DOI Heft:
No. 113 (August, 1902)
DOI Artikel:Caw, James L.: A scottish painter: E. A. Walton, A. R. S. A.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19876#0174
E. A. Walton
these were a preference for low and full tone; con- one of the chief, and even now, after seven or
centration of motive gained by suppression of eight years' residence in London, he cannot be
non-essentials ; a more decorative aspect of canvas dissociated from his early connections,
than existed in contemporary Scottish painting; Unlike most Scottish painters, he did not spend
vigour and power and a distinct sense of style in his early years in uncongenial employment, but
the use of the medium itself; above all, devotion passed from school to study art. Yet his academic
to the purely pictorial elements in subject, training was neither long nor thorough. A winter
Possession of these qualities would have meant or two, when he was about seventeen, at Diissel-
little to art, however, if some of the group had dorf—which may be ignored as a formative in-
not had the rarer and more precious quality of fluence—-and a few years in the Glasgow Art
individuality. The manner and tricks of a coterie School, then very indifferently housed and equip-
or a master may be copied or parodied, and the ped, sum up the direct instruction he received,
later history of the Glasgow group is not wanting He had a natural gift for painting, however, and
in instances ; but amongst the leaders there were he was fortunate in his environment. His be-
half-a-dozen men who possessed that first hand ginnings coincided with those of the new move-
and immediate apprehension of life and nature ment : he shared its ideals and enthusiasms, and
which cannot be imitated because a personal and disciplined his talent in its stimulating and exacting
inalienable gift. Of these Mr. E. A. Walton was atmosphere. But from the first he was an indivi-
dualist. Influenced as
his earlier work is by his
immediate surroundings,
and by study of some
great painters, particularly,
perhaps, Cecil Lawson
and James Maris, there is
in it always an individual
note that makes it unmis-
takably his own. He
possessed an outlook on
the world which expresses
itself in a personal sense
of colour, design and
handling.
Commencing as a
painter of landscapes, it
was not long before he
added figures to them,
and soon portraits, like-
wise, received much of
his attention. Variety of
subject is, indeed, very
marked in his work. He
has tried many mediums
also, and, working in
oils, water - colour, and
pastel, he has used each
with consideration for
the material beauty
which belongs to it when
employed with true
comprehension of its
essential character. At
the same time this has
fort rait of miss cecile walton by e. a. walton not deterred him from
162
these were a preference for low and full tone; con- one of the chief, and even now, after seven or
centration of motive gained by suppression of eight years' residence in London, he cannot be
non-essentials ; a more decorative aspect of canvas dissociated from his early connections,
than existed in contemporary Scottish painting; Unlike most Scottish painters, he did not spend
vigour and power and a distinct sense of style in his early years in uncongenial employment, but
the use of the medium itself; above all, devotion passed from school to study art. Yet his academic
to the purely pictorial elements in subject, training was neither long nor thorough. A winter
Possession of these qualities would have meant or two, when he was about seventeen, at Diissel-
little to art, however, if some of the group had dorf—which may be ignored as a formative in-
not had the rarer and more precious quality of fluence—-and a few years in the Glasgow Art
individuality. The manner and tricks of a coterie School, then very indifferently housed and equip-
or a master may be copied or parodied, and the ped, sum up the direct instruction he received,
later history of the Glasgow group is not wanting He had a natural gift for painting, however, and
in instances ; but amongst the leaders there were he was fortunate in his environment. His be-
half-a-dozen men who possessed that first hand ginnings coincided with those of the new move-
and immediate apprehension of life and nature ment : he shared its ideals and enthusiasms, and
which cannot be imitated because a personal and disciplined his talent in its stimulating and exacting
inalienable gift. Of these Mr. E. A. Walton was atmosphere. But from the first he was an indivi-
dualist. Influenced as
his earlier work is by his
immediate surroundings,
and by study of some
great painters, particularly,
perhaps, Cecil Lawson
and James Maris, there is
in it always an individual
note that makes it unmis-
takably his own. He
possessed an outlook on
the world which expresses
itself in a personal sense
of colour, design and
handling.
Commencing as a
painter of landscapes, it
was not long before he
added figures to them,
and soon portraits, like-
wise, received much of
his attention. Variety of
subject is, indeed, very
marked in his work. He
has tried many mediums
also, and, working in
oils, water - colour, and
pastel, he has used each
with consideration for
the material beauty
which belongs to it when
employed with true
comprehension of its
essential character. At
the same time this has
fort rait of miss cecile walton by e. a. walton not deterred him from
162