The Studio (Volume 8) - The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia (2025)

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IT is not quite easy to understandwhy the election of Mr. Solomon J. Solomon to anAssociateship of the Royal Academy should havebecome an accomplished fact only within the lastfew months. He has been for so long an obviouslyproper person to sit in one of the seats of authorityat Burlington House, that he might quite reasonably have been called within the gates some yearsago. He has since the exhibition of his Cassandramaintained in successive canvases an unusualevenness of practice; and has very consistentlyadhered in the devising of his pictures to thoseacademic principles which commend themselves tothe official rulers of our national art. His claim tothe recognition which isimplied by inclusion amongthe Associates was quite asstrong when he painted hisSamson or his Niobe as it isnow. He has matured,perhaps, since then; he hasgained greater subtlety andmore power of selection, hehas certainly improved in hisexpression of passion, and inknowledge how to give in.his rendering of facial movement effective suggestion ofemotion. But he has not,as so many artists have done,settled down into a particular line of work only afterhaving experimented invarious directions. Fromthe first his inclinations havesteadily tended in the direction of imaginative ratherthan episodical art, and hehas striven constantly tosecure those qualities ofdefinite style and systematicarrangement which are accepted as characteristic ofthe academic school.VIII. No. 39 -JUNE, 1896.FROM A STUDYThis inclination on his part was no doubt greatlyencouraged by the manner of his artistic bringingup. The whole course of training through whichhe went was well calculated to develop his instinctive tendency towards idealism in subject andmanner, and to foster that love of sumptuousarrangement which inspires every canvas he produces. He made his first serious steps in thedifficult path of art just twenty years ago, when, atthe age of sixteen, he entered Heatherley's Schoolof Art, the studio which has seen the earliestattempts of many another important artist. Afterabout a year's work there at drawing from theantique and from life, he passed into the RoyalAcademy schools, where he remained as a studentfor a period of three years. His study there was,however, of a more or less desultory kind, for, withcharacteristic ambition, he started even at this earlyphBY SOLOMON J. SOLOMON, A.R.A.3The Work of Solomon J. Solomon, A.R.A.stage a studio of his own and began to give moreand more of his time to original production, limiting his attendances at the Academy to the eveninglife class . At the end of the three years he followedthe prevailing fashion and went to Paris, where hejoined the studio presidedover by the celebratedartist and teacher, Cabanel. His next move insearch of knowledge wasto Munich; but he foundthe local methods of artteaching so little to hisliking that he stayed thereonly three months andthen came back to England, after travelling forthe sake of experiencethrough Italy and Holland. In 1882-3, however, he went again toCabanel's studio, andworked hard for aboutnine months. He had inthe interval paid a visitto Spain and Moroccowith Mr. Arthur Hacker,and while at Tangiers hehad painted the pictureof Ruth, which he exhibited at the Academyin 1884. Before this datehe had shown two worksonly at Burlington House,a portrait in 1881 , and asmall composition in1883. Since then hisrecord there has beenunbroken, and no yearhas passed without seeing him represented bysome important piece ofimaginative decoration,and by an array of skilfully handled portraits.In 1885 he exhibiteda picture called Love's64by the way, he afterwards destroyed; Hippolyta,the Judgment of Paris, in 1891; Orpheus, in 1892;Your Health, in 1893 , a new departure for him,inasmuch as it treated a scene from modern life;Mrs. Patrick Campbell as Paula Tanqueray, in1894; and last yearwereEcho and Narcissus. Allthese canvasesimportant in scale andhandled with a peculiarindividuality of touchand manner. They holdin the record of contemporary art a place somewhat apart from the massof work which is produced in this country,for they present a certainContinental atmosphereand illustrate artistic beliefs which find morefrequent supporters beyond the Channel thanamongst us.His Birth of Love inthe present Academyexhibition is an exposition of the same principles which guided himin his preceding productions, but it goes furtherthan any of the earlierpictures in the directionof a purely technicalmotive. It is moredefinitely decorative andless dependent upon subject. It is an arrangement of line and colour,an effect of lighting, astudy of contrasts, ratherthan an illustration ofanyparticular event actualor mythical. In all hispaintings Mr. Solomonhas paid very markedattention to such abstractconsiderations, but he has not often so nearlydiscarded the assistance which a subject gives inextorting from the unlearned public somethinglike appreciation of technical experiments.A STUDY FOR THE BIRTH OF LOVE "BY S. J. SOLOMON, A.R.A.First Lesson; and in 1886 came his Cassandra,the first of the series of ambitious designs by whichhe has attracted and secured the attention of thepublic. The following year saw his Samson, withits excellent realisation of violent action and franticmovement; and then followed, season by season,Niobe; Sacred and Profane Love, which picture,It is possible that he is now on the verge of amodification in his attitude towards academic art.Hitherto his strong inclination in the direction of4" ECHO AND NARCISSUS "FROM A PAINTING BYSOLOMON J. SOLOMON,A.R.A.

The Work of Solomon J. Solomon, A.R.A.executive investigations, and his keen desire tosolve the problems of painting that are presentedby the effects which Nature devises, have beenhampered by some idea that a dramatic subject ora well- known incident in classic mythology mustnecessarily be used as an illustrative basis to hiscompositions. When he has intended to paint afascinating colour combination, such as flesh surfaces against the delicate tints of a blossomingfruit tree, or a light and shade arrangement, suchas a group of dark figures thrown into relief by abrilliantly lighted background, as in his Niobe, hehas generally combined with his quite legitimatepurpose the less painter-like desire to tell a storywhich would satisfy students of history, to whomthe artistic qualities of his work did not necessarilyappeal. It is permissible to hope that he is nearthe moment when he will allow himself greaterfreedom from such restrictions, and will presenthis technical imaginings undiluted by any mixtureof classical gossip or historical anecdote.As far as his own inclinations go, he is certainlya decorative painter. The importance of studiedline composition, the value of well consideredplacing of colour masses, andthe momentous effectof a thoughtfully schemed pictorial pattern arematters which he fully recognises. He treats theseessentials of design as the very foundation of hisart, and gives to them an amount of thought whichhe does not willingly bestow upon the working outof the episodes that he makes his nominal motives.A dramatic painter in the ordinary sense he certainly is not, and the smaller emotions of the genrepainter happily do not appeal to him. The passions which he depicts are physical rather thansubtly intellectual, the passions which affect thebody and not the face. They produce situationsfull of stress and movement, or poses which areexpressive of conscious intention to be picturesque,not the casual juxtapositions into which humanbeings are thrown by the unforeseen accidents ofexistence. His people live a life of deliberatearrangement of themselves, and are more concernedwith the intention to demonstrate their physicalcharms than with the wish to play effectively littlecomedies which are made up chiefly of small byplay.It is true that in his Echo and Narcissus lastyear he seemed to go further than he ever has before in the direction of sentiment and emotion.This picture, however, despite the almost painfulyearning which was expressed in the face of theSAMSON FROM A PAINTING BY S. J. SOLOMON, A.R.A.7The Work of Solomon J. Solomon, A.R.A.44 NIOBE "of a story. The grouping of thetwo figures and their placing on thecanvas, the distribution of the leafymasses of the background and ofthe flowers which gave a sparkle ofcolour in the foreground, the linesof the nymph's drapery and of thelimbs of Narcissus, were really thethings of chief importance in thescheme. That the emotional accident should have been more obviousthan usual was, we may fairlybelieve, less an outcome of anyaccess of desire on the part of theartist to pose as a tragedian inpaint than the result of his havingchanced upon a particular passionwhich more plainly than any otheris intelligible to the majority ofmankind.It is, of course, not a little futileto attempt, in any discussion aboutthe art of a young living painter,to finally assign to him an exactplace in the ranks of the workersat his profession; and therefore topresume to say definitely at thisearly stage of Mr. Solomon's careerwhat is the only part he is to playfor the rest of his life would beeminently foolish. All we canreasonably do is to express the hopethat as he possesses certain tendencies as a thinker and evidentcapacities as a manipulator, thedevelopment of both tendencies andcapacities will be along the lineswhich lead to a place among thechief exponents of art of the besttype. We are certainly justified inarguing by the analogy of his past work that incoming years he will raise rather than lower the levelof his production and simplify his art by the elimination of incongruities rather than debase it by theaddition of inappropriate sentimentalities. Evenas it is, his concessions to the subject lovers havebeen by no means exaggerated. He has givenway rather to the traditions of academic art thanto the demands of the public, and has producedpictures which reflect much more his observationsof his professional predecessors than his attentionto popular taste. His subject painting, in a word,has come about less because he feels that in sucha use of his technical knowledge lies his mostFROM A PAINTING BY S. J. SOLOMON, A.R.A.neglected nymph, was very far from being only anillustration of a sentimental story. It was dramatic, certainly, for it presented a certain effectivecombination of different shades of feeling andrealised a situation which was not without a touchof tragedy; but even then the pathos and personalinterest of the incident depicted, strongly as theywere made to appeal to the student of emotions,were not the motives which seemed to an artist tohave had the chief influence upon the shaping ofthe picture. There was perceptible in it muchmore intention to arrange in pleasant relation oneto another the various parts of a design than tothink out and set down in due order the sequence8The Work of Solomon J. Solomon, A.R.A.congenial course than because he has been influenced to follow the school which favours asubject as a necessary consideration in theplanning of a work of art.As far as his own inclinations lead him, he isessentially an experimentalist. The fascinationsof novel effects influence him greatly; and, aboveall, he is attracted by the problems which fleshpainting presents . He is especially a painter ofthe nude, delighting in its colour effects and in theopportunities which it offers for dealing with delicate modulations of gentle tone and subtle tint.Flesh has been to him a motive for many delicateMRS. PATRICK CAMPBELL AS PAULA TANQUERAY "arrangements, for frequent variations upon a themewhich has endless executive difficulties; and it isin his pictures the starting-point and centre of allthe accessory colour details instead of being made,as it is so often in other men's work, itself anaccessory to a pictorial idea which regards itsbeauties as only incidental. His method of colourconstruction is usually to build up for his fleshsurfaces a setting which will encourage and accentuate them, carrying through his draperies andbackgrounds whatever range of tints will mosthelpfully enhance the quality which he has securedin the nudity which his subject permits.FROM A PAINTING BY S. J. SOLOMON, A.R.A.His latest picture, the Birthof Love, illustrates this mannerof working perhaps more adequately than anything which hehas as yet exhibited. Themotive which led him to paintthis allegory was the lighting ofdelicate flesh by warm - colouredsunlight, and the rich tones ofthe glowing skin of his Venussettle the entire plan of thecanvas. To countenance them,and to give to them their fullestvalue and importance, he hassurrounded the figure with anatmosphere of delicate iridescence, with gradated purples,blues, and golden yellows,which combine into harmoniousagreement one with the other,and make no points of discordance with the flesh . So withhis other Venus, whose nudityis the central motive of hisJudgment ofParis, the paintingof the background of flowerladen branches, the treatmentof the draperies which veil theother goddesses, the colour ofthe sky and ground are onlysubsidiary. Even his Echo andNarcissus, with its elaborationof detail, shows the same subordination, a finer abstractionof tone than a strict realistwould permit to himself in anyeffort to give the exact aspect ofany such scene. In Niobe andSamson, which are earlier pictures, showing less full development of his convictions, there is9The Work of Solomon J. Solomon, A.R.A.less insistence upon the flesh surfaces, and moreinclination to use them as mere parts of a patternwhich is not primarily devised to accentuate theirimportance; but even in these paintings nudity hasan important function to fulfil , andgives to the compositions their definitecharacter and technical meaning.In his portraits,however, Mr. Solomon takes a viewwhich is in manyrespects different.For insistence uponthe painting of theflesh he substitutesa strong definitionof character.byno means ignoresHethe importance ofsecuring exactnessin his rendering ofthe texture and themodelling of theface; but he aimsfar more than inhis ideal pictures atmarking the smalldifferences in formsof feature which goto the making upof a likeness.There is in his portrait painting lessthan the usual preconception whichleads artists tomodify the appearance of a sitter tosuit their own conviction as to what aface should be like,a conventional viewwhich is more oftenthan not entirely destructive of the personality ofthe portrait. He carries characterisation at times.to considerable lengths, and by a subtle kind ofexaggeration emphasises the salient facts in theappearance of the people whom he paints. Thismanner of treating portraiture is very clearly seenin such a canvas as his large character study of Mrs.Patrick Campbell, or in the smaller rendering ofTHE BIRTH OF LOVE *1Mr. Zangwill's strongly marked individuality. Asa portrait-painter he has, indeed, a definite claimto attention, because of this faculty of perceivingand accentuating what are the essentials in a likeFROM A PAINTING BY S. J. SOLOMON, A.R.A.ness, because henot only paintswhat he sees, butsees as well whatit is important tomake other peoplenotice. He has, ina word, the capacitywhich distinguishesa good teacher: theability to convey toothers the knowledge which he hasacquired by theexercise of his ownpowers of observation.It is,because of thisperhaps,power of passingon what he hashimself gatheredthat he has been sosuccessful in hisexcursions into thefield of Art education. As a supervisor of the work ofstudents he hasalready establisheda distinct reputation. He holds,indeed, views aboutart teaching whichare interesting because of theirdivergence fromthe theories on thesubject which aregenerally acceptedin this country.Especially he isopposed to the notion, which is very prevalent here,that the personality of the teacher is important as ameans of influencing the development of the pupil.His contention is that the principles taught are ofinfinitely more moment than the private opinion ofthe man who happens to be the medium throughwhich these principles are conveyed to the youngermembers of the profession. The system whichΙΟChinese Snuff BottlesBHeseems to him to be productive of the best resultsis that which prevails in the French studios, wherethe whole basis of teaching is a scientific one, andthe whole sequence of study is conducted with theintention of giving to the students just that foundation of accurate knowledge ofdrawing and painting withoutwhich any free growth of individuality is impossible.argues that it is because of thecompleteness of the Continentalsystem, and because of its freedom from any dependenceupon the personal predilectionsof the teacher for this or thatartistic fad, that so many ofthe cleverest artists of the dayhave been products of Frenchstudios. To the same preference for principles over personsis also to be referred the factthat there is no technicalmethod nor point of viewcommon to all the studentswho may be associated together. Each one, so long ashe is well grounded in thescientific side of his profession,may carry out in his own waywhatever work he has to do;and each one when he leavesthe studio continues to followthe same independent line towhich from his earliest beginnings as a student he has beenaccustomed. Mr. Solomonhas in his teaching attemptedto impress upon his studentssomething of this scientificthoroughness, and has foundin the application of his ownexperiences to the training ofothers sufficient justificationfor the belief that a great Artschool on the plan of theBeaux Arts would in Londonprove of incalculable advantageرنويوthorough method of art training than any which atpresent exists in this country.AA. LYS BALDRY.LITTLE APPRECIATEDSIDE OF ART.CHINESESNUFF BOTTLES. BY MARCUSB. HUISH.THE modern collector ofwhat we term bric-a-brac (forwant of a suitable Britishword) often finds himself, likethe Athenian of old, seekingfor some new thing, for somenew phase of art, which willsatisfy his aspirations and hispurse. He is not content witha heterogeneous collection,gathered from every nation andage, but he wishes to take up asubject which will afford himenjoyment by study and comparison and in which eachjudiciously selected piece willaid its fellow and increase itsvalue. He sees that there islittle hope for him in Europe,where everything of merit hasbeen so sought after, that it iseither impossible to find, or, iffound, is impossible in price.The resurrected treasures ofEgypt will probably have forhim an antiquarian rather thanan artistic interest, the wares ofIndia will have too little individuality, and those of thecountries lying east of it toolow a grade. Like manyanother, he may at last directhis attention to the productsof China, the oldest producerin the world, and whose wareshave undergone less change than any other. Buthere again he may be dismayed at the priceswhich the finer pieces, whether in cloisonné, orporcelain, or jade, command, and if his proposedexpenditure be a limited one he may even herebe disposed to decline the pursuit.FIG. 1.-JADE SNUFF BOTTLE,CUT FROM ONE PIECEto our British Art. However, even if the schemein its entirety cannot be reproduced, many detailsmay be adapted for our use; and as Mr. Solomon, holding the views he does, is now in aposition to advocate them within the very wallsof the Academy, we shall probably find him beforelong heading a movement in favour of a more But he need not do so: not only in China butIIChinese Snuff BottlesFIGS. 2 AND 3.-MOCHA STONEin Japan there are classes of objects which haveas yet failed to attract the attention of more than avery limited body of collectors, and from whichinstruction, pleasure, and profit may certainly bederived, and that at no considerable costobject, and at his sale manyof them were acquired for theBritish Museum. As hiscollections showed, snuffbottles are used all over theworld, and in such varyingclimates as Italy, Iceland,Madagascar, Kaffirland, andMorocco. The editor ofTHE STUDIO is the fortunatepossessor of a volume offacsimiles in colour executedfor Mr. Bragge of a largenumber of his bottles.I will merely say this, thatsnuff taking is not indulged into any extent by the Chinese,as is opium, for instance. Itis rather an elegant luxury, afashion amongst the wealthierclasses, who wear a snuff bottle as an ornament andvie with one another as to who shall have the moreuncommon one. As the Chinese have no pocketthe bottle is either carried ostentatiously in thehand, wrapped in a handkerchief, or, more usually,The present paper will deal with one of such- in a silk or satin purse, made like our old-fashionedviz. , Chinese snuff bottles. These tiny bibelots long ring purses, with a slit in the middle. Thehave many recommendations: they are typical of bottle goes into one end of this and the cash intotheir makers; they have age; they show great the other, and it is usually tucked through thevariety of shape, substance, and ornamentation; girdle, the ends hanging down. Snuff is taken outthey are small in compass; they are not too plenti- of the bottle with the spoon attached to the stopper,ful; there are as yet but few collectors of them, it is then placed in the palm of the hand andand consequently they are not imitated; and they thence rubbed into the nostrils and over theare not dear. Their variety is such that a collec- lip. Upon an introduction taking place snufftion of five hundred might be made, each with bottles are either exchanged, or if there be onlysome different merit torecommend it; but a collection of a fourth of thatnumber or less may still bea representative one, andbe within the means ofmost collectors.I do not propose in thefollowing notes to dealwith the interest of thesebottles from the point ofview of their utility ortheir connection with ahabit which has been indulged in all over the globe.One of the first personswho collected them, Mr.Bragge, however, boughtmany hundreds with this FIG. 4. -MOCHA STONE FIG. 5.-QUARTZ PENETRATED WITH TOURMALINEI 2Chinese Snuff BottlesFIGS. 6, 7 AND 8.--BLUE AND WHITE PORCELAIN SNUFF BOTTLESone, it is handed to the other, who takes a littleout or smells the bottle and returns it. In handing the bottle it is placed between the palms ofthe two hands and advanced towards the personwith a bow.The most interesting feature in connection withthese bottles is the variety of the materials ofwhich they are composed.Broadly, these may be classified under the headings of glass, porcelain, and hard stones, althoughwe find them made of amber, wood, ivory, bamboo,and various other materials.Glass is not a native invention of China, butcame there as long ago as the first century ofthis era in the wares which enterprising travellersn the Asiatic provinces of the Roman Empirecarried from Egypt to Syria and to the Far East.It can be readily imagined that the difficulty oftransport of this fragile material by land and searendered it of great value when it safely reachedits ultimate destination, and it is not surprisingthat it was accordingly classed with gold andprecious stones. But as far back as the fifth century glass was certainly made in China, and sincethen the art has been practised until a perfectionhas been attained which not even the worldrenowned Venetians have surpassed.Its employment in the case of these bottlesprobably does not date back more than two orthree centuries, but every variety will be found.amongst them. All the processes used in Europeare illustrated in their manufacture, one of themost remarkable being the superimposing of coloursover each other, and exposing these by cuttingaway the various layers.Of the illustrations here given No. 10 shows rubyover frosted white -No. 9 glasses of half a dozencolours over white. The design in each casehaving been cut out of the upper layers, has beenpolished until a surface has been obtained whichmakes it hard to believe that it has not beenmoulded on.The imitation in glass of the texture of stonesis not the least of their successes. It is often soremarkable as only to be capable of detection bythe test of temperature. To these may be addedthe varieties known as avanturine, and all thosewhich have usually been regarded as exclusivelyVenetian.It is impossible within the limits of an articlesuch as this to treat of the bottles made of porcelain, for the history of that fabric dates from theninth century, and it is not impossible to obtainsnuff bottles which date back many hundred years.Every variety of the art of ceramics is to befound, from beautiful miniatures of renowned blueand white (Figs. 6, 7 and 8 ) to delicate examples ofthe familles verte and rose, as well as those wheresplashed colour and a crackled surface is the formof ornament. It is little wonder that where asmuch trouble has been expended on the midgetsas on their large brethren, the large prices of thelatter are not altogether disproportionate to thoseasked for the former.Where variety is a feature in the manufacture ofalmost every example, it is invidious to single out13Chinese Snuff Bottlesany for particular notice, but not the least remarkable are those which have been modelled in relief(Fig. 16), those which are pierced with marvellousintricacies (Figs. 18 and 19) , and those which areornamented with incised patterns below the glaze.But if on glass and porcelain Chinese artists areonly on an equality with their brethren all theworld over, in their manipulation of the hard stonesthey may claim an indisputable supremacy. It isperhaps not a matter for much boasting, consistingas it does, in the main, of a persistency and perseverance in overcoming the hardness of an intractable material, coupled with an absolute disregard ofthe value of time; but in these hurry-scurry, shoddydays, these qualities may well elicit an admirationin many minds, which is not to be wondered at, ifperhaps hardly deserved. Expenditure of labourupon an article which will last for all time isexcusable; nor must it be forgotten that to a Chinaman, whose aim in art is above everything elsesensuous, a surface delightful to the touch, of acolour pleasant to the eye, afforded him anamount of gratification which the Westerns canhardly appreciate.The stones which have been most in repute arerock crystal, amethyst, carnelian (a cherry red infused with orange yellow), chalcedony of a milkywhite, cloudy colour with azure tints; heliotrope ofa deep green sown with red points, chrysoprase,sardonyx of warm, red tones; tourmaline, malachite,azurite, amber, mocha, and all kinds of agate.As M. Paléoloque, Secretary to the ChineseEmbassy in Paris (to whose writings I am indebtedfor much information on Chinese Art), says: " Allthese stones imposed upon the craftsman, even toa greater extent than jade, an endless patience anda prodigious amount of ingenuity. At every hourof his work he was liable to freaks or flaws in hismaterial opening up under the blows of his tool.Was the stratification regular? Would the piecehe was extracting come away readily, or would itdetach with it a part that was necessary for hisdesign? At any moment he might, owing to this,have to change a plan upon which he had beenworking for months. He has perchance startedwith the idea of using certain markings and representing a peach and a leaf attached to a stalk: aflaw occurs, and he has to change it into a burstingpomegranate; six months later, when his work isnearly finished, certain red tones arrest his tool;these he has to use for something, and he mayhave to remodel all his fruit, utilising these as projecting branches."Such conditions of work lend themselves undoubtedly to happy results and a freedom of compositions which are attained in few other materials."The bottles on page 12 aptly illustrate the foregoing. Fig. 4 is mocha stone, in which the formof the deposit has been adapted to a design ofan eagle seizing a pig. Fig. 3 is also of mocha, inwhich a layer of manganese has been utilised tocut out the figures of a monkey on a horseattached to a post, whilst in Fig. 2 a depositcaused by an evaporation of water charged withmanganese in chalcedony has been left, as its formresembles a fungus.Lastly, we come to the material which is mostaffected and prized by the Chinese in the manuFIG. 9.-CAMEO GLASS FIG. IO. -CAMEO GLASS FIG. II. -AGATE14Chinese Snuff BottlesFIG. 12. -CHALCEDONY DOUBLE BOTTLE FIG. 13. MILKY JADE FIG . 14. YELLOW CHALCEDONYfacture of any article-namely jade, and whichnaturally is utilised to a large extent for snuffbottles.Jade is a heavy, semilucent stone of a singularlyclose grain, unctuous to sight and touch, andranging in colour from milky white to deep olive,according to the amount of oxide of iron and oxideof chrome in its composition. Its hardness is suchthat it will cut glass and quartz, and its toughnessthat it may be cut almost as thin as paper. Theillustration Fig. 1 is an instance of this, as thebottle, chains, and even the stopper with chain iscut from a single piece. It is named K'iung orChrysoprase, in allusion to the milk-white purityof one of its most highly esteemed varieties and asa synonym for whiteness and spotlessness. It hasbeen held in esteem for thousands of years. OneLiki, addressing Confucius (who lived in the sixthcentury B.C. ), questioned him, " Dare I ask whyyour highness prizes so highly jade and has not agood word for soapstone? It cannot be becausejade is rare and soapstone common. " To thisConfucius replied, " It is not because soapstoneis abundant that it has no value, nor because jadeis rare that I hold it in high estimation; it isbecause from very remote ages wise men havelikened jade to all the virtues. In their eyes itspolish and lustre are comparable to the virtue ofhumanity; its perfect density and its extreme hardness to a quick intelligence; its angularities tojustice, for although they appear sharp yet they donot hurt; the pure resonance it emits when struck,and which suddenly ceases to music, its iridescencerecalls heaven, its beautiful nature earth . "It is difficult to appreciate the excessive valueattached to it by the Chinese and why it isheld in so much higher esteem than many otherstones with which it cannot compare; in lustre, forinstance, with rock crystal; in colour with sardonyx;in marking with agate; or in surface or translucencewith others of the quartz family. Nor is it itsrarity which gives it this value; as, although faultless pieces are not often met with, the lower gradesare produced in a sufficient quantity to take it outof this category. It is for the most part foundnear Khotan, and Yarkand, in Chinese Turkestan.The reason for its great renown is clearly itsimperishability; and hence its employment forarticles which form part of rites and usages destinedin the mind of the Chinese to be handed down.from generation to generation in a never- endingsuccession.A word must be given to a variety of crystalbottles in which the artist has painted scenes inthe most dexterous manner on the inside of thebottle, another instance of his determination toproduce a result in the most difficult way. Figs.15 and 17 are illustrations of this.The student or the collector can, thanks to theliberality of Mr. George Salting, study somethree hundred snuff bottles in the South Kensington Museum. Mr. Salting's bottles form partof a fine and costly collection which was broughtover from France some few years ago; they includeglass and hard stones, but not porcelain. Thereare a few good porcelain bottles at the BritishMuseum, but South Kensington does not, I believe,possess any. Pieces occur from time to time insales, but the small demand which at present exists.amongst our dealers for them is usually either supplied by Paris or China. Judging from a collection which was recently sent over from Berlin with15Chinese Snuff Bottlesa considerable flourish, fine specimens are not oftenencountered there. In America there are some finecollections in private hands. As regards cost, it atpresent ranges from a sovereign to ten pounds,midway between these two being the price of agood specimen.They are for the most part sent over to thiscountry in cases shaped to their size and coveredwith an ill- suited silk of pink or blue, showing thatthe artistic perception which designed them hasnot descended to their vendors. They lookdaintiest, in my opinion, on satin, and a cream whiteis the best for showing off the varied and beautifulcolours of which the illustrations to this paper cangive no hint.MARCUS B. HUISH.FIG. 15 -WHITE CRYSTAL PAINTED INSIDE FIG. 16. GREEN PORCELAIN FIG. 17.-WHITE CRYSTAL PAINTED INSIDEFIGS. 18, 19 AND 20.-VARIEGATED PORCELAIN16The Salon ofthe Champ de Mars" SEULE BY, E. AMAN- JEANTHE SALON OF THE CHAMP simply that their pictures may not be passed unDE MARS. BY GABRIELMOUREY.THE two annual exhibitions of Frenchart are now open to the public gaze, and aboutfive thousand artists show us the fruit of theirlabours in these overstocked galleries. One mayrenounce at the very outset the idea of findingtherein any sign of a homogeneous art movement,any general æsthetic principle, any common ideal.French art is every day becoming more and moreindividual, whether for good or for ill. Individuality of the right sort, of course, is capable of greatthings. It means that firmness of character, thatstrength of will, which fit one for splendid efforts,often resulting in noble achievement; but the individuality of the great majority of the artistswhose work we have to examine each year, is notof that sort at all; it is simply exaggerated egoism,o'erweening conceit, sheer fatuity, born of thefrantic craving for notoriety, which actuates themone and all, and prompts them to all kinds ofnoisy futile eccentricity, simply to attract notice,heeded in the throng of so many others, conceivedand executed in something of the same fashion,and with the same object in view. It may beimagined how few are the works really worthy ofnotice, possessing serious merit, and revealing asound and cultured artistic personality; how fewin which one can discover that sincerity, that truth,that charm which go to make up a genuine workof art.There are, of course, numberless canvases herewhich attract and delight, and satisfy the publicwho linger in admiration before them. As a rule,these are military scenes, or historical anecdotes,or big compositions of philosophic or " improving "tendencies, or else decorative paintings done toorder at so much a yard for the mairie or the souspréfecture-generally with a soldier holding out hishand to a labourer, or a woman seated in sobergarb, doing her best to symbolise Duty, or othercommonplaces of the kind.So far as actual workmanship is concerned,nearly all these painters, even those of inferiorability, show so much cleverness that, despite one's17The Salon ofthe Champ de Mars" LA RIVIÈRE D'ARQUES "objection to their subjects and their treatment ofthem, one is forced to recognise a certain amountof merit in their work. But this is all the acknowledgment they deserve. The true artist, the man.of delicate perceptions, wants something more,something deeper, something nearer to the truth,something showing a refined and well- controlledindividuality, something in fact which may becalled Art.I have endeavoured to act on this principle inmaking a selection of works to be reproduced herein illustration of my remarks; and this same principle will inspire all I shall have to say about thevarious artists whose work is under discussion.This will explain my neglect of certain types ofwork which, despite the merit there is in them, donot come within the small and precious categoryto which I have referred.FINE ART.PUVIS DE CHAVANNES, incontestably the greatestof living French artists, displays once more hisBY FRITZ THAULOWsplendid powers in his five decorative panels intended for the Boston Library. It is impossibleto conceive effects more calmly majestic, more fullof poetic dignity than these, which he has producedby the simplest of methods. They seem like anopening of light in the walls, a series of windows,as it were, showing us an ideal world, with all theglories of human imagination, all its noblest ritesdisplayed in the most perfect harmony. Here wehave dramatic poetry, Eschylus and the Oceanides:white forms, born of the sea, circling around thesheer rock on which Prometheus writhes; here,The Iliad and the Odyssey: a very epic, the trueHomer; here again, History Conjuring up thePast: the figure of History bending amid theruins to snatch the secrets of the days long deadand their past glories; and again the ChaldæanShepherds watching the Movements of the Planets: avery poem of the far- off ages, the meditativeanxiety of humanity in presence of the greatmystery of the heavens. Next we come to Virgil,not the heroic and passionate Virgil ofthe Æneid,18The Salon of the Champ de Marsbut the bucolic poet of the Eclogues and theGeorgics, the sweet singer of all the beauties ofNature, the infinite tenderness of trees and forests,and hills and flocks and bees. The fairest oflandscapes stretches out behind the Poet, withhere the cone-shaped hive, and there a little streamflowing into the placid lake reflecting the sky, andthe clear-cut shadows of the noble trees. Howfullof silence it is; how truly poetical; how dignified!In the large salon the members of the NationalSociety of Fine Arts have assembled nearly 200 ofthe master's drawings, which enable one to gaina wonderful insight into the art of the greatpainter to whom we owe so many delights, whosework is the pride of French art of the nineteenthcentury.M. AMAN-JEAN will always be acceptable toany one who appreciates art in its deeper and morethoughtful aspects . There is power in his work,combined with a singular sweetness; the soul inall its invisible mystery seems to shine from outhis faces, and he surrounds his subjects with anatmosphere of extraordinary appropriateness. Andthe decorative effect of his portraits is very striking.This year he is showing some of the best portraitwork he has ever put his name to; they all showa remarkable grasp of character and expression,notably his Portrait of the artist, Besnard, hisMlle. M. F. J., and his Seule; the latter infinitelycharming with a reclining figure of a girl lost in meditation in the soft twilight; intense pensiveness inthe pale features which stand out from the darkgrey background of night, her hair gently wavingin the breath of her dream as it floats on theevening air. }M. FRITZ THAULOW contributes four canvases,FRITZ THAULOW AND HIS CHILDREN BY J. E. BLANCHE19The Salon ofthe Champ de Marsdelicious poems of Nature, lovingly fashioned, andcompelling one's admiration from the beauty ofthe landscapes themselves, and from the supremeart bestowed upon them. There is power here,but without a trace of that violent coarsenesswhich is so common among the landscapists of today; and there is truth also, remarkable fidelityto Nature, broadly expressed, yet with the utmostdelicacy of treatment. M. Thaulow is, moreover,a colourist of the first rank, capable of seeing andexpressing without apparent effort the subtlesttion. This year his works show that he has pulledhimself together in time. His manner has grownbroader and stronger and more diversified, aswitness his portrait of Mme. J. E. B andMr. AubreyBeardsley. Beyond all doubt, however,his finest production is the splendid portrait groupof M. Fritz Thaulow and his Children. Certainnarrow-minded critics have blamed the artistseverely for having been over- influenced by theEnglish masters of the eighteenth century-Reynolds, Lawrence, and Gainsborough. M. Blanche" SOIR SUR L'ESCAUT "BY ALBERT BAERTSOENphases of light. In his L'Heure du Salut, SaintJacques, à Dieppe, and in his Rivière d'Arques hehas surpassed himself. The first-named picturehas wonderful effects of moonlight on the glitteringwindows of a chapel at the evening service hour;and the other shows the exquisite play of the sunon the water, which it wrinkles like a piece of silkin the shimmering light of a glorious summer day.M. JACQUES-EMILE BLANCHE is an industriousand patient worker, ever seeking to freshen hisstyle by study and practice. At one time hiswork had a certain defect of trickiness, with perhaps (be it said without offence) a suspicion ofsnobisme, and certainly his studied elegance detracted in some measure from his great abilities,and his delicate and most original gift of observamay rejoice in such a reproach, for the influenceof artists like these can only prove fertile in goodto a painter of his impressionable nature. In anycase here we have a noble piece of drawing andof colour, very fine in manner and style, and,apart from the attractiveness of M. Thaulow'scharacteristic features, undoubtedly on its ownmerits an admirable production.In Mr. L. W. HAWKINS we have a curious temperament, a strange, twofold artistic nature. Onecannot forget his work of two years back, hiswomen's heads, mysterious, sphinx- like, smilingfaces, looking inexpressible things, symbolicalstudies of great suggestiveness -Materialism andIdealism, Eve and Noël. Now this artist has, so tospeak, gone back to Nature, reverted to a sim20DECORATIVE PANEL: " VIRGIL "BY PUVIS DE CHAVANNES FORTHE BOSTON LIBRARY

The Salon of the Champ de MarsEFFET DE SOLEIL BY L. W. HAWKINSplicity not devoid of refinement, and revealing, ashis work always does, profound thought. Thusin Une Porte he shows the sadness of the desertedhearth, the joyous carelessness of the growth ofweeds midst stone and wood-work. What does ittypify, this doorway? Is it the gate of Life, orthe gate of Death? Who were they who crossedits threshold for the last time long ago; who closedit behind them for ever, sealing there the secret oftheir joys, their loves, perhaps their tears? Howexcellent, too, this Effet de Soleil, a white-robedwoman strolling carelessly under the leafy chestnuts. How it all appeals to the imagination, thispicture, apparently intended merely as an impression of Nature! Charming it is in execution,supple and delicate and vigorous at the same time:the work of a real painter, this, a brave wielder ofthe brush.M. A. DE LA GANDARA, long under the influenceof Whistler-the best of masters to be sure, butsomewhat over-imitated in France-has succeededthis year in revealing his own true personality as aportraitist. His Mme. G. B gives convincingproof of this. Here we see that sort of aristocraticatmosphere in which this artist loves to place hissubjects; and we are conscious too of a trulymasterly treatment of the still-life, the dresses, thematerials, and the various ornaments usually seenin portraits of this kind, combined with infalliblecertainty of touch, and a profound knowledge ofthe resources and requirements of his art. Suchare M. de la Gandara's gifts, rare gifts too, it mustbe admitted, in these days when the loud " official "portrait- painter flourishes, and placing him in thefirst rank of the artists of his school.M. A. BAERTSOEN may best be described as alandscapist of sentiment. He sees the sorrowfulside ofthings, their illusions, their mournful poetry.His is a nature of many shades. Everything tohim appears in the half tints to which he is devoted,and whose innermost secrets he has succeeded indiscovering and placing before our eyes. We seeonce more in the Champ de Mars his Au Béguinage(Matin de Neige), which evoked so much admiration quite recently at Georges Petit's InternationalExhibition. I retain my first impression about his25The Salon of the Champ de Marswork. M. Baertsoen is an artist of whom much isto be expected. His Soir sur l'Escaut, reproduced here, appears to me full of intense emotionalpoetry, with no straining whatever after theatricaleffect. The calm twilight, the simple lines of thefar- off horizon, the perfect stillness of the water reflecting the boats on its surface -all this appeals toone's soul, while it charms the eye and turns themind to reverie. How far removed we are herefrom the extravagances of the impressionist. Wefind ourselves in quite another realm of art, whereeverything is expressed fervently, yet orderly, without excess, without bias, simply and logically. Itwill certainly always be a great satisfaction to meto have been one of the first in France to appreciate M. Baertsoen at his proper value.M. J. F. RAFFAELLI'S exhibits reveal this mostinteresting artist in a new manner, which seems toshow that he has thrown off his former method andgained in clearness anddelicacy thereby. HisNotre-Dame de Paris is acharming piece of painting;and still better is his Portrait de mafille Germaine, aclear and delicate colourscheme like a pastel of theeighteenth century. Nosuch praise can be accordedto M. G. ROGER, who, sofar from gaining in strengthand sureness, seems to havelost tone and forgotten thesecret of those gracefulqualities which charmed us.so greatly in his exhibits lastyear. He has three pictureson the present occasion,and everything about them,figures and inanimate objects alike, seems to befloating in an impossibleatmosphere, dull and vagueand glaucous, like that ofan aquarium. Just as indefensible is this yellow lightflooding the face of Christand his Apostles in M.DAGNAN'S La Cène. Despiteall the artist's endeavour togive character to this workby deep attention to thefaces of his figures, it canonly be called a second-rateperformance, for it is quite lacking in sincerity andshows unmistakable signs of a straining after theatrical effect. A religious picture like this demandsmore naïveté, more fervour, more simplicity.At last we come across something fresh, MM.RENÉ MÉNARD and CHARLES COTTET being theartists who have produced it. Their names shouldbe remembered, for they are two of the painters ofto-morrow. Both of them should go far in theirrespective directions. M. Ménard's Le Crépuscule,his Effet d'Orage and his Ciel d'Orage seem to contain all the qualities belonging to the great masters;and as for M. Cottet, one may safely predict that,his youth notwithstanding, if he can only resist thesophistries of teachers whose sole interest it is toexploit the rare and original gifts of their pupils, hehas a splendid career before him. His series, AuPays de la Mer, consisting of nine canvases, is thework of a genuine painter, one who is in no wayPORTRAIT OF RENAN FROM AN ENGRAVING BY F. DESMOULIN24The Salon of the Champ de MarsBLOWN GLASSཅ ི་BY KARL KEPPINGconcerned to enrol himself under this or that moreor less revolutionary banner, but who, on the otherhand, would seem to aspire-maybe half unconsciously to revive the tradition of the great artistsof other days. His work is extremely strong, bothin draughtsmanship and colour, with an entirelypersonal flavour.Space is too limited to discuss certain works ofsculpture as they deserve, those of RODIN, for instance, who is numerously represented by exhibits ofthe highest class, showing, one and all, the masterlyability of our greatest sculptor. Then we haveMME. BESNARD with Le Sommeil, MLLE. CAMILLECLAUDEL, with a bust of a child, a perfect piece ofsupple execution, and glowing with life; M.CHARLES SAMUEL with his Ubenspiegel et Nele, M.BARTHOLOMÉ-all too inadequately represented tosatisfy his admirers-and M. NIEDERHAUSERNRODO, whose portrait of Paul Verlaine will last asa "document " and as a work of art.Amongst the engravers M. F. DESMOULIN OCCUpies the premier place, with his masterly portrait ofRenan. According to the critics of the day after tomorrow this is merely the traditional etching! Andso much the better, for M. Desmoulin has the truesuppleness and power ofthe master portrait- gravers.With his series of studies of contemporary Frenchcelebrities, from Victor Hugo to Banville, fromPasteur to Marshal Canrobert, from Zola to JulesFerry, he is raising a lasting monument of theglories of the century. His art is based on deepknowledge, and sincerity and truth-three qualitiesrarely combined in these days of ours.APPLIED ART.There are many lamentable errors to record inthis department, and a good deal that is commonplace and inferior, side by side with several interesting efforts. Plenty of good ideas and plenty ofgoodwill are to be seen in many of the exhibitsand any discouragement of such attempts wereto be deplored-but taste is sadly wanting inmost of them. One notices a lack of reflectionas to the objects aimed at and the means of itsrealisation-questions which, in decorative art,must always depend upon the material employed.Thus M. CARABIN'S furniture is as ugly as can beimagined; while the design for a fountain washhand-stand with a clock, by M. JEAN BAFFIER—anartist of considerable merit, as his tin - work testifiesdeserves no verdict but one of severe condemnation.The same must be said of the ensemble exhibit of25The Salon of the Champ de MarsBLOWN GLASSDBY KARL KEPPINGM. DESBOIS; of M. DAMPT's bed, and of nearly allthe window-glass, the bindings, and the furniture.So far as workmanship goes, almost all of it is perfect, but the conception is for the most part quiteforeign to the object which it is desired to realise.There are a few things, however, deserving distinction, and I will place in the first rank theblown glass by M. KARL KEPPING, M. ALEXANDRECHARPENTIER'S bronze plaquettes and stampedleather, and M. VALLGREN'S statuettes. M.Kopping's glass is delightfully simple and light, andsupremely artistic. How infinitely preferable thisplainly treated, graceful material, which is reallyglass, to the over-elaborate metallic complicationsof Tiffany.M. ALEXANDRE CHARPENTIER Occupies a prominent place among those French artists who, forseveral years past, have not disdained to turn theirattention to decorative work. He brings to hisaid in this direction his remarkable talents as asculptor, and nothing more charming can beimagined than his bronze door-plates and hismemorial badges, in which he rivals our finestmedal engravers, such as Roty and Chaplin. Hehas also tried his hand with no small degree ofsuccess at coloured and embossed lithographs,which have a most curious effect.Another sculptor, M. VALLGREN, exhibits severaltasteful silver dishes, plates and spoons.Brief mention must also be made of M. RENÉWIENER'S bindings, M. VICTOR PROUVÉ's decorative wall-panelling, M. BIGOT's enamelled stoneware, M. EDMÉ COUTY'S cloth designs and muralhangings, M. HALOU's door-plates, serviette ringsand sockets, all genuinely decorative, not forgettingthe exhibits of MM. MORREN, Müller, Ranson,PIERRE ROCHE, LACHENAL, DAMMOUSE andDELAHERCHE. Nor must I omit to refer to thework-table, furniture, windows and decorationsdesigned and executed by M. GUSTAVE SERRURIER,of Liège, who in company with MM. Van Rysselberghe and Van de Velde, is engaged in furtheringa most interesting renaissance of industrial art inBelgium.26The Revival of English Domestic ArchitectureTHE REVIVAL OF ENGLISHDOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE.IV. THE WORK OF MR. ERNEST GEORGE.IN a former paper some of Mr. Ernest George'stown-buildings were considered; or, to speak moreaccurately, some by Messrs. Ernest George andPeto, for the credit was never claimed by thesenior partner alone. Yet in going on to chronicleother houses designed by these two architects, it willbe less tautologic to continue to attribute them asbefore to one only of their joint authors. But suchreference must be taken merely as the shortenedtitle of the firm used colloquially. At the sametime one cannot help feeling that the spirit ofMr. Ernest George's most admirable water- colours,etchings and drawings, is so exactly akin to thatshown in the buildings by the partners, that in allprobability that aspect of the work which appealsmore directly to readers of THE STUDIO might becredited chiefly to him. This, however, is merelysurmise; one has no right to attempt to go behindthe scenes. Mr. Ernest George, loyally and invariably, refers to all his work as the joint-productof himself and Mr. Peto (or in a few earlier andlater cases as the joint-work of himself and others),consequently we must do the same. For this is apoint upon which the artist lays stress. " I believe,"he says, " in a wise arrangement of partnership,although partnership is not usual with architects.By its means I have been saved from the worry ofgeneral business and the constant interruptionsthat distress an artist at his work. I think thatthe buildings gain in all practical details by beingmore carefully and constantly supervised than theycould be by an artist working alone. "In going on to record briefly the chief workserected after the designs of these architects, one isconfronted more than ever with the difficulty ofdescribing objects that owe no little of their beautyto mere size, in a few bare sentences, or representing them in an illustration, that hardly equalsthe dimension of a tenth part of a single brick.The man who carried about a brick as sample ofhis house, was scarcely equipped more meagrelythan one who tries to re-edify, in imagination,solid and stately buildings. For not merely iscolour absent, and the effect of light and shade,which is a still more important factor in architecture; but reduced to quite insignificant proportions the breadth of a façade which cannot beseen as a whole within the focus of any ordinaryvision, is made to appear like a toy, which can beexamined minutely without shifting the eyes.Again, a satisfactory building owes no little to itsenvironment-certainly the problem to make itaccord with its surroundings, harmoniously butnot too arrogantly, is one of the most difficult thatconfronts the architect. This again is rarelycapable of proof in black and white illustration,for if you take enough of the surroundings to showthe building as it appears in reality, you reducethe main subject to an accessory; if you concentrate your attention upon it alone, and ignore theenvironment, then again you are not doing itjustice. Nor can you distinguish the texture ofthe materials employed, which counts for so much1889HOUSE AT ASCOT MESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTS27The Revival of English Domestic Architecturein the original. Even if a highly elaborate list ofthem accompanied each picture, the bald catalogue would not convey the effect of them to theaverage person. Yet the colour of the terra cotta,the sharpness or otherwise of the stone mouldings,the particular tiles and slates employed for theroof, and a thousand such items, are those whichmake or mar the work.Mr. Ernest George is one who lays great stresson the importance of these matters. With theinstinct of a painter, he realises that beauty isa complex quality depending no less uponpractical than upon purely æsthetic factors. Healso feels that certain substances suit certainplaces, and has more than once found a localmaterial, despised by reason of its cheapness,far more happy in its effect than the costlyimported substance which less artistic architectswould have employed. It is this attention toreally vital qualities-proportion, colour, and texture — which marks thework of the artist as opposed to the mere ornamentist. Mr. Georgebelieves in proportion andthe right disposition of theparts, and reckons detailsof ornament as quite subsidiary to these qualities.So in woodwork; he prefers to employ mouldingrather than carving, to keepthe details simple, andnever to confuse the effectof the whole by undueprominence given to decorative adjuncts. Thesethings are the commonplaces of theory, but fora hundred who accepttheir creed on paper,scarce one has courage toreduce them to practice.Not only does ornamentcover up second- rate work;but it is so much easier tomake a thing attractive tothe majority of critics byplenty of applied decoration . The simple beauty ofproportion is not a qualitythat arrests the chancepasser-by; indeed only anartist can ever appreciatefully the reticence of an artist. Clients are notalways capable of judging the effect of a buildingfrom a drawing, and the less eager they chance to befor economy, the more dangerous will be their influence. That Mr. Ernest George, who seems tohave almost a monopoly of palaces, has convincedhis clients that the higher beauty of a building is uncornered with carving and meretricious adornment,counts peculiarly to his credit. The architect today has rarely enough an unfettered hand. Eitherhis estimates are pared down, his carefully chosendecoration spoilt by parsimonious clients, or elsehe has to battle against unbridled taste of a sortthat wants all the resources of modern craft lavishedon a single building. The honour of victory overtemptation is usually considered to be based onthetemptation it encountered, and that Mr. ErnestGeorge has been reticent and austere when blankcheques were available, and his clients secretly, orperhaps openly, pined for florid embellishment, is"1 REDROOFS, " STREATHAM MESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTS28The Revival of English Domestic ArchitectureBEDROOM AT " REDROOFS, " STREATHAM MESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTSsurely a proof of very great loyalty to the ideal hehas set up and maintained so nobly.In ourcomplex life to-day, poverty of idea is accompanied, as a rule, by extravagant expression. Yourman who has something to say, whether an oldtruth or a new interpretation of it, tries to set itforth clearly and simply; but if he is not quite surewhether what he has to say be true or new, heclothes the idea with all the fashions of the moment,and tries to make it appear the very latest expressionof modern culture. In all the arts one has a rightto suspect that language was given man to concealthought, or that ornament was given to conceal invention; it matters not how you paraphrase theepigram.The number of buildings for which Messrs.George and Peto are responsible demands a stillfurther subdivision, so that this paper will illustrateonly his smaller houses, leaving the palatial mansions and for once the bombastic term is fullyjustified-to consideration in a final paper.But in these less pretentious houses the artisticexcellence differs merely in degree. The delightfullittle Cottage at Harpenden is merely small in""size; it is not small in idea nor in treatment. Noris it one you could call " quaint with any show offitness . The simplicity of its main features, evenwhen reduced to " black and white," and theabsence of an inch of ornament, bespeaks theartist. Here are no ridge-tiles, barge- boards, orother architectural trimmings. Solidity and dignityare gained with very simple use of material. It ismonumental, because its practical features, evidentat a glance, appear sturdy enoughto withstand thewear and tear of centuries; but although builtafter the manner of Elizabethan houses, it doesnot look a sham antique. The delightful verandah,an integral part of the construction, be it noted,and no afterthought, the simple device whichconnects a small lean-to of the study withthe chimney-shafts, the overhanging bay of thecentre gable, which forms in effect a porch-allthese features are obviously structural rather thanmerely picturesque adornments. Only the dovecotis an applied feature, all the others are as essentially part of the house as its foundation or itschimneys. In A House with Studio, near Guildford,still greater simplicity of mass is effected, the pro29The Revival of English Domestic Architecturejecting bays alone breakthe plain cube. The porchis distinctly original intreatment; by it you seethat although it is evidentlythe main entrance, yet thatit is not the front of thehouse. It is also pleasantto notice how the halftimber framework emphasises the fall of the ground,which adds a basement tothe building on one side.In a row ofCottages, VillageShops, &c., Leigh, Kent,we find a typical group ofsimple dwellings, weldedinto a harmonious whole,by no sham façade, but bythe arrangement of thelarger buildings at eachend. In this group theunity of each house ispreserved, and yet its individuality is not insisted upon unduly. Therecurrent gable imparts a sense of restfulness,without any monotonous feeling of repetition.The sketch does not explain whether the penultimate house at each side is slightly larger thanits neighbour; the one to the left undoubtedly is,A COTTAGE AT HARPENDENA COTTAGE AT HARPENDENMESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTSMESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTSbut the one to the right is hidden. Even the spouting for the rain-water is characteristic of its author;it is neither hidden nor treated as decoration, butsimply and unobtrusively arranged, so that it helpsto detach each house from its neighbour. In AHouse at Ascot, the fine gables are treated morearchitecturally, yet so far as the drawing showsthey hardly interest you so much, nor do you quitefeel that the date is sufficiently subordinate;possibly in the actual fabric it does not throwthewhole out of scale as it seems to do in the sketch.Another house at Ascot for the same owner, andone at Easthill erected about the same time, areboth more full of picturesque arrangement of mass;but the one illustrated here sufficiently shows theeffect this architect gains by most straightforwardmass. Another House at Ascot (for CharlesStroud, Esq. ), is a most enviable dwelling, so picturesque that it might be reproduced on the stage,or as a background to an historical picture with nosense of anachronism, and yet it fulfils quietly andmost unmistakably the purposes of a nineteenthcentury residence. The Knoll, Barton; Beechwood, Kent; Littlecroft, New Forest (MortonPeto, Esq. ); four small country-houses (illustratedin The Architect, June 1 , 1888); a house near Henley- on-Thames; cottages at Chiselhurst Common;a Lodge and Cottages, Hayden, near Pinner; TheCoca Tree, Pinner, a delightful wayside hostel withan out-of-door staircase; and many another come to30.יוורCOFFEE TAVERN HOSTELRY & NEWARK TRENT ON VISCOUNTESS for THE OSSINGTON ERNEST GEORNE ArPELOAC1COFFEE AND TAVERNHOSTELRY NEWARK AT.MESSRS .ERNEST GEORGEARCHITECTS PETO ,ANDThe Revival of English Domestic ArchitectureCOTTAGES AND SHOPS AT LEIGH, KENTLOGOSMESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTSmind as examples worthy of illustration and detaileddescription. But space forbids more than a passingmention. One house, however, Redroofs, Streatham Common, has peculiar interest, since it isMr. Ernest George's home. The view we illustrate hardly does justice to the architectural interest of this house, although it proves how readilyeach of his buildings makes a picture. A drawingpublished in The Architect, June 1 , 1888, showinganother façade, with the carved gables ending inpediments of a more pronounced Elizabethanfashion, as in the four centred arch of the doorway.The drawing-room of this house, with its timberedceiling showing the joists, is a most interestingapartment. A specially admirable feature is noticeable in a screen, with a beam running across theroom at about two- thirds of its height. On thisare placed wooden statues. By this screen it ispossible to curtain off a portion of the room, andso to impart an air of privacy should the occupantsdesire it. A corner of a bedroom at Redroofs,which is illustrated here, must suffice to prove thatthe interior of this interesting house is worthy of itsauthor.The very dignified Coffee Tavern and Hostelry,Newark-on- Trent, is one of Mr. George's publicbuildings that exhibits a most admirable combination of utility and beauty. One has but to conг.HOUSE WITH STUDIO, NEAR GUILDFORD MESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTS32HERO DIASRABEILHARE

