DOI Heft:
Nr. 143 (February 1905)
DOI Artikel:Wood, T. Martin: The etchings of W. Monk
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20711#0050
W. Mo n k
board may, at the hands of art, show a beaut}' as second nature with the artist, can give them,
apparent, and make a far more interesting picture. But he has never allowed this to sever his con-
This shows how all depends on treatment; it opens nection with that wider public who cannot go the
up, too, the wide discussion as to how far ugliness whole way with the artist, with the virtuoso, into
of association mitigates the wresting of real beauty those curiosities of technique which grow out of a
from ugly things. trained or personal way of seeing, and which
Mr. Monk's attitude towards his art is that of a selects from life only that which is necessary for
tentative scholar. He understands well how treat- its own display. This is an attitude on the part of
ment can give to an uninspiring subject an unusual Mr. Monk bred of a humility which prevents him
interest. The interesting lines of buildings, the believing that the natural vision of man, with its
lines of scaffolding, the lights that windows receive desire for completeness, can really be proved to
into their shadows, the significance of a black be entirely foolish by artistic sophistry. Yet his
object on the white background of a London attitude is, too, the outcome of an understanding
street, have for him the fuller meaning that the of those qualities of selection, of restraint, and
trained adjustment of vision, which becomes vivacity that place some of the best work of the
great etchers beyond the
appreciation which is to
ftewi w ■»^'oiirT?'/ ^6 ^a(^ fr°m uncultivated
g ■ »~ and indolent students of
<<Lp? , ; i these matters. Perhaps
/T\ *-. \ yL because the artist has
[■KhT'IBl Hi ' iatJ^ft not a scornful intolerance
:'hmUELJ' t~ JifW -!>M_ of the natural as opposed
to the 'tistic man, and
i yet is 'rmself possessed
L with th aims of art,
he has ;en enabled, in
scholarly and workman-
;t~~-t"~_ like et hings, to exer-
jmpj - —cise, wit n certain amount
<•.«•> ''// of confidence in the wider
■■in ' public, his faculty of
11F selection and restraint,
ifcir,"< i * anc'to riSPect tne etcnur s
!1 *j & technique without being
k'-^g^l, tempted into that art
'rf^'i1' which, content to exist for
fits own sake, becomes,
for the ordinary person,
hieroglyphic.
For Mr. Monk the thing
that he has etched exists
= f°r 'ts own sa-ke as well
p'? j- as for the sake of his
picture ; his subject-matter
does not resolve itself
_ for him merely into an
arrangement. The sub-
?■ - f ject itself has attracted
^.jo^Jf-i-'Lixwij ■rfniiiir-~^- -*- -i-^. >"«<.■■« him. The implements oi
labour in the street, the
scaffolding, the figure of
Justice holding the scales
a court in dki ry lane" from the etching by w. monk over the gateway, have
34
board may, at the hands of art, show a beaut}' as second nature with the artist, can give them,
apparent, and make a far more interesting picture. But he has never allowed this to sever his con-
This shows how all depends on treatment; it opens nection with that wider public who cannot go the
up, too, the wide discussion as to how far ugliness whole way with the artist, with the virtuoso, into
of association mitigates the wresting of real beauty those curiosities of technique which grow out of a
from ugly things. trained or personal way of seeing, and which
Mr. Monk's attitude towards his art is that of a selects from life only that which is necessary for
tentative scholar. He understands well how treat- its own display. This is an attitude on the part of
ment can give to an uninspiring subject an unusual Mr. Monk bred of a humility which prevents him
interest. The interesting lines of buildings, the believing that the natural vision of man, with its
lines of scaffolding, the lights that windows receive desire for completeness, can really be proved to
into their shadows, the significance of a black be entirely foolish by artistic sophistry. Yet his
object on the white background of a London attitude is, too, the outcome of an understanding
street, have for him the fuller meaning that the of those qualities of selection, of restraint, and
trained adjustment of vision, which becomes vivacity that place some of the best work of the
great etchers beyond the
appreciation which is to
ftewi w ■»^'oiirT?'/ ^6 ^a(^ fr°m uncultivated
g ■ »~ and indolent students of
<<Lp? , ; i these matters. Perhaps
/T\ *-. \ yL because the artist has
[■KhT'IBl Hi ' iatJ^ft not a scornful intolerance
:'hmUELJ' t~ JifW -!>M_ of the natural as opposed
to the 'tistic man, and
i yet is 'rmself possessed
L with th aims of art,
he has ;en enabled, in
scholarly and workman-
;t~~-t"~_ like et hings, to exer-
jmpj - —cise, wit n certain amount
<•.«•> ''// of confidence in the wider
■■in ' public, his faculty of
11F selection and restraint,
ifcir,"< i * anc'to riSPect tne etcnur s
!1 *j & technique without being
k'-^g^l, tempted into that art
'rf^'i1' which, content to exist for
fits own sake, becomes,
for the ordinary person,
hieroglyphic.
For Mr. Monk the thing
that he has etched exists
= f°r 'ts own sa-ke as well
p'? j- as for the sake of his
picture ; his subject-matter
does not resolve itself
_ for him merely into an
arrangement. The sub-
?■ - f ject itself has attracted
^.jo^Jf-i-'Lixwij ■rfniiiir-~^- -*- -i-^. >"«<.■■« him. The implements oi
labour in the street, the
scaffolding, the figure of
Justice holding the scales
a court in dki ry lane" from the etching by w. monk over the gateway, have
34