DOI issue:
No. 261 (December 1914)
DOI article:Maugham, William Somerset: A student of character: Gerald Festus Kelly
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21211#0173
Gerald Pest us Kelly
gift of the portrait-painter, and then his pictures behalf of the nation, comprises some twenty master-
are dull ; but more often, instinctively, perhaps, he pieces representing all stages of the great artist's
paints with a true emotion; and then his portraits evolution, and includes such notable works as
take a very high place as studies of character. He L'Age d'airain (replica), La Muse and L'Enfant
is not an idealist. He puts down what he sees, prodigue, all three life size, L'Ange de'chu or
and when he sees with sympathy he gives you the L'Ange tombe as it is also called, the monumental
very soul of the man, his strength and weakness, his Cybile, a study of Balzac, several portrait-busts,
very idiosyncrasies. It would not require a fertile including one of the late Mr. George Wyndham,
imagination to give a true account of Captain the marble group Amour et Psyche and a small
Reeves, R.N., or of Lady Stanley Clarke. They are terra-cotta head of Dante. Except these last two,
placed on the canvas for the world to see them, all the works presented by M. Rodin are bronzes.
Though knowing neither I fancy that I could write In communicating to the donor, who was then
an accurate history of each. on a visit to London, the thanks of the nation for
Mr. Kelly is young still, and life has still lessons this priceless addition to its art treasures, Mr. Pease
for him. When he fails it is through lack of said, "Your generosity has forged a new bond
sympathy, and when he learns a more complete between the two nations. It will be a further
sympathy, when he is able to see the point of view opportunity for our artists to draw inspiration from
of those he paints, discovering how each one of us the inexhaustible wealth of the French genius."
is right from his own stand-
point, he will produce a
series of works which will
be a true and personal
record of the generation in
which he lived. Is that a
poor thing to do from the
peculiar outlook of the
painter ? I am not a painter
and do not know. It is
what the great Holbein
did.
M. RODIN'S GIFT
TO THE BRITISH
NATION
Mons. Augustk Rodin,
the great French sculptor,
has presented to the British
nation, as a token of his
admiration for the British
soldiers who have been
fighting side by side with
his compatriots, the magnifi-
cent collection of his works
which formed part of the
exhibition of French art at
Grosvenor House, and was
subsequently transferred to
the Victoria and Albert
Museum. This inestimable
gift, which has been grate-
fully accepted by the
Minister of Education on "captain rezves, r.n." oil painting by gerald festus kelly
169
gift of the portrait-painter, and then his pictures behalf of the nation, comprises some twenty master-
are dull ; but more often, instinctively, perhaps, he pieces representing all stages of the great artist's
paints with a true emotion; and then his portraits evolution, and includes such notable works as
take a very high place as studies of character. He L'Age d'airain (replica), La Muse and L'Enfant
is not an idealist. He puts down what he sees, prodigue, all three life size, L'Ange de'chu or
and when he sees with sympathy he gives you the L'Ange tombe as it is also called, the monumental
very soul of the man, his strength and weakness, his Cybile, a study of Balzac, several portrait-busts,
very idiosyncrasies. It would not require a fertile including one of the late Mr. George Wyndham,
imagination to give a true account of Captain the marble group Amour et Psyche and a small
Reeves, R.N., or of Lady Stanley Clarke. They are terra-cotta head of Dante. Except these last two,
placed on the canvas for the world to see them, all the works presented by M. Rodin are bronzes.
Though knowing neither I fancy that I could write In communicating to the donor, who was then
an accurate history of each. on a visit to London, the thanks of the nation for
Mr. Kelly is young still, and life has still lessons this priceless addition to its art treasures, Mr. Pease
for him. When he fails it is through lack of said, "Your generosity has forged a new bond
sympathy, and when he learns a more complete between the two nations. It will be a further
sympathy, when he is able to see the point of view opportunity for our artists to draw inspiration from
of those he paints, discovering how each one of us the inexhaustible wealth of the French genius."
is right from his own stand-
point, he will produce a
series of works which will
be a true and personal
record of the generation in
which he lived. Is that a
poor thing to do from the
peculiar outlook of the
painter ? I am not a painter
and do not know. It is
what the great Holbein
did.
M. RODIN'S GIFT
TO THE BRITISH
NATION
Mons. Augustk Rodin,
the great French sculptor,
has presented to the British
nation, as a token of his
admiration for the British
soldiers who have been
fighting side by side with
his compatriots, the magnifi-
cent collection of his works
which formed part of the
exhibition of French art at
Grosvenor House, and was
subsequently transferred to
the Victoria and Albert
Museum. This inestimable
gift, which has been grate-
fully accepted by the
Minister of Education on "captain rezves, r.n." oil painting by gerald festus kelly
169