DOI Heft:
Nr. 115 (October 1902)
DOI Artikel:Little, James Stanley: A cosmopolitan painter: John Lavery, [1]
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19877#0016
John Lavery
milk of human kindness, are prepared to buy work fine work by an unadvertised man be hung in an
which they will need to put by for a quarter of a obscure gallery, or in a bad room or bad place at
century—from being of much use to painters of the Academy, let us say, the betting is a hundred to
parts at the outset of their careers. I am moved one that nearly every critic will pass it by unnoticed,
to make these remarks because John Lavery, in A knowledge of these elementary facts, and the
common with one or two other painters of high repugnance a sincere critic must feel increasingly
distinction I might mention, having achieved his to the business of art criticism as a business, with
position outside of the ordinary channels, and all its pedantry and superfine insincerity, tends, as
irrespective of official sponsorship, has little or years advance, to render him inarticulate; inarticu-
nothing to thank the critics for—so far, in any late, that is to say, to this extent : he is more
case, as any of the fashionable critics of this and more inclined to accept or reject the art of his
country, whose word is law with the groundlings, day and generation without comment, or if with
go. It is simply astonishing how absolutely silent comment, with comment of the kind the connois-
these superior persons are until they find it is safe seur, dealer, and amateur—the modest amateur, be
to speak. One laughs in one's sleeve at their it understood—employ. Either a work of art is
belated discoveries. When a variety of causes good or it is bad ; so far as the real art-lover is
has at last conspired to make a neglected painter, concerned, art must be very good not to be bad.
they are ready enough to acclaim him. But let He cares nothing at all for your middling per-
formance, nothing at all for
a picture—to confine these
remarks to pictures, though
of course, the critic, using
the word in its highest sense,
of any kind of artistic,
musical or literary work is
in a like case—which does
not possess in the first
instance two essential
qualities. It must have in-
dividuality; that is to say, it
must be expressive of a
powerful and distinct per-
sonality ; it must have style,
to put it another way: and
it must be executed with
consummate technical
skill. In other words, the
man behind the picture
must be sharply differen-
tiated from other men,
and that difference must
take the form of accent-
uated power, accentuated
virility; a remarkable ap-
preciation of what is
essentially beautiful, and
a perfected command
over the technicalities of
his craft. To say this is
not merely to say that the
great painter must be a
fine colourist and draughts-
man, though the general
"the violin player" by john lavery statement necessarily
milk of human kindness, are prepared to buy work fine work by an unadvertised man be hung in an
which they will need to put by for a quarter of a obscure gallery, or in a bad room or bad place at
century—from being of much use to painters of the Academy, let us say, the betting is a hundred to
parts at the outset of their careers. I am moved one that nearly every critic will pass it by unnoticed,
to make these remarks because John Lavery, in A knowledge of these elementary facts, and the
common with one or two other painters of high repugnance a sincere critic must feel increasingly
distinction I might mention, having achieved his to the business of art criticism as a business, with
position outside of the ordinary channels, and all its pedantry and superfine insincerity, tends, as
irrespective of official sponsorship, has little or years advance, to render him inarticulate; inarticu-
nothing to thank the critics for—so far, in any late, that is to say, to this extent : he is more
case, as any of the fashionable critics of this and more inclined to accept or reject the art of his
country, whose word is law with the groundlings, day and generation without comment, or if with
go. It is simply astonishing how absolutely silent comment, with comment of the kind the connois-
these superior persons are until they find it is safe seur, dealer, and amateur—the modest amateur, be
to speak. One laughs in one's sleeve at their it understood—employ. Either a work of art is
belated discoveries. When a variety of causes good or it is bad ; so far as the real art-lover is
has at last conspired to make a neglected painter, concerned, art must be very good not to be bad.
they are ready enough to acclaim him. But let He cares nothing at all for your middling per-
formance, nothing at all for
a picture—to confine these
remarks to pictures, though
of course, the critic, using
the word in its highest sense,
of any kind of artistic,
musical or literary work is
in a like case—which does
not possess in the first
instance two essential
qualities. It must have in-
dividuality; that is to say, it
must be expressive of a
powerful and distinct per-
sonality ; it must have style,
to put it another way: and
it must be executed with
consummate technical
skill. In other words, the
man behind the picture
must be sharply differen-
tiated from other men,
and that difference must
take the form of accent-
uated power, accentuated
virility; a remarkable ap-
preciation of what is
essentially beautiful, and
a perfected command
over the technicalities of
his craft. To say this is
not merely to say that the
great painter must be a
fine colourist and draughts-
man, though the general
"the violin player" by john lavery statement necessarily