Studio: international art (74.1918)

The Paintings of Niels M. Lund

but a short time there was sufficient to convince the scenic sentiment of a great city would call

him that business was not his vocation, whereas to him for pictorial record in a spacious and

in the evening drawing classes he discovered his comprehensive vista. So, on a large and im-

true bent. When it was decided that he was to portant canvas, which he called The Heart of the

follow art as a career, he came to London, and Empire, he painted London as he saw it under

passed his period of pupilage at St. John's a troubled sky, looking westward from the top

Wood Art School and in the schools of the of the Royal Exchange. The mood of the sky

Royal Academy. Further stud}' in Paris served invariably plays its influential part in Niels

to equip him with that soundness of painters' Lund's pictures, and in one capacious view of

craft which was so characteristic of his work. Newcastle a great sky of rolling cloud has a very

Niels Lund was always artistically attracted dramatic effect on the aspect of the smoky city,

by the human figure, his graceful treatment of seen across many roofs, with a patch of light

the nude inclining rather to the academic, as falling upon the river against which a church

one may see in The Bath of Diana, where nymphs spire is silhouetted. The Tyne has inspired the

and landscape form a decorative scheme ; while painter, in at least one canvas, to a charming

in several portraits he revealed an interest in pictorial intimacy with its busy aspect of bridge

character which enabled him to present the and craft-crowded river. In The City of Durham,

individuality of his subject with an engaging which is one of our illustrations, we have, perhaps,

sense of vitality. But his temperament was the most impressively picturesque view of the

more truly that of the landscape painter, and it city on the Wear, and, with the river flowing

was landscape in its more romantic aspects that round the base of the eminence crowned by

specially appealed to him. Happiest among the castle and cathedral, one of the most rhythmical

straths of the Scotch highlands, with their of Lund's larger compositions,
tumultuous waters and picturesque domination In Windsor Castle the artist has let the

of characteristic trees, he would feel all the historic pile take the sunlight with a gentle

significant beauty of an ancient castle amid beauty, emphasized by the shadows on the

surroundings of romantic impressiveness ; while " silver-streaming Thames " cast by the noble

' THE HAUNT OF THE ROE DEER ' BY NIELS M. LUND

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