Studio: international art (84.1922)

Cellini and his contemporaries worked all
the better for intervals of fighting, and to
some extent the same thing appears to
apply in the case of moderns. Three years
of fighting (with a military cross adventure
thrown in) made a distinct and desirable
difference in the work of our subject.
His work is now gaining in power and is a
reflex of personality rather than of any
school. It is direct, reasonable and dignified
and has the unmistakable characteristics
of the English painter. The work of every
artist worthy of the name has, like its
producer, a mind governing a body. When
the mind outgrows the body puny technique
and craftsmanship result. When the body
outgrows the mind we have a type of work
which is so useless and so violently irritat-
34

ing that the impatient, critic may even be
excused for consigning it to an out of the
world place with a tropical climate. 0
Mr. Penn's mind is quite active and from
this activity spring freedom, a study of
humanity and the eternal charm of diver-
sity : he can see for instance the difference
between a peculiarly fierce male (let us say
a Liverpool business man) and the softened
sweetness of a little girl, and approach
either in the spirit which the classic mayor
intended when he vowed to act " without
partiality on the one 'and or himpartiality on
the other." Painters of portraits and other
things too rarely modify their manner
according to their matter. We have all seen
the paint hewn child or the pretty
gentleman. a a 0 0 a