Studio: international art (48.1910)

The Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society

hand-press at work throwing off
sheets of William Morris's " Lec-
ture on Gothic Architecture." This
was the only exhibition held dur-
ing the presidency of Morris.

That great poet, designer and
craftsman, whose work and ex-
ample had been pre - eminent
influences in the movement that
led to the foundation of the Arts
and Crafts Society, died in October
1896, on the morning of the private
view of the fifth exhibition, and
the visitors on their way to the
New Gallery saw the " Death of
William Morris" announced on
the posters in Regent Street. The
exhibition whose opening thus
tragically coincided with the death
of the Society's President, included,
among many other things of in-
terest, a striking mantelpiece by
Harrison Townsend and Frampton,
in the modelled detail of which
appeared the typical " Frampton
tree" that afterwards in number-
less instances influenced the work
of our young designers. The same
artist's ingenious combination of
tree form with the flat seed-vessels
of the honesty plant, shown in a
modelled frieze at the 1896 exhi-

ILLUMINATED PAGE BY JESSIE BAYES ... , . .

bition, was another starting-point
of a fashion in design.

many interesting works there. The visitors come In 1899 the Arts and Crafts Society, which had

pretty well: these first three days they have taken re-elected Mr. Crane as President, devoted one of

more than double they did in the same time last the three rooms at the New Gallery to a memorial

year; so this looks good." Another exhibition exhibition of the work of Morris, examples of

was held at the same place in 1890, in which whose manifold industries filled many cases and

furniture and embroidery were made the special covered the walls. An exhibition was held at the

features, and in December of that year William New Gallery in 1903, and another at the Grafton

Morris succeeded Mr. Crane as President of the Gallery in 1906, but both are too recent to need

Society. After 1890 the exhibitions of the Arts remark except for the striking evidence they dis-

and Crafts Society were triennial; and the first of played of developments in certain arts and crafts

these, held in 1893, was of great interest. The that before the foundation of the Society had long

splendid tapestries from the Morris looms were been neglected. The arts of illumination, writing

the most striking things in an exhibition that was and lettering, which owed their revival to the pages

more catholic in tendency than any of its prede- by Morris, already mentioned, and the crafts of

cessors. The Royal Academy was represented by the jeweller and the enameller—both of which

Leighton, who sent some models, and by several were almost unrepresented in the earlier exhibi-

of its members, including Sir Lawrence Alma- tions—were shown in 1903 and 1906 to be living

Tadema, who contributed a seat for a studio. A and vigorous. More encouraging and more full of

feature of the exhibition of 1893, was a collection hope for the future than anything were the accom-

of books and bindings, shown side by side with a plished contributions to these exhibitions of the

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