Studio: international art (84.1922)

LONDON SKETCHES BY A. STAPLETON

to the freedom of his soul, as a despoiler Rupert Court, connecting Rupert Street

of his art. 0 0 0 0 0 and Wardour Street, was named after

Nevertheless, he is, I think, mistaken. Charles I.'s nephew, " Rupert of the

It is precisely the draughtsman-like quality Rhine," who fought valiantly for his uncle

of his painting which gives to his art a and is remembered in the annals of art as

distinct and attractive individuality, and having introduced mezzotint engraving

the philosophic humour of his tempera- into England, though the honour of having

ment invests his pictures with a focal invented the process has long since been

interest only too often lacking in modern transferred from him to another. Faulk-

art. Herbert Furst. nei's Alley, worthy of note as having a

front of wood, and Stewart's Place, Clerken-
well, both probably date from the latter

LEAVES FROM A LONDON half of the 17th Century, 000
SKETCH BOOK BY ALAN
STAPLETON. 0000

THE five lead-pencil sketches of which
reproductions are here given are typi-
cal of a large number which have resulted
from Mr. Alan Stapleton's explorations
among the odd nooks and corners of
London. Eschewing the more famous
buildings and places, whose lineaments
have been drawn by successive generations
of artists, he has preferred to concentrate
his attention upon those relics of the
architecture of bygone days to which the
casual passer-by pays little heed. Places
such as those which the artist re-discovers
for us in these drawings are still by no
means uncommon, but they represent only
a comparatively small residue of those that
existed within the memory of people now
living, and no doubt in a generation hence
many more will have disappeared leaving
only such traces as are recorded in the
drawings of Mr. Stapleton and other
artists. 00000
Of the places shown in these sketches,
Strand Lane claims the greatest antiquity
as associated with the old Roman Bath,
said to be the only spring bath to be found
in London now. The lane itself was
formerly the channel of the rivulet which
flowed across the Strand under a bridge.
Walker's Court and Rupert Court, both
within a short distance of one another not
far from Piccadilly Circus, were built in
the second half of the 17th Century ; the
former was once known as " Knave's
Acre," which seems to imply rather evil
associations, though hereabouts many
people of " quality" resided a century
ago, and ambassadors lived in Soho Square
hard by. 00000
152

"FAULKNER'S ALLEY, CITY OP
LOS DOS." BY ALAS STAPLETOS