DOI Heft:
No. 338 (May 1921)
DOI Artikel:Reviews
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21392#0226
REVIEWS
a biographer. Grandson of Thomas,
fourth Duke of Norfolk, who was be-
headed in 1572, and son of Philip, Earl
of Arundel, whom Elizabeth kept a
prisoner in the Tower until his death in
1595, Thomas, the subject of this bio-
graphy, was ten years old when his father
died, and he was never permitted to see
him. His mother, a devout Catholic,
suffered with her young son from Eliza-
beth's revengeful treatment, and their
condition was one approaching utter
destitution. With the accession of James
Stuart, however, a new era dawned, and
ere many years passed Thomas Howard
became one of the most influential men of
the day, his prestige being maintained
until, with the accession of Charles L,
he had to encounter the enmity of Buck-
ingham. Impoverishment once more
overtook him in his latter days as a result
of his financial support of the King's
cause, but in the meantime he had em-
ployed his resources wisely, in the forma-
tion of that wonderful collection of master-
pieces which earned for him at a later
date the title " Father of Vertu in Eng-
land," given him by Walpole. Miss
Hervey's narrative telling of the building
up of this collection and the Earl's re-
lations with the great masters then living,
pari passu with the incidents of his public
life, is of absorbing interest and is amply
authenticated by contemporary documents
in the shape of correspondence between
the Earl and his wife, the agent he em-
ployed in forming the collection, and
others. An inventory of the collection
is given in one of the appendices, and
among the numerous family portraits which
illustrate the volume are those of the Earl
and Countess, by Rubens and Vandyck.
Art and I. By C. Lewis Hind. (Lon-
don : John Lane.) In this collection of
essays, reprinted from the Christian Science
Monitor, Mr. Hind ranges in a gossipy
fashion over a wide field of art and expresses
frank opinions on a surprising variety of
subjects. He writes pleasantly and handles
his material with a lightness of touch that
does not degenerate into mere flippancy.
The essays do not, perhaps, give a very clear
impression, of the author's convictions ;
they suggest an inquiring mind rather too
much inclined to accept all sorts of novel
210
effort in art as equally important and a little
over-ready to believe that every excursion
outside the limits of artistic custom deserves
to be taken seriously. But there is much in
them that is interesting,and there are numer-
ous passages which contain a good deal of
sound and judicious criticism. Certainly,
there are many people who will find th^
book entertaining and helpful. 0 0
Vision and Design. By Roger Fry. (Lon-
don : Chatto & Windus.) Among the pre-
sent day writers on art Mr. Roger Fry holds
a position of much prominence, a posi-
tion he has gained to some extent by
his persistent advocacy of the more ad-
vanced modern movements, but to a far
greater extent by his skill in argument anc
the sound literary quality of his work. This
book does justice to his reputation ; it in-
cludes a selection from the essays on various
subjects which he has written during the
last twenty years and it affirms his convic-
tions with undeniable power. It reveals,
too, in an interesting way the working of his
vigorously analytical mind. No doubt,
many readers of the essays will disagree
with him quite sincerely and will refuse to
accept his conclusions, but no one could
fail to admire the consistency with which h-
puts forward time after time the creed tha,
he professes. Whether this creed is one
which is likely to be generally adopted it is
hard to say, but certainly his faith in it is
complete. 0 0 0 0 0
In How to Identify Persian Rugs, pub-
lished by Messrs. G. Bell & Son, Mr. C. J.
Delabere May gives in addition to much
useful information of a general kind in rela-
tion to Persian rugs a series of detailed
analyses of the principal types which
should prove of great service both to the
student of textile art and to collectors in
need of reliable guidance in making pur-
chases. Besides illustrations of typical
specimens, numerous diagrams of details
are given. 0 0 0 0 0
A Souvenir of the Crome Centenary Ex-
hibition held last month in the Norwich
Castle Art Galleries is published by the
Museum Committee of the Corporation
and contains, in addition to an appreciation
of John Crome by Mr. Laurence Binyon,
a catalogue of all the works included in the
exhibition and excellent half-tone repro-
ductions of nine of the most important.
