implies that no agnostic could be grandly Fisher, and Mr. A. H. Skipworth. The main point
inspired by the tragedy and the loveliness of is, however, that the Exhibition of the Clergy and
Christ's life. It also invites us all to criticise Artists' Association caused every visitor to think,
the Association from the point of view which is -
enforced upon us by the greatest men of cloistral On page 197 appears an illustration of a poster
genius belonging to the early Renaissance. The just designed by Mr. Brangwyn for The Studio.
members of the Association are really too cou- -
rageous. They would do well to talk more This year, as on several previous occasions, the
modestly, so that their well-wishers might have a Royal Society of British Artists has opened an
chance of accepting their best work without cavilling exhibition in which there are few pictures of more
at its want of unction.
Some of the work may be
criticised from another
standpoint. For instance,
the cartoons for stained-
glass windows are, at times,
not cartoons at all, but
pretty pictures, for the
saddle-bars and the deco-
rative treatment of the lead-
lines are too often left un-
indicated. This is all very
well when the designer is
also the stained-glass
worker ; but, when he does
not carry out his own
scheme, his cartoon should
enable us to see at a glance
the effect made by the lead-
lines and the saddle-bars.
Again, mere prettiness
ought to be avoided in all
serious art, yet mere pretti-
ness was not at all uncom-
mon in the cartoons for
various purposes that we
saw at Leighton House.
In some the figures were
even flimsy, so weak were
they in their anatomical
construction; in others
there were little nursery
children with wings, sweet "the cloister, Tarragona" {See Paris Studio-Talk) by Santiago rusiSol
198