Studio: international art (90.1925)

GLASGOW—BIRMINGHAM

love of old towns, quaint houses and by-
ways, one of the outstanding of them being
Old Houses, Dinan, 0000

The reproduction of an altar cross with
cloisonne enamels represents an unique
example of the design and craftsmanship
of Miss Agnes B. Harvey, one of Glasgow's
noted decorative metal-work artists, though
for some years she has made her home in
the old - world town of Kirkcudbright
where in her studio she finds time and
quiet to evolve her themes for various
articles of jewellery, as well as large schemes
to which her art can be applied. Her
early training was confined entirely to The
Glasgow School of Art, where for several
years she instructed a class in silver-

smithing and was given full freedom to
develop and study the craft which had
early claimed her attention. Seeking to
further her knowledge of that art she spent
some time in the London School specially
devoted to a similar branch of metal-
work, also studying the art of cloisonne
under a Japanese master, the outcome of
which is that her work has become more
constructionally solid and technically
sound. All of which is manifest in the
emblems of the four Evangelists in black,
blue and gold coloured enamels in her
altar cross. Other marked interesting
examples of her work include the Boat
Badges and Gun Tompions for H.M.
Battleship Ajax. 0000

E. A. T.

BIRMINGHAM—Mr. James A. Swan,
F.R.I.B.A., whose drawings are fami-

■ jm iM har to readers of The Studio, is a striking

example of that very limited class of
B^ff ■ architects who are also enthusiastic painters

KrOB of pictures. Not content with the crea-

■ppij j tion of new buildings, he loses no oppor-

P^^I^P^j^^K^S^^B tunity of studying and making records of
i^^^L^l *tHR M the vanishing beauty of past work. 0
mB^M Wmm^mmt During the war he had on view at the

mm Birmingham and the Wolverhampton Art

Galleries a collection of drawings made in
Belgium and other parts of the Continent,
and he is a frequent exhibitor at the
Royal Academy, and the Royal Society
of Artists and the Art Circle, Birmingham,
of both of which latter Societies he is a
member. His work has also been seen
at the Exhibition of Modern British
BP^-'l Architecture at Wembley. 0 0

^^^^B Our coloured illustration Old House

■ £* t^l] on the Quay, Dinan, is a good example
■k^; j of the pure water-colour quality which

H*""^^ ■ he obtains by direct and decisive

laying on of the pigment. Work of this
kind is by no means so easy as it looks ;

_____I every touch is full of meaning, and the

knowledge gained by many years of study
o tifciiMKWiiif 11 may underlie a few apparently fortuitous

W> '['I' 'MMljMtllWII III' "iimme.gmb J . —. . r r 1

touches. I he expression of form and
_.^^^^^m | texture given by the varied shapes of the
— ' shadows in this little drawing is a delight-

altar cross in brass and cloi- ful illustration of this, and the feeling of
sonne enamels, designed and brilliant light is well conveyed. 0 0

executed by agnes b. harvey

122

M. B. B.