Studio: international art (30.1904)

Reviews

them will be recognised many motives that have
already been turned to account by skilful adapters.

Wood-carving: Design, and Workmanship. By
George Tuck. (London : John Hogg.) $s. net.
One of the useful Artistic Craft Series of Technical
Handbooks edited by Mr. W. R. Lethaby, this new
volume is quite up to the level of its predecessors.
Its author is himself a proficient in the art of
wood-carving, and, as he says in his preface, " the
opinions he expresses are the outcome of many
years of patient sifting and balancing of delicate
questions." He bids his readers remember that
" the laws which govern all good art must be known
before they are obeyed; they are subtle but unalter-
able." He refrains, however, from adding that no
amount of knowledge will make an artist of any
sort or kind to whom the divine spark of genius, or
at least of talent, has been denied ; yet the recog-
nition of this undoubted fact would save much
future disappointment and heart-burning. Given
that one spark, its fortunate possessor could have
no better guides than Mr. Lethaby and Mr. Tuck;
the former, indeed, proves how well he knows the
truth when he says : " to carve the humblest real
thing . . . is better than the production of artificial
trivialities."

Metal Work. By Frank G. Jackson. (Lon-
don : Chapman & Hall.) 3*. net.—This little
volume well fulfils its purpose "to supply elementary
instruction to industrial home workers." The plan
adopted is an excellent one, the various exercises
set to the student being accompanied in each case
"by a detailed description of the mode of working,"
which the writer truly considers, to quote his own
words, " preferable to laying down general rules
and leaving their application to the student
himself." At the end of each chapter a list is
given of the tools and materials necessary in the
progressive stages of the work in hand, and the
illustrations include, with many simple, easily
executed but most effective designs for repousse
work and chasing, drawings of the implements
indispensable to the craftsman.

Michael Angelo Buonarotti. By Lord Ronald
Sutherland Gower, F.S.A. (London: George
Bell and Sons.) Price 5.?. net.—An exceptional
value attaches to this new volume of the well-
known series of Great Masters in Painting and
Sculpture, for its preface contains a letter from
the veteran master, George Frederick Watts, whose
wiitten words are so few as to be eagerly treasured
up by those to whom they are addressed. Whilst
giving to the book the hall-mark of his approval,
the great painter expresses an opinion which he

shrewdly suspects may "leave him in a minority of
one," that it is as a painter rather than a sculptor
that Michael Angelo should be judged. The
examples given, both of the sculpture and
painting of Michael Angelo, are thoroughly repre-
sentative and excellently reproduced. The photo-
gravure frontispiece of the Moses is a peculiarly
happy rendering of the original statue.

[Owing to the opei'ation of the time extension there a?-e no
Competition Awards to announce this month. The results of
Competitions a xlviii, a xlix, b xxxix, and c xxxvn will
be given in the February number. ]

"PICTURE TITLES, FOR PAINTERS
AND PHOTOGRAPHERS."

A good and appropriate title undoubtedly lends
attraction to a painting or a photograph, and it is
the constant complaint of artists that the choice
of a title is almost, if not quite, as difficult a.s the
production of the picture itself. Poetry is the
natural source of inspiration for the artist in want
of a title ; but even if the necessary books of poetry
are at hand for the purpose, the anticipation of a
wearisome and perhaps vain search through many
volumes of verse often leads to the adoption, as an
easier alternative, of one of those hackneyed quota-
tions to be found with tedious frequency in the
pages of exhibition catalogues. "Picture Titles, for
Painters and Photographers," which will be shortly
issued from the offices of The Studio, will contain
about 3,000 quotations from British and American
poets, carefully selected with a view to their adapta-
bility not only for titles, but also as suggestions for
pictures. In order to render the volume as con-
venient and time-saving as possible, it will be
divided into various sections and subsections
covering the whole field of artistic production.
Thus "Marine Subjects" will be subdivided into
" Open Sea," "Coast," and "Shipping"; "Land-
scape Subjects " into " Atmospheric Effects,"
" Gardens and Orchards," "Woodland and Forest,"
"Rivers, Lakes, and Streams," "Mountains and
Hills," "Wide Prospects," "Spring," "Summer,"
" Autumn," "Winter," " Morning and Afternoon,"
" Evening and Night," and " Miscellaneous." The
Figure Section will be subdivided into " Imagina-
tive," "Fanciful," "Pastoraland Rustic," " Domestic,"
"Religious," "Military," "Festive Scenes," "The
Figure — Nude and Draped," and "Character
Studies." Finally there will be sections devoted
to "Animals and Birds," "Sporting," "Archi-
tectural," and " Topographical " subjects. The
volume, which has been compiled by the well-
known artist and author, Mr. A. L. Baldry, will
be published about the first week in February.

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