Studio: international art (72.1918)

Studio-Talk

PEN-AND-INK BOOK DECORATION

BY NAOMI B. SIMON

to it by the inclusion of works by a number of
distinguished artists of the modern French
school, such as Corot, Millet, Daubigny, Monti-
celli, Fantin Latour, T. H. Rousseau, Roybet,
Jongkind, Cazin, Blanche, Monet, Mancini, and
the two recently deceased stalwarts, Rodin and
Degas. The last named is represented by a
fan painting in water-colour, Danseuses, and a
couple of pastels, one of which, Les Blanchis-
seuses, is a remarkably fine example of his art.
All three works belong to the collection of the
late Sir William Eden, Bart., Irom which the
exhibition as a whole derives much, if not most,
of its interest. Among works from other sources
are a number of masterly water-colours by Mr.
J. S. Sargent, lent by Mrs. Charles Hunter,
from whom comes also a unique series of fifteen
drawings by Max Beerbohm of “ Rossetti and
his Friends,” which have never been publicly
exhibited before.

Miss Naomi B. Simon, who promises to take
a notable place among our black-and-white
illustrators, was one of the clever pupils at
Mr. Byam Shaw’s stimulating art school in
Kensington. As a painter of figure-subjects and
landscape she has exhibited at the Royal Insti-
tute and other places, but it is through her deft
handling of pen and ink that so far she has,
like her master, found the happiest expression
of her imaginative vision. From him Miss
Simon has imbibed the true artistic principle of
graphic illustration, seeking in the poet’s words
primarily a pictorial suggestion for the decora-
tion of the page. This will be seen in her
illustration to Browning’s “ Parting at Morn-
ing,” reproduced here, in which she has used
very effectively as a decorative motive the
splendid sunrise with its “ path of gold.” Her
feeling for decoration in black-and-white design
158

is seen also in the bold little tail-piece of cliffs
and sea.

With the splendid series of war drawings
made by Mr. Muirhead Bone on and behind
the Western Front, the public are now pretty
well familiar through the excellent reproductions
in large and small format which have been
published by authority of the Government
departments concerned. The originals of these
drawings have been presented to the British
Museum, where future generations will be able
to get some idea of the terrible ordeal which
our brave armies have had to face in the stu-
pendous struggle which from all appearances
has not even yet now reached its climax. A
similar role to that which Mr. Bone has so
admirably discharged has been assigned to a
few other well-known artists—among others
to Mr. Orpen, who has already, we understand,
sent home a number of drawings characteristic
of his virile art. In the Palestine field of
operations Lieut. James McBey, who until a
few months ago was engaged on rather hum-
drum duties in France, has been busy sketching,
and before long the public will have an oppor-
tunity of seeing some of the many drawings
he has executed in the Sinai region. It has
been reserved, however, for an overseas or-
ganization to utilize the services of artists on a
comprehensive scale for the purposes of estab-
lishing a permanent record of the scenes and
incidents of the great conflict. Under this
scheme, as announced last month, arrangements
have been made for some fifty well-known
artists to visit the battle fronts and execute
paintings on behalf of the Canadian War
Memorial Fund. The list includes the names of
Mr. Clausen, Mr. Brangwyn, Mr. Orpen, Mr.
C. H. Shannon, Mr. Augustus John, Mr. D. Y.