Studio: international art (61.1914)

Decorative Panels and Fans by George Sheringham

every country that makes pretensions to en- victions adequately effective. These artists and
lightenment. their supporters are really saving the country from a
Therefore, it can fairly be said that there is no serious reproach, because they are carrying on the
branch of art practice in which the lack of ac- better traditions of the art of decoration and are
complished and highly qualified exponents is more enabling it to hold its own in some measure against
seriously felt, or in which the competition from
anything which tends to _ abroad. They are keep-
lower the standard of ing it not only alive but
achievement can produce in a condition which
more disastrous results. makes possible a vigorous
If by neglect we drive our revival when the moment
decorators out of their comes for the awaken-
proper sphere of activity ing of the nation to a
or condemn them to km- HPf^^^*-4^-U ; '..:?\ ■ '*1 serious sense of its
guish in helpless and aesthetic responsibili-
Ihopeless obscurity, we ties and its artistic obli-
Hower dangerously our \ ■: ■ ' . §3BwP^E'! 111 gallons,
own credit in the world HflBi 'v ' l< I And when that moment
sand we stamp ourselves . >gjfe.- • \ , l| does come the debt which
• as people without dis- we owe to the artiste who
•cretionor sense of aesthetic r | *SYvi' I I are fighting now against
responsibility. We throw the burden of popular
away one of our greatest i ' !filjfl I misunderstanding will be
assets and waste some- A " * i frankly acknowledged.

thing that, judiciously ■'• What they d°ing f°r

used, could be to us of "™ - • > . us to-day will be viewed

infinite value. The artists . then in its proper light

whom we disregard suffer, | " ^k, and the extent of thtir

of course, because en- k ' : »h| J^^fai '• services will, we may

couragement is denied to j ■ •' ^BL fairly hope, be sufficiently

them, but the nation 1 CS. ^^'Sm recognised. Butitwould

suffers even more because * . > - ; S| be much more to the

it closes one of the chief jj [|3 \ -?j point to have this ac-

.■avenues to its prosperity jj .■^WW'^ ' '■^■■■^jA knowledgment at once, to

.and dries up one of the | WfflP ■ • let this recognition be

main sources of its com- JBi^SBMfi^^jg^ effective while they are

vmercial success. W^^S^ttUBf^'' still with us to profit by

If then the position of flin^JT'^KSFZ xt and t0 respond to it:

the decorative artist is of W^^^' ■^^tfftj^^ll^i^ -''?SD ■ present encouragement

so much importance to bEs*^' ^ jft'M'lJBr^' would be more gratifying

the well-being of the com- FsSI£.^««PBi ''^^f WfMfflBPlSIl ' t0 tllem> and more helP"

munity, it is a matter of <£^S2*" * ^Sjam ^sBHHuHHr ful, than the promise of

■much moment that the ' SBB^^lj'l'iM.^ ^^RjjUF^ \ appreciation when in the

fullest credit should be ,IBit^^S^^^^a^»c^cJ^^^oTO^ lapse of time they are

given to those amongst counted among the great

• , , , . "geraints journey" (from the story of j____„„j ™„t-(-I„c. rTUn

■us who have had the geraint, son of erbin). water-colour draw- deceased masters. The
courage and the energy ing on silk by george sheringham hope of posthumous
to go their own way de- (By permission of His Honour fudge Evans) honours and the con-
spire the general indiffer- sciousness that they are
•ence to their efforts. Not less credit, too, must be being well earned are hardly sufficient to sustain
given to the few people of taste who have had an artist during a life of scantily rewarded activity;
the good judgment to recognise in a practical even the certainty that he will be worshipped
manner the capacities of these artists and to help by the next generation but one does not seem
them to make their demonstration of their con- to him quite a fair compensation for being
176