DOI issue:
No. 132 ( March, 1904)
DOI article:Studio-talk
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19881#0167
Studio- Talk
and its enemies are always imploring it to brought better into agreement with the trend of
assume. modern art conviction. The taste for decorative
work is rapidly ousting among people of intelligence
Indeed, it is quite time that the Academy ceased the old love of incidental painting, and the thinking
to model its policy upon that of the Chinese men who despise the subject picture are seeking
Empire, and to pose as the one perfect and placid sesthetic satisfaction more and more in the various
institution which permits, in its magnificent charity, forms of design. In the past the Academy has
a number of fussy little outside organisations to refused to admit the existence of such a tendency,
exist simply because it considers them too insignifi- and if it has elected artists of decorative ability, it
cant to be dangerous. Its position is now seriously has done so simply because they were also subject
challenged, and the public which used to believe painters. But now it has suddenly awakened to
in it implicitly is beginning to waver in its allegi- the fact that there is a large and increasing
ance. Therefore, several pet delusions are obviously section of the public which takes an interest
being abandoned, and, judging by this election, in the decorator as such, and so it has hurried to
among these is the one that the decorator is prove it is of the same mind itself. The awaken-
not wanted at Burlington House. Hitherto the ing is most welcome; it has caused well-deserved
Academy has judged decorative questions from honour to be done to three of the most dis-
the standpoint of the subject or portrait painter, tinguished of our younger artists, and it has
futilely and mistakenly; but now it has added committed the Academy to a line of policy which
to its list of members three
men who are qualified
by their capacities and
practice to speak with
authority on questions of
design. Mr. Brangwyn
is one of the greatest
living decorators—a man
who is versed in every
detail of decorative art;
Mr. Furse has executed
some memorable decora-
tions, and has, in his prac-
tice as a portrait-painter,
showed consistently his
understanding of those
great qualities of compo-
sition which made the
old masters of portraiture
such magnificent decora-
tive artists; and Mr.
Pegram is a distinguished
member of that band of
sculptor - decorators who
are doing so much to
put the art of sculpture
once more in a stable
position.
By the accession ot
these three Associates the
Academy is strengthened ,
just where it has been for
some time past noton- "sunday afternoon" from a painting by carlos grethe
ously weakest, and it is also (See article on Carlos Grethe)
and its enemies are always imploring it to brought better into agreement with the trend of
assume. modern art conviction. The taste for decorative
work is rapidly ousting among people of intelligence
Indeed, it is quite time that the Academy ceased the old love of incidental painting, and the thinking
to model its policy upon that of the Chinese men who despise the subject picture are seeking
Empire, and to pose as the one perfect and placid sesthetic satisfaction more and more in the various
institution which permits, in its magnificent charity, forms of design. In the past the Academy has
a number of fussy little outside organisations to refused to admit the existence of such a tendency,
exist simply because it considers them too insignifi- and if it has elected artists of decorative ability, it
cant to be dangerous. Its position is now seriously has done so simply because they were also subject
challenged, and the public which used to believe painters. But now it has suddenly awakened to
in it implicitly is beginning to waver in its allegi- the fact that there is a large and increasing
ance. Therefore, several pet delusions are obviously section of the public which takes an interest
being abandoned, and, judging by this election, in the decorator as such, and so it has hurried to
among these is the one that the decorator is prove it is of the same mind itself. The awaken-
not wanted at Burlington House. Hitherto the ing is most welcome; it has caused well-deserved
Academy has judged decorative questions from honour to be done to three of the most dis-
the standpoint of the subject or portrait painter, tinguished of our younger artists, and it has
futilely and mistakenly; but now it has added committed the Academy to a line of policy which
to its list of members three
men who are qualified
by their capacities and
practice to speak with
authority on questions of
design. Mr. Brangwyn
is one of the greatest
living decorators—a man
who is versed in every
detail of decorative art;
Mr. Furse has executed
some memorable decora-
tions, and has, in his prac-
tice as a portrait-painter,
showed consistently his
understanding of those
great qualities of compo-
sition which made the
old masters of portraiture
such magnificent decora-
tive artists; and Mr.
Pegram is a distinguished
member of that band of
sculptor - decorators who
are doing so much to
put the art of sculpture
once more in a stable
position.
By the accession ot
these three Associates the
Academy is strengthened ,
just where it has been for
some time past noton- "sunday afternoon" from a painting by carlos grethe
ously weakest, and it is also (See article on Carlos Grethe)