DOI issue:
No. 256 (August 1914)
DOI article:The Society of Mural Decorators and Painters in Tempera
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21210#0196
The Society of Mural Decorators
and gilded hair. Specimens of pure Greek paint- that an easel picture, however beautiful or dignified,
ing unfortunately have not yet been discovered, is not the only phase of the painter's art that is
and we can only judge of their work from fragments worth attention, and many efforts have been made
of late date, chiefly from Rome and Pompeii. Pliny to have wall spaces actually decorated once more,
speaks of pictures by Apelles to have the long lost con-
and others as so valuable nection between the build-
that the wealth of a city ing and the painting
would not buy one, so restored. Many of these
doubtless Greek painting r\"^"*^'^ efforts have resulted if not
was as fine as their sculpture, S >m in actual failure, at least in
which, be it noted, was an effect that is far from
always associated with archi- satisfactory. The reason is
tecture. not far to seek ; it is not
During the long period of enough that a successful
Byzantine dominance in the picture or portrait painter
arts, painting seems to have should produce a painting
given way very largely to which is forthwith stuck on
Mosaic, the splendour of mk-J^ x \/ a wa" ' nowever competent
which, combined with *?^>j^ \ such a work may be, it is
polished marbles, produced doomed to failure; it may
gorgeous effects. Mosaic, L be even beautiful in itself
however, is so large a sub- I IF d| \jk but it is not therefore neces-
ject that it could only be . iivJ sarily decorative. What,
treated adequately at great then, is required ? Primarily
length. unity of style with that of
With the Italian Renais- f the building. A painting
sance painting once more *j j(& , ^ admirably adapted to an
came by its own, and mural austere early Gothic build-
decoration in true fresco WsH • ing would be entirely wrong
reached the highest point of if placed in a Georgian or
any period of which com- .fW *\j/ Queen Anne house. This
plete examples are extant. xfuttl J T> 's Poss'bly tne mwst ,m~
Then came the development "-Xt ' portant point of all those
of oil painting which with that are under the control
its greater ease and force of the painter. Of equal
seems to have sounded the importance, however, is
death-knell of the simple one that is almost entirely
suave treatment of wall \ at tne mercy °f tne ar<-hi-
spaces, and the trul) monu ^-^BBL J \ tect, and that is the place
mental. Out of it arose / ^rjVJ NiiiX where the colour decoration
what may be called the . | t I ' is to go and the amount of
modern school of painting, I / space that it is to occupy,
and the painter turned his \/ '—j It should carry the con-
attention almost solely to viction that it could only be
" pictures." Paintings were there and further that it
, , ., ,. "spring." decorative panel , , . t , ... .
no longer part of a building by mrs n meeson coates should not oe eitner larger
but, enclosed in frames, be- or smaller than it is.
came so much " furniture " The question of the scale
to be moved from place to of treatment should be
place. Often beautiful, and supremely so, they governed by the scale of the surrounding archi-
became things apart, to be loved and studied like tectural detail. " Finish " in the sense of attention
books, but their connection with the building in to small matters may absolutely ruin a design that
which they were placed became of the slenderest. otherwise might be fairly right in the size of its masses.
Within recent years, however, a feeling has arisen Scale of colour is also a matter demanding most
176
and gilded hair. Specimens of pure Greek paint- that an easel picture, however beautiful or dignified,
ing unfortunately have not yet been discovered, is not the only phase of the painter's art that is
and we can only judge of their work from fragments worth attention, and many efforts have been made
of late date, chiefly from Rome and Pompeii. Pliny to have wall spaces actually decorated once more,
speaks of pictures by Apelles to have the long lost con-
and others as so valuable nection between the build-
that the wealth of a city ing and the painting
would not buy one, so restored. Many of these
doubtless Greek painting r\"^"*^'^ efforts have resulted if not
was as fine as their sculpture, S >m in actual failure, at least in
which, be it noted, was an effect that is far from
always associated with archi- satisfactory. The reason is
tecture. not far to seek ; it is not
During the long period of enough that a successful
Byzantine dominance in the picture or portrait painter
arts, painting seems to have should produce a painting
given way very largely to which is forthwith stuck on
Mosaic, the splendour of mk-J^ x \/ a wa" ' nowever competent
which, combined with *?^>j^ \ such a work may be, it is
polished marbles, produced doomed to failure; it may
gorgeous effects. Mosaic, L be even beautiful in itself
however, is so large a sub- I IF d| \jk but it is not therefore neces-
ject that it could only be . iivJ sarily decorative. What,
treated adequately at great then, is required ? Primarily
length. unity of style with that of
With the Italian Renais- f the building. A painting
sance painting once more *j j(& , ^ admirably adapted to an
came by its own, and mural austere early Gothic build-
decoration in true fresco WsH • ing would be entirely wrong
reached the highest point of if placed in a Georgian or
any period of which com- .fW *\j/ Queen Anne house. This
plete examples are extant. xfuttl J T> 's Poss'bly tne mwst ,m~
Then came the development "-Xt ' portant point of all those
of oil painting which with that are under the control
its greater ease and force of the painter. Of equal
seems to have sounded the importance, however, is
death-knell of the simple one that is almost entirely
suave treatment of wall \ at tne mercy °f tne ar<-hi-
spaces, and the trul) monu ^-^BBL J \ tect, and that is the place
mental. Out of it arose / ^rjVJ NiiiX where the colour decoration
what may be called the . | t I ' is to go and the amount of
modern school of painting, I / space that it is to occupy,
and the painter turned his \/ '—j It should carry the con-
attention almost solely to viction that it could only be
" pictures." Paintings were there and further that it
, , ., ,. "spring." decorative panel , , . t , ... .
no longer part of a building by mrs n meeson coates should not oe eitner larger
but, enclosed in frames, be- or smaller than it is.
came so much " furniture " The question of the scale
to be moved from place to of treatment should be
place. Often beautiful, and supremely so, they governed by the scale of the surrounding archi-
became things apart, to be loved and studied like tectural detail. " Finish " in the sense of attention
books, but their connection with the building in to small matters may absolutely ruin a design that
which they were placed became of the slenderest. otherwise might be fairly right in the size of its masses.
Within recent years, however, a feeling has arisen Scale of colour is also a matter demanding most
176