Studio: international art (48.1910)

The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society

ILLUMINATED TITLE PAGE BY LUCIEN PISSARRO

{By permission of M. Eng. Rodriguez, President
of the Socic'tt1 des Cents Bibliophiles)

In spite of some Philistine scoffing and
some banter at the expense of a few of
the extremer works shown, the organizers
of the Arts and Crafts Society had reason
to congratulate themselves upon the success
of their first exhibition, the artistic interest
of which was generally acknowledged. At
the meeting at Liverpool in December,
1888, of the Congress of the National
Association for the Advancement of Art,
both Morris and Mr. Crane spoke out
bravely on behalf of the new movement,
which was evidently in Leighton's mind
when, in his address as President of the
Congress, he referred to the recent growth
of good artistic production in connection
with industry "through the initiative of a
mere handful of enthusiastic and highly
gifted men." So complimentary was

to the Congress the subject of Applied Art,
was tempted to hold forth an olive branch
towards the Royal Academy, which institution
he had criticised with some freedom. Here
was, he said, a splendid opportunity of proving
the reality of the Academy's new enthusiasm
for the arts and crafts. The Society intended
to hold in the following autumn a second ex-
hibition on the lines of the one that had just
proved so successful at the New Gallery.
Would not the Academy lend them their
noble galleries at Burlington House?

Burlington House was not lent by the Royal
Academy—probably Mr. Crane was not exactly
hopeful when he made the suggestion—and
the New Gallery was again selected for the
exhibition of 1889. "As for the exhibition,"
wrote Morris in that year on the 10th of
October, " I think it will be a success. The
rooms look very pretty, and there are a good

COVER OF BOOK BY LUCIEN PISSARRO

Leighton that Mr. Crane, in introducing {By permission of M. Eng. Eodrigz/ez)

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