Studio: international art (79.1920)

JOHN HOUGHTON BONNOR: AN APPRECIATION

competent critic can easily learn to dis-
tinguish between the mannerisms of
various schools or individual artists, and
thus to recognize a new mannerism on its
first appearance, it is often difficult for the
ablest critic, especially if he has no personal
knowledge of the artist, to distinguish at
once between the work of the mere copyist
and that of the man who, because he really
has his ** eye on the object,” and on an
absolute standard of excellence rather than
on his audience and the work of his pre-
decessors, has to that extent a real kinship
with the great masters, and has not
troubled to conceal it by manufacturing
some new and probably quite unnatural
technique or mannerism. It is often, as an
intelligent amateur once said to me, only
u the little bit extra ” in this latter case
which yet makes the immense difference
between them ; and it is often not for many
years that either the critics or the general
public are able to recognize this “ little
bit extra.” Consider how much more
rapidly some of the Futurists or of the
Georgian poets have leapt into notoriety,
if not into fame, than did, for instance,
Blake or Milton. 0000
Now though I do not profess to be an
able critic, I do think that even without my
personal knowledge of him, I should have
recognized this “ little bit extra ” in the
work here illustrated and in almost every-
thing that Mr. Bonnor produced, a 0
He was never misled by the crazy,
modern demand for originality at all costs.
Though it could never be said that he was
the disciple of any one particular master,
he had a great respect for all great tradi-
tions ; and he had the courage to enter
the arena in which the great artists com-
pete and which cranks and eccentrics so
wisely shun. He continued to aim at that
absolute standard of excellence on which
the historic traditions all converge. Like
the old masters he remained true to the
human—or divine—centre of things, re-
gardless of the fact that his light might so
for a long time remain indiscernible, over-
powered by theirs ; whilst others, pru-
dently avoiding disastrous comparisons, or
even seeking to establish their own re-
putations by discrediting those of their
predecessors, achieve a brief notoriety by
striking attitudes in the wilderness on their
20

way to the outer darkness of the remote
circumference. 0 a a a
But in spite of all these handicaps, Mr.
Bonnor had won a considerable reputation
some time before his early death.
“ Work,” says Mrs. Bonnor, “ poured in
upon him.” His designs and models for
Lord Kitchener's Fountain and “ War
Babies ” doubtless did much to increase
his reputation ; and his work on the new
Parliament buildings at Ottawa, where he
had a free hand and immense oppor-
tunities, would probably have brought him
world-wide fame. He has left materials
behind him which might well inspire any
capable and sympathetic craftsman for the
work of a lifetime ; and it is the great hope
and consolation of Mrs. Bonnor, who is
herself an accomplished jeweller, and has
already very successfully executed a
window to his recent designs, that she,
perhaps later with the help of her children,
may be able to work up some of this
material into further durable testimonies of
her husband's genius. 000

NECKLACE, " THE ROSE
GARDEN” (rubies, EMER-
ALDS, WHITE ENAMEL, AND
PEARLS). BY J.H. BONNOR