DOI Heft:
No. 226 (January 1912)
DOI Artikel:The New English Art Club's forty-sixth exhibition
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21155#0330
The New English Art Club
magic letters R.A.—the equivalent of a peerage whose art is something temperamental and in-
so far as art politics are concerned, and having finitely personal and detached, not to be included
apparently the same effect in modifying the views in or thought of in conjunction with any particular
of the recipients. It was but yesterday that the movement.
art of the New English Art Club was considered It is not now possible to add to a reputation
novel and rebellious, and already there are those so firmly established as Mr. John's by extravagant
at hand to tell us that it is out of date. Is this the praise of his exhibits on this occasion, but we
effect of the wave of Post-Impressionism that has hope that his portrait of the Right Hon. H.
touched the English shore, or of the growth of the Chaloner Dowdall, Lord Mayor of Liverpool
freemasonry of Fitzroy Street, where in the neigh- 1908-1909, wdl create a precedent in civic
bourhood of "the Camden Town group" there portraiture, which has been so strangely at a loss
is no end to novelties? Whatever the origin for a tradition since the eighteenth century. Mr.
of the disturbance, disturbance there is at the John's decorative skill was everything to him in
door of the "New English," and a request that this picture, if not so immediately discoverable as
it shall be opened to " the last thing in art" in his impressive Forza e amore. His disciple
— almost, we might add, irrespective of its Mr. Henry Lamb, whose picture The Lake we
worth. are reproducing, has taken much more than the
The rdle with which the Club is invested in these surface quality of Mr. John's work ; he has
circumstances is a difficult one. There falls to it entered into the very spirit of its new motif of
the task of doing something to separate the decoration, and made his own departure from Mr.
genuine element in a new movement from the John in emotional use of colour. Everything in
flood of charlatanry with which it is accompanied, his art rests upon those architectural foundations
As always with the introduction of a new influence, of stable drawing which admit of extravagance of
there are the quick-witted incompetents who hope conception without loss of faith between the artist
to take advantage of the confusion to enjoy a and his public. Mr. C. J. Holmes is an artist
temporary fashion. If the discriminating faculty who, on account of his sincerity of utterance in
which in the past has not been vainly the boast of such an interesting book as his recent " Notes on
the New English Art Club is what it was the Club the Art of Rembrandt," and the true feeling in such
will adopt a generous attitude to the new thing, works as Fell Sikesand Glaramara, one would not
Its "recognitions" will perform a greater service part faith with until the last moment, but his
than mere conservatism by helping to indicate Saddleback, from the South-west, puts a strain upon
where recognition is really
due among sensational - ' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
John and Mr. A. A. McEvoy, "children ox the sands " by j. e southall
308
magic letters R.A.—the equivalent of a peerage whose art is something temperamental and in-
so far as art politics are concerned, and having finitely personal and detached, not to be included
apparently the same effect in modifying the views in or thought of in conjunction with any particular
of the recipients. It was but yesterday that the movement.
art of the New English Art Club was considered It is not now possible to add to a reputation
novel and rebellious, and already there are those so firmly established as Mr. John's by extravagant
at hand to tell us that it is out of date. Is this the praise of his exhibits on this occasion, but we
effect of the wave of Post-Impressionism that has hope that his portrait of the Right Hon. H.
touched the English shore, or of the growth of the Chaloner Dowdall, Lord Mayor of Liverpool
freemasonry of Fitzroy Street, where in the neigh- 1908-1909, wdl create a precedent in civic
bourhood of "the Camden Town group" there portraiture, which has been so strangely at a loss
is no end to novelties? Whatever the origin for a tradition since the eighteenth century. Mr.
of the disturbance, disturbance there is at the John's decorative skill was everything to him in
door of the "New English," and a request that this picture, if not so immediately discoverable as
it shall be opened to " the last thing in art" in his impressive Forza e amore. His disciple
— almost, we might add, irrespective of its Mr. Henry Lamb, whose picture The Lake we
worth. are reproducing, has taken much more than the
The rdle with which the Club is invested in these surface quality of Mr. John's work ; he has
circumstances is a difficult one. There falls to it entered into the very spirit of its new motif of
the task of doing something to separate the decoration, and made his own departure from Mr.
genuine element in a new movement from the John in emotional use of colour. Everything in
flood of charlatanry with which it is accompanied, his art rests upon those architectural foundations
As always with the introduction of a new influence, of stable drawing which admit of extravagance of
there are the quick-witted incompetents who hope conception without loss of faith between the artist
to take advantage of the confusion to enjoy a and his public. Mr. C. J. Holmes is an artist
temporary fashion. If the discriminating faculty who, on account of his sincerity of utterance in
which in the past has not been vainly the boast of such an interesting book as his recent " Notes on
the New English Art Club is what it was the Club the Art of Rembrandt," and the true feeling in such
will adopt a generous attitude to the new thing, works as Fell Sikesand Glaramara, one would not
Its "recognitions" will perform a greater service part faith with until the last moment, but his
than mere conservatism by helping to indicate Saddleback, from the South-west, puts a strain upon
where recognition is really
due among sensational - ' ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
John and Mr. A. A. McEvoy, "children ox the sands " by j. e southall
308