Studio: international art (45.1909)

Recent Paintings by John Lavery, R.S.A., R.H.A.

“THE HOUSE OF WALTER HARRIS AT TANGIER” BY JOHN LAVERY

mastery of technique he
can give himself up more
securely to the sense of
colour. We may find an
instance of this in the
brilliant paintings of that
colour rhapsodist, Joaquin
Sorolla ; and such is the
view Mr. Lavery has both
expressed to me, and shown
in those paintings of the
north African coast (which
are included in our repro-
ductions), of the House
of Waller Harris at
Tangier, with the well-
known writer’s black ser-
vant seated beside the
fountain in the foreground,

when he observed that
Art is the Science of the
Beautiful.

In his portrait of Mrs.
Trevor Mr. Lavery touches
a colour note which he had
before treated with distinc-
tion. Symphoniser les noirs
we have found already to
be one note of his art,
derived perhaps in its in-
ception from Whistler; but
in none of his Ladies in
Black has he shown more
seduction of rich yet sober
colour than in this charming
portrait, which, as I write,
waits the final touches.

In Eileen the artist re
sûmes the theme which
he has treated in varying
phases and ages from Père
et Fille onwards; and this
last portrait of Miss Lavery
in white dress, motor bon-
net and veil, with her little
Pomeranian held by a
leash, yields to none in its
sympathetic note and charm
of design. As the artist
progresses, as he develops
from a “ tight ” careful style
to greater freedom, so with
178

MBMw

“a moorish harf.m”

BY JOHN LAVERY