Studio: international art (24.1902)

First International " Studio " Exhibition

charm; especially the plates with the peacock's difficulty had been fully considered, and those by
feather decoration, in wrought copper with a Bessie Dawson, C. E. Thompson, H. Bloomfield
rich jewel-like enamel at the head. Alike in Bare and Professor Paul Horti—a notable ex-
colour and workmanship, in the quality of the hibitor in several branches—were genuine frames-
designs and the judgment shown in the applica- for pictures; especially that of the lady first
tion of the enamel, the entire series of door- mentioned, whose treatment of the border in brass
fittings by this excellent craftsman was worthy of repousse was full of decorative feeling and im-
high praise. There were also some good examples agination, but so well subdued as not to be dis-
in this class of work by W. H. Marklew and trading to the eye. A mirror allows a little more
Bernard Cuzner, a latch by Gustav Gurschner, a license in this direction : the frame invites greater
bronze lock-plate by Helen Langley, with a very variety of surface and ornament. A solid and
interesting and well-balanced design springing careful piece of work was Kate W. Thomson's
naturally from the centre, and a plaster model for a mirror-frame in hammered block tin. Another
door-knocker by the same hand, all showing in- mirror was set in wood with a charming corner-
dividuality of treatment and conscientious craft, decoration, by R. B. Dawson, and pierced and
Mirror-frames and picture-frames in metal seemed repousse brass. This, in the conception and
a favourite subject. To apply any conspicuous arrangement of design, was one of the most
decoration to a picture-frame is generally to make ingenious and tasteful pieces of applied ornament,
an unfair challenge to its contents, unless these are The decorated plaque, to which the beginner in
decorative rather than pictorial in character, when metal-work aspires with so light a heart, is probably
of course the frame may fitly be treated as part of one of the most difficult objects to infuse with any
the whole scheme of the ground in which the aesthetic interest when once its natural use as a
picture forms the centre of interest. In most of plate has been forgotten in the thought of it as
the brass or copper frames here shown this something to be set upon a shelf, or at its worst, to

hang upon a wall. No
doubt the genuine crafts-
man will always insist that
a plaque is a plate still,
and that its decoration
must be kept generally
flat, even if it is to hold
only cards and letters,
and must, like all designs
for circular or frequently
shifted surfaces, be in-
teresting from different
points of view. The
plaques by Annie
Hobrough with eagle
and fish designs fulfilled
these conditions very
well. But, apart from
its tendency to become
a trophy, the plaque is
apt to merge into a bowl
on the one hand or a
tray on the other. As
pieces of decoration,
justified both in shape
and ornament, the
plaques by C. E. Thomp-
son, Arthur Whitehead,
and Kellock Brown

iimbroidered cushion cover by b. eoevkexs were also extremely

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