Leaves from Dudley Hardy's Sketch-Booktrast this with the hideously ornate average publichouses to see how admirably a genuine artist cangive you, all and more in the way of comfortand fitness that they give, and at the same timeadd a distinctly beautiful building to the town.Another isolated structure-Redesdale Hall, Moreton-on-Marsh-is a model of a town- hall for acountry town. As represented in the architect'sown drawing, it might easily be taken for a peculiarly fine and picturesque example of the bestsecular Gothic of the past. Its open court, its wellplanned tower, the solidity of the angle buttresses,in fact its every detail, unite in making it a buildingany artist might delight to paint.To describe seriously even one of the domesticbuildings by Messrs. George and Peto might wellexhaust a complete number of THE STUDIO. Thefolly of endeavouring to reduce to order the variedaspects of so large an enterprise as his recordoffers, is almost sufficient to prevent any word butundiscriminating praise being set down. Yet atthe risk of reiteration, the second paper must notclose without calling attention again to the sobrietyof knowledge it betrays. To know so much—thatyou can dispense with any attempt to prove thelearning is in itself a high achievement. Mr.Ernest George never wearies you with a display oftechnical skill; if he re-adapts old features he doesso not with a pedantic air of accuracy to precedent,but so naturally that you forget whether they haveor have not been used before. The little tricks ofmanner that beset the lesser men, and are notalways absent from the work of great architects, arehardly to be found here. True, that the style Mr.Ernest George and his partners have infused intotheir work is personal and as easily recognised asif it were signed with a conspicuous autograph, butis only the largest characteristics of handling andthe absence of affectation that have imparted to itdistinction and style. Here, again, as in all art,the qualities worth imitating are inimitable, becauseit is only when they occur as the natural outcomeof a distinct habit of mind, influenced by long andwide study, that they can be expressed completely.The truest disciples of any master are those whochoose their own manner and ultimately work outtheir artistic salvation as he worked out his. Onthe other hand, no enemy can do so much harmas the imitator who travesties the work of his hero,recomposes his themes into futile combinations,and mimics ignorantly the details which impresshim, without ever suspecting that the beauty ofthe whole mass must needs be far greater than thatof any single part. G.SOME LEAVES FROM MR.DUDLEY HARDY'S SKETCHBOOK. BY EDWARD F.SPENCE.AT first sight it seems strange that the averagetravelled Briton should really know very littleabout the French. There is, however, an explanation - he rarely visits the French parts ofFrance, for of course he goes to Paris. Of thesplendid country the Englishman learns little oftruth and gets much of falsehood by his visit tothe City ofthe two Salons.Of course my neighbour visits Boulogne, Dieppe,Le Havre, Trouville, and St. Malo, but they are allvulgarised and denationalised by our constant visitsand lengthy sojourns: or he makes Cook andGaze tours in Normandy and Brittany and seesnothing but buildings-the remark is without prejudice to my delight in the noble architecture.There is Nice also, and one may reckon Vichy andContrexeville and the like, but the Briton is solamentably gregarious that the second generationfinds the places barren in national character andbegins to believe in the famous " Ici on parleFrançais " ofthe Paris shopkeeper."QU-A-T-ON ATTRAPÉ? "FROM A PENCIL SKETCH BY DUDLEY HARDYAll this introduction is to lead me to the factthat when I stumbled upon a place in the northof France that was full of colour I wrote to Mr.Dudley Hardy and begged him to pay me a visit.The readers of THE STUDIO, being interested in Art33Leaves from Dudley Hardy's Sketch-Bookmatters, are naturally well acquainted with Mr.Hardy's work, and know that one side-the morepopular but less admirable-consists of a heartyhumour chiefly founded upon suggestion of" MARÉE BASSE "FROM A SKETCH BY DUDLEY HARDYcharacter. Some of us who know his more seriouswork regret the time taken from landscape, in whichhe has a peculiar and delightful personal note,studies of form and colour often Oriental in feeling,and subject pictures which show a gift of composition, a power of drawing, and a richness ofpalette which would have forced him even nearertrue fame but for the lively sense of humour whichcompels him to find expression for comic ideas inthe only available medium.Mr. Hardy had sufficient confidence in me toaccept my suggestion, and consequently came toLe Tréport-which you can reach from Dieppe inan hour. He had not been thirty minutes in theplace before his note-book was in his hand andhe began sketching. The result of his visit is abook full of sketches ofno mean value. Out ofit several have beenselected for the purposeof this article, and I amglad to say thatthe editor,justly appreciating, hascaused facsimile reproductions to be made andpresents them withoutany " working up." Inthe selection there hasbeen no very nice consideration of technique,but rather an effort toshow the artist's peculiargift for catching local" NE VAS PAS TROP LOIN "FROM A SKETCH BYDUDLEY HARDYcolour, and also to give some idea of the characterof the place.To me there is great interest in such roughnotes or sketches. Indeed, were I the editor of aweekly illustrated paper I would rather use themthan carefully finished drawings; but, of course, Ishould be foolish, since in Art matters the Britishpublic insists upon having the t's crossed, the i'sdotted, and demands exact punctuation and propercapital letters-otherwise it seems unable to read.How can it be otherwise when the phrase aboutgenius and taking pains is commonly supposed tobe a justification for elaborate over-finish? Yeteven those unable to see all the artistic quality ofthese notes must find some interest in what maybe called the foundation of the pictures that delight them, and must be surprised at the result ofthe few lines set down in obvious haste by thewell-trained hand under guidance of the finelycultivated eye.Let me take as instance Marée Basse. I shouldobserve, incidentally, that all the drawings are" A L'AISE " FROM A SKETCH BY DUDLEY HARDYreproduced just as they were taken on the spot,generally whilst the artist was standing, and sometimes when trying to hide the sketch-book. InMarée Basse very much is suggested, very littleshown. You guess that the tide is going out, for afew slurs and hints of reflection show the film ofwater on the sand. The composition is curiouslybalanced by the bather on the left hand, who isjust taking off his peignoir, and the sailor on theright carrying a burden to the boat. Throughoutthere is a feeling of movement. It can be felt inthe people wading, in the man picking up a crab,star- fish, or shrimp, in the suggestion of thebreeze driving all the drapery to the left, and in the34Leaves from Dudley Hardy's Sketch-Booksea stirred by it. There, with a few hasty strokesset down in ten minutes, is a complete suggestionof people wading and bathing at low tide with thewind from the west-of course only one who knowscan tell the point of the compass.Really it is a great pleasure to see the French atthe seaside. In England we have the idea thatour old enemies, and friends, suffer somewhat fromhydrophobia. In corroboration, I may say thatwhen I was a student-of nothing in particular—in the great university city of Montpellier, mycollapsible india-rubber tub was the surpriseand wonder of all the manystudent friends that I had; theytook their "tubs " in the publicbaths from time to time, pro renata the medicals would have said,but when funds were low, towardsthe end of the term, baths wererare. Yet they were jolly goodfellows, and I regret the furnishedbedroom and sitting-room and thelovely little garden in the Rue duManége, which, with morningcoffee, cost me 44 francs a month;hydromania. Whether it be wet or fine, cold orwarm, windy or calm, the French man and woman,old or young, bathes, and often three times a day.This aspect, of course, struck the artist. Look atLa Belle du Tréport. It is a faithful likeness of anestimable elderly womanwho was always in thewater, or coming out ofit,or going down to it, whenwe were on the beach.The character in the faceshows, too, with an amazing nicety themerry Normandyshop-keeper, withteeth ruined bycider, hard asnails, merry as asand- boy, cunning as a carp.Consider Al'aise,with the threeold folk fascinated bythewater,and paddlingand the lunches and dinners, unstinted in palatable wine, fruit,fish, cheese, vegetable and salads,if a little weak in flesh, that costme a franc each, or 43 francs forhalf a hundred; the merry comrades; the many bocks-brunes orblondes the lively farces; and the"send-off " at the station when Ireturned to England, by five score" L'ESPOIR ' FROM A SKETCHBY DUDLEY HARDYFROM A SKETCH BY DUDLEYHARDYtheir rheumatic,ancient legsrecklessly. Thenthere is Ceci vaut" OH LA JOLIE FILLEFROM A SKETCH BYDUDLEY HARDYla byciclette, the pretty girl-I know thatshe was pretty-not allowed to " bike,"and reluctant to conceal the fact that“ LE RÉPÉTITEUr a la pêche " she is bifurcated. The pencil-work inits handling of drapery well deservesconsideration. With this sketch shouldbe taken the old gentleman with thegreen cotton umbrella, who is looking on andsaying to his wicked, ancient self, " Oh la joliefille! " So full of character is the drawing thatI could write his biography from it.of lively, temporary " pals, "who invaded therailway stationand alarmedofficials andordinary passengers by their demonstration.However, Imust stop thislittle flow of" Trilbyism "and return to mysubject theFrench at theseaside. Therethey suffer from-Another aspect of life at Le Tréport is the fishing.Izaak Walton, Dame Juliana Berners, Mr. Bickerdyke, Mr. R. B. Marston, or any other noteworthypiscicide would have laughed at us trying, withclumsy tackle, to take the evasive eel, or a merrylittle fish, in shape a ruffless perch, in colour a dace,whose identity baffles me, whose local names werelegion. Look at us in " Qu'-a-t-on attrapé?" crowdingin excitement round some one who has caught aneel somewhat smaller than the reluctant worm thatserved as bait. Consider, too, the artistic value ofthe sketch, treating the church on the height and thelittle crowd on the hot day. There is also L'espoir,for which I had the dishonour of sitting. I am35Leaves from Dudley Hardy's Sketch-Booktold that it is a splendid likeness of an aspect ofmyself that I have studied insufficiently. TheRépétiteur à lapêche is a remarkable drawing. Anyone with half an eye can detect the pedagogue-"Oh, la belle touche.""Non c'est une merluche."6666 66" C'est une anguille?"" Tirez donc de suite? "Non, non, non, ne tirez pas, attendez un peu."Vite, vite." Non, non, encore un instant." " Oh!oh!!!" "Queldommage! " " Vous étiez trop vite,Monsieur!?" "Vous étiez trop tard, Monsieur! ”Another aspect of the life was the gamblingroom. It is the orthodox petits chevaux. Weused to be fascinated by a splendid tall creaturewho came in all alone, played the highest stakes,lost consistently, and never condescended to lookeither to right or left. She can be recognised inLa Joueuse Enragée, with her scorn for all of us,and horrible interest in the wicked game. Anotherfigure ofthe tables was the Espagnolle des Batignolles, or Whitechapel Spaniard. At first wethought her very haughty. However, when shegot confused between her stake and Mr. Hardy'sshe opened her languid eyes and haughty lips andlet forth, sotto voce, a stream of abusive remarks inthe choicest low slang, that silenced the artist andmyself, though we have some cunning in the pic-""CECI VAUT LA BYCICLETTE "FROM A SKETCH BY DUDLEY HARDYthe old gentleman who used to be ferocious to allthe boys or youths, yet to me was of exquisitecourtesy, and spared no pains to tell me how tobait the hook, how to cast the line, and when tostrike. Alas! he had no luck, and I, with his advice, caught little save the ubiquitous, omnivorous ,inedible green crab.The fishing was a fine study in character. Onthe Thames, if a hippopotamus raised its head andswallowed your hook, line, and float, your neighbourwould say nothing; at Le Tréport this happenedif the float moved: " Une touche, Monsieur? "" LA JOUEUSE ENRAGÉE "FROM A SKETCH BY DUDLEY HARDYENCORE UN BOCK "FROM A SKETCH BY DUDLEY HARDYturesque phrases ignored by Littré, or the Dictionnaire de l'Academie.Lastly, I may speak of our café. In some respects it was primitive, for the billiard-room wasthe dressing- room of the artists of the cafe concert,and our frantic efforts to make cannons with ballsthat seemed of putty, cushions of sand- bags, corkscrew cues, on a table full of ups and downs, wereconstantly interrupted by an invitation to help in 36Leaves from Dudley Hardy's Sketch-Booktying ribbons, lacing shoes, &c. I believe thatFrance is the only country where such requestscould be made and carried out in good faith andwith absolute respect. Certainly, our gallantrynever got beyond offering bocks and sirops. Wewere attracted to the place by the Irish announcement of " Début tous les soirs de Mlle. Irma."You will find her simply as Chanteuse de CaféConcert, and in the hasty note will see no littleof the charm that made John Philip famous. Oneof the habitués was a young lady always decked inunsuitable furs. With her was a grumpy old man,I have an uncomfortable feeling that I have beenacting as showman, or analytical programme, or" CHANTEUSE DE CAFÉ CONCERT 31FROM A SKETCH BY DUDLEY HARDY" LA BELLE DU TREPORT "FROM A SKETCH BY DUDLEY HARDYbilious in tint, with murderous moustaches, and wecalled her Encore un bock, because she seemeda fair rival to the Heidelberg tun in capacity forholding beer. Her image was taken with a pointless pencil and bottle of bad ink, yet there is noteworthy quality in the drawing. The orchestra wasinteresting, for as an immense attraction we hadsome Hungarian musicians, who, I regret to say,delighted the house by playing scraps from thefashionable musical " go as you please " works ofLondon, and playing them with strange orchestration and a daring disregard of the composer's ideaof time. You can see the head of the chief of theband, a fellow with eyebrows à la Pinero, with earssuch as Lambroso ascribes to murderers, a complexion of copper modified by olive- green, andalways between his lips was a straw that must havecome from an American drink that had been givento him at some prehistoric period.explanatory catalogue, and yet am not altogetherashamed if it be true. After all, people are apt toignore the value of sketches or notes unless someone takes them as a text, and, seeing what a deepadmiration I have for the bestwork of Mr. Dudley Hardy, Iam content to be his prophet-at least in the scholarlysense of the term. It is notoften that one has hold of abook of genuine sketchesmade by a man with an astounding gift for working ""MUSIQUEHONGROISE 33swiftly. I am confident that the qualitiesto which I have triedto call attention, without being tedious,would have been dulyappreciated by thecareful; yet for themany who see carelessly there should besome direction , and itseems no waste oftimeto point out that therough drawings must" ESPAGNOLLE DES BATIG- "NOLLES FROM A SKETCHBY DUDLEY HARDY37Studio-Talknot be regarded merely as a kind of artistic shorthand, but that, though their object was merelyto record the keen artistic feeling of the youngartist-for he is still on the right side of thirtyhis art has compelled him to make these notesbeautiful by direct grace of form and by delightfulsuggestion of light, atmosphere, and colour.LSTUDIO-TALK(From our own Correspondents. )ONDON. IT is a long time since Mr.G. H. Boughton has exhibited a picturequite so fascinating as the delightfulhalf- length figure which is now to beseen in the New Gallery, and of whichwe give a reproduction this month. The distinctive qualities of his essentially individual art areshown in it to peculiar advantage, and his powerof dealing with refinements of expression andsubtleties of characterisation is evidenced withparticular charm in his treatment of the sensitiveface. The somewhat weighty colour arrangementwherewith he has set off the gentle gradations ofthe pallid complexion is cleverly devised, and isnot only excellent in its inner relations, but as wellin the manner in which it encourages the sentimentof the picture. The work as a whole is a veryample justification, if indeed any were necessary,of the recent election of Mr. Boughton to fullAcademic rank; and accentuates the surprisewhich many people have reasonably felt at thedelay in giving him a position which he had earnedmany years ago by a long succession of quiteadmirable productions.The collection of his Langham Sketches whichMr. G. C. Haité was lately showing at the St.George's Gallery had many points of interest whichdistinguished it from the other shows which havebeen so plentifully organised during the presentseason. The drawings brought together by Mr.Haité had a peculiar character due largely to theconditions under which they were produced. Theywere entirely memory sketches, painted each in acouple of hours by gaslight, and to illustrate given44'ON THE ICE BY G. C. HAITÉ38"ROSEMARY." FROM A PAINTINGBY G. H. BOUGHTON, R.A.

Studio-Talksubjects. They were not the result of any directstudy of Nature but rather the outcome of theartist's general recollections of out- of- door effects .The test which their production imposed was asufficiently severe one, for it implied rather unusualpreparation, and quite exceptional training of thosefaculties of careful observation and accurate recordwithout which the landscape painter can scarcelyhope to be either persuasive or convincing. Byway too of adding to the severity of this test Mr.Haité had in his drawings denied to himself anyopportunity of retouching, and exhibited them inexactly the state to which each one was broughtin the limited time allowed for its production.Despite these limitations the exhibition was byno means lacking in variety. The work of whichit consisted was, on the contrary, notably free fromrepetition either in motive or in manner, and showedexcellently with what vividness an artist who hastrained his memory thoroughly enough can profitby Nature's lessons. Mr. Haité's drawings includedmany recollections of places he has seen, ofVenicein his Sunny Bank, of Holland in On the Ice, ofLondon in Fog, of country-life in his flower showHarmony in Pink and White, of marine effects inDrifting, and of many spots dear to the landscapepainter in A Castle, A Tidal River, On the Canal,at Brentford, A Wet Sky seen at Turnham GreenRailway Station, and Cast Shadows, a reminiscenceof Windsor. And these were in no sense merelytopographical. Each was a distinct study ofcolour,an exact record of an atmospheric effect, differingone from the other as Nature herself varies, notedand put down in a manner possible only to aspecially receptive mind.There seems no diminution in the popularity ofJapan as a sketching ground. The number ofexhibitions of pictures painted in that country hasbeen lately quite considerable, and there is atpresent every sign that the additions to thisnumber will be plentiful enough before the popularity of the subject is at all exhausted. The latestdisplay is at the Clifford Gallery, where Miss M.R. Hill-Burton is for the second time showing acollection of water-colour drawings illustrative ofJapanese life and scenery. Her keenness of colourappreciation enables her to present one aspect ofthat fascinating country in a very satisfactorymanner, and to this aspect she wisely limits herself.Her drawings are chiefly studies of masses offlowering vegetation, and of the quaint effects ofcoloured light which are presented after sundown"SWEET SHOP " BY M. R. HILL-BURTON41Studio-TalkBOOK-PLATEFACIEΣαENVSLibryCharle BickerstelbWheelerBY J. WALTER WESTin the towns and villages. Among the best ofthese studies are the Iris Garden, GatheringChrysanthemums, Iris Horikiri, the Meeting ofthePhotographic Society at Kyoto, and the daintylittle Sweet Shop. Her power of drawing andsense of composition are very well shown in agroup of figures Fishing under the Cherry Tree,and in A Temple Gate at Nikko; and in severalothers of her seventy-six contributions she hasarrived at results that are eminently pleasant.At the Dutch Gallery Mr. Van Wisselinghbrought together about the middle of last month apleasant little collection of pictures and drawingsby various painters who have established theirreputations as leaders of the Romantic and Impressionist schools. Among the artists representedappeared Diaz, Daubigney, and Corot at theirbest; and adequate examples of such men asManet, M. Carolus- Duran and Mr. Whistler werealso included. Of the younger Englishmen whoare to be ranked as followers of the romanticschool the most notable were Mr. Mark Fisher,Mr. Arthur Lemon, Mr. Peppercorn, and Mr.Arthur Tomson, all students of landscape whosepowers of expression are admirably trained andexcellently under control.At the exhibition in connection with the annualmeeting of the Ex Libris Society, it was interestingto note a distinct advance in the number andquality of modern designs. As before, goodheraldic plates were few; that is, those which aredecorative and well designed in addition to beingcorrectly blazoned. C. W. Sherborn, with a largenumber of new and beautiful designs, sustained hishigh level, G. W. Eve showed even better workthan heretofore, and the solitary plate (in Swanline-etching) by W. R. Weyer was notably good.Arthur Ellis, in a book-plate for an angler and acircular design, proved to be a welcome recruit.Harold Nelson had another Ernest Scott Fardellplate, and very good it was. One by ErnestCollings, with the motto Sit sine labe decus, was alsodistinctly excellent. Walter West showed an albumof his charming designs, the Charles BickerstethWheeler, the Benjamin and Janet Haughton, andE. G. Bett, being seen for the first time. Two ofthese, reproduced here, show most graceful fancyand fitness. W. Monk, amid other admirablyetched plates, had one for the ShakespeareanMemorial Library which was extremely good. Avery interesting heraldic plate etched and designedby Sir John Millais, P.R.A. , although executedthirty years ago, came as a surprise to most visitors . G. R. Quested exhibited plates for Sir PhilipEXPRO POEEBRIS EG.Betts 1896BOOK-PLATE BY J. WALTER WEST42Studio-TalkEMANUEL Cr Libris INVET DEL 1893words, "Napthali satisfied with favour " (Deut.xxiii. 23), Napthali being the Hebrew equivalentof Hermann. The initial letter of this quotationis from the word " Nesher, " the Hebrew equivalentof eagle. In the margin are represented the produce of the Holy Land, wheat, barley, vine, figtree, pomegranate, and olive. Each corner containsan object connected with the Jewish ritual: in theleft-hand top corner a Mezuza, a small casket containing a strip of parchment bearing a passage fromthe Scriptures declaring the unity of God; in theright a Zephellah, a phylactery worn during morning prayer. At the foot to the left is the Shofer, orcornet, sounded on the New Year; on the right, acitron, "the fruit of the goodly tree," used on theFeast of Tabernacles.כנשירRed DermannAdler.ChiefRabbiBOOK- PLATEנפתלי שבע ר .BY F. L. EMANUELRose and Captain Richard Dane, both decorativeand admirable. A plate in colours by Will Fostershowed a type of heraldic treatment novel so faras England is concerned. Many, including examples by John Williams, G. R. Halkett, A. B.Woodward, J. P. Elmslie and others, although notnew to readers of THE STUDIO, maintained theinterest of a capital display.The extremely interesting book- plate of the ChiefRabbi, designed by Mr. Frank L. Emanuel, is intended for the richest library in the United Kingdom, so far as Hebrewliterature is concerned. Theeagle represents the German word Adler, a nameconferred on the family of the owner in 1616. Onthe body of the eagle is the scroll of the Law, withtwo hands in the act of benediction, according tothe priestly use of the descendants of Aaron. Thewords in Hebrew beneath signify: " As an eaglestirreth up her nest." They form the motto of theAdler family. The crown above bears two Hebrewletters "the crown of the sun, " indicative of theoffice of which Dr. Adler is the incumbent. Atthe foot of the plate, also in Hebrew, are theN™EWLYN.-It is dim work gropingafter the genesis of things-even recent things-there is such a tangleof prehistoric causes shaping themselves out of the formless void. Inthe beginning there was a fretwork class carriedon over a fish cellar in Newlyn; but even thatdoes not primarily express the case, because itdoes not take into consideration the previousexistence of a schoolmaster, a rich man, and atelegraph clerk, all actuated by the desire tocompete with the devil in finding work for idlehands to do. Then some artists were drawn intothe competition who seemed to feel the inadequacyof fretwork or even of wood-carving to keep Satanat bay, and so copper and brass were introduced,and little trays and candlesticks, &c. , were beatenby fisher lads in the winter nights in the loft abovethe fish- curing yard by the sea.Then the artists felt that they were technicallyvery ignorant of the procedure of brass beating,too ignorant even to teach it! and here the richman stepped in-but why should I respect hismodesty? no one respects mine. Mr. Bolitho,who represents the end of England in Parliament,represents locally everything wherein one man triesto help another. He, feeling strongly the uncertainty of fish- catching as an industry wherewith tosupport a large population, sought to temper itwith some crafts that might, while not taking allthe time of the fisher lads, &c. , help them in somedegree to an occupation; and filled with this hope,a metal- beater named John Pearson, who lives andmakes charming objects of art somewhere in43Studio-TalkCOPPER PLAQUE FOR THE NEWLYN ART GALLERYWhitechapel, came down to the margin of Mount'sBay and taught the teachers his method.the winter evenings and smitethe sounding brass do so withclumsy fingers and eyes dullto the beauty of accuratecurves and faint modulationsin the designs they are set tocopy; they like the noise andfun of hammering, and takesome interest in followingthe traced lines ever sorudely, but that is about all,and indeed that is all thatcould be expected of them,though it is only fair to saythat there are some exceptions and that financially theclass pays its way.Still that the enterpriseshould have partially failedin the quarter for which itwas primarily devised, wasamongst those things whichcould be foreseen by anypractical prophet of the mostordinary x ray power. Whatthe practical prophet could not have foreseen wasthat some very artistic and beautiful work wouldbe designed and executed under these rather hopeBY J. D. MACKENZIEThat Mr. Bolitho's hope has hardly been fulfilled less circumstances.in no way takes from thekindliness of the intention,nor does it preclude theconsiderable success whichhas been attained by thebrass-beating at Newlyn. Itis not only idle to suppose,but it is hardly to be expected, that artistic instinctsshould be scattered freelyin a fishing or, indeed, inany village of any land,and, without such prodigalscattering of talent, surely acraft so dependent upon perceptions of no mean orderis relatively impossible.One cannot benefit a largecommunity without a proportionately devised scheme ofaid; one cannot catch littlefishes in a wide-meshed net;and so the lads who come in COPPER PLAQUE FOR THE NEWLYN ART GALLERY BY J. D. MACKENZIE44Studio-TalkCOPPER PLAQUE BY J. D. MACKENZIEThe explanation of this is Mr. J. D. Mackenzie.I had intended enlarging this explanation somewhat, but I don't see the use. Mr. Mackenzie isan artist with great charm and facility of design,kept constantly flowing by his desire to help onthe industry or craft, or whatever it may be called.Consequently, for all artistic purposes, Mr. J. D.Mackenzie represents the metal class at Newlyn.With the aid of his assistant, Mr. Hodder, four largecopper plaques have beenexecuted for the front ofthe Newlyn Art Gallery,representing earth, air, fire,and water. These plaqueswere beaten on lead by Mr.Hodder, according to thesystem pursued by Pearson.They are exceedingly effective now, and we expect thatwhen the weather coversthem with a tone of greenthey will be even morepleasant.You can imagine manyobjects for which this kindofwork would be very suitable, for the beautifying ofhomes externally. Butthere, I don't want to hangupon my shoulders the sinof suggesting villas stuck allover with cheap machinemade copper plaques!BIRMINGHAM.-The permanent collections ofthe Corporation Art Galleryhave recently been enriched by the giftof three important pictures. One is anexceedingly fine specimen of the littleknown work of Thomas Baker, of Leamington, aMidland artist whose landscapes were popular during the first halfof the present century, but which arerarely met with nowadays. The one given to Birmingham by Mr. J. C. Holder is in a fine state ofpreservation, and exhibits all the minute and lovingcare this painter lavished upon the delineation ofWarwickshire scenery. The second picture, presented by Mr. George Myers, is a large work byMiss Flora M. Reid, called The First Communion,painted in her strongest and boldest manner, asubject which appeals to the majority of peoplewho visit a free institution such as the BirminghamGallery. The third, of which an illustration isgiven here, comes from the subscribers to theSociety for the Preservation of Pictorial Records of Ancient Works of Art. It is a watercolour drawing of Rouen Cathedralfrom the SouthEast, by Mr. T. M. Rooke, A.R.W.S. , and is oneof a series which the Society is presenting to Birmingham, because our Art Gallery can boast of alarger attendance of visitors week by week thanany similar institution in the country. This seriesN. G. COPPER PLAQUE FOR THE NEWLYN ART GALLERY BY J. D. MACKENZIE45Studio-TalkROUEN CATHEDRAL BY T. M. ROOKE, A.R.W.S.of records will become very valuable in time, asthe old buildings and pictures chosen for reproduction are yearly becoming more damaged anddilapidated.PARIS.-One of the most interesting artdisplays this spring-apart, of course,from the two Salons which are attracting every one's attention just now-isthe National Exhibition of ModernEtching recently opened at the School of Fine Arts." This Exhibition," remarks M. Henri Beraldi,the well-known bibliophile, in the striking prefacewith which he opens the catalogue, " this Exhibitiondisplays before us the work of half a century -anunparalleled achievement! The Ecole des BeauxArts is filled with masterpieces; and even now thecollection is not quite complete, though nearly so.There can be no hesitation as to theverdict which must be pronounced to- dayupon this display. It is this: Duringthe past seventy years, and particularlyin the second half of the century, etchinghas added one of the most brilliant, oneof the most glorious chapters, not only tothe history of French art but to theuniversal history of engraving."M. Beraldi is fully justified in writingthus, for here we have a real exhibitionof works of art far more remarkable, farmore worthy of lasting praise, than themajority of the paintings displayed in thevast galleries of the Champ de Mars andthe Champs- Elysées. Less pretentious,of course, this engravers' work, and appealing less strongly to the public; but,on the other hand, how much higher andnobler and more artistic. There is reallynothing more instructive, either from ahistorical or from a purely artistic pointof view, than exhibitions such as these,devoted to some particular process, as, forinstance, the beautiful display of lithography last year.Side by side with Decamps and Delacroix, Daumier and Ingrès, Hervier andTony Johannot all the lights of theromantic school-are splendid specimensof the art of Desboutin, Manet, Millet,Bracquemond, Waltner, Renouard, LeCouteux, and Jacquemart. Not a single engraverof importance but is represented here, and represented by striking work. Célestin Nanteuil rubsshoulders with Helleu, Paul Huet with Lepère,Chassérian with Jules de Goncourt, Charles Jacquewith A. Rodin. And these are by no means all.Here are more names that must not be omitted:James Tissot, Edmond Yon, Lhermitte, Le Rat,Leloir, Gustave Doré, Laguillermie, FernandDesmoulin, Eugène Abot, Bastien- Lepage, Meissonnier, Karl Bodmer, Henri Boutet, MichelCazin, Champollion, Th. Rousseau, Gavarni,Rajon, Monziés, Hédouin, and Louis Legrand;and even now I have left many unmentioned.The "Exposition Internationale du Livre Moderne " opened at the " Art Nouveau " galleriesearly in the month, though too late unfortunately togive one an opportunity of discussing it now. I maysay at once, however, that this interesting experi46Studio-Talkment has met with complete success. England occupies a respectable, if not a foremost place in anexhibition which comprises over a hundred MSS.by the most celebrated contemporary authors, fromNietzche to Victor Hugo, from de Maupassant toRuskin. I shall have something more to say onthis subject next month.

The characteristic of our modern school is a striving to bring art into everything. Thus there is now being played at the Folies-Bergère a ballet, indifferent enough so far as imagination is concerned, but with two scenes admirably painted by M. Henri Rivière. This remarkable artist is no tyro in work of this kind; for, as the readers of THE STUDIO are aware, his polychrome ombres chinoises, on which he has lavished so much delightful fancy, have long since become famous upon the tiny stage of the "Chat Noir."

By the kindness of the director of the GalerieLaffitte the editor is able to give herewith a reproduction of the fan designed by M. A. Willette-anoriginal lithograph of 120 impressions, printed onsilk. A happy idea this, and one worthy of allencouragement. Who better qualified to decorate afan than our modern Watteau; who so capable ofcomposing a design in perfect harmony with hissubject as the famous poet of the Pierrot?G. M.MILAN. The annual exhibition ofthe Society of Fine Arts, whichopened at the end of April, proveda success, and was fairly interesting. It is true there were no verystriking works, theyhaving been absorbed bythemoreimportant display at Turin; but at the same timewefound there the names of manyof our best artists,as well as those of some of the younger men, whogive great promise for the future. Giorgio Belloniexhibits, in addition to several sea- pieces, a Portraitof a Lady, of singular power and great distinction;and other portraits, solidly painted and full of goodcolouring, are contributed by Adolfo Ferragutti .Filippo Carcano, who may be considered the firstof Italian landscapists, has been content to sendfour little scenes in pastel, which, however, sufficeto display this artist's astonishing gifts. They arescenes from the Engadine, and, despite theirdiminutive size, are remarkable for boldness andnobility of treatment, combined with great transparency of colour. Leonardo Bazzano has abandoned for the moment the low tones of which heis usually so fond, and his little bit of genre is areal feast of sun and gaiety. Gignous and Marianiexhibit excellent landscapes, showing a delicatetouch; and we must also note several interestingstudies by Longoni, Silvestri, and Sartori, whileCarozzi sends a fanciful snow scene. Among theyounger painters, Rizzi is prominent with a nudestudy of a woman lying on a yellow drapery, inwhich he has triumphed most effectively over theA.WilletteDESIGN FOR A FAN FROM A LITHOGRAPH ON SILK BY A WILLETTE47Studio-Talkdifficulties of a very bold piece of colouring.Cinotti, who, to the best of my belief, is exhibitingfor the first time, shows a garden overrun byrabbits, voraciously devouring the green-stuff, andalso a large canvas, striking one as rather hard atfirst sight, but displaying many admirable qualitiesof observation in its treatment of a country- side,bathed in the morning dew and glistening withlight. G. B.VENICE . Great interest is being takenin the exhibition of the works ofG. B. Tiepolo, which was opened onthe 11th of May. As proof of hisappreciation, and in honour of thisgreat artist, the King graciously allowed the exhibition to be held in the Royal Palace. Neverbefore have so many works and studies of this mostgenial of painters been on view at one time, andphotographs have been provided of those of hisproductions which, being hung in other cities, couldnot easily be brought to Venice. This splendidexhibition affords an excellent opportunity forstudying minutely the secrets of the art which thebrilliant painter has brought to such high perfection G. B.BRUSSELS. The Government has decided that from this year the Salon desBeaux-Arts of Liège shall form one ofthe official exhibitions, with those ofBrussels, Ghent and Antwerp; and inthis connection the literary review, La Jeune Belgique, has been inviting several of our leadingartists to give their opinions on the question ofofficial salons. The majority have expressed awish for the suppression of these exhibitions, whichthey would like to see replaced once for all bysmaller displays by clubs or associations.The exhibition of painting, sculpture and appliedart, which is about to open at Mons, will includevarious works of importance; among other things,several canvases by Alfred Stevens, studies ofBorinage the Belgian " Black Country "-by Constantin Meunier, a portrait by Fernand Khnopff,and his L'Offrande (illustrated), with a historicalpiece by Albrecht Devriendt, and a large composition by Courtens.By far the most important exhibition of the yearis the Salon of the Brussels Society of Fine Arts,just opened in the Museum Galleries. What weare accustomed to term " applied art " is representedthere in practical fashion in the form of seats placedat the disposal of visitors, and by glass cases conThe taining various little fragile works of art.furnishing has been carried out by M. Hobé, whosetaste and intelligence it were superfluous to praise.In addition to one gallery devoted entirely tothe Austrian school, foreigners generally arethoroughly well represented here; but this cordiallyfraternal hospitality would seem to have causedbitter annoyance to certain local art critics or reporters who really are carrying their rigidly protectionist ideas to extravagant lengths. When Imention, however, that one of these gentlemen(who, by the way, is on the staff of a leading" L'OFFRANDE " BY FERNAND KHNOPFF48Studio-TalkBrussels paper) recently wrote that W. Q. Orchardson, R.A., was " one of Whistler's most talentedfollowers," it will be understood that as a rule thesewriters are not over-anxious for opportunities suchas these whereby to display their erudition, or theirwant of it!The English school is represented by works ofthe highest class, such as the late Lord Leighton'sPerseus and Andromeda, and Sir E. Burne-Jones'sBride ofLibano. With the last-named work these"critics "-who know nothing of the great artistbut his name, which, indeed, they sometimes write"John Burns "!-express some disappointment.So much the better. Real admirers of the masterare at least spared the irritation of hearing thestupid praise and more than doubtful reverencecommonly expressed for his work. William Stottof Oldham exhibits his great picture The TwoSisters, full of poetical feeling and delicate colouring; Macaulay-Stevenson has a powerful landscape,and J. Lavery, Paterson and A. Roche all contribute uncommonly good bits of painting, while Mrs.Stanhope-Forbes sends two interesting little studies.G. F. Watts, R.A., is seen in a portrait drawing ofintense character.In the French section the most notable thingsare the delightful portrait of Mlle. Bartet, of theComédie Française, by Dagnan- Bouveret; Desvallière's characteristic pastel Les Chasseurs; E. R.Ménard's Adam and Eve, a truly great work; andoils and pastels by L. Simon, J. Béraud, A. Sinet,and P. Carrier- Belleuse.German art is seen in powerful work by A.Boecklin (the subject of a recent article in THESTUDIO) , H. Thoma, Leibl and F. Stuck. Thereare also some extraordinarily clever drawings byA. Menzel, and several pastels by Liebermann.Nor must I forget-to go back for a moment tothe foreign schools generally-the portrait of SarahBernhardt by Gandara, the landscapes of Thaulow,the sea- pieces by W. Mesdag and Haverman'sdrawings.The exhibition also contains a few ivory carvings, certainly the most remarkable being the littlefigure by J. Dillens (illustrated), presented bytheCity of Brussels to Jamaert, the architect, whorestored the Maison du Roi.some important work, as does the Belgian medallist, F. Dubois; but the gem of the show in thesculpture section is the almost complete collectionof the work of Jean Carriès, kindly lent by M.Hentschel. It would take too long to mention indetail all these wonderful pieces, infinitely delicatein modelling, perfect in oxidation, and exquisite incolour, a very "feast for the eyes."In the Austrian section are landscapes by MM.Schindler, Ribarz and de Hörmann, portraits byMM. Hynais, Horowitz, von Angeli, and Matejko,and sculpture by M. Aug. Kuehne, with genre pictures by MM. Pettenkofen and Müller.The French medallists, Dupuis and Roty, send IVORY STATUETTE BY J. DILLENS49Studio-TalkI must conclude with the names of the followingBelgian exhibitors: MM. Claus, F. Courtens,Duyck, L. Frédéric, Fernand Khnopff, de Lalaing,Charles Mertens, A. Struys, A. Verhaeren, EmileWauters, C. Vanderstappen, T. Vincotte, and theassiduous secretary of the society, M. P. Lambotte.I notice that by a slip of the pen last month Imisspelt the name of the designer of the "Cénacle "poster. It should, of course, be Mignot, insteadof Mionet.DF. K.RESDEN. Several years ago thefive- hundredth Anniversary of theHouse of Wettin, the now reigningdynasty of Saxony, was celebratedat Dresden. Among the numeroustemporary decorations that ornamented the streetsat the time, an obelisk with two large allegoricalfigures, designed by Schilling, jun. , and Græbner(the statues by Schilling, sen. ), was especiallynotable, and it was decided to have this carriedout in bronze as a lasting monument commemorative of the event. This monument was unveiledrecently by H. M. King Albert upon his birthday.It has been erected between the palace and thepicture gallery, and adds greatly to the attractionsof Dresden's streets.I take pleasure in reporting the success of oneof Dresden's young sculptors, E. Hoesel, pupil ofJasiPOSTERProf. Diez. His large plaster model, Riding Hun,has been purchased by the National Gallery atBerlin, while his small bronze, Man on a Camel,has been bought by the Commissioners of thisyear's Exhibition at Berlin, where it is to be seenin the room devoted to the work of the DresdenSecessionists. Hoesel, a native of Altenburg, isabout twenty-six years old, and has especial talentfor animal sculptures. At the Dresden Academyhe received the travelling stipend, and it is interesting that he did not choose to go upon the oldworn path to Rome, but proposes to follow hisstudies at Smyrna.A new fountain is in course of erection uponone ofthe squares near the Law Courts. It is thework of Bruno Fischer, his having been the successful one out of about forty competing designs.Its principal ornament consists of a figure ofjustice.Otto Fischer, the successful designer of the posterfor " Die alte Stadt " (Dresden, 1896), has securedthe first prize in the Poster competition for theLeipsic Industrial Exhibition.In last month's notes, I inadvertently mentionedHermann Prell as having received a commissionto paint Frescoes at Leipsic, while I should havenamed Friedrich Preller, jun. , the landscapepainter.H. W. S.AUSSTELLUNG SSAECHSISCHEN HANDWERKSUND KUNSTGEWERBESDRESDEN 1896ALTESTADIETADTBY OTTO FISCHERMUNICH.-The Springexhibitionof the "Secession "had this advantage, that itwas not crowded with workof all kinds, good, bad andindifferent, but rather consisted of a small, well- chosenselection admirably reflecting the art-spirit of to-day.And much of its attractiveness was due to the presenceof several exhibits byforeignartists. Walter Crane's drawings and paintings filled onegallery. For English readersall praise of this artist isquite superfluous; it is50Studio-Talkenough to say that his perfect art, seen for thefirst time in so complete a form in Germany, metwith the most genuine and unequivocal appreciation here. His book illustrations have arousedas much admiration as his decorative designs, andin the interests of German art and handicraft itwere well if our comprehension of his work equalledthe astonishment it causes, and if, instead ofslavishly imitating him, our artists could discoverthe secret of the beautiful, bold, independentmethod, based on a true study of Nature, andactuated by a perfect sense of style, in which hisart is produced.The German division was conspicuous, not somuch from the presence of any specially fine pieceof individual work, as from the high level of excellence attained all round. Beside the old andhonoured names, which were worthily represented,one saw evidence of fresh young forces at work,with earnest effort and solid knowledge behindthem. First among the leaders of the Secessionmust be named Ludwig Dill, the president for thetime being, who displayed a whole collection ofwater colours—simple landscape themes, deepand somewhat heavy in colouring, but full of harmonious and picturesque effects. Hugo vonHabermann exhibited a fine female study. Heinrich Zügel, to- day the foremost of our animalpainters, gave further evidence of his great powersin several studies of sheep and horses, while thework of some ofhis pupils displayed his capacityas a teacher. There was once more great charmand attractiveness in the pictures of W. KellerReutlingen, perhaps the most popular landscapistof the Secession school, and worthily so, as hisscenes from the Bavarian Highlands abundantlytestify; one in particular, A Birch Grove in Dachau-the Barbizon of the Munich artists -being quitedelightful in its soft poetic melancholy. From outof the mass of other landscapes -which were in alarge majority-it will be sufficient to mentionthose of Otto Strützel , Adolf Helzel, and R. Kaiser.However varied may be the methods and aims ofthe numerous Munich landscapists, there is onething they have in common-namely, a devotionto the genuine scenery of their native land, whichthey represent in the modern spirit, simply andnaturally, without a trace of sentimentalism oraffectation.Among the " new men" of the year there weretwo who stood out from among the rest, both bythe quality and the quantity of their work-OskarZwintscher and Max Slevogt . The former, whoexhibited several fanciful landscapes and twoportrait studies, impressed one at once by hisaccuracy and technical resource, marred only by acertain lack of confidence in one or two of thelandscapes. There is, however, plenty of confidence in Slevogt's work, and no small degree ofindividuality also. It must, however, be saidthat a certain displeasing coarseness spoils some ofhis work, as, for instance, The Scourging ofChrist,which is treated in quite a brutal manner. Someof this artist's work, on the other hand, notablyThe Appearance of the Angel before Joseph, leadsone to hope that he may realise the fact that beautyand grace are not incompatible with strength andenergy.As is always the case in the Spring exhibitions,the Munich artists formed the chief contingent inthe German galleries; and when we consider thatthe great majority of our artists here were, in thenatural course of things, reserving their best workfor the big Summer exhibitions, it will be admittedthat the German division, which had to hold itsown against so much excellent work from abroad,was largely indebted to the activity and versatileefforts of the Munich artists.The numerous oil- paintings and drawings byGiovanni Segantini, a native of the Italian Tyrol,constituted an exhibition in themselves. LikeMillet-whose faithful pupil he would seem to be,in his treatment of the human form-he loves toportray the laborious life of the peasantry. Butthose he shows us are mountain folk. The snowcapped peaks of the Engadine tower large andmajestic above the fields, where his sons of the soilare ploughing and reaping, and the pasture landswith their feeding flocks of sheep and cattle. Thesimplicity of the peasant life, with the sublimity ofits mountainous surroundings, forms the groundwork of his art, which has a dignity and a truthwhich impress one as only work of the highestclass can do.There was considerable charm in the collection ofDutch water- colours in which such men as Jos.Israels, Mesdag, du Chatell, and van de SandeBakhuyzen were worthily represented . These artistsone and all show a delicate love of Nature and astrong " home feeling, " which would be even moreacceptable if they would try to give us something51Reviews of Recent Publicationsnew. There is a certain restricted sameness aboutthese Dutch pictures which becomes more andmore pronounced each time one sees them.France was represented by a delightful collectionof recent lithographs. Here were delicate colourprints by Lunois, Steinlen's brilliant drawings, FritzBurger's graceful female studies, besides numerouspiquant things (chiefly posters) by De Feure, Béjot,Toulouse- Lautrec, Grasset and others . Carrièreand Gandara also sent lithographic experiments,and Henri Rivière was represented by some of hiscoloured wood- blocks in pronounced Japanesestyle.A good deal of very respectable and earnestwork was produced by women painters. TheViennese artist, Olga Wisinger- Florian, exhibiteda number of landscape studies, which were particularly good in their realisation of atmosphericeffects; Ernestine Schultze-Naumburg was conspicuous with her extraordinarily clever flowerpieces, and S. F. Hormann sent a very pleasingwater- colour portrait of an old lady.A final word must be devoted to the series ofpictures -one of the most beautiful and interestingin the whole exhibition -by Hans Thoma. Theseseven oil paintings extend over his entire career,and give one a very excellent idea of the development of the Frankfurt master's genius-one of themost characteristic and one of the most attractivephenomena of German Art of the present day.Two interesting exhibitions have lately been onview at the Art, Union-the one a large collectionof etchings, with some beautiful proofs and firstimpressions of Max Klinger's; and the other, adisplay of the works of Bruno Piglhein, who diedtwo years ago. He was an artist of great versatility, who was seen at his best, perhaps, in decorative work on a large scale. His chief production,a panorama of the Crucifixion, one of the finestthings of the kind done in recent years, was unfortunately destroyed by fire during the artist'slifetime. The Berlin National Gallery possessesa Crucifixion by him, and the New Pinakothek.of Munich has an Entombment of Christ. Thisclever artist, who died at the untimely age of fortyfive, left behind many other works in various styles,and his loss is severely felt.an arrangement which should have a very important effect on the future development and prosperity of the Munich Artists' Association ( " Künstler- Genossenschaft ") and the " Secessionists "alike. Commencing with next year, the last- namedbody will once more take part in all the great quadrennial international Art Exhibitions held in theGlass Palace; and, on the other hand, their ownspecial displays will for the future be housed in thecharming exhibition buildings on the Königsplatz,opposite the Glyptothek, instead of in their presentbuilding, which has to be pulled down next year.This change will be twofold in its effect. In thefirst place, Munich Art will once more be represented as a whole in the great official internationalexhibitions; and then again there will be a continuance of that rivalry between both the schoolswhich has produced such excellent results in thepast. It is sincerely to be hoped the new schememay prove practicable, and may work satisfactorily.G. K.REVIEWS OF RECENTPUBLICATIONS.Fors Clavigera. By JOHN RUSKIN. New Edition.Vol. I. (London: George Allen. 6s. )-Theseletters to the workmen and labourers of GreatBritain, hitherto only obtainable in eight largevolumes, have been extracted from the miscellaneous correspondence issued in their appendices,and reprinted in a most handy size with excellentillustrations. It is too late in the day to praisethese discursive and delightful " essays in the formof epistles." Perhaps no volumes of the completeedition of Ruskin are more often taken down forreference. In them the exquisite charm of style,the wilful personality, the profound knowledge,coupled with a certain prejudice, all alike charmand provoke a reader. Now that many of thecontroversial questions no longer have their samevitality, one can see how earnestly and bravely thegreat critic pleaded for his own ideal. To- day wewho enjoy much that he fought to secure, are aptto rate his influence too low; but without being anabject Ruskinian, one cannot but admire andreverence a brave and accomplished writer, who inthese letters seems to speak, not from the heightsas a seer, but as a wise and candid, if sometimesperverse, friend.Photographyfor Artists. By HECTOR MACLEAN.(London: Percy Lund & Co. 25. net. )—A temThe Prince Regent of Bavaria has brought about perately written, useful little manual this. If only52Reviews of Recent Publicationsfor the exposure of the "falsifications " of the combination photograph, artists should study it; " a skyadded upside down," will come as a shock to thosewho believe that any and every photograph is animpeccably true presentation of Nature. So againFITZROY PICTURE WORK ་ ་ 93the remarks on distorted perspective and misrepresentation of tones recognise honestly thelimits of the camera. Indeed, for a work that isconfessedly on the side of the photographer, thecase is most fairly stated,and you feel, as always,how much stronger is afrank statement of factthan any special pleading. It should be a bookof real practical value toall those who look uponphotography not jealously, as a rival, but as anhonourable ally, in whomartists of all sorts mayfind a trustworthy andhelpful friend. At present there is danger lestridiculous pretensions ofa few noisy amateurs mayonce again cause artiststo distrust the camera;and Mr. Maclean doesfar more real service to-100 (100-1-100-6-188HS44 FITZROY PICTURE PLAY "its art by advancing this wise and just claim ,that may be granted even more fully than hedemands.Rare Books and Their Prices. With Chapterson Pictures, Pottery, Porcelain, and Postage- stamps.(London: George Redway. )-A most entertainingand readable little work. The chapter uponpicturesdeals with the vicissitudes of paintings in the salerooms, and many interesting details are given of thecaprices of public appreciation in matters of art.We have upon a previous occasion spoken afew words of appreciationof the movement inaugurated some years ago byMr. Heywood Sumner,Mr. Louis Davis, andother artists for thedecoration of schools,mission-rooms, and hospitals, by specially prepared drawings made instrong outlines andcoloured with broad flatwashes. Since that timethe walls of many a bareand ugly room have been brightened by thepresence upon them of these excellent FitzroyPictures.WORKBY HEYWOOD SUMNERWe are glad to see that new designs are being-10-8-100-1 1-1881-6-108-1PLAY1-1001-1-100-BY HEYWOOD SUMNERadded from time to time to the series. Amongthe latest are a set of four entitled Work and Play,by Mr. Heywood Sumner, and a clever drawing by53Awards in " The Studio " Prize CompetitionsMr. Louis Davis, entitled In the Morning Sowthy Seed. We reproduce here reduced outlines oftwo ofthe former, but we are constrained to confess they give but little idea of the decorativevalue of the originals. The Cricket Field wouldbe especially welcomed by any manly boy for thedecoration of his own sanctum. Messrs. GeorgeBell & Sons are the publishers.Mr. Will Bradley, the American designer, hasjust issued the first number of a new magazine,entitled Bradley, His Book. By the courtesy ofthe artist we reproduce herewith the cover of theprospectus upon a reduced scale. We hope to saysomething about the magazine at a later date.BRADLEYHIS BOOKPROSPECTUSAWARDS IN " THE STUDIO "PRIZE COMPETITIONS.DESIGN FOR A CLOTH BOOK- COVER.(A XXXVII. )The FIRST PRIZE (Two guineas) is awarded toSpalpeen Mavourneen (Miss G. C. Campbell, Ballynagan House, Londonderry).The SECOND PRIZE ( One guinea) to Trix (Herbert Dobby, Feltham Avenue, East Molesey).Honourable mention is given to the following:-Axminster (Charles A. Allen, 50 Lorne Street,Kidderminster); Aqua (Mabel Syrett, 3 MorpethTerrace, Westminster, S.W.); Bernard Potter(Juliet Williams, Yanwath, King's Road, Richmond, Surrey); Linette (J. J. Houry, 36 FalmouthRoad, Bristol); Pelican (F. E. Tomlinson, 118Victoria Street, S.W.); Philomel (A. C. Hooker,9 Gladstone Road, Watford, Herts); S. O. A.(J. M. Doran, 39 Virginia Terrace, Belfast ); Thistle(T. S. Galbraith, Brighouse, Yorks); and Yorkist(E. L. Pattison, 204 Kennington Park Road, S.E.);(the above are illustrated); also to: Achilles (ArthurMaude, Margaretta Terrace, Oakley Street,Chelsea, S.W.); Bar (Nancy Ruxton, 24 WetherbyGardens, S. Kensington); Birkbeck (E. Dobby,Feltham Avenue, East Moseley, Surrey); Berthiah(Miss B. N. Graham, 35 Princes Gate, S.W.); Chef(A.Cooke, 61 Hargrave Park, Upper Holloway, N. );Crolthate (Charlotte J. Sperryn, 6 Melville Road,Edgbaston, Birmingham); Dandy (Frank Spencer,Oakenshaw Cross, Low Moor, near Bradford);Eymore Wood (William Tyndale, Springvale,Habberley Road, Kidderminster); Elfin (R. P.Twizell, 133 Cromwell Street, Newcastle-on- Tyne);Flux (J. C. Hall, 85 Shields Road, Glasgow);Greenwood Tree (Mary C. Bloxam, 16 BolingbrokeRoad, West Kensington, W.); Iliona (RobertHamilton, 24 Barn Street, Strathaven, Lanarkshire);Iona (Kathleen Suckling, 35 Albion Street, Birmingham); Jockey (J. T. Archer, 74 BrunswickStreet, Edinburgh); Jasper Petulengro (ffridaRobinson, St. Medards, Chesterton Road, Cambridge); Jason (John Thirtle, The Elms, BansteadRoad, Ewell); Kathleen (Florence Clough, Hamilton Villa, Tivoli, Margate); Marine (Alice L.Channer, 130 Beach Street, Deal); Neck End(James A. Lovatt, Adams New Buildings, NormawtRoad, Longton); Pierre ( Peter B. Brown, 30Sutton Place, Edinburgh); Poppy (Geo Marples,63 New King's Road, Fulham, S.W. ); Piddinghoe(Ella M. Smith, Southfield House, Watford);Prawdzic (Countess Vera Sollohub, Povarskaia,Moscow); Skircoat Green (J. R. Edwards, Skircoat 54Awards in " The Studio " Prize CompetitionsGreen, Halifax); Susan Nipper (Mary M. Matthews,165 Ebury Street, S.W. ); The Bulger (Mary G.Simpson, 199 Camberwell Grove, Denmark Hill,S.E.); Tadpole (Jessie Bayes, 82 Fellows Road,N.W.); Voar (Edith A. Reynolds, 5 CavendishBuildings, Gilbert Street, Oxford Street, W.);Violet (Flora Price, 3 North Kent Terrace, Woolwich) and Wee Drappie (Archie Spargo, GlebeStreet, Walsall) .

