DOI Heft:
No. 159 (June, 1906)
DOI Artikel:Irvine, J. H.: Professor von Herkomer on Maxfield Parrish's book illustrations
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20715#0062
Max field Parrish s Book Illustrations
thing is. the decorative element. This is a term raconteur rather childhood that
Th^h 13 Sreatly mi5USed and misunderSt0°d' cotdd^ever have been realised by the most pre-
The exact quality is difficult to express m words, , ^ lpast 0f all by the Infant
though most Stem would recognise its presence in
S m..™.,,,™,ha. X Phe"0“; the ..e,|.spring of eternal ,0«.h
^ a S^nce. The nearest word-interpretatio:
tive6 e<2n a^le t0 formu,ate is this : 1 The decora-
lve e ement is an intellectual abstract of natural
Phenomena and form.’ No photograph is ever
abC°rat*Ve Ur^ess ^ is bad, in which latter case it
mcts the subjectivity of nature. In this way
sh seems to have had a vision, which has
often been suggested to me by "hat the p
fessional photographer would call an imper e
picture-the foreground and all near, objects out
Of focus, the background dar , a parrjsh
thoroughly focussed up. I do not say t^e
received his mental hint in this way, u 0
most interesting things about
him is just that admixture of
the camera-esque and the pic-
turesque. Without sacrificing a
single artistic virtue that was
in recognised existence before
the advent of photography, his
work seems nevertheless to
recognise the fact that photo-
graphy has come and intends to
remain.” At this point the
speaker turned to the volume of
stories called “ Dream Days,”
where a plate representing a
gardener shaking his fist at an
invisible foe at once attracted
his attention. “Would anyone
ever have drawn trees as in this
illustration,” he asked, “without
having seen them through the
mechanical representation of the
camera? But the ‘geist’ of the
man knows with unfailing taste
when to introduce that aspect.”
The interest of the writer
had been redoubled when Pro-
fessor von Herkomer took up
“ Dream Days.” In common
with many others, he had first
made the acquaintance of Mr.
Kenneth Grahame in the edi-
tion issued without illustration.
He had quickly fallen under
the spell of that delightful
talker—for there is a light-
ness and vivacity in Mr. Gra-
hame’s prose that smacks of the
their narraioi t..w .. _
Then the second series came, and one learnt
with mingled feelings that the expert in meanings
had called to his aid the expert in forms. “ What
a subject,” one thought, as one tremblingly opened
the new edition ; “ and what an artist! ” one ex-
claimed, when the first of the pictures met one s
gaze. Nor did a further examination contradict the
first impression. Every charm of Mr. Grahame’s
finds its counterpart in Mr. Parrish’s illus-
The purity and delicacy of youthful
'--wl. orl Pmlai an(j
prose
tratior
thoughts
J'USbnd i» both «» «1«X
PARRISH
BY MAXFIELD
thing is. the decorative element. This is a term raconteur rather childhood that
Th^h 13 Sreatly mi5USed and misunderSt0°d' cotdd^ever have been realised by the most pre-
The exact quality is difficult to express m words, , ^ lpast 0f all by the Infant
though most Stem would recognise its presence in
S m..™.,,,™,ha. X Phe"0“; the ..e,|.spring of eternal ,0«.h
^ a S^nce. The nearest word-interpretatio:
tive6 e<2n a^le t0 formu,ate is this : 1 The decora-
lve e ement is an intellectual abstract of natural
Phenomena and form.’ No photograph is ever
abC°rat*Ve Ur^ess ^ is bad, in which latter case it
mcts the subjectivity of nature. In this way
sh seems to have had a vision, which has
often been suggested to me by "hat the p
fessional photographer would call an imper e
picture-the foreground and all near, objects out
Of focus, the background dar , a parrjsh
thoroughly focussed up. I do not say t^e
received his mental hint in this way, u 0
most interesting things about
him is just that admixture of
the camera-esque and the pic-
turesque. Without sacrificing a
single artistic virtue that was
in recognised existence before
the advent of photography, his
work seems nevertheless to
recognise the fact that photo-
graphy has come and intends to
remain.” At this point the
speaker turned to the volume of
stories called “ Dream Days,”
where a plate representing a
gardener shaking his fist at an
invisible foe at once attracted
his attention. “Would anyone
ever have drawn trees as in this
illustration,” he asked, “without
having seen them through the
mechanical representation of the
camera? But the ‘geist’ of the
man knows with unfailing taste
when to introduce that aspect.”
The interest of the writer
had been redoubled when Pro-
fessor von Herkomer took up
“ Dream Days.” In common
with many others, he had first
made the acquaintance of Mr.
Kenneth Grahame in the edi-
tion issued without illustration.
He had quickly fallen under
the spell of that delightful
talker—for there is a light-
ness and vivacity in Mr. Gra-
hame’s prose that smacks of the
their narraioi t..w .. _
Then the second series came, and one learnt
with mingled feelings that the expert in meanings
had called to his aid the expert in forms. “ What
a subject,” one thought, as one tremblingly opened
the new edition ; “ and what an artist! ” one ex-
claimed, when the first of the pictures met one s
gaze. Nor did a further examination contradict the
first impression. Every charm of Mr. Grahame’s
finds its counterpart in Mr. Parrish’s illus-
The purity and delicacy of youthful
'--wl. orl Pmlai an(j
prose
tratior
thoughts
J'USbnd i» both «» «1«X
PARRISH
BY MAXFIELD