Studio: international art (26.1902)

Turin Exhibition

WINE FLASK, SHOWING DESIGNED BY H. POWELL

AN ENAMEL THREAD EXECUTED BY THE WH1TE-

IN THE BODY FRIARS GLASS WORKS

are the contents of most museums, where, owing to
the exigencies of space, the artist is often less
catered for than the archaeologist.

But the glass case is a wonderful preserva-
tive, and generally speaking, the work arranged
in the cases shows evidence of loving and care-
ful placing. Thus the jewellery and metal
work sent by C. R. Ashbee and other workers
are seen at their best, and very delightful work
it is. The bookbindings and decorations like-
wise receive just and proper treatment, and the
excellence, alike of design and craftsmanship,
testifies to the great advance that has been made
in the past few years, in the treatment of books.
The only criticism that may be passed upon
this class of exhibit is a wonder whether
the art of Cobden-Sanderson is not too young
to. be accepted as a tradition. The diverse
talents of R. Anning Bell receive just recogni-
tion in the work he shows; and, had the
exhibits of H. Wilson been arranged in a
group, men might have uncovered their heads
as in a sanctuary. Heywood Sumner, in a
series of coloured drawings, gives a scheme of
church decoration at once personal and novel;

and Harrison Townsend, both in his own
work and by his care for the efforts of his
brother architects, indexes the possibilities of
the drawing and the photograph to make archi-
tectural illustration interesting. The photo-
graphs of work by Gerald Moira fail to do
justice to an artist who is one of the few
workers that sees and does figure decoration
in a big classic manner, and the roof of
the gallery might well have been placed at his
disposal. George Frampton sends two of his
ever welcome, low-relief panels, and the work of
the enamellists compares most favourably with
that of the renaissance artists.

The impression that remains after a careful
inspection of the section is that it contains
individual works that are among the finest of
their kind, and are proofs of the existence of a
healthy, virile art craftsmanship that must in
the near future make a strong appeal for public
acceptance. And had the works exhibited
been treated less like pictures and related more
to daily use and environment, the English sec-
tion would have made one of the best.

In order to prevent any misunderstanding, we
have been asked by the Honorary Secretary of the
Royal Anglo-Australian Society of Artists to state
that the Melbourne Exhibition, announced for
November next, will not be held under the
auspices of this Society.

KING'S CUP DESIGNED BY H. POWELL

EXECUTED BY THE WHITE-
FRIARS GLASS WORKS

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