Design for PRIVATE NOTE- PAPER HEADING.(B XXXI. )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toCrocodile (A. E. McKewan, Grosvenor Avenue, HallRoad, Handsworth, Birmingham) .The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Homo(W. Erskine Home, The Fig- Tree House, Millbank Street, Westminster, S.W.)Honourable mention is given to the following:-A Young Scot (A. A. Campbell, 15 CambridgeDrive, Glasgow); Black Sheep (C. E. Thompson,School of Art, Liverpool); Cactus ( C. E. Eldred,R.N. , H.M.S. " Terror, " Bermuda); Chalks(Florence A. F. Phillips, 5 North Avenue, Clarendon Park, Leicester); Convict ( Brook T. Kitchin,Weyside Cottage, Byfleet, Surrey); Clementina(Clementina Beltrami, Cso. Magenta 27 , Milano,Italy); Cumberland (Constance G. Copeman, 2Bridson Street, Liverpool); Indian Ink (James S.Alderson, I Market Place, Rugby); Kappah(Stavros Homere, Wyken House, Bridgnorth,Salop); Kubla Khan (G. T. Smith, 11 GladstonePlace, Aberdeen); Lillian (C. J. White, 6 RushtonStreet North, Birmingham); Philomel (Alfred C.Hooker, 9 Gladstone Road, Watford, Herts);Yretot (Arthur Griffiths, Bank View, Malvern);and 1895 (T. R. Langstone, 245 St. Vincent Street,Ladywood, Birmingham); the above are illustrated;honourable mention is also given to: Armiger(Alfred C. Hooker, 9 Gladstone Road, Watford,Herts); Auk (James A. Lovatt, Adams NewBuildings, Normawt Road, Longton); B (G.R. Rigby, Leek); Birks ( E. Richardson, 101 Elswick Road, Newcastle- on-Tyne); Chinese Blot(Edwin S. Taylor, 68 Woodlands Road, Ilford ,Essex); Chef(A. Cooke, 61 Hargrave Park, UpperHolloway, N.); E. P. (Edgar L. Pattison, 204Kennington Park Road, S.E.); Flagstaff (J. W.Ward, 2 Squires Mount Cottages, Hampstead);Grumbler (Rosa C. Petherick, Maple Lodge, Havelock Road, Croydon); May ( May Dixon, MulberryGreen, Harlow, Essex); Max (H. G. Lidstone,Devonia, Sheriff Road, West Hampstead, N.W.);Thadey (Ada Wheeler, 1 Wellesley Villas, Wellington Square, Cheltenham); Tweedledum (A. L.MacGibbon, 23 Learmouth Terrace, Edinburgh);Thistle (T. S. Galbraith, Brighouse, Yorks); andWhite Lilac (Isabel Whitgreave, Burton Manor,near Stafford).DESIGN FOR FRETWORK.(C XXIX . )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toMargery Daw ( Margaret D. Stubbs, 3 CoburgTerrace, Sidmouth).The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Sixpence(G. S. Tanner, The Knoll, Frith Hill, Godalming).Honourable mention is given to the following:-Esthetic (Harold Moorecroft, 7 Ward Street,Burslem); Armiger (Alfred C. Hooker, 9 Gladstone Road, Watford); Amber (T. H. Wakefield,Hadley Green, Barnet); Ant (Constance M.Christie, The Laurels, Old Colwyn, N. Wales);Batrachian (F. G. Froggatt, 45 King Street, Morley, near Leeds): Ceylon (Albina Collins, Kinsale,Ireland); Aunt Jane (Madge Dawson, SuffolkHouse, Capworth Street, Leyton); Iona ( KathleenSuckling, 35 Albion Street, Birmingham); Jerry(Margaret J. Goddard, Knighton Spinneys, nearLeicester); Jeannette ( Jessie Hay, The Cedars,Westgate Road, Beckenham); Kappah (StavrosHomere, Wyken House, Bridgnorth, Salop);Halmil (Millicent E. Douglas, Braehead House,Londonderry, Ireland); May ( May Dixon, Mulberry Green, Harlow, Essex); Primrose (GertrudeA. Jaques, 29 Dartmouth Park Avenue, N.W.);Philomel (A. C. Hooker, 9 Gladstone Road, Watford); Perseverance (Percy Lancaster, 4 York Terrace, Manchester Road, Southport); and Tay(Robert Donn, 48 Seafield Road, Dundee).PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NATURE.FOREGROUND STUDY.(D XXII. )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toPendennis (J. W. Palache, 900 Eddy Street, SanFrancisco, California).The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Indra(T. C. Smith, Nandana, Penrith) .Honourable mention is given to the following:-Albion (W. J. Warren, The Manor House, Farnley,Leeds); Alloa (Henry Johnson, 11 Ayr Street,Forest Road, Nottingham); Clapton (John Carpenter, 60 Hill Street, Clapton, N.E.); Chic- a- lee(Miss M. C. Cameron, Little Dewchurch Vicarage,Ross, Herefordshire); Gwylan (T. J. Davies, 234Monument Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham); LaMole (J. F. Truscott, Coalbrookdale, Salop); Numpholeptos ( W. E. Dowson, Mapperley Road, Nottingham); and Scarhill (Agnes M. Russell, 24Upper Hamilton Terrace, N.W.).55Designs for Cloth Book-cover (Comp. A XXXVII.)COMP LEAT ANCL ERWAL TONPpppNATVREORNAMENTBYLEWISFDAY.40-ATVREINORNAMENTB.T.BATSFORD-LONDON.-LEWIS- F.DAY-1FIRST PRIZE " ""SPALPEEN MAVOURNEEN HON. MENTIONSECOND PRIZENotreDameKKK de Paris x xHON. MENTION46 TRIX " HON. MENTIONVictor HugoSOUTHEY44 AXMINSTER "SOUTHEY'SPOEMS."AQUA "" LINETTE HON. MENTION " S.O.A."Designs for Cloth Book-cover (Comp. A XXXVII.)LAMAISON DUCHAT-QU PELOTEH.DEBALZALAMAISON DU CHAT- QUI -PELOTE.44 HON. MENTION BERNARD POTTER " HON. MENTION " PELICANOLDWORLD SCOTLAND GLIMPSES OF ITS MODES&MANNERS T.F. HENDERSONTFISHER UNIN NEMO ME IMPUNE LACESSETHON. MENTION " PHILOMEL HON. MENTION བྱ་ACHILDS GARDEN OFVERSESbyROBERT LOVIS STEVENSONHON. MENTIONA- CHILD'S GARDEN OFVERSESBY- ROBERTLOVIS STEVENSON:WARS OFTHERO SET-BY- GROBINSONBAKER WILLH ANSON LONDON44 THISTLE 19" PELICAN " HON. MENTION " YORKIST11Designs for Note-paper Heading (Comp. B XXXI.)GROSVENOR AVENVEHALL ROAD &HANDSWORTH .FIRST PRIZE " CROCODILE "1HON. MENTION CACTUS "THEFIG TREEHOUSEIN MILLBANK STREETWESTMINSTERCBROOMBANKCAMBRIDGE .DRIVEGLASGOWSECOND PRIZE " HOMO "HON. MENTION " A YOUNG SCOTFROM DAYFORENEAF5 NORTH AVENVE MONTH CLARENDON PARK LEICESTER6. UPONSTREET NORTHBIRMINGHAM.PILLPS YEARHON MENTIONHON. MENTION" LILLIAN " CHALKS HON. MENTION袋WEYSIDE COTTAGEBYFLECTSVRREYWYKEN HOUSESTATION: WEYBRIDGETELEGRAMS: BYFLEET RIDCNORTH , SALOP" CONVICT " HON. MENTION " KAPPAH33Designs for Note-paper Heading (Comp. B XXXI.)Dic.RIHHON. MENTION " 1895 "HON. MENTIONLEMENTINAWAGERDHERTSPHILOMELTHE FUSCHIAS PEEL 1.0.MHON. MENTION "CLEMENTINA'HON. MENTION "BLACK SHEEP11 Gladstone Place.AberdeenHON. MENTIONLETTER BOX CLEAREDAT 4-008-30- PMTHEBESTPLACEHOYLAKEHON. MENTION " BLACK SHEEPCHESHIREHON. MENTION " "" CUMBERLANDRVGBY" INDIAN INK "AD189SELWORTHYHARROWON THEHILL ENGLANDHON. MENTION " KUBLA KHAN "1HON. MENTION " YRETOT "Designs for Fretwork (Comp. C XXIX.)DOREMEMBRANCEE!FIRST PRIZE " MARGERY DAWHON 44 . MENTION AESTHETICSECOND PRIZE "" SIXPENCE HON. MENTION 46 ARMIGER ""FIRST PRIZE(COMP.Ꭰ XXII.)FOREGROUND FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY "PENDENNIS "ForegroundsSECOND PRIZE (COMP. D XXII .) " INDRA "HON. MENTION (COMP. D XXII . )44 "1 WANDERERHON. MENTION(COMP.D XXII.)FOREGROUND FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY 66 ALBION"The Lay Figure AmusedHE LAY FIGURE AMUSED."It is easy to grumble against SouthKensington, " said the journalist, "but after all any system must press hardlyon individuals. You cannot make one set ofrules, any more than one suit of clothes, fiteverybody.""I wonder who these would fit," said the LayFigure, taking up the Art Examination Paper,"Principles of Ornament, " set for the 8th of May,1896. " Listen to its last regulation: ' If any ofyou break any of these rules, you will be expelled,and your paper cancelled . ' It seems hard on theinnocent, but probably it does not mean what itcertainly says."" Let me look at it, " said the man with a claypipe, and as he studied it, he burst into a laugh." The value of each question is set after it inbrackets,' " he read out. " One thought it was theanswer that gained the marks. Oh, I say! " hewent on, " this is too bad: ' A full and correctanswer to an easy question will in all cases securea larger number of marks than an incomplete orinexact answer to a more difficult one. ' ”"Still, these are only administrative regulations,"said the Lay Figure; " go on and interpret thelucid questions to us, but do not disturb theirelegant English."The journalist read out Question 5: " Drawany smooth water-jug you recollect to stand on atable or sideboard, with a thick lip, a thin neck,and a moulded base, and with the handle risinghigh above the lip, the neck and body paintedwith bands and enrichments, and explain the principles of the ornament and why the bands are putat the particular places. ' No, I am not joking; thepunctuation is just as I read it to you.""This is still better," he continued: ""Drawtwo hemi-spherical perfuming pans you recollect ofthe same diameter, each on three legs, only one onshort and the other on long legs, and ornamentthe pans and legs, and say if the two examplesare equally good, or, if not, why not, and givereasons.'"You are joking," said the journalist, taking thepaper from his hands and scanning it. Then he,too, read: " II . Sketch the side of some bookcover you recollect, about 6 inches high by 4inches wide, bound in black morocco, with an ornamental border and centre, with a small coat of armsin the middle, the divisions and ornaments on theside to be widish and made by tooling down thespaces between with a ribbed tool. Explain theprinciples of the ornament in both centre andmargin, and explain why it was made widishhe broke off and gazed into vacancy. “ And yetwe sometimes blame the art students, ” he said, ina conscience-stricken voice, " as though any but aMrs. Nickleby could follow the maze of this preposterous question."During this time the youth with a Liberty tie, byway of protest, had been quietly reading lest any oneshould infer that South Kensington, where he wasonce a student, interested him at all . " Isn't itqueer," he said, " to find a novelist with perfectlysane views upon art versus photography. Listen tothis: Photography, when it is perfected, will giveus simply, in their exact colours and perspective,the rocks, and clouds, and streams, and trees, wealready have in Nature, and castles and monumentswe already have in our cities. It will add nothingto humanity's present possessions, and thus it willbe superfluous."""Didn't Shakespeare say," the man with a claypipe broke in, unconsciously quoting Lady Lohengrin, the novel in question, " that Art was a mirrorheld up to Nature? ""He said that of the stage only,” replied theLiberty man, " that alone should answer your objection; but it is also answered here, ” and he wenton reading: " Art should be more than a mirror, itshould be a diviner's crystal. What does a mirrorshow you more than you can see for yourself bysuddenly turning your back upon it? All thatphotography does is to make the image in themirror permanent. It merely gives us Nature overagain on pieces of paper, and therefore it is notArt. '""Really, these two documents that have bychance tumbled against each other are very depressing," said the Lay Figure. "To find SouthKensington confusing Art in most muddled English,and an unknown writer of fiction—J. E. Woodmeald-whoever he may be, putting down a perfectly logical argument with curiously felicitousexpression and clear insight, seems to argue thatoutsiders see more of the game than professionals.""That is flat heresy," the man with a clay pipesaid in a serious voice. " I suppose that theSouth Kensington inquisition must needs preservethe semblance of mystery, and hide its meaning inuncouth jargon; but ' a widish border,' and ' acentre with a coat of arms in the middle: '" andat the memory of these choice phrases he brokeinto laughter long and inextinguishable.THE LAY FIGURE.64

"THE BABES IN THE WOOD."FROM A PAINTING BY J. J.SHANNONThe Work ofJ. J. ShannonTHE WORK OF J. J. SHAN.NON. BY LEWIS HIND.A GENIUS for portraiture, delightfuland enviable as it may seem to others,is not a gift without alloy. Possessing it a paintergives hostages to Art. If he be a man of powerful physique, and the equable temperament thatforgets yesterday and takes no thought of themorrow, the painting of portraits may become anagreeable way of making an income the amountof which would satisfy a Queen's Counsel. But ifa man has the heart of an artist, and the desire toexpress his sense of the beauty of the visibleworld, the fate that compels him to paint portraits,year in and year out, to the almost entire exclusionof more imaginative work, is apt to become almostunbearable. The mental and physical strain putupon him during the flood-time of his prosperityis hardly conceivable. Landscape and genre artistsare wont to complain of the evil effects of exhibitions, with inexorable dates, upon the quality oftheir work; but they at least canpaint privily, and when brain growsfagged and colour- sense dulled,they can turn the picture to thewall, and promise themselves finerpassages and a clearer insight nexttime. But the hours of thefashionable portrait painter's dayare allotted weeks beforehand, towhich Sir Joshua Reynolds's notebooks bear eloquent witness. Having exhausted himself over onesitter, he cleans his palette only toset it for the next, and his workingday passes in a crescendo of gallantefforts to be at his best.For a dozen years Mr. J. J.Shannon has been, of the youngermen, quite the most popular portrait- painter. He began to be thevogue at an age when many youthshave not taken their degree, and by1893, when he had but just turnedthirty, I find by Mr. Graves's "Dictionary of Artists," that, in theeleven years that had elapsed since.1881 , he had exhibited altogether92 pictures, chiefly portraits, ofwhich 29 had been hung at Burlington House, and 18 at the NewGallery. On one occasion no fewerthan eight of his canvases wereVIII. No. 40. -JULY, 1896.accepted by the Royal Academy, a remarkabletestimony to the high average of his achievement. He is equally skilful in the portrayal ofa vigorous and characteristic personality like hisadmirable portrait of the old fox-hunting squire,which won him a gold medal at Paris, as inthe painting of a lively and beautiful face, theshimmer of white satin, or the rainbow hues of aniridescent silk dress. He does not, like BastienLepage, obtain fine textures and the velvet softness of women's skin with small brushes. No,his is the vigorous and swift technique of thesquare brush laid on with unerring precision. Heis a graceful and rapid worker, with a remarkablepower for suggesting a likeness, and he has beenknown to produce an excellent half-length at asingle sitting. The portraits he has painted oftall graceful women would alone fill a gallery.The fleeting suggestion of a beautiful soul shiningforth from the eyes of a beautiful body, or thatstill more fugitive and rarer air of Distinction,seldom elude him. When the critics, after theirMR. J. J. SHANNON FROM A PHOTOGRAPH67The Work of J. J. Shannonwont, hinted that Mr. Shannon's art was limitedto these presentments of high-born dames, heretorted by painting the fine head of the veteranviolinist, the sympathetic presentment ofHoffmann, with its subtle arrangement of whitetones, and the delightful Iris standingby the brookside, apicture that Romneywould not have beenloth to sign. In thebest of Mr. Shannon'sportraits there hasalways lurked thesuggestion that thesewere far from showing the finality of hisskill. Little canvasesfrom his brush exhibited at the NewEnglish Art Club,and particularly thatcharming study ofchild - life calledTales from theJungle, made hisadmirers hope thatone day he would beable to devote hisattention to a moresensitive and lesstopical side of his art.By an ingenuity ofcomposition, and ahappy arrangementof backgrounds, Mr.Shannon has oftensucceeded in makingthe presentment ofthe least promising ofhis sitters pictorial,although, alas, in thisrespect the portraitpainter has smallfreedom of choice.The daughters ofnoble houses cometo the limner's studio with the rows of loveliness of their fair ancestors fresh in their memories.The type has probably degenerated since Gainsborough transferred immortal beauties to immortalcanvas." ON THE STAIRS:with their brilliant ancestors, and the new mastermust see to it that the comparison is not odious.Fashionable sitters will not understand that to paintshowily at the expense of truth is death to Art, andthat the deft expression on canvas of insight intoFROM A PAINTING BY J. J. SHANNONOur modern maidens may be haggard, ordowdy, or lustreless of eye, yet the portrait to bepainted of them is destined to hang cheek by jowleven a shallow character is a hundredtimes better worthdoing and havingthan the flatteringarrangement ofcharms where noneexist. In these days,when meritriciousimitations of Gainsborough and Reynolds and Romneyreap golden rewards,Insteadit is something forMr. Shannon to beable to say that hehas always striven tobe an artist first anda portrait-painterafterwards.of selecting theirdress, coiffure, andcomplexion beforeentering the studio,it would be better ifcertain sitters wouldyield themselvestrustfully to theartistic instincts ofthe painter. "Youare fresh and breezy,"he should say; “ I'llpaint you in furs ";or, "You are paleand haggard; I'llpaint your face inshadow."Mr. Shannon wasborn in New England. He came toEngland in his teens,and entered, of allplaces in the world, at the South Kensingtonschools, where he painted under Mr. Poynter andMr. Sparks. There he won the gold medal in 1880.About this time her Majesty the Queen, desirousof having the portrait of one of her Maids ofHonour painted, applied to the directors of SouthKensington for the name of a young artist of 68" IRIS." FROM A PAINTINGBY J. J. SHANNON

The Work ofJ. J. Shannontalent who could satisfactorily carry out her wishes.Mr. Shannon's name was submitted to herMajesty, and the result was a portrait which wasexhibited at the Royal Academy when the artistwas nineteen. Another commission from theQueen followed, and so it fell out that at the age oftwenty Mr. Shannon was gaily launched on hiscareer as a fashionable portrait-painter. Commissions flowed in upon him, and he accepted hisdestiny, but not without some few regrets. Iremember spending an afternoon in his studio,about the period when his easel was crowded withportraits. He unearthed from a dark corner asubject-picture, which struck me as being eminentlypromising, and complained that, in the presentdemand for portraits from his brush, he saw nochance of ever finishing it, or devoting himself toother motives which were already simmering in hismind.But chances come to all who will but wait; andencouraged by the praises of those friends who hadseen the delightful picture-studies he has made ofhis wife and little daughter, Mr. Shannon set himself, a year or so ago, to produce a series of subject- pictures. These, the herald of his secondperiod, are now on view at the galleries of theFine Art Society. In these pictures he reveals adelicacy of sentiment and feeling which gives hima distinct position in the higher walks of Art. Atthe same time he has surrendered nothing of histechnical achievement. To work on these lines-toaim at perfection, in sentiment as well as dexteritywhat surer pillar of cloud and fire could anartist follow in his march upward. The day ofcheap sentiment has long passed into the night;the sun of supreme cleverness is drawing nearto its setting. Already there are signs thatthe pendulum of taste is swinging round tothat finely-touched union of rare technique andrarer feeling which the men of old time took astheir birthright, and which we in these later daysare beginning to rediscover. Carolus Duran'syoung lions are too clever with their paws. Theydo not ponder over the question how they mayPORTRAIT OF JOSEF HOFFMANN BY J. J SHANNON71The Work ofJ. J. Shannonbest express the character of a sitter. They preferto consider how they can soonest picture him infewest brush-marks. Nobody thinks of dividingthe Great Masters into two classes -Craftsmen andMen of Feeling. Botticelli, Rembrandt, Mantegna,brood luminouslythrough the agesas spirits maderounded and perfect by their ownendeavour duringlife. In themsentiment andtechnique were somingled that wenever pause toconsider where theone begins or theother ends. Butdeto-day we are alleither in the campwith PuvisChavannes, Dagnan Bouveret,Burne-Jones, andUhde, or in thetrenches withManet, Degas, andSargent. If Mr.Shannon can runhis little brightlypolished Gatlinggun between thetwo battalions ,and keep it thereby virtue of beingat one with bothcamp and trench,he should-well,it opens out a finecareer for him.As a painterMr. Shannon ispractically selftaught. The mostdevoted supporterof the South Kengone the round of Paris, Antwerp and Munich. Asit was he quickly threw off the Poynter and Sparkstradition and studied in the best of all schoolsthat in which the masters are a man's own eyesand brains. The models he placed before himselfPORTRAIT OF THE LATE MR. HENRY VIGNE BY J. J. SHANNONsington schools could hardly maintain that hisart reflects aught of their teaching. It is more tothe point to wonder that he should be what he isconsidering the academic methods that were drilledinto him at South Kensington. But there, atleast, he learnt to draw. It is probable that hismanner to- day would not be very different had hewere Velasquez,Bastien Lepageand Whistler, andto the influence ofthese great oneshe has remainedfaithful and grateful.The fifteen oddyears since Mr.Shannon began topaint has seen therapid rise and theno less rapid decline of Paris asthe great ArtSchool of theworld. Her sonshave brought thetechnical businessof painting to apoint of masteryundreamt of acouple of generations ago, andthousands ofyoungEnglishmen havetaken full advantage of the admirable training theFrench mastersare so generousand conscientiousin imparting. Theeffect upon ournative art has beenenormous. Forone youth whopainted decently adozen years agothere are now ahundred. TheEnglishman, by virtue of his temperament, is able toadvance further than his teacher. The Gaul stopsat technique, the Englishman, generally an Idealist,adds to that good groundwork something of thatlight that never was on sea or shore, a sense of thebeauty and the hidden meaning of life which heinherits from his Puritanic and poetic ancestors.72PORTRAIT OF THEMARCHIONESS OFGRANBY. BY J. J.SHANNON

Charles Dana GibsonThe average of the work at the Salons remain on alevel, that at the Academy rises with each exhibition; and, moreover, we have the encouragingspectacle of men like Sargent, Clausen and Abbeybeing admitted to the fold. Our students nolonger flock to Paris. In studios throughout thiscountry there are young Englishmen who can teachthe science of painting equally as well as anyFrench master, and in London itself there is theSlade school, where the fruit of the tree of artknowledge is as ripe for the gathering as the bestthat can be shown at the Beaux Arts. It is curiousto consider that Mr. Shannon has stood aloof fromthis wealth of admirable teaching, and has reachedhis present position by the sheer force of his ownartistic instincts and talents. LEWIS HIND.CHARLES DANA GIBSON.BY J. M. BULLOCH.WHEN thehistory oflatter- day black- and- whiteArt in general, and theeffects and developmentsof process work in particular, comes to be written,America will be creditedwith having produced inMr. Charles Dana Gibsona draughtsman of the veryhighest order. Slightlyinsular as we are as apeople-though not to theextent foreigners persistently regard us-we havebeen inclined to regardnineteenth century blackand-white Art as reachingits climax in the staff ofPunch; and though inrecent times America hasgiven us an Abbey, we haveregarded our humoristdraughtsmen, Keene,Tenniel, Du Maurier, andPhil May, as absolutelyunapproachable. However true that may oncehave been, it no longerholds good, for the dayof Gibson has come.And, indeed, Englishfolk are scarce so bigotedas to overlook him once his work is known tothem.The American has long since made his mark incomic journalism, with Puck and with Judge.Their brightly coloured cartoons, admirablespecimens of the lithographer's art, are quiteunique in their way. Primarily and artisticallyTeutonic, by reason of the influence of JosephKeppler, they have gradually become Americanised, while their humour, drawing mainly on thetanglements of American politics, has been distinctly local, lacking both in subject and treatmentthe features that make art international.with a larger aspiration in view-people havingwearied of the limitations of the coloured sheetsthat Life was started in New York some fifteenyears ago and its instant success only proved itstimeliness. Puck and Judge continue to gambolin their gaudy way just as before; and doubtlessfind an audience as enthusiastic as it was ere thePORTRAIT OF MRS. C. C. BURKEIt wasBY J. J. SHANNON75Charles Dana Gibson" AN EXTRACT FROM THE WILL ""(By permission of James Henderson , Esq . )spirit of Life burst on New York. But they willalways remain American, local, limited, understoodonly by the man who has Tammany on the brain,Mott Street on his nerves, and the Stars and Stripesas his paradise. Yet, after all, the United Statesare not bounded by the White House, nor encompassed by the Capitol; nor are the social stratamonopolised by the vulgar German Jew and theimpossible Irishman whom the artists of Puck andJudge have served up to the point of nausea. Isthere not a Four Hundred; is there not a brilliantBoston; is there not an aspiring untitled aristocracy, none the less aspiring that its ' scutcheons areof recent manufacture? Just think of the vastpossibilities for the humorist as he views thisselect circle in the midst of the triumphant democracy that Mr. Andrew Carnegie praises in theoryand punishes in practice. That, and the hundredand one possibilities of humour in the non-politicalarena, Life saw, and it bounded into instantaneouspopularity.Had Life done nothing but broaden the draughtsman-humorist's horizon it would have renderedAmerican journalism signal service. But it didmore. It spread out a canvas to a lad of eighteencalled Charles Dana Gibson, and in doing so itrendered a service, not only to American art, butto the black- and- white Art of the civilised world.The results of the last ten years-for Mr. GibsonFROM A DRAWING BY C. DANA GIBSONis only eight- and-twenty-have proved the wisdomof his selection on the staff of Life. His work,increasing in excellence with age and practice, hasgradually forced itself on the attention of all loversof black- and-white, and put him at the head of hisfellow-craftsmen. And now the ten years are up,as Hilda Wangel used to say to the Master Builder,and Mr. Gibson is with us in London, studyingour types, watching the faces in the Park or at thePlay. And his appearance amongst us is emphasised by the fact that Mr. John Lane has published,as was noticed in a recent number of THE STUDIO,a magnificent album of Mr. Gibson's cartoonswhich, by the way, though few people may knowit, appear week by week in Snap Shots, a pennyweekly published by Mr. James Henderson, ofRed Lion House, to whose courtesy THE STUDIOis indebted for the reproduction of the cartoonsherewith presented.Mr. Gibson has been called-for the Man in theStreet always demands a label, a pocket- bookdescription-the " American Du Maurier." Andthere are some points in common between theveteran of Punch and the young man of Life.Both of them have created a type of superb,almost unearthly, woman. Mr. Du Maurier'sgoddesses, culminating, as art and literature, inTrilby, are familiar to everybody. Mr. Gibson'sAmerican girl has long had a shrine in every76Charles Dana GibsonAmerican household of refinement. But she is,or rather she has gradually become, only one part,somewhat subsidiary, in his remarkable cartoons .That girl is unique. For years the Americanreporter has been identifying her with variousprototypes in the flesh. Society beauties havemore than once been singled out as the originalgirl. But America must needs be democratic,and the latest discovery of Mr. Gibson's modelpoints to the " dresser " of the serpentine dancer,Loie Fuller. Like Trilby, she is a hybrid, herfather having been a Frenchman and her mother aCuban; and the details of her career have beenflooding every American newspaper for months.Need it be said, however, that the discovery is nodiscovery at all? Mr. Gibson's girl has no oneprototype. She is the daughter of the artist'simagination, unique, copyright beyond the reachof all law a child of art, pure and simple.This girl then-and to the lay mind she bouncesinto being as soon as Mr. Gibson's name is mentioned-while far from being the sole product ofhis genius, is the mainspring of his art, the inspirerof his humour. She has always been queenly, adaughter of the gods divinely tall, deserving tobe included in any future version of A Dream ofFairWomen. She is everywhere in the forefront, agrand dame, carrying herself with the stateliness ofa duchess, and yet with all the buoyancy of youth-the product of an advanced, and at the sametime comparatively new, civilisation . But in Mr.Gibson's hands she is never a mere fashion-plate.She is a Galatea come to life. He has franklyaffirmed that he has little appreciation for technique,however clever, which is divorced from the human.The modus operandi which he uses in every individual cartoon is absolutely characteristic of theevolution of his humour. He begins by drawing afigure in some vital attitude. Having done so, helays it aside in his sketch-book. If the figure isreally alive, it will contain elements of some humansituation, humorous, suggestive, satirical or sentimental, as the case may be, and thus, round thisfigure his picture grows. It, on the contrary, thefigure or the situation suggests nothing alive hethrows it to one side. For any purpose of his it isas dead as Queen Anne.As you look on a Gibson girl, you feel that shehas a mind or a heart, that she thinks and feels;that she is an influence for good or for evil -butalways a factor that has to be reckoned with. Inshort, Mr. Gibson is not so much a Du Maurieras a Thomas Hardy; he is in art what the authorof "Tess " is in letters. To both of them, thewoman is the old, old Eve. She is not an American girl. She is not English. She is the universalgirl-as viewed under the aspects of an advancedcivilisation."The woman did it "; that, in essence, is themain philosophy of Mr. Gibson's art so far, just as itis the idea pervading Mr. Hardy's romances. Likethe historian of Wessex, he is old-fashioned enoughto believe that the master passion is as potent asit was in the times of Romeo and Juliet. Onesays old-fashioned, because this is not the popularbelief. The fiction that has been served up for" THE COMING GAME YALE U. VASSAR "FROM A DRAWING BY C. DANA GIBSON(By permission of James Henderson, Esq. )77Charles Dana Gibsonthe young person during the last half a century hasput the old-fashioned idea of love out of court.When Mr. Henry Arthur Jones ventured toresuscitate the old view, by entangling an asceticclergyman in a woman's toils, the public was incredulous and relegated " Michael and his LostAngel " to the great paradise ofthe played- out play.And yet, this young American relies for his humourmainly on this old- fashioned view of infatuationand its consequences. For, in a civilisation likethat of America, the conflict of Nature withartificiality, of love against the purely financialA FEBRUARY DREAMthe "Never more " of Poe's tormentor?-flyinghomewards. Two solitary figures are the only signof life on the landscape-a beautiful girl, seated onthe remnants of a wreck (how suggestive such athrone is! ) grasping the stick, and robed in thegreat- coat of the youth who lies entranced at herfeet; watching them a forlorn dog, faithful tohis mistress, and yet longing with melancholy eyesto get home. " Is this a case for the S.P.C.A.? "asks the artist.That is before marriage. Take any of the manyafter- marriage cartoons, and note how very grimMr. Gibson can be. Again, twofigures on the left, a womanhiding her head in her hands;on the right, a man, stronger andharder; in the middle betweenthem the figure of a dead Cupid.A more elaborate scene worksout the same idea. It shows abored-looking man seated wearilyin his chair, longing to have aquiet night at his fireside. Onone side is his wife, a woman offashion, ready to go out for theevening. On the other side atall shapely figure of anotherwoman is shadowed, like Hamlet's ghost, with her hand gentlylaid on the man's sleeve. It isno ghost. "It is only poor Jimwho happened to marry thewrong girl, and sometimes whenshe is particularly unendurablehe remembers the other one. "Much more grim is the story ofthe widow, young and beautiful.Cupid has fluttered into her lifeagain, but as she watches himshe hears the dull voice of thefamily solicitor reading the terms of the will of thelate lamented, which forbids her to marry againunder the pains and penalties of becoming penniless (see illustration, p. 76).FROM A DRAWING BY C. DANA GIBSON(By permission of James Henderson , Esq . )marriage, is very acute, and, thus, Mr. Gibsonhas come to express what Mr. Hardy has finelycalled " Life's Little Ironies "-ironies clusteringforthe most part round this central idea; the naturalman or woman pitted against the man or womanwho is struggling for position, or money, or luxury.He pictures these ironies almost from the cradleto the grave, and, like Mr. Hardy, his satirehas perceptibly become more grim, more biting.Take the very first cartoon in the collectionwhich Mr. Lane has issued in this country. Likeall Mr. Gibson's work, it tells its own story.title is redundant. A beach, lonely, desolate,chilly; the birds- shall we say ravens, croakingΑMr. Gibson has also a keen eye for the purelypathetic . One of the best cartoons in the bookshows a dinner- table. At the head of it stands anold gentleman proposing a toast, a toast to thewomen he has known and loved, a shadowy crowd,that rise before his closed eyes, in old- fashionedcoiffure and bygone bodices. The last picture ofall shows two figures, a man clasping a womanpassionately to his breast.. You see it is all partof the same story, and one dwells on it because it78.)Esq ,Henderson James ofpermission By(

ANNIVERSARY FIFTIETH THE "

AFROM ."GUEST LAST THE GIBSON DANA C.BYDRAWINGCharles Dana Gibsonmonopolises Mr. Gibson's humorous and sentimental outlook; and his humour, his point ofview, is really almost as characteristic as his technique.His technique, of course, is admirable.Heworks in three media -pen, chalk, and brush-work.The first two show him at his best. His brushwork is confused, lacks distinction, and does notseem to lend itself readily to reproduction byprocess. On the other hand, his pen-and-inkand his chalk work come out admirably. Mr.Gibson, indeed, owes an enormous deal to process.He has said that wood engraving for journalisticpurposes takes us back to the dark ages of art.Certain it is, wood engraving would in ninecases out of ten spoil his delicate art, just as itwould ruin Phil May's. The two men have muchin common. The most striking feature in thetechnique of both is the extraordinary inclusivenessof their line. The two artists, dealing with theextreme limits of the social scale, have graduatedtheir outline to suit the subject. Mr. May is theHogarth of costerdom -a world of primitiveemotions, of more primitive dress, and of primevalphysiognomy. Mr. Gibson is the caricaturist ofSociety, of the Four Hundred in America, ofBelgravia with ourselves. His women are moresubtle, their environment is more complicated, therange of their emotions is wider and more complex.Thus his artistic expression has to be elaborated;and yet how wonderful are his faces. The merestoutline is made to express anger, sorrow, gaiety,despair. Think how a graver would ruin that line,coarsen it, take all the life out of it. But for process, in short, Mr. Gibson would not be Mr. Gibson.Few living artists can use chalk to such advantageas he. He understands, as few others do, values,the light and shade to be got out of chalk, and inreproduction his work in chalk retains its bestfeatures.That he has mannerisms it is almost needless tosay. His American girl, for instance, tends to bestereotyped in an unmistakable way. Yet that ismainly when he draws us one of his purely imaginarypictures. When he comes to reproduce livingscenes he becomes, not photographic, but true tothe general type of the woman he illustrates, for hispower of selection, as with all true artists, is verymarked. One was specially struck with that in thepictures of Parisian life, which he contributed toHarper's Magazine a year or two ago. He caughtthe atmosphere of the boulevard café, with its remarkable habitués, in a very wonderful way. Everypicture was instinct with light and laughter, thoughhe did not forget to indicate the sordid side of thisstrange mode of existence.Mr. Gibson's genius indeed is many-sided, andhis success in so manydirections-in sketching fromHSFROM A DRAWING BY C. DANA GIBSON " AT THE THEATRE(By permission of James Henderson , Esq . )80

An Italian Artist" SOLITUDINE " FROM AN ETCHING BY LUIGI CONCONIlife, in illustrating a book, or in the realm ofcartoon-may be attributed to the fact that he isnot comic in the ordinary sense of the word. Hishumour does not consist in exaggeration, in burlesque ofform and figure. He is a Thackeray, nota Dickens; seeing humour in the common situations of life, not in the grotesque accide.its ofexistence, or the personal peculiarities of his subjects. Thus, he is, first and foremost, a greatdraughtsman, humorous because he has an eye forthe ironies of everyday life, just as Phil May seesthe satire of the street with an eagle eye. Bothmen belong to the new school of humorists, andthe existence of both as contemporaries, says morethan almost anything else could do for the extraordinary development in black and white that istaking place before our eyes. When one considershow young both of them are, one dare not guess atthe future of their art, for they have the indefinablequality of genius which will have its way; and withthe perfection of the mechanical processes of reproduction, their talent comes more and moreclearly home to the public, and cannot fail to havea far- reaching effect on the rising generation ofdraughtsmen who have no longer to haunt theacademies of the world-invariably conservative intendency, be it remembered-to see perfect specimens of the delicate art of black and white.J. M. BULLOCH.THE entire copyright of the picture, The Judgment of Paris, which was reproduced in our Junenumberin connection with the article uponthe workof Mr. S. J. Solomon, A.R.A., belongs to the BerlinPhotographic Company, 133 New Bond Street, W.AN ITALIAN ARTIST- LUIGICONCONI. BY G. BELTRAMI.CONCONI is now forty-four years ofage; but outside Milan, where he wasborn and where he still lives, he has not gained thecelebrity which his talents and originality deserve.Apart from the few who are capable of discoveringand appreciating his rare and thoroughly personalgifts of artistic expression, the general public, whofrequent the exhibitions, and admire whatever ismost in evidence, know almost nothing of thisartist. There are various reasons for this, at firstsight, inexplicable neglect of a painter of suchmerit as Conconi, and the first and chiefest of theselies in the fact that his temperament inclines himrather towards the vague and the fantastic sideof his art than to its more "live " and practicalaspects. Essentially paradoxical in spirit, susceptible to every subtle sensation of art, givinghimself up thoroughly to the generous inspirationof the moment, he shrinks from the long and continuous effort necessary to bring his labours tomaturity. Thus it is that almost all his work strikesone as having been done à l'improviste; and full asit is of attractiveness and charm for the connoisseur,it ever conveys an idea that the artist has not givenus the full measure of his talent, and, moreover,tends to puzzle the mass of the people by its vagueincompleteness. This, it seems to me, is anothercause of Conconi's want of popularity.The public, and the Italian public in particular,are very suspicious; anything which is outside theordinary routine, anything which does not appearto coincide exactly with the tastes to which they are81An Italian Artistaccustomed, is received with the utmost diffidence.They demand of an artist that he shall appealclearly to their senses and to their intelligence. Itis not difficult, then, to imagine how they regardwork like this, work left for the most part in a stateof sketchy incompleteness, and seeming to have.concealed within it something strange and abstruse;and Conconi, well aware of this feeling on the part" VITA CONTEMPLATIVA"and wizards strange and terrible as destiny. Amidall the harassing stress of the world around him,with its almost ferocious love of that which is practical and utilitarian , Conconi goes through life as itwere in a sort of vague intellectual reverie. Therealities of existence scarce seem to exist for him,except as a starting-point for his flights into theworld of fantasy. All his works have an air ofunreality, like things not seenbut dreamt of, things tenderand pleasant, like a younggirl's fancy, things misty andfearful, like the imaginings ofa dream.His studio, close by thebusiest street in the city, islike the abode of some necromancer of old, with its strangecollection of mummified catsand snakes and bats andchameleons, filling all thecorners in grotesque andmonstrous shapes, and conjuring up all sorts of fearsome fancies. To go intothese rooms is like enteringinto a fabled world of enchantment. Here Conconilives as it were in his ownnatural atmosphere; for everything weird and strange seemsfull of attractiveness and suggestion to him. It is hiscurious disposition to seekout the mysteries of things,to see the abnormal side ofevery object; and this, notby a process of subtle investigation, but rather spontaneously, as his very firstimpression; just as in hisconversation, which is astonishingly picturesque andamusing, he always talks ina paradoxical, whimsical vein, ever uttering theunexpected phrase, ever representing things incaricature. And, indeed, while talking of thispeculiarity of his, it may be said that he hasproduced some extraordinary caricatures, the likeof which can only be found in the drawings ofcertain of the Japanese artists.FROM AN ETCHING BY L. CONCONIof the public, laughs mischievously to himselfwhen he thinks of the bewildered faces of thebourgeois before his canvases. But these good, easyfolk have few opportunities of being mystified byConconi, for he exhibits very seldom . Most ofhis work is done for his own pleasure, and eitherremains in his studio, or passes into the possessionof his friends. He is like a boy, loving to tell themost marvellous tales of princesses, beautiful as themoonbeams, and pages amorous as nightingales,I have thought it well to bring into prominencesome of the more characteristic aspects of Conconi's personality, before touching upon his work;82" L'ARCO DI TITO IN ROMA"FROM AN ETCHING BYLUIGI CONCONI

An Italian Artistin the first place, because they appear to me to beworthy of remark in themselves, and, secondly,because they will enable your readers to get a betteridea of the spirit of his productions. From whatI have already said it will be understood that Conconi's sensibility dominates his will-a fact to whichhis whole career bears testimony.Before devoting himself to painting, Conconistudied architecture, and gave signs of possessinga really remarkable gift of fancy and originality.His design sent in for the competition in connectionwith the monument of Victor Emmanuel in Romefilled all the artists who saw it with wonder at theboldness and freshness of its conception; but itsgreat size alarmed the judges who had to choosethe design and arrange for its execution. His ideawas to erect, upon one of the hills of Rome, aseries of buildings of soberstyle but splendid proportions, to serve as Housesof Parliament, Governmentoffices, and Law Courts,and representing the NewItaly, in contrast to theVatican opposite. Conspicuous amid these buildings, and as the convergingpoint of the surroundingplans, was to be a statue ofVictor Emmanuel, seatedon his throne-the personification and the synthesisof the national sentiment.It is easy to see how agreat scheme of this kindwas foredoomed to failurein a frivolous, calculatingage like this; and thus,notwithstanding its unquestionable excellence, thedesign was not seriouslytaken into consideration.Conconi threw himselfinto his architectural workwith the utmost enthusiasm,and with more determination than he has ever displayed; but work of thiskind has rigid limitations,and its mathematical andutilitarian exigences provedtoo trying for a temperament so mobile and sointolerant of impediments.His mind was thronged with fancies, and he mustneeds find a means of expressing them, and thatcompletely and without delay. This medium hefound in his brush. Just at that period Tranquillo Cremona was engaged in revolutionising theart of Milan. All the younger artists, just freedfrom the traditional academic formulæ, recognisedin the work of their master a loftiness of spirit,united with dignity of draughtsmanship and richness of colour, and a remarkable freedom of style.All the young artists of Lombardy who came incontact with Cremona were carried along by anirresistible current of enthusiasm , and one and allwere more or less influenced by him. Conconibecame his favourite pupil, his friend and constantcompanion; and his work of that period shows thedirect inspiration of his master's art. But whereas11 FROM A MEZZOTINT BY L. CONCONI " LA CASA DEL MAGO85An Italian ArtistCremona's work was always marked by extremecare and great perfection of technique, whichincreasedwith the development of his talent, Conconi, onthe other hand, looked upon details of this kind asonly of secondary importance. He was quick torealise how discordant and how ineffective wouldbe too precise and exact a method in workssuch as his, which he endeavoured to invest, notwith an air of reality, but rather with the evanes-" LA CASA DEL MAGO "does there is evidence of a constant desire to express the thoughts within him in their entirety, yetby the simplest possible means. The incisivenessof the eau-forte, and the rapidity of its execution,combined with its varied resources and effects, havethus had a great fascination for Conconi. In thisbranch of art he has acquired a truly masterfulsureness, and to-day he has no equal as an etcherthroughout Italy. His large work, the Cortile delPalazzo Marino, one ofthefirst he did, shows greatability and extraordinaryrefinement; and the samequalities are apparent inhis Arco di Tito, andindeed in many other ofhis plates-Neve sui tetti,for example. But Conconi's true personality isbest revealed in thoseworks in which he hasdiscarded all striving afterreality and given free reinto his impetuous fancy.Take, for instance, his OraAllegra: a nun lookingfrom behind a windowgrating at a funeral procession filing through the raintowards the churchyard;or his Vita Contemplativa,in which a shadow, thrownupon a wall, suggests theartist himself absorbed inthe contemplation of alarge lizard, warming itselfin the sun; see his VitaLibera, or his Cenerentola,a long cavalcade of knightsand pages and falconers,conducting to the princethe young bride, mountedon a white courser; or see, again, his Casa delMago, and, again, his La Simona, based on oneof Boccaccio's famous tales. Conconi, indeed, hasfound many of his best inspirations in the " Decameron, " among others La Fiammetta and IlBanchetto di Nastagio degli Onesti. They are almostall full of a most delightful inventiveness, and hisfigures are all stamped with the youthful charm andgrace befitting the stories whence they spring. Itis almost a sin that Conconi, having shown hispower to enter so completely into the spirit ofthese tales, should not undertake the task of illusFROM A PAINTING BY L. CONCONIcent appearance of a fanciful dream. Thus thecareful drawing or the fine colouring of a head or ahand was not a matter of chief concern with him.He conceived the chief function of his art to bethe harmonious arrangement of his scheme ofcolour, and the rhythmical and suggestive flow ofhis lines. Then, again, the rapid succession of hisideas will not allow him to tarry over detail in theordinary way; his facture must needs be hurried,and therefore somewhat incomplete. Hence he hasreduced his style of drawing, his colouring and hisbrush-work almost to a formula. In everything he86"CORTILE DEL PALAZZOMARINO IN MILANO"FROM AN ETCHING BYLUIGI CONCONI

