Studio: international art (52.1911)

Reviews and Notices

be regretted that Konenkoff, who also exhibited a
large bas-relief more in the direction of the Barock
style, is somewhat uneven in the execution of his
wood-sculpture. His heads are modelled with
much tender feeling, but other parts are treated all
too summarily, in consequence of which the uni-
formity of the work is often marred. P. E.

Owing to pressure on our spate this month we are obliged to
hold over Art School Notes, sundry reviews, and various other
contributions.—The Editor.

REVIEWS AND NOTICES.

Holland of To-day. Written and pictured by
George Wharton Edwards. (London : Gay and
Hancock.) i8j. net.—In his delightful account of
his travels in the Netherlands in company with
Whistler and the famous etcher, Van's Gravesande,
Mr. Edwards brings in just enough of the personal
element to impart human interest to his narrative,
in which he touches off with considerable felicity the
idiosyncrasies alike of the country and its people.
The former he compares in general appearance
with the far western prairie of his own land, but
points out how essentially it differs from any other
district in the world " for in it the very laws of
nature are reversed . . . every house is builded
upon sand and the whole coast is held together
practically by straws, rivers are made to course
and trees to grow exactly where they are needed."
No less happy are the remarks that self-government
is a part of the life-instinct of the true Hollander,
and that the Dutch, with inborn love of adminis-
tering their own affairs, combine a respect for
established authority and a deep inherent rever-
ence for their sovereign. Many amusing anec-
dotes brighten up a text that is full of valuable
information and is supplemented by reproduc-
tions of a great number of clever sketches, some
in colour, illustrative of ancient customs and
costumes that in spite of Dutch conservatism are
unfortunately likely ere long to become obsolete.

The Fortunate Isles. By Mary Stuart Boyd,
with Illustrations by A. S. Boyd, R.S.W. (London :
Methuen.) \zs. 6d. net.—"Fortunate" is the
adjective which Mrs. Boyd uses to describe the
Balearic Isles—Majorca, Minorca and Iviza—of
which she gives a very minute and lengthy, but at
the same time extremely interesting, account. In
company with her husband and son she spent six
months in the islands, and here records her
impressions of the country, and of the life and
customs of the people. Mr. Boyd's illustrations
form a pleasant adjunct to the letterpress, but we
think his pen-drawings are more pleasing than the
colour pictures and more in harmony with the

style of the book. Where the authoress has been so
thorough as to compile an index, it is a pity that a
map, which would have been useful, is not included.

Sketches of Deal, Walmer, and Sandwich. By
the late John Lewis Roget, M.A., Hon. R.W.S.,
with an Introduction and Notes by S. R. Roget.
(London : Longmans, Green, &: Co.) \2S. 6d. net.—
The late Mr. John Lewis Roget was chiefly known
as a writer on art, and more especially as historian
of the Old Water-Colour Society, which paid him
the compliment of electing him an honorary member
three years before his death. The present volume,
however, with its 32 coloured reproductions of water-
colour sketches, attests his undoubted gifts as an
artist, and while serving as a pleasant souvenir of a
man whose modesty prevented this side of his
activity from receiving due appreciation, is also of
interest from a topographical point of view.

The third volume of Art Prices Current (1909-10)
bears witness to the large amount of picture and
print selling done at Christie's during the period
covered—November 27, 1909, to July 15, 1910—
the items numbering over 30,000 or about 50 per
cent, more than in the previous volume. The sales
are recorded in order of date, but copious indexes
facilitate reference to names of artists. This useful
and well-produced annual is published by the Fine
Art Trade Journal aX 10s. 6d.

" THE GARDENS OF ENGLAND IN
THE NORTHERN COUNTIES/'
The third volume of the series of Special
Numbers of The Studio devoted to the Gar-
dens of England is now nearly through the press,
and will be ready for publication before the close
of this month. This volume will complete the
series, the Southern and Western Counties having
been dealt with in the Winter Number 1907-8,
and the Midland and Eastern Counties in the
Winter Number 1908-9. It will contain about 130
full-page illustrations from photographs, specially
taken for this volume by Mr. W. J. Day, the well-
known garden photographer, of some of the most
beautiful and interesting gardens in Yorkshire,
Lancashire, Cumberland, Westmorland, Durham
and Northumberland. In addition there will be
several plates in facsimile colours after water-colour
drawings by Mr. G. S. Elgood, R.I., Mr. E. Arthur
Rowe, Mr. Arthur Severn, R.I., and Mr. E. A.
Chadwick. The volume will be uniform with
other special numbers of The Studio, both as
regards format and price ($s. net for copies in
paper covers and 7^. 6d. net. for cloth bound
copies).

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