Studio: international art (24.1902)

Studio- Talk

his own ; but the accompanying illustrations prove ideas, to be carried out in his librettos for comic
that his style is softened by the tenderer medium, operas.

and also that it is capable of expressing more -

homely ideas than those which are so boldly So it must not be thought that the art of making
realised in the drawing of Love, Youth and Death, statuettes is an easy one. On the contrary, it

requires much study and much self restraint.

The Studio has felt called upon more than Very particularly is this the case when a sculptor

once to draw attention to the art of making statu- aims, in a statuette, at a full-length portrait ; for

ettes, for it does not re- here, besides conquering

ceive from contemporary the usual difficulties of

sculptors even half the Ml, , " ■ ^ ! the art, he has a given

respect that is due both •<'-",* -i I pH •'>. i HHj personality to make real

to its charm and to its * * 2*.?-"*"."'« ' ' "ti» ln a ^ew inches of

usefulness. Subjects ad- |SW7W':' . *** " "% J * v^lfell modelled clay. It is

mirably suited for it may £», ' ", *|H- -' J' .* clear, then, that Mr.

be found everywhere, in gfjfi Louis R. Deurhars, in

all walks of life ; and we i ;Vm»// * ,. \$$3i his statuette of Mr. G. F.

may say with truth that, .■ , _ &3 : ' " Watts, has attempted

while the purchasing pub- i Z *, '. , f**"- t0 c'° a very difficult

lie for statues is but a " ' ' > ^ ■ ''i*''-^* thing. Yet we have no

tiny one, the number of 2, " ■ £■ " ia» « doubt that his miniature

art-lovers who would be 1 ' 'f * , : •< ' 9H portrait will be widely

glad to buy attractive | ||s|J ' " » i^*r'^ appreciated,
statuettes may be

reckoned by hundreds i " „ , * < J " • »», TV T EWCASTLE-

in every town. A few [>'.-' ; . s |Y ON-TYNE.

English sculptors of the !',;' ''-'j ^" «| I —1" :l cl)a-

younger school, like Mr. , • -jM^^^^* V * w, A ' racteristic

Derwent Wood and Mr. r ' i ■ * '•'1 1 ' J - *TvJ preface to the catalogue

Gilbert Bayes, have in- J^r ■ of the first annual exhibi-

deed hit upon some "/ ' tion of the Northumber-

charming subjects, and ~ ' * '"" land Handicrafts Guild,

have worked them out statuette of by l. r. deuchars Mr. Godfrey Blount put

with much fancy and g. f. watts, r.a. in a plea for "decorated

with great cleverness of useful things, instead of

execution. But, for all useless decoration." It

that, the statuette market—to put the matter was, perhaps, inevitable that much of the work from

in plain commercial English—is still < hiefly pro- local centres recently affiliated to the Guild should

fitable to dealers in second-rate Italian work, demonstrate that decoration had received a larger

weakly round in form, and detestably sweet in measure of devotion than utility. On the whole,

homeliness of sentiment. however, stiffened by loan exhibits from kindred

- agencies, from sympathisers and from the Board of

To be really great in character, a statuette must Education, the exhibition was an excellent beginning,

have that peculiar merit which makes a perfect Mr. George Frampton, A.R.A. and Mr. Godfrey

short story from a literary critic's point of view. Blount were the judges, and the Merit Shield, pre-

It is a little thing complete in a big way. Its note sented to the Guild by Mr. W. A. Watson-Armstrong,

of excellence is always clear and well defined ; was awarded to the wood-carving display of Lucker

that is to say, it is always very something—very —a small village in North Northumberland,
tragic, or very pathetic, very graceful, very

humorous, very rustic, or very homely. If a Among local associations, the exhibit ot the

statuette is not satisfying, if it suggests a scheme Newcastle-on-Tyne Handicrafts Company calls for

for a larger work, then it is nothing more than particular mention. It included several beautiful

a sketch for a larger work; just as Mr. W. S. examples of embroidery, enamelling, bronze and

Gilbert's short stories are often "patented" silver work, and cabinet-making. The fruit bowl,
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