An Italian Artisttrating them in their entirety. I am convincedthat, if he chose, he could produce a series ofworks of art of the highest interest, and couldshow us the real spirit of the age in which the"Decameron " was written.Another favourite theme of Conconi's is that towhich I have already referred-La Casa del Mago,the Magician's Home. He has illustrated thissubject in an etching and in several paintings. Hetakes for his scene the church of St. Vincenzo- inPrato, in Milan, an ancient edifice deserted forcenturies past, and now turned into a chemicalmanufactory. Conconi saw the place, and was atonce delighted with the mysterious twilight of itsaisles and the weirdness ofits dark apse and crypt. Inhis eyes all the vulgar appliances of industry-the acidtanks, the retorts, the stills-were transformed intothe sinister instruments ofwitchcraft; he was nolongerin the old church nave, butin the home of some oldworld alchemist or necromancer, a terrible place fullof whitened skeletons, withscreeching owls perched onthe lintels of the doors. AsI have said before, the marvellous and the macabre areConconi's special characteristics, and the curious inthis respect find everygratification in his work.One of his fancies takes theform ofan Orologio, or timepiece, in which the sense ofhorror is conveyed, not somuch by the skulls formingthe centre part, as by certain of the details which atthe first glance might not benoticed. The base of thedial on which the hands arefixed is designed in theshape of a coffin; the hourand minute hands areformed like finger bones,and the pendulum is ascythe, which, in its oscillations, symbolises theinexorable reaper of lives.In this way Conconi intro- 86duces the simple elements of terror into most ofhis works; and when such things are incompatiblewith his subject he will work them artfully into theangles of his frame, like a mischievous schoolboyplaying some prank on his companions.Paradoxical as it may seem, the fact remainsthat this sort of aberration or deformity in Conconi's mind is allied to a rare sense of beauty, andto a true worship of all that is best and noblest inwomanhood. His female type-one from whichhe rarely departs-is most charming in its ingenuous grace and distinction; full of comelystrength, and with the frank, pure gaze of one whoknows nothing of the dark side of human life.CONFIDENZE " FROM A PAINTING BY L. CONCONI89An Italian ArtistMOTIVS MEDIEVALE FROM A PAINTING BY LUIGI CONCONIConconi once painted afan to present to a ladyand called it La Maga, theSorceress a figure of awoman clad in white, witha high- pointed hat, such aswitches are supposed towear, walking in the greenfields; her face, of indescribable loveliness, is litup with a smile, as she gazesintently into the yellow eyesof a toad which she holdsin one hand, while with theother she lovingly strokesits knotty skin. I am sorryit is not possible to give areproduction of this fan inTHE STUDIO; for on thislittle piece of white silkConconi has wrought amasterpiece which, in asense, is his profession offaith; and this monstrousunion of the most delicatebeauty with the most grotesque deformity is the veryessence of the personality ofthis truly remarkable artist.NEVE SUI TETTI " FROM AN ETCHING BY L. CONCONI90Home Arts and Industries AssociationCOPPER WORKTHE HOME ARTS AND INDUSTRIES ASSOCIATION ATTHE ALBERT HALL. BYGLEESON WHITE.THE Home Arts and Industries Association mayexercise such important influence on future generations of British craftsmen that, even if its twelveyears' record showed nothing but failure, it wouldstill retain the active sympathy of all who believe inthe power of Art to raise the individual and addprofit as well as dignity to the nation. But it can,on the contrary, show proof of very definitesuccess in return for the labour of its supporters.Since the day a Mrs. Jebb first instructed acrippled lad in a handicraft-wood- carving mostprobably the seed she planted has grown upand scattered its progeny far and wide overthe British Isles. Possiblythe crop at present maynot contain one maturespecimen; but it is showing signs of blossom, and,given careful gardeners,there will be rich harvestsof fruit not many yearsahead. But the gardenersmust be vigilant lack ofsympathy may be as adrought, undue praise as agross fertiliser, bringingforth leaves in abundancebut no fruit. Blight andtempest, which no humanbeing can ward off, mayfind their evils largelycounteracted by wise husbandry. To drop themetaphor, the Associationat present has good working machinery, ready andenthusiastic helpers, but ofits branches many lack theskilful teacher who canbring out the best qualitieslying dormant in his pupils.No exhibition of the yearreflects more responsibilityon the critic. For the workshown is done, for the mostpart, without the runningcriticism of an art school,without the publicity whichpurely commercial productsmust needs face, item by item, as they are offeredfor sale and without the torrent of printed criticismwhich almost any picture-making industry is certainto provoke to-day. Therefore, it is a most difficulttask to discuss the merits of a thousand and onespecimens of all sorts of handicrafts, arranged geographically and uncatalogued, and to deduce fromthe disconnected facts anything like an exactstatement of its success.YattendonThe Association has a two-fold purpose-to makethe young artisan a better citizen, by providing himwith a personal hobby outside and independent ofhis wage- earning pursuits; and also, if he showlatent genius, to encourage and develop it in theright channels. Athird and less obvious advance,one which must needs follow in time, is that thetaste of those who direct or patronise the variousbranch schools may be raised by the efforts ofCOPPER WORK AND CARVED CHEST Yattendon91Home Arts and Industries AssociationVILLAGE SHOPthose who are better informed. Some branches, bythe accident of locality, have the advantage ofoutsidecriticism and help of the expert and the mastercraftsman. This is evident from a rapid glance attheir exhibits, and proved by the names of thedesigners and instructors. The importance of thejudges' decision being studied by the heads ofcountry branches cannot be exaggerated. In fact,the reputations really on trial at this annual exhibition are not those of the pupils, but of the teachersand patrons.First, we must recognise the fact that skilled craft,allied with art, is dead in the village to-day, no lessthan in the manufacturing town. In the town theman may be an admirable member of a complicatedmachine. But his work is at best a congenialtask for wages; not ahobby for personal experiment with a certain satisfaction in the triumph ofa success. The villageorchestra is dead, andwith it the possible villagemusician. The machinemade music, provided byan organ or harmonium,offers, it is true, finish ofa sort often absent fromthe church band, but at aterrible cost. Now, thereis no rough material fromwhich future composersand great executants maybe developed after generations of commonplacebunglers. So in thecrafts: no longer is therethe untutored carver, thehandy man who practicesthe pastimes of his forefathers; his women-folkhave lost the art of spinning, of jam-making, andother household crafts;and should he require anyornamental details hegoes to the village shopfor machine-made substitutes. Does he need amoulding, it is procurablefor a few farthings a foot;does he want carving, apressed composite lumpis offered him; and so onthrough all the various branches. To develop anewthe dormant, if not dead, instinct is the aim of theAssociation. Its purpose is not to teach roughartisans a more " genteel " way of gaining a livelihood, nor to provide listless amateurs with a newway of wasting time and money; but to give fisherlads and farm labourers, factory hands and errandboys, an interest in honest, worthy crafts. Outof the thousands, one per cent. may show skillenough to change their previous occupation foranother, and one in a million may be a newGrinling Gibbons, or perhaps a new MichaelAngelo; but the scheme is not intended for thefew who by-and-bye join the skilled artisans, norfor the infinitesimally few who may recruit thecompact body of artists, but for the average humanAT YATTENDONFENDER Yattendon92Home Arts and Industries Associationbeing whose routine of work done for money the quiet uneventful drudgery that succeedsneeds a stimulus. In this effort the Associationshows its broadest claim for sympathy and support.As a rule the aims of THE STUDIO are whollyfor art; this once it may also allow another purpose to influence its voice without degrading itsOAK CABINET DESIGNED AND CARVED BY MISS M. A.HEATH . GESSO PANEL BY MISS ADA CLEGG. Leighideal. For very few things are born fully developed, and to train artists you first needgenerations of moderately intelligent artisans.If amid the thousands of exhibits shown lately atthe Royal Albert Hall, only a bare half- dozenhad been fully entitled to be noticed on theirintrinsic merits, what matters? Even half- a- dozenexamples of fine craft are not to be despised. Arow of good shops in theWest End might not show ahigher average.That the exhibition comprised no masterpiece and notvery many completely satisfactory items, need not be insistedupon; although, in sober truth,a frank verdict must own thatsuch a statement is fairlyaccurate. But it showedhundreds of efforts to do thebest within the limits of theworkers' cunning. It showedthat all over the land thereare zealous, if often poorlyequipped, patrons andteachers; and that those moredirectly responsible are in noway blind to the mitigatedsuccess of their project, andyet full of hope for the future.It is so easy to sneer at immature effort, so hard to bearin stimulating pupils even so far in the rightway. Possibly some of those concerned aremere dilettanti, anxious to pose as saviours ofsociety; yet even that ignoble purpose is betterthan a cynical content with things as they arebut ought not to be. Unfortunately too manyinartistic people have perfect trust in their owngood taste, and regard it as a touchstone that nonecan prove fallible. If these people find their tastenot endorsed by the judges they merely concludethat the judges are prejudiced, and feel jealousy,but no sense of shame, at an adverse verdict.But even if there are feeble folk, there are alsoenthusiasts who can keep their zeal in spite oftheir incompetent allies-directors who know noworse obstacle than that supplied by nominalsupporters, those patrons and teachers who themselves are as truly ignorant as the most untutoredyoungster under their charge.Presently we can touch upon the art shown inthis year's display, but for the moment the handicraft is more important. Here, unluckily, there isthe least reason for congratulation, and one feelsthat this, a vital defect, is also one easily remediable. For skilled craft in a machine-like impersonalway is not dead to-day. Because it is perverted tocommercial ends, it does not cease to be good ofits class. It would be heresy to declare that agood mitre with machine moulding was preferableEAST-WESTHAMESBESTOAK SETTLE DESIGNED BY MISS M. A. HEATH . CARVED BY W. UPTON. Leigh93Home Arts and Industries AssociationCARVED CHEST.99 to a clumsy one with hand- cut; but all the sameno added ornament, no " feeling " or " quaintnesscan replace sturdy, capable mechanism. It wouldbe unfair to select a particular example, but onecomes to mind-well proportioned, well designed,and apparently well made; the present writer hadnearly purchased it when closer inspectionrevealed joinery that a rabbit- hutch buildermight have surpassed, and a "finish " ofparts not exposed to view as bad as it ispossible to imagine. In too many cases,moreover, the 66 construction " was by anoutsider. Now you cannot separate art fromcraft (so far as the industrial varieties areconcerned) without detriment. A workmanshould be as proud of a good mortise andtenon, or a good piece of plain forging, asof a fine piece of carving, or a well wroughtrepoussé panel. The judges are keenly aliveto this particular danger. Their highestawards, "gold " stars for each separate quality,are arranged in the form of a cross, whendesign, fitness, and good construction allappear as the work of a single pair of hands.Quite sufficient instances of entirely satisfactory specimens were to be found to warrantoutsiders in applauding the judges for theirintegrity and censuring the class- teachers fortheir apathy. Throughout the exhibits thisyear, the designs were better, the objectschosen to adorn were infinitely more fit thanof a few years ago. But as a whole the"lowlier" crafts had not shown the sameadvance. This tendency to look on " carving " as something superior to carpentry, toprize the bas-relief of repoussé metal beyondits soldering and riveting, is foolish. If onedoes ornament, which isafter all unessential, well,how much more needful itis to make the essentialconstruction not merelygood but perfect.It is difficult to observeany method in a notice.One maybegin with London,which chanced to be in thefirst four bays of the greatcircular gallery in which thestalls were placed. Six otherclasses immediately preceded it, but among theirwork nothing was peculiarlyworthy of special comment.The interest of the London stalls, as in formeryears, centres in the inlaid wood- work from designsby the Hon. Mabel de Grey and Mr. CharlesVoysey. In most of these, carried out by otherhands, the craft is hardly less good than the design.Especial commendation must be given to thoseHP.CliffordSouthwoldCHAIR DESIGNED BY M. BENSON.LEATHERWORK BY MISS BASSETT. Ascott94Home Arts and Industries AssociationH.P.Clifford .MIRROR FRAME DESIGNED BY J. WILLIAMS.who chose the actual pieces of wood for the inlayof an overmantel panel, where the clouds of a sunset sky were pleasantly suggested by the colour andgrain of the material . The tobacco box with itsinlaid view of factory chimneys, a frame with agroup of sheep and a dozen other items, all Missde Grey's design, were most attractive. A beautifully proportioned writing-table, designedby the Countess of Lovelace, owes itsdecoration to Miss de Grey. The structure of the table is severely simple, andexhibits a fine sense of proportion alwaysrare, and exceptionally so in ladies' designs. The various objects illustratedwill speak for themselves, without anywritten description, but the human noless than the decorative quality of Missde Grey's work would win it favourablecriticism in any exhibition. On its ownmerits L'Art Nouveau in Paris would mostprobably award it a very distinguishedplace. The London branches especiallyto the fore include Pimlico, Stepney, andBankside, Southwark.The Keswick contributions included afine exhibit from the Ruskin LinenIndustry, and some notable metal work,which enjoyed the rare distinction ofbeing designed and wrought by the same•H.P.C.pupil in each case. Onlyone of these objects isillustrated, not because theothers merited it less, butbecause the best items werealmost devoid of ornamentand owed their beautyand the word may be fitlyemployed to exquisiteform , good handiwork,and extremely refinedtreatment, which could notbe conveyed in black andwhite sketches, nor adequately represented by aphotograph. Among thepupils, Henry Towers,William Robinson, ThomasSparkes, are three who deserve unstinted approval,but several others are noless to be commended.Whoever is responsible forKeswick I know not, butits example might be takento heart by metal workers throughout all theBranches. The Ashridge weaving is also apraiseworthy craft, although the specimens shownappeared to be too high-priced for commercialends-that hand-weaving in simple patterns shouldbe more costly than embroidery seems to arguesome waste of energy. The Abbott's KerswellFivemiletownCROQUET- STAND ORNAMENTED BY MICHAEL MCAULIFFE.ADAPTED BY MISS BOURKE. Ahane95Home Arts and Industries Associationpottery is now become a recognised trade industry,and seems somewhat an intruder here. For itsproducts cannot be praised unreservedly, its tendency to multiply superfluous bric-à-brac is notworth fostering; such things may be left to flourishoutside any association.CUP DESIGNED BY J. WILLIAMS NewtonThe Newton (Cambridge) metal work includeda fine panel of peacocks, part of a scheme for acomplete decoration for a fireplace, which will beillustrated later on in THE STUDIO when the workis finished. These proved to be from designs byJohn Williams, whose admirable work at EssexHouse all visitors to the Arts and Crafts cannot failto remember. In several classes this year, when apeculiarly good design for pierced or repoussé brassor copper caused one to examine the label , thename of "John Williams " as its designer explainedthe situation at once.The Kirkby- Lonsdale leather work upon paleskins, decorated after the manner THE STUDIO explained lately, is further enriched by soft coloursadded by a brush. This is the invention of itsdirector. The patterns, adapted from publishedexamples chiefly, were all tastefully chosen, andseemed original; one of which we illustrate showeda grasp of the essentials of town decoration. It wasodd to find a "" Silver " wall-paper, a " Housman "book cover, Goblin Market, and other well knownmotives in design frankly reproduced.imitation shows good taste, but does it not alsoshow insufficient recognition of the law of copySuchright?-one hopes not, but the doubt is worthexpressing.A table by T. Lupton, shown at this stall, with acarved tray, on a stand adapted from Cairene work,is ingenious. Penrith and Altrincham had somepleasant wood carving. The Yattendon copper workis always a perennial delight at these exhibitions.This year its admirable design was no less worthyof praise than in former years. Some of the agreeable shapes, pleasantly but not too heavily decorated, are shown in the illustrations. But that itwould be superfluous to renew a eulogy alreadyprovoked by several previous collections, a page ofTHE STUDIO might be devoted to it. Fine shapes,so well proportioned and wrought that addedpatterns would be an impertinence, are doubtlessthe highest form of metal work in vases, jugs andthe like; but well decorated metal work has also aperfect right to appreciation, and it would be hardto find work more fully meriting approval than thatfrom Yattendon.At the next stall-Ascott-a fine armchair, admirably designed and excellently wrought, which isillustrated here, must not prevent a word of verystrong disapproval. To polish carving is a hatefulpractice, and nearly all the carving at this stallalienated one's sympathy by its annoying lustre.Inlay and polish may be wedded if you will, butpolish-French polish-on punched backgorundsHPCJUG DESIGNED AND EXECUTED BY THOMAS SPARKSKeswick96INLAID BY EDWARD FORDINLAID BY JOHN REASON PimlicoKPCHPCH.P.CPimlicoINLAID BY ALFRED PORTER StepneyKPCINLAID BY WILLIAM BEER Stepney INLAID BY WILLIAM BEER Stepney(Awarded the Gold Cross of the Association)INLAID WOOD- WORK DESIGNEDBY THE HON. MABEL DE GREYHome Arts and Industries Associationbut the work maintained a good level, and the craftof the bookbinding (so far as one could judge objects seen in glass cases) was very creditable. TheSandringham stall had a large number of wellexecuted designs, but with all wish to acknowledgethe interest displayed by royalty, it cannot be saidthat the designs were the best in the exhibition. Itwould be pleasant, but not true, to state that thisschool led the van. Under the patronage of thegracious lady to whom all the British Empire paysunalloyed fealty-the well-beloved Princess whohas given her time and interest so liberally-onehad hoped to find the best designers and tutorsenlisted as allies. Perhaps nothing would advanceLEATHER WORK DESIGNED BY ALICE SHEPHERDLeighton Buzzardand highly-raised patterns, remains quite outsidethe sympathy of THE STUDIO.The Chiswick Branch showed some capital bookbindings, wood- carving, and other objects of muchinterest. Originality in design was not conspicuous,H.P.C.TRAY- STAND SandringhamHPC" DELLA ROBBIAMARKETYJARDESIGNED BY MISS G. BUCKLER Birkenheadthe cause of the association more than to see Sandringham the leader in all respects.Leighton Buzzard can be commended, and thelace industry of Bucks, Beds, Devon, and Northampton, under the energetic management of Mrs. BruceClarke, showed several designs of conspicuous meritand some very dainty fabrics. Windermere wasnoticeable for excellent embroidery; a piece hereillustrated obtained the highest award of five goldstars, which it fully deserved. " Traditional handicrafts," a most interesting section, showed newrecruits to the old industries, the metal bound"oak pitches " being, if not the most novel, for wehave seen them in former years, perhaps the mostinteresting. Fivemiletown, Ireland, so easilyheaded the whole body of metal workers, so far asdesign is concerned, that it was not surprising to98Home Arts and Industries Associationfind the designer was the admirable John Williams. An " owl " fender, an over-mantel, one ortwo mirror frames and other objects at this standelicited ample appreciation from every artisticvisitor. Dunleckney showed good Celtic influence in its wood- carving. The TurbotstonCottage Industries had some excellent embroidered vestments. Southwold made a brave showof carving, all excellent, but mostly too commonplace in design to be illustrated here. The bowls,similar to those we illustrated last year, were good,and the standard of the work so admirable thatone regrets still more the lack of novel and goodmodels. The Compton branch showed someadmirable capitals and surface fillings of modelledterra- cotta in rough clay baked in charcoal ovensto a most beautiful red. By mere chance, afternoting these for marked approval, the designerwas discovered to be Mrs. G. F. Watts, the wifeof the great artist, who has shown much practicalinterest in the movement. The work is intendedfor a chapel he is building near his house-Limners Lease. It is a curious thing, that in tracing the source of the design in the few instancesofgood and new work to be discerned in the gallery, in almost every case some artist of establishedreputation had supplied the motive power. Thisneed not lead one to despair of design as well ashandicraft being developed by the association. Ittakes generations to perfect a new race of craftsHP.COAK JUG WITH METAL FITTINGS LeighHPCmen, and England must wait while the father handson the newly-revived tradition to his son and hisson's son. Then we may hope to see hereditaryskill supplementing the natural gift of design, whichis by no means as common as people suppose.The big stand of " Della Robbia " ware, underthe direction of Mr. Harold Rathbone, showed afew new departures, mainly in the form of low relief figure panels, and one (by Mr. Conrad Dresser)in high relief, with really beautiful modelling inits figures. For the rest the ideas of formeryears were maintained. Taking it on its ownground there is much to praise. It is decorated pottery, rather than pottery decorative by and in itself,but having said so much, we may praise it highlyfor the manner in which it accomplishes its purpose. A panel copied from an " Utamaro " colourprint was at least novel, but a jar designed byMiss Gwendoline Buckler, which gained the "goldcross, " illustrated here, was perhaps the most striking of many ingenious and graceful designs. Mr.Harold Rathbone's work "after Ford MadoxBrown, " and from his own designs, also deservesspecial notice. A stall, chiefly of repoussé brasswork, from Christchurch, Hants, was interesting asEMBROIDERED CLOTH DESIGNED BY MISS GARNETTWindermere99Home Arts and Industries Associationthe effort of a younger class; but here again thedesigns were very ordinary. It is a pity to see somuch labour expended on stock patterns which,never very good, are hackneyed by constant repetition. Among the work of the Gordon Wanderersframe, and many other articles in carved wood,including the settle illustrated (page 93). Anothersettle from Leatherhead was pleasant and simple indesign, but its construction was not adequate, theback being very poorly finished. Some pottery by145Clifford" OWL FENDER DESIGNED BY J. WILLIAMS. Fivemiletownwas an excellent chest in chip carving by J. Mansell,pleasantly designed and, so far as casual inspectionrevealed, well constructed. At Skelwith, there wasa nicely designed carved frame. The work underthe auspices of the Kent County Council was fullof interest. The William Street (London) Branchshowed enamel-work, another instance ofthe revivalof a charming art which deserves support. Someclasps and other tiny objects were full of goodcolour and pleasant technique.At Mayfield a spirited copy in wood of one ofStevens' British Museum lions, guarded a displaynot otherwise remarkable.Afinal look round brought to light a few otheritems worth mentioning. In the Ashley sectionan inlaid cabinet, and an oval table with borderadapted from the Book of Kells, both by W.Clarke, deserves a word of praise. The Leigh contributions included a pleasantly designed tryptichFirth, if not very novel, was in good form andharmonious colours.As a last word to exhibitors and teachers, onemust needs reiterate the importance of the pupilsbeing taught to finish their work. Whether it bemetal or wood, the knowledge of construction aswell as of ornamentation should be insisted upon.Good joinery is as honourable a pursuit as goodcarving; well soldered, well riveted metal shouldafford the worker legitimate pride in his work.The unseen portions, the backs of photographframes, and thelike, should be as well wrought asthe parts in view. All objects, whether in metalor wood, should be firm, and constructed to withstand all fair usage . Utility should be the firstconsideration-a coalbox, from which it was practically impossible to extract the contents; a standfor plates at five o'clock tea, rickety and fragileuseless easels over-laden with carving, and a fewH.P.CWRITING- TABLE DESIGNED BY THE COUNTESS OF LOVELACE.INLAY WORK DESIGNED BY THE HON. MABEL DE GREY. Pimlico100The Salon of the Champs-Elyséesother articles (discreetly hidden from undue publicity for the most part), ought never to have passedthe local teachers. Design shows signs ofimprovement, although in this, not only is too much relianceplaced on poor transcripts of published patterns,but even of these the best are not chosen. Inlaystill maintains the most satisfactory level of allthe wood-decoration exhibited, chiefly becausethe workmanship is no less admirable than thedesign. It may be hard to interest fisher-lads andartisans in the mechanical part of the work aftera day's toil, carving and repoussé work may seem alight recreation; but the work ought never to givethe worker satisfaction until he or she can design,decorate, and finish it throughout in workmanlikemanner. To make pupils dissatisfied with anything below the market level of joinery and thelike, is not wholesome; they should aim to beatthe average mechanical workman on his ownground,and to advance still further in the ornamentationFinally, although the sound advice of OwenJones: "Ornament your construction, do notconstruct your ornamentation, " has still to beobeyed by too large a proportion both of teachersand pupils; yet we may approve the aims ofthe committee, and recognise fully the wholehearted and entirely admirable zeal shown bysome notable patrons. This serves to inspire greathope for the future of an association that may domore permanent work of practical value than thegreat state-paid department of decorative tuitionhas accomplished so far. GLEESON WHITE.HE SALON OF THE CHAMPSELYSEES. BY GABRIELMOUREY.THERE is no one master-work in thePalais de l'Industrie; no manifestation of a greatpersonality or a great idea, standing out above therest, for present and for future admiration. In theChamp de Mars Puvis de Chavannes remains atonce the centre- piece and the summit; everythingseems to be grouped around him; everythinggravitates in his direction, triumphing, as he does,by the strength and the charm of his work. Insculpture, Rodin holds an equally brilliant position;and these two realise and personify all that is best" DERNIER RAYON ""FROM A PAINTING BY PAUL CHABASΙΟΙThe Salon of the Champs-Elyséesand completest in contemporary art, and that inthe most striking fashion.There is nothing to be compared to this in theChamps- Elysées. At the very entrance of thevast glass hall, where the fat cattle used to ruminate, where the annual concours hippique runs itsfashionable course, M. Falguière's statue La Danseuse strikes the key-note of this Salon, suggests theatmosphere befitting the rest of the works displayedtherein. As is always the case here, the anecdotalpicture, grave or gay, reigns supreme. Whetherthe subject be historical, or religious, whether itbe decorative work, or genre, or landscape, theinsignificant points of details, the "up-to- date "touches, are always predominant. The mise- enscène is everything. Here one sees a loud reproduction of the latest scandal; there the face of themost- discussed actress or statesman or " Societywoman; " with the best place to the best advertised! One feels at once that art is here indirect touch with the powers that be, with thesociety of to- day. It is simply a race for theGrand Prix and the accompanying medals. Artin itself has only a secondary importance; it alldepends on the connections of the artist, on hiscapacity for intrigue, on his skill in diplomacy.SheThus we see a sculptor of the ability of M. Falguière-this may be said without exaggerationwith honours and distinctions thick upon him,exhibiting, under the influence of a strange cravingfor advertisement, the statue of one of the mostpopular, but one of the least talented, of operadancers. According to the scandal of the hour,the ballerina is not particularly flattered.declares she sat for the head only, not for theentire figure; while M. Falguière, interviewed bythe reporters, maintains the contrary. The resultof course is that M. Falguière's Danseuse is displayed in every shop window, and published by allthe illustrated papers. All this is a very significant sign of the times; and of all the works displayed at the Champs- Elysées there are not morethan fifty which have been produced without regardto this most questionable advertisement andnotoriety. M. Jean Béraud was wrong to leavethe Champs-Elysées for the Champ de Mars, forin the former he was indeed at home!The difficulty is to know where to make a haltin these forty galleries, full of noisy incongruity.How can one pick out and appreciate justly theworks worth consideration? These latter are fewenough, to be sure, but some of the others mustLE SOIR "FROM A PAINTING BY ERNEST MARCHÉ102The Salon of the Champs-Elysées" LEVER DE LUNE EN SOLOGNE FROM A PAINTING BY CARLOS-LEFÉVREalso be mentioned in order to bring out the contrast.Among the historical works we may thereforeavoid the exhibits M. GÉRÔME, member of theInstitute: La Vérité and Promenade de la Courdans les Jardins de Versailles, cold and hard productions, clumsily treated, and quite remarkablypuerile in conception. And nothing better canbe said of the Irène and Les Otages, by M. JEANPAUL LAURENS, with his everlasting fondness forbric-à-brac; nor of M. HENRI PILLE'S Quinze Mai1588; nor of M. ANDRÉ MARCHANT'S EclaireursFranchetti à la Ferme de la Fouilleuse, and M.LIONEL ROYER'S Germanicus devant le désastre deVarus. All these works are conceived in thesame empty, pompous style of theatrical andwould- be heroic sentimentality; but there is nosign of any serious attempt to study the surroundings, or the personages themselves, or their facialcharacteristics. There is intensity of inspirationof a sort in M. TATTEGRAIN'S Bouches Inutiles-ascene full of horror, all too literally portrayed.The sight of these famishing wretches, feeding onthe bodies of their fellows, recalls the disgustingexhibitions of the wax-work museums. Twocanvases by M. ALBRECHT DE VRIENDT are conspicuous in this gallery-L'Institution de l'Ordrede la Toison d'or, and Thierry d'Alsace, rapportantà Bruges les reliques de Saint- Sang, painted for theHôtel de Ville at Brussels. There is feeling andknowledge in these pictures, without hardness,despite a tendency to suggest the stained-glasstreatment. M. GEORGES ROCHEGROSSE will , Ifancy, regret the false step he has taken this year inhis Angoisse Humaine: a pyramid of straining armsand heads and bodies, with hands greedily outstretched towards the visions of Wealth and Fameand Love (if Love it be?) passing across the sky,and leaving an alluring flood of light in their train.The philosophic symbolism of M. Rochegrosse'sidea is apparent enough, but it seems to me to be butinadequately realised, and to be devoid of clearnessand still more of simplicity. The same remarkapplies to L'Humanité, by M. PELEZ. Despitemany excellent bits of detail, the general effect isone of confusion and incoherence; and the figureof Christ upon the Cross seems to a great extent,not to say entirely, out of place in this mobthronging the square in which the scene is laid.It is all very mannered and childish, for the simplereason that the artist has attempted to show usthe materialisation of an Idea. I greatly preferM. JEAN VEBER'S L'homme aux poupées, with itsstrange symbolism and its depth of feeling andfancy. This little piece of nude is very true intone, and is the work of a painter with a future103The Salon of the Champs-Elyséesbefore him; for M. Veber is a patient worker, asintelligent as sincere in all he does.The first place in the exhibition undoubtedlybelongs to the landscapists, for to them we owe theFEMME À SA TOILETTEfew genuine artistic impressions to be experiencedin this long walk along these necropolis- like walls .They alone, it seems to me, have succeeded-wherethe painters of the large pictures, supposed to bebased on reality, have so conspicuously failed-inconveying the feeling of life and nature, and thedelight of things. Among these landscapes thereare indeed some charming studies. In his Landeaux Bruyères, for instance, M. DIDIER- POUGET,uninfluenced by any particular school, and withoutelaborate process, has produced an effect of nature,full of the most intensepoetry. A delicious impression of melancholy andsweetness invests this twilight scene, with the fadinglight illumining the foreground, and in the background the great hill- sides,with their serpentine paths,bathed in the violet shadesof night, while the skystretches out above, immense and deep and moving.Exact in its technique, butwith no trace of hardness,and forceful without coarseness, this is a picture onwhich the judges have veryproperly bestowed a prize.For once they may be congratulated on having madeno mistake. M. PICKNELL'SLa Route de Nice, richer incolouring, brings before oureyes one of those genuinelycharacteristic landscapes ofthe south. There is morefidelity than imagination inthis artist's manner, but hisfrank way of looking atthings is not without acertain charm. M. CARLOSLEFEVRE has a remarkablegift of expression, a delicatetemperament, and a morethan ordinary grasp of nature,as is shown in his Le Leverde Lune en Sologne. Withmuch suppleness he has verytruthfully rendered that exquisite moment when themoon is rising over the foliage, and has exactlyexpressed its solemn sense of meditation. M.ERNEST MARCHÉ, too, impresses one as an artistof great delicacy, fond of the subtle play of thelight upon the water, which he realises withBY EUGÈNE LOMONT104" BRUYÈRES AUX LANDE "APAINTING BYDIDIER- FROMPOUGET

The Salon of the Champs-Elyséesequal poetry and truth. One must admit thathe has all the qualities of the true landscapist,and his picture Le Soir is worthy of unqualifiedpraise, for it is instinct with intense feeling.The foreground is a magic féerie of reflectionscast on a peaceful stream across the broad leavesof the water-lilies. The reeds and the rushes swayto and fro and scarcely ripple the exquisitely transparent water, stirred by the night breeze comingon; while the delicate leafage of poplar and willowforms a soft and misty background of tender fleecygreen. There is only one fault to be found with M.Marché's work at times his treatment is somewhat soft and undecided, indicating a certain wantof mastery; but, all this apart, his picture mustcertainly rank among the few works of interest inthe Salon. Le dernier Rayon, by M. PAUL CHABAS,is another water scene, but relieved this time byfigures of women and children bathing in a lake, lit upby the last splendid glow ofthe setting sun. It was noeasy task to render with somuch energy and, at thesame time, so fine a touch,the shimmering glory ofthe sun upon the waters.The figures stand out withremarkable truth of tintand line, bathed in theflood ofof glowing light.The whole scene is in perfect harmony, and it is nosmall achievement in awork of this kind to havebeen able to avoid theslightest suggestion of incongruity.M. EUGÈNE LOMONT, onthe other hand, devoteshimself to interior effectsof a more restrained andsubtle type. There is greatrefinement here, both inconception and in realisation, with every evidenceof knowledge and taste andconfidence. Unfortunatelya reproduction-no matterhow perfect-can give buta very faint idea of a workof this kind. The stockcritics, who fly by instinctto the loudest pictures,have almost ignored this artist's work, which is tobe regretted, for here is an artistic temperament,combining the painter and the artist in a way thatis rare indeed. But M. Lomont is a timid andretiring person, and his pictures are, as may beimagined, but little calculated to attract theignorant crowd, engrossed in the contemplationof the profusion of startling colours and coarselytreated anecdotes around them. His Femme à saToilette is nevertheless one of the best pictures thisyear in either of the Salons. I greatly admire itslogical and original construction, its beautifulexecution, and its deep and skilful study of shadedlight. M. Lomont is sure to be heard of in thefuture.I have referred more than once in these pagesto M. LÉVY- DHURMER, but never at so greata length as I could wish; and even now space"NOTRE DAME DE PENMARCH FROM A PAINTING BY LÉVY- DHURMER107The Salon of the Champs-ElyséesPICKNELL" LA ROUTE DE NICE "fails me. His ability is such as to deserve thefull appreciation which some day doubtless THESTUDIO will be able to devote to him. He isrepresented this year at the Champs- Elysées bythree pictures: La Bourrasque, Les Mystères deCérès, and Notre Dame de Penmarch, widely different each from the other, and thus showing thevarious aspects of his style. His is a complex personality, intent on expressing by plastic meansnought but the hidden, mysterious self of hiscreations; always striving anxiously to reveal thesoul through the face, to show in material form thespiritual and the invisible. One might imaginethat he would attain this result by an unpreciseprocess of draughtsmanship and colouring, lettingthe figures, serving to illustrate his ideas, floatvaguely in the mists of his dreams. But nothingof the sort. His art is all that is open and clear,and it is in this that he shows his pre-eminence.Everything in his pictures, every detail, has itsproper meaning; nothing is left to chance; and itmust be admitted that he has the power to givefull expression to his thoughts. This being so, hiswork, as may be imagined, is instinct withcharacter. From the point at which others wouldstop, in difficulties and doubt, he goes straightahead, determined to master the mysteries of hisart, and he carries his dreams to their utmostFROM A SKETCH OF THE PAINTING BY W. L. PICKNELLartistic limit, thanks largely to a truly astonishingpower of draughtsmanship. Add to these gifts,taste of the rarest order, a flexible and delicatefancy, a real love of all that is exquisite and subtle,without ever becoming affected or involved, andwith all this include a fine sense of order and ofharmony ofline and colour, and you have a succinctsummary of M. Lévy- Dhurmer's talents.As for the portraits, their name is legion. Wemay pass over those of M. BOUGUEREAU, whoseLa Vague is not worth considering, and also thoseof MM. BONNAT and JULES LEFEVRE, for we knowalready how these three high- priests of Official Artunderstand their work of reproducing the featuresof their contemporaries for ages yet to come. Letme simply make passing mention of the portraitsof MM. AXILETTE, MARCEL BASCHET, AIMÉMOROT, GUINSAC, LOUIS CHALON, FERNANDRABATTÉ, DELLA SUDRA, and MAREC, beforedevoting a moment to the two portraits of ladiesby M. FERDINAND HUMBERT, of much charm anddistinction, and to M. PAUL DUBOIS' picture, byno means without merit. M. BENJAMIN CONSTANTis represented by his Portrait de mon Fils. Dislike as one may this artist's habitual exaggerationof manner in his enormous pictures, with theirmeretricious and artificial Orientalism , dragged inunder the guise of "local colour," or his music108Some Pictures at the Royal Academyhallish decoration, there is no resisting the charmof this portrait, done in a subdued style, proclaiming the noblest artistic qualities. In the same wayM. HENNER's Portrait de M. Carolus- Duran is awork full of interest; but much finer, it seems tome, are some of his Naïads and Nymphs, in whichhe has so often demonstrated his worship of thehuman form , and his genuinely personal skill inhis treatment of atmospheric effects. One mightsay a good deal-and certainly more good than ill-about the Enfance du Christ by M. KOWALSKY.There is considerable attractiveness in the delicateharmony of his colour-scheme. The seated figureof the Virgin Mary, in a white linen robe, herprofile thrown up against the white background;the Divine Child, also in white, whom she holdsbefore her; the clear atmosphere of Joseph'sworkshop, where the scene is laid; the soft nimbusof holy light upon their brows-all this is renderedwith the utmost refinement and the strictestaccuracy. But one scans these faces in vain for asign of their Divinity, or, if the phrase be preferred,of their Superhumanity. In the face of the ChildChrist particularly, I can perceive no trace of theChosen One: He is just a child, not the Son ofGod. Perhaps M. Kowalsky has done this withdeliberate intention; however it be, it is to be regretted that this all- essential suggestion of theDivine should be absent from a picture intendedto represent a sacred theme such as this.MLLE. G. DE BIGOT'S Au bord du Ruisseau,M. BOQUET'S Pour la Procession, a work of genuinequality, and M. PAUL SAÏN's Vesprée d'Avignon,are all deserving of mention; and as much may besaid of M. LORIMER'S Mariage de Convenance, andofthe canvases by MM. HENRI ALBERTI , CesBron,ALLÈGRE and GEOFFROY.We recognise so fully Mr. ORCHARDSON's raregifts, his prodigious skill in extracting the poetryfrom inanimate things, and in revealing characterin his faces; so well we know, too, the vigorouspersonality of Mr. HERKOMER, that I need notdwell upon them here. The first-named artistsends Le Jeune Duc, and the latter Le Maire deLandsberg, a broad and live piece of work noblytreated.A passing word as to the decorative work, ofvarying merit and interest, by MM. MAIGNAN,EDOUARD FOURNIER, HENRI LÉVY, HENRI BONIS,BÉROUD, G. FERRIER, GERVAIS, and HENRIMARTIN-to name a few among numerous exhibitors and I feel pretty confident that I haveomitted no one who was worthy of remark.I may, indeed, be blamed for having referred totoo many works and too many artists; for, alas!not all the productions I have mentioned show anytranscendent ability. However, I shall be onlytoo happy if I have done justice to some of thoseartists, whose efforts, even when they have miscarried, indicate a certain degree of artistic worth,though it be not honoured by official recognition.GABRIEL MOUREY.SOME PICTURES AT THEROYAL ACADEMY. CRITICISED BY A FRENCHPAINTER.NOT without some diffidence does a painterdiscuss other painters . Himself exposed to criticism, favourable or the reverse, it must needs bewith timidity and hesitation that he undertakesthe delicate task of saying what he thinks aboutother men's work. A picture is designed to bean accurate representation of something withwhich the artist is intimately acquainted, and inwhich he has put all the best of which he iscapable. And as this is an individual production,corresponding with his own special and personalartistic sense, one should bear no malice againstthe critic if he fail to grasp the intimate meaningof the work he is discussing, nor against thepainter who shall not succeed in thoroughly understanding or appreciating the particular kind ofwork he happens to be criticising-work which, ofcourse, he has a perfect right to like or to dislike,just as he pleases. And if criticism has many rights,the artist at least has one right, so great as toexceed all others—and that is the right to producewhat he considers a work of beauty, for the reasonthat he has felt an imperious desire to bring it intothe light and let it be seen. Thus, it is only withworks which appear to have been produced in allsincerity and under the influence of genuineemotion that I shall deal here.With this prelude I will at once commence mytask, irrespective of the class of picture concerned,and simply taking the galleries in their order. Aword, first of all, about Sir John Millais's John theBaptist. His ecstatic eyes denote the Forerunner,whose mission is still more clearly symbolised bythe cross which he first fashioned out of the twosticks of wood bound together. The merit of thepicture lies in the attitude of the model of SaintJohn, who alas! is nothing more than a modelstanding in a dark landscape; not at all the redoubtable locust- eater, the wild, naked man fromluminous Judea, the home of the prophets. Mr.109Some Pictures at the Royal AcademyLuke Fildes contributes a portrait of a lady as ashepherdess in the charming rocaille style of thebergères of the eighteenth century. The enormousBabylonian grandeur which one realises in Londonis not to be found in Mr. Wyllie's picture, if he willallow me to say so. Mr. Ralph Peacock's exhibitproclaims him poet and painter both, and Mr. LaThangue's various canvases are all most interesting-A Little Holding particularly, a fine impressionof nature seen through an excellent piece of boldand solid painting. It is the work of an artist.In Gallery II . we once more find Mr. La Thangue,and writing here at a distance, I will simply recordthe notes I made in front of his picture. In aCottage Garden is most truthful in effect, albeit atrifle dark. The trees and the flowers scarcely givethe idea of the light, transparent springtide. Witha little more poetry and charm added to his solidqualities in drawing and colour this artist's workwill be as nearly perfect as possible. Mr. ArnesbyBrown sends a landscape-twilight, with the lovelymists of evening, and the moon slowly rising behind them-most poetical of moments, full of asense of the dying day and the end of the hazyautumn. There is poetry, too, but more in subjectthan in treatment, in Miss Alicia Blakesley's picture. To satisfy my painter's eyes I must needssay all the good that is to be said of Mr. Sargent'sportrait, with its delicate values of subdued greyand white, relieved only by a black which hasnothing of coarseness about it. His boldness oftouch is a boldness of the right sort, with no useless extravagance, and ever in complete accord withthe softness of his tones, and the delicate type ofhis models. The neighbouring picture, yellowlooking and lacking freshness, pleases only, itmust be admitted, on account of its excellent drawing. Mr. Herkomer sees things in monochrome.Atenderness of tone and of atmosphere would haveadded so much to the subject-the child comingback to life by the aid of the life around it. Yetone is conscious that in the end one would have tolike this picture, and that the man who composedit is an artist. The group to the left of the canvasis quite charming, and contrasts well with the languid weakness of the little invalid. I should liketo know the meaning of Mr. Herbert J. Draper'spicture, for it is very interesting-the lovely poseof a woman hanging a long golden chain about herneck. In Mr. Charles Sims's portrait there aredelightful qualities that Mr. Whistler would appreciate.In Whispering Noon the defect of Mr. AlmaTadema's work is that his sky and flowers andart.women are all as though made of marble; andthis fault is equally apparent in his Coliseum inGallery III. In art the greatest difficulty consists,as does the highest ability, in making sacrifices,and in knowing how to simplify. But Mr. AlmaTadema looks on things with an implacable eye;and instead of toning down he would even do justthe reverse. Art must be synthetical, and he whowill not summarise, as it were, but strives after theexact reproduction of things, will make no work ofBesides, the minute representation of subsidiary objects and bits of still- life is childish, however great the ability bestowed upon them. Thiskind of cleverness will produce a skilful workman,but never a real artist. What profits it to imitatemarble well, when in the very same frame fleshand faces, cushion-stuffs and flowers, even the fanof peacock's feathers, have the same rigid appearance as this same marble? Different things mustbe painted in different styles. This is laboriouspainting, into which art does not enter; while itsauthor, fed on archæology and the classics, risesfrom his task more archæologist than artist.In Mr. Leslie's clear landscape one regretsthe absence of that atmosphere suggesting distance, especially as mists are frequent in the country he is painting, while the title of his pictureSeptember-suggests the early haze ofautumn. Rashand inquisitive Pandora, as represented by Mr.J. W. Waterhouse, seems to lack that air of mystery,befitting the weird old myths of the days of thegods. Mr. Orchardson exhibits a fine and strikingportrait, the figure clothed in a Titianesque redrobe edged with fur, with a chain, bearing a largegold medal, about the neck. The head is beautiful,and stands clearly out from the dark background—a rich, but sober work, full of genuine art.Mr. Prinsep's La Révolution is , unfortunately, nothing but a model posing, and is not likely tocause any revolution in art. Nor will the largeand cold portrait by Mr. Reginald Arthur, whosechief desire would seem to be to reproduce marble,when flesh is so lovely and stuff so soft! Mr. LaThangue charms once more with his Man with theScythe, a beautiful picture, quite moving in its sweethumility and melancholy. Mr. Frank Dicksee'swork inspires this reflection: Art ceases where meredexterity at reproduction begins; and a throne,incrusted with mother-of- pearl, no matter howlovely, is less beautiful and less noble than thehuman form seated upon it.Mr. MacWhirter's truly grand landscape effacesits neighbour, the late Lord Leighton's Clytie, despite its fine dramatic pretensions. Here is the IIOSome Pictures at the Royal Academyfalse nobility taught in the schools, and known asstyle. " Nothing is wanting the column, thelittle altar laden with offerings, all the indispensableaccessories, without which the painter would be ata loss to produce his picture. Mr. Watts, for hispart, is satisfied with Nature; and he is right, forhe can convince us with that alone. In the NewGallery he has two little pictures which achievedistinction by the lovely and simple means whichare to be found in the artist's own self, if only hebe absorbed in their production. But best of all Ilike his Infancy ofJupiter, which, somehow or other,recalls the Poussin in the Louvre, but has lessfirmness.Coming to Galleries IV. and V. we find Mr.Frank Dicksee again, his true painter's talent unhampered bythe gorgeous throne which we noticedin the last room. But what can this Confessionbe? An avowal, a crime, or a love secret? Afterall, it matters very little, for the painting suffices ,apart from the subject. To one accustomed toseeing Mr. Lavery's fine portraits in Paris it is asatisfaction to find more of them in London. Andthe same may be said of Mr. Sargent whose Portrait of a Lady in a little red cloak is delightful.Mr. S. J. Solomon is charmingly clear; moreover hehas grace and gift of colour, and draws well; also,it seems to me, a curious knack of mixing up thesacred and the profane-though this in no waydetracts from the merit of his painting. And howadmirable would be Miss Bessie Rendall's work ifonly a true knowledge of values, conveying theright impression of distances, were added to hergenuine artistic gifts.ThePassing on to Galleries VI. and VII. , one notesMiss Lucy Kemp-Welch's curious picture, withhorses sporting in the sea foam, recalling some ofthe beautiful bas-reliefs at Versailles. Mr. JohnGodward brings us back to the school of mereimitation-futile, unmysterious and inharmoniousin art, as mere imitation is in music. Behind anude figure is a mosaic, so marvellously reproducedthat it seems a pity the form obscures it.piece of marble which, as it were, forms the plinthof this living statue, is so real that one pities thepoor creature her frozen feet. But all this iscomparatively simple. The difficult task was thenaked figure (Campaspe), and despite the artist'smost admirable intentions, one cannot fail toremark that the right hand is defective, as is thedrawing of the shoulders. And yet it is in thingslike these that true beauty resides, and the truedifficulty into the bargain; not in vain imitationsof unpicturesque objects. Mr. Herkomer's portraits of The Bishop of London, entirely in black,and The Hon. Mrs. Gervase Beckett, in white,convey an impression of much sincerity, combinedwith great ability and power.I will venture to select Mr. Byam Shaw's picture-Whither?-as an illustration of the fact thatpainting can and should exist of itself-in beautyof form and attitude and gesture. Literature is anart, and painting is another-parallel but distinct.Thus, while admitting this artist's real ability, Imust express regret that things so profound asthose suggested in this picture were not writtenoutright, that one might have a chance of understanding them. It would have been so mucheasier and simpler, and taken so much less time.Mr. Arnold Priestman sends a lovely eveningscene, a thoroughly good picture. Mr. T. R.Spence illustrates, like Mr. Alma Tadema, the riskof putting archæology before painting, and Mr.Edwin A. Abbey that of turning history intoanecdote. His picture is a pompous and theatricalproduction, but full of good solid qualities so faras painting and culture are concerned. Mr. TomMostyn's Red Ridinghood is a piece of excellentwork, thoroughly well grasped and treated.Mr. Frank Bramley, whom we find in GalleryVIII. , is so rich in talent that one must needsregret to see that he paints everything in the samestyle, and that his walls, for instance, have no moresolidity than his figures. Long ago Molièreshowed us the stratagem of the lover masquerading in medical guise, and now Mr. Storey has treatedthis theme very entertainingly. Mr. Ellis Robertshas the good taste to admire Gainsborough, andproves his partiality by this excellent portrait donein the manner of the old master. Still in GalleryVIII. we find a most striking landscape by Mr.Coutts Michie, with the raging, lowering sky rollingas it were over the plain. In Gallery X. there is arather complicated allegory by Mr. Charles H.Sims, The Vine, containing evidence, however,of the sound qualities of which true painting ismade. Mr. Gerald Moira also gives us an allegorical picture, but simply and truthfully treated,with excellent bits of contrast philosophically andforcibly rendered. This is a work of art by agenuine painter.In the last of the Galleries, No. XI. is a landscape of extravagant dexterity by Mr. AndersonHague; also a lovely picture by Mr. A. Delug,In Early Spring, a study in soft whites; also aherd of horses by Miss Lucy Kemp-Welch, andtwo excellent portraits by Mr. Walter Osborne, inbeautiful greys of delicate values, conveying a veryIIIStudio-Talkacceptable touch of melancholy. Mr. WalterUrwick seems to have fallen into the error ofattempting to give what is termed " style " to avery simple subject. Yet he has ability enough tocultivate Nature for her own sake, without addinganything beyond that which Nature's emotionsthemselves inspire.Mr. Charles J. Allen's bronze group is somewhat in the Italian manner, but with more fulnessand breadth of treatment. One could wish themodern statues put up in our public places inFrance were more often as beautiful and as successful as these marble busts by Mr. Thomas Brock,which are also fine and expressive portraits.IIn the Lecture Room, Mr. A. Fisher exhibitsamong other things a charming bibelot of mostdelicate workmanship, representing a ship. Onewould like to paint the model, whose bust Mr.Francis Wood has done so well. It is a goodportrait, and deserving of treatment in oils. Themetal-work low reliefs by Mr. Gilbert Bayes suggestthe idea of painting, and excellent painting too.cannot speak technically of Mr. Alfred Drury'sGriselda, because unfortunately my practical experience of sculpture work does not warrant me inso doing; but at least I can safely say that hisbust of a young girl attracts one again and again.Before leaving the Academy one has to go back tohave a last look at it; and then one carries awaythat gentle and penetrating impression which onlya real work of art can produce.

AMAN-JEAN.

• • • To the August number of THE STUDIO M.

Aman-Jean will contribute a criticism ofsome paintings at the New Gallery.LSTUDIO-TALK(From our own Correspondents. )ONDON. One of the most importantof the smaller exhibitions opened inLondon during the past month is the"Pre-Raphaelite Collection " at theGoupil Gallery. The pictures includedin it are almost without exception notable examplesof the work of artists living and dead who haveexercised an indisputable influence upon the artof our times. The collection is that formed duringmany years by Mr. James Leathart, and its dispersal has been necessitated by his death. Theartists most adequately represented are DanteGabriel Rossetti, Albert Moore, Holman Hunt,Ford Madox Brown by Christ Washes Peter'sFeet, Summer Heat, and William the Conquerorfinding the Body of Harold; Lord Leighton byKing David; and Sir Edward Burne-Jones byThe Merciful Knight and Merlin and Nimue. Thislast work, a water- colour drawing, showing strongly..the influence of Rossetti, has been bought for theSouth Kensington Museum.Another small show of work which is contemporaneous with many of the best things in theLeathart collection is being held at 52 WarwickStreet by Messrs. Hacon and Ricketts. Theyhave gathered together some forty designs by A.Boyd Houghton, an artist who during a briefcareer of little more than ten years was deservedlyconspicuous as an illustrator. Among the drawingsselected for this exhibition are several of the facileand original illustrations which he executed for DonQuixote, and for books byCharles Dickens, as well asfor many ofthe tales in the Arabian Nights. Someare his actual work on the wood block, others areengraver's proofs on which he has made corrections and alterations, and others again are independent compositions reflecting his direct observationof Nature. They are all interesting, as they provehow real his power was, and quite justify the influence which he exercised upon the artists of his time.Mr. R. Gutekunst has collected at his gallery,16 King Street, St. James's, forty- six etchings,wood engravings, and lithographs by German andSwiss artists. There is certainly no lack of varietyin what he has to show, nor any want of finetechnical examples. H. Thoma's curiously primitive lithographs, for instance, are exceedingly interesting, and so are M. Klinger's imaginativecompositions executed in a strange mixture ofetching, mezzotint, and aquatint. Stauffer- Bern'stwo portraits of P. Halm, the etcher, are stronglyhandled and drawn with notable sense of form.R. Koepping's Grief is worthy of attention onaccount of the fine feeling shown for the renderingof various textures; and there is a certain barbaricfreedom in O. Greiner's Design for a Menu Card.Perhaps the best piece of work among all that thegallery contains is O. Eckman's coloured woodprint of The Swans, a decorative arrangementwhich is within a little of absolute mastery.At the Clifford Gallery a joint exhibition ofdrawings and paintings, by Mrs. Jopling and Mr.E. B. Havell, has been lately visible . Mrs. Jopling's contributions were for the most part portraitsand studies of pretty feminine faces, the best of112Studio-Talkwhich were those executed in pastel, amedium in which she has long excelled.Mr. Havell was represented by landscapes and figure subjects, the resultsof a long stay in Capri, Venice, andother parts of Italy.There are not many South Kensington students who make a reputation asdesigners before they complete theircourse in the Schools. But the nameof Leon V. Solon, although he hasceased to be a student but a fewmonths, attached to work of considerable promise, has frequently appearedin THE STUDIO. It is interesting insuch a case to see the practical outcomeof the experiments which belong to thedays of pupilage. And now that he isassociated with Messrs. Minton, a firinwith whom his father has been so longconnected, it is pleasant to see that themaster of pâte-sur-pâte has a worthysuccessor in other branches of appliedart. The tile- designs which we arepermitted to illustrate, deprived of theircolour must needs lose much of theirtrue effect, yet the plan and arrangement of their decoration is good andfresh. The manner in which the naturalistic detail of the lilies is subordinated to architectural lines, and theharmonious convention in the otherpanels of flowers, reveal a distinctlyaccomplished mastery of the material.One can but hope that the ordinaryTILES DESIGNED BY LEON V. SOLON MANUFACTURED BY MESSRS. MINTON113Studio-Talktable-ware which at present is so hopelesslytrivial may attract the young designer's attention.Whether because of the taste of the retail tradesman, or the lack of good designs, a layman maynot declare; but the fact remains that to searchfor a dinner or tea set which is not a mere copyof an old style, and yet artistic and beautiful, is ato give employment to poor gentlewomen, are notusually interesting for their art. Indeed, the designsfor needlework sold in the fancy- shops representtheir average level fairly enough. But the Decorative Needlework Society, Limited, is a payingconcern; yet it does not sacrifice artistry to charity.Making allowance for the tastes for which it caters," LA RAQUETTE " FROM A LITHOGRAPH BY A. LUNOIS(See Paris Studio-Talk)forlorn quest to- day. To make beautiful thecommon objects of daily life is worth even thesacrifice of a great artist; so if any one regrets thatone so promising as Mr. Solon has cast in his lotwith applied design, it is good to remember that afine tile is better than a mediocre fresco, especiallywhen the opportunity for tiles occurs daily, andthe fresco at present but once in a lifetime.Societies established on a philanthropic basis,there is still a residue ofreally admirable work designed in the right spirit,embroidered with great skilland taste, and not slavishlybent on copying old designs.Its church work, some ofwhich we hope to illustratelater, is full of spirit, especially in the figure subjects,which recall the best periodsof the art ofthe needle. Inrecommending the SloaneStreet Institution one maypromote the cause of philanthrophy without debasingart. Its managing director,Miss E. Gemmell, is doinga service to the applied artsthat deserves formal recognition from the press, andhearty support from thepublic.BERLIN. —Notwithstanding hiscommandingposition in theGerman artworld, it is notorious thatAdolf Menzel has had nopupils, in the strict sense ofthe word; and yet a numberof Berlin artists , chiefly ofthe modern school, lookupon him as their exemplarand chief. Although FranzSkarbina is now widely removed in manner fromMenzel, his work nevertheless springs from thesame root, and in its development ever suggeststhe great painter. But it was inevitable that theirpaths should sooner or later diverge, for Skarbina'snature was cast in a more delicate and sensitivemould than Menzel's, and his artistic instinct ismore easily stirred. Then, again, his work is notso powerful as that of the " grand old man."their several ways, however, they have both re114T.Skarbine-9681

