DOI Heft:
No. 89 (Aug. 1900)
DOI Artikel:D'Anvers, N.: James Aumonier and his work
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19785#0168
James Aumonier
As to the oil colours, to make my first trial at a according to very rigid rules, each tint being
picture, I went over to a neighbour, a coach exactly defined.
painter, and begged a bit of white lead, black, It must, indeed, have been a relief to an artist
blue, red, and chrome, and upon a bit of an old who worked all day at this kind of mechanical toil
shelf that had been pulled down in making some to get away into the open air, where one line melts
alterations in the house I produced a picture of imperceptibly into another, and there is nothing
Barking Church after an engraving. For this hard or monotonous. As early as 1871 Mr.
' work of art' I used a penny camel's-hair brush." Aumonier sent his first picture to the Royal
Mr. Aumonier, who, like most true artists, Academy, where, to his delight and surprise, it
is extremely diffident as to his own powers, says, was accepted and hung. It attracted, however,
apropos of his decorative work, that it is " not as was but natural, little notice, for thirty years
worth noticing." On this point his own opinion, ago such quiet unobtrusive work as that of the
except as an index of character, is not worth young exhibitor had far less chance than it would
quoting, for many of his designs are extremely have now of being picked out, even by the most
beautiful. They have all been done for one firm, discerning critic. The same year brought the
and consist of groups of flowers for reproduc- young Aumonier, for the first time, in contact with
tion in the old-fashioned glazed chintz. " Though Mr. W. M. Wyllie and with Mr. Lionel Smythe,
of no value as art-work," says Mr. Aumonier, of whose kindness and encouragement he speaks
" making these designs gave me a certain in the most grateful terms. Mr. Wyllie, especially,
amount of skill in arranging forms over a surface, gave him much useful advice, and, to quote again
which has no doubt helped me in my landscape the artist's own words, " He was great with a bit
work. Each tint in the designs which were for of chalk and a bit of charcoal. He would say
block printing had to be drawn with a definite ' May I ?' and then begin and chalk my picture
edge, and not softened one into the other, as all over. I was always grateful," adds Mr. Aumonier,
in many of the modern chintzes and cretonnes, " and always found my pictures improved by follow-
which are printed from engraved copper rollers." ing his advice ; and though by degrees my art-
Necessarily, therefore, the work had to be done feeling has changed and I have got into a broader
"EVENING ON THE SOUTHDOWNS" FROM A MEZZOTINT BY JAMES AUMONIER
142
As to the oil colours, to make my first trial at a according to very rigid rules, each tint being
picture, I went over to a neighbour, a coach exactly defined.
painter, and begged a bit of white lead, black, It must, indeed, have been a relief to an artist
blue, red, and chrome, and upon a bit of an old who worked all day at this kind of mechanical toil
shelf that had been pulled down in making some to get away into the open air, where one line melts
alterations in the house I produced a picture of imperceptibly into another, and there is nothing
Barking Church after an engraving. For this hard or monotonous. As early as 1871 Mr.
' work of art' I used a penny camel's-hair brush." Aumonier sent his first picture to the Royal
Mr. Aumonier, who, like most true artists, Academy, where, to his delight and surprise, it
is extremely diffident as to his own powers, says, was accepted and hung. It attracted, however,
apropos of his decorative work, that it is " not as was but natural, little notice, for thirty years
worth noticing." On this point his own opinion, ago such quiet unobtrusive work as that of the
except as an index of character, is not worth young exhibitor had far less chance than it would
quoting, for many of his designs are extremely have now of being picked out, even by the most
beautiful. They have all been done for one firm, discerning critic. The same year brought the
and consist of groups of flowers for reproduc- young Aumonier, for the first time, in contact with
tion in the old-fashioned glazed chintz. " Though Mr. W. M. Wyllie and with Mr. Lionel Smythe,
of no value as art-work," says Mr. Aumonier, of whose kindness and encouragement he speaks
" making these designs gave me a certain in the most grateful terms. Mr. Wyllie, especially,
amount of skill in arranging forms over a surface, gave him much useful advice, and, to quote again
which has no doubt helped me in my landscape the artist's own words, " He was great with a bit
work. Each tint in the designs which were for of chalk and a bit of charcoal. He would say
block printing had to be drawn with a definite ' May I ?' and then begin and chalk my picture
edge, and not softened one into the other, as all over. I was always grateful," adds Mr. Aumonier,
in many of the modern chintzes and cretonnes, " and always found my pictures improved by follow-
which are printed from engraved copper rollers." ing his advice ; and though by degrees my art-
Necessarily, therefore, the work had to be done feeling has changed and I have got into a broader
"EVENING ON THE SOUTHDOWNS" FROM A MEZZOTINT BY JAMES AUMONIER
142