Studio: international art (19.1900)

Reviews

been written upon them, we cordially recommend
this unpretentious, lively little book.

Arts and Crafts Essays. With a preface by
William Morris. (London and Bombay :
Longmans Green.) Price 2S. 6d. net. A reprint
of short essays written by various members of the
Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society (London),
dealing with furniture, textiles, embroidery, and
many other subjects connected with the decorative
arts. They are on the whole most excellent in
their general tendency, and would form suitable
introductory papers to more important works on
their respective subjects.

Highways and Byways in Yorkshire. By Arthur
H. Norway. Illustrated by Joseph Pennkll and
Hugh Thomson. (London: Macmillan & Co.)
Price 6.y. Mr. Norway is to be congratulated upon
his readable, interesting, and most companionable
book. Descriptions of scenery and of pleasant
walks, country traditions, folklore and anecdote
are pleasantly interspersed with numerous pen and
ink sketches of picturesque spots by Mr. Joseph
Pennell, and of old-time incidents by Mr. Hugh
Thomson. The whole book is admirably con-
ceived and executed.

The " Halls." Pictured by G. F. Scotson-
Clark. (London: Fisher Unwin) That Mr.
Scotson - Clark has borrowed much from the
Beggarstaff Brothers it were idle to deny, but
the illustrations to the book now under con-
sideration give evidence of an intelligent appre-
ciation of other men's work, and bear no sign of
that deadly mechanical imitation with which we
are all too familiar. Mr. Scotson-Clark is not invari-
ably fortunate in catching the likeness of the kings
and queens of the music halls with whom it is his
business to deal. The portraits of Miss Marie
Lloyd and Miss Marie Loftus would certainly
surprise the nearest and dearest to those ladies,
but on the other hand the Eugene Stratton and
Herbert Campbell are subtly observed and de-
picted in the most happy manner. We cannot
honestly congratulate the publisher on the appear-
ance of this volume; we have read the text more
with amazement than amusement.

Freilicht: 100 Modellstudien, von Professor
Max Koch. Der Akt: 100 Modellstudien, von
Max Koch und Otto Riktti. (Leipzic: Inter,
nationaler Kunstverlag: M. Bauer & Co.) Both
these books have the same object, to provide
artists with studies of the nude figure in action and
set against natural backgrounds. In " Freilicht "
the hundred studies are purely realistic produc-
tions of photographs taken in the open air ; and
212

in " Der Akt" an attempt has been made to adapt
the poses of the figures to the purposes of the
architect and designer. The idea in each case is
commendable, and the intention is excellent ; but
the books lose some of their value as guides to
artistic practice by reason of the want of taste
shown by the authors in their choice of the models
from whom the photographs have been taken.
Few of the figures represented have much beauty,
and in some cases they are actually unsuited for
pictorial treatment. Better selection of material
would have made both publications infinitely more
useful than they are at present.

The Artistic Anatomy of the Horse. By Hugh
W. Armstead, M.D., F.R.C.S. With Illustrations
from Drawings by the Author. (London : Bailliere,
Tindal & Cox.) Although Dr. Armstead, in his
preface, declares that he does not claim to have
evolved any original idea in this work, he is
to be credited with a very accurate perception of
artistic requirements. His experience as a teacher
of, and lecturer on, the anatomy of animals, in
Mr. F. Calderon's School of Animal Painting,
showed him the need of an elementary book on
the structure of the horse, the animal most often
represented in pictures, and he may fairly be said
to have supplied just what was wanted for the
instruction of students, and as a guide to more
advanced workers. His drawings are clear and
intelligible, detailed enough to explain even small
matters, but not so elaborated that they are likely
to puzzle people of limited experience ; and his
written explanations are tabulated and arranged
with excellent judgment, and supplement the
illustrations quite adequately. The book is one
that should find its way into the great majority of
studios, and it will be generally helpful.

The Golden Age. By Kenneth Grahame.
Illustrated by Maxfield Parrish. (London and
New York : John Lane.) Price 6.f. net. The
work of Mr. Maxfield Parrish, an American artist
of exceptional ability, has been referred to before
in the pages of The Studio. The drawings
which he has contributed to this new edition of
Mr. Kenneth Grahame's delightful book are remark-
able in conception, and possess much originality
in execution. The artist might be described as a
long-sighted impressionist with a strong decorative
instinct. His foreground figures, although drawn
with great delicacy, are often in subjection to the
background, which is treated with much detail.
" You haven't been to Rome, have you ?" is a
remarkable instance of this; but others almost as
notable are not wanting in The Golden Age.