Studio: international art (49.1910)

Reviews ana Notices

in former exhibitions, noticeably the examples
wrought by Miss F. Bentham, Miss M. W. Thorn-
ton, Miss G. Frimston, Mrs. K. Garnett, Miss J.
Mackay, and a belt buckle by T. D. Bryan. If
expert workmanship has not been fully achieved, it
may be said that the crafts generally are proceeding
along right lines at the Mount Street School, where
the liberal extensions of the buildings now in
progress will presently afford increased facilities to
the staff and to the students. H. B. B.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

A Complete Inventory of the Drawings of the
Turner Bequest. Arranged chronologically by
A. J. Finberg. By order of the Trustees. 2 vols.
15.J.—Students and lovers of Turner’s drawings
are under a great obligation to Mr. Finberg. The
work of compiling an inventory of the master’s
drawings in the National Gallery, on which he has
been engaged during the last few years, is now
completed, and the public has the opportunity of
acquiring, at a moderate price, two volumes of the
utmost value to those who take a serious interest
in the subject. When we consider that the collec-
tion embraces over 19,000 drawings and sketches,
some idea can be gained of the magnitude of
the task Mr. Finberg has set himself; and the
thoroughness with which he has performed it, and
the sound judgment he has displayed, may be
gathered from his interesting preface to the first
volume. It is not a mere inventory he has given
us, for he has endeavoured not only to arrange the
drawings in chronological order, but in many cases
he has, after considerable trouble, identified the
subjects of drawings and sketches which hitherto
have been nameless. This has enabled him to
trace the itinerary of the sketching tours, and
draw together various sketch books. We are glad
to learn, from Sir Charles Holroyd’s Introductory
Note, that this is only the beginning of the work of
making “ these wonderful records of our great
landscape artists’ communings with nature” more
accessible to the students and the public, and that
the task of mounting and protecting them, so that
they may be safely and properly displayed, is to
commence immediately. It is, however, to be
hoped every care will be taken that these priceless
treasures may never again be subjected to the risk of
irreparable damage by undue exposure to light, as
has in the past been the fate of some of the finest
examples in the collection.

The Practiie of Oil Pamting and of Drawing as
Associated with it. By Solomon J. Solomon,

R.A. (London: Seeley & Co.) 6^. net. With
this excellent manual from the pen of one of the
foremost figure painters of the day, a new series of
handbooks is inaugurated, the object of which is
to put before the student the principles and
methods essential to good technical achievement;
and if future volumes are up to the standard of
this initial one, the series is pretty certain to prove
a success. The plan of Mr. Solomon’s book is
admirable, but as the work is intended mainly for
the student of the figure, the title might have
indicated this. First there is a course of fifteen
lessons or chapters, in which the student is in-
structed in the fundamental principles of pictorial
representation, the first six dealing with the deli-
neation of the figure and light and shade, while
the rest are mainly concerned with the technique
of painting. The remainder of the book is devoted
to discussing the methods and characteristics of
the master-painters of all the great European
schools — Italian, Flemish, Dutch, Spanish,
French, and English; the value of copying, the
method of analysing a pictorial composition,
winding up with some timely observations on
the study of aesthetics. The whole object of the
book, the author tells us, is to combat the careless
craftsmanship so common nowadays, and to this
end he lays great stress on a thorough and sys-
tematic study of drawing and anatomy — the
chapter on “The Construction of the Figure”
being an important one in this connection. The
value of the book is enhanced by the numerous
illustrations, which throughout are en rapport with
the letterpress.

On the Oxford Circuit, and other Verses. By
the Hon. Mr. Justice Darling. (London:
Smith, Elder & Co.) 5s. net.—This is a very
nicely got-up little book of verses, which have for
the most part already appeared in somewhat similar
form in various magazines. In his first poem,
which gives the title to the collection, the author
tells of the progress and sudden death on circuit
of Mr. Justice Talfourd; but though the metre he
adopts is well fitted to describe the pomp and
ceremony incidental to the holding of assize, we
think he is happier in some of the shorter pieces,
two of which, “ In a Print Shop ” and “ In
Winter,” are charming in their simplicity and neat
wit. Mr. Austin Spare has contributed several
clever drawings in his usual manner.

Das Niederlandische Architekturbild. Von Hans
Jantzen. (Leipzig: Klinkhardt & Biermann.)
Paper 12 mks., cloth 14 mks.—In this volume
the author deals with a theme which we believe

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