DOI issue:
No. 307 (October 1918)
DOI article:West, W. K.: The flower paintings of Herbert Davis Richter, R.O.I
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.24600#0030
The Flower Paintings of Herbert Davis Richter, R.O.I.
design for decorative frieze (pastel) by h. davis richter, r.o.i.
needless minuteness of finish would be to rob his At any rate he has learned his lesson well,
canvases of that air of spontaneity which counts and he knows how to apply it in all branches of
for so much in their effect. His frank, direct his work. He is just as correctly inspired by
technique, his cleanliness of colour tone, his habit Nature in his pure decorations as he is in his
of placing touch beside touch freshly and without easel pictures, and he is just as truly a decorator
fumbling them into shape, all help to enhance the in his pictures as he is in his designs. But then
spirit of his subjects. There is no kind of art in the principles on which he relies in the whole
which a straightfoiward method is more appro- of his art are sound at their foundation and have
priate than in flower painting, because there is no been followed out with intelligence through all
kind of art in which tentative or uncertain brush- the various steps of his practice. Therefore he
work has a more disastrous result. But probably is always ready to solve in the right way any
this is one of the useful lessons which Mr. Davis problem that is presented to Mm, and he need
Richter learned during his training as a decorator, never be in doubt concerning the manner in
that to see largely and to record clearly and with which he ought to approach the difficulties of
conviction can be regarded as the fundamentals his profession. W. K. West.
of design.
His training certainly
had the advantage of
comprehensiveness. Born
at Brighton in 1874, he Br , JmB
was educated at Bath BL I
and practised there from WSt w^w Ikyflf^^^fl
1895 to 1906 as an archi- j^^Bf J^vHHKr'' ' ^8
tect and designer with W~ C-jtfi **' ' * , '-s^j
much success. His desire ^^^ir * ' ' "
to become a painter arose ^r' ir ' # ;'• - 'jp JlT'^^B
out of the conviction that B " v X '"^w^ ""**■
his work would gain in Ktf MfcfljjLA w JpL j
unity and quality if he HBL^kjgM ' Mm| ^tJm^T^Jtt
could himself execute the '
decorations he designed: I
cLrid to fit himself for •' '
actual accomplishment in JflHKjCZH
this direction he became a
student under J. M. Swan
and Mr. Brangwyn, from ;
whom unquestionably he
received just the sort of """" _
guidance he required. "peonies" oil painting by h. davis richter, r.o.i.
24
design for decorative frieze (pastel) by h. davis richter, r.o.i.
needless minuteness of finish would be to rob his At any rate he has learned his lesson well,
canvases of that air of spontaneity which counts and he knows how to apply it in all branches of
for so much in their effect. His frank, direct his work. He is just as correctly inspired by
technique, his cleanliness of colour tone, his habit Nature in his pure decorations as he is in his
of placing touch beside touch freshly and without easel pictures, and he is just as truly a decorator
fumbling them into shape, all help to enhance the in his pictures as he is in his designs. But then
spirit of his subjects. There is no kind of art in the principles on which he relies in the whole
which a straightfoiward method is more appro- of his art are sound at their foundation and have
priate than in flower painting, because there is no been followed out with intelligence through all
kind of art in which tentative or uncertain brush- the various steps of his practice. Therefore he
work has a more disastrous result. But probably is always ready to solve in the right way any
this is one of the useful lessons which Mr. Davis problem that is presented to Mm, and he need
Richter learned during his training as a decorator, never be in doubt concerning the manner in
that to see largely and to record clearly and with which he ought to approach the difficulties of
conviction can be regarded as the fundamentals his profession. W. K. West.
of design.
His training certainly
had the advantage of
comprehensiveness. Born
at Brighton in 1874, he Br , JmB
was educated at Bath BL I
and practised there from WSt w^w Ikyflf^^^fl
1895 to 1906 as an archi- j^^Bf J^vHHKr'' ' ^8
tect and designer with W~ C-jtfi **' ' * , '-s^j
much success. His desire ^^^ir * ' ' "
to become a painter arose ^r' ir ' # ;'• - 'jp JlT'^^B
out of the conviction that B " v X '"^w^ ""**■
his work would gain in Ktf MfcfljjLA w JpL j
unity and quality if he HBL^kjgM ' Mm| ^tJm^T^Jtt
could himself execute the '
decorations he designed: I
cLrid to fit himself for •' '
actual accomplishment in JflHKjCZH
this direction he became a
student under J. M. Swan
and Mr. Brangwyn, from ;
whom unquestionably he
received just the sort of """" _
guidance he required. "peonies" oil painting by h. davis richter, r.o.i.
24