a biographer. Grandson of Thomas,
fourth Duke of Norfolk, who was be-
headed in 1572, and son of Philip, Earl
of Arundel, whom Elizabeth kept a
prisoner in the Tower until his death in
1595, Thomas, the subject of this bio-
graphy, was ten years old when his father
died, and he was never permitted to see
him. His mother, a devout Catholic,
suffered with her young son from Eliza-
beth's revengeful treatment, and their
condition was one approaching utter
destitution. With the accession of James
Stuart, however, a new era dawned, and
ere many years passed Thomas Howard
became one of the most influential men of
the day, his prestige being maintained
until, with the accession of Charles L,
he had to encounter the enmity of Buck-
ingham. Impoverishment once more
overtook him in his latter days as a result
of his financial support of the King's
cause, but in the meantime he had em-
ployed his resources wisely, in the forma-
tion of that wonderful collection of master-
pieces which earned for him at a later
date the title " Father of Vertu in Eng-
land," given him by Walpole. Miss
Hervey's narrative telling of the building
up of this collection and the Earl's re-
lations with the great masters then living,
pari passu with the incidents of his public
life, is of absorbing interest and is amply
authenticated by contemporary documents
in the shape of correspondence between
the Earl and his wife, the agent he em-
ployed in forming the collection, and
others. An inventory of the collection
is given in one of the appendices, and
among the numerous family portraits which
illustrate the volume are those of the Earl
and Countess, by Rubens and Vandyck.
Art and I. By C. Lewis Hind. (Lon-
don : John Lane.) In this collection of
essays, reprinted from the Christian Science
Monitor, Mr. Hind ranges in a gossipy
fashion over a wide field of art and expresses
frank opinions on a surprising variety of
subjects. He writes pleasantly and handles
his material with a lightness of touch that
does not degenerate into mere flippancy.
The essays do not, perhaps, give a very clear
impression, of the author's convictions ;
they suggest an inquiring mind rather too
much inclined to accept all sorts of novel
210
effort in art as equally important and a little
over-ready to believe that every excursion
outside the limits of artistic custom deserves
to be taken seriously. But there is much in
them that is interesting,and there are numer-
ous passages which contain a good deal of
sound and judicious criticism. Certainly,
there are many people who will find th^
book entertaining and helpful. 0 0
Vision and Design. By Roger Fry. (Lon-
don : Chatto & Windus.) Among the pre-
sent day writers on art Mr. Roger Fry holds
a position of much prominence, a posi-
tion he has gained to some extent by
his persistent advocacy of the more ad-
vanced modern movements, but to a far
greater extent by his skill in argument anc
the sound literary quality of his work. This
book does justice to his reputation ; it in-
cludes a selection from the essays on various
subjects which he has written during the
last twenty years and it affirms his convic-
tions with undeniable power. It reveals,
too, in an interesting way the working of his
vigorously analytical mind. No doubt,
many readers of the essays will disagree
with him quite sincerely and will refuse to
accept his conclusions, but no one could
fail to admire the consistency with which h-
puts forward time after time the creed tha,
he professes. Whether this creed is one
which is likely to be generally adopted it is
hard to say, but certainly his faith in it is
complete. 0 0 0 0 0
In How to Identify Persian Rugs, pub-
lished by Messrs. G. Bell & Son, Mr. C. J.
Delabere May gives in addition to much
useful information of a general kind in rela-
tion to Persian rugs a series of detailed
analyses of the principal types which
should prove of great service both to the
student of textile art and to collectors in
need of reliable guidance in making pur-
chases. Besides illustrations of typical
specimens, numerous diagrams of details
are given. 0 0 0 0 0
A Souvenir of the Crome Centenary Ex-
hibition held last month in the Norwich
Castle Art Galleries is published by the
Museum Committee of the Corporation
and contains, in addition to an appreciation
of John Crome by Mr. Laurence Binyon,
a catalogue of all the works included in the
exhibition and excellent half-tone repro-
ductions of nine of the most important.