Studio-Talkmained our most zealous and most powerful exponents of the graphic arts. Menzel was the firstreally artistic lithographer that Germany produced.At the very outset of his career he mastered thevarious methods of printing from the stone. As forthe old lithography, almost forgotten during thepast decade, Skarbina is almost its sole exponentin Berlin to- day. He does not work in themanner of the old lithographers, who were contentto reproduce from the stone a simple crayondrawing; but proceeds on the plan adopted bysection also contains a valuable series or originaldesigns by Walter Crane, Anning Bell, and others;a fine collection of book- plates belonging to Mr.Walter Hamilton, and another owned by Mr. J.Walter West; several albums by Caldecott, WalterCrane and other artists, together with a lovelyselection of bindings by Cobden Sanderson, R. deCoverley, and B. Bartlett, and a large and interesting set of business wrappers.The printed books in the French section presentMenzel, working "mit Pinsel und Schabeisen"-with no special novelty either in typography or illustrapencil and graver. All sortsof effects of light and shadespring under his touch uponthe ink-covered surface ofthe stone; and this processseems remarkably welladapted to Skarbina's delicate, nervous treatment ofhis subjects. The accompanying lithograph by Skarbina may be considered asan excellent example of hiswork, and one showing hiswonderful technical resource.Aword of praise must alsobe accorded to the printers,Messrs. Rudolf Hesse andThomas, of Berlin.PJ. S.ARIS.—The international exhibition of the"Livre Moderne "at the "Art Nouveau " Galleries is rich ininterest to any one desirousof studying the development.of modern art publishing.It will surely cause no surprise when I say that England holds the foremostplace, with the works ofWilliam Morris and theChiswick Press, the publications of Mr. Ricketts andMr. Lucien Pissaro, andthose of such firms as Dent,John Lane, George Allen,George Bell, Kegan Paul,Batsford, Heinemann, Gayand Bird. The EnglishLe MONDEMODERNEmaiMPVerneuilPOSTER BY M. P. VERNEUIL(See Paris Studio- Talk)115Studio-TalkASSOCIATION BELGE AVVAVAVAVAVAVAL DE PHOTOGRAPHIEDEUXIÈMEEXPOSITIONINTERNATIONALED'ARTPHOTOGRAPHIQVEL'EXPOSITIONSERA OUVERTE DU4 AU 15 AVRIL 1896AU MUSÉE MODERNEPLACE DU MUSÉEDE 10 A 5 HEURESPRIX D'ENTREE 50 CENTIMESLE JOUR D'OUVERTURE 5 FRCSPOSTERA.BENARD , LIECE VAVAVAVAVALBY A DONNAY►(See Brussels Studio-Talk)tion. With very few exceptions, our publishersseem to have no idea of a decorative scheme for abook, logically conceived and, so to speak, forming part of the book itself. Amateurs and collectors seem chiefly concerned to have the ordinaryeditions-often plain enough both in style andpaper-adorned with original designs. M. Gallimard, for instance, exhibits several series of illustrations of the highest value in themselves, buthaving no connection whatever with the Art of theBook, as the expression has been understood forsome years past. I must also mention the drawings done by Besnard for La Lutte pour la Vie, andL'Affaire Clemenceau, those of Jeanniot for Germinie Lacerteux, those of E. Carrière for Sapho,and Morin's illustrations of L'Assommoir.In wood engraving MM. A. Lepêre and Léveillédeservedly attract a large share of attention. Thebindings include a number of remarkable specimensby MM. Carayon, Marius Michel, C. Martin, Belville, Meunier, Mercier, V. Prouvé, Raparlier andothers, although it may be urged against some ofthese artists that they have lost sight of the trueprinciples and traditions of their craft.The numerous examples of American booksexhibited here prove that the New World as yetcan only copy the Old. The influence of theEnglish book is apparent everywhere, and howeverflattering this may be to England, it leaves smallscope for true originality among the imitators. Atthe same time, one may find in the Americansection many charming pieces of work, wellarranged, and printed in beautiful type, showingevidence of great care and artistic feeling.One need not dwell upon the German exhibits,which exemplify the most deplorable taste in heavy,fancyless ornamentation. The Scandinavian section,on the contrary, has many very successful examples,combining excellent taste with an original andcharacteristic conception of this branch of art.And the same remark applies to Belgium, where,it seems to me, they are progressing faster, and ona surer road, than we in France. Several ofthecatalogues of the " Libre Esthétique " and the"Salon des XX, " also the books printed by thefirms of Deman, Dietrich, Lyon- Claesen, and thebindings of MM. H. P. Claessen, and Van deVelde, are very characteristic examples of a genuine116Studio-Talkand earnest art movement, which is doubtlessdestined to produce most excellent results.A word must in justice be devoted to the important collection of MSS. shown at the "ArtNouveau," and forming a real attraction to thepublic. To give an idea of the interest centred inthis exhibit, it suffices to mention the names ofafew of the more famous or best known authorsrepresented here—Théodore de Banville, J. Barbeyd'Aurévilly, Honoré de Balzac, Paul Bourget,Aurélien Scholl, Anatole France, A. De Musset,Baudelaire, Maurice Barrès, François Coppée, thebrothers de Goncourt, Emile Zola, AlexandreDumas, Alphonse Daudet, Leconte de Lisle,Victor Hugo, Lamartine, Paul Hervieu, Ruskin,Nietzche, Strindberg, and Sudermann.M. André Marty has just published, in continuation of his series of " School Pictures," a remarkable lithograph in colours, called Alsace, the workof M. Etienne Moreau-Nélaton, whose album oforiginal lithographs, Les Grands Saints des PetitsEnfants, is well-known as a production of greatcharm and high imagination. This process oflithography, now in such rapid course of revival, ishandled by M. Moreau-Nélaton with the utmostoriginality and sureness of touch.M. A. Lunois' latest lithograph in colours, reproduced here, is shown at Sagot's. La Raquetteis a sunny little work, of powerful and strikingeffect. I know nothing by this artist quite so goodas this lithograph. Its freedom of design and colouris very effective, with the warm light of the summersun upon the verdure of grass and tree, and themauve and yellow tints in the dresses of the twogirls.One of the most successful posters recentlyissued is that composed by M. Verneuil for LeMonde Moderne, and illustrated here.An exhibition of Renoir's work at Durand- Ruel's,and at Georges Petit's a collection by A. Boulardan artist of mature age, who is exhibiting for thefirst time in public-are deserving of detailednotice. One would have plenty to say about bothASSOCIATION POUR L'ENCOURAGEMENTBERCHMANSDES BEAUX-ARTSSalonVILLEDE LIEGEDE1896Place SEFAULDUMAI-7JoinAUVi Le Cagede Bargains ExheviPOSTER(See Brussels Studio- Talk)BY E BERCHMANS117Studio-Talkdisplays much that is favourable, and much thatis the reverse. G. M.BRUSSELS. -The little group of Liègeartists, mention of whom was made inTHE STUDIO recently, have distinguished themselves at the Liège Salon,as they did at the Exhibition of Postersat the Maison d'Art, and at the Salon of the Champde Mars in Paris. At the last- named exhibitionM. G. Serrurier is represented by one of those ingenious " interiors " of his, such as he showed inthe galleries of the Exposition de la Libre- Esthétique. Visitors will remember his charming worktable ( 1894) in polished orange- coloured wood,and his frieze of large poppies; also in 1895 his"chambre d'artisan, " very interesting in its freshand bright simplicity. But M. Alexandre's excellent photographs speak for themselves, and renderany further description superfluous.It was in a publication called Caprice- Revue,managed by M. Maurice Siville, and edited byM. A. Bernard, that MM. E. Berchmans, A.Donnay, and A. Rassenfosse, made, so to speak,their first appearance; and after that they workedtogether on a curious magazine styled Floréal.The experience thus gained soon developed thequalities required for the utilisation of their naturaltalents. M. Berchmans' beautiful poster for theLiège Salon (see page 117) is very striking, with itsbold colouring in blues and reds; and in anotherfor the " Exposition de L'Art Indépendant " he hascleverly utilised the light-brown shade of the paperfor his flesh tints. M. Donnay's poster for the SalonPhotographique (see page 116) is equally successfulin its colouring. It is worth remarking that theseare real posters, intended to be stuck on the walls,and seen by the passer-by, and not, as so many are,simply enlarged vignettes intended chiefly for thecollector's album.44 UNE CHAMBRE D'ARTISAN 'DESIGNED BY G. SERRURIER(From a Photograph by Alexandre. See Brussels Studio- Talk)118Studio-Talk" UN CABINET DE TRAVAIL "1(From a Photograph by Alexandre . See Brussels Studio- Talk)The little drawings made by MM. A. Donnayand A. Rassenfosse to illustrate the works of N.Defrecheux (see page 122), published byA. Bernard,of Liège, have just the style suited to stories andpopular verses such as these. And the same remarkapplies to the drawings executed by them for thelittle volume of poems by M. E. Rassenfosse-"Ditun page. "M. Donnay's latest work attracted a good dealof attention at the recent Poster Exhibition at theMaison d'Art. It is a design for the third of aseries of posters being prepared under the directionof M. Siville for an Insurance Company. Thesecond of the series, by M. E. Berchmans, is alsoa great success. Needless to attempt to enumerate the great quantity of work of all kinds produced by these three artists-drawings, oils, etchings, engravings in vernis mou and lithographs.DESIGNED BY G. SERRURIERLiège is due not to any new-fangled caprice or anystale tradition, but is really the sincere expressionof a true and original conception of decorative art.F. K.MUNICH. -The Spring Exhibitionof the "Secession " closed at theend of April, and early in Junethe Summer show was opened, aswas also that of the Artists ' Association-or " Künstlergenossenschaft. " The members of the latter give evidence of having learntsomething from their rivals, the Secessionists.Although the Glass Palace contains no speciallyremarkable works, and despite the fact that severalof its shining lights, especially that tasteful andtalented artist F. A. von Kaulbach, are verymodestly represented, the exhibition is distinctlyabove the average, by reason of the unregrettedabsence of the numerous " pot- boilers " which tookup so much room in former years. Of course, thereIt is worthy of note that this art- movement in have always been many excellent works on view,119Studio-Talk" UN CABINET DE TRAVAIL(From a Photograph by Alexandre. See Brussels Studio-Talk)but they were crowded and spoilt by the mass ofrubbish around them. All this has been alterednow, and the result is a most respectable all- rounddisplay, with some particularly good work in thedepartment of landscape.Special collections form an important feature ofthe exhibition, two of the rooms being devotedto the works of Moritz von Schwind, who wasborn in 1804 in Vienna, and died in 1871 inMunich. But little known abroad, Schwind was,nevertheless, one of the most distinctive and mostimposing figures in modern German art. Theromance of Germany is realised in his paintings,just as Schubert realised it in music, and Eichendorff in poetry; and with the same deep feeling,the same fine sense of the magic of saga andlegend, all expressed with the harmonious grace ofhis artistic method. It must be admitted thatSchwind-as was also the fate of all the GermanDESIGNED BY G. SERRURIERartists of the first half of the century-neverbecame complete master of technique and colouring; but his simple fancy and aristocratic tasteare beyond reproach. The best of his oil- paintingsare in the Schach Gallery, but several very charming and striking examples are, nevertheless, to beseen in this collection, which is particularly rich indrawings and water- colour sketches for his Cycleof Fairy Tales, and also his frescoes for the ViennaOpera House.Although the spring exhibition of the " Secession " brought out several pictures of the earlyyears of Hans Thoma, the full development of thatpainter's work may best be studied at the GlassPalace, in a collection arranged by himself, andcontaining his works from 1861 to 1896. Hisearliest picture, a landscape study in oils, shows afreshness of colouring and execution which at thattime was by no means general; and although manyof his later things of the sixties and the seventies120Studio-Talkare not absolute works of art, they all show artisticmerit in their freedomfrom mawkishness and anecdotal accessories. Thoma proves himself thepossessor of a true sense of form, in the doubleportrait of himself and his wife, and reveals a landscapist of eminent command of tone, in hisluminous summer scene ( 1894) , and in his eveningriver piece ( 1887 ). And what simple grandeurthere is in the work entitled Einsamkeit-the nudefigure of a youth, who crouches on a cliff in dreamymeditation, the outlines of the slight body standingclearly out from the blue space of sky and sea.One of the large galleries contains works of allkinds by Adolf Menzel-oil paintings, such as theEisenwalzwerk, lithographs, etchings, water- colours,pen-and- ink sketches. It is impossible here inthis brief space to attempt to do justice to this,the greatest of our genuine realists, nor is it necessary, since your Berlin correspondent, on the occasion of the Menzel Celebration in Berlin in December last, dealt fully with his work. I will,therefore, content myself now with mentioninganother realist of the "grand manner"-WilhelmLeibl-a series of whose works, illustrating thevarious periods of his development, is also onview here. Two tendencies combine in Leibl, firstone and then the other predominating, and sometimes combining in creations of the highest artisticvalue. The one tendency is in the direction of themodern picturesque manner, with the minute technical skill which he made his own after the modelof his French contemporaries, such as Courbet.On the other hand, he finds an epic delight inthings themselves and in their detail, as he foundthem in the old masters, like Dürer and Holbein.To this second manner belongs the picturenow in the possession of a private owner-DreiBäuerinnen in der Kirche, which was exhibited in1883, and caused a profound and well-deservedsensation. To the same tendency must be ascribedthe Tischgesellschaft, which may now be seen in theGlass Palace. Of his other pictures I will simplyhaa 66INGLE-NOOK DESIGNED BY G. SERRURIER(From a Photograph by Alexandre . See Brussels Studio - Talk)121Reviews of Recent Publicationsmention Hände mit Gewehr, a study in oils, andDie Wildschützen, wonderfully clear and sure in itsmodelling, and at the same time of the most striking and picturesque effect. Leibl is, and hasing matter upon such a subject could have been collected together. The numerous illustrations withwhich the work is embellished add not a little to itsvalue, while the collection of facsimile horn books,neatly and mysteriously stowed away within itscovers, turns the volumes into cabinets of curiosities.The volumes are excellently well bound in vellum,and the limited edition should soon meet with delighted purchasers.Considerations on Painting. BY JOHN LAFARGE. (London: Macmillan & Co. Price 6s.net. )—As this book is merely a reprint of certainlectures given by the author to his students at theMetropolitan Museum of New York in the yearཐILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE WORKS OF N. DEFRECHEUX(LIÈGE A. BERNARD) . BY A. RASSENFOSSE(See Brussels Studio-Talk)been for years, before everything, a painter of thepeasantry, and his types of the Upper Bavarianrace, in their phlegmatic and yet passionate vigour,will continue to live in his pictures, just as do theactive and happy Netherlanders of the 17th centuryin the works of Franz Hals.REVIEWS OF RECENTPUBLICATIONS.G. K.History of the Horn Book. By ALEXANDER W.TUER, F.S.A. ( London: Leadenhall Press. 2 vols. )-We sincerely congratulate the author upon thesehandsome volumes. They are in every respect excellent. It is astonishing to us that so much interest-/ ,ངILLUSTRATIONS FROM THE WORKS OF N. DEFRECHEUX(LIÈGE: A. BERNARD) . BY A. DONNAY(See Brussels Studio-Talk)1893 it can hardly be criticised from the samestandpoint as a volume of independent and argumentative essays. The author in fact disarmsserious criticism by his prefatory apology for themanner of the book. He says that what he has122Reviews of Recent Publicationswritten here and published must necessarily sufferwhen removed from the surroundings amid whichthe lectures were delivered, and that to present itto an audience no longer consisting of his ownpupils can hardly fail to make some part of hiswork more or less unintelligible. This convictionof his will be felt to be true by every one whoreads the lectures. They require a special atmosphere and a particular setting. As they stand theyare only moderately helpful to the general public.They are evidently written by a man who hasstrong and definite convictions on art questions,but we feel the need of his personal illustrationsand of an actual knowledge of his individual modesof work to appreciate the force of his argumentsand the meaning of his phrases. The book is, in aword, too limited in its motive and too local in itsapplication to quite justify publication on bothsides of the Atlantic .The Compleat Angler by Walton and Cotton.Edited by RICHARD LE GALLIENNE. Illustratedby E. H. NEW. (London: John Lane. ) ParisI., II , and III . , Is. each. - It would have beendifficult to have selected an artist to illustrate thiswork more entirely in sympathy with it than Mr.New is proving himself to be. In the scenes inand around Waltham which are figured in the earlychapters there is much tender drawing and pleasantdistribution of parts. The drawing of the Bull'sHead Hotel at Turnford, which we here reproduce,may be accepted as a fair example of the illustrations.This edition shows every promise of being one ofthe most desirable to possess of this quaint andadmirable work.The England of To- Day. From the Portugueseof OLIVEIRA MARTINS. Translated by C. J. Willday. Price 5s. (London: George Allen. )-Englishmen are curious to learn the opinions of otherpeople upon their national characteristics, and arenot unduly sensitive when the foreign critic speaksof their foibles and defects.The series of works " As Others see Us," promised by Mr. George Allen-a series consisting of" Impressions of England and of English Life byvarious Continental Authors "-will be a welcomeone, although it must be admitted that the firstvolume is not particularly edifying.Mr. Oliveira Martins is not a flatterer. We haveTheBull'sHEHNatTurnford" THE COMPLEAT ANGLER (JOHN LANE)ISTIC MILFNSALES SMTinit.DRAWING BY E. H. NEW123Reviews of Recent Publicationsas a nation jarred his sensitive organism. Hefinds us to be savages, with here and there, perhaps,a thin varnish of civilisation . Our " misses " maybe beautiful, but their beauty is " the devil's; it isin the freshness of the skin, in the ingenuousnessof the look, in the brilliant gilding of the hair. ”But " under the velvety skin, " we are told, " hardbones are growing. The faces assume little bylittle a cutting expression," until eventually they"shrivel with veins and hard lines; their noseseither get as sharp as razors, or assume the colourof tomatoes."On the subject of Art he tells us that "in England there are painters, but not painting. " " Thereis no English painting properly so- called. " Turner'sproductions are "visions, " " hallucinations," " deliriums of discordant imagination, " " skies fantastically unreal, seas whirled by cyclones, auroras,storms, giddiness, sudden lights, fearful contrasts. "He asks: " Are the portraits by Reynolds andGainsborough at times marvels? Are Landseer'sanimals alive? Have the pictures of Rossettifounded a constellation of painters? " To thesequeries he replies sadly, " I believe not. "Such a work is beyond discussion. It is as acourse of Rosbif, sauce piquante à la Portugaise, witha strong flavouring of verjuice.Through the Dolomites. By ALEXANDERROBERTSON, D.D. (London: George Allen. Price75. 6d.) A more delightful excursion for theartist than through the Dolomites from Veniceto Toblach it would be difficult to find; and amore agreeable and useful companion for such ajourney than Dr. Alexander Robertson's handbookcould scarcely be desired. The illustrations tothis book are numerous and well reproduced fromgood photographs.Evolution in Art. By ALFRED C. HADDON.(London: Walter Scott, Limited. )-The study ofart from a biological or natural history point ofview is a fascinating one, and is of value in givingto the mind a clearer insight into the laws whichgovern art. Especially is this the case with theso- called decorative arts. The origin of constructive art, of ornament, of symbolism in art,should form the basis of study of the arts ingeneral. If knowledge were more common thanit is respecting these matters, the progress of artupon a sound basis would be better assured.Mr. Haddon's book is not the less interestingbecause it has been written from a purely scientificstandpoint. Indeed the subject is one to a largeextent of comparative analysis and can only besatisfactorily dealt with by the scientific mind.The author divides his subject into foursections: 1. The Decorative Art of British NewGuinea, as an example of the method of study;2. The materials of which patterns are made;3. The reasons for which objects are decorated;4. The scientific method of studying decorativeart.A veritable library of books might be writtenupon these questions, and Mr. Haddon in thespace at his command, can do little more thantouch, in many cases, the margin of his subject.But he has produced a work full of sound thoughtand of an eminently suggestive character.stone.Ten Auto-lithographs of the Lower Thames. ByC. E. HOLLOWAY and T. R. WAY. (London: 21Wellington Street, W.C. £5 5s. ) —The term firstemployed by THE STUDIO to distinguish a lithograph made by the artist as opposed to a photolithograph, or direct translation by another hand,appears to have supplied a want. In the revivalof lithography it will be more than ever useful todistinguish the original from the paraphrase . Thiscomely portfolio appears at an auspicious moment.Mr. C. E. Holloway, an artist singular ofability,is not unknown to readers of this magazine, whichissued recently one of his Thames lithographs.Mr. T. R. Way, the son of the expert in lithography who has steadily upheld its artistic capabilities through the long period when it was in disfavour for all save purely commercial purposes, is anotable recruit to the band of those younger menwho are working in the too long ignored art of theMr. Holloway, in his Sunset-Lower Pool,shows not merely the fine sense of composition andappreciation of values that one had expected ofhim, but singularly felicitous technique which exploits the capabilities of the craft to well-nigh theirutmost limit. Mr. Way, in his Jan. '93-Gulls atCharing Cross, has gone equally far in quite another manner. This most charming and accomplished study might alone suffice to prove thatcertain effects peculiar to the stone may be carriedinto close rivalry with mezzotint without the slightest suspicion of imitating the technique or theeffect of a totally different medium. The successachieved in each of these two instances is not afluke; for Mr. Holloway, in Limehouse Pier, Limehouse Reach, Battersea Church, and GreenwichHospital, and Mr. Way, in Lower Pool, LanarkWharf, West India Docks, and From GreenwichPier, exhibit the flexibility of the medium theyemploy so dexterously. Did space permit, each ofthe ten would fully deserve a searching criticalanalysis. But whether partly because of the124Thames the Lower ofLithographs Auto -")W.C. Street ,21Wellington:London (LITHOGRAPH AFROM .POL LWER THE "WAY R.TBYAwards in " The Studio " Prize Competitionsnovelty of the subject, you return again to thegulls poised in " an aery morrice " over the icebound river. The poetry of the scene, its desolation and loneliness, impress you no less than theweird, unfamiliar aspect of the silent highway givenover to the birds. The advantage of completemastery of the material which this notable lithograph carries, is a proof, if proof were needed, thatthe expert has overwhelming odds in his favour atthe start . One quality that is peculiarly noticeablein the work of both these artists deserves appreciation. Mr. Whistler, as all men know, has usedlithography in his own inimitable fashion and enriched the craft with a century of masterpieces .But here no suggestion of his strongly individualmethod is discernible. Each draughtsman hastried to set down what he saw with his own eyes,and hence the result is one to be judged on its ownmerits and praised accordingly. For all men canraise the flower when all have the seed; and toimitate Mr. Whistler with more or less-generallymuch less success is the misguided effort of ascore of lithographers. Mr. Charles Shannon andMr. Rothenstein have added to the art in waysalike distinct from that of its greatest living exponent, and from those adopted here. But beforethe work of each, one is not anxious to compare,but content to enjoy the achievement of each lithographer because he has dared to be himself. Forclever paraphrase and facile imitation do but helpto belittle the hero they profess to reverence; whileself-expressed personal work is always worth attempting, and has in it a chance of immortalitywhich no mere paraphrase may hope to attain.WARDS IN " THE STUDIO "PRIZE COMPETITIONS.A3DESIGN FOR AN ADVERTISEMENT.(B XXXII. )The FIRST PRIZE (Two guineas) is awarded toYarrah (Joseph Diplock, 24 Edburton Avenue,Brighton).The SECOND PRIZE ( One guinea) to Clymping(L. J. Ginnett, 27 Wellington Road, Brighton).Honourable mention is given to the following:-A. B. C. (Mary M. Wroe, 29 Clarendon Road,Chorlton - on - Medlock, Manchester); Beatrice(Alice B. Balls, " Branksome, " Greenhill Park,Harlesden, N.W. ); Clyde ( T. S. Galbraith, Brighouse, Yorks); Enid (Ethel Cassels Gillespy,Wehrhahn 25, Düsseldorf, Germany); EymoreWood (William Tyndale, Springvale, HabberleyRoad, Kidderminster); Hope (Glencairn Shaw, 12Kennington Crescent, W.); Impluvium (W. M.Barnes, 6 Park Avenue, Shear Brow, Blackburn);Magenta (Alfred France, Horsforth, near Leeds);Mik ( M. J. Hall, 5 Nelson Square, Bradford);Nosque ( H. Walton, 82 Great Horton Road, Bradford); and Spero (Florence Grant, " Waverley,"Beckenham Road, Beckenham, Kent).DESIGN FOR A POKER-WORK PANEL.(C XXX. )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toPekin (Mary G. Houston, 139 Fulham Road,S.W.).The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Psalm(F. G. Froggatt, 45 King Street, Morley, nearLeeds).Honourable mention is given to the following:-Achilles (T. H. Wakefield, Hadley Green, Barnet); Doris (Jessie Hay, The Cedars, WestgateRoad, Beckenham); Impluvium (W. M. Barnes,6 Park Avenue, Shear Brow, Blackburn); JohnWilkins (Juliet Williams, "Yanwath," King's Road,Richmond, Surrey); Lysikrates (Janet Brennand,Bradbourne Thorpe, Marlborough Road, Bournemouth West); Mik ( M. J. Hall, 5 Nelson Square,Bradford); Pills (Charles M. Crosby, 19 Queen'sSquare, W.C.); and Sixpence ( George S. Tanner,The Knoll, Frith Hill, Godalming) .PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NATURE.EXTERIOR OF A CHURCH(D XXIII. )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toOrchid (William Wainwright, Pembury Court,Kent).The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Buttercup (S. Conway, Inglecroft, Beckenham).Honourable mention is given to the following:Attenborough Church (Henry Johnson, 11 AyrStreet, Nottingham); Aunt Sarah (Ada S. Boore,Oatlands Park, Surrey); Black Pear ( Mrs. Geo. E.Hyde, Foregate Street, Worcester); Birchgrove(Mrs. G. J. Hall, 71 Sackville Road, West Brighton); Chipstead (J. C. Smith, Nandana, Penrith);Chic- a- lee (M. C. Cameron, Little DewchurchVicarage, Ross, Herefordshire); Honor ( Miss H.Legge, Bramdean House, Alresford, Hants);Hatun Bathun (Walter Rossiter, 5 Pulteney Street,Bath); Newton Kyme (Rev. G. E. Simpson, 12Newgate, Pontefract); Sans Luis Rey (T. H.Palache, 900 Eddy Street, San Francisco, Cal. );Silvanus ( H. W. Simpson, Keble Cottage, Oxford);Tredington (W. T. Greatbatch, 30 SmallbrookStreet, Birmingham); and Viator (B. Dickson, 7Glenluce Road, Blackheath, S.E.) .126Poker-Work Panel (Competition C XXX. )FIRST PRIZESECOND PRIZEDRYGSOHE GIVETH TOMEDIGINE HEAL THEIRSICKNESS" PEKIN" PSALM "127Poker-Work Panel (Competition C XXX.)HON. MENTION " PILLSThe meanest weed of the gardenserueth outo many uses enHON. MENTION " LYSIKRATES "128Poker-Work Panel (Competition C XXX. )HON. MENTION " SIXPENCE "HON. MENTIONतरद"MIK129FIRST PRIZE(COMP.D XXIII.) EXTERIOR OFACHURCH. FROMA PHOTOGRAPHBY"ORCHID"2Church Exteriors (Competition D XXIII.)44 SECOND PRIZE BUTTERCUPHON MENTION " ATTENBOROUGH CHURCH131The Lay Figure, and its FriendsHE LAY FIGURE, AND ITSFRIENDS.T"You really believe that no unrecognised genius is starving in a garretnow, labouring at pictures which one day wil!evoke sensational bids at Christie's; or what isstill more likely, that we see his work at somesecond- rate show or badly reproduced in a cheapmagazine, only to pass it by with faint praise," theLay Figure said. " No! I cannot rate the presentso highly. All previous generations have beenblind to some of the best of their contemporaries,and why should not ours be also . "66 " But no other period, " the Journalist replied,' enjoyed the same publicity, the fierce whitelight ""-that beats upon a throne ' does not penetrate everywhere, " said the Lay Figure. " I don'twant to be rude, but I do not think you wouldback up a man you discovered for all you wereworth. Unless other people agreed with you, youwould doubt you own opinion. ""Of course," said the Journalist, with raremodesty, “ one may be wrong, but no other timewas like ours. Surely our fault is too quickappreciation. ""Humph! " was the Lay Figure's classic buthardly courteous retort. " You own you wouldnot back your own judgment if you were in aminority of one. That is right, because if youwill pardon the frankness, I don't think you havethe critical knowledge which would support you inthe effort .""Well, who is the new genius up your sleeve,"retorted the Journalist. " We all know your vivid ifephemeral belief in ugly ducklings, and the immature eagles you keep by you in coops. ""Even prejudice attacks unworthy objects attimes, " said the Lay Figure, laughing. " But," itcontinued, " surely the heaviest weight on our conscience to-day is a doubt if we have enough beliefin our minds to recognise real greatness. Thespecious clever person is sure to be ' discovered ';but the true artist, not abreast of his day, but farahead, is apt to wait in the darkness, as he did before the lady journalist turned an honest penny bysuperfluous praise in paragraphs, or the magazinessearching for novelty sometimes mistook it for art. ”"This must mean you have made a new find,"said the Liberty- tie man. "Who is it this time? "The Lay Figure did not answer, but went on." Don't you see, that to be dull and unresponsivewhen an artist pleads is the one sin we feel we cannever commit. But you know, " it said, turning tothe Journalist, " the ' inside ' of much laudationto-day; you know that half the eulogy on certainartists is merely praise of the man you happen tolike as an acquaintance. "" True," said the Journalist, "but any one canread between the lines. The puff oblique isalways sure to betray itself. Besides, it is only amove in the game. ""Amove in the game?" said the Lay Figure,bitterly. " Yes; that is the real confession . Wereckon the game of more consequence than thepieces.""Which again implies your latest protégé hasbeen snubbed? " said the Liberty-tie man." It means that the high gods who control thedestiny of the game have not imparted their secretto us," said the Lay Figure. " Your dogma thatpopular success is the hall- mark of incompetenceis not worse than yours (addressing the Journalist)to think it the opposite. The question is whenyou are both wrong, who shall be right? "" But what are we to do? " said the Journalist."I wish I knew, or anybody knew, " said the LayFigure. " I think the wisest plan is to be suspiciousof all fashionable ' work, whether it is the fashionof the mob, of the ' poseurs, ' or even of artists, andto look twice at work that offends you by its uncouthness, its lack of subtlety, or even its faults oftechnique. Sentimentality on the one hand, virtuosity on the other, are each claiming to be thesole vested patentees of ART. But, after all, it isinvariably the master we praise; one who hasimposed his power on us by sheer force of hissuperiority; and whether he is recognised earlier orlater makes little real difference to him, but allto us, if we would leave an honourable reputationbehind us, because nothing irritates the nextgeneration more than the apathy of the previousone to the gods it chooses. "" But how will that affect us? " said the Journalist. " They will forget us in any case, and even ifour recognition happens to be bestowed on lasting works, it will be deemed merely the obviousattitude.""Suppose we talk of the latest process instead, "said somebody.At once the rest brightened up. Art, even ityou are quite sure you possess it, is depressing tothose who intend to live by it, but ' process ' isalways a good battle- cry, and an excellent substitutefor Art. Whether an etching is or is not betterthan a photogravure is still a point undecided inmany minds. " THE LAY FIGURE.132

WeH WARD & Co L'dPORTRAIT OF THE LATEEDMOND DE GONCOURTBY EUGÈNE CARRIÈREEugène CarrièreEUGÈNE CARRIÈRE.FRANCES KEYZER.BY"So short is the way between thegates of birth and death, that hardlyshall a man choose the road he will follow, hardlyshall he learn somewhat of his own soul, ere theultimate darkness overtake him."In that brief time of wayfaring, we have eachour pleasures and our pains. Let us see to it thatat least they are our own, that all our doings arethe veracious expression of them, and that theyresemble none but ourselves alone."It is with the desire that these things should beso, that I present my works to those whosethoughts are akin to mine. To them I owe arecord of my endeavours, and these I now submitto them."I seethe rest of my fellows in myself, and I findmyself again in them, and that which thrills mysoul to them is precious also."The love of the manifestations of Nature is themeans of understandingwhich Nature imposes onme. I know not if thatwhich is material separatesitself from that which isspiritual, a gesture beingwill made visible, but Ihave always felt them one."The strange surprisesthat Nature yields to thevision quickened by thepower of a penetratingthought, the blending ofthe present and the pastin our memories and ourselves it is in all thesethings that I find my joyand my torment."Nature's mysteriouslogic controls my mind,into one sensation aregathered so many concentrated forces."Forms which existless in themselves than byvirtue of their thousandrelationships, all, in a faroff reaction, come back tous again by subtle ways.I find in Nature an intimate answer to the beliefsVIII. No. 41.-AUGUST, 1896.I here profess, and my work is compact of faithand admiration."It is my hope, then, that the works here presented may to some degree bear witness to thatwhich I love so well. "This is the preface Eugène Carrière has writtento the catalogue of the works he has been exhibitingat Bing's Art Gallery, and these few lines explain atonce the intention of the artist and the nature ofthe man. The thought is as veiled in his prose as itis in his painting; but when once the wish to understand takes possession of us, the meaning breaksupon us as the flash of lightning that sunders thecloud, and it is as clear as light itself. Themysterious haze that hangs over his painting findsits exact equivalent in his personality; even in hisutterances there is a sort of cloudiness, which,however, gradually disappears as the grandeur ofhis ideas reaches us, and as we arrive at the depth ofhis thought and see the solid structure of the formbeneath the indefiniteness of outline. Carrière,WOMAN AND CHILD FROM A PAINTING BY E. CARRIÈRE135Eugène Carrièreneither as a man nor as an artist, is understood ata cursory glance. The majority pass him by at amixed exhibition, for the low tone, the absence ofvivid colouring in his paintings do not attract theunobservant. But let the uneducated in Art butfix one of the grey-toned works; let him but lookfor a moment at the seemingly indistinct canvas, andhe will be enthralled, engrossed, affected perhapsto tears.Carrière is the portrayer of Maternity, but notmaternity as it has been handed down to us bythe Old Masters, impersonated by the Madonnaand Child. He paints the human mother, thesuffering, fearful, anxious, human mother, themother of to-day, and not merely with the pessimistic ideas of this century, but with the universalidea of all centuries of a mother's love as the allfearing passion it is. Even in the maternal caress,the yearning far-seeing light in the eyes, the encircling arm around the child, tell of the protectionthe little one will require; of the trouble, of thesorrow, of the parting; of life as the womanknows it and fears it for the soft, innocent bit ofhumanity she would give her soul to shield. Allthis breathes like a human being from Carrière'swork, and the breath stirs even him who but stopsin his round as a sight-seer, the man who seeks noinfluence in art and possibly ignores its veryexistence. To the student, to the philosopher, itis almost a religion, it has the purifying influenceof all great work. Carrière does not paint laughing childhood nor the proud love of the youngmother who knows nothing but the joys of life;nor the mother who bears her children and leavesthem to fate while she works for the political rightsof her sex. It is always the woman of the middleclasses he paints, the woman, as are the majority ofwomen, with the cares of her children upon her, withher share in life's work well defined, with her part inthe great battle perfectly clear, with the consciousness of her mission so well understood that thereenters no thought of that so-called emancipation.MOTHERLY CARES FROM A PAINTING BY E. CARRIÈRE136Eugène Carrière" MOTHER AND CHILD "It was after his early days spent at Strasbourg,after his eyes had been opened to the beautyof the structure of the human face-under thefascinating influence of those marvellous paintingsof La Tour at Saint- Quentin-after the study ofthe Old Masters in Dresden, and the few years atthe Beaux- Arts, under Cabanel, that he passedfive years of his life at Vaugirard, in a little bystreet, with his wife and children as his models andwith work as his absorbing thought-work, longand tedious, far into the night, and with thepassionate fervour that could not be otherwise thanfruitful with the steadfast, honest purpose he hadin view. In the midst of his family, at his sidehis wife, who has been the ideal companion of theartist-such an one as Andrea del Sarto dreamedfor the completion of his talent, to have liftedhim to the level of Raphael and Angelo-thewoman to whom he owed the inspiration of hisgreat subject of Maternity; here at VaugirardCarrière's talent may be said to have taken shape.Carrière is not only the painter of Maternity, heis a great portrait painter; one who, while drawingthe external forms, also dives into the mind. AsFROM A PAINTING BY E. CARRIÈREM. de Goncourt put it: " He seemed to pumpout my life as he fixed me with his penetratingglance." To picture the soul is Carrière's aim. Itis not his ambition to leave what he terms a beaumorceau depeinture; his mind is concentrated uponreproducing the personality of the man or womanbefore him, upon giving the sensations of theliving, thinking human being, and as we look uponthe canvas we feel the power of the artist's thoughtand do not stop to consider in what form it is conveyed to us, whether through a painting, througha poem, or through music. This mind-picturingis particularly remarkable in his portraits, not onlyof Edmond de Goncourt, but of Alphonse Daudet,Jean Dolent, Gabriel Séailles, Gustave Geffroy, andVerlaine.In Edmond de Goncourt's portrait Carrière hasgiven us a full measure of his art; he expresseswith great clearness and strength the character ofthe author in the eyes and forehead and in thesubtle touches of the mouth.M. Alphonse Daudet, in the original painting,is seated with his child, a little girl, near him.The hands, which are always so admirably under137Eugène Carrièrestood in Carrière's works, tell a story of inexpressible sadness. One long thin hand hangsdown listlessly, tired and nerveless, the other restsupon the head of the child, and is not only thehand of a man worn with suffering, but of a fatherwhoalmost unconsciously looks into the future andpresses the small fingers beneath his as with aWARD & COA STUDYparting caress. The tragic beauty of the author'shead is the expression of a Christ, the pale emaciatedface appearing even whiter next the brown beard;the hair faintly tinged with grey, the beautifulbended head too weighty for the neck, theshoulders, the arms, all tell their sad tale in language so clear as to have been too painfully truefor the author's family, at whose request a secondlikeness was painted less sad, but also less true.As a work of art this portrait of Daudet will live.As a drama it grows in intensity as we analyse thegreat truths Carrière depicts in such strong, contrasting lines, and we seize the strength, the precision of the drawing, beneath the atmosphere inwhich he envelopes his figures, while taking intheir melancholy philosophy.Carrière draws like asculptor. He gives height,width, and depth to hisforms, and, after the precepts of the Old Masters,paints the interior of theform. He gives not onlythe solid shape, but theexpression, and graduallydoes away with that whichis not absolutely essential;he accentuates certainfeatures and fixes the attention there where hedeems it importantmethods whose resultsare most apparent in hisportraits of M. JeanDolent and M. GabrielSéailles.One ofthe most important of his works, now inpossession of M. Gallimard, is the famousThéâtre de Belleville, thatwonderful study of humannature that was exhibitedlast year at the Salon atthe Champ de Mars, andcreated such a sensationin the world of art andletters. The public, thefirst few days, kept aloof;they were as those whohad eyes and saw not, butgradually the magnetic influence of the artist's sincerity affected them asthey passed before the grey canvas, and theystopped unconsciously and fed upon the greatthoughts that were so grandly and simply expressed.Until near the closing of the exhibition there wereeyes for nothing but the Theatre, and everybodyseemed to have caught the reflection of a spark ofthe artist's genius. I recall it now. It is a viewof the interior ofan " East End " theatre, a study ofthe people in the gallery. The stage is hiddenBY E. CARRIÈRE138PORTRAIT OF ALPHONSEDAUDET. BY EUGÈNECARRIÈRE

Eugène Carrièrefrom us, we can only see the faces of themen and women intent upon the drama that isbeing unrolled before them. The theatre is insemi- darkness, there is an inscrutable depth fromthe half- circle described by the gallery to the pitbelow. The only light is received from the loweredoil flame through a red lantern on one side, and aray of silver light on the other, dimly showing theeager, watching people, some standing, some sitting,but all intent upon catching each sound that issuesfrom the stage, and following every movement ofthe play. Gallery audiences have been depictedover and over again, but nobody before Carrièrehas attempted to give an insight into the minds ofthe listeners, many of whom have lived that life ofmisery or crime that is being reproduced on thestage, and which Carrière shows so plainly in theirbended figures and theirintent expression.The exhibition of hisworks, to which I referredin the opening paragraph,has been a revelation to thepublic, and even to thosewho have always rankedhim among the great masters . An exhibition ofpaintings by one artist, likea programme of the musicof one composer, is thesupreme test of greatness.There is always the fear ofmonotony. When we gaze,however, on this marvellous collection, we find anextraordinary variety, avariety we must not seekin either the colour or thesubject. It is the fertility ofthe poet's mind that impartsto every work a differentcharm; were he to repeateach subject a dozen times,each would contain anotherthought and teach anotherlesson. We find the tenderand the tragic sides in hisgreat subject, and feel thepoet's influence in theunionof yesterday and to- day inthe same beings, in theblending of to-day with tomorrow, which will so soonbecome yesterday.Carrière, like all great men, has been attackedand misconstrued, his very sincerity questioned.But now, when his hour of triumph has come, it isinteresting to knowthe opinion which two great artcritics of France, the late Edmond de Goncourtand Gustave Geffroy, expressed at the beginningof his career. I select a passage at hazard writtenby M. Geffroy upon Carrière's first exhibition in1891 , at MM. Boussod- Vallodon's. " The hands,"he says, "which he describes and models in a fewstrokes of the pencil, can bear comparison with themost celebrated hands in the most impeccable ofdrawings. For Carrière's hands are endowedwith a separate existence and are specially indicativeof character. He seems to caress with infinitedelicacy the tiny, dimpled hands of childhood, thesubtle, dreamy hands of woman, and is penetratedPORTRAIT OF M. GABRIEL SÉAILLES AND CHILD BY E. CARRIÈRE141Dieppe, Rouen and Chartreswith a reverent tenderness for the hands of oldage, resting after long toil. Whether he paintschildhood, dreamy youth, or toiling motherhood; orwhether in unforgettable lines he gives you thefaithful presentments of those whom he has studiedand observed, whom he reveals to themselves inthese astonishing biographies on canvas; always byhis mastery of form, his knowledge of modelling;by all his qualities as painter, draughtsman, composer; always with no weakening of his splendidtechnique, he brings to bear an element of philosophy, he addresses himself to the understandingof his intellectual compeers."M. de Goncourt said: " Carrière, like Watteauand Gavarni, has a passion for drawing hands, andwhenever he paints a portrait, on however small ascale, he seeks most usually to insist on the expression of the hand as much as on that of theface of his subject. He constructs his figures afterthe fashion of a sculptor modelling in thin clay."From this short analysis of Eugène Carrière itwill be easily gathered that he is as much a painterof the mind as of the form; and his work, in whichhe reveals himself as poet, psychologist, and painter,will go down to posterity.FRANCES KEYZER.was undertaken our first impressions were fully realised . On the quay groups of bronze- faced sailors,uncombed though not uncomely women, andtattered bare-footed children passing the time ofday with others of their kind on board the closelypacked fishing-smacks, invited our attention;and passing through cobble- paved side-streets,unmolested, wonderful to relate, save by anoccasional demand for un sou from a shoelessstreet arab, many fine old squares were discoveredand dimly lit interiors, out of which emerged fromtime to time wrinkled dames whose cotton capsand sailcloth aprons afforded admirable additionsof colour against the simple backgrounds. Theseweather-beaten old creatures appeared to spend thelivelong day in tracing and retracing their steps toand from a pump situated at the foot of a flight ofstone steps where, as a recreation from labour,much spicey gossip seemed to be retailed amidsta varied assortment of pails and pitchers. Somecuriosity is aroused in the mind of the casualobserver as to what use these endless bucketsof water are put, for the squalid surroundingsDIEPPE, ROUEN AND CHARTRES AS A SKETCHINGGROUND. BY GIFFARD H.LENFESTEY.LOFTY white cliffs capped with green turf andstudded with quaint cottages, shaky old houses withtottering roof lines and fantastically shaped chimneys, forests ofmasts hungwith shimmering nets andhalf filled sails of every hue, a quay thronged withfisher-folk bedecked in multi- coloured costumes,and, towering above all, the grand old Gothicchurch of St. Jacques, whose bells rang out godspeed to the flotilla which bore away the firstFrench colonists to Canada; this was the firstpicture of Dieppe that presented itself as thesteamer came up alongside the pier.Our little party attracted no small attention as,laden with easels, umbrellas, and such like harmless necessary impedimenta, we made our wayashore, and a cursory glance round, en route tothe hotel, satisfied us that here there would be nolack of " sketchable bits; " everything appearedequally charming and equally given overpicturesque decay.When later on an organised exploring expedition" LA PORTE MORDELAISE, ' RENNESFROM A DRAWING BY G. H. LENFESTEY142Dieppe, Rouen and ChartresESCALIER DE LA REINE BERTHE , " CHARTRESFROM A DRAWING BY G. H. LENFESTEYappear to have enjoyed an immunity from scrubbing extending over a period of several centuries.The time of all times to study Dieppe is upon amarket day, when the town is alive with peasantsfrom the neigbouring districts,bent upon making their weeklypurchases. Along the principal streets are erected avenuesof stalls, behind which sittheir proprietors in frames offlowers, fruits, vegetables,poultry, strings of onions, andevery conceivable kind ofcomestible calculated to attract the countrymen, who,with peaked caps and blousesof cobalt blue surmounted bydazzling red scarves, passdown the rows of al frescoshops critically examining thegood things offered for theirdelectation.Gladly would we havemade a more protractedstay here, for what with itschurches of St. Jacquesand St. Remi, its fifteenth century castle, its oldworld pieces of domestic architecture, and its manytypes of " human documents," the town yieldsample food for pencil and brush. The stern edictof prearranged plans demanded, however, that weshould go to Rouen (not, let us hope, in the senseconveyed by the execrable French pun), and toRouen we proceeded accordingly.With a single- minded devotion worthy of abetter cause, a sage, it is related, once grappledwith the colossal task of analysing the atmospheric conditions of Cologne, and as a result ofhis researches announced to a wondering worldthat this city possessed and fostered no fewer thanone hundred and seventy-five individual and separate smells over and above the one for which it isso justly famed. Should any present-day scientistfeel disposed to undertake an excursion into asimilar branch of investigation he could not dobetter than turn his attention to Rouen and, as aresult, the ancient capital of Normandy wouldsurely be found to hold a world's record as regardsstrange invisible perfumes " that " hit the sense. "Whether these were characteristics of the city inages long gone by it is of course impossible toascertain, but if so, one can feel no surprise thattempers, even tempers of Royal sojourners, shouldhave incontinently worn away, that princes shouldhave fallen abrooding over insults, real or imaginary,as was undoubtedly the case at the banquet ofimmortal memory at which Charles the Bad, whowas the guest of the evening, came to such un-" LA PORTE BEUCHERESE, " LAVAL FROM A DRAWING BY G. H. LENFESTEY143Dieppe, Rouen and Chartresutterable grief. Perhaps, however, the vin ordinairealso played its part in that episode. But I amdigressing.There is little enough in Rouen that has escapedthe artist's eagle eye and ready pencil. To Coleridge's declaration that the people took theirhistory from Shakespeare and their theology fromMilton (which, by the way, can scarcely be truthfullyquoted of this generation) might be added that tothe artist all roads lead to Rouen. Painted todeath by artists, sketched to death by illustratorsand photographed to death by Messrs. Cook'sthe opening and shutting of every door, and ghostlycreaks accompanying a walker about a housewherever he goes. In the streets-roughly pavedserpentine thoroughfares-loll brown- faced youthsand dark- eyed maidens, rugged old men, wrinkledwomen, and aggressively grubby urchins, as thoughthere were little else in the wide world to do butblink in the sun and ruminate upon nothing inparticular. The Rue Robec may be mentioned asone of the most characteristic of these zig- zagstreets. It is a veritable slum, down one side ofwhich flows a brooklet, now unfortunately coveredOLD WASHING HOUSES, RENNES FROM A DRAWING BY G. H. LENFESTEYlay patrons, there is nevertheless an indescribablecharm and freshness about la ville aux vielles rues,as Victor Hugo called it . Time cannot wither norcustom stale the infinite variety of its heavily gabled,rickety old houses, sheltered by overhanging eavesand pierced by many shaped windows, brightenedhere by boxes of scarlet geraniums and there bydazzlingly white linen hung out to air; its hardoak staircases, the balusters, heavy as bed-posts,turned and moulded in quaint fashion, thehandrail as massive as a parapet top and the stairsthemselves twisting so closely as to suggest a persontrying to look over his shoulder; the irregularsurface of the floors rising into bluffs and sinkinginto valleys, every window replying by a clang toby pavement upon which are displayed collectionsof more or less musty furniture for sale at anenormous sacrifice . The life ofthis neighbourhoodis lived for the most in the open air or what doesduty for such, and the unsuspecting passer- by istreated willy-nilly to a full uninterrupted view ofthe domestic affairs of the inhabitants. Here excellent opportunity occurs for studying the groupsof old people indulging in their humble déjeunersitting upon the steps of the high pavement, whilstothers stand sentry over the stalls, from which noone appears particularly anxious to pilfer. It issomewhat startling to note the domestic uses towhich some of the churches of this part of thetown have been put since their desecration, for144GIFFAROHLENFESTEY.95.AN OLD CORNER, ROUENFROM A DRAWING BYGIFFARD H. LENFESTEY

Dieppe, Rouen and Chartresnow a beautifully mouldedceiling covers a rude andsqualid stable, while inanother building where once"through long drawn aisleand fretted vault the pealinganthem " was wont to " swellthe note of praise," the earis tortured by the perpetualrasping of a circular saw.The Rue des Matelas isanother street of stragglingquaintness, with a gutterrunning down the centre ofits winding course, but theFrench equivalent for acounty council has commenced to improve it offthe face of the earth, andalready a considerable number of old houses have givenway to modern red-brickcottages. Rouen, like othertowns in Normandy, isgradually becoming modernised, owing to the increasingimportance of its manufactures, and many of thosecharming old streetssketched by Prout andothers now no longer exist.A delightful little cornerinside the court- yard ofthecathedral, which has beentransferred to canvas timeswithout number, is doomed,along with other well known.landmarks to be swept awayvery shortly. It must beacknowledged, however, thatmany things still remain-the churches, thefountains, the Hôtel Bourgtheroulde, the Palais deJustice, and the Grosse Horloge, which are everfull of architectural interest and deserving of farmore attention than it is possible to devote to themin the limited space at my disposal.STAIRCASE, ROUEN CATHEDRALThe virtues and advantages of early rising havebeen extolled from time immemorial. The advocates of lying in bed late have so little chance ofbeing listened to that they seldom venture to assertthemselves, and must take comfort from the thoughtthat their habit is more imitated, if less admired,than the other. But I would emphatically impressupon a visitor to Rouen the desirability, if theFROM A DRAWING BY G. H. LENFESTEYmorning breaks fair, of shaking off dull sloth andrising with the lark, or if possible before that energetic fowl, and making the ascent of Bon- Secours,which lies to the east of the city. He will be amplyrewarded for his self-sacrifice, for the panorama unrolled to his view is unrivalled in any part ofFrance. The morning sun, with little enoughpower in it, but luminosity enough to satisfy thesoul of any artist, sends slant rays across the dewyfoliage. From the eminence one looks down uponthe closely- packed city, upon the spire of thecathedral, the towers of St. Ouen and St. Maclou,the many lofty chimneys, from which clouds ofsmoke are issuing, while the mists curl up from the147Dieppe, Rouen and ChartresSeine as it winds its way through three bridges andencircles a little island. Below the mount, yet farabove the town, a road winds round some chalkcliffs. Behind all an amphitheatre of hills, onecovered by a plantation of trees, whose upper vergeforms a line over the crest, fringing its arched curveagainst the sky like a mane. All is blue save theriver and the little patches of landscape whichcatch the golden light of the morning sun. Thesight, as I said before, is worth the seeing, and wellbalances the hardship of turning out at an inconveniently early hour.In Chartres one's surroundings are somewhatdifferent in character from those met with in theNormandy towns. The streets havenot that crumbling look about them,nor are they so thickly populated,and every one seems dressed withmore care, as though they lookedupon their little town as quite animportant city. The trenchant criticism of a motley and picturesquemob is not one of the ills to beborne as at Dieppe, neither is lifemade a burden to the industriousartist by the attentions of theubiquitous urchin as at Rouen.Most of the houses are washed eitherwhite, yellow, or bluish-grey, and,except in the evening, presentfeatures of little interest. The largecathedral of Notre Dame is one ofthe finest in France, and is probablyunsurpassed for wealth of ornamental sculpture. The façade supports two spires, one of which isfour hundred feet high, and thewindows are traced with innumerable figures exhibiting fine artisticdesign and rare delicacy of colour.There are several other handsomechurches, the more noticeable beingthose of St. Pierre and St. André,and the imposing episcopal palacefounded by Madame de Maintenonis worthy of especial note.It would be ungrateful, indeed,to omit mention of the excellenthospitality and careful attentionaccorded us in this town at theHôtel du Grand Monarque. Wewere served with excellent mealsand choicest wines, and madethoroughly comfortable at an extremely moderate cost, whilst our genial host dideverything in his power to make our stay a pleasantone, and succeeded admirably.Space will not permit of a detailed account ofthe final stages of our tour; suffice it to mentionthat Laval, with its old bridge and castle, is wellworth a visit, and Rennes, though more modern inaspect than the previous towns visited, neverthelesshas many points of interest to the artist.To sum up the trip was a delightful one, andone to be cordially recommended for a summer oran autumn holiday.RUE DES MATELAS, ROUENGIFFARD H. LENFESTEY,GIFFORD LENFESTEY 195.FROM A DRAWING BY G. H. LENFESTEY148An Enameller and his WorkMR. FISHER AT WORKAN ENAMELLER AND HISWORK. BY FRED MILLER."SOME nine years or so ago an enameller from Paris, by name M. Dalpayrat, gave a series of demonstrations, at Mr.Armstrong's initiative, before the students at SouthKensington, and it was there that I received my firstpractice in enamelling, for I was at that time anational scholar. I had used enamels on potteryfor some years before, as my father was an enamelleron pottery, and this gave me an insight into thework of metal enamelling. After the term of myscholarship expired I followed up the craft, myfirst attempt being to mend an article before anordinary kitchen fire. I received particular encouragement from Mr. T. Armstrong, the directorat South Kensington, without whom I should manya time have despaired of success. I resolved fromthe outset to master the whole subject, and commenced to experiment on the making of enamels,so that I might understand completely their capabilities and how best to develop them. This was,needless to say, a very arduous undertaking, beingmore the work of a chemist than of an artist.Except for the scraps of information, often misleading, I obtained from old books, and frommodern French and German authors, I workedentirely without assistance; and after innumerablefailures I arrived at some degree of success. Inow make all my best colours (and of course onlyFROM A PHOTOGRAPHfor myself), though whereI can buy any that are ofuse to me I do, for thereare several enamels whichrequire no special knowledge to make. I haveenamels which when firedupon copper are equal tomany of the best of othermakes fired on fine gold.The varieties of enamelling known as champlevé,cloisonné, bassitaille, pliqueà jour, and Limoges Imastered in turn."In these brief sentencesMr. Fisher tells the storyof his art career. Thosewho sawthe accomplishedwork in this year's RoyalAcademy little realise whathas gone out of the manto reach this result. Asan old pottery painter I can realise some of thedisappointments that must have stood betweenAlexander Fisher and success, for where work hasto be submitted to the trial by fire, failure, overwhich the artist has no control must-must oftenbe the enameller's only reward.The first recognition Mr. Fisher's work in enamelling received was at the Armourers andBraziers' Exhibition, at which he was awarded aprize of ten guineas, disposing of one of his enamelsin addition, the judge being Mr. Alfred Gilbert,R.A. Mr. Fisher read a short paper on enamelling before the Art- workers' Guild, and they did himthe honour of making him one of their members.Mr. Fisher was recently invited by Paris enamellersto visit them and he speaks highly of their technicalskill, less so of their aims.If anyone questions the help such a Guild affordsart-workers, they should know what Mr. Fisher hasto say. It was through a member of the Guildthat Mr. Fisher's work was in the first instancebrought to my notice, and it is in this matter ofmutual introductions which come of fellowshipthat a Guild can do much to help its members.Co-operation was Beaconsfield's panacea for socialills, and it is only by the uniting of craftsmen intoa corporation that the power of the "firm " can bestayed and the art-workman obtain some recognition.I may now say a few words concerning theprocess of enamelling on metal. An enamel con149An Enameller and his Worksists of two parts, the colouring matter, usually ametallic oxide, and a flux or fusible material whichassumes its proper condition only when subjectedto a heat sufficient to melt it. White is producedby oxide of tin, which mineral isalso added to make enamel of anycolour opaque; blue by oxide ofcobalt; red by gold; violet bymanganese; green by copper. Anenamel may be either transparentor opaque, and applied to a vitreoussurface, such as glass, pottery orchina, or to metals such as gold,silver, copper, platinum or iron,though the first three are thosemost usually employed. Theseenamels are ground into a finepowder and are applied like bodycolour and are then fired in amuffle. Mr. Fisher uses one heatedby gas, and the firing of an enamelis only the work of a few minutes.Indeed, on the occasion of a visit toMr. Fisher's atelier he allowed meto do a small enamel myself whichI brought away as a memento. Thecolours were mulled up in a mortar,and I put them on with a longhaired brush, using simply water tofloat the enamels on with it, for theymust be put on as thickly as bodycolour and not merely as a wash.The enamels before they are crushedup looked like lumps of colouredglass, but are not necessarily thetint they assume when fired; thusa ruby may look an amber and ablue a dull yellow. When I saythat the firing is the work of a fewminutes, I mean that the firing ofthe pigment into glass is so; butone of Mr. Fisher's enamels is firedmany times as one enamel is paintedover another.In all the most beautiful enamelsboth opaque and transparent coloursare used, and it is on this blending ofthese two qualities that much of theeffect depends. The metal showingthrough the transparent enamelsproduces the effect of a gem, andthin plates of gold and silver arefused to the copper to give particularqualities of colour to portions ofthework. Enamels on gold yield the most beautifulresult, but Mr. Fisher has enamels which lookalmost as well on copper. Sometimes an enamelwill have transparent colours in the backgroundJVNEXXVIMDCCCXCIVEGEJVNEXXVIMDCCCXLIVTAKIENDS OF ENAMELLED SILVER CASKET BY A. FISHER150CYLIELMO ET MARIAE TIPPINGQVINQVAGESIMYM MATRIMONI ANNVM FELICITER ACENTIBVSIZABETH EVANS AGNES LANDALEWENAMELLED SILVER CASKETBY A. FISHER

