Studio: international art (48.1910)

Mr. Brangwyn's Tempera Frieze

dignified work by setting a decorative frieze above to complete it. But it was equally clear that it

his spacious panelled woodwork to the painting of would be better to have the plain plaster wall as

which he has called the rich and sumptuous art of a frieze than to deaden the effect of the glowing

Mr. Brangwyn. And in its remarkable partnership wood and its purity of design with a coloured

of the arts, both Sir Aston Webb and the directors frieze that should be heavy or dull in texture. It

of the Grand Trunk Railway have, perhaps, builded was here that the architect's sense of selection

even better than they thought; for a new form of proved his grip of the essential values, when he

decoration has been created which should cause called in Mr. Brangwyn's art to the enhancement

the setting in of a fashion that may have wide- of his own skill.

reaching results. In painting the tempera frieze to complete the

It was clear that Sir Aston Webb's rich, but decorative scheme of Sir Aston Webb's design,

simple and restrained design in warm brown Mr. Brangwyn has enhanced that scheme in a way

panelling required a frieze of sumptuous colour that is the best tribute to the architect's choice of

the partner of his labours. The advan-
tages of the use of tempera at once

, ~ vwv>^. ' " strike the eye—the colour is brilliant,

r* \ \ piercing the heavy London atmosphere

" ,/ that "puts out" any ordinary painter's

medium, and overpowers oil-colour; it
is absolutely flat, becomes entirely
a part of the texture and surface of a
wall; it is very permanent and it
stands cleaning. It is true that it has
disadvantages—it must be used by a
master, for it necessitates bold and
decisive handling. That is essential
and vital. The man who uses it must
be a fine draughtsman and a bold one;
he must be a born colourist, and again
a bold one. There must be no playing
":■,■:>. with the tools, no redrawings, no hesi-

tations with the colour, no dawdling
- . %v^sSKwJuLj over details, no finesse. The thing

'*desired must be stated at once, with-
out retouchings, without remodelling.
And how complete has been the artist's
% jfnvBpl W triumph no one can fully realise who

J VllfgBlt i| is not skilled in the use of tempera.

For here we have a new and bold
employment of tempera typical of
Mr. Brangwyn's artistic career, and
JbBS* iRrJHf' very individual to the man. Others

hhm^HflHL ; have wrought in tempera, and wrought

P^hIShI ! astounding well. But they have sought

* their inspiration in the traditions of the

past; they have gone to the great
i||||y dead; have analysed the methods of

'■~^rarlr>,c_^HHS8ra t'le 0'C^ mastcrs > andI as near as could

yiH)&-•• •• lUlWH be, they have revived the methods

nfl v ' and respected the traditions of the

jfflHpfv . \. • great Italians. They have been con-

r»'f' " ;f \ tent to bring to us the Italian vision,
and to state their ideas in a foreign

sketch for frieze by frank brangwyn, a.r.a. tongue. Mr. Brangwyn, schooled in