Studio: international art (56.1912)

IV. G. von Glehn

the oldest lines of the art with small rich pieces of
glass webbed together by lead lines which cut up
the design and add by their over-play to the interest
of the pattern, thus breaking up the gross outline of
realism which is so fatal to any legend eternal in its
import.

Perhaps we shall find that it will be in this field
that Mr. von Glehn’s chief successes will in the
future be achieved; but if not there is a record of
another frame of mind, and of undisputable success
in expressing it in painting in the canvases which
form the substance of the illustrations to this review
of his work. And even in this field what he has
given may be regarded but as an inspiriting prelude
to what is coming later on.

It seems to have taken the artist a little while to
find himself (an artist seeking himself is always
baffling to follow); how else could we reconcile
some decorations in the Renaissance style—or what
is left of it—for walls and ceilings, of which he has
done quite a number, with the mood which must
come to any one who takes
up stained-glass work in the
spirit of Gothic architecture ?

We have then in con-
nection with Mr. von
Glehn’s output to think of
these out-of-door figure
subjects, plain landscapes,
panels for mural decoration,
essays in stained glass, and
his portraits—a Goethe-
like width of activity indeed.

He seems at a point where
he may suddenly take and
keep to one of all these
open paths. The painter is
young, inventive, and, as
we hope we have made clear,
unusually perfect as a tech-
nician. It is impossible to
conceive then that our
article is not but an early
chapter of much about his
activities which will some
day have to be said.

Although we have con-
nected his name with the
New English Art Club, it
has come into prominence
in other exhibitions.

When an artist’s work
does come into prominence
at exhibitions it is always in

one of two ways—either as making a unique com-
munication, or as expressing with unusual felicity
something at which many try their hand. In Mr. von
Glehn’s case we assign the latter reason. Though, of
course, just to the extent to which any artist per-
fects his expression, to that extent does it become
reflective of him personally and so inimitable.
Recognition of the point at which a piece of work
takes on the character of art locates where per-
sonality enters. Thus is the difference defined
between a work of art and work of another kind.
The work of art does more than carry an idea
through : ideas can be handed on. It has to do
with an impression that from the fact of its being
personal cannot be handed on, or brought to life
in a recorded form, except by one hand. In this
way success in art may always be said to result in the
production of something that stands by itself. The
original thing is to succeed. With Mr. von Glehn
success has been accompanied by the minimum of
self-advertisement in regard to style. T. M. W.

TO