DOI Heft:
Nr. 145 (April 1905)
DOI Artikel:Baldry, Alfred Lys: Arthur Rackham: a painter of fantasies
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20711#0205
Arthur Rackham
ARTHUR RACKHAM : A PAINT- movement, of that vigorous expansion which
ER OF FANTASIES BY A L better than anything else proves the sincerity
t> a t t-vt-.it of the workers to whose efforts it is due, and,
BALDRY. ,, , , , c , ■ r
as well, the thoroughness of their recognition of
One of the best and most interesting charac- their professional responsibilities. Among these
teristics of the British Water - Colour School workers, neither enthusiasm nor capacity is want-
has always been its wonderful variety. During ing ; they are amply fulfilling their mission in the
the century and a half which is approximately art world, and are doing complete credit to the
the period that has elapsed since water-colour school to which they belong.
painting began to be seriously studied in this There is most certainly no apology necessary for
country there has been an astonishing develop- assigning to Mr. Arthur Rackham a prominent
ment in this form of art practice. The first place among the most distinguished of these
attempts of the early water - colourists were, it modern water-colourists. We have no one who
can be admitted, purely tentative technical can quite be compared with him, no one who uses
essays, and aimed at nothing more than the his particular executive method with a tithe of his
representation of commonplace facts in a timid ability or approaches him in fanciful originality,
and conventional manner. But in a very short Nor is there any of his predecessors who can be
time, as the school increased
the number of its adherents ._......-____~..
and acquired fuller authority,
a broader conception of the
functions of the art was sub-
stituted for the earlier formali-
ties and a much more vigorous "^V^ >
type of effort was encouraged. II. [' ... ; ^V\\
All kinds of subjects quickly came lafe^tev" irrf^BF'
to be regarded as permissible
in water colour, and the widest
varieties of treatment were allowed
to the men who had the strength
and originality necessary for
marked departures from the
beaten track. Conventions gave
way to freedom of action and to
the legitimate experiments which
led to substantial and valuable
progress.
Fortunately, this love of ex-
periment has not diminished
with the lapse of years. The
present day water-colour painters
are as ready as their predecessors
to seek for new ways of expressing
themselves, and consequently
there has been no slackening in
the progress of the school, and
no decrease in the vitality of the
art itself. New men who have
something fresh to say are con-
stantly making their appearance
and are adding steadily something
of value to the sum total of
_ , ,, . . , . "THE OLD MAN": ILLUSTRATION BY ARTHUR RACKHAM
England s artistic achievement. „.0r grimm>s fairy tales
There is evidence of continuous (By permission of Messrs. Archibald Constable &= Co.)
XXXIV. No. 145.—April, 1905. 189
ARTHUR RACKHAM : A PAINT- movement, of that vigorous expansion which
ER OF FANTASIES BY A L better than anything else proves the sincerity
t> a t t-vt-.it of the workers to whose efforts it is due, and,
BALDRY. ,, , , , c , ■ r
as well, the thoroughness of their recognition of
One of the best and most interesting charac- their professional responsibilities. Among these
teristics of the British Water - Colour School workers, neither enthusiasm nor capacity is want-
has always been its wonderful variety. During ing ; they are amply fulfilling their mission in the
the century and a half which is approximately art world, and are doing complete credit to the
the period that has elapsed since water-colour school to which they belong.
painting began to be seriously studied in this There is most certainly no apology necessary for
country there has been an astonishing develop- assigning to Mr. Arthur Rackham a prominent
ment in this form of art practice. The first place among the most distinguished of these
attempts of the early water - colourists were, it modern water-colourists. We have no one who
can be admitted, purely tentative technical can quite be compared with him, no one who uses
essays, and aimed at nothing more than the his particular executive method with a tithe of his
representation of commonplace facts in a timid ability or approaches him in fanciful originality,
and conventional manner. But in a very short Nor is there any of his predecessors who can be
time, as the school increased
the number of its adherents ._......-____~..
and acquired fuller authority,
a broader conception of the
functions of the art was sub-
stituted for the earlier formali-
ties and a much more vigorous "^V^ >
type of effort was encouraged. II. [' ... ; ^V\\
All kinds of subjects quickly came lafe^tev" irrf^BF'
to be regarded as permissible
in water colour, and the widest
varieties of treatment were allowed
to the men who had the strength
and originality necessary for
marked departures from the
beaten track. Conventions gave
way to freedom of action and to
the legitimate experiments which
led to substantial and valuable
progress.
Fortunately, this love of ex-
periment has not diminished
with the lapse of years. The
present day water-colour painters
are as ready as their predecessors
to seek for new ways of expressing
themselves, and consequently
there has been no slackening in
the progress of the school, and
no decrease in the vitality of the
art itself. New men who have
something fresh to say are con-
stantly making their appearance
and are adding steadily something
of value to the sum total of
_ , ,, . . , . "THE OLD MAN": ILLUSTRATION BY ARTHUR RACKHAM
England s artistic achievement. „.0r grimm>s fairy tales
There is evidence of continuous (By permission of Messrs. Archibald Constable &= Co.)
XXXIV. No. 145.—April, 1905. 189