An Enameller and his Workwhile the design is opaque. This is the case inmany of the old Limoges pieces where the figuresare in white on a deep blue ground. An enamelmay be, and usually is, fired several times, as onecolour has to be painted over another, and to getfinish and definition colours very similar to thoseused on china are employed, and in much thesame way, and the effect of a miniature, so far asfinish is concerned, is obtainable. Very great carehas to be exercised in the firing, for some coloursfuse at a lower temperature than others (these haveto be put in last) and excess of heat changes thecolour of others, so that it is necessary to draw thework from the muffle at the exact moment. Thebeauty of enamels depends upon their translucent,gem- like quality, and the design must be subordinate to the charm of colour, though, as may beseen from the illustrations given of some of Mr.Fisher's work, great beauty of design and highmanipulative skill may accompany colour as beautiful as an opal.Enamels were added to gold and silversmiths'work from the fourth to the seventh century. Itbecame of the greatest importance in Byzantinegoldsmiths' work when Christianity became thereligion of the State, and has been used by them.continually down to our own time. An enamellerHONORBUCKLE IN TRANSLUCENT ENAMEL ON SILVERthe oldest form. It consists in cutting out spaceson a thickish plate of metal, and filling these inwith powdered enamel. It is then fired and afterwards filed down even with the metal and thenpolished. The few specimens of Saxon work, suchas King Alfred's jewel, are enriched in this way.BY A. FISHER[Niello is the name given to a black compositionmade of silver, lead, sulphur, and copper, which isBUCKLE IN TRANSLUCENT ENAMEL ON SILVERBY A. FISHERlaid, in the form of powder, in lines or cavitiesprepared for it on a surface of silver. It is then.passed through the furnace, when it is melted andbecomes incorporated with the metal. It is mentioned as early as the beginning of the ninthcentury. ]Cloisonné is a similar process, except that thespaces are made by wire of gold, silver, or hardbrass soldered on to the metal, usually copper.These " enclosures " are filled with enamelsapplied in the form of a paste. The work is thenfired and the surface given to it by rubbing theenamels over with stones until the whole surface issmooth. The best specimens are hand polishedand should have a soft, precious surface like somebeautiful fruit. Japanese enamels, almost entirely consist of this kind, and they are, withoutdoubt, the greatest masters of this branch of theart, and the skill with which a Japanese soldersdown the filagree bands to form the enclosures(and the design) must be seen to be appreciated.is invariably a worker in metal, and Mr. Fisher is Japanese Cloisonné is generally opaque.as much a modeller and chaser as enameller.We will now glance at the various processes employed by enamellers.Bassitaille. -The space to be enamelled is beatenor cut below the surface of the metal and thencarved or beaten in low relief, so that when theChamplevé.-This is the simplest and probably transparent enamel is placed over this the model153An Enameller and his Workling is seen through it, giving an extremely beautifulbrilliancy to the enamel, and at the same time veryfine sense of form to the modelling. This enamelhad its origin in Italy about the thirteenth century,and some of the most beautiful pieces of goldsmith's work have parts or point coloured by thismethod. It was carried to perfection by Celliniand his pupils and contemporaries. One of thefinest examples of this method is seen in the cup atthe British Museum known as the St. Agnes cup,the enamel being of great splendour on fine gold.Plique àJour. -The pattern is just made in goldor silver wire soldered together, much in the sameway as the lead in stained glass, but unlike theLimoges generally consists in a subject beingpainted in a semi-opaque white enamel on a darkground in which the thickness and degrees of thinIMSNOSTRANOCOTRIPTYCH OF THE CRUCIFIXIONENAMEL WORK BY A. FISHERWARWICKSMEMORIAL TO THE LATE EARL OF WARWICKENAMEL WORK BY A. FISHERglass the enamel is fused into these spaces withouta ground. This work is extremely delicate andfairy-like, and seemed to Mr. Fisher at one timeto present an insuperable difficulty, but he atlength overcame it.ness of the white give the light and shade. Thisis sometimes coloured with transparent enamel.The well- known Battersea enamels of the eighteenthcentury, many examples of which are to be seen inSouth Kensington Museum, were done by firstcovering the metal with opaque white enamel, andthen firing it and painting on the vitrified surfacein ordinary china colours.The qualities which appeal to one most inenamelling of a transparent kind (that is, wherethe metal ground is distinctly seen through theenamel) are brilliancy and preciousness. Thislatter quality is almost entirely overlooked, andyet to my mind, it is the most exquisite of all. It isalmost always found in early work, which is partlydue to the love, the reverence, and the humanityof the ancient craftsmen. I mean by this the distinctly human effort as contrasted with the machinework ofto-day. The Celtic and Byzantine enamelshave all the perfection one can possibly desire inthis respect. Mr. Fisher might have used thewords of Rabbi Ben Ezra: not " on the vulgar masscalled ' work,' must sentence pass, things done,that took the eye and had the price; " but thatwork, the outcome of the desire to express all thatis in one which "the world's coarse thumb andfinger failed to plumb."Speaking of Plique à jour, Mr. Fisher says:" There are many small specimens of this work,154An Enameller and his Workmade principally in Russia, Sweden, and Paris,but they are almost invariably the work rather of achemist or an ingenious mechanic than of an artist.The colours are of the brightest and crudest, andin most cases the form is very poor. This remarkapplies also to the enamel work of this country.The artistic, the beautiful, the precious use ofenamel is nearly unknown, or at all events frequentlyabsent, whereas the mechanical and chemical useof it is well understood and practised. There is nosense of colour, although the material offers thefinest palette in the world to the artist. Instead,we see slabs of emerald, ruby, and blue on anengine-turned ground, worked in a poor design, ineffect like a painted photograph. "There can be no question that enamelling is thefittest decoration for fine metal work. Beingvitrified it is permanent, and being lustrous andtranslucent it gives a gein- like effect to the metalwork it adorns. It is a colour-art before all else,but this does not prevent it affording ample scopefor the finest designing and drawing, as a glanceat the specimens of Mr. Fisher's work accompanying these notes will show; but what the illustrationsdo not even suggest is the gem- like quality of theenamels themselves. This could not be giveneven if chromo-lithography were employed, becauseMARKPORTRAIT IN ENAMELS BY A. FISHERof their transparence. No attempt to get thequality of an ivory miniature should be made,for a high finish of thatkind would tend to destroy the brilliancy of theenamels." THE ANNUNCIATION IN CHAMPLEVE ENAMEL WITH GOLD BACKGROUNDBY A. FISHERIn Cellini's work, andthe jewellery of his day,we see how the touchingup ofthe gold with colouredenamels brought out theforms and gave accent tothe design. Yet in modern.jewellery the weight of themetal used and the valueof the gems alone givevalue to our gauds. Theirworth as art is nil. Takethe girdle band of beatenand chased steel withpanels in enamels illustrating the Rhine legendsmade by Mr. Fisher for Mr.Horniman. Here the preciousness was in the workof the artist, and not in thevalue of metal and cut gems.The jewellery designed byHans Holbein again is155The Posters of Louis RheadSPRANG FESTERPOREICATENSMR. LOUIS RHEAD IN HIS STUDIOHornFROM A PHOTOGRAPHvaluable much more for its workmanship than for itsintrinsic worth, the metal being beaten out thinlywith but few gems or pearls set in it. Again,take ecclesiastical metal work. What a scope isthere here for an artist! As Mr. Fisher said to meanent his triptych: "This is the most sacred of allsubjects, and I have endeavoured to do it in thefervent, sincere spirit of Fra Angelico. It seemsto methat the precious material of enamel is mostsuitable to sacred subjects, and I would urge allwho wish to bestow some ornament or emblem,such as a cross, crosier, tabernacle, chalice, or whatever it may be, upon their church, to consider theextreme beauty and suitability of enamelled metalfor that service." FRED MILLER.Mr. Walter Crane recently addressed, at Manchester, a meeting convened for the purpose offorming an Association of Art- workers, to be called"The Northern Art-workers' Guild." A committee was appointed, and Messrs. H. C. D.Charlton and Edgar Wood consented to act asthe honorary secretaries of the new Guild.HE POSTERS OF LOUISRHEAD.By the time this appears in print, itisprobablethata verytypicalposterbyMr. Rhead will be on all the chief advertisingstations in England; but until a few weeks ago,when he held in London a semi- private exhibitionof some fifty originals and reproductions of designsfor advertising purposes, his work had been knownto the British public only in reproductions inblack and white, and a selection exhibited atthe second poster display at the Royal Aquarium.Of all who have tried the art of the affiche illustréeno one has grappled more successfully withbrilliant colour in large ungraduated masses, orkept more faithfully to the simple canons of flatdecoration . No doubt he owes something toGrasset, but he has evolved a style of his ownwhich is even better suited to its purpose. Thathis figures are as bewitching as the Jeanne d'Arcor The Dancing Girl for the Madrid exhibition,by the French artist, one could hardly affirm.156The Posters of Louis RheadBut in their own way, despite a certain stolidity,they are by no means unattractive even consideredapart from their purpose. The secret of theposter is not one to be hidden, but to be loudlyproclaimed. By well placed readable lettering,and large patterns of admirably chosen colour,daring and forcible, Mr. Rhead has achieved awide popularity that is most genuinely deserved.For if you set out to advertise certain things forsale, it is no use to do so in a modest retiringway. Audacity and arrogance befit a placard, andif the man in the street jeers at blue haired maidens,or emerald green skies, do not assume too hastilythat the artist who employs them has blundered.There are many ways of attracting notice, andeccentricity is by no means a reprehensiblequality in advertising. The difficulty is to beeccentric and yet to keep within the bounds ofgood taste. But a few years ago the damozelbeloved of the Burne-Jones school, would havestood no chance of finding favour in the eyes ofthose who advertise. Now, she is the popularheroine of the moment. That she will stay so forlong is neither likely, nor entirely to be desired;but, inasmuch as the idea which governs conventional decoration is thereby advanced a step,DESIGN FOR A POSTERFROM THE ORIGINAL DRAWING BY LOUIS RHEADone does not grudge her her hour ofpopular applause. For to- day whenthe photographer bids fair to infectthe masses with his erroneous beliefthat direct imitation is the end of art,it is good that in ways which appealto the million a totally opposite doctrine should be preached. To "pressa button " nay! even to " do the rest "oneself, is not necessarily to become.the peer of Rembrandt or Titian noreven of a poster designer. The bold.camera-wielder claims to be the perfect draughtsman, he laughs to scornthe simplified drawing of the decorative school, the while he despises thestippled finish of the old miniaturist.As well might a maker of mirrors proclaim himself a greater painter thanReynolds; undoubtedly he reflectsmore of the person that gazes into hislooking glasses than any artist ever setdown; neither the fleeting reflection,nor the image chemically retained,have ought to do with drawing, andthe ideal they exalt is not one essentially connected with art. Thereforeit is but fair to welcome a designerwho cares not for imitative realism ,but taking quite another ideal, makeshis convention agreeable to the masses,who now begin to show a wholesomeappreciation of the claims of theartistic poster.It seems wise to dwell upon thequality which appears to be mostmeritorious in Mr. Rhead's work,lest those who do not appreciate itshould criticise the result for theabsence of certain attributes, which hehas discarded deliberately (and, as I157The Posters of Louis Rheadthink, rightly). Truth is a gem with many facets,and you must select the one that reflects the impression the artist chose, if you would judge hisresult fairly.Mr. Rhead's work in other fields is available forreference, should any think that the simple statement of facts he deems best for a poster has beenchosen to avoid the difficulties of more elaboratetreatment. One has heard many an artist, beforea Whistler etching or lithograph, say, "Why, I coulddo a dozen of things like that in an hour! " Forsimplicity is a synonym for incompetence withthose who do not realise the profound truth(paradoxical though it sound)of the epigram, " simplicity isthe final refuge of the complex. " In saying this one.does not infer that a Rheadposter is equal in intrinsicvalue to a Whistler etching;but one may say that eachfulfils its purpose and without setting the young decorator as rival to any greatmaster, that within his selfappointed limits he has succeeded.It is pleasant to discoverthat Mr. Rhead is Englishborn and bred. Unlike someothers who have adoptedAmerica as their country, hestill maintains affection forhis birthplace, and followskeenly the progress of our art.He has caught, also, a moodof enterprise which is peculiarly American, and has daredto experiment. To- day wesuffer here from a fatalmodesty; there are so manymen more clever than ourselves, that we are apt tothink it shows reverence torefrain from even an attemptto be original and to keepslavishly to precedent lest weshould be called eccentric.Without any wish to exaltthese decorative posters beyond their intrinsic value, wemay claim for them that theyare novel, effective, and decorative. They have tried toLevis REAembody just as much of the spirit of PreRaphaelite art as the hoarding can bear. Placednext a Botticelli you would, probably, prefer the oldItalian master, and one may safely say that Mr.Rhead would agree with you; but to translate thespirit of the veritable Pre- Raphaelite-or hisnineteenth century disciple-to a simple phrase,easily acceptable to the people, has been Mr.Rhead's purpose; and if one studies his posterswith an unprejudiced mind, it is easy to admitthat he has not failed. In the best there is thatcurious evidence of early Italy and old Japan thatthe very early Italian paintings bring to one's mind,DESIGN FOR A POSTER BY LOUIS RHEAD158The Posters of Louis Rheadas surely as does Mr. Abbey's " picture of the year " at the last RoyalAcademy exhibition. Japan is suggested bythe colour, early Italy bythe plan. The up- to-date criticcannot find adjectives sufficientlycorrosive to bestow upon them.The man who has learnt to appreciate Degas and Chéret, who thinksmodernity is the one valuable factorin modern art, is furious if youdefend Mr. Rhead's ideal. Butcontemporary art is by no means allimpressionism, nor all of the cockeyed primitive. There are manymoods to be considered in a worldof men, and he is most wise whorecognises that no one creed canembrace all aspects of beauty. Tosay " If you are not a bigot, youshould belong to the other side, " isa specious fallacy. The most saneperson is the one who can appreciatea dozen conflicting results, so longas each is inspired clearly by adefinite purpose. Now, the mainpurpose of a poster is not to be collected, hardly to be criticised; butto arrest attention and bestow somepleasant forms and colours upon aplacard when otherwise pure vulgarity would reign supreme.DESIGN FOR A POSTEROwing to the kindness of theartist we are able to reproducesome of his sketches, one showingthe conception of his idea in thecarefully finished study in black ink (page 162 ), andanother from a sketch in colour (page 157). Forthe finished drawing Mr. Rhead submits a full sizecartoon most elaborately worked up the pigmentopaque and equal, the lettering well drawn andneatly painted. Too many English artists are content to send in rough sketches and so encounterthe invariable loss in their translation, besidesgiving the advertiser a problem which he is notalways able to solve. A rough sketch in transparent washes of a set decorative pattern intendedto be worked in solid flat colour, much as it mayappeal to a fellow artist, is apt to look merely untidy to the average man; and the juicy, brokencolour that is so attractive to painters not merelyfails to charm him, but is positively misleading,since it really represents a quality that no chromolithograph can reproduce accurately. When youBY LOUIS RHEADsee a poster of Mr. Rhead's in the original, andthe proof side by side with it, it is not easy at firstsight to determine which is the autograph; and thisis at it should be, because it proves that the designerhas fully understood the limits of his material.Mr. Rhead is brother of the well- known Englishetcher, and was born in 1858 at Etruria. At thirteenhe was sent to Paris to study under Boulanger.He then won a National Scholarship at SouthKensington, and still later studied under Poynter,Leighton, Legros, and Dalou. For many yearspast he has lived in America and become a citizenof the United States. In his delightful studio atProspect Park, Brooklyn, are seen evidence of hislove of English art, especially of the School ofRossetti and Burne-Jones. But as the illustrationswhich accompany this article, and the list of posterscomplete to the beginning of this year, occupy so159The Posters of Louis RheadAGREATSTORYWILL SHORTLYAPPEARIN THEENTITLEDThe DeviLandthe-DeepSeaPOSTERRUDYARD KIPLINGBY LOUIS RHEADmuch space, further details of a very interestingpersonality must be omitted. Those who knowthe artist are well aware of the kindly welcome hegives to English visitors and the absence of jealousywith which he discusses British work. This attitudeis especially unusual in one who has adopted anothernationality, for converts are usually ultra- bigoted;but Mr. Rhead, who may be regarded as one ofthe ardent apostles of our newly- born decorativemovements in America, is too well established inpopular favour there to hide his real appreciation ofEnglish art, which is not always received with openarms on the other side of the Atlantic, howevermuch it may suit the purpose of a few visitors whocome over here to let us imagine they representa vast and deeply impressed nation.designed by Louis J. Rhead, up toJanuary, 1896:For HARPER'S BAZAAR: Easter,1890. " Daffodils, " in yellow,green, and red; Thanksgiving, 1891 ."Figure of Plenty," in red, brown,on yellow paper; Thanksgiving,1892; the same design, but thefigure replaced by naturalistic picture, and border in pink, and darkbrown; Christmas, 1892. Thesame with border of green mistletoe, panel changed to naturalisticpicture; Thanksgiving, 1894. "Girlwith fruit," in green, red, andpurple; Christmas, 1894. "Girl insnow," in red, green, brown, andgrey; For HARPER'S MAGAZINE:November, 1891. "Fame, " fivefigures, in red and black; Christmas,1891. " Puritan maid with mistletoe," in green, red, and green;CENTURY MAGAZINE: Christmas,1891. " Literature and Art," in redand black; Christmas, 1892.Bells," in red, and green, on green;Christmas, 1894."Girl with peacock, " in green, yellow, blue, twosizes; Midsummer, 1894. " Reading girl in white, in blue, red, green;Christmas, 1895. "Father Christmas, carrying plum pudding," inorange, red, green, two sizes; Midsummer, 1895. "Girl with fan,"yellow sunflowers; ST. NICHOLAS:May, 1892. "Children dancing66round Maypole. Spring blossoms, "in red, blue, green, yellow; August, 1892. " Mermaid in the sea," in blue, purple, and red; August,1894. "Child with dogs, " in red, blue, and brown;Christmas, 1894. " St. Nicholas with holly branch, "in blue, orange, and red; Christmas, 1895.der, books and holly, centre panel of children cutout.Besides these there are: D. Appleton's listof holiday books, Christmas, 1891 , in red andblack; Ladies' Home Journal, January, 1893.Brown border on cream paper; Great Men andfamous Women, in brown on green; RoyalBaking Powder, cook book, " Girl holding cake, "in red, purple, green, and blue; Cycle Cigarettes,in red, yellow, blue, and purple; CalendarPhotochrome Engraving Co., "Girl painting," inThe following is a complete list of the posters pink, purple, yellow, and green; Pyle's Pearline,160The Posters of Louis Rhead"Girl hanging out clothes, " in dress green andred, lilies below; Girl washing, in red, purple, green and yellow; "Dancing girls holdingpackage of pearline, " in red, blue, green, andyellow; Lundborg's Perfumes: " Seated Girl," inred hair, pink blossoms on yellow ground; Girlscattering violets, in purple and yellow; Girl inbink, in black hair, green plants; Prang's PosterCalendar. "Girl in yellow "; Holiday Publications." Girl in purple "; Easter Publications. " Angelwith lilies," in gold, red and purple. Also postersfor Devil and Deep Sea, by Kipling; Winter talesfor winter nights; girl in red, green and purple;How the brigadier played for a kingdom; figureon white horse. Winter Clothing, man in overREADcoat, snow on ground; Cover for Easter newspaper.Angel with lilies, and daffodil border; and TheBookman, Christmas, 1895, in black, yellow,green; Scribner's Magazine, 1895. " Girl withmistletoe," in woods, snow on ground; N.Y.Herald, Christmas 1895. "Father Christmas, withboar's head," figure in red; and others; theatricalposter for Richard Mansfield's Comedy andTragedy, and one for Holland Brothers; figures ofdrama in red, with masks.The series best known on this side for TheSun (New York) include: Girl in Crimson Robe,blue road, yellow sky; Girl in Red, holding sun, raysin yellow, blue background; Girl in Black, orangesun, green fields, with purple grapes; Girl inTHESUNPOSTER BY LOUIS RHEADPurple, with children receiving presents; Christmas, Girl in Red,skating; and Girl in Blue, walkingon snow, purple trees, yellow sky.Those fortheJournal (New York),include: Two Standing Figures, inred, orange, purple, blue, roostercrowing: Two Seated Figures, inblue, yellow, green, and purple; andFigure in Chariot, white horses, goldsun, yellow clouds. To these onemust add, King's Malt Extract(Boston), Girl in Indian red, holdinggrain, windmill in distance; Rickseker's Perfumes (New York), Girl inboat, blue, yellow, green, red;Packer's Tar Soap, Girl holding herhair, which is crowned with pinecones; Meadow Grass, green andgold; and Copco Soap, girl in white.at the bath, blue, red, purple, yellow,with about thirty other designswhich have been executed forvarious houses, and many otherschemes which will soon be seenon both sides of the ocean, but notyet issued.At the show of Mr. Rhead's workwere two panels, the one, white swanson a blue and green background, theother, peacocks, which the artist intends, I believe, for tapestry weaving.Their delightful colour, a rich harmony of peacock- blues, greens andpurples, could not be effectively reproduced here, but they rivalled astained glass window in their gorgeousharmonies.GLEESON WHITE.161An English Artist in JapanDESIGN FOR A POSTERAHSBY LOUIS RHEADN ENGLISH ARTIST INJAPAN.ALTHOUGH a great many Englishartists have of late years found theirway to Japan in search of pictorial material, andhave gathered there various delightful impressionsof a country and people possessed of a peculiardegree of picturesqueness, the instances in whichit has been possible to make anything like detailedstudy of the native life and character have beenfew and far between . The customs and laws ofJapan do not permit to a foreigner residence formore than a few months except under conditionsthat are rather antagonistic to continued andsearching work. He must live more or less undersupervision, and must stay in a tea- house ,where he is subject to the same restrictions as are imposed upon other touristswho are travelling simply as curioussightseers. Involved in a crowd of careless travellers, and compelled to move onfrom place to place, the peace and quietindispensable for close observation aredenied to him, and he is only able topaint the obvious things which in hiscursory view of the country claim hisattention because they are unavoidable.He is in the same sort of position as anartist in our own part of the world whogoes to some accepted sketching ground,and, without waiting to explore the district, settles down the morning after hisarrival to sketch a view which attractedhim as he walked from the station to hislodgings. Of course he has chosen whatevery other professional and amateurvisitor to the place has already painted,and his picture only adds one more toan appallingly long list of futile repetitions.It was with a very definite appreciationof the extent of the difficulties that hehad to face that Mr. Percy Sturdee, theyoung English artist whose pictures ofJapanese subjects made an unusuallyfavourable impression when they wereexhibited a few months ago at the CliffordGallery, betook himself to the East. Theidea of painting Japan was one which hehad kept in his mind for some years, andwhen the opportunity of realising it cameto him he went resolved to work on linessomewhat different from those by which hispredecessors had been hampered. Averyshort experience of tea-house life convinced himthat if he were to satisfy his aspirations he wouldhave to abandon the beaten track and betake himself to a more remote part of the country than thedistrict round Tokio where his first attempts weremade. He was met at once with the trouble createdby the treaty limitations which threatened fatally tointerfere with the artistic intention that he hadformed, and to escape from this hindrance he hadto have recourse to a particular device.The only way by which it was possible for aforeigner to evade the local restrictions upon freedom of movement and continued residence in oneplace was by becoming for a time a Japaneseofficial, and this was the course Mr. Sturdee took.162An English Artist in JapanWith some difficulty he succeeded in getting himself appointed Professor of English Literature atthe University of Kanazawa, a government postwhich carried with it certain privileges, and yetdid not tie him down to educational duties sufficiently to diminish to any serious extent his opportunities of painting. His teaching hours onlyamounted to about fifteen in each week, so thatthere remained to him ample time for carrying outthe real object of his visit to Japan; and this smalltax upon his energies was quite compensated forby the advantages he enjoyed as the possessor of ahouse, to which he added a studio, and by thechances which he had of mixing as one of themselves with the native residents in the district. Hecertainly had got one thing that he greatly desired,a residence a considerable way apart fromthe tracksof the globe-trotter, for Kanazawa stands on thecoast at a distance of three days rickshaw journeyfrom the nearest railway station . So situated hewas free to make a really exhaustive study of themanners and customs of the country and to recordpictorially some aspects of it which are comparatively little known.been able to give us aview of Japanwhich is certainlyindividual and more definitely illustrative of itspeculiar atmosphere than any which has been presented to us before. He by no means confinedhimself to any one class of subject, but painted impartially whatever came most conveniently to hishand. Landscapes, groups of buildings, coloureffects produced by masses of flowering shrubs,small picturesque incidents in the lives of thepeople, gorgeous festivals and theatrical performances, all have their place in the array of pictureswhich he has brought back as evidence of hisindustry during the four years over which his professorial duties extended. The wideness of hisrange in the collection which he has gatheredtogether is most commendable, an excellent proofof the thoroughness of his observation and of thecareful manner in which he utilised his exceptionalchances.Another interesting outcome of his stay in Japanis the evident modification in his technical methodswhich the influence of the native art effected . HisEuropean pre-conception as to the way in which apicture should be stated underwent a very perAs a result of his opportunities Mr. Sturdee has ceptible change. From the purely realistic inclinaPinyShadesAPRIL 1892" CHERRY-BLOSSOMS FROM A PAINTING BY PERCY STURDEE163An English Artist in Japantion which the tradition of the Western schoolshad implanted in his mind he was considerablydiverted in the direction of more abstract decoration. The Japanese idea of space-filling, theirdesire to gain always fascinating arrangements ofcolour, their insistence upon subtle harmony ofline, even their custom in the contrasting of" AT THE GARDEN GATE "many a print or kakemono; and in the carryingout of these paintings liberal use has been madeof metallic material, gilded backgrounds anddecorations, in a purely Japanese fashion. Thiscombination of the East and the West fascinatesby its novelty, but is also eminently instructive, because it shows how successfully what is good inthe manner of both schoolscan be harmonised and usedin real agreement. It certainly suggests that a styleof painting which wouldpreserve the superb decoration of Japan and yetretain the more flexibletechnicality of Europe is byno means an impossiblecreation, a matter really ofjudicious arrangementrather than a troublesomebringing together of discordant elements.Mr. Sturdee, it must beremembered, went to Japanvery well equipped with artknowledge as it is acquiredamong us. He had received a thorough trainingboth in England and inFrance, for he gained hisfirst experiences at the SladeSchool, where he held ascholarship, and then proceeded to Paris and workedthere for two years. At theSlade School he was underM. Legros; and in Paris hewas first at the Beaux Artsunder M. Hébert, and thenin the studio of M. Ferdinand Cormon. Afterwardshe went to Italy for aperiod of five years, paintingin a more or less desultoryway, sketching the landscape of the various districts and studying theworks by old masters which he found in thetowns he visited. The first year of his stay wasspent at Perugia, and the rest of his time wasoccupied with visits to Sorrento, Florence, Rome,and the Abruzzi mountains. While in this lastpart of Italy, he wrote, with Mr. HarringtonMann, an account of the life in the mountains, anarticle which appeared in the Scottish Art Review.FROM A PAINTING BY PERCY STURDEEcoloured surfaces of particular pigments, found away into his æsthetic belief and were grafted uponthe more material mode of practice that he hadbrought with him from home. How appreciablyhis stay among Japanese surroundings affectedhim shows in none of his work so well as in hisfigure pictures. Many of these are brilliant compositions of gaily draped maidens working, playing,dancing, or posing in attitudes reminiscent of164

Some Pictures at the New GalleryA year's yachting trip in the Mediterranean filledup the greater part of the time between his Italianvisit and his pilgrimage to Japan. All these variedexperiences aided to give him a wide grasp of extremely divergent artistic opinions and beyonddoubt largely helped him in his assimilation of thenovel facts which were presented to him during theterm of his professorship at Kanazawa. Had henot mastered so thoroughly the methods of theEnglish and French schools, and seen so much ofthe different periods of Italian art he could hardlyhave obtained the insight into Japanese principleswhich was apparent in his pictures at the CliffordGallery.What will grow out of his more than usuallycomplex study cannot as yet be prophesied . Anyhow the future performances of an artist whoseopportunities have been already so extensive, andwhose productions have given evidence of his possession of a remarkable receptivity, will be wellworth looking for.OME PICTURES AT THE NEWCRITICISED BYSGALLERY.A FRENCH PAINTER.IT would seem as though one wereable to get a better idea of what the modernEnglish school is in the charmingly displayedexhibition at the New Gallery than in the RoyalAcademy itself. In any case, one is consciousof a feeling of greater appreciation, due, nodoubt, in a measure to the presence in the Newof two masters side by side, whose works offer themost interesting contrasts. Of the two -Mr. Wattsand Sir E. Burne-Jones-the former appears tobe, far more than the latter, the upholder of thefine traditions of that English school of whichTurner was the last representative. Indeed, afterseeing and deeply admiring the masterpieces ofTurner in the National Gallery, it is in Mr. Wattsone seems to find again something of the greatlandscapist's flexibility, something of his beauty oftone, a suggestion at times of his misty atmosphere, enveloping all in a soft and transparentchiaroscuro. Not that there is any kinship betweenthe two, either in their choice of subject or in theirmanner of seeing and admiring Nature. Thesimilarity consists rather in a certain way of lookingat things and painting them, common to both; acertain gift of amalgamation-a capacity for melting, as it were, one thing into another, and yetretaining for each its own special degree of colouring and its own value.Sir E. Burne-Jones, on the other hand, is morearchaic, and consequently harder, with less regardTHE MOAT, TOKIO FROM A PAINTING BY PERCY STURDEE165Some Pictures at the New Galleryfor the beauties of light and shade-in a word, lessof a painter, and perhaps less of an artist too, forhis pictures have not the same penetrating effect asMr. Watts's. The latter appears to be passionatelydevoted to all that makes for subtleness and beautyin painting, while Sir Edward, whose vision is morefixed, more definite, gives the impression that thepersons and the things he represents are but thecore, the nucleus, unfurnished with that finalcasing wherein lurk the pulsations of life. Thus,while Mr. Watts is above all a painter of rareability, Sir Edward Burne- Jones is in the first placea poet, with a weakness which impels him to sacrifice all else for sonority of rhyme, and clothe histhoughts -strange contradiction! —in the bye-goneforms which preceded that movement of renascenceand reform from which the genius of England tookits rise. There can be no doubt that, had thefates made Burne- Jones a sculptor, his marblewould have produced precisely the same sensationas the most admired productions of his brush.His Aurora is very happily placed between Mr.Watts's two little pictures. Beating her cymbals,Dawn advances on tip-toe, with curious eyes, asthough surprised to see once more the half-lightwhich she typifies. Such is the original idea of thepoet- artist, who has invested his poetry with just somuch materialism as is needed to suggest thehuman form . Mr. Watts's two pictures, on theother hand, speak of the innocence and the sadnessofour poor humanity. In the one we see the twofirst- created beings, all unconscious of their nakedness, showing in their placid faces the happyignorance of those who yet know nought either ofgood or evil, no more than the spotless lilies flowering at their feet. In the other their paradise isended the fall has come; even the lilies arebruised and broken , under the weight of themonster of sin who soils their whiteness as hecrawls. Eve, the temptress, in a lovely attitude ofsadness, hides her face in her golden hair; whilethe man, the dupe, half stupefied, conceals hiswretchedness beneath the leaves of the fig-tree.And on the tree above his head sits the raven,black harbinger of evil days. One could not wishto see anything more beautiful than these two littlepictures.Among other pictures claiming attention andinterest in a lesser degree is the Page by Mrs.Marianne Stokes, a work obviously inspired byHeine's verses, and also by the early Italianpainters. Heine, himself, although not particularly devoted to the Fatherland, would doubtlesshave preferred that the interpreter of one of hisstories should have borrowed the style of the oldGerman masters; that the dame should be drapedin a robe of stiffest folds, and the page have something of Gothic gaucherie, and yet be charmingwithal. As for the Primitives of Italian art, they, ofcourse, would have advised recourse to one ofBoccaccio's Tales, or to one of the delightful littlepoems of St. Francis, ripened like flowers in thevalley of Assisi , and breathing all the perfumes ofthe faith of ages. As it is, however, the picture isfull of delicate beauty and charm, the raised goldon the robe being put on with great effect, and inperfect taste. We are still in Italy, for a fewmoments with M. Giovanni Costa, who has succeeded in giving an excellent impression of thegrand and noble lines of the mountainous regionof Carrara.M. Fernand Khnopff's picture suggests that thosecaressings may hide the most terrible claws. Thereis knowledge in this work, and art too, from sheerforce of will, but one is conscious of an impressionas of over-effort. One need not try to be archaicin this too-old world of ours; it suffices to be anartist, that is, to put into one's work-almost unconsciously, as it were so much emotion as maybe shared by others; and it is sometimes thesimplest things which produce the most feeling.The woman's figure in Mr. Henry J. Ford's pictureis remarkable for the care bestowed on the dressand the detail generally. But the palm for work ofthis kind must be bestowed upon Mr. John D.Batten, in respect of his St. George-not that thereis any too much honour attaching to such a distinction! After all this effort and trouble Mr.Watts's broad and generous work, Earth, comesas a rest and a relief. It is the figure of aruddy- haired woman, her hands filled with autumnfruit; the colouring full of warmth, and the wholepicture instinct with healthfulness and life .One of Mr. Alma Tadema's chief cares seems tobe to put the greatest possible number of things inthe smallest possible space, as witness his FamilyGroup. Nor is there any reproach implied hereby,for there is nothing so difficult as to decide uponthe exact size your scheme shall take. In thepresent case there is evidence of an elaborate care,which might, indeed, give additional charm to thepicture, if it did not seem to imply a certain diffidence, a sort of timidity, which is altogether inkeeping with a painting insignificant in subject as itis in dimension. At the same time, a work of thiskind may well possess distinct points of interest,especially when, as in Mr. Alma Tadema's picture,there is expression in the faces.166Studio-TalkImaginative art reasserts its rights in the personof Mr. Walter Crane, whose fanciful genius is seenin the meeting and the kiss of the Rainbow and theWave. Mrs. A. L. Swynnerton's Hebe is conceivedin something of the same spirit of fancy; but ourdreaming is rudely broken, for the divine Hebeturns out to be simply a peasant girl in all thereality of the sunshine. Next we come to a placidpiece of painting, delicate in scheme, as befits thepatient humility of poor little Cinderella-a fineexample of true perceptive artistry by Mr. G.Clausen. Charming, too, Mr. W. B. Richmond'sportrait, its delicate harmonious colouring suggestive of all innocence and freshness. Mr. LaThangue is certainly fond of his animals, and justlySO. St. Francis of Assisi , whom I mentioned justnow, one day sold his cloak to save a lamb fromthe butcher's knife; and the sweet Franciscan poetrytells, too, of the Saint and the wolf of Gubbio andthe bird- catcher's doves. Mr. La Thangue, who inhis picture shows with great truth a group of shepherds feeding their young goats, would find in thesepoems many a subject he would like to paint, andwould paint well. Mr. Alfred East's charming landscape shows the soft mists behind the trees, with themoon mounting high in the heavens, while thelight shining from within the dwelling speaks ofthepeaceful home-life of the fields. In Mr. Boughton'sRosemarywe find the same sweet and moving sentiment of melancholy-a poetic impression conveyed by sheer talent on the part of the artist. Tocall a thing poetic is to state the feeling it evokes;there can be no praise beyond that, and perhaps nocriticism . What profits it to discuss the method,or the composition, or the colouring? Each manhas his own particular manner of going to work,and no exact rules can ever be laid down for hisguidance. For the fact remains that the painterwho can succeed in conveying to others the feelingshe himself has felt, must always be an artist of truepower; and that is enough.This digression demands an apology; yet it isin no way foreign to the subject in question. Takefor instance, Mr. George Wetherbee's picture, asillustrating just the opposite of what I havereferred to. His Youth and the Sea- Maidenappears to my eyes like a grouping of work- roomstudies, in which the bare intention of the artist issuggested; and the same must be said of thelaboured allegory by Mr. Herbert A. Olivier, withthe happily chosen title of A Garden of Chances.Mr. John Sargent's portrait of Countess ClaryAldringen is in his best manner. Broadly treatedand full of life, this fine picture shows to perfectionthe artist's audacious methods. His subjectseems just about to speak, her lips parted, as itto exchange a greeting, and her hand half open,as though bestowing alms. The catalogue saysnothing about Mr. John Collier's beautiful picture,perhaps in order that we may divine the subjectfor ourselves, as indeed it is not difficult to do.There are two young girls, one lying down andthe other seated beside her. And they are thinking or chatting about those things which girls oftheir age think and talk about, when one of themhas a ball- programme in her hand.Mr. Leslie Thomson paints Ophelia, but hehas not conceived the subject in the samelighthued fancy as the great poet. With many goodqualities, his picture is unfortunately quite devoidof brightness; Ophelia would surely have shunnedthe contact of this black water and these sombreflowers! Mr. Britten retells in pastel the ancientfable of Hercules and the Centaur Nessus, withlandscape surroundings which, if scarcely Greek,are none the less beautiful.In the Atrium, near the little fountain, spurtingits stream into a marble basin surrounded by lovelyhydrangeas, we come upon a polychrome bust byMr. George Frampton, done in the style of theItalian sculptors, and dispensing with the uglyturned socle. The graceful title inscribed belowMr. Albert Toft's delightful portrait in relief explains itself; and to conclude, after mention ofMr. Gilbert Bayes' supple metal work, just a wordin praise of Mr. Drury's plaquette in admirableprofile, which merits its title of " Queen," just asMr. Toft's bust deserves- as its name denotes-tobe loved! AMAN-JEAN.LSTUDIO-TALK(From our own Correspondents)ONDON.-The sale of Lord Leighton'spictures and sketches produced somerather surprising results . The pricesobtained for the few large pictureswhich remained in his studio at thetime of his death were generally low, while someof his small sketches and studies of landscapesbrought considerable sums. Judging by thereadiness of collectors to acquire the less characteristic examples of his work, it would seem thatthe late President might have secured a far widerfollowing had he limited himself less persistently. As a landscape painter he might easilyhave been in the first rank, for he showed in his167Studio-Talkstudies of open air subjects an excellent appreciation of line and colour, and treated certain atmospheric effects with exceptional dignity and power.To many people the display at Christie's of thesefor modern works are still possible. The fourfamous Corots, painted originally for Descamps,the great French artist, were sold as a set for 6000guineas.The election of Mr. Ernest Crofts as a fullAcademician is a belated reward for a long periodof patient waiting. He has held the rank ofAssociate for no less than eighteen years, and hasduring that time painted a large number of popularpictures. His first conspicuous success was madequite twenty years ago, so that he has labouredvery steadily for the coveted position in the ranks of"the forty." Historical and military subjects havechiefly occupied his energies, and he has shown thebest side of his capacities in his illustrations ofscenes and incidents in the Waterloo campaign.His picture of the execution of Charles I. , whichwas at the Academy in 1890, attracted extraordinary" SKIRT DANCER "BY RUTH CANTONSILVER STATUETTEsmall canvases, which were painted not for exhibition, but for purposes of his own, must have beenno small revelation, presenting Lord Leighton inan unaccustomed light.There was certainly no lack of demand for theworks by other artists which he had collected, andmany comparatively unimportant pictures sold forlarge amounts. Nearly £2000 was given for asmall example of Mr. Tadema's laborious work;and 750 guineas for the large sketch, Shelling Peas,by Sir John Millais. A tiny canvas by GeorgeMason, for which Lord Leighton is said to havegiven £100, was bought by Mr. Tate for thefuture Millbank Gallery for 500 guineas; and TheHaystacks, a study by Mr. G. F. Watts, was soldfor as much as 290 guineas. These amounts arecheering, as they tend to prove that there are stillcollectors left who are not enslaved by the fashionfor acquiring old masters, and that adequate pricesSKIRT DANCERBY RUTH CANTONSILVER STATUETTEattention, as it was made a subject of somewhatheated discussion among archæologists, who weredissatisfied with the shape of the headsman'sblock. Among the most memorable of hisother productions are his Roundheads Victorious,168Studio-Talkexhibited in 1894, and the last fight of the Gunpowder Plot conspirators against the soldiers sentto arrest them at Holbeach House.The Gallery of Sculpture, 157B New BondStreet, is a business undertaking; but its director,greater fame as a modeller; a Belluaire-tamerof wild beasts-by Ferrary, deserve a special wordof praise. A replica by the artist-Danté Sodini-of his bust of Beatrice, bought by the ItalianGovernment, and some clever statuettes by H.Montford, Psyche especially, also merit notice. ACPANEL FOR DECORATION OF A MUSIC- ROOM. BYH. GRANVILLE FELLMr. Carter, is also an enthusiast, who sacrifices nolittle profit to advance the cause of sculpture. Thetaste of buyers to day is not high, so far as bronzesand marbles are concerned; yet, amid the merelyclever and accomplished work of its kind whichthe French and Russians turn out in such profusion,it is pleasant to find a good number of really goodworks of art. The statuettes in bronze, Credo andSt. George, by Fremiet; two realistic figures, LeTravail and Forgeron, by Dr. Paul Richer, theaccomplished French surgeon, who has earnedlittle statue in silver of a skirt dancer, by MissRuth Canton, is admirable in movement, grace ofline, and elegant pose; it is a dainty figure thatreflects credit on a most accomplished modeller,whose work has before received appreciation inthese pages.Among the younger decorative artists there arevery few, comparatively, who essay pictures in oil,and still fewer who have courage to accept theworld's ideal of a beautiful face, with the traditions169Studio-Talkthe work throughout. The colouring is harmoniousand original, the stitches employed are bold, andthe designs freely and pleasantly interpreted. Onecould wish that they were not almost entirelycopies, or re- arrangements of old motives; evenwhen they forsake precedent they are merely wellwhich inspire decorative art. Indeed it would seemthat " ugliness is next to decoration, " was their motto.The really beautiful panel by H. Granville Fell weare permitted to reproduce herewith, is part of thepermanent decoration of a music-room in a houseat Bournemouth. Those who know the chromaticatmosphere in which Mr. Fell loves to envelop hispictures, will realise that it loses much by translation to " black and white. " But the block is reallya marvel of process work; the orange and yellowwhich suffused the original are as faithfully translated in tone as if they had not been shades of theone colour which was a terror to photographers in thepast. The picture itself is designed to harmonisewith the definite colour scheme of a particularroom, and succeeds most admirably in keeping itsplace, without unduly asserting itself. If Mr. H.Granville Fell can withstand the most insidiousdisease that besets a painter-early and widespreadapproval, there is nothing he may not do; but thepremature fame so freely bestowed to-day is theworst enemy an artist has to face, and as dozensof examples prove, one which very few are proofagainst.The Art Embroidery Show Rooms, 25 OldBond Street, are devoted to specimens of admirably wrought needlework, all employing " flax " inlieu of silk or crewels. Good taste distinguishesFRIDAYSTREETECELECTRIC LIGHT BRACKET, FIXED IN BOW LANEELECTRIC LIGHT BRACKET, FIXED IN FRIDAY STREETconventionalised floral patterns-good, but lackingdistinctly individual treatment. The so- called artlinens are most satisfactory textiles in a wide rangeof beautiful colours, and the palette of the flaxthreads is liberal enough for all purposes. Theinfluence of a really original designer would leavenothing more to be desired. It is just becausematerial, craft, and good taste in adaptation arealready evident, that one hopes the final quality,of originality in patterns, may be introduced toperfect the scheme.The various brackets illustrated here were noticedin THE STUDIO when reference was made to someexperiments in electric lighting made bythe Commissioners of Sewers, in Watling Street and itsadjacent bye-ways. The artists responsible preferthat the criticism bestowed should not be prejudicedby any personal bias for or against; so the designsmust be regarded on their own merits withoutbetraying the names of those who made them. But170Studio-Talkthe excellent work, the actual forging and shaping,is due to Mr. W. B. Reynolds, a master-craftsmanin metal. If one doubts how far these designs areahead of previous attempts to employ the electriclight, he has but to compare them with others-inwhat may be called not unfairly " the brass bedstead style, " which are also temporally fixed in thesame streets. The examples illustrated are tothe earth and upon which the reputation of thecity-as a city-has been built. Certainly themind which has not sojourned sufficiently longto find how much of beauty is left may be forgiven for spreading so erroneous a view; but, deepdown in the heart of man, there is still the oldhereditary love of beauty, of excellence in workmanship, and pride in production, which has, andever will place them in the foremost rank as artcraftsmen.ELECTRIC LIGHT BRACKET, FIXED IN BOW LANEIn these days of fierce competition , when priceis held to be the great consideration, when manufacturers boldly proclaim their sympathy with artso long as their pockets remain unaffected, it issmall wonder that a great percentage of the manufactures should be such as to damage a reputationso hardly earned; but there is consolation in thefact that there is a distinct movement to encourageart in manufacture, and to produce work whichmay hold its own with that of the past generation,which is now so highly prized.be gilded all over, the cost of gold used in thisway being proved to be economic, as it requiresrenewal far less frequently than paint. Those interested in such matters should not be contentwith a hasty verdict upon a bold and well-considered experiment, but should see the originalsseveral times. The final verdict of approval canthen be considered certain, from all people oftaste.SHEFFIELD. -Even during the wildestflights of imagination it would be impossible to write down Sheffield as acity devoted to art, but to assert thatit is void of such an element would beadding blackness to the night and renderingauxiliary aid to those manufacturers who vie witheach other in their endeavour to make their cityone of eternal darkness. To outward appearanceall that was beautiful has foundered in a sea ofmanufacturing requirements, and all the instruments of production would appear to pour forththeir poisonous fumes with a hissing determinationto blot the heart out of Nature itself. This is whatthe stranger must feel on entering Sheffield, andsuch is the vision carried away to the quarters of CABINET BY T. PETERS. METAL-WORK BY W. BULLAS171Studio-TalkSuch is the aim and object of the Sheffield ArtCrafts Guild, and it is not too much to say thattheir exhibitions come not only as a suprise, but apleasure to many who have feared the old secretshave been forgotten. Composed almost entirelyof men engaged in the varying manufactures ofthe city, and whose work in consequence must beto a great extent influenced by non- artistic consumers, manufacturers may, or should be, pardonably proud to feel that they are employingcraftsmen who can on occasion break away fromthe stereotyped lines and indulge in art for art'ssake.The second exhibition held by the Guild has beenin a great measure a success. It has shown thathowever slow the movement may be it is steadilyadvancing, and that however short of the goal inRebRONSIDEWROUGHT- IRON SCREENBY THOMAS TAYLORview, the results have proved that the generalinfluence has been for good. In another sense theeffort to bring the art- crafts of the district togetherhas been somewhat disappointing. With a Guildsuch as this in its infancy it is too much to expectit to be locally self- supporting, neither is it desirCHSCREPOUSSE COPPER PANEL. BY GEORGE HALLIDAYable at the present stage that it should be so.The introduction of outside works of a really highcharacter is helpful to the student to a degree-i.e. ,up to the point at which study ceases and imitationbegins. In years to come, no doubt, the Guildwill be strong enough to confine its exhibits to itsown district, but until then work from a distancemust not only be acceptable but considered as adistinct gain. Such being the case, it should bethe duty of the executive to use the greatest carein selection, to lead the student to a higher levelof thought and action rather than to confront himwith a degree of excellence which in his presentstate he feels he can never hope to obtain.In visiting provincial exhibitions of this characterone naturally expects to find a great proportion ofthe exhibits confined to the industry for whichthe locality is famous, and it was therefore somewhat disappointing to see that cutlery was so littlein evidence. That there is wide scope in thisdirection will be admitted, and there is ampleproof of the existence of most delightful workman172Studio-Talkship, which would worthily grace the benches.Unfortunately, many manufacturers prefer to viewtheir exhibits in the light of an advertisement, andridicule the necessity of education, and yet theymust admit, if they will give the subject amoment's consideration, that the loans of suchspecimens as they may select, if not immediatelyproductive in business, must encourage their craftsmen to produce workmanship of a higherclass, which will eventually securethe desired end by enhancingtheir reputation. Cutlery then,as shown in the heart of the greatindustry, was disappointing. Thefew specimens sent were excellentof their class, but certainly notwhat might have been expected.Mr. T. Swaffield Brown, Master of the Guild,with his staff of workers in repoussé, was well inevidence with a multitude of designs and materials.With an instructive model of " Victory "-in partsfor moulding purposes, he appears at his best.Probably no man in this district has done more toencourage true art in the designing of silver plate,his admiration for line and proportion being apparent in all hiswork. Mr. G. Halliday's specimens of hammered copper displayan exceptional knowledge of treatment of subject and material witha high degree of draughtsmanship.A copper panel, Night, by Mr.Douglas, showed an admirableability to deal with the metal, buta want of knowledge of anatomyand study of design. The hammered panels for commercial purposes designed by Mr. EdwardTuck, and executed by Mr. G. R.Webster, were far above the usualspecimens of their class, a serieson the lines of Scandinavian ornament being especially noteworthy.Mr. Tuck's sheets of designs forwrought- iron work were full ofideas evidently worked out onsimple lines to combine economywith artistic effect.YYELCOME THE COMINGSPEED THE PARTINC CUESTWrought-iron work was confinedto one exhibitor, Mr. ThomasTaylor. As examples of difficultsmithing no praise can be toohigh; but here is a case in whichthe craftsman has lost sight of allthe elements of good taste in hisendeavour to produce a complicated forging. There is no affectation of period in any of theexamples, but each has the stampof the worker. With his knowledge of the material it would bebetter if the forging were forgotten in the contemplation of lineand effect, and with the feeling inview that beauty may be arrivedat with less labour, and that complicated smith- work does not necessarily meanperfection in wrought- iron work, this exhibitor iscapable of producing astonishing results.ELECTRIC BELL- PLATEBY E. L. MERCEROne of the most charmingpanels was the life-size head ofElizabeth shown in plaster byMiss E. L. Mercer. The modelling of the varying planes isremarkably clever, and equal ability is apparentin the two boldly designed electric bell plates.As an education in the art of bookbinding, MissCHSSTOVE-GRATE PANEL BY EDWARD TUCK173Studio-TalkAlice Shepherd contributed two fine specimensin embossed leather, equally good in designand execution. Mr. Charles Green exhibited aselection of modelled panels for trade purposes ofan original character, and Mr. Peters had departedfrom his usual line with his cabinet, with brassmountings by Mr. W. Bullas. Though faulty indesign, there is something distinctly pleasing inthe appearance of this piece of furniture. Theintroduction of leaded glass is in questionabletaste, and the disposition of the shelving is inconvenient. Otherwise the effect is such as shouldencourage this craftsman to further efforts. Theposters suitable for the announcement of theopening of such an exhibition fell short of expectation, the most prominent being one by Mr. W. E.Wigfull. Mr. F. W. Pomeroy-whose work is ofdouble interest to Sheffield owing to his sculptureat the New Town Hall-contributed much to thegeneral scheme ofthe Guild. His memorial panelerected in Gloucester Cathedral to the memory ofthelate Evan Evans is worthy of study for its executionand design, and his presentation to the Guild ofhis original sketch model for the main entrance tothe municipal buildingsshould furnish food forthought to the youngermembers. A miniatureof his colossal statue ofBurns erected in Paisley,full of pleasing grace andfeeling, may be similarlymentioned. Two busts,one of the late Sir EdgarBoehm, by the late Mr.Robert Glasby, and another of the latter by hisson are of special interestlocally. Mr. Glasby, anative of the district andsculptor to the Queen,was one of Sheffield'searly students , and it isproposedto form a memorial by presenting one ofeach of the heads to theSheffield and RotherhamMuseums. C. W.STAINED-GLASS WINDOW DESIGNED BY DAVID GOULDEXECUTED BY J. AND W. GUTHRIEGⓇLASGOW.-It is worthyof specialnote that inGlasgow picture painting is not theonly claim our artists havefor recognition from theoutside world, and thatin many branches of theArts and Crafts there iswork being done of morethan ordinary interestwork which ultimatelyshould bring laurels tothe workman.174Studio-TalkDESIGN FOR STAINED-GLASS WINDOW BY DAVID GOULDBoth in the designing and execution of stainedglass work, much has been accomplished in a comparatively short time, and it is gratifying to notethat Messrs. J. & W. Guthrie and others are producing very artistic work both for ecclesiastical anddomestic purposes.Of some windows recently done in the studiosof the Messrs. Guthrie, we are enabled to givereproductions of two which combine in a noteworthy manner excellent examples of the workthey are undertaking for church and house purposes. One of these is for St. Andrew's ScotchChurch, Buenos Ayres. The subject of the windowis taken from the Book of Revelation: " And heshowed me a pure river of water of life proceedingout ofthe throne of God and of the Lamb. " Thecolour scheme of the window, like the design, isvery beautiful, the tones being rich and full, andexceedingly effective.The second window is for the Mansion Houseof Roxburgh, Inverness, of which Mr. WilliamFlockhart, of London, is the architect. Thesubject is taken from the Scotch legend: " ACeremonial procession of Druids bringing in theMisletoe," a subject peculiarly suitable for thegreat staircase window of a Scotch Mansion House.In this design the treatment is most appropriate,and shows much power in the grouping of thepriests and attendants who lead home the whitebullocks laden with the misletoe bough.""Both windows have been designed by Mr. DavidGould, one of the younger artists of the "newmovement in Glasgow, and one who shows in hiswork a power of design and a fine ability to usepictorial facts together with a beauty of colourscheme that has much charm.Ν1D. M.EW YORK.-In the matter of artthis is the dullest season of the yearin New York. There will be nomore exhibitions before the autumn,and most of the artists are eithertaking a rest in Europe, or sketching in thecountry. Nevertheless, even in the summer monthslittle incidents not without interest occasionallycrop up. An occurrence in connection with theproposed erection of a statue to General Shermanhas given rise to considerable comment here oflate. Almost $90,000 was appropriated by Congress for a monument to this distinguished soldierto be raised in Washington, the choice of the designbeing entrusted to the Society of the Army ofTennessee, which very wisely invited the Sculpture175Studio-TalkKermesseJadeBruxellesPOSTER BY VICTOR MIGNOT(See Brussels Studio- Talk)Society of New York to conduct the competition.Accordingly, when the time came for judgment,the latter body appointed as examiners of the designs four of the most prominent sculptors in thecountry; namely, J. Q. A. Ward, Augustus St.Gaudens, Olin Warner, and D. C. French, and twoof the foremost American architects, Bruce Priceand George B. Post. Early this year these gentlemen went to Washington, and after careful andconscientious consideration recommended thatthere should be a second competition before thefinal decision between the two men whose designsthey regarded as best, namely, Paul Bartlett andCarl Niehous.Subsequently the members of the SculptureSociety learned to their infinite amazement that asecond competition was to be held between four inplace of two competitors, the two additional onesbeing J. Massey Rhind and Carl Rohl Smith.The designs of the former had been ranked aboutsixth or seventh by the Sculpture Society, andthose of the latter hardly considered at all. Tocut a long story short, Rohl Smith's design wasquietly selected for the monument, without theSculpture Society being further troubled for anopinion.Naturally piqued at the slight they had received,the Sculpture Society wrote an indignant letter tothe military art critics at Washington-a pair ofgenerals and a pair of colonels-who sent a reply,in which they resolutely took a stand against thesculptors, declaring that they differed in opinionfrom them, that they considered Smith's designto be " of the highest artistic merit," adding thatit was drawn "in simple but strong lines," andwould " impress the beholder with its beauty, itsmajesty, and its faithful presentation to the eyeand mind of its famous subject. " In short, theyhinted that, while they were ready to take theopinion of the Sculpture Society so long as itfollowed their own, they were not to be dictatedto by mere artists. It has since been suggested toexhibit the designs of the competitors together, aplan which was gladly embraced by all of themexcept Smith, who pleaded illness and a forcedabsence from the country.There has been a good deal of correspondencebetween the two societies since, but no conclusionhas been arrived at. The episode is one of greatinterest, as it may possibly eventually serve todecide whether the opinion of artists is to be considered in choosing public works of art, or theirselection left entirely in the hands of ignorant.officials, to whom this country is already indebtedfor many monuments to their stupidity and badtaste.A large and important window, destined for thechurch of Wickhambreaux in Kent, was exhibitedhere the other day by the Decorative StainedGlass Company. It is of exceptional interest,inasmuch as it is the first commission that hasbeen given to American glass makers for Europe.The design, which is by a young Dane, Baron176Studio-TalkArild Rosenkrantz, is of the Gothic order and isdivided into four lights. The subject is theAnnunciation, which is treated in a decorativeand interesting manner, rather after the traditionsof the old Masters than in the pictorial style whichis so common among the stained glass workers ofthis country. The window, which is erected byCount James Gallatin, in memory of his mother,is made altogether of American glass, and will undoubtedly prove of interest to glass-workers inEngland, who have not hitherto had an opportunityof seeing work of this kind as executed here.Mr. Rosenkrantz, by the way, is one ofthe regularexhibitors at the Rose + Croix.BC. M. F- G.RUSSELS.-A very artistic and mosteffective poster, by M. Henri Meunier,nephew of the celebrated painter andsculptor, Constantin Meunier, hasjust appeared, having been preparedfor the Casino of Blankenberghe. It is broad inits drawing, and deep in colour, and in arrangement most quaintly conceived. M. Henri Meunierhad done some interesting posters before, in whichapparently he sought after conciseness of formand boldness of colouring; but this last work ofhis places him in the front rank as a designer ofaffiches.The first prize in the competition recentlyarranged for a poster announcing the BrusselsKermesse has quite rightly been awarded to M.Cenacle was reproduced a month or two ago in THEVictor Mignot, whose admirable poster for theSTUDIO. His new design, which is already conspicuous on all the walls in the city, is veryoriginal and full of movement, and possessesthe further essential quality of showing clearlythe purpose for which it is intended. The colouring too is uncommon and full of distinction, andattracts the eye at once by its brightness andgaiety.M. Lyon- Claessen, the publisher, has beenexhibiting at the Cercle Artistique here a seriesof 200 Dutch water- colours of the end of theCASINO de BLANKENBERCHEPOSTERHENRI MEUNIER 1896BY HENRI MEUNIER(See Brussels Studio-Talk)177Studio-Talk16th century, all representing flowers . The carebestowed on his work by the unknown painterof these studies is truly extraordinary. One cannot imagine anything more scrupulously, morereligiously, exact. The colours moreover are forthe most part of marvellous freshness, the tulipsbeing particularly worthy of notice on this account.A very respectable collection of the works ofthe well- known French sculptor, J. B. Carpeaux,has been brought together at the Maison d'Art, inBrussels. They all speak eloquently of the period690JEANTIMMERMANSPAINS RICHESTELEPHONE 874BANQUETSTSOIREESBOULANGERIE DE OROREBAKER'S- SHOP AT IXELLES.of the Second Empire, with its receptions atCompiègne, and its fêtes at the Tuileries. Themore important pieces, destined for the decorationof public monuments, display a quite exceptionalgift of expressing movement, and in all a surenessof touch is accompanied by much grace ofattitude and charm of line.Ixelles, one of the suburbs of Brussels, hasjust concluded its competitive display of façadesand signboards, which has proved decidedlysuperior to the similiar competition arrangedDECORATED BY MM. HANKAR AND CRESPIN(See Brussels Studio- Talk)about a year ago in Brussels itself.There is still too great display ofcolour, however, and far too muchwrought-iron work. These signboards or lamps, twisted in all sortsof horrible shapes, and hangingdangerously over the cornices fromthe gaping jaws of fantastic animals,are apt to inspire alarm rather thanadmiration. Two of the façadesattract special attention. One ofthem, very brilliant in colour, toobrilliant perhaps, and certainly withtoo much gilding about it, is thework of M. Legraive; while theother, a modest decoration for abaker's shop, has been produced byMM. Hankar and Crespin. In thecentre of the design is an allegoricalfigure,Ceres, while the wheat- sheaves,and corn-flowers and poppiesaround, make up a body of simplecolouring. The windows and thedoorway are gracefully framed inblue, and over the door is suspended a long- handled shovel forputting the bread in the oven.This piece of decoration gained thefirst prize for artistic execution.F. K.URIN.-The first triennial exhibition of FineArts, of which I proTmised last month togive a more detailednotice, proved to be a triumph forthe landscapists. At the same timethere were several excellent figurepictures-A. Faldi's Un Dubbio, forinstance, a work full of the deepestand most delicate sentiment, as178Studio-Talk" SUONA LA MESSA "FROM A PAINTING BY C. PUGLIESE- LEVIindeed are nearly all the pictures by this artist, whohas the gift of rendering with the most scrupulousaccuracy the subtlest emotions of the mind. ThePortrait of Virginia Reiter by G. Grosso, a sortof symphony in yellow, emphasises once morethis artist's great ability. G. Pellizzá, despite acertain suggestion of labour in his attempt to beluminous, attracts attention with his Sul fienile,which has great intensity of expression; whileamong the other exhibitors P. A. Sartoris, A.Mancini, A. Tommasi, and G. Previati are all intheir various ways worthy of note. But as I havealready said, the chief interest lies in the landscapes, which display vitality and variety. Thereseems every reason to hope that to the illustriousnames of Calderini, Tommasi, Ciardi and others,may soon be added those of quite a number ofyoung men, who each year are showing signs ofgreat progress in the exhibitions. Calderini has afavourite subject in his park scene, which, treatedby his delicate brush, has the irresistible fascinationwe have so often felt; for his subject is charming,whether it be the grey tints of a rainy day, or therich gold of the autumnal sun, or the laughingspring-tide. This time he has chosen a winterscene, with lonely statues in the deserted walks,and great trees, their tops in the clouds, and theirbranches looking like lace- work amid the fallingsnow. If I may be forgiven the paradox, thismasterly painting seems to convey the great voiceof silence, filling the imagination with its infinitesense of rest. The various works exhibited this yearby C. Pugliese- Levi are full of promise, and hisLa Marcita and Suona la Messa place him at onceamong the foremost of our landscapists. Theyare fresh and charming pictures, free from allaffectation of style, and imbued with sincerity andexpression. La Marcita gained the prize offeredby the Turin artists for the best work in theexhibition.Narofjord by A. Normann, which has alreadybeen exhibited at several exhibitions outside Italy,is remarkable for its extraordinary perspicuity, andthe sureness of its treatment. G. Belloni, a youngartist who has already made a name, exhibitsa sea- piece called Sinfonia, and a landscapeCrepuscolo, in which his sympathetic qualties arere-affirmed. A. Morbelli's Incensum Domino isinteresting as a study of atmosphere. In sculpture the best things are the large monument by L. Bistolfi, La Bellezza della Morte,and the works of D. Trentacoste, with a certain179Studio-Talk" LA MARCITA " FROM A PAINTING BY C. PUGLIESE- LEVIquattrocentist purity of style, without its breadth;but really artistic and intellectual productions,nevertheless.VG. B.IENNA. It is not very often that wemeet with an art dealer possessingthetrue taste of a connoisseur. Therecently opened gallery in the Dorotheergasse proves the exception toIn the midst of the " dead season," Mr.H. O. Miethke has opened a collection of old andmodern masters. There is an atmosphere aboutthese rooms that gives one the distinct impressionof a taste and discrimination, not of that kindwhich values a work of art only by the price it mayfetch at an auction sale. The upper rooms arearranged in the character of a private collection,and the first salon is devoted exclusively toLenbach, who took the pains to arrange his fineportrait collection himself. In the second roomwe find Makart, that colour-inspired genius ofsudden renown and quick oblivion. His FiveSenses still seem to brave destruction in spite of allpredictions to the contrary; the flesh tints are asfresh as ever, and the canvases without a flaw.Between the pictures we come across occasionalpieces of ivory panelled furniture from Japan, andthe floors are covered by carpets from Persia,making the stay more palatable for the loungerthan at the ordinary stores stuffed with everydescription of the " fine arts " that " will sell."Englishmen will find some good specimens ofmodern Scotch landscapes by Brown and Nisbet,and a lively sketch by Lavery; in addition asplendid little sketch by that most independent ofartists, the father of landscapists, John Constable.This must certainly be considered quite a curiosityoutside of Great Britain. Among the Flemishmasters a large Rubens stands foremost, but theDutchmen are are even better represented by aTerburg, a small, very fine silvery- toned Ruysdael,a Hobbema, and others.In the autumn there will be an exhibition oftheold masters from the rich private collections ofVienna; and in addition to that, perhaps, also acollection of prints and colour prints from theBritish caricaturists of the eighteenth century, afterthe time of Hogarth.W. S.180Reviews of Recent PublicationsPARIS. -Last month we had an exhibition ofthe competitive designs sent inin connection with the two palaces to beerected in the Champs- Elysées for theExhibition of 1900, on the site of thePalais de l'Industrie. The general scheme of theExhibition, as is well known, includes the construction of a new bridge over the Seine, unitingthe Cours-la-Reine with the Esplanade des Invalides, and the two palaces in question will standone on either side of the avenue leading to thisbridge, and starting in the Champs- Elysées. Thelarger building to the right will replace the existingPalais de l'Industrie, and the other on the left willsupersede both the Pavilion of the Ville de Parisbuilt in 1878 by Viollet-le- Duc, the most famousFrench architect of the century-and the Luxembourg Museum, which, always too small, has for along time past been quite inadequate to hold thecontinual additions purchased by the State.The numerous difficulties presented by such ascheme may easily be imagined. Moreover, theconditions imposed upon the competitors weremost exacting, and it is not surprising to find thatthe jury, instead of adopting exclusively and in itsentirety any one design, have been obliged tochoose several, from which the final plans will beselected and amalgamated by a working committee.It has to be remembered that the larger palacewill, at the conclusion of the Exhibition of 1900, beutilised for all sorts of undertakings. First of allthe Annual Salons of the Champs-Elysées andthe Champ-de- Mars, which are to be re-unitedthere, according to the wishes of the Ministry ofFine Arts; then the Horse Show and the Agricultural Exhibition, to say nothing of concerts andother things too numerous to mention.Formypart I must confess to holding the opinionthat the first essential of a monument, from a decorative point of view, is that it should harmonise, evenin its smallest details, just as in its general idea,with the special purpose for which it is intended.A hippodrome is a hippodrome, and should not beconsidered capable under any pretext of beingturned into a museum, any more than it should bethought feasible to transform the arena at Arles orthe Coliseum into a place for the display of picturesor curiosities. We know from our experience ofthe Louvre that, despite the undoubted architectural beauty of the building, and all the care thathas been taken to make it what it is, the galleries,so far as the light is concerned, and also in otherrespects, are among the worst in the world.Consider, too, that these new palaces in theChamps-Elysées, built as they are to be in connection with a Universal Exhibition, must of necessitybe in something like harmony with the hybrid,composite style, temporary and tinselly, of Exhibitions generally. This was the case, as everybodyknows, with the Trocadéro, the Eiffel Tower, theGalerie des Machines, and the Palais de l'Industrie.Besides, despite the so- called progress of modernconstruction, one could not expect that the buildingof a monument, in the true sense of the word,should take less than four, or rather three, years tocomplete, for the actual work will not begin beforenext year. So far from this being the fault of thearchitects, it is rather their excuse. The conditions of the competition handicapped them tooseverely, anything like fancy or originality of ideabeing absolutely prohibited by the State.And what will the final plan be like? One asksthe question with a certain uneasiness, for thematter is one of some importance. Out of all thedesigns selected will it be possible to form onewhich shall combine all the necessary qualifications ,and be at the same time a work of art? I am afraidthis is too much to expect; but we must hope forthe best.REVIEWS OF RECENTPUBLICATIONS.G. M.The Florentine Painters of the Renaissance: withan Index to their Works. By Bernhard Berenson.Lorenzo de' Medici, and Florence in the FifteenthCentury. By E. Armstrong, M.A.The Midsummer ofItalian Art. By Frank PrestonStearns. Five heliotype illustrations. (Londonand New York: G. P. Putnam's Sons. )Although every artist and every art critic knowswell enough that the two important things in painting are drawing and modelling, and most of themknow what in practice makes good drawing andgood modelling, there are, I venture to say, butfew who would not be puzzled to answer thequestion: Why and how do we enjoy good drawing and good modelling? The new book by Mr.Bernhard Berenson, which incidentally discusses181Reviews of Recent Publicationsthis point, comes as something of a surprise, andis welcome as a thoroughly original treatment ofthe most essential problems of representative art.The author does not discuss beauty in the abstract,nor the evolution of form, but, restricting himselfconsistently to the point of view of the enjoyer ofart, and taking as his theme the masterpieces produced in Florence during the Renaissance, heendeavours to explain how great art is appreciated.The Florentine school depends upon its treatment of form , not upon any of the accessories thatplay so important a part in other schools-attractiveness of types, wealth of colour, or effects ofspace- composition. The fact that the energies ofthe greatest Florentines, from Giotto to MichelAngelo, were devoted to representing the humanfigure in repose or movement, explains the important place which the art of Florence has consistently held among cultivated Europeans, for, asMr. Berenson points out, the human figure is thesubject upon which good drawing and good modelling produce their quickest and most impressiveeffects.His theory, stated by himself in clear, brietlanguage, and illustrated at each point by referenceto definite masters and definite works of art, maybe baldly summarised as follows. The tasksspecific to the art of painting are to give impressions of solidity by means of flat surfaces, and ofmovement by means of objects actually motionless.These problems it solves by modelling and drawing. Successful modelling and successful drawingare such as give to the beholder the impression ofrelief and of movement (or life) in the objectsrepresented. But, it may be objected, thepanorama and the photograph do the same. Theenjoyment of represented form begins, however, tobe æsthetic or artistic only when the objects arerepresented in such a way as to give the spectatora feeling of increased energy. Art must, above all ,be "life enhancing." But how can representedform-mere solidity-be life enhancing? Only,Mr. Berenson says, by stimulating the ideatedsense of touch and muscular pressure and strain tounwonted activity, so that we realise things morequickly and more completely than in life. In lifewe pass over the contemplation of form to considerobjects in their dynamic relations. We have forgotten that, as children, we learnt to appreciatesolidity by touching and by muscular movementsof all kinds. But when form is isolated and presented to us in such a way that this dormant orforgotten muscular sense is roused, as it is notcommonly roused by nature, or by mechanicalreproductions of nature, then it inevitably enhanceslife, giving pleasure on the general evolutionalprinciple that all conscious healthy functioning isenjoyable.The pleasure of what is called " movement " inpainting arises in an analogous way. We tend toimitate every movement we see represented, evenif the movement be only that of a swift line . Thisimpulse to imitate stimulates ideated musculartensions, which, although not at all so powerful asthe sensations in real life, are apt to be morepleasurable, as they are freed from actual hindrances to enjoyment-fatigue, weight, and thelike.Around this formula of the life enhancing effectof art through the ideated muscular sensationswhich it calls up, Mr. Berenson groups the Florentine painters, finding here the explanation of thesupremacy of such masters as Giotto, Masaccio,Leonardo, Botticelli, and Michel Angelo, over theirfamous fellow craftsmen, Fra Angelico, Fra Filippo,Fra Bartolomeo, Andrea, and the rest. Wehave no space to quote the felicitous “ appreciations " of the different artists, terse as they are, norto speak of the scholarly and almost complete listsof their works which close this important littlevolume, the second of a series which is to includethe whole of Italian Renaissance painting."" It is not with " life enhancement that we turnto another volume in a series issued by Messrs.Putnam . Mr. Armstrong's " Lorenzo de' Medici, "the sixteenth volume in the " Heroes of theNations " series, stands in sharp contrast to theclose- packed and original work of Mr. Berenson.It is not illumined by any general principle, originalor otherwise, and, instead of being the outcome ofpersonal research and experience, it is nothing buta dry and superficial compilation, presented in aliterary style to which we are only too well inuredin the world of journalism. It is unnecessary hereto speak of anything but the inevitable sectiondevoted to art. In this, the author has scarcelymade an attempt to reconcile the conflicting viewsof the various writers from whom he has taken hismaterial. Morelli, Mrs. Jameson, and Müntzscientist, sentimentalist, and archivist-jostle eachother on every page. Names are mis-spelled, personages are confused, places and subjects are carelessly bungled . All this, however, we mightpardon if we found anything to help us to enjoyor understand the great artists ofthe time. Butthetreatment of the most important of them, of Botticelli, illustrates the hoplessness of serving up art 182Reviews of Recent Publicationsas a hash of other people's opinions. Two profiles ,the Pier di Cosimo at Chantilly, and the schoolpicture at Frankfort are the first " Botticellis "mentioned, and in this fashion the list of undiscriminating misattributions goes on. (We tracehere the influence of the unfortunate Dr. Ulmann,whose volume was severely reviewed in THESTUDIO in August, 1894.) When we come tolook for the appreciation of the artist's genius, weare put off with meaningless clichés such as " poetand painter, now lyric, now dramatic . . . . transformed by the magic of his fancy every theme hemade his own . . . . impressed by the beauty andinterest of the present . . . . the product is individual, all his own . . . . the poetic instinct in thespectator goes out to find the kindred element inthe painter. . . . . " Finally, after some rather lesscommonplace remarks about Botticelli's love ofrepresenting motion and the breeze, we are casthigh and dry on the arid sands of science by theastounding statement that " the present popularityof Botticelli may be accounted for by the application of the historical method to art criticism, bythe fact that art has for the public an educational,and not merely an epicurean value. " Heaven saveus from such " education " as unintelligent compilation affords!When Mr. Stearns, writing almost as one whohas never travelled, describes Raphael's Disputaas being the ceiling of the Stanza, his cartoons asstill at Hampton Court, the Pitti Three Fates,which he mistakes for a Michel Angelo as hangingin the Tribuna of the Uffisi, side by side with theMedusa, which he mistakes for a Leonardo; when,out of his five illustrations, the " Leonardo" is aforgery, the " Raphael " a Sebastian del Piombo,and the " Correggio " a mere reproduction from anengraving; when misstatements, misattributions,and inaccuracies greet us on almost every page, weare tempted to wonder in what manner he spentthose " many years of study and experience " whichwent, as he informs us, to the making of his book.The truth is Mr. Stearns belongs to that antiquatedrace of art amateurs who recognise a " genuine "picture by feeling a thrill, " something like an electric shock," he eloquently describes it; who, whenthey travel, take no notes and buy no photographs orguide- books; who have never heard of connoisseurship save as a bye- word, nor of scholarship in anyform; but who try to make up for ignorance bysentiment, and for carelessness by enthusiasm.Unfortunately, Mr. Stearn's enthusiasm is almostalways misplaced, and his sentiment foolish. Thetrail of the American " parlor " garnished with thesex.engraving of the Madonna della Sedia, of which hespeaks so affectionately, is over it all, and the onlyMuse who presides at his outpourings is theAmerican young lady of the lower middle class,who sits in that parlour. One or two illustrationsmust suffice. In the essay on Michel Angelo hesays: "A certain young lady once purchased acopy of Correggio's Io, had it framed, and it hungin her room for years without the import of thepicture being discovered by her. Now the purityof Michel Angelo, as I feel it through his works,seems to me a fair match for the innocence ofthat girl, who was something over 20. " Again,of the same unfortunate picture, this time aproposof Correggio's genius, he writes: " It is much inIo's favour that she is greatly admired by her ownAgreat many photographs of her are sold toladies; very few to men. " But the gem of appreciation in this line occurs on p. 311 , where we read:"A young lady of Boston, just returned fromEurope, considers the ' Marriage of Bacchus andAriadne ' the greatest of all pictures; this is muchin its favour. " It may be! But we do not countit in Mr. Stearns' favour that he should so obviouslyderive his own criticisms from the diary of theprovincial miss on her first trip " abroad." However, when he speaks in the first person, thedoctrine is not any more edifying. His shrinkingfrom the nude-" We moderns do not appreciate sculpture because we are not in the habit ofseeing naked figures; " his horror at Raphael'sshameless Apollo, whom he describes as a " fearfulapparition " among the elegantly costumed Muses;his bold remark (let no one accuse him of prudery! )that " so far as art is concerned, people shouldeither have their clothes properly on or properlyoff"; his distaste for monsters-" I confess thatno picture which contains a dragon or a largesnake is altogether pleasant to me; " his seriousargument about what he calls " Raphael's dubiouspractice in using bakers' daughters as models ofthe Holy Virgin; " his illuminating criticism ofMichel Angelo's sibyls, "their head-dresses couldnot be surpassed for elegance and good taste, somuch so that it seems as if they must have beenarranged by a woman rather than painted by aman"; all these, and more, sound to us like unacknowledged quotations from some young lady ofBoston, or elsewhere. From the young lady'scommonplace book also come such sententiousscraps of wisdom as: " Time is like an ocean onwhich we float for a while, and then disappear init; " " The pyramid typifies the solidity of thefamily structure; " and who but a young lady, or183Awards in " The Studio " Prize CompetitionsMr. Stearns, would now call the head of the ApolloBelvedere " superhuman, " or exclaim on enteringthe Sixtine Chapel, " The inexpressible is hereaccomplished? " One more quotation-this timeevidently called from Mr. Stearns' own experiences-and we have done. Of the Medusa, which heextravagantly admires, he says in his enthusiasm:"The face seems familiar to us. We fancy thatlike Heine's devil, we have met her somewhere insociety, at Mount Desert, perhaps, or other fashionable resort. That she did not quite freeze ourblood was owing to the fine summer weather."We commend Mr. Stearns to the enjoyment offashionable American summer resorts, and of theyoung ladies who frequent them, but we advise him.to refrain in future from writing on a subject soremote as art from what are apparently the pursuitsof his predilection.AMARY LOGAN.WARDS IN " THE STUDIO "PRIZE COMPETITIONSDESIGN IN BLACK AND WHITE.SUBJECT: " SUMMER. "(B XXXIII . )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toJason (John Thirtle, The Elms, Banstead Road,Ewell, Surrey).The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Pekin(Mary G. Houston, 139 Fulham Road, S.W.).Honourable mention is given to the following:Aestas (J. Houry, 16 Falmouth Road, Bishopston,Bristol); Clymping (Louis J. Ginnett, 27 WellingtonRoad, Brighton); Clef (Stanros Homere, WykenHouse, Bridgnorth, Salop); Grumbler (Rosa C.Petherick, Maple Lodge, Havelock Road, Croydon); Hurly Burly (C. H. Burleigh, St. AubynHouse, Montpelier Crescent, Brighton); Itylus(William Tyndale, Springvale, Habberley Road,Kidderminster); Jacobus (Scott Calder, c/o Mrs.Taylor, 159 Sydney Street, Chelsea, S.W.); MonkeyCat(Glencairn Shaw, 12 Kensington Crescent, W. );Mont Blanc (A. Critchlow, Bowden Street, Burslam, Staffs); May (May Dixon, Mulberry Green,Harlow, Essex); March Hare (Ethel K. Burgess2 Lilford Road, Camberwell); Rival (Fred Ashton,34 Springcliffe, Manningham, Bradford); Sir Bors(Henry C. Graff, Pontac Villa, Westdown Road,Catford, S.E. ); and Voar ( Edith A. Reynolds,The Hollies, Tregonwell Road, Bournemouth).DESIGN FOR METAL PANEL.(C XXXI. )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toThistle (John M. Glover, 15 Trafalgar Square,Chelsea, S.W. )The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Aline(Jacques Houry, 16 Falmouth Road, Bishopston,Bristol).Honourable mention is given to the following:Alp (C. W. Crosby, 19 Gordon Square, W.C.);Flo (Florence Grant, Waverley, Beckenham, Kent);Harebell (Mabel Brindley, Tittesworth, FlorenceRoad, Boscombe, Hants); Jeremiah (C. G.Dimma, 59 The Common, Upper Clapton, N.E.);Magpie (Gertrude M. Liddall, 19 Eaton Road,Chester); Mermaid ( Frederic Osborne, Waterloo,Frome, Somersetshire); Pantile (Ralph Knott,90 Oakley Street, Chelsea, S. W.); Richmond ( R.A. Mill, 10 Frankfort Street, Plymouth); Tommy(Juliet N. Williams, Yanwath, King's Road, Richmond, Surrey); and Toodles ( Katharine M. Ward,The Red House, Ewell, Surrey) .PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NATURE.PICTURESQUE OLD COTTAGE(D XXIV. ).The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toHydrastes (W. Wainwright, Pembury Court, Kent) .The SECOND PRIZE (Halfa guinea) to Warwick(J. Liebreich, 6 Blenheim Road, Bradford, Yorks).Honourable mention is given to the following:Amiel (Ernst Lambert, 32 Milsom Street, Bath);Borderer (D. Donaldson, 9 Railway Street, Berwick- on-Tweed); Beeswing (Miss Comber, Leighton, Parkgate, Cheshire); . (Miss E. L. Coles,Elmfield, Streatham, S.W.); Dolphin (Miss M. M.Leadbetter, Lismore, Broughty Ferry, N.B.);Diana (Alice G. Legge, Bramdean House, Alresford, Hants); Delta A ( Seymour Conway, Inglecroft, Beckenham); Delta B (Norman ReckittCaen Wood Towers, Highgate, N.); Henry KirkeWhite (Henry Johnson, 11 Ayr Street, ForestRoad, Nottingham); Leonellard (Leonard Stevenson, 3 Harlaxton Street, Nottingham); Leras(Walter Sarel, Monk's Grove, St. Ann's Hill,Chertsey); Medicus (C. W. Chapman, M.D., 21Weymouth Street, W.); Nightjar (R. A. Muntz,Umberslade, near Birmingham); Penmaenrush(Frank Casson, 84 Trinity Road, Handsworth,Birmingham); Runswick (Henry Irving, Darwen,Lancs); Rose trèmère ( R. J. Haines, 12 Beaumont Street, Oxford); St. Michael's Mount (M.Tuke Tylor, 67 Ladbroke Road, W.); Shotteswell(W. T. Greatbatch, 30 Smallbrook Street, Birmingham); Tutamen (Mary L. Duffield, St.Oswald's, Shortlands, Kent); and X Ray ( A. HC. Corder, 77 Buckingham Road, Brighton).184JASON(FIRST PRIZE.GEEFSummer!COMPETITION B. XXXIII . )ΑCH-S" SUMMER." FROMDRAWING BY"JASON "CH.SC52SVPPERԱԻ" SUMMER. " FROMA DRAWING BY(SECOND PRIZE . COMPETITION B XXXIII )SEAR" PEKIN"7CHSVMMER(HON . MENTION COMPETITION B XXXIII . ) "SUMMER." FROMA DRAWING BY"JACOBUS ""WSUMMER."A DRAWINGFROMBYESUIMIMIERO(HON.MENTION. COMPETITION B XXXIII.)"MAY "✩SVMMER(HON. MENTION. COMPETITION B XXXIII . ) "SUMMER."A DRAWING BYFROM"GRUMBLER"" SUMMER." FROMA DRAWING BYSUMMER(HON. MENTION. COMPETITION B XXXIII . )" MAY "Metal Panels (Competition C XXXI.)FIRST PRIZE " THISTLE "LE FEUSECOND PRIZE "ALINEՈՈՉHON. MENTION HAREBELLPICTURESQUE OLDCOTTAGE. FROMAPHOTOGRAPH BY " HYDRASTES"(FIRST PRIZE. COMPETITIOND XXIV.Picturesque Old Cottages (Competition D XXIV.)SECOND PRIZE WARWICKHON. MENTION "X RAY"The Lay Figure at South KensingtonTHE LAY FIGURE AT SOUTHKENSINGTON." IT is really quite gratifying, and atrifle unexpected, to find 1896 beatingthe Retrospective Work, " said the Lay Figure tohis friends, as they strolled round the galleryholding the picked subjects from so many previous " National Competitions " at South Kensington." Is it? " said the Cynic. " I am not so fondof the system that I rejoice to find new evidencein its favour. "" Besides, you must remember, " the Journalistbroke in, " that this work is not necessarily thebest examples of former years; but representschiefly those subjects which gained honours."66 Surely that is one and the same thing? " saidthe Lay Figure."How nice of you to think so," the Cynicsnarled; "to believe the judges have alwaysbeen both efficient and judicial. I remembercertain men in past years who would not havevoted for the best thing in the world, unless it wasdone after their own peculiar ideas.""But one must face personal prejudice in alljudgments not based on mere points of law, " saidthe Lay Figure."Nor am I quite sure," the Cynic continued,ignoring the interruption, " whether all the bestworks of any year ever met the judges' eyes. Iknew more than one instance of work seen afterwards (in their non official capacity) by certain ofthe judges, which provoked them first to declarethey had never seen it before, and to add that theywould most gladly have awarded it the highesthonours, had it come before them. "66are taken much too seriously. I want to see morepainting and less pattern. ""Because the strength of English decoration isacknowledged just now by that Paris which supplies you with all your standards of criticism?"asked the Lay Figure, " or because you think theSlade and the R.A. schools are the proper placesfor teaching painting and sculpture? "" I hear rumours of official retirements by agelimits, and new appointments looming near," saidthe Journalist. " Now, it is important wheneverthe changes do occur, that no clique should beallowed to run in its own nominee. ""Such abstract impeccability ought to be keptfor leading articles," retorted the Cynic. " I suppose in plain English that means somebody youhappen to dislike is in the running, and you fearhe will get in.""No! " said the Journalist. " I only want tosee the right man; personally I should prefer acompetent architect, or a sculptor, to a painter;one young enough to believe in young people, andEnglish by birth, sympathy, and tradition.""Surely there is only one Art for Paris andPeebles, " said the Lay Figure."That is a quotation, and a fallacy, " said theJournalist. " There may be only one arithmetic forboth, although bimetallism seems to suggest atleast two; but if so, it is Science, not Art, thatknows but one law.""There is something in that," said the æstheticPainter. " All good Art of the past has a local,yes, a parochial flavour, to use your pet word.How else would ' styles ' be recognised? ""Therefore you would have English Art, if therebe any, the Art of a parish," grunted the Cynic."Yes! " said the Journalist warmly. " I prefer" the Art of a parish to imitations, however cosmo- There again," the Lay Figure said, even ifyour facts are absolutely accurate, it only shows politan, of the Art of another nation. Did you seethat a committee of selection may err.""To err is human; to give medals to work youdislike is divine," said the Cynic, uttering themild perversion as if it had a deep hidden meaning." I think," said the very modern Designer, "thatthe cult of the Italian Renaissance, with its queerlyassorted local idols- Owen Jones, Moody, andthe rest has come a cropper, and that SouthKensington is trimming to popular opinion ."" I don't agree with your mixed metaphor, orpresume to understand it, " said the Cynic. " I aminclined to think that decorative feeling, evincedchiefly by inability to draw, and originality displayed in weak imitations of Rossetti or Beardsleya correspondence in the papers lately, which prophesied the secession of certain big towns fromthe South Kensington system, and the institution oflocally maintained schools of Art instead? Thatlooks a very healthy sign."" But surely now South Kensington, for almostthe first time, gains your approval, it is an unfortunate moment to suggest dismemberment, " saidthe Lay Figure . " See what it may do yet as abody.""We shall ," said the Journalist grimly, "and possibly we may be delighted and edified . Let ushope so; but Art, as there taught, like history, isapt to repeat itself.”THE LAY FIGURE.194

