DOI Heft:
No. 280 (July 1916)
DOI Artikel:Taylor, J.: Some water-colour drawings by George Henry, A.R.A.
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21262#0096
Water-Colonrs by George Henry, A.R.A.
stimulate the finer qualities of heart and mind, and work of others, without which modern Scottish
temper the whole course of domestic and business painting would completely lack its characteristic
life of those affected. Of all extraneous influences virility. Is there a school, and has there been
colour is indeed, perhaps, the most potent; this is an art movement which has been productive of
becoming acknowledged freely in every direction, a contemporary quartette of colourists comparable
and to-day, when every humanising influence is with Crawhall, Hornel, Henry, and Melville ?
essential in counteracting the world lapse to a And in various respects Henry is the most subtle
spirit of barbarism, such acknowledgment is colourist of the group. He attacks, he over-
incalculably opportune. comes colour problems with consummate skill
It would be interesting, perhaps important, to and with apparent ease. There is a magical
trace the genesis and evolution of this seductive suffusion in his harmonies, extraordinary delicacy
colour sense in the case of our artist, but a brief in his tones ; there are daring yet unquestionably
magazine article is hardly the medium for a successful bright patches in his details, with keen,
speculation in psychology. Henry is an instinctive constant, clever appreciation of the decorative
colourist, and he has carried the study of colour value of black; and association with a Henry
problems to an extreme extent. His advent in art harmony is perhaps only equalled in delight by the
synchronised with a period ripe for revolt against sensation that comes with the faultless rendering
worn-out conventions, and he was strong enough of a seductive musical symphony,
to become a leader. The history
of the great movement to which
he belongs is comparatively well
known, and so also are outstanding
points in the artist's career, but a
brief repetition of them will not
be out of place.
He was born in the classic
county of Ayr, and received his
early art training at Glasgow. He
was amongst the first associates in
the movement that focussed the
attention of the art world on the
city during the two closing
decades of the last century. He
was elected Associate of the Royal
Scottish Academy in 1892,
sojourned in Japan in 1893-4,
attained to full membership of
the Scottish Academy in 1902,
and was elected an Associate of
the Royal Academy in 1907.
These are incidental happenings
in a career of uninterrupted
advancement and achievement.
But unquestionably the visit to
Japan is the strongest link in the
chain of circumstance : it helped
to cultivate and develop an acute
colour sense, a supreme decorative
quality which was conspicuous
even in the early work of the
artist; and with intellectual force
unquestioned, he has, more per-
haps than any other artist, inspired
such sense, such faculty in the
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stimulate the finer qualities of heart and mind, and work of others, without which modern Scottish
temper the whole course of domestic and business painting would completely lack its characteristic
life of those affected. Of all extraneous influences virility. Is there a school, and has there been
colour is indeed, perhaps, the most potent; this is an art movement which has been productive of
becoming acknowledged freely in every direction, a contemporary quartette of colourists comparable
and to-day, when every humanising influence is with Crawhall, Hornel, Henry, and Melville ?
essential in counteracting the world lapse to a And in various respects Henry is the most subtle
spirit of barbarism, such acknowledgment is colourist of the group. He attacks, he over-
incalculably opportune. comes colour problems with consummate skill
It would be interesting, perhaps important, to and with apparent ease. There is a magical
trace the genesis and evolution of this seductive suffusion in his harmonies, extraordinary delicacy
colour sense in the case of our artist, but a brief in his tones ; there are daring yet unquestionably
magazine article is hardly the medium for a successful bright patches in his details, with keen,
speculation in psychology. Henry is an instinctive constant, clever appreciation of the decorative
colourist, and he has carried the study of colour value of black; and association with a Henry
problems to an extreme extent. His advent in art harmony is perhaps only equalled in delight by the
synchronised with a period ripe for revolt against sensation that comes with the faultless rendering
worn-out conventions, and he was strong enough of a seductive musical symphony,
to become a leader. The history
of the great movement to which
he belongs is comparatively well
known, and so also are outstanding
points in the artist's career, but a
brief repetition of them will not
be out of place.
He was born in the classic
county of Ayr, and received his
early art training at Glasgow. He
was amongst the first associates in
the movement that focussed the
attention of the art world on the
city during the two closing
decades of the last century. He
was elected Associate of the Royal
Scottish Academy in 1892,
sojourned in Japan in 1893-4,
attained to full membership of
the Scottish Academy in 1902,
and was elected an Associate of
the Royal Academy in 1907.
These are incidental happenings
in a career of uninterrupted
advancement and achievement.
But unquestionably the visit to
Japan is the strongest link in the
chain of circumstance : it helped
to cultivate and develop an acute
colour sense, a supreme decorative
quality which was conspicuous
even in the early work of the
artist; and with intellectual force
unquestioned, he has, more per-
haps than any other artist, inspired
such sense, such faculty in the
76