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#0046
Cecil King, R.B.A.
tecture he paints is not dry diagram, the formal stands how much licence is permissible in the
elevation or the exact and elaborate study of detail treatment of buildings and other objects of fixed
which an architect would give us. It reflects form so as to secure breadth of effect without
the sunlight and takes its tone from the atmosphere losing soundness and strength of construction,
by which it is surrounded, it is the background and he knows thoroughly what to accentuate
against which the drama of the city is played, and what to eliminate to express the general
Treated as he treats it, there is life in it; it is not character and feeling of the scene before him.
an inanimate thing but something that appeals elo- Rigid attention to plain fact he does not pretend
quently to our fancy as being intimately connected to give; how much exactness or how much dis-
with the people whose character it reveals. tortion in his superficial facts is needed to give the
Chiefly, Mr. King is occupied in his paintings impression of truth he has made a subject of care-
with problems of light, colour, and aerial tone, with ful study. And if one can judge by the results he
considerations of decorative construction, and with has achieved his working method is one to which
suggestions of the flicker and movement and even the most captious of critics could scarcely
restless activity which are so evident in all places take exception. W. K. West.
where humanity congre-
gates. His cities, sunny
or dull, bright in hue or
drably grey, are always in
a bustle and full of hurry-
ing people who have
plenty to do and no time
to waste in picturesque
lounging. But in this
the artist reflects rightly
the spirit of the age and
is true to his realistic
principles. If in such
pictures as the Eikon
Basilike, Regent Street,
Westminster, and Morn-
ing on the Riva, Venice,
to quote some typical
examples of his work, he
had not taken fully into
account the human ele-
ment, there would have
been little truth in his
presentation, and the
meaning of his work
would have been seriously
diminished. As things
are he has brought the
living note vividly before
us and succeeded defi-
nitely in impressing upon
us a clear conviction of
the truth and significance
of his art.
About his technical
procedure it is scarcely
necessary to say much.
An admirable draughts-
man, he fully under- "in the kasbah, Tangier" water-colour by cecil king, r.b.a
42
tecture he paints is not dry diagram, the formal stands how much licence is permissible in the
elevation or the exact and elaborate study of detail treatment of buildings and other objects of fixed
which an architect would give us. It reflects form so as to secure breadth of effect without
the sunlight and takes its tone from the atmosphere losing soundness and strength of construction,
by which it is surrounded, it is the background and he knows thoroughly what to accentuate
against which the drama of the city is played, and what to eliminate to express the general
Treated as he treats it, there is life in it; it is not character and feeling of the scene before him.
an inanimate thing but something that appeals elo- Rigid attention to plain fact he does not pretend
quently to our fancy as being intimately connected to give; how much exactness or how much dis-
with the people whose character it reveals. tortion in his superficial facts is needed to give the
Chiefly, Mr. King is occupied in his paintings impression of truth he has made a subject of care-
with problems of light, colour, and aerial tone, with ful study. And if one can judge by the results he
considerations of decorative construction, and with has achieved his working method is one to which
suggestions of the flicker and movement and even the most captious of critics could scarcely
restless activity which are so evident in all places take exception. W. K. West.
where humanity congre-
gates. His cities, sunny
or dull, bright in hue or
drably grey, are always in
a bustle and full of hurry-
ing people who have
plenty to do and no time
to waste in picturesque
lounging. But in this
the artist reflects rightly
the spirit of the age and
is true to his realistic
principles. If in such
pictures as the Eikon
Basilike, Regent Street,
Westminster, and Morn-
ing on the Riva, Venice,
to quote some typical
examples of his work, he
had not taken fully into
account the human ele-
ment, there would have
been little truth in his
presentation, and the
meaning of his work
would have been seriously
diminished. As things
are he has brought the
living note vividly before
us and succeeded defi-
nitely in impressing upon
us a clear conviction of
the truth and significance
of his art.
About his technical
procedure it is scarcely
necessary to say much.
An admirable draughts-
man, he fully under- "in the kasbah, Tangier" water-colour by cecil king, r.b.a
42