DOI Heft:
No. 199 (October, 1909)
DOI Artikel:Mr. Brangwyn's tempera frieze at the new London offices of the Grand Trunk Railway
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20968#0055
Mr. Brangwyn s Tempera Frieze
these great traditions, has founded himself upon as well as using the finest advertisement that they
the bed-rock of their technique, and has learnt his can get for the noising abroad of their commercial
grammar from them; and then, boldly rejecting activities.
all the old formulas and flinging aside the Italian But there is a higher significance than this in
spectacles, has developed the medium to his own the frieze—its artistic significance. It would be
ends, using it decisively and with forthright inten- difficult to imagine the motive of the triumph of
tion of getting from its colours a wider and science and modern civilization over the rude
fuller gamut and a larger and more national forces of nature and of barbarism being uttered
utterance. to a finer orchestration of the resonances that lie
It is, as just remarked, typical of the man, a part in colour than we have displayed before us in this
of his remarkable development and personal vision, large work by Mr. Brangwyn. The dramatic sense
that, firmly taking his stand upon all that was is kept well within the boundaries of the art of
best in the old methods, he has mastered them; painting; but the artist is never afraid of those
but, not content to ape them,
having got from the gamut
of their potentialities their
finest qualities, he has cast
aside their hampering limita-
tions, and, sternly refusing to
be enslaved by their laws,
has essayed to evolve a new
style from them, and has
developed their possibilities.
Not only does his use of tem-
pera mark a new phase in the
craftsmanship of the material,
it opens up a new vista of its
large possibilities. It is all
the more interesting in that
he should thus have em-
ployed it in the first large
work he has essayed in apply-
ing his decorative genius to
the offices of commerce. It
is true that Mr. Brangwyn
heretofore has been known in
London for his decorations
at the Skinners' Hall and at
Lloyd's Registry in the City;
but both these places bear
more the character of private
houses than commercial
offices.
The success here won will
convince the London com-
mercial houses that by em-
ploying high artistry in the
building and decorating of
their offices, not only will
they be bringing dignity and
beauty into that heretofore
home of hideousness, the city
office, but will be laying up
rich treasure for themselves sketch for frieze by frank brangwyn, a.r.a.
33
\
x
these great traditions, has founded himself upon as well as using the finest advertisement that they
the bed-rock of their technique, and has learnt his can get for the noising abroad of their commercial
grammar from them; and then, boldly rejecting activities.
all the old formulas and flinging aside the Italian But there is a higher significance than this in
spectacles, has developed the medium to his own the frieze—its artistic significance. It would be
ends, using it decisively and with forthright inten- difficult to imagine the motive of the triumph of
tion of getting from its colours a wider and science and modern civilization over the rude
fuller gamut and a larger and more national forces of nature and of barbarism being uttered
utterance. to a finer orchestration of the resonances that lie
It is, as just remarked, typical of the man, a part in colour than we have displayed before us in this
of his remarkable development and personal vision, large work by Mr. Brangwyn. The dramatic sense
that, firmly taking his stand upon all that was is kept well within the boundaries of the art of
best in the old methods, he has mastered them; painting; but the artist is never afraid of those
but, not content to ape them,
having got from the gamut
of their potentialities their
finest qualities, he has cast
aside their hampering limita-
tions, and, sternly refusing to
be enslaved by their laws,
has essayed to evolve a new
style from them, and has
developed their possibilities.
Not only does his use of tem-
pera mark a new phase in the
craftsmanship of the material,
it opens up a new vista of its
large possibilities. It is all
the more interesting in that
he should thus have em-
ployed it in the first large
work he has essayed in apply-
ing his decorative genius to
the offices of commerce. It
is true that Mr. Brangwyn
heretofore has been known in
London for his decorations
at the Skinners' Hall and at
Lloyd's Registry in the City;
but both these places bear
more the character of private
houses than commercial
offices.
The success here won will
convince the London com-
mercial houses that by em-
ploying high artistry in the
building and decorating of
their offices, not only will
they be bringing dignity and
beauty into that heretofore
home of hideousness, the city
office, but will be laying up
rich treasure for themselves sketch for frieze by frank brangwyn, a.r.a.
33
\
x