Studio: international art (49.1910)

Studio-Talk

tions of last month was that of Mr. Cyril Roberts’
drawings at the Ryder Gallery in February, chiefly
consisting of portraits. Craftsmanship, downright
and straight, the gift of seizing the likeness-—in
fact a business-like accomplishment takes the place
of subtlety in his drawing. There is no fumbling,
or falling short of the mark the artist has set him-
self ; having apparently learnt his limitations, he
avoids out-stepping them. Mrs. Walter Donne ex-
hibited some very charming illustrations and fancies
at the Walker Gallery lately, The Fete, Mers-les-
Bains, The Village Berneval,, recommending them-
selves most to us. At the New Dudley Gallery
the water-colour drawings of the late Edith Marti-
neau, A.R.W.S., Gertrude Martineau, and the oils
of Mrs. Basil Martineau, made a very attractive
exhibition, chiefly of landscape pictures. Refer-
ence must also be made to a series of drawings
illustrating the Parables, and called “ The Way of
Sorrow,” which were recently exhibited by M.
Eugene Burnand in Messrs. Dowdeswell’s Galleries.

“CASSANDRA” BY J. VICTOR SEGOFFIN

Whether this artist’s realistic treatment accords
with the interpretation of parable is scarcely the
question here, but M. Burnand has a force and
precision of draughtsmanship which is quite
unusual and imparts to each of his pictures a
dramatic impetus that makes his interpretation
convincing and daring.

PARIS.—Among the exhibitions to be held
in Paris during the present month that
of Mr. Joseph Southall, the Birmingham
painter, whose works will be on view at
Georges Petit’s Galleries until the end of the
month, is sure to attract attention. I believe this
will be the first occasion on which any member of
the group to which Mr. Southall belongs has
exhibited in Paris, and it need hardly be said,
therefore, that this exhibition is looked forward to
with interest by art-lovers here, among whom
there is always an eager desire to familiarise
themselves with the various manifestations of
British art.

The sculptor Victor Sdgoffin has been charged
with the execution of the monument to Voltaire
which is to be erected in the Pantheon, and the
artist is, in fact, putting the finishing touches to
this important work. The choice of this sculptor
for a commission of such magnitude was a most
fortunate one, for M. Segoffin must be counted
indeed as one of the worthiest scions of the French
school. His various busts, such as those of
Ziem, Harpignies, Delcasse, Frederic Mistral, and
Bonnat, are at the same time of an intense nobility
of conception and of uncommonly vigorous execu-
tion, and his work in general is characterised by
extreme largeness and boldness. One feels in his
sculpture the influence of the Italian sculpture of
the Renaissance, coupled with, however, a pro-
nouncedly French accent, and though in his large
modelling and wide vision he may betray his
artistic kinship with Michael Angelo, yet there is
in his work a trace of that decorative quality which
is characteristic in the works of Puget and the
French artists of his day. At each Salon one has
found Segoffin represented by some powerful and
personal work. Two years ago it was the Genie
Triomphant du Temps, now an imposing feature of
the “Square du Louvre.” This year we are to see
the Voltaire, and it is already safe to predict—
judging from the impression one received in seeing
the sketch model—that one will recognise in it
the evidence of a fine artistic temperament, assisted
by a refined culture complete in all respects and

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