DOI issue:
No. 344 (November 1912)
DOI article:Tryon, Gerard: An exhibition of drawings at the British Museum
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21393#0218
DRAWINGS AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM
PORTRAIT OF A LADY. SILVER-
POINT DRAWING ATTRIBUTED
TO ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN
lias given the real explanation of a point Leonardo must have loved the sea and the
that has so long pulled modern artists, movement of great waters—I seem to see
Mr. Chesterton describes, in his own inimit- this when he draws a woman's hair ! 0
able way, how an early painter, having Looking at the old drawings and com-
looked long on the beauty of the snows, goes paring them with the modern in the British
back to his studio and paints this radiant Museum Exhibition one is struck by the
beauty into the white robe of the Virgin in great beauty of colour in the old work,
his picture instead of painting the snow as a giving it as it does an almost unfair advan-
modern artist would have done. Mr. tage, for there is little charm in the hard
Chesterton's parable explains how the new paper and colourless backgrounds of
earlypainter utilised all his observation and the modern drawings. But in this com-
always retained his singleness of aim. Now, parison at least the modern artists can
if this is true of colour it is surely no less console themselves, for no doubt the kindly
true of form. I can imagine Michael hand of Time will eventually come to their
Angelo loved the mountains no whit less aid and pleasantly mellow the new paper
than any modern, but he drew the grandeur and dust the superfluous particles of chalk
they taught him in his figures. How from their drawings. Gerard Tryon.
202
PORTRAIT OF A LADY. SILVER-
POINT DRAWING ATTRIBUTED
TO ROGIER VAN DER WEYDEN
lias given the real explanation of a point Leonardo must have loved the sea and the
that has so long pulled modern artists, movement of great waters—I seem to see
Mr. Chesterton describes, in his own inimit- this when he draws a woman's hair ! 0
able way, how an early painter, having Looking at the old drawings and com-
looked long on the beauty of the snows, goes paring them with the modern in the British
back to his studio and paints this radiant Museum Exhibition one is struck by the
beauty into the white robe of the Virgin in great beauty of colour in the old work,
his picture instead of painting the snow as a giving it as it does an almost unfair advan-
modern artist would have done. Mr. tage, for there is little charm in the hard
Chesterton's parable explains how the new paper and colourless backgrounds of
earlypainter utilised all his observation and the modern drawings. But in this com-
always retained his singleness of aim. Now, parison at least the modern artists can
if this is true of colour it is surely no less console themselves, for no doubt the kindly
true of form. I can imagine Michael hand of Time will eventually come to their
Angelo loved the mountains no whit less aid and pleasantly mellow the new paper
than any modern, but he drew the grandeur and dust the superfluous particles of chalk
they taught him in his figures. How from their drawings. Gerard Tryon.
202