Studio: international art (71.1917)

Mr Nelson Dan-sons Commemorative Panels and Etchings
REMARKS ON MR. NELSON DAW- >££™»&^T*?*'&

SON'S COMMEMORATIVE PANELS ^ but upQn observing loyally their proper

AND ETCHINGS. BY PROF. SELWYN iimitati0ns. This assuredly is to set out on

IMAGE the path that leads to success. For it cannot

F^EW examples of decorative art that be too urgently insisted on, or too P^fteatiy

4 have come down to us are more remembered by the craftsman that it is only

1 ancient, none are more beautiful and through a frank acceptance and prudent ut hza-

finer in preservation, than those of tion of such limitations that the finer artistic

the enameUer's craft. It may be a question results can ever be attained,
where the craft first arose. Anyhow it is Mr. Nelson Dawson has for many a year been

certain that for long ages past it has been well known to us alike as a pictorial artist ot

practised with consummate skill amidst various rare distinction, and—in constant mtima e

peoples both in the East and West. Like other collaboration with his wife, a practitioner ana

arts it has had its times of fine accomplishment authority in enamelling second to none-as a

and high valuation. Then again it has drifted craftsman in metal-work and jewellery ot
into times of decadence and neglect. It is exceeding skill. When such a man suggests to
significant to note in passing that decadence in us a new line along which he is anxious to
this case has by no means always meant develop his artistic energy, he speaks as one
inferiority of technical accomplishment. The having authority, and we do well to listen to
later Limoges enamellers, for instance, of the him. It is now some year and a half since
seventeenth century were in some ways even Mr. Dawson privately published a little pamphlet
more cunningly dexterous than the early entitled *' College Stall-Plates: Being a Note
Limoges enamellers of the thir-
teenth century, yet their work ^"V_
in the proper artistic sense is j^^WCT^JaL^
not so fine. Why is that ? One .^^SSlB^JHlific^xi HH^s. a

comes across the same pheno- i^SSRHfl^flRG^H^S^ajL X^-

menon in an art in certain yi4irSS^^fBBy^^^8HBP' ^^^Bf3ffiHK*,'i%

respects not unlike thai of the I ^HfcsO* gS^BWWK—(jfl WKHlL*J

enameller — the art of glass- ^»PV\«4^flBjtS cS^&kSum^

have all manner of new convc- JSMWE^tTmK ' j**f*i \l \''*-' i^Ci flB&j&.

niences made ready to their llr^^WBSfl M»', ''JHBB^BBbIe^BBIBI Bi L~-Xt;1

hand, to lose sight of the in- Tj^Jfcar/ BB

herent restraining conditions of ,

their medium, and to show off flHA<^jft ^":V* ^* ^IIe

their cleverness by setting these ^^^^^^ V' " |

conditions at naught. More- JBBSp^n^r^M hIBL

over, in yielding to this temp- Tj^BB^JA^h^ J0SOK^f%

tation they readily degenerate ^Y^PpMbH^fr^ V ^H^^tOSM^^^

into triviality of temper and ^"x8SP=^K£&J9KS ^Lr^S^BBT^

aim ; they degenerate, that ^^S^jSME^^ilS^lfeiHE^r^

to say, into mere virtuosity.

It is, however, one of the "^J^SBBSSS^^r^

encouraging signs about the ^^^^^^^^^^

revival of the artistic crafts, . „„,,r.»r'a

, . , , ,. , ... . college arms in bronze and champleve enamel on a fellow a

WhlCh has taken place Within memorial tablet in the chapel of trinity college, dublin

recent years, that the leaders by nelson dawson, r.e.

23