DOI Heft:
Nr. 146 (May 1905)
DOI Artikel:Leaves from the sketch-book of A. Romilly Fedden
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20711#0327
LEAVES FROM THE SKETCH-
BOOK OF A. ROMILLY FEDDEN
BECAUSE the materials are so simple, not answered this prayer. The impression which it
drawing in pencil is still a partly ex- takes into its black box can betray no consciousness
ploited thing, and only partly appre- of the intimate qualities in our friends that become
ciated. The drawings by Mr. Romilly beautiful to us by our admiration, such as the
Fedden — one of the most talented of the changeableness of their faces, the character and
younger water-colourists—which are here repro- texture of their complexion and their hair. Why
duced, represent the studies of a painter in this is it portraits in pencil are not enjoying a fashion
medium j and they show the whole course such as every worthy form of portraiture has at
of his experiments, from the somewhat hard some time enjoyed ? Our illustrations show
and matter-of-fact use of the medium in the what charms the medium contains in right
picture of a girl looking into the darkened hands—in the hands of an artist; and like every
room to the atmospheric and sensitive drawing of other medium, it takes its beauty from successful
cottages by moonlight. This latter is most painter- handling,
like; it shows how mys-
terious and sympathetic
blacklead pencil drawing .^..r^-.. '[sjm''
can be made. Of course it
is not a new thing the use
of pencil in this manner ;
it has been used in this way
often before, but a certain
taint of the schools has
nearly always clung to the
work. It is from this that
Mr. Fedden is rapidly get-
ting away: and in the place ' .^s^fi^^jj^EffF'
of matter-of-factness his
work is acquiring charm.
He has executed many * %^^^H
portraits — and here is an
open field. The time
and the money to be given
by a sitter for a portrait \'•>^•■W]j*Sw3^£
in oils or water-colour is
nearly always inconveni-
ently too much. The camera
really offers no remedy. iSBwiife'
Apart from the wish to have '^HPHHH|f'
the image of a friend's face,
so that we can hang it up
or move it from place to
place, portraiture gives us *™*—
the only approach to that AU Jl 1L1
power to see ourselves as \ ^sJAJM---^ .
others see us, for which
once Burns made a
prayer. The camera has Portrait Study By A Romilly Fedden
310
BOOK OF A. ROMILLY FEDDEN
BECAUSE the materials are so simple, not answered this prayer. The impression which it
drawing in pencil is still a partly ex- takes into its black box can betray no consciousness
ploited thing, and only partly appre- of the intimate qualities in our friends that become
ciated. The drawings by Mr. Romilly beautiful to us by our admiration, such as the
Fedden — one of the most talented of the changeableness of their faces, the character and
younger water-colourists—which are here repro- texture of their complexion and their hair. Why
duced, represent the studies of a painter in this is it portraits in pencil are not enjoying a fashion
medium j and they show the whole course such as every worthy form of portraiture has at
of his experiments, from the somewhat hard some time enjoyed ? Our illustrations show
and matter-of-fact use of the medium in the what charms the medium contains in right
picture of a girl looking into the darkened hands—in the hands of an artist; and like every
room to the atmospheric and sensitive drawing of other medium, it takes its beauty from successful
cottages by moonlight. This latter is most painter- handling,
like; it shows how mys-
terious and sympathetic
blacklead pencil drawing .^..r^-.. '[sjm''
can be made. Of course it
is not a new thing the use
of pencil in this manner ;
it has been used in this way
often before, but a certain
taint of the schools has
nearly always clung to the
work. It is from this that
Mr. Fedden is rapidly get-
ting away: and in the place ' .^s^fi^^jj^EffF'
of matter-of-factness his
work is acquiring charm.
He has executed many * %^^^H
portraits — and here is an
open field. The time
and the money to be given
by a sitter for a portrait \'•>^•■W]j*Sw3^£
in oils or water-colour is
nearly always inconveni-
ently too much. The camera
really offers no remedy. iSBwiife'
Apart from the wish to have '^HPHHH|f'
the image of a friend's face,
so that we can hang it up
or move it from place to
place, portraiture gives us *™*—
the only approach to that AU Jl 1L1
power to see ourselves as \ ^sJAJM---^ .
others see us, for which
once Burns made a
prayer. The camera has Portrait Study By A Romilly Fedden
310