DOI Heft:
No. 312 (March 1919)
DOI Artikel:The Society of Twenty-five Painters
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21357#0053
The Society of Twenty-five Painters
THE SOCIETY OF TWENTY-FIVE really a sort of poster, intended to advertise the
PAINTERS artist on an overcrowded hoarding, and its very
success as an advertisement makes it a little too
IT can fairly be claimed on behalf of the overpowering for the ordinary room,
smaller art societies that they provide the In the small exhibition, however, the artist
artist with very valuable opportunities has not the same temptation to assert himself ;
for putting his work attractively before he is not exposed to such severe competition,
the public. In a large exhibition the artist is and he is one ol only a limited number of con-
only one of a crowd, and if he does not happen tributors. Therefore he can work with more
to be showing something that calls vehemently restraint and with more thought for the subtleties
for attention there is always the danger that in and refinements of his practice, he can substitute
the crowd his contributions may be lost and persuasiveness for aggression, and he can
therefore overlooked. Consciousness of this approach the collector in a spirit of sweet reason-
danger leads many men into producing work ableness instead of attacking him with a blud-
which is not quite what they want to do ; they geon. Moreover, the man of taste, who is apt
feel that to hold their own in trying surroundings to find art in the mass somewhat overpowering,
they must choose startling subjects and must comes much more closely into contact with the
exaggerate and accentuate qualities of treatment artist in the small show ; he can grasp it all
so as to force themselves to be noticed. It is as without an effort, he can make comparisons
a consequence of this feeling that the conven- easily, and he can appreciate better the artist's
tional type of exhibition picture has come into intention. Best of all, he can feel that the work
existence—a type that, however effective it may before him is what the artist has produced for
be in an exhibition, does not represent the best his own satisfaction and not merely to make
side of the painter's art and does not necessarily himself conspicuous at all costs,
appeal to the collector who wants work that is That is why such an exhibition as that of the
pleasant to live with. The exhibition picture is Society of Twenty-five Painters, at the Leicester
"a backwater"
LXXVI. No. 312.—March 1919
oil painting by a. d. peppercorn
37
THE SOCIETY OF TWENTY-FIVE really a sort of poster, intended to advertise the
PAINTERS artist on an overcrowded hoarding, and its very
success as an advertisement makes it a little too
IT can fairly be claimed on behalf of the overpowering for the ordinary room,
smaller art societies that they provide the In the small exhibition, however, the artist
artist with very valuable opportunities has not the same temptation to assert himself ;
for putting his work attractively before he is not exposed to such severe competition,
the public. In a large exhibition the artist is and he is one ol only a limited number of con-
only one of a crowd, and if he does not happen tributors. Therefore he can work with more
to be showing something that calls vehemently restraint and with more thought for the subtleties
for attention there is always the danger that in and refinements of his practice, he can substitute
the crowd his contributions may be lost and persuasiveness for aggression, and he can
therefore overlooked. Consciousness of this approach the collector in a spirit of sweet reason-
danger leads many men into producing work ableness instead of attacking him with a blud-
which is not quite what they want to do ; they geon. Moreover, the man of taste, who is apt
feel that to hold their own in trying surroundings to find art in the mass somewhat overpowering,
they must choose startling subjects and must comes much more closely into contact with the
exaggerate and accentuate qualities of treatment artist in the small show ; he can grasp it all
so as to force themselves to be noticed. It is as without an effort, he can make comparisons
a consequence of this feeling that the conven- easily, and he can appreciate better the artist's
tional type of exhibition picture has come into intention. Best of all, he can feel that the work
existence—a type that, however effective it may before him is what the artist has produced for
be in an exhibition, does not represent the best his own satisfaction and not merely to make
side of the painter's art and does not necessarily himself conspicuous at all costs,
appeal to the collector who wants work that is That is why such an exhibition as that of the
pleasant to live with. The exhibition picture is Society of Twenty-five Painters, at the Leicester
"a backwater"
LXXVI. No. 312.—March 1919
oil painting by a. d. peppercorn
37