DOI Heft:
No. 215 (February, 1911)
DOI Artikel:West, W. K.: Some examples of recent work by Mr. Frank Brangwyn, A.R.A.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20972#0032
Recent Work by Frank Brangwyn, A.R.A.
from it the very important truth that the man who when the struggle with the mechanism of art
wishes to come to the front by his own force of hampers freedom of thought and checks sponta-
character must be consistent in his pursuit of the neity of expression ; his hand has become so
ideals which are natural to him—he cannot be responsive to his intentions that he can trust it to
convincing unless he knows his own mind. If he record fully what is in his mind. He is a master,
dallies with strange creeds, if he tries to warp his too, of practically all the pictorial mediums, of oil
inclinations into channels where they do not painting, water-colour, tempera, etching, and litho-
instinctively run, if he makes vague experiments graphy, and his drawings are marvels of executive
with forms of art in which he does not sincerely freedom and suggestive power. The genius of each
believe, he only wastes his energies and delays his medium he entirely respects ; he does not try to
progress. He must see definitely ahead the road strain any of them beyond their correct capabili-
he intends to take, and he must fight his way ties, but he uses sometimes one, sometimes
strenuously along it whatever may be the obstacles another, as circumstances may demand or as the
he has to surmount. Indecision cannot but be character of the particular piece of work on which
fatal to him : it will destroy the vitality of his art, he is engaged may indicate. With such a breadth
and it will make unauthoritative his message to of resource and with such a command over varie-
the world. ties of mechanism he is never at a loss as to the
Decidedly, Mr. Brangwyn cannot be accused of way in which he should treat his subjects, to each
having at any moment in his career failed in appre- one he can give unhesitatingly its appropriate
ciation of his personal responsibility as an artist. technical quality.
Not many of our modern masters have so logically The examples here illustrated of his recent
proceeded, stage by stage, to the complete expres- achievement show something of his adaptability
sion of an individual understanding : few have so and largeness of mind. They show, too, the per-
sincerely kept in view, through many busy years, vading influence of that strong decorative instinct
a deliberate intention to realise certain well-balanced which is to be reckoned as the chief motive force
theories of practice. Now that we have presented in his art and as the main source of his inspira-
to us the work of what may not unfairly be called tion. Whatever may be the material he chooses
his maturity, the work in which his earlier studies to handle, it is always with its decorative possi-
are bearing their full fruit, we can judge how serious bilities that he concerns himself—always with the
has been his preparation and how great has been opportunities it offers him for the working out of a
his care to train himself in refinements of practice coherent scheme of design in which form, colour,
and subtleties of taste. All sides of his art have and light and shade help to build up a perfectly-
been developed together; in acquiring skill of balanced pattern. His interest is almost entirely
craftsmanship he has not
forgotten that his hand
must be the servant of his
mind, and that his judg-
ment, his selective sense,
his Ksthetic sentiment
needed equally to be dis-
ciplined so that his execu-
tive facility might not lead
him into merely clever
superficiality.
In the work he has pro-
duced during the last few
years, there are undeniably
a largeness of sentiment
and a depth of feeling
which can be not less
admired than the brilliant \ , Bjnjt^**^"^1!
robustness of technique by
which it is distinguished.
tt u 11 drawing in sanguine l-'or df.cor ati vp. painting in tup. church Hp st. aidan,
He has passed the stage ,.keus. by frank brangwyn, a.r.a.
io
from it the very important truth that the man who when the struggle with the mechanism of art
wishes to come to the front by his own force of hampers freedom of thought and checks sponta-
character must be consistent in his pursuit of the neity of expression ; his hand has become so
ideals which are natural to him—he cannot be responsive to his intentions that he can trust it to
convincing unless he knows his own mind. If he record fully what is in his mind. He is a master,
dallies with strange creeds, if he tries to warp his too, of practically all the pictorial mediums, of oil
inclinations into channels where they do not painting, water-colour, tempera, etching, and litho-
instinctively run, if he makes vague experiments graphy, and his drawings are marvels of executive
with forms of art in which he does not sincerely freedom and suggestive power. The genius of each
believe, he only wastes his energies and delays his medium he entirely respects ; he does not try to
progress. He must see definitely ahead the road strain any of them beyond their correct capabili-
he intends to take, and he must fight his way ties, but he uses sometimes one, sometimes
strenuously along it whatever may be the obstacles another, as circumstances may demand or as the
he has to surmount. Indecision cannot but be character of the particular piece of work on which
fatal to him : it will destroy the vitality of his art, he is engaged may indicate. With such a breadth
and it will make unauthoritative his message to of resource and with such a command over varie-
the world. ties of mechanism he is never at a loss as to the
Decidedly, Mr. Brangwyn cannot be accused of way in which he should treat his subjects, to each
having at any moment in his career failed in appre- one he can give unhesitatingly its appropriate
ciation of his personal responsibility as an artist. technical quality.
Not many of our modern masters have so logically The examples here illustrated of his recent
proceeded, stage by stage, to the complete expres- achievement show something of his adaptability
sion of an individual understanding : few have so and largeness of mind. They show, too, the per-
sincerely kept in view, through many busy years, vading influence of that strong decorative instinct
a deliberate intention to realise certain well-balanced which is to be reckoned as the chief motive force
theories of practice. Now that we have presented in his art and as the main source of his inspira-
to us the work of what may not unfairly be called tion. Whatever may be the material he chooses
his maturity, the work in which his earlier studies to handle, it is always with its decorative possi-
are bearing their full fruit, we can judge how serious bilities that he concerns himself—always with the
has been his preparation and how great has been opportunities it offers him for the working out of a
his care to train himself in refinements of practice coherent scheme of design in which form, colour,
and subtleties of taste. All sides of his art have and light and shade help to build up a perfectly-
been developed together; in acquiring skill of balanced pattern. His interest is almost entirely
craftsmanship he has not
forgotten that his hand
must be the servant of his
mind, and that his judg-
ment, his selective sense,
his Ksthetic sentiment
needed equally to be dis-
ciplined so that his execu-
tive facility might not lead
him into merely clever
superficiality.
In the work he has pro-
duced during the last few
years, there are undeniably
a largeness of sentiment
and a depth of feeling
which can be not less
admired than the brilliant \ , Bjnjt^**^"^1!
robustness of technique by
which it is distinguished.
tt u 11 drawing in sanguine l-'or df.cor ati vp. painting in tup. church Hp st. aidan,
He has passed the stage ,.keus. by frank brangwyn, a.r.a.
io