DOI Heft:
No. 283 (October 1916)
DOI Artikel:Stodart-Walker, Archibald: The art of Joseph Crawhall
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24575#0025
The Art of Joseph Craw hall
method of the great portrait-painter. He wrote, Guthrie and Walton in Lincolnshire two years later
like Sargent and Guthrie, their individual signifi- Crawhall painted a large canvas in oils of a white
cance in paint. Every duck, every horse, every cow. This was sent to the Royal Academy and
parrot had its personal character as certain as was hung on the top line in the same gallery where
every sitter, male or female, that sat on the Guthrie had his famous Goose Girl hung above the
" throne " of the portrait-painter. He did not refreshment-room door ! !
pourtray animals in the general, but in the indi- It was soon recognised that Crawhall had not
vidual. the ordinary ambition of the painter. Alexander
It is agreed by all who knew his history well Reid of Glasgow bought every drawing that he
that Crawhall never passed through the usual produced, but so difficult was it for him to get
" amateur stage " of the artist. His earliest efforts Crawhall " to produce " that he was compelled to
reveal a strong decorative tendency and a fine send him water-colours and paper whenever he
certainty of handling. To quote Whistler's phrase, wanted a picture ; the artist neglecting even to keep
his drawings were "finished from the beginning." himself supplied with painting material.
His work exemplified more than that of any other Crawhall started painting on fine holland, simply
modern craftsman the difference between mere because he had no paper at hand. He found the
picture-making and art. His influence in this holland beside his sister's work-box. I remember
direction was great: all those with whom he asso- a time when we were very anxious to secure a
ciated have admitted the lesson they learned from drawing by Crawhall for the Scottish Modern Arts
him with an enthusiasm which has little of the Association, and I approached Mr. Walton on the
forced or manufactured spirit of the testimonial. matter. He assured me that the only way to obtain
In Scotland at least he
shares with Guthrie the
honour of being one of the
"fathers" of modern
painting. A propos of this
attitude of his contem-
poraries, it is interesting to
recall an occasion when the
late Phil May declared to
Mr. Walton that Crawhall
was the only man living
who in the matter of
drawing could, to use his
own expression, " give him
points."
Mr. Walton, in recalling
this frank admission, told
me also many interesting
facts of Crawhall as a boy.
When he was seventeen
a menagerie came to New-
castle, and Crawhall would
spend all day and nearly
every day making studies ;
going off early after break-
fast with his luncheon in
his pocket and returning
late in the evening. All
the work he did in these
younger days was in water-
colour, and all his draw-
ings he quickly sold. While
spending the summer with "pigeons" water-colour by joseph crawhall
19
method of the great portrait-painter. He wrote, Guthrie and Walton in Lincolnshire two years later
like Sargent and Guthrie, their individual signifi- Crawhall painted a large canvas in oils of a white
cance in paint. Every duck, every horse, every cow. This was sent to the Royal Academy and
parrot had its personal character as certain as was hung on the top line in the same gallery where
every sitter, male or female, that sat on the Guthrie had his famous Goose Girl hung above the
" throne " of the portrait-painter. He did not refreshment-room door ! !
pourtray animals in the general, but in the indi- It was soon recognised that Crawhall had not
vidual. the ordinary ambition of the painter. Alexander
It is agreed by all who knew his history well Reid of Glasgow bought every drawing that he
that Crawhall never passed through the usual produced, but so difficult was it for him to get
" amateur stage " of the artist. His earliest efforts Crawhall " to produce " that he was compelled to
reveal a strong decorative tendency and a fine send him water-colours and paper whenever he
certainty of handling. To quote Whistler's phrase, wanted a picture ; the artist neglecting even to keep
his drawings were "finished from the beginning." himself supplied with painting material.
His work exemplified more than that of any other Crawhall started painting on fine holland, simply
modern craftsman the difference between mere because he had no paper at hand. He found the
picture-making and art. His influence in this holland beside his sister's work-box. I remember
direction was great: all those with whom he asso- a time when we were very anxious to secure a
ciated have admitted the lesson they learned from drawing by Crawhall for the Scottish Modern Arts
him with an enthusiasm which has little of the Association, and I approached Mr. Walton on the
forced or manufactured spirit of the testimonial. matter. He assured me that the only way to obtain
In Scotland at least he
shares with Guthrie the
honour of being one of the
"fathers" of modern
painting. A propos of this
attitude of his contem-
poraries, it is interesting to
recall an occasion when the
late Phil May declared to
Mr. Walton that Crawhall
was the only man living
who in the matter of
drawing could, to use his
own expression, " give him
points."
Mr. Walton, in recalling
this frank admission, told
me also many interesting
facts of Crawhall as a boy.
When he was seventeen
a menagerie came to New-
castle, and Crawhall would
spend all day and nearly
every day making studies ;
going off early after break-
fast with his luncheon in
his pocket and returning
late in the evening. All
the work he did in these
younger days was in water-
colour, and all his draw-
ings he quickly sold. While
spending the summer with "pigeons" water-colour by joseph crawhall
19