Studio: international art (45.1909)

Studio-Talk

scapes were unequal in quality ; they gave witness
to the painter who can succeed or fail in daring
attempts with the brush. It was also most instruc-
tive to study modern still-life here in a select
collection of such works.

Great activity reigns in the domain of applied
art. The Königliche Kunstgewerbe Museum has
been delighting connoisseurs with an English ex-
hibition of modern books, writings and illumina-
tions, and modern handwrought jewellery, quite
personal works of some distinguished craftsmen.
Bibliophilie rarities are already produced in Ger-
many, but the reform movement started in England,
and we were grateful to be allowed to see new
achievements by worthy followers of Morris. The
metal-works, brooches, necklets and pendants

TRAY WITH BATIK DECORATION BY ALBERT REIM ANN

showed that a group of very individual English
workers are keeping in touch with best traditions
and yet far from mere imitation.

ical designers, and caligraphists. Quite a gallery
of miniatures was displayed ; extravagances of
imagination found vent in real orgies in allegory
and symbolism, but wit and humour also were not
absent. Careful comparisons could only decide
in favour of reserve and simplicity, although the
graces of Rococo and Empire times were equalled
by modern artists. Clear and fine lettering and
superior paper seem crowning virtues of an up-to-
date visiting-card ; to announce beforehand one’s
personality by any sort of emblem of self-revelation
or self-recommendation would certainly seem to
imply a lack of tact, however admissible such
devices may be for business purposes.

With the advent of Chiistmas came two impor-
tant doll exhibitions. In Tietz’s sale rooms first
and then in the Hohenzollern Kunstgewerbe-Haus
of Messrs. Friedmann and Weber, historical reviews
were held that again brought success to the dolls of
the sûcle charmant and of the early nineteenth
century. But the doll appeared also in the
character of the marionette, the crib figure, the
automat, the tea cosy, and the preserver of old
peasant dresses. There was also the quite
individual modern doll, and these miniature repeti-
tions of babies and people who live around us
attracted particular attention. Naturalism is some-
times too radical in this domain ; it must not be
forgotten that dolls are pre-eminently toys, that
they have to delight, not to frighten, our little
people. In the section of plastic caricatures at
Friedmann and Weber’s a group of Berlin
humorous draughtsmen stood out conspicuously
with designs for ginger-cakes, whilst the ceramic

The demand for artistically exe-
cuted visiting-cards is another
symptom of increasing aesthetic
requirements in Germany. It was
most interesting to study the exhi-
bition prepared at Amsler and
Ruthardt’s, which consisted of the
550 original designs sent in for the
prize competition arranged by the
Leipzic Buchgewerbe-Verein. One
could not quite agree with the
awards of first prizes for cards for
the Crown Princess Cecilie or the
Princess Johann Georg of Saxe,
but there was much admirable
work from renowned painters,
lithographers, etchers, typograph-
316

BOX WITH BATIK DECORATION

BY ALBERT REIMANN