DOI Heft:
No. 250 (February 1914)
DOI Artikel:Cecil King, R. B. A.: a painter of cities
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21209#0040
Cecil King, R.B.A.
and recording the essentials which give vitality to a and his readiness to attack the most difficult
scene or a subject and by ignoring those unim- problems of practice; but something, too, is prob-
portant things which, if they were insisted upon, ably due to the variety and breadth of his early
would confuse the impression of truth that he experiences. The comprehensiveness of his train-
wishes his picture to convey. It is by showing ing, it may fairly be assumed, accounts in part for
fully and sincerely the right character of his sub- the rapidity of his development as an artist and for
ject, by making other people see it as he saw it, the way in which he has made a place for himself
and by presenting it with all its salient charac- in the front rank at an age when most artists are
teristics properly related one to the other, that he still fighting hard for the first signs of recognition,
believes the sense of reality can be made most Young as he is, he occupies an assured position,
apparent; and he works always with this intention and he is accepted without question as having a
in his mind. — fpecial claim to the consideration of all serious
In all the work he has done so far the most students of modern art.
striking quality has been a remarkable acuteness Born at Gunnersbury in 1881, he was educated
of observation which makes his rendering of the at Haileybury and after leaving school he studied for
motive chosen curiously
convincing. There is
never any doubt about
his meaning: he does
not hesitate or fumble
with his record of what
is before him; he makes
up his mind before he
starts about what he is
going to do, and he does
it in all good faith. If
he fails, it is not because
he has been uncertain in
his intention but simply
because technical things
have not gone quite as
he hoped and proposed
they should; if he suc-
ceeds—as he usually
does—it is because his
mind and hand have been
in happy agreement and
because the mechanical
difficulties of painting,
with which every artist,
mo matter how long his
experience, has to
struggle, have not ham-
pered his freedom of
expression.
The certainty and
directness of his art, its
confidence and its frank-
ness of purpose, are
qualities which come
without doubt from his
temperamental charac-
teristics, from his
keenness of perception "in the market-place of Bruges" water-colour by cecil king, r.b.a.
36
and recording the essentials which give vitality to a and his readiness to attack the most difficult
scene or a subject and by ignoring those unim- problems of practice; but something, too, is prob-
portant things which, if they were insisted upon, ably due to the variety and breadth of his early
would confuse the impression of truth that he experiences. The comprehensiveness of his train-
wishes his picture to convey. It is by showing ing, it may fairly be assumed, accounts in part for
fully and sincerely the right character of his sub- the rapidity of his development as an artist and for
ject, by making other people see it as he saw it, the way in which he has made a place for himself
and by presenting it with all its salient charac- in the front rank at an age when most artists are
teristics properly related one to the other, that he still fighting hard for the first signs of recognition,
believes the sense of reality can be made most Young as he is, he occupies an assured position,
apparent; and he works always with this intention and he is accepted without question as having a
in his mind. — fpecial claim to the consideration of all serious
In all the work he has done so far the most students of modern art.
striking quality has been a remarkable acuteness Born at Gunnersbury in 1881, he was educated
of observation which makes his rendering of the at Haileybury and after leaving school he studied for
motive chosen curiously
convincing. There is
never any doubt about
his meaning: he does
not hesitate or fumble
with his record of what
is before him; he makes
up his mind before he
starts about what he is
going to do, and he does
it in all good faith. If
he fails, it is not because
he has been uncertain in
his intention but simply
because technical things
have not gone quite as
he hoped and proposed
they should; if he suc-
ceeds—as he usually
does—it is because his
mind and hand have been
in happy agreement and
because the mechanical
difficulties of painting,
with which every artist,
mo matter how long his
experience, has to
struggle, have not ham-
pered his freedom of
expression.
The certainty and
directness of his art, its
confidence and its frank-
ness of purpose, are
qualities which come
without doubt from his
temperamental charac-
teristics, from his
keenness of perception "in the market-place of Bruges" water-colour by cecil king, r.b.a.
36