Studio: international art (28.1903)

The Arts and Crafts Exhibition

There is in Mr. Voysey's
furniture—if we may ven-
ture a fantastic simile—
something of the build of a
greyhound, with its sensi-
tive grace and its outlines
clean, vigorous, and austere.
His own decorative symbol,
however, is a bird of wise
Egyptian countenance,
which appears very cun-
ningly perched on the bulbs
which end the uprights
of a brass fire-screen, part
of a group of fireplace
fittings which include a
cast-iron grate, a stand for
fire irons in bright iron,
a water-can in hammered
brass, and a kettle-stand
pendants with miniatures by j. e. souTiiALL with kettle. Mr. Voysey

also shows a clock in a
plain aluminium case with

the poor, good work and good materials are luxuries a clear and legible dial, an easy-chair and two
still, and have yet to be put among the necessaries small erones, a boudoir writing-chair, and comfort-
of life. ably stuffed bedroom chair with high round back ;

Mr. C. F. A. Voysey is certainly among those a small inlaid casket with a design entitled " Head,
who have come nearest to this obvious and yet so hand, and heart" (a man and woman standing
elusive ideal. When we remember the outcry that beside a sapling tree), a bookcase with cupboard
was raised by some prejudiced people against his and three inlaid panels with a " wood-pecker"
"eccentricity" in 1896, and observe the same design, a carved mirror-frame in Simpson gilt, and
strong individuality quietly
persisting in his recent
work, some of which, but
by no means the most
notable, is shown in this
exhibition, we can only be
thankful that simplicity of
form does not appear so
extraordinary as it did six
years ago. Mr. Voysey has
made sweeping rejections
of all the conventional
" finish " that goes beyond
the real needs of a sound
and beautiful structure,
and the keynote of all his
architecture and furniture
is what would be called a
Puritan severity but for
that air of ampleness and
ease so rarely united with
singleness of motive and

economy of ornament. cabinet designed and painted by j. e. southall

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