PORTRAIT OF MADAMEAMAN-JEAN. BY E. AMAN- JEANAman - eanA Modern Portrait- PainterAMODERN PORTRAIT-PAINTER: M. AMAN-JEAN.GABRIEL MOUREY.BYM. AMAN-JEAN's art is an art full ofdelicacy and refinement and subtlety, an art full ofdeep thought and charm, full of dreamy fascination. This is as much as to say that it is not thekind of work to please everybody. It appealsrather to the intellectual and the refined; tothose, in a word, who can understand and can feel-applying these two words at once in their mostgeneral and their deepest sense-to those whostrive to discover in an artist's work a fresh andspecial significance, according to the aspect ofthose creations of the external world which heplaces before their eyes. Such as these will love andappreciate M. Aman-Jean's art; and they are morenumerous than people think, despite that decay oftaste which is inherent to all modern democracies.Their support is enough to establish an artist'sreputation, and that in a manner far preferable tohim than the notoriety achieved by much of thetransient, garish work of the day.It is indeed a good thing to note the influencestill exercised by pure art, even to the extent-in thecase of certain artists, of whom we may be proudto be the contemporaries-of compelling theattention of the heedless multitude, who mustneeds admire even though they cannot understand.The respect their very names inspire is testimonyenough of the divine and everlasting magic ofthat divine and everlasting mystery we call Art.England to-day affords several notable examples ofthis feeling; in her admiration, for instance, of twosuch artists as Dante Gabriel Rossetti and BurneJones, the former wearing on his brows the doublewreath of everlasting bays as poet and as painter;and the latter, alive and famous in the world ofart and letters, and rewarded in his dignified careerof labour by the admiration of his countrymen andforeigners alike. MM. Puvis de Chavannes andA. Rodin, despite the fact that certain of theirworks (small blame to them, be it added), mustever remain as a sealed book to the crowd, havereceived in France the highest official recognition,and yet have continued to be the independent artiststhey always were, even from the outset of theirM. AMAN-JEAN IN HIS STUDIO FROM A PHOTOGRAPHVIII. No. 42. SEPTEMBER, 1896 .197A Modern Portrait-PainterPORTRAIT OF M. DAMPT, THE SCULPTORcareers, when the very experts themselves disdainedtheir work. It were hard to exaggerate the respectdue to natures such as these, hard to pay sufficienthomage to will power so strong, to personalityso forceful as theirs.These general remarks are not, I think, out ofplace, inasmuch as they have a special bearingupon the place occupied by M. Aman-Jean amongthose few artists of whom it may be said that theywill in the future be considered the representativesof the French art of to-day. If they are not yetacknowledged as leaders, at least they will be someday; for they are winning their way slowly butsurely, with admirable patience, by dint of honestwork, backed up by gifts of the highest order, tothe first rank in the near future.We may congratulate ourselves that he has beeninspired to perpetuate thefeatures, and in thosefeatures to reveal the souls,of his contemporaries. Noeasy task, truly, in this ageof ours, when everythingtends towards the effacement of character, whenuniformity of dress isalmost universal, when thelevelling of the classes isevery day causing our personality to disappear moreand more. A risky task,too, and one requiring arare gift of perception forits thorough accomplishment. For it is really afine and fertile subject ofstudy for an artist, conscious of his missionan age like our own, fullof elegancies and refinements of every kind, andinstinct with a feverishactivity, throbbing perpetually throughout thecivilised world, with itsthirst for the joys of themoment, its love ofpleasure and luxury, itscraving for a life crowdedwith the greatest possiblevariety of sensations.Cosmopolitanism hassmoothed down the angularities of the races, anddilettantism has clothed our minds as it were witha cloak of subtle comprehension. A thousandbonds of intellectual kinship unite persons of equalsocial rank, albeit of different nationality. Onecircle intermingles with another, and each impartsto its neighbour something of its own mannerof thinking and feeling and understanding.The external side of life has developed beyondmeasure, to the detriment of its inner workings;for that self communion, that long conferencebetween the moral being and his conscience, allthat, in short, which little by little reveals upon thefeatures the nature of the soul, is unknown in arestless age like ours.BY E. AMAN-JEANMere talent as a painter, therefore, will notFirst and foremost, M. Aman-Jean is a portraitist . suffice nowadays for the portraitist, if indeed it198

A Modern Portrait-Painterever has sufficed . He must be a psychologist,ever on the alert, ever seeking to grasp and toexpress in material form the mental characteristicsof his subject. What do I care for the blood flowing beneath the skin; for the network of swellingand throbbing veins? What matters the sight of thestraining muscles full of life, if the invisible part,the mystery of this living being, be absent fromthe canvas; if I cannot enter into communicationwith its spirit? I care not how brightly, howtruly, the eyes may shine, if I know nothing of thethought, the fancy, animating them. Even a flatness, or the projection of a bone, or the irregularityof a line, a deformity even, gives evidence of somehabitual trait which, if at times contradictory, isnevertheless always full of interest .Thus it is, I fancy, that M. Aman-Jean understands the art of portrait-painting; and far be itfrom me to say he is wrong. Nay, he is right,doubly right; in the first place from the generalpoint of view of aesthetics, since he succeeds sothoroughly in carrying out the object he has inview. The series of women's portraits reproducedhere proves this, to my mind, incontestably; andthese pictures also show the artist's predilections,his personal bent, his own peculiar conception ofart and life.As I said before, M. Aman- Jean's art is one ofdelicacy and subtle refinement. To prove this ,examine carefully the figures he so delights in.His subjects are intensely alive with an inner life,and seem heedless of all that might tear themfrom their own secret dreamings. They make noattempt at futile agitation, but are content with thethoughtful gestures of repose, the attitudes of pensive grace, in which the artist has fixed them.These are no special poses, assumed in thestudio, under the painter's gaze, but rather theirhabit, their ordinary way of being; and one feels atonce that the artist has painted them with hisPORTRAIT OF MLLE. CLAUDIUS JACQUET DE LA VERRIÈRE BY E. AMAN- JEANheart, rejoiced at the kinship in spirit he has discovered between himselfand them, at that perfectunderstanding betweenpainter and model withoutwhich there can result onlythe most superficial work,merely skin deep, like aphotograph. A portraitthus conceived becomes aplastic, psychological synthesis of the person represented. Everything in ithas its meaning, with nothing left to chance, or tothe unforeseen happy touch ,put in with more or lesssuccess, according to theartist's ability in execution.Hence the air of harmonypervading M. Aman-Jean'spictures, a skilful harmony,with nothing pedantic aboutit, studied, without affectation, deep and concentrated,substantial and mellow, expressing exactly what hewishes, neither more norless, neither too much nortoo little.M. Aman-Jean's portraitsof Mlle. Yvonne Lerolle andMlle. de La Verrière are199A Modern Portrait-Painterconspicuous illustrations of the harmonious concentration of vision peculiar to him. Full of grace, andinvesting the true likeness of their subjects with anexquisite fascination, they have a certain somethingabout them which seems to suggest the very spirit of" LA JEUNE FILLE AU PAON(Salon of 1895 ) , Mme. B. . . ., and Mlle. P. T.P... , in the last Champ de Mars Exhibition;and among the portraits of men in those of Colonelde K...., with its princely air, M. Luiz deRezende, MJules Case, Paul Verlaine, the sculpFROM A PAINTING BY E. AMAN-JEANthe éternel féminin. And the same careful study,the same striving to get at the secrets of the individuality of humanity, the same desire to recordcompletely and definitely the special traits of histypes, are seen in his portraits of Mme. HenriMartin, Mlle. T. C. J.... (Salon of 1892) ,Mme. D. .. . ( Salon of 1894) , Mlle. M. J. L.tor Dampt, and quite recently, the painter Besnard.Considering the admirable principles realised inall M. Aman- Jean's worksit is not surprising that hispictures should be so fullof decorative effect:logical result, which showshow well versed he is in allthe resources of his art.His scrupulously studiedfigures demand a setting oftheir own, a special atmosphere, one of to-day, inwhich they may really live,an atmosphere which nevertheless shall remain the atmosphere of to- morrow andfor ever. M. Aman-Jeanwill have none of that strictexactitude, the importanceof which is so greatly exaggerated by most of themodern portrait-painters.Imagination has too stronga hold on him for that; notmere fancy for fancy's sake,but just for so much as itis worth in adding to reality,in transfiguring, and magnifying and generalising it.Thus the decorative sideof M. Aman- Jean's workhas a high importance ofits own. This it is whichimpels him to those subtlecombinations of lines, thosesurprising effects of colourwhich give such irresistiblecharm to his figures. Andall this is achieved with thesimplest originality, without overloading the canvas,but by giving each thing its proper place, and bringing into prominence only that which is material.Thus it is with the Jeune Fille auPaon, and with theportraits of M. Jules Case and the sculptor Dampt,in which the arrangement of the backgrounds, theobjects around, and the costumes, is highly decora- 200"JEANNE D'ARC."FROM A PAINTINGBY E. AMAN- JEAN

A Modern Portrait-Paintertive. And in almost all the women's portraits towhich I have alluded, the artist has been careful togive to each of his figures just those surroundingswhich are proper to that particular subject, withoutregard to any one else, the result being that everydetail assists in emphasising the predominance ofthe figure itself, which thus becomes the naturalcentre of the work.I have now to speak of the purely decorativework of M. Aman-Jean-his Venise, in the Salonof 1894; his piece of decoration of the samename, his Venise, Reine des Mers, in the 1893Salon; his Sirènes, in the same Salon; and histwo cartoons for tapestry, La Beauté and Le Regretdu Passé, in the Luxembourg Gallery. The artisthas given full rein to his fancy in these works,breathing the soul of the Italian Renascence, inall save its splendour. For M. Aman- Jean is fondof sober shades, likes to strike rich chords, butmuffled as it were by the mists of his dreams.His greens and subdued turquoise- blues produce astrange glaucous light, while the faded rose tints,the dead gold yellows, and the dull violets, shinewith the faint lustre of ancient gems. Delicatepoems these, with slender, graceful forms passingrhythmically by, youthful faces showing in calmrepose on a background of heraldic trophies, tellingof glories past and gone; or framed by the placidsea rippled by the fresh breeze into tiny wavelets.In this pure twilight air of other days appear thelovely figures of the past, with robes floating inthe air, like rosy clouds; while through the clearblue waters glides a barque, sailing midst the palefoam towards the land of happiness, and love, anddreams.As for M. Aman- Jean's technique, it will, nodoubt, be considered dull and soft by those whocan admire nothing but striking colours, and haveno idea of the art of the half tone; who are incapable of realising its charm and fascination;those, in a word, who think that to be a colouristan artist must be noisy and coarse; those who delight in the barbarous combinations of tonesintroduced by certain of our portrait-painters, tothe taste of the retired grocers who employ them .I can assure them they are strangely mistaken.M. Aman-Jean is a colourist of the first order.In proof of what I say, I will only mention threeof his portraits-but the pictures themselves mustbe seen to be properly appreciated—a lady in redin the 1893 Salon, Mme. B. . . . in the last Salon,an exquisite arrangement in violet, and Mlle. YvonneLerolle, in a white dress, a truly remarkable pieceof colouring.And as much may be said of some of his men'sportraits, which show extraordinary power of expression -that of M. Jules Case, for instance, andthose of Besnard and Colonel de K. . . . , in awhite uniform, already referred to. They are broadin treatment, and powerful without a trace of coarseHis brush never loses its rich and energetictouch. One feels that he is master of himself,master of those gifts so laboriously developed inthe conscientious study and observation of nature.ness.I doubt if M. Aman- Jean will ever attain thegreat, but to my mind scarcely enviable, successesof some of our fashionable " official " portraitAman JeanPORTRAIT OF MADAME TÉRY BY E. AMAN- JEAN203DerMThe Revival of English Domestic Architecturepainters, such as MM. Carolus Duran, Boldini, Machard, Doucet, and others;and I like his art too wellto wish him any such rewards as these, for no onewith any independence, anyreal taste, will let himselfbe infatuated in this way.We want work of anothersort, work of a quite different quality; and M. AmanJean is capable of satisfyingour highest requirements,with his most delicate treatment of the mysterious anddifficult art of portraiture.I have attempted, asclearly as possible, to pointout his meaning, and toshow the objects he has inview so that they may beno longer misunderstoodor ignored. He has neverfigured — and will neverfigure among the thousands of artists who arefalsely ranked as portraitists,simply from having put theirname to a certain numberof coloured photographs.Absorbed in his own individuality, he will remain.as he is now, an artist apart,working in quiet dignity,and fully deserving the admiration and esteem of allthose whose admiration andesteem are worth having.He is conscious of this, andasks nothing better.TSTAIRCASE AT BUCHAN HILL, SUSSEXGABRIEL MOUREY.HE REVIVAL OF ENGLISHDOMESTIC ARCHITECTURE.V. THE WORK OF MESSRS.GEORGE AND PETO.To appreciate fully the gain of the nineteenthcentury, in the matter of palaces (the word ishardly an exaggeration), owing to Mr. ErnestGeorge, it is best to remember the typical nobleman's country- seat which preceded them. Whodoes not know the huge square box, with or withoutMESSRS. E. GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTSa Palladian portico, that figures so largely in illustrated county histories? Portland Place, or eventhe older clubs in Pall Mall, maintain a certaindignity amid urban surroundings, but a mansion ofthe same sort set upon a hill, a huge white cube, withdots for windows, is always as hideous an additionto a fine landscape as a white tramcar ticket wouldbe if stuck upon the mid- distance of a painting byCorot or Constable. Nor was the sudden, andfortunately brief, lapse into railway- station Gothicmuch more fit. True that its streaky walls, andparti-coloured scheme generally, afforded an excusefor ivy and other creepers, and so in the course of204The Revival of English Domestic Architectureyears, by dint of hiding its costly beauties, thething grew less intolerable; yet it was fidgety andharsh in its contour, hardly less in relation to itssurroundings than are the preposterous little villaswhich one sees often enough amid most charmingscenery from any of the northern railway lines ofFrance. These perky maisonettes look no moreout of place than the huge compilations in red,black and yellow bricks, with gritty carved capitalsand shiny granite columns in the very- VictorianGothic style of the sixties and seventies, that hereand there intrude upon exquisite scenery.The mansions of Messrs. George & Peto areas far removed from the sham Classic as the shamGothic. For their progenitors one has not to turnto old Greece, nor to Lombardy, but to England,and " merrie England " at that. The typicallyEnglish half-timbered farmhouses, the Elizabethanmansions, the almshousesof pious founders, and thepalaces of our own kings,present an immense varietyof styles and differ in essential features, but all thesame they are British bybirth, and have fallen harmoniously into our Englishlandscape. Such cottages,or halls, appear hardly moreintrusive than the greatelms and oaks against whichthey are so often seen.They do not seem to havebeen built with the oneobject of being picturesque,but to have become so byforce of circumstances.short, they look like contemporary portraits of theirowners, well-dressed andsuperbly at ease; not likesupers or amateur actorswearing gorgeous finery witha nervous sense that it isunaccustomed and uncomfortable attire.InAmongthe fewmodernarchitects who have succeeded,not once but dozens oftimes,in the difficult task of rivalling these " stately homesof England," Messrs. ErnestGeorge & Peto are easilyfirst.One of the most successful houses- ShiplakeCourt, Henley- on - Thames-is familiar to frequenters of the stream of pleasure. The size ofTHESTUDIO page does not admit any adequate view ofthe whole frontage, but those who wish to refer toit will find drawings by the architect, reproducedin the Building News of May 31 , 1889. To studythis house, even in the drawings, is in itself a liberalarchitectural education. The first impression isthat it must have grown and developed in accordance with its inmates' tastes and needs, although(I believe) it grew only in the architects' brains,and was built straight away from the working drawings. It seems as if generations might have passedbetween its first stone and the final touch. Hereis a stately oriel casement, with an arcaded porch.(page 206), opening on a terrace with balustradesand flights of wide steps leading to the river-bankBALL-ROOM OF A COUNTRY HOUSE MESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTS205The Revival of English Domestic Architecturebelow, a stately architectural façade that suggestscomfort and luxury without undue display. Onthe other side the courtyard front seems morehome-like, and at least a century earlier in the proportions of its component parts. The squarebattlemented tower, with its angle turret staircase,and the rows of small square- headed windows,กางSHIPLAKE COURT, HENLEY- ON- THAMESOnly those whose good fortune it is to live in highand well-ventilated rooms can realise the simpleluxury of ample space, which is at once healthy andimposing. Merely as an architectural triumph thisnotable room, with its finely proportioned fireplace,its high panelling, and the oak screen at the farend, is so obviously a masterpiece of its kind thatto point out its beautieswould be a work of supererogation. A fireplace,with tall pilasters above it,the chimney- breast treatedsometimes fronted with acornice, as in Shiplake, andsometimes as in West DeanPark, Singleton (page 207),by a semicircular pediment, or still more simplyin the Great Hall, Batsford, is distinctly an ' Ernest- Georgian' feature; butperhaps not more typical ofthe personality of the artistthan are his staircases ofthe type illustrated inBuchan Hill, Sussex (page204), or the hall of NorthMymms, Herts (page 210).The staircase in eachcase is made strikinglydecorative by its ampleproportions and the openarcading which imparts aseries of structural supportthat satisfies you æsthetically and practically. ForMr. Ernest George realisesin all his work that the eyemust be satisfied as well asthe building surveyor. Itis not enough that a thingshould be permanent andstable, it must look so aswell. We all know thefeeling of insecurity whichcertain stone staircases present. To find out howtheir vast weight is supported is not merely puzzlingbut almost distressing to an untrained spectator. Yetifthe space underneath be filled in by a glazed screenor an iron grille, the average person never feels thelack of pillars to carry the great weight which to himseems stuck upon the wall. In the gallery or balcony which Mr. George also delights in, as in thehall at North Mymms, that at Shiplake Court, orMESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTS(From a Photograph by Messrs. Bedford Lemere & Co.)recall the quadrangle of a well- known college; butthe large half-timbered gable that breaks the lineof roof, gives a touch of domesticity which thewell-grouped chimney shafts assist no doubt inmaintaining.If in the drawing of the interior of the hall atShiplake Court it appears too ecclesiastical, or atleast too like that of a public building, a photographof the interior, fully furnished , dispels any such idea.206園(From a Photograph by Messrs . Bedford Lemere & Co.) HALL AT WEST DEAN PARK,SINGLETON. RESTORED BYMESSRS. ERNEST GEORGEAND PETO

The Revival of English Domestic Architectureyet another illustrated here -Ball-room ofa CountryHouse (page 205)-we find a feature that is at oncepractical and picturesque. There is always something romantic in a balcony, whether because ofJuliet, or that English memories of minstrels 'galleries, watching chambers, and other forms ofthe indoors balcony still retain a peculiar charm;there is no doubt that even in its most simple formsthere is a certain pleasure as you stand upon it inwatching people below, or from beneath as youcarry on conversation with those aloft.Before leaving the interior of these halls we mustnot overlook another treatment of the hearth,namely, the great hooded chimney- piece seen inNorth Mymms and Buchan Hill, a style which isperhaps less English than Mr. George's alternativetreatment, but not without precedent in our ownland, if more common in foreign châteaux.To give a complete list of the more importanthouses is not possible here. Yet some of themmust be referred to individually. Motcombe (LordStalbridge) is not less interesting for its plan thanits delightfully harmonious façade. In the planyou find a block containing all the reception-roomsand private apartments almost completely detachedfrom the offices, which surround a kitchen court.The Morning Room, Motcombe, with its panelledwall and coffered ceiling, and the hall with itsstately chimney- piece and open-raftered flat roof,are among the most delightful of Mr. George's interiors. The exterior of Buchan Hill, Sussex,already referred to, is a trifle more fantastic thanmost of Mr. George's work, Elizabethan though itbe. A slightly French accent seems to have beenimparted to it, but in all probability the actualhouse is far more simple than is its appearance inthe black-and-white drawing reproduced in theBuilding News (July 7 , 1887).Studleigh Court, Devon, is a long and comparatively low building on an L-shaped plan. Thehall, which is open to the roof, the full height ofthe building, has a fine bay window, and otherswhich are set at some height from the ground.The absence of a tower, and the presence of thehalf-timbered gables, assist in giving a domesticrather than palatial character to the fine building.Woolpits, Surrey (Sir Henry Doulton), is veryunlike the rest of Messrs. George & Peto's work.It is a large house, with a tower capped by apyramidal spire; severe in its masses and detail, ityet lacks some of the repose we associate with farmore ornate Renaissance designs by the same firm.The chimney- shafts, with interlaced arcading,almost Norman, and the treatment of the dripcourses above the arches of the piazza at the lefthand side of the hall, all show features rarelypresent in these architects' designs. Dunley Hill,Dorking (Admiral Maxse), might also fail to beattributed to Messrs. George & Peto at first glance;but the library of one story, which equals theheight of the rest of the two- storied structure, andcertain minor details betray the authorship afterHALL CHIMNEY00HALL CHIMNEY AT BUCHAN HILL, SUSSEXMESSRS. E. GEORGE AND PETO, ARCHITECTS209THE HALL OF NORTH MYMMS,HERTS. MESSRS. E. GEORGEAND PETO, ARCHITECTSTHE HALL OF NORTH MYMMS, HERTS.FOR WALTER BURNS Eso ERNEST GEORGE & PETO ARCHppTHE HALL ATSHIPLAKE COVRTERNEST GEORGE & PETO ARCHITECTS20022THE HALL, SHIPLAKE COURTMESSRS. ERNEST GEORGE ANDPETO, ARCHITECTSThe Revival of English Domestic Architecturemore intimate study. A house at Ascot (ErnestStoner, Esq. ), has the unusual addition-unusual,that is to say, in modern English houses-of achapel. Possibly its oblique position on the planis due to that strict orientalisation which Englishritual has adopted almost invariably. Neverthelessthe whole group lacks the unity and impressiveeffect of Mr. George's better known mansions.A superb house, without and within- Glencot,rooms still haunt one as perfect, whether you compare them with old or new work in any country.It is a house which might provoke a Diogenesto envy, and make the most contented personcovetous.North Mymms, in the architect's own drawing,seems a veritable Elizabethan house. Its statelycourtyard, with a central fountain, its formalgarden, and a certain unsymmetrical arrangementRAWDON HOUSE, HODDESDON RESTORED BY MESSRS. E. GEORGE AND PETO(From a Photograph by Messrs. Bedford Lemere & Co.)Wells-can hardly be described in words. Itssituation on the slope of a hill, with a stream passing beneath an arch of one of its terraces, has beenmost fully developed. The external staircases(they are too lofty to be considered as flights ofsteps from one terrace to the other), the deeprecesses with balconies, the comparatively smallwindows, and the curious air of solidity which thegreat mass of the whole building possesses inunusual degree, might fairly entitle it to be amasterpiece. The interior, as readers of THESTUDIO know, is no less beautiful; indeed, certainof its parts, reveal once again Mr. George'speculiar genius for suggesting a result that hasbeen evolved, rather than invented. The stablesand outbuildings are as admirable as the mainbuilding, and the whole place a thing to remember.The Knoll, Barton, a far less palatial house, isanother well-nigh perfect example of picturesqueeffect, gained by simple direct use, of featurescommonplace enough in themselves. A greatarchitect takes these words in every- day use, andmakes of them a poem in bricks and mortar-hisimitators copy detail by detail, and yet the result212(From aPhotograph byMessrs .Bedford Lemere &Co. ) DINING -ROOMAWDON ,HOUSEHODDESDON .RESTORED BYMESSRS .ERNEST GEORGE ANDPETO

