Studio: international art (76.1919)

The Sculpture of Professor Havard Thomas

PORTRAIT OF MRS. HERFORD BY T. HAVARD THOMAS

National Gallery, Melbourne, and for the The British Queen and her daughters are con-
Johannesburg and Manchester Art Galleries, ceived with dignity yet animation. Here the
One of the most impressive things about this strong resolute lines of her figure are streng-
piping boy is his unconsciousness to anything thened and emphasized by the contrast of the
but the music of his own emotions, which his two slender forms of the two children. The
whole body and limbs, by their slow and rhyth- group is distinguished by the beautiful rhythm
mical movement, show and emphasize. which runs through the whole of it, forming a

A small but interesting exhibition of Professor most expressive harmony.
Thomas's work was held at the Carfax Gallery in In 1914 Professor Thomas was elected to fill

1909. There the public were enabled to see not the then newly created Chair of Sculpture at

only some big former triumphs like the Lycidas, University College (Slade School) and the

Agriculture, Music and Dancing, and the bust of appointment should lead to good results in the

Cardinal Manning, but also beautiful smaller training of young sculptors, for the sincerity of

works of the artist, consisting of statuettes, bas- his own art cannot lead the students astray if

reliefs, medallions in bronze and marble, and last they will conform to its high standard. Such

but not least some most interesting drawings. Full searching and careful work at first is surely the

of beauty and life, despite their severity, these basis of all expressive sculpture,
elaborate drawings in pencil are the only pre- Havard Thomas is a sculptor whose aims are

liminary studies which Professor Thomas makes single-minded. His work, thanks to its excel-

use of, and they are more thorough than the rapid lence and sincerity, is generally becoming known

studies made as a rule for sculpture. The desire to all who care for good sculpture. Wherever

for the expression of movement was well exem- admirers of this branch of art meet, there is

plified by the artist at this exhibition in the bas- always keen interest and inquiry as to what he

relief Music and Dancing, and especially in the is doing, and eager discussion about his last

statuette Castagnettes, of which the bronze ver- achievement. For each work he produces

sion is in the collection of Sir Arthur Peterson. seems full of new ideas, the expression of which

A late work, Boadicea, a life-size group in lifts it above the rut of the commonplace that

marble, adorns the vestibule of the Cardiff City is so apparent in the great mass of modern

Hall, and is a work of much nobility in style, sculpture.
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