Studio: international art (62.1914)

The Colour-Prints of E. L. Lawrenson

aquatint as if intended for a black and white print, printed from a separate plate, while another, the

only bitten much more deeply than usual, the splendid L'Agonie des Fleurs, needs twenty-two

second containing all the yellows ; pale yellow for superimposed impressions from ten different plates

the sky, lemon yellow for the water, and orange to complete it.

for many of the rocks. The artist has been very Mr. Lawrenson's prints, however,are much simpler

happy in his subject and his point of view, which is in their craftsmanship. The George Inn, Dorchester,

looking south of the Tarn, above the spot where for instance, a charming bit of old English domestic

the banks of the river are precipitous, the rocks architecture, which has made its pictorial appeal to

being rich in colour, chiefly yellow and black tones, many artists—among them, I believe, the late Sir

while the waters of the Tarn are of the greenish Lawrence Alma-Tadema—is a very engaging print, in

tint of absinthe. This print, with its suggestion of which the harmonious balance of tones, with delightful

the river winding through the rocky gorge, and effect of sunlight and shadow, has been achieved

the flat, black-looking table-land above, stretching with a couple of plates only, the one printing all

away to the horizon, is as fine in pictorial quality the tones of blue and green, the other all the

as any of the old English aquatints by the Daniells browns and yellows. Then, there is the attractive

and their contemporaries, while it has this factor ot Dovedale, looking north of this most lovely of the

artistic superiority, that, whereas they were coloured, Derbyshire dales from close to the Isaac Walton

either entirely or for the most part, by hand, it is Hotel. In this, also, Mr. Lawrenson has depended

printed throughout in coloured inks. And this for his effects of verdure and summery atmosphere

may be said generally not only of all Mr. Lawrenson's on two printings : first, all the light greens from one

prints but of all the original colour-prints of to-day. plate; next, all the dark greens and greys from

So punctilious are our modern artists in this respect another.

that one may quote a print of Mr. Theodore The mediteval building has always an irresistible

Roussel's in which even the tint of an eyeball is appeal for Mr. Lawrenson, although, as may be seen

"THE IRISH KELP BURNERS "
90

BY E. L. LAWRENSON