Studio: international art (27.1903)

The Work of Ann Macbeth

decoration, led her to essay the art of applique also, a coloured reproduction of one side of the
and to endeavour to mosaic upon a ground British Association banner for the Glasgow meet-
an ornamental treatment in another colour, which ing of 1901, and which appeared in The Studio
should enhance the dress as a possession, without for January, 1902, is a charming example of
adding much to the how heraldry may be
original cost. Not that utilised for the purposes,
there is anything new of pageantry. Another
in this. The dresses of fruitful field for art
the mediaeval Italian work—namely, designs
women, as depicted by for sewed book-covers,
artists like Ghirlandaio for which a tradition
or Botticelli, glow with once existed in Eng-
applique and em- land — owes some pro-
broidery ; but whereas gress to Miss Macbeth,
precious materials, gold, And the attitude she
silver, and jewels, stands in to her work is
entered into their mak- shown by her treatment
ing, with Miss Macbeth of it. She does not feel
the setting of one piece that it is enough to
of coloured cloth upon merely design and let
another, and the putting others execute. She
of a border of sewn believes that the artist
thread or silk around it, who produces the design
gave the added piece is generally the person
all the appearance and best fitted to carry it
• value of a precious out, and most pieces of
metal or of a jewel set IHrHi I f - , , Jaji work for which she is
among its surroundings. responsible owe their
Further, these spots ol HHL/jf f 0 f /'//^^kKBL execution, either in part
colour, thus superim- or the whole, to her
posed, are connected, own needle. And this,
and the design made is the true artistic posi-
into a whole, by spots tion. To completely
and lines of colour or by know how to design for
ornament, chiefly floral, any material, it is neces
characteristically con- sary to be a worker in
ventionalised from that material. For there
Nature. This class of ''^M9MB should be no real fixity
work she applies with of idea in a design that
success to almost every is being produced by
article where its use is the hand. It should be
possible and permis- possible to make any
sible; and the plenish- change of intention as
ings of the drawing-room, the work proceeds, and
the dining-room, and " portrait study" by ann macbeth it may be that the
the bedroom have all best design is, in the
received attention. But long run, the one
she has not entirely confined her energies to the whose general scheme is understood from the
decoration of articles of mere necessity. Her know- beginning, but whose details are studied and
ledge of the figure has enabled her to grapple with carried out as the work proceeds. By such means
the possibilities of its use in design : and various artistic instinct is always kept on the alert, and
needlework panels of figure subjects, some of which the opportunity left open for the attainment of the
have been already illustrated in The Studio, are best possible result.

the fruits of her work in this direction. Notably, And to show that this work of Ann Macbeth's is

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