DOI issue:
No. 363 (June 1923)
DOI article:Studio-talk
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.21397#0380
REVIEWS
American Water-Colourists. By A. E.
Gallatin. (New York: E. P. Dutton and
Co.) $15. Limited edition.—In his pre-
fatory note to this volume Mr. Gallatin
comments on the meagre extent to which
the work of the leading American painters
in water-colours is represented in some
of the principal public collections of the
United States and contrasts this apathy
with the lively interest shown by private
collectors. In proceeding to discuss the
work of ten artists selected as the leading
exponents of the medium, he admits
that u it would scarcely be correct to
assert that an American school of water-
colourists has actually been established/'
but contends that “ it is undeniable that
the water-colourists have created traditions
for themselves, in addition to achieving
splendid results and developing new possi-
bilities for the medium." The ten
selected as representative are Whistler,
Winslow Homer, J. S. Sargent, Dodge
MacKnight, John Marin, Walter Gay,
Demuth, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt
and Charles Burchfield; and examples of
the work of each are shown in the series
of reproductions following the text. Some
of these appear to have suffered from
translation into black and white, and
among the eight colour plates Whistler’s
On the Mersey has lost no little of the
delicacy characteristic of his essays in
water-colour. 0000a
Les Eaux-Fortes de Rembrandt. Par
Andre-Charles Coppier. (Paris : Armand
Colin). 70 francs. Although nominally
a new edition, this historical and critical
study of Rembrandt's etchings has under-
gone such extensive revision and amplifica-
tion as to make it virtually a new work.
The text besides being revised throughout
has been supplemented by a chronological
list of all the authentic etchings and states,
and the number of illustrations has been
largely augmented, the additions including
material not before published. In the
case of many of the etchings a part has
been reproduced on an enlarged scale so
as to exhibit clearly the master’s technique ;
while the reproductions given from some of
the actual copper plates are a further
feature of great interest to the student.
360
Apart from these important improvements,
the volume claims attention as an excellent
example of the ** rotary gravure ’’ process
of printing which is now making headway,
not only for the production of pictorial
matter in periodicals and books but also
occasionally for letterpress as well, though
this application of it is as yet largely
experimental. In the present case the
illustrations—more than 150 in number—
are uniformly excellent, comparing very
favourably with collotype and other repro-
ductions printed hors texte. 0 0
Modern British Sculpture : An Official
Record of some of the works by Members of
the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
(London : Academy Architecture) 7s. 6d.
net. It is unfortunately true, as Mr.
Baldry points out in his foreword to this
volume of reproductions, that scant justice
is done to sculpture in this country, where,
as he says, it ** has to put up with being a
none too welcome adjunct to picture
exhibitions in which it is shown to little
advantage.’’ It is nothing short of a scandal
that the Royal Society of British Sculptors
has, after nearly 20 years of existence, not
yet been able to realise its intention to
become an exhibiting society, solely through
lack of opportunity. As a partial substitute
for an exhibition this book has been
planned, and the 140 examples illustrated,
representing the work of some sixty mem-
bers of the Society, fully uphold the claim
of British sculpture to better recognition
than it now receives both from organisers
of exhibitions and the public. 0 0
English Country Life and Work. By
Ernest C. Pulbrook. (London : B. T.
Batsford, Ltd.) 16s. net. Mr. Pulbrook's
interesting and extensively illustrated
account of our country folk and the life
they lead should bring home to most of us
who live in towns how little we really
know of England, and how much we owe
to the rural toiler through whose patient
exertions so many of our daily needs are
satisfied. 00000
Messrs. Frost and Reed of Bristol and
London are publishing a mezzotint in colour
by Mr. T. Hamilton Crawford after Gains-
borough’s famous picture, The Blue Boy,
for which Messrs. Duveen paid £150,000
in 1921. The size of the engraving is
14I-X 20J inches. 0000
American Water-Colourists. By A. E.
Gallatin. (New York: E. P. Dutton and
Co.) $15. Limited edition.—In his pre-
fatory note to this volume Mr. Gallatin
comments on the meagre extent to which
the work of the leading American painters
in water-colours is represented in some
of the principal public collections of the
United States and contrasts this apathy
with the lively interest shown by private
collectors. In proceeding to discuss the
work of ten artists selected as the leading
exponents of the medium, he admits
that u it would scarcely be correct to
assert that an American school of water-
colourists has actually been established/'
but contends that “ it is undeniable that
the water-colourists have created traditions
for themselves, in addition to achieving
splendid results and developing new possi-
bilities for the medium." The ten
selected as representative are Whistler,
Winslow Homer, J. S. Sargent, Dodge
MacKnight, John Marin, Walter Gay,
Demuth, Childe Hassam, Mary Cassatt
and Charles Burchfield; and examples of
the work of each are shown in the series
of reproductions following the text. Some
of these appear to have suffered from
translation into black and white, and
among the eight colour plates Whistler’s
On the Mersey has lost no little of the
delicacy characteristic of his essays in
water-colour. 0000a
Les Eaux-Fortes de Rembrandt. Par
Andre-Charles Coppier. (Paris : Armand
Colin). 70 francs. Although nominally
a new edition, this historical and critical
study of Rembrandt's etchings has under-
gone such extensive revision and amplifica-
tion as to make it virtually a new work.
The text besides being revised throughout
has been supplemented by a chronological
list of all the authentic etchings and states,
and the number of illustrations has been
largely augmented, the additions including
material not before published. In the
case of many of the etchings a part has
been reproduced on an enlarged scale so
as to exhibit clearly the master’s technique ;
while the reproductions given from some of
the actual copper plates are a further
feature of great interest to the student.
360
Apart from these important improvements,
the volume claims attention as an excellent
example of the ** rotary gravure ’’ process
of printing which is now making headway,
not only for the production of pictorial
matter in periodicals and books but also
occasionally for letterpress as well, though
this application of it is as yet largely
experimental. In the present case the
illustrations—more than 150 in number—
are uniformly excellent, comparing very
favourably with collotype and other repro-
ductions printed hors texte. 0 0
Modern British Sculpture : An Official
Record of some of the works by Members of
the Royal Society of British Sculptors.
(London : Academy Architecture) 7s. 6d.
net. It is unfortunately true, as Mr.
Baldry points out in his foreword to this
volume of reproductions, that scant justice
is done to sculpture in this country, where,
as he says, it ** has to put up with being a
none too welcome adjunct to picture
exhibitions in which it is shown to little
advantage.’’ It is nothing short of a scandal
that the Royal Society of British Sculptors
has, after nearly 20 years of existence, not
yet been able to realise its intention to
become an exhibiting society, solely through
lack of opportunity. As a partial substitute
for an exhibition this book has been
planned, and the 140 examples illustrated,
representing the work of some sixty mem-
bers of the Society, fully uphold the claim
of British sculpture to better recognition
than it now receives both from organisers
of exhibitions and the public. 0 0
English Country Life and Work. By
Ernest C. Pulbrook. (London : B. T.
Batsford, Ltd.) 16s. net. Mr. Pulbrook's
interesting and extensively illustrated
account of our country folk and the life
they lead should bring home to most of us
who live in towns how little we really
know of England, and how much we owe
to the rural toiler through whose patient
exertions so many of our daily needs are
satisfied. 00000
Messrs. Frost and Reed of Bristol and
London are publishing a mezzotint in colour
by Mr. T. Hamilton Crawford after Gains-
borough’s famous picture, The Blue Boy,
for which Messrs. Duveen paid £150,000
in 1921. The size of the engraving is
14I-X 20J inches. 0000