DOI issue:
No. 90 (September, 1900)
DOI article:Henwood Blamey, J.: A few notes on bench-ends
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19785#0274
Bench-ends
the bench-ends is nearly always well-treated and period, and their forms may be rather rugged at
often very graceful, while in very few cases has times, but they bear the stamp of the "go" and
any attempt been made at realistic representation, imagination which, after all, is the substance of
At the same time one cannot help feeling that true art.
the designer must have been quite familiar with Of their workmanship, apart from their design,
plant life in all its phases, and had chosen the much praise must be given. Whatever may be said
most characteristic and decorative forms. Heraldry of the roughness of the carving, these old crafts-
and figures were introduced in a great many cases men understood the tool and the material. There
is no attempt to carve in very high relief, for, as
a rule, such work is unsuited to the material,
while on bench-ends it would be out of place
owing to the liability of its being knocked off.
But the object is gained in fairly low relief by
the boldness and clean cutting of the carver;
every cut tells that there has been no hesitation.
No amount of mechanical accuracy and polishing
up would make these bench-ends one penny the
better; as a matter of fact such an outrage
( A
|
P4*-Ul "liU—...........
bench-end at east brent from a sketch
by j. h. blamey
with most delightful and charmingly decorative
results. What could be better in their way
than the treatment of the ship and windmill
at Bishop's Lydeard ? They are simple enough,
but how beautifully they fill their panels ! (Illus-
trations of these two bench-ends appear on page
238.)
Many excellent bench-ends will be found at
Trull, Bloomfield, Kingston, and East Brent, all of
which churches, with those already mentioned,
still retain most of their original benches. Their
design may lack the technical perfection and grace bench-end at south brent from a sketch
of the Italian and French woodwork of the same by j. h. blamey
241
the bench-ends is nearly always well-treated and period, and their forms may be rather rugged at
often very graceful, while in very few cases has times, but they bear the stamp of the "go" and
any attempt been made at realistic representation, imagination which, after all, is the substance of
At the same time one cannot help feeling that true art.
the designer must have been quite familiar with Of their workmanship, apart from their design,
plant life in all its phases, and had chosen the much praise must be given. Whatever may be said
most characteristic and decorative forms. Heraldry of the roughness of the carving, these old crafts-
and figures were introduced in a great many cases men understood the tool and the material. There
is no attempt to carve in very high relief, for, as
a rule, such work is unsuited to the material,
while on bench-ends it would be out of place
owing to the liability of its being knocked off.
But the object is gained in fairly low relief by
the boldness and clean cutting of the carver;
every cut tells that there has been no hesitation.
No amount of mechanical accuracy and polishing
up would make these bench-ends one penny the
better; as a matter of fact such an outrage
( A
|
P4*-Ul "liU—...........
bench-end at east brent from a sketch
by j. h. blamey
with most delightful and charmingly decorative
results. What could be better in their way
than the treatment of the ship and windmill
at Bishop's Lydeard ? They are simple enough,
but how beautifully they fill their panels ! (Illus-
trations of these two bench-ends appear on page
238.)
Many excellent bench-ends will be found at
Trull, Bloomfield, Kingston, and East Brent, all of
which churches, with those already mentioned,
still retain most of their original benches. Their
design may lack the technical perfection and grace bench-end at south brent from a sketch
of the Italian and French woodwork of the same by j. h. blamey
241