Studio: international art (37.1906)

Arts and Crafts Exhibition. Concluding Notice

handling are only equalled by the beauty and deli- F I ">HE ARTS AND CRAFTS EXHI-
cacy of colouring. BITION AT THE GRAFTON

1 I

He again returned to his successes with young GALLERY. THIRD AND CON-

womanhood in his Prue, which was bought by the ■■■ CLUDING NOTICE.
Munich Gallery in 1902, and the very fine Nancy,

which was bought by the Walker Art Gallery of In our last article we touched on the beauty of
Liverpool. The delightful Betty is the subject of enamelling, the accidental beauty that pertained to
a mezzotint by T. Hamilton Crawford. a material which yields such a rich harvest in

Portrait painting, in fact, now takes nearly all unexpected results. Such a medium, of course,
his time, and Glasgow was fortunate indeed in must lay many traps, and entice to frequent failure
securing his brush to the making of The Finding the too eager amateur. In fact its illusiveness and
of the Ring and other fine frescoes for the Banquet- indefiniteness of result is at once the secret of its
ing Hall in the Municipal Buildings, where his work charm and of its deficiencies. We mentioned the
stands to the glory of the great city side by side with triptych of The Red Cross Knight by Mrs.
that of Walton, Lavery, and Henry. His later por- Phcebe Traquair, a reproduction of which is now
traits are numerous, perhaps one of the best known given. Even in the half-tone reproduction some of
being that of Mrs. Andrew Carnegie and Daughter, the beauty of contrast possible to the medium

Although the artist is at present engaged upon a tells. It is this effect of contrast which makes
heavy series of commissions in America, the Inde- enamelling,- properly understood, so essentially a
pendents fortunately secured, for their remarkable decorative art. Mrs. Traquair's triptych has faulty
show in London, his vigorously handled, subtly points of drawing, but the charm of colour she has
coloured, large canvas of The Scottish Fishwife, which, attained more than combats this, and turns the
by the exquisite painting of
a black cat, bears witness,
amongst its other fine quali-
ties, to a quaint and rich
gift for stating the character
of animals.

Alexander Roche has the
courage of his opinions, and
has lectured and written
upon art. Indeed, he
speaks with high authority.

In his rare gift of colour,
one fairy godmother gave
him rich dower; another
gave him a rare sense
of composition ; and yet a
third, as though he were
not already rich enough,
granted him a keen percep-
tion of character; these gifts
he has used to masterly pur-
pose, whether he paint the
bloom of beauty that lies
on young womanhood's fair
cheek, or with vigorous
brush raises before our eyes
the swing and heave of the
waters; whether he catch
the flying lights that play on
land and sea, or set the very
winds upon his canvas.

Haldane Macfall. "margaret" by Alexander roche

213