Studio: international art (29.1903)

The National Competition

placing and balance. Indeed, Whistler very rarely good name by this year's work. Contrary to The
placed his butterfly on a picture without first Studio's custom, illustrations have been included o,
saying to me, " Now, Menpes, where do you think some of the ordinary time-studies of the Liverpool
the butterfly is going this time ? " It used to be a School, drawn by Gilbert Rogers—admirable ex-
little joke between us, and after some months of amples of such sound and vital draughtsmanship as
habit I was invariably able to put my finger on cannot fail to have a wholesome influence on design.
the spot where the butterfly should be placed to The Liverpool students seem to be encouraged to
create the balance of the picture. I worshipped draw the figure boldly from unconventional poses,
Whistler in those days, and I worship him still. and to create difficulties of a proper and stimulating
The greatest regret of my life is that there should kind. There was also a fine piece of still-life
have been a little rift within the lute. But that painting in oils, from Lincoln, by Arthur Mackinder,
blemish on an otherwise perfect friendship is which deserves special notice. Another Liverpool
quite forgotten now, and I remember only the old student—Violet E. Brunton—whose work we have
days, the glorious days when we lived together, noted before, sent a pleasing little modelled
worked together, and thought together. And the design for a sundial. Among other good designs
name of Whistler conjures up in my mind a host in plaster were an original little model for an
of pleasant memories which, as time goes on, will over-door by Ernest G. Webb (Plymouth), a design
never fade or grow less. for a wall fountain by Maggie Richardson (New

Cross), and a series of models for hinges and
escutcheons by W. H. O. Tennant (Birmingham).

THE NATIONAL COMPETITION The exhibitors of tile and pottery designs were
OF SCHOOLS OF ART, 1903. distinguished—like most of the textile designers—
BY ESTHER WOOD. by ^e care and thoroughness with which their

working drawings are prepared. The use of
It is cheering to be able to record a distinct pottery panels as decorative insertions into wooden
improvement in the standard of the work exhibited furniture may be open to question, except as it
as the result of the National Competition of 1903. may be convenient in wash-stands and dressers;
The drawings and designs on view at South but several intelligent students essayed it with
Kensington in July and August displayed on the very fair results. The wardrobe panel by Charles
whole a high average of merit on the
part of the students represented through-
out the kingdom, though the awards
were not uniformly creditable to the
judgment of the examining board.
Perhaps the distractions of "coronation
year" may account for the low-water
mark which this really important ex-
hibition, in spite of memorable excel-
lences, seemed to touch in 1902. It is
an annual exhibition deserving wider
recognition from the public, who know
and care very little about the progress
of young students from the various art-
schools into the ranks of professional
designers of furniture, textiles, pottery,
decorative metal-work, and illustrated
books.

Schools that have already established
a reputation, either for all-round excel-
lence, such as Liverpool (Mount Street),
or for one particular branch of applied
art, such as Battersea for textiles, New
Cross for metal-work, or Lambeth for design for an enamelled panel

black-and-white, fully maintained their by Gertrude m. hart (Birmingham)

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