Studio: international art (89.1925)

THE ART OF MR. HARRY MORLEY

to his personal character and to the charac-
ter of the age, has carried on the work of
his English forerunners. a 0 0
A particular attitude demands a par-
ticular technique, and Mr. Morley is
Florentine also in his method. The
vehicle he uses is tempera which, mixed
with the yolk of eggs, gives an in-
imitable brilliance and purity to the
paint. Sometimes he may use oils in
conjunction with tempera, but never so
far as to obscure the ground. The dark
shadows and elaborate chiaroscuro of the
Renaissance are alien to him, and he aims
at the paler and more decorative quality
inherent in his chosen medium, and well
to be seen in The Escaped Macaw. Then
he lays emphasis on the orderly disposition
of the forms in his pictures, presenting
usually a design with a firm, clear outline,
and one that is never obscured by any
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tremendous contrast of light and shade.
In the Lamp of Peace, for example,
Rembrandt, treating the subject, would
have thought exclusively of such a con-
trast, but to Mr. Morley the effect of a
circle with lines radiating inwards to the
centre is more important. He takes a
peculiar pleasure in the lyrical flow of
line, as in the interwoven harmony of
The Night passeth and the Day cometh.
It is unnecessary to balance the com-
parative merits of the two styles ; suffice
it to say that they are different, a 0
Another pre-Raphaelite tendency is to
be observed in Mr. Morley's symbolism.
The Lamp of Peace, with its burning deeds
and papers, and hovering cherubim with
their outspread motto, is an example. In
the background of The Holy Family
Cleanliness (next to Godliness) is symbolised
in the bathing figures. And any classical