DOI issue:
Nr. 143 (February 1905)
DOI article:A notable decorative achievement by W. Reynolds Stephens
DOI Page / Citation link: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20711#0027
A Notable Decorative Achievement
SOUTH SANCTUARY WINDOW
DESIGNED BY W. REYNOLDS-STEPHENS
(Reproduced by permission of
the artist, who reserves copyright)
that can be detected hampered his imagina-
tion or affected his resourcefulness. He seems
to have had at his disposal all that he needed
for the elaboration of his design, and the most
priestly prejudices could not question the appro-
priateness of the ornamentation which he has
lavished upon the church. To satisfy artistic
exigencies without running counter to religious
conventions is not always an easy matter, and that
Mr. Reynolds-Stephens has been able to do so is a
very definite proof of his sound judgment and
intelligent perception of his responsibilities.
One of the most interesting points in the work
is the happy manner in which a number of
materials have been used not only without dis-
cordance but actually with much assistance to the
general harmony. By juxtaposing surfaces of
stone, wood, and metal, by relieving salient
features in the architectural design with overlaying
of metal and with subtle touches of colour, and by
contrasting different coloured marbles one with the
other and with details in brass, steel, or copper, a
charming shimmer of delicate tints has been pro-
duced in which nothing is out of tone or right
relation and in which the necessary accents tell at
their full value. Moreover, by this use of natural
materials the permanence of the whole scheme is
assured. There is no fear that time or wear and
tear will change certain parts of the decoration,
and so upset a carefully devised arrangement by
establishing unexpected colour relations or by
dulling into invisibility what were intended to be
the keynotes of the harmony. The practical know-
ledge of the designer has in this matter served him
well: it has guided him in the choice of things
appropriate, it has enabled him to enhance the
charm of his colour combination by setting off one
against the other textures which are in them-
selves of decorative value, and it has aided him
to look forward with some degree of equanimity
ELECTROLIER IN ' DESIGNED BY
GALVANISED IRON W. REYNOLDS-STEPHENS
WITH ENAMEL PLATES
(Reproduced by permission of
the artist, who reserves copy7'ightJ
11
SOUTH SANCTUARY WINDOW
DESIGNED BY W. REYNOLDS-STEPHENS
(Reproduced by permission of
the artist, who reserves copyright)
that can be detected hampered his imagina-
tion or affected his resourcefulness. He seems
to have had at his disposal all that he needed
for the elaboration of his design, and the most
priestly prejudices could not question the appro-
priateness of the ornamentation which he has
lavished upon the church. To satisfy artistic
exigencies without running counter to religious
conventions is not always an easy matter, and that
Mr. Reynolds-Stephens has been able to do so is a
very definite proof of his sound judgment and
intelligent perception of his responsibilities.
One of the most interesting points in the work
is the happy manner in which a number of
materials have been used not only without dis-
cordance but actually with much assistance to the
general harmony. By juxtaposing surfaces of
stone, wood, and metal, by relieving salient
features in the architectural design with overlaying
of metal and with subtle touches of colour, and by
contrasting different coloured marbles one with the
other and with details in brass, steel, or copper, a
charming shimmer of delicate tints has been pro-
duced in which nothing is out of tone or right
relation and in which the necessary accents tell at
their full value. Moreover, by this use of natural
materials the permanence of the whole scheme is
assured. There is no fear that time or wear and
tear will change certain parts of the decoration,
and so upset a carefully devised arrangement by
establishing unexpected colour relations or by
dulling into invisibility what were intended to be
the keynotes of the harmony. The practical know-
ledge of the designer has in this matter served him
well: it has guided him in the choice of things
appropriate, it has enabled him to enhance the
charm of his colour combination by setting off one
against the other textures which are in them-
selves of decorative value, and it has aided him
to look forward with some degree of equanimity
ELECTROLIER IN ' DESIGNED BY
GALVANISED IRON W. REYNOLDS-STEPHENS
WITH ENAMEL PLATES
(Reproduced by permission of
the artist, who reserves copy7'ightJ
11