DOI Heft:
No. 343 (October 1921)
DOI Artikel:Schwabe, Randolph: Some drawings by Henry Rushbury
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21393#0161
SOME DRAWINGS BY HENRY the artist is in mid career, with great prom-
RUSHBURY. 0 0 0 ^ ise of future development in his work, as is
the case with Henry Rushbury, our esti-
TO write an introduction to the work of mate becomes more tentative. A young
a living artist whom we admire may be man of thirty-two, who is self-confident
a grateful task, but it presents certain but not self-satisfied, who does not mistake
obvious difficulties. Even the facts of his self-advertisement for self-expression,
life, if we touch on his environment and whose progress has been steadily continu-
the influences he has absorbed or rejected, ous, so that his best work of each year is an
may lead us away from the necessary "com- advance on previous years, has evidently
pliance with times, and sparing of persons " not said all he has to say. The drawings
which Dr. Johnson noted as the great which are here reproduced are not imma-
impediment of biography ; and to confine ture, but good as they are he will have done
ourselves to the bald statements of Who's better things in ten years' time. We are
Who, without any suggestion of the artist's therefore in the position of the audience
personality and surroundings, is to be un- half way through a play. Our interest and
necessarily dull. When we come to matters admiration are aroused, but we cannot pass
of critical opinion it requires some confi- full judgment till the denouement is reached,
dence to praise as highly as we should wish. Enjoyment, rather than the exact adjust-
The excellence that we discover is relative, ment of appreciation, should be our imme-
and the kind of eulogy given to masters diate business. The purpose of this notice
who can be seen in the true perspective of is to increase the number of those who
time is generally, if applied to our con- take pleasure in the work of an excep-
temporaries, as unconvincing as a catalogue tional modern artist: relying, for the de-
of unredeemed virtues on a tombstone. If sired enlargement of the already consider-
" UNLOADING ORANGES "
BY HENRY RUSHBURY
145
RUSHBURY. 0 0 0 ^ ise of future development in his work, as is
the case with Henry Rushbury, our esti-
TO write an introduction to the work of mate becomes more tentative. A young
a living artist whom we admire may be man of thirty-two, who is self-confident
a grateful task, but it presents certain but not self-satisfied, who does not mistake
obvious difficulties. Even the facts of his self-advertisement for self-expression,
life, if we touch on his environment and whose progress has been steadily continu-
the influences he has absorbed or rejected, ous, so that his best work of each year is an
may lead us away from the necessary "com- advance on previous years, has evidently
pliance with times, and sparing of persons " not said all he has to say. The drawings
which Dr. Johnson noted as the great which are here reproduced are not imma-
impediment of biography ; and to confine ture, but good as they are he will have done
ourselves to the bald statements of Who's better things in ten years' time. We are
Who, without any suggestion of the artist's therefore in the position of the audience
personality and surroundings, is to be un- half way through a play. Our interest and
necessarily dull. When we come to matters admiration are aroused, but we cannot pass
of critical opinion it requires some confi- full judgment till the denouement is reached,
dence to praise as highly as we should wish. Enjoyment, rather than the exact adjust-
The excellence that we discover is relative, ment of appreciation, should be our imme-
and the kind of eulogy given to masters diate business. The purpose of this notice
who can be seen in the true perspective of is to increase the number of those who
time is generally, if applied to our con- take pleasure in the work of an excep-
temporaries, as unconvincing as a catalogue tional modern artist: relying, for the de-
of unredeemed virtues on a tombstone. If sired enlargement of the already consider-
" UNLOADING ORANGES "
BY HENRY RUSHBURY
145