Maldon as a Sketching Groundis doggerel. But the difference between a poemand a neatly made piece of verse, is often toosubtle to be differentiated in a hasty criticism likethis. Batsford, Gloucester, must be passed with abriefmention. Littlecroft, New Forest(Morton Peto,Esq. ) , has been the subject of many illustrations inTheBritish Architect ( Dec. 17 , 1886); admirers ofMessrs. George & Peto's work should refer to thedetails of this charming house, where not merelythe structural features have been sketched by Mr.T. Raffles Davidson, but a sundial, a lantern, evena pair of snuffers finds a record. Rawdon House,an old building restored by these architects, is sofully illustrated here ( pages 212 and 213) , that in theabsence of more information as to the originalstate ofthe house, it would be impossible to addanything else of moment. A yacht, The Cuhona(for Sir Andrew Walker), is perhaps less out ofplace if noticed among country houses than elsewhere. Its interior in The Architect (Oct. 6, 1883),must be taken with a grain of salt. No yacht couldcarry a small town-hall comfortably; but accepting the convention of its perspective, it is instructive to see that the ornate panelling and generallyluxurious features which modern taste deems theproper compensation for a floating prison, can bemade gorgeous in an artist's hands without beinggaudy and hideous. The steamship saloonis usually a triumph of bad taste, splendourthat becomes sordid by its too plentiful detail, anda riot of extravagant decoration generally. Thesame publication (July 6, 1883), contains manysketches by Mr. Raffles Davidson of other fittingsand appointments of The Cuhona, with a sketch ofthe yacht at anchor.The secret of the work ofthese architects is surely apparent to all who care tostudy it. It is not the useof any particular material,adherence to any given style,nor the originality which iseccentricity masqueradingunder a nobler name, norabject reverence for preceIdent which is barely disguised pedantry. Full knowledge of the architecture ofthe past is kept in its rightlysubordinate place by equallyfull recognition of the modified conditions of the present,and the result is sane andpractical work, that also hapCHSpens to be beautiful because the sanity is that of ascholar, and the practical conduct is dominated byan artist's intuitive sense of the right proportion andthe right place to use ornament. To know whento be restrained is not enough, one must also knowwhen to be prodigal; and that Mr. Ernest George'swork is proof of his perfectly well- balanced artistryis proved so clearly, even in the drawings reproduced here, that all which has been written doesbut indicate the lesson which they proclaim openly.M"G."ALDON AS A SKETCHINGGROUND. BY E. W.CHARLTON, A.R.E.DEAR B, -I know how hard it isto drag you away from Father Thames, and I quiteappreciate your love for him, for he is grand andnoble, and, considering his age, full of "go. " Haveyou ever decided whether you like the old gentleman for what he is or for what you can get out ofhim? Perhaps a good deal of both. I am awarehe can offer you an everlasting supply of usefuland valuable necessaries-barges and wharves,docks and shipping, confusion and dirt-andnaturally you are always ready to accept his gifts.You would be to blame if you were not. I alsoknow that the old man has his moods. He can besmart-outwardly; or he can be exceedingly dullif he chooses. In either case he is always beautiI fully unclean. Ah! you hold up your hand.know exactly what you mean, you revel in hisgrime: you must have your murkiness. Very well,I agree and disagree with you at the sametime andOLD LIME- KILN, MALDONEwfFROM A DRAWING BY E. W. CHARLTON, A.R.E.215Maldon as a Sketching GroundCHS.HEYBRIDGE BASIN, NEAR MALDONHeybridgeBasionFROM A DRAWING BY E. W. CHARLTON, A.R.E.in this way you do not want it all the year round.And therefore, if you can make up your mind tojoin me here at Maldon in the county of Essexfor a month or so I am sure the change will doyou and your work much good, and I can promisealso that Maldon will be able to supply you withshipping and shipways and everything in your lineto make your heart glad, with not too much artisticdirt, but just artistic dirt enough.In fact the place is a paradise for those of uswho crave for busy river scenes. To take a seaton Ben's Beach-named after the owner, BenHandley, and I warrant you will not be long in thetown before you discover Ben's Beach-to sit thereand watch an old fashioned swim-headed bargeswinging down with the tide, will soon force youto produce your sketch-book or rig up your painting "things."Just look at the delightful variety of colour! Aweather-beaten rusty black hull with a green sternand letters of gold. A tiller of deep yellow finishedwith a circle of Indian red fixed in a rudder- post ofbrilliant green. All but one of her sails are tannedand that a bran new jib of staring white. Hercumbersome sprit is yellow save for a broad bandof azure blue in the centre, and her bowsprit istricolour in green, new varnish and white. Figuresclad in crimson and buff bustle all about haulingat a patched and faded green tarpaulin to coverher deck load of straw. And hugging her sombreold sides floats her ship's boat, the light blue insideand partly out, tempered with black where shetouches the water, and set off all round with anarrow strip of ochre yellow half way down theoutside blue. What better can you want? Thisbarge is but a specimen of Maldon's models.Beyond stretch the muddy flats covered with thegrey green tufty grass where sheep delight to roam.It is somewhat astonishing to a stranger to see howsoon all this swampy ground is covered with wateras the tide flows in and how the sheep stick to ittill the last minute. I have watched the dogsracing in and out amongst the perfect maze ofchannels, collecting the flocks and hurrying themaway from the fast increasing water; every yelpseeming to tell them that if they did not look sharpthey would never pasture there again. And perhaps at times some do get drowned, for to becaught on one of those numberless promontoriescan mean nothing but transition from sheep tounedible mutton; and even a man cannot walk allover that land for the depth of the mud and thesoftness of it . There may be places where it ispossible to pitch an easel, but if you do go acrossand the view of river and town from that side isvery alluring-let me advise you to keep yourboat within easy reach, especially at spring tides.There is much life on the reaches of the Blackwater, and, as on most tidal rivers, business is moreactive at particular periods of the day dependentupon the state of the tide. Shipping is the lifeof Maldon, and though it is to a great extent216Maldon as a Sketching Groundlimited to vessels of certain tonnage and those ofpurely a mercantile class, it is all the better so,because it creates a style of its own, and you willfind you cannot overstep the boundary of your ownconceptions simply because it is impossible toreach it.You can watch the bustle of a brigantine comingto her moorings and the rattle of her runningrigging as her sails are clewed up. You see herpush the smaller craft aside as she elbows her wayto the quay, where a motley line of interestedloungers contrasts with the nimble hands aboard,till at last she is snug and comparative quiet takesthe place of all the hubbub, and then you can settledown to a fine piece of composition and colour asshe groups with her entourage, the olla-podrida ofriver and wharf, a mélange of leisure and toil.At another spot you will find a barge-saythe Sunbeam, or may be the Diligent-underrepair, with her mainmast unstepped and hershrouds lying across the deck in a twisted mass.There is much scraping of spars, and painters inblue with red soft hats scurry along the shoreplanks like acrobats. Look out in mid channel.There may be a small procession of barges racingdown the waterway with the wind dead aft, each astudy in itself, or, taken as a whole, a grand pictureof riverside energy. Later, with the flowing tide,fishing boats hail to their mooring grounds. Thereis just enough wind to carry them in, though hereand there the sweeps are out to lend a helpinghand. And every smack has a tired- out look, likea man who has been on his legs all day and is gladto lie down and rest. As each arrives at a certainpoint the sails come " down in the folds," and byand-by when all are safely housed, the creaking inthe blocks again tells of the nets run up to themasts to be spread abroad for the drying.And then there are the pleasure boats. Oneof the chief recreations of the Maldon man ofbusiness is to go for a sail or a row, so that duringleisure hours the river becomes a busy scene.Not much need I tell you about it on the score ofpaintable material, but the little craft flying aboutadd another variation to themultitude of incidents. Thereis a neatness, a brightness, avivacity about them born onlyof enjoyment: touches offrivolity, laughing when austerely snubbed by the hardworked brigantine, and caringnot a jot for the sneers ofthe dull old barge. Steamersare seldom seen so high upthe Blackwater, but everynow and then one does landa party of excursionists,though their visits, I ampleased to say (speaking froma selfish artist's point ofview), are few and far between. There is practicallyno business done with the aidof steamships to or fromthePort of Maldon. The leading trades upon the riverconsist in hay and straw,grain, timber, stones, coal,chalk and lime, and by reasonof some of these you getthose loaded decks whichoften give the vessels a topheavy appearance, though anappearance only, for rarelyone hears of a barge capsizTHE TOWING PATH BY THE CANAL, MALDONFROM A DRAWING BY E. W. CHARLTON, A.R.E217Maldon as a Sketching Grounding, and they take a peculiar delight in bowlingalong with their decks half under water.Between Ben's Beach and some buildings calledthe Salt Works, boat building yards and repairingsheds fill up a kind of promontory reaching rightdown to the water's edge by the sides of thecreek to the slips, so that the path along theriver bank diverges slightly up the slope and passesthrough some fenced- off meadow land, locallyknown as The Downs. On either side of theseblack open sheds or in them-you would discoverpleasant subjects, for naturally vessels in all stagesHBARGES AT THE WHARVES, MALDON田when the tide is far down in wadingto and fro acrossthe channels. The martyrdom of shingle walkingthey do not seem to mind in the least, and mud isan element they rejoice in . They come in veryuseful too as models, and the painter of subjectssuch as these would revel in them.Half tide at the Salt Works is a good motij, asthe buildings themselves are picturesque, and theupward slope of the green in front, backed withfull grown elms, tells against the strong perspectiveof the foreshore, which is generally dotted withpunts and chains and odd baulks of timber half lostFROM A DRAWING BY E. W. CHARLTON, A.R.E.of formation or repair can always provide you withplenty of food for mind or pencil. Above, uponthe slope you have a good view of the winding riverwith the long shallow line of Northey Island in thebackground. The incline of The Downs has agradual termination riverwards, and the fieldswhich meet the shore are level enough and lie solow as to be partly covered with water at high tides,and when the shallow hollows are full to the brimyou will see tribes of naked little urchins up to allsorts of games in the water. Children are legionin every town, but I think Maldon could take aprize for numbers. They are splashing aboutthrough the long summer day, and take a delightin the tussocky grass fringing the shingle. On thefurther side of the riveropposite the Works is atimber wharf where perchance are vessels loadingup, or perhaps a barge withher deck piled high waitingher turn to be emptied.Behind lies the level line ofshore where the river bendsto the right, losing itself beyond the building yards,and over the low flats yousee the red sails seawardsclear against the rows ofdistant trees which close thepicture in.Quite near the townbridge-Fullbridge as it iscalled-you will come upona lime kiln. One cannothelp making a sketch of it,it is so quaint and old andpicturesque. It was builtmore than two hundredyears ago, and is as muchin use now as then. Whenthe sun shines full upon its whitish dome, and onthe dazzling pile of chalk beneath the open leanto which abuts on it , the sky is brought to a toneof grey producing a lovely harmony. And as afoil of much beauty you will notice, standing clearagainst the sky, the old brick wall which carriesthe dome with its coronet of grass . The kilnseems to rise from the edge of the wharf, andhere again is a fine contrast in the twisted pilesand battered beams that prop the quay side up.So far I have pretty well confined myself to yourfavourite theme-shipping and the like. As anEssex borough of over 5000 people, Maldon canlay claim to great antiquity, and an importance 2187 8Essex MaldonDRAW- FOM AMALDON ,ESSEX .ING BYE.W.CHARLTON ,A.R.E.7Maldon as a Sketching GroundFISHING-BOATS RETURNING, MALDON FROM A DRAWING BY E. W. CHARLTON, A.R.E.which still survives. ItIt also also has has the the advantage advantage ofofbeing within easy distance (less than forty miles)from London, a little way off the Colchester line .You must change at Witham, and as you passthrough, first Wickham and then Langford-thetwo villages before you come to Maldon (theterminus)—you would do well to look about you;for in this direction lies the ground for landscapists, because the town bridge may be consideredthe dividing line between purely pastoral subjectsand those connected with a busy river. There arein reality two rivers at Maldon, the Chelmer joiningthe Blackwater by the timber yard, where the latterbranches off. The neighbourhood I have mentioned as affording ground for landscape work iswatered by the Chelmer, and there is also a canalwhich runs into the Blackwater at Heybridge Basinof which place more anon. All through this district, especially around Beeleigh Abbey, about amile above Fullbridge, there are charming littlebits of pasture land and stream, and overhangingwillow, but, to speak frankly, I consider it a wasteof proffered wealth to spend one's time amongstthem unless that time has little limitation . A riverlike the Blackwater is too rare-and therefore toovaluable to ignore.In such an ancient town as "Maeldune inEssexia " there are sure to be ancient buildings,and for an explorer, not necessarily an antiquarian,who carries a sketch book, there is plenty of fascinating material. The churches are beautiful. St.Peter's (not used now as a church) and All Saints'with its unique triangular tower, stand near to eachother, at the highest part of the town. But it is toSt. Mary's-the lower church-the one so conspicuous from the Hythe, I want to draw yourattention. It adds greatly to the making of thefinest view of Maldon. The Normans, who decided where it should be built, must have beenmen of artistic taste, to say the least, judging fromits situation, and I suppose it may be taken forgranted that the lie of the land where the townnow stands and the trend of the river beneathhave altered little since those early times. If youcriticise the general view from Ben's Beach or theRecreation Ground, you will notice the satisfactorybalance of line in stationary objects. But theshipping, it is almost needless to say, must be incorrect position also, and when it is, the rest iscomparatively easy.I spoke of Heybridge Basin. You should certainly go there. It is a walk of about three miles,partly along the canal bank. This canal, for a mileat least from the basin, is perfectly straight, andon one side there is an avenue of bare stemmed´willows with broom- like tops, giving it a veryforeign appearance. At the basin you will usuallyfind two or three vessels (exclusive of barges) justinside the big lock gates in the basin itself infact. The place is a queer unconventional sort ofriverside hamlet spoilt here and there by uglymodern buildings. The river at high tide is abouta mile across, and the water effects are magnificent.The flat coast line, too, with its embanked pathjust above the edge of the beach is very paintable,neither do I think you would find a dearth of figure220Gerhard Munthesubjects, for there always appear to be plenty ofships' hands and boatmen lounging about. Nodoubt some ofthem would be glad to earn money byworking hard in standing still! Since I have beenin Maldon I have stayed at the hotel of the sign ofthe Blue Boar, so that I am not able to give youmuch information about lodgings, although I knowyou prefer them. I can only tell you there areplenty about quite close to the sketching grounds.But I shall expect you here where I get as muchcomfort as space. There is an enormous kind ofassembly room next to my sitting-room (whichwould make a capacious studio in itself), where onwet days you could tackle a " twenty footer " if youfelt inclined. So you see big things are expectedof you! I sincerely trust this letter will have theeffect of bringing you down soon. As a rule itdoes not answer to be responsible for, perhaps,failure in a brother artist's work, but if I did notfeel confident that the temporary change from theThames to the Blackwater would result in successI would not make my proposition. In short,Maldon is a perfect sketching ground, so come andconfirm my opinions in your book, and endorse myremarks on your canvases.E. W. CHARLTON.GMUNTHE, DEARTIST. BYERHARDCORATIVEK. V. HAMMER.GERHARD MUNTHE is a Norwegianartist who has devoted much study to the particular branch of art in which he is better known.As an able and versatile decorator he has beenappreciated for a considerable number of years,but early in the present decade he suddenlydeviated from the trodden paths of his artand produced a number of compositions which,both in design and execution, showed a distinctdeparture from the commonplace of modern decoration. When first exhibited in Christiania hisworks aroused quite exceptional interest, and inParis and Venice they have recently attractedconsiderable attention.An idea of the nature and character of thesecompositions may be obtained from the tapestry designs here illustrated; and in spite of the fact thatthey have been greatly reduced in reproductionand lack the pleasant colouring of the originals,they nevertheless give a fair impression of whatthe artist intends to convey.The main motive of his work is to retain thatDruskarTOded trillaritrofor entrinnanligger itrataroDESIGN FOR TAPESTRY, " WORKRAD 93梁BY GERHARD MUNTHE221Gerhard Munthewhich is national and traditional. He has onseveral occasions publicly stated his views upontradition, and I cannot do better than quote thefollowing passage from an article written by him:"Each nation must be regarded as an individual whose talents are of a distinct stamp.The nation has, like the individual, its own predispositions and its own likings, just as also itpossesses its own train of ideas. Each nationnaturally feeds on spiritual nourishment from without, and, according to its temperament, derivesgood from it or otherwise. To what extent anything may become incorporated in the nation asEBOD TOVORNETDESIGN FOR TAPESTRY, " THE TOWER OF BLOOD "'tradition ' depends on the degree in which it canbe assimilated. Tradition is, therefore, not whatmany believe it to be-viz. , ancient romance orhistory. The first condition demanded of a nationby tradition is that it can be, as it were, digested byit, absorbed by it, and tradition therefore dependslargely upon the developing power of the nationFrom his views of the importance of nationalismand tradition Munthe has developed his decorativeHe has studied carved work and sculpture inold churches and dwellings, the old poetry of theSagas, folklore and melodies, the old art of00BY GERHARD MUNTHEtapestry, the floral painting of thepeasantry and everything connectedwith the art of that portion of thepopulation, its nucleus and its regenerative powers up to the present day.In this way he has initiated himself into the very world of Norwegianideas; " and it is," he says, "individual and simple as a book printedin large type." This peculiar worldof thought and tradition may be tracedback for ages, and, notwithstanding itsdecadence of late years, it is still tothe fore, despite all foreign influence.Munthe is of opinion that one cannot advance in art by merely thoughtlessly copying traditional colours anddesigns. One must become imbuedwith the spirit and meaning conveyedor transmitted by tradition; one mustlive, in fact, in its way of thinking andits world of fantasy. In this, however,one enters into regions where realismnever penetrates; into a period whichlies even more remote than that oflegendary tales-a time which takesone back to our old myths and thegods in Valhalla-that is, the periodportrayed in our oldest war songs andin the ages of the Sagas, a periodrendered weird and horrible by bloodand darkness.Munthe occasionally, it is true, peepsinto the world of childish fancy, butthat is, however, beyond the pale ofthose old conceptions in which heprefers to roam. All that he producesis original yet deeply impregnatedwith Norse ideas and feelings. In hisdecorative labours he has, with butfew exceptions, devoted his attention.222Gerhard MuntheDESIGN FOR TAPESTRY, THE DAUGHTERS OF THE NORTHERN LIGHTS ""

BY GERHARD MUNTHEto the old ballads and legends; but everythinghe produces he invents, unfettered, from the verymotives-often only knitted to a stanza in a poem-to the individual ornaments themselves. Hisviews are peculiar to himself, as is his style-theconsistent, accomplished style of decorative art.He builds up his work upon every kind ofdesign to be found in our hereditary art, but oftenperceives in the old Norwegian tapestry that artwhich he, with predilection, uses for his ownpurposes. It is, as he himself calls it, a distinguished and fastidious art which easily makes allthat is hackneyed still more hackneyed. In it hediscovers the strong yet sober colours and thesimple designs which we meet with in his works.Gerhard Munthe has thus, in his decorativebranch, gained knowledge from every source ofnational art, but he only devotes himself to itsdeepest characteristics. He never employs theNorwegian flora or fauna in designing, just aslittle, indeed, as these have been used in formerages. It is his opinion that the Norwegian trainof ideas is far removed from the " quiet flowers ina row," and has a claim rather to be led in thedirection of everything romantic and strong.The ideas and incidents of the three designs herereproduced do not refer to any known legends.They are original in conception. Mr. Munthecalls one of these The Daughters of the NorthernLights (Aurora Borealis) and their Suitors.. Another illustration is called Workrad, from aNorwegian word signifying " afraid of the gloom "that curious sensation proceeding from excitedimagination which makes one fancy that there arecreatures stealing about and staring at you from thecorners of a room.The third decorative scheme, called The Towerof Blood, represents a fair youth imprisoned by anogre, and kept by him that his gentle manners andappearance may inspire the traveller with confidenceto pass the night in the guest chamber of the Tower.Downbelow in the cellars await the strange servitorsstanding about the mystic vat.K. V. HAMMER.223The National Competition: South KensingtonTHE NATIONALTION. SOUTHTON. 1896.COMPETIKENSINGAGAIN the National Competition hasfilled South Kensington with what is supposed tobe the best of the hundred thousand items (or tobe more exact, of the 88,854) which are sent upART: STUDENTSANNUAL KIT(ONVERSAZIONE12THFEBRUARY, 1896S KENSINGTON MUSEUMtoo often the most important, if invisible, exhibit.Its foolish restrictions, its cut-and-dried rules thattake no account of personality, might be inkeeping with a purely scientific school; but in art,especially in design, personality and individualfeeling are the chief things. Who needs the nthrepetition of an acanthus scroll, or the tenthousand times ten thousandth re-arrangement ofItalian arabesques, or Gothic diapers? So long aslife is supported by dead substances only so surelywill it languish. Man does not live by chemicalsalone, but by life-vegetable and animal. So ifyou feed students on nature, they will flourish;whether as admirable or reprehensible examplesdepends upon their individuality; but if you feedthem on dead fossilised patterns, who can wonderif little vitality is found in their work?Aspecious plea is often urged that the businessof a student is to learn, not to interest nor create.One may say it is also the business of a teacher tohelp and develop, not to attempt to fit his pupilsto a bed of Procrustes. So far as preliminary studyof style, and direct drawing from the antique, orEX LIBRISPROGRAMME COVER BY T. J. OVERNELLSouth Kensingtonfor awards. One knows the usual mood that depresses the annual critic-the hopelessness bornof experience that makes him dread the duty.How often he has entered the show, with newborn hope for the school which was foundedto advance design and ennoble the decoration ofour industries, that we hoped might elevate thetaste of the public, and raise the ideal of themanufacturer to start vigorous branches in everycommercial centre! In former years the convictionforced itself on you that it had not failed entirely,but that it had barely succeeded in raising an averagecrop even within the modest limits which enclose thepractical field of applied art from the vast domainof theories and visions . To continue the metaphor,how often we find the promising seedlings strangledby red tape, set up, doubtless, to defend them fromthe attacks oftheir natural enemies, but proving moredeadly than all the rest. For red-tape has beenMARY KING ROBERTSBOOK-PLATE BY T. J. OVERNELLSouth Kensingtonstill life is concerned, there may be some reasonfor the plea; but design is not or should not bemerely re-adaptation of given motive to fill a new224The National Competition: South Kensingtonspace, but an attempt on the part of the designerto fill their space with beautiful forms and colours-forms he feels beautiful, colour that he has foundadmirable in Nature. Who shall say that ArtTHE TOILERSOF THE SEA &fail to see that it is the letter only which is teachable, and that too great insistence upon the letterkills the spirit.With some such feeling as that expressed abovea regular visitor has learned to approach the galleries; but this year, after studying the objects andquietly reading the report of the examiners, the olddepression vanishes. It is hard to say whereinthe difference lies; for two years past signs ofnew vitality have been not wanting. Now, thetedious mechanical stuff is in so small a minoritythat it ceases to be apparent. Yet there are nosensational items this year, nor great advance shownin any section, except perhaps in modelling fromlife, which has carried off more than half of theDON QUIXOTEVICTORHUGOTITLE PAGE BY ALFRED JONESSouth Kensingtonstopped short at the cultivated court of the EmpressJosephine, or at any period you like to name?the first place, each of your pedants takes adifferent point; and secondly, by doing so heonly proves that he stopped short there, and lackedthe ability to see beyond. Had the idea of perfectart stopped with Greece, where had the beauties ofthe Gothic arisen? Had men felt that with thePerpendicular style the last word was uttered, howshould the Italian Renaissance have been developed?It would be easy to talk oneself into a temperover this fallacy.Dry rot, whether in lectures or woodwork, isfatal. That some of the South Kensington professors, in its head school and the branches, are asfully wide-awake to this evil as the present writer,and that others limited to the scientific aspect ofart are removed from the condemnation implied,does not alter the fact that there are others whoMIGUEL DE CERVANTESTITLE PAGE BY ALFRED JONESSouth Kensingtongold medals. That this sanguine impression isnot due to the cheerful light and bright atmosphereof the day on which the press view was held iseasily disproved; for in an adjoining gallery is aselection of best work of a score of years-aretrospective glance at the past. Yet as you leave225The National Competition: South Kensingtonthe one year's harvest to study the picked work offormer years, there is no sense of improvement. Onthe contrary, the level of 1896 is far more interesting. Of course there are some items therein notbeaten on their own ground this year. The pendrawings by Spence, the stained glass by BernardSleigh, the designs by Fred Mason and H. A.Payne, the studies by R. A. Bell, and many others,keep their place. But the average of 1896 seemshigher than that of the previous years, and toshow vitality which is at once a surprise todiscover and a pleasure to acknowledge.The "hanging " of the galleries is admirablymanaged. There are 1037 items catalogued, but asno numerical order is observed on the walls, it isimpossible to say if they are all shown. The firstgroup which confronts you on entering is "Tiles. "ERNESTSOTTFARDELLMABOOK- PLATENON NOBISSOLYMOf these perhaps the best is (700) by ClarenceMawson (Shipley) , who has shown good workbefore; the design is Persian in colour and infeeling; the actual tiles are shown in No. 524, anot very satisfactory effort by Henry Copson(Hanley); another design for the same purpose(No. 577) with yellow roosters and ears of ripeIndian corn, by Illingworth Varley (Macclesfield)is novel and clever; peacocks and pomegranates,another design (525), by Florence Robinson( Hanley) , is not devoid of merit. A design for aCloisonné Plate ( 1000) by H. C. Oakley, suggestsgood colour for the enamels and is a very ingeniously arranged pattern; designs for bowls (42)by Cecil Jones (Coalbrookdale) have gained asilver medal deservedly; a scheme for a mosaicfloor by David G. Miller, Glasgow ( 203) is shown inLIB:RISHNEON DEL 9%BY H. NELSONcomplete drawing and in afull sized portion, intendedfor the Sun Fire Office, thesymbolism is cleverly managed; another mosaic design(755) by Francis Cockburn(Wakefield) has strength andfitness; but as the examinerspoint out, the designs in thisclass as a whole are not pleasing in colour. Olive Jupp's(Chichester) rose-water dishin sgraffito (162) is shown inthe drawing and also in theglazed ware carried out successfully; this is also the casein another piece of sgraffito(195) a vase by Ada Hazell(Farnham). Thetendencyoflate to show many objects notonly in working drawings butalso actually carried out,seems a most valuable innovation.The stencil pattern (612)by Helen M. Cowan (Newcastle) is clever; others (457,458) by W. F. Blagg (Chelsea)are interesting, but the colourof the frieze with "bunnies "is not happy; and the schemefor a wall decoration ( 251 ) byJohn E. Birks (Manchester)although poor in the details,both of the lower panels andthe shields of the frieze, isvery pleasant in general effect;226National Competition: South KensingtonOR SPORT AMID THE ROSY GLEAMSOOTHED BYTHE DISTANT TINKLING TEAMWHILE LUSTY LABOUR SCOUTING SORROWBIDS THE DAME A GLAD GOOD -MORROWWHOJOGS THE ACCUSTOMED ROADALONGCPACES CHEERYTO HER CHEERING SONGBOOK ILLUSTRATIONAYE FROM THE SULTRY HEATWETO THE CAVE RETREATCER CANOPIED BYHUGE ROOTS INTERTWINEDWITH WILDEST TEXTURE BLACKENED&CER WITH AGEROUND THEA THEIR MANTLE GREENTHE IVIES BINDFROM COLERIDGE's "SONGS OF THE DINIEShappy hanging that the Gallery offers. Two designs incolour for invitation cards,(396) by Winifred Smith(Birmingham) are distinctly.pleasant; some tail - pieces.(563) by Florence Phillips(Leicester) are graceful, butnot very new; George M. Ellwood, in two groups of designs for title-pages, &c. (59and 60) shows traces ofAmerican influence, perhapsunconsciously, but all thesame quite marked; the delicate detail in which he excels is not always expressedon the best compositions;his book- mark advertisementsare decidedly clever, and thecharm of all his work is mostevident. H. M. Brock(Cambridge) shows two illustrations ( 154) to KingThrushbeard, which have muchcharacter; Ethel M. Dobbin's designs (283) are graceful, but lack virility; T. J.Overnell's frame of designs(874) includes some goodwork-the Ex libris, and"the programme " beingnovel and full of character; Florence Rudland(Birmingham) has a frame of drawings, one acapital book-plate (392), which like those by CeliaA. Levetus (381 ), also of Birmingham, maintainthe average tradition of the school, if they do notshow great advance. A group of drawings (117)in conventional flat colours by Charles W. Johnson (Birmingham), although very unequal, contains several happy ideas gracefully carried out.The designs (63) by Harold E. H. Nelson have wona silver medal. Some are familiar to readers of THESTUDIO, and the others show consistent advance;Lambeth should be proud of a very promisingpupil. A group (Nos. 688 and 689) by Sunderland C. Rollinson (St. Albans) deserve approvalfor some qualities, but those with fish-motivesshow much misplaced energy and superfluousdetail. As a whole the best students in this classhave done little more than keep their position,and the new recruits are not their rivals so far .Have the examiners only chosen work of aparticular style, or do several other schools whoBY FLORENCE M. HOMEWOOD, New Crossa frieze for a chemist's shop (223) by Charles G.Lowther ( Hull) is a praiseworthy attempt to carryout a consistent design, as is another design (595)for a specified purpose (in this case the decorationof an elementary school- room) by Philip W. Smith(Manchester) which has much spirit and pleasantinvention. There is little furniture, and that little,not very interesting. A cabinet ( 104) by HerbertRichter (Bath) is very ornate, but has considerablemerit.The book- illustrations are somewhat disappointing this year; despite a few exceptions, as a classthey show less advance than perhaps any other.Alfred Jones' two title-pages ( 798) are strong, andafford promise of distinct individuality; so far he hasescaped the fatal influence of imitating well-knowndraughtsmen, and will probably before long sufferhimself from the flattery of too sincere disciples .A very clever drawing in colour ( 224), by Alice B.Giles (Lambeth), of The Pied Piper of Hamelin,is most admirably conceived and executed; unfortunately it is one of the few instances of un227National Competition: South Kensingtonelsewhere show clever illustrations among their students, refrain from submitting work to the nationalcompetition? This is oneof the unsolved puzzles thatoften confronts an outsiderhere. Amodel for a lectern(227) by Fritz Roselieb(Lambeth) merits a word ofpraise; as an effort to imparta certain novelty to a hackneyed form, it has succeededfairly well. Two panelswith the subjects " Ploughing " and " Reaping" inlow modelled relief (215 )by Douglas Goldie Crocket(Holloway) are admirablyGOD RESTYOUMERRYGENTLEMEN LET NOTHING YOU DISMAYDESIGN FOR AN INVITATION CARDtreated; indeed, but that they lack architecturalframing they would have probably won higherhonours. The lines of the whip and the tracesof the horses in the first are planned mosthappily. A model of a street- lamp, for the centreof an open space (618) by John W. Gillman(Newcastle-under-Lyme), if not very novel, yet displays an admirable sense of proportion and ripeknowledge of the style chosen. Three low-reliefsketches in plaster, with subjects, " Field work,digging and hauling in a net " (721 ) by Ruby W.Levick (South Kensington) are full of promise.Some modelled tiles with figures (735) by GwenCHRISTMAS,THE MAYO1895MAYOR& MAYORESSOF BIRMINGHAM(M & M James Smith)SEND GREETING" Blowwind, and in your fleeting Near,far, o'er land and sea,Bearon your wings a greetingTo all myfriends from me.BY WINIFRED SMITH, Birminghamdoline Williams (South Kensington) are also commendable; other pleasing tiles, intended for lowrelief in single colour highly glazed (346) are byAlbert E. V. Lilley (Wolverhampton) which, simpleas they are, are entirely satisfactory; but the tiles(813) by Lilian M. Simpson ( South Kensington)cannot be dismissed by faint general praise-theyare novel and delightful and veritably creationsand lead one to regret the absence of a larger workwhich rumour has it-was excluded for technicalreason to the regret of those in power. This veryclever student shows in a casket (812) that thehonours she has reaped in former years have notThe Mayer & Mayoress of BirminghamCouncillor & James SmithRequest the pleasure of the company ofAt the Council house onthe 14 of February 1896Reception 730 to 830PMMayor'sParlour theFancyDress or Court Dress aPowder or UniformDESIGN FOR AN INVITATION CARDCarriages 1:30 AMCouncil houseAn early answerwill obligeusic & Dancing,BY WINIFRED SMITH, Birminghammade her careless; the exquisite daintiness of herconception and the delicategrace of execution, forceone to break into rathermore florid praise, thatcould fairly be bestowed onmany items not less worthy.A panel, Labour (668), byFred H. Martin (Plymouth), is so full of excellent qualities, that its slightdefects, which are obviousenough, ought not to stand.in the way of genuine approval. The dramatic forceof the idea is accentuatedby the lines of the composition, which would be nodoubt still more effective infull-size. Another panel ofbell-ringers (437 ) , by Fran- 228National Competition: South Kensingtoncis Powell Stonelake (Bristol), is a most effectiveand admirable composition. Modelled designsbased on the Iris (793), by Arthur Burt (SouthKensington), show some delicate and ingeniousfancy, most charmingly carried out; a similar set(901 ) by Stanley Thorogood (South Kensington)are also good, the treatment of a door with circular panel and hinges being especially happy.The modelled design for a piano front (6), byStanley N. Babb (Plymouth), which has beenawarded a gold medal and six lines of hearty praisein the examiners' report, is indeed a careful studyin the style of the Early Italian Renaissance, andits panels of singing boys areexquisitely modelled, yet onedoubts if its proportions arethose of the average pianoforteto-day-it certainly seems. atleast one-third too short for itsheight. A figure in high-reliefby the same student ( 825) isalso most full of life and grace,while his other works (789, 922,923 , and 924) well deserve thehonours he has reaped this year,which are one gold, one silver,and one bronze medal, with threebook-prizes. For modelling fromthe life, gold medals are awardedto: ( 1 ) Martha A. Onions (Birmingham); (3) F. J. Clarke(Queen's Road, Bristol); (9)Mortimer J. Brown (South Kensington); (10) W. J. Maclean(South Kensington), and (11)Albert Hopkins (West Bromwich). The same subject hasalso secured silver medals forGeorge P. Fisher, John ConwayBlatchford, Ernest Board, CecilFabian and Charles Pibworth(all of Queen's Road Schools,Bristol), Gwendoline Williams(South Kensington), AlbertHopkins (West Bromwich) in addition to his gold medal; whileothers byJane Twiss (South Kensington) , William Mears ( Exeter),Annie M. Taylor (Birmingham),Alfred Watson (Birmingham),Frank M. Andrews, ThomsonSiminson, and Alfred John Watson (all three of Queen Road,Bristol), and M. J. Brown(Southampton), have won bronze medals, or highcommendation from the judges. A large figure" modelled from a photograph " (462) is a mostcurious thing to encounter in these precincts, whereone thought the camera was unknown. A designfor Lincrusta Walton in modelled relief ( 783), byG. M. Griffiths (Wolverhampton) , and a somewhatquaint bracket with figures of Highland pipers (382 ) ,by Jessie MacGeoch (Birmingham) , also deserveattention.A design for a casket in gold and enamels (7)by Agnes Kershaw (Sheffield) has won a goldmedal, which it certainly deserves. Other works byDESIGN FOR ILLUSTRATION. " THE PIED PIPER OF HAMELIN "BY ALICE B. GILES, Lambeth229National Competition: South Kensingtonthe same student, especially her designs for jewellery,show evidence of considerable skill. A design fora casket (699), to be worked in silver apparently,by Omar Ramsden (Sheffield), is very new in itsform, and full of graceful detail; another byLilian M. Simpson (812), shown in a plastermodel, has (the judges point out) barely escaped agold medal. Another design for a casket ( 788), byFlorence H. Steele (South Kensington) , has alsoshow considerable ingenuity in construction andnovelty which is of practical utility. They suggestpossible improvements in a common article ofdaily use which is in sore need of them.An excellent sketch in plaster for a "lock " tobe worked in metal (72), by Philip W. Smith(Manchester); and some fine hinges (261 ), bythe same student, and another lock- fitting byFlorence H. Steele, were among the most interestDESIGN FOR A CASKET BY AGNES KERSHAW, Sheffieldcalled forth most complimentary remarks from thejudges. Two buckles ( 275), shown in unfinisheddrawings only by Frederick Taylor (New Cross) , areexquisite in design and admirably fit for their purpose. The designs for metal-work (806) , by HerbertC. Oakley (South Kensington) , are strong and expressive; the silver medal they secure is well won.The designs for door fittings (91 ), by H. SpencerStromqvist (South Kensington) , have also beenawarded a silver medal. Designs for coal-boxes (66),by A. H. Baxter (Leicester), also silver medalled,ing works in metal, but others for electric lightfittings, signs, grilles, &c. , would deserve furthermention if space allowed. Two extremely simpledoor-plates in repoussé brass (631 ), by Phebe M.Turner (New Cross) , are excellent examples of amost elementary pattern, made into really gooddecoration by its admirable treatment. A beautifuldesign in stained glass (550), by Alice Lister ( Lambeth), is shown, by transmitted light, in the actualmaterial; the subject, a head of Jeanne d'Arc, issimple and dignified in treatment.230National Competition: South KensingtonThe embroideries are plentiful, and manyare distinctlygood; nearlyall are exhibited as drawingsand in finishedwork as well.One, by PollieGeary (Leicester), a bookcover ( 560 ),with the happily chosengeneral title,The New Novel, is gracefulin pattern andcharming incolour. Otherpieces of embroidery, No.16, which gained a silvermedal, and 106,both by Maggie Briggs ( Battersea Polytechnic);780, by Winifred Firth (Whitford Flint), extremelysimple, but also extremely good; 545, a fire screenby Blanche Luden ( Kilburn); 113, by Florence A.MODEL FOR A CASKETMODEL FOR A CASKET BY LILIAN SIMPSON, South KensingtonFrancis (Birmingham), are all excellent of their sort.One lace design for a collar ( 175) by Alice Jacob(Dublin), a lace handkerchief (80) by HerbertMaxfield (Nottingham), and a lace fan cover (465)BY OMAR RAMSDEN, Sheffieldby Georgina Mackinlay(Cork), and crochet designs.(153) by A. M. Cole (Buxton), are the most attractiveexhibits in this class; thecarpets do not call for specialmention.Designs for book- covers arenumerous and good. One ingold and blue upon white(221 ), by Albert Jackson, andothers by the same artist, aredistinctly successful. A verycharming scheme, both inform, placing, and colour is(59) by G. M. Ellwood (Holloway). Those by T. J. Overnell (873) are also satisfactory. Here, as in so manyexamples of various work thisyear, the students have produced several designs at oncebeautiful and practical.Adesign for printed muslin231National Competition: South Kensington(616) by Lilian F. Baxter (New Cross); a delightfulprinted silk (76) by Katherine Maude Coggin (NewCross), which has gained a silver medal; designs forcotton print (690) by Rose Whittaker (Scarborough),and some printed muslins ( 107), slight but dainty,by Ethel Thickbroom (Battersea), are but a few ofvery pleasant schemes for fabric decoration. Thedesigns by William Parkinson (876), and PhilipConnard (844), are pleasant; the first-named hasno little charm. Ester Tatlow (Manchester) showsa clever if rather confused design for wall - paper(348).Giffard H. Lenfestey and others. Two drawingsof " poppies " and " scarlet geraniums," paintedwithout backgrounds, by George H. Wood (SouthKensington), show absolute mastery of the material,and oftheir sort have probably never been beatenif equalled, imitation of Nature could go nofurther-and that it is employed by direct andbroad washes of colour, makes these two studiesmemorable.The paintings and drawings from the nude showdistinct advance on recent years, and gained manymedals. A favourite subject in former years-thedissection of a flower, accompanied by conventionalpatterns based upon it has suddenly taken newQUILT THE BRIGAT AQURSThe architectural drawings include some cleverwork by G. H. Lenfesty. Some sketches by VictorBurnand (S. K. ), were notably good, and others in theBirmingham conventionalmethod by R. J. Williams(401 ) deserve a word ofpraise. Some vigorous studies in pure line ( 197) byJames Fulton (Glasgow) , arenovel and good. A goldmedal awarded for a designfor a Triumphal Arch (5 ) byPeter McLauchlan ( Glasgow), show that the judgesawarded it for the qualitiesof the design, and not forfinished drawings. It is aspirited conception, dignified and unhackneyed,which deserves to be carriedout. A Fountain ( 8) , shownin a model by Percy J.Roberts (Sheffield) , deservedthe gold medal it was allotted; a delightful modelfor a sundial (241 ), by A.T. Roberts (Leicester); twofine spandrils ( 5) for execution in mosaic, by MaryWatson (Newcastle); a curious mantelpiece ( 183) by .Michael Shortall (Dublin);and a design for a monument to Alfred Stevens(318) by Mortimer J. Brown(South Kensington), are deserving ofcommendation forvarious qualities.The paintings fromflowers and still-life includesome very good work, by·X·XIXIIIIIIIIRSFONDESIGN FOR A SUNDIAL BY ALBERT T. ROBERTS, Leicester232National Competition: South Kensingtonvitality, many frames of designs exhibited provehow valuable this branch of study must needs beto practical designers, and also that it is possibleto infuse distinct spirit into a branch of study thatHenry Edgar Crocket ( Holloway) , deserve morenotice than space permits.So much for the exhibition as it is. When, however, we think of what it might have been; thenthe spectre of Red-tape, which had seemed to havevanished, looms into sight again. As you inquirewhy this man and that man are not placed, youfind that some arbitrary rule has excluded them,not because their work was other than excellent,but because aSouth Kensington student didexactly what aprovincial student is allowedto do, or viceversa. If anygood were servedthereby, severalinstances couldbe given in detail of somebody's blundering that somebody who in Government officeshas a knack of blundering, honestly possibly, evenpraiseworthily, but all the same blundering.Again, the sparse representation of several prominent schools, and the absence of work by theirmost notable pupils, looks as if the old grievanceBY PHILIP W. SMITH, Manchester had been perpetuated-namely, that in the preDESIGN FOR A LOCK, PLATE, AND HANDLEhad become lifeless and dull by hackneyed repetition of the older ideas of flattened flowers, whichlooked as if the herbarium and not Nature had inspired the designer. A capital oil- painting of a head (846) by Archibald Cross(South Kensington) , same ( 287, 646,647, 648) by Laura Johnson (Nottingham) , marvellously good for a pupilonly seventeen, must not be forgotten.A clever poster (629) by FrederickTaylor (New Cross) , the only exampleof a popular subject; a good wallpaper by Isabel McBean (621 ) (NewCross), design (140) by Frank Georges(Brighton), with most charming perception of the beauty of subtle flowing.lines; a design for wall-paper (808) byLewis C. Radcliffe, suggestive of LéonSolon's work; a medallion of a child'shead (315) by Edith Bell (South Kensington); and a set of drawings fordecoration of a room (57), with subjects from the Sleeping Beauty, byliminary selection from the tens of thousands ofworks, which must needs be weeded out before thejudges see them, that somebody (that impersonalpowerful somebody again) had by reasons of hisDESIGN FOR FIRE- DOG BY HERBERT C. OAKLEY, South Kensington233National Competition: South Kensingtonnever reach the public. Thus each work on whicha master of a school has set his hopes for a goldmedal would be brought under the notice of thejudges, and formally condemned or approved, witha record of the " gold star " objects kept, so thateach head- master might feel sure that his favouritepupil's work had not been strangled by red-tapeDESIGN FOR METAL-WORKBY HERBERT C. OAKLEY, South Kensingtonpersonal taste or prejudice against certain tendencies in decoration weeded out a number ofexamples.This is not altogether an unsupported opinion,but one that is capable of proof. It is also agrievance which could easily be altered by a strokeof the pen, if every master of branch schools weregiven the right to indicate a certain percentageof the works he considers best-half a dozen, adozen, twenty, according to the size of the school-should be able to claim, as a right, to appealdirect to Cæsar. By a gold star, or some otherdevice, works so distinguished should be beyondthe jurisdiction of the first committee, irresponsible and permanent, whose members' namesDESIGN FOR DOOR-KNOCKERBY H. C. OAKLEY, South Kensingtonofficially, or surreptitiously -before the judgmentday. Such a course would be obviously fair tohead- masters and pupils alike. As it is, if the artmaster sends a lot ofwork which he believes is firstDESIGN FOR WROUGHT- IRON GATESScandBY A. HAROLD SMITH, Wolverhampton234National Competition: South Kensington

• IN * AGE*

PORTION OF WALL DECORATIONDESIGN FOR A BUCKLEBY FREDERICK TAYLOR, New CrossNOTHING*BY JOHN E. BIRKS, ManchesterDESIGN FOR A BUCKLEBY FREDERICK TAYLOR, New Cross PANEL BY F. P. STONELAKE, Bristol235National Competition: South KensingtonDESIGN FOR A SILK HANGING BY WILLIAM E. GRIMSHAW, MacclesfieldSTENCIL DESIGN FOR SURFACE DECORATION BY HELEN M. COWAN, Newcastle236Studio-TalkSTENCILLED FRIEZE BY C. G. LOWTHER, HullItclass, to find it has not been seen (so far as he canascertain) by the judges, it is clear that he is aptto think either the irresponsible committee of selection are trying to "boycott " his school, or else thata want of judgment on his part in sending workwhich is not even worth consideration, may provehim, in local estimation, unfit for his post.would serve no purpose here to give instances tosupport this protest; but if any onedoubts that something of the sort occurs,he has but to ask the heads of some ofthe chief provincial schools to hear theirgrievance at first- hand. A careful studyof the printed examination papers set bythe Science and Art Department, wouldalso astonish many people.It is a grave danger South Kensingtoncourts, the alienation of local sympathies.For there are rumours of active movementsfor Home Rule which come from some ofthe promising schools. That one or twowill break away before long is quite withinpractical politics . Once the movement fordisruption sets in the house of cards maytumble-not by outside attack, or by cabalsto elect certain men to important posts, butfar more irretrievably a loss of provincialsupport, which would reduce the systemfrom a national to a metropolitan footing.That such a course might be for thegood of art is quite possible; but that itshould happen just as the long yearsof sterile harvests appear to be givingway and a cycle of plenty is dawningwould be a pity; because, after all, ifthe system as it is, does so much, witha few practical changes it might easily dobetter.GLEESON WHITE.LSTUDIO-TALK(From our own Correspondents)ONDON. It is hardly possible to express in an adequate manner the natureof the loss which our art communityhas sustained by the death of Sir JohnMillais. His artistic personality was soDSTRIDVTIONSOFPRIZES11 DECEMBER1895Tickets maybeobtandfrom theOfficeDESIGN FOR A POSTER BY FREDERICK TAYLOR, New Cross237Studio-TalkFRIEZE FOR SCHOOLROOM DECORATION BY PHILIP W. SMITH, Manchestercommanding, the place he held among our artists sodeservedly conspicuous, that his absence now fromthe scene of his many triumphs seems to leave ablank impossible to fill again. He was, of all men,the one best fitted for prominence in his profession,for he was a great originator, an artist qualified forleadership by virtue of an astonishing capacity forovercoming difficulties of the most exacting kind.Possessed ofan extraordinarily active temperament,and of a rare power of noting and storing up thosefacts in Nature that he wished to put on record, hewas able to deal with a variety of material such asfew others would have dared to handle. And inspite of the wideness of his range and of thisdivision of his interest he made few mistakes andfewer failures. Hardly any one of his pictureswas uninteresting. He dignified even a commonplace motive by the skill with which he treated it;and his superb technique made important many asubject that would have had scarcely any significance to a weaker painter. With such abilities,and with such vigour of mind and body, he seemedto have a right that could hardly be questioned toexercise officially the leadership which was informally recognised by his professional brethren;and, therefore, his election to the Presidency of theRoyal Academy in succession to Lord Leightonwas an obvious acknowledgment of his claim thatcould not possibly havebeen withheld. Thetimefor which he occupiedthis post was, unhappily,too short, and his condition of health too sadlyprecarious, for this official career to be anythingbut a nominal one; but atleast theAcademyhas hadthe satisfaction, and hasdone itself the honour, ofinscribing his name uponthe roll of Presidents.Who is to follow him inthis important office we arenot to knowyet. The choosing of his successor is not totake place for another coupleof months; and this delaywill be a very useful one, forit will enable the membersof the Academic body toweigh very carefully thequalifications of the variouspossible occupants of thepost. Whoever is selected will have a task of twofold difficulty, to maintain those traditions of artisticdignity and professional excellence which the twoprevious Presidents have established, and to carryonthe work of the Academy at a time when its position calls more than it ever has before for discretionin policy and skill in management. It is clearand this is said without any wish to disparage anymember of the Society-that Burlington Househas available neither a new Lord Leighton nor afresh Sir John Millais. Whoever is elected willlabour under the disadvantage of inevitable comparison with these two remarkable artists, andunless the way is smoothed for him by the goodsense and sound judgment of his fellows he mustcertainly suffer in dignity and prove a source ofweakness to the Academy itself.It may not be generally known that the picturegallery in the Royal Holloway College, at Egham,is open for the inspection of the public on Thursdayafternoons throughout the year, and during themonths of August and September on Saturdaysalso. The collection which the gallery contains iswell worth seeing, for it includes important worksby many of the chief artists of our times. Forinstance, there are two pictures by Sir JohnMillais, The Princes in the Tower, and PrincessDECORATION FOR SCHOOLROOM BY PHILIP W. SMITH, Manchester238Studio-TalkElizabeth; Mr. Luke Fildes's Casuals, and FrankHoll's Newgate; and there are besides canvases byTurner, Gainsborough, Constable, Müller, Troyon,Copley Fielding, David Roberts, Landseer, ClarksonStanfield, Pettie, andEdwin Long, and othersby painters of equalnote. The gallery is, infact, of particular importance as a placewhere fine modern workmay be seen; and noexcuse is needed forcalling attention to thefact that its treasuresare accessible to the outside world.Artists who are interested in the study ofmuscular movement,and anxious for opportunities of examining thehuman figure in action,should see at the Indiaexhibition at Earl's Courtan Indian strong manwho does some wonderful feats in weight- lifting, and in the manipulation of enormous clubs.He is a peculiarly finetype ofphysical development, well proportionedand put together, andtrained to an admirablepitch. His figure ispowerful without beingheavy, and strong without loss of elegance, sothat, as a subject forartistic study, he offersadvantages which are,unfortunately, exceedingly rare nowadays.What adds to the inINDIAN ATHLETEof his skin, which gives him almost the appearance of a fine bronze statue .The tablet in beaten copper, of which we giveFROM A PHOTOGRAPHan illustration (page240), was designed andwrought byNelson Dawson at the request ofRichard Cobden'sdaughters, Mrs. CobdenSickert and Mrs. CobdenUnwin, and placed bythem, on the fiftiethanniversaryofthe Repealof the Corn Laws, June26, 1896, in the pew inwhich the great agitatorwas accustomed to sit inthe Parish Church ofHeyshott, near Midhurst, Sussex.We are enabled togive illustrations of twospecimens of hammeredcopper-work recentlyexecuted by JamesSmithies of Wilmslow.The square panel is fora book cupboard, andthe shield has beenmade for theManchesterTechnical Schools, andis intended for an Athletic trophy. As a hopeful sign of the times,the fact is worth mentioning that althoughtheusualflat silver shieldwith engraved letteringmight have been obtained for half the costof this one, the donors,greatly to their credit,preferred to put thestructiveness of his performance from the painter's value in the labour instead of the material.point of view, is the fact that the comparativescantiness of his native dress allows the play andmovement of his muscles to be plainly seen, andall the variations and changes of form which takeplace during his exertions can be watched andnoted. Pictorially, the effect of the beautiful linesof his figure is enhanced by the rich copper colourMr. Mortimer Menpes, who is now on a visit toJapan, has recently made some interesting experiments in drawing for reproduction, by which he hasbeen able to obtain pleasanter and more variedresults than are possible from the mechanicallygrained papers upon which such drawings are fre239Studio-TalkBEATEN COPPER TABLETIN THIS PLACE RICHARDCOBDENWHOLOVEDHISFELLOW-MEN WASACECUSTOMEDTOWORSHIP CODBY NELSON DAWSONquently made. He uses a thin but fine quality ofJapanese paper laid upon grained surfaces such asemery, pastel and other papers of varied grades offineness. Drawing with lithographic chalk, heCITYOFMUNICIPALTEGNIALSCHOOLSMANCHESTERDAYDEDARTSMENTSATHLETICFESTIVALFD-1396illustrator. The main drawback will be found inthe difficulty of obtaining suitable grounds uponwhich to work, but new ones will doubtless suggestthemselves to those who care to make a trial ofthis method.The illustrations given herewith have all beenespecially prepared by Mr. Menpes for THESTUDIO. The head of the Mexican woman hasbeen printed upon the same quality of Japanese paper as used by Mr. Menpes in the originaldrawing.BIRMINGHAM.-The artistic world inthe Midlands is somewhat dull at thepresent time, and will remain so untilthe autumn exhibitions are opened.Most of the Birmingham artists areaway in the country painting for dear life, while theyoung lions of the Municipal School of Art areholiday- making, and looking out for fresh motivesHAMMERED COPPER SHIELD BY JAMES SMITHIESobtains by judiciously changing the underlyinggrained surfaces, the variety of strength in the tonesto be seen in the illustrations here given, all of whichare reproduced the exact size of the originals.Some pen-and- ink touches have been added tothe Osaka view and to the study of a boy's head,-but the Mexican woman's head has been entirelydrawn upon these varied grained surfaces.The experiment is a valuable one, inasmuch.as it seems to open up new possibilities to the HAMMERED COPPER PANEL BY JAMES SMITHIES240Studio-Talkfor designs. The autumn show at the RoyalSociety of Artists should be a good one, as theCouncil have been promised, and are now hanging,some of the " pictures of the year," which failed tofind purchasers when they graced the walls of theRoyal Academy and the New Gallery. What ourlocal men will have to show is at present unknown.hundred canvases, including no small number ofthe artist's best known pictures, thanks to thegenerosity of most of the owners of his paintings.Sir William Agnew has promised to lend EelBucks at Goring, and others; Mr. James MasonSTUDY OF A BOY'S HEADmempeg:DRAWN IN A NEW MANNER BY MORTIMER MENPES(See London Studio-Talk)At the beginning of October it will be wellworth the while of any lover of English landscapepainting to make a special journey to our city inorder to inspect the loan collection of works byWilliam J. Müller, which Mr. Whitworth Wallis isarranging for exhibition in the Corporation ArtGallery. It will, undoubtedly, prove to be thefinest and most extensive gathering of pictures,drawings, and sketches, by this famous landscapistever got together for the benefit of art critics;indeed, with the exception of the Bristol Exhibition of 1893 , no attempt has ever been made beforeto give in one room a thoroughly representativeselection of this brilliant colourist-sketcher's work.Mr. Wallis has succeeded in borrowing over onesends the equally famous Chess Players; whileLady Weston is contributing some of the bestexamples from the extensive collection of Müller'sworks formed by the late Sir Joseph Weston.Among other well-known picture owners who arelending may be mentioned Baron Burton, Mr.Victor Cavendish, M.P. , Sir Samuel Montagu,Mr. John Edward Taylor, Mr. Henry Tate, Mr.Frederick Nettlefold, Mr. James Kenyon, M.P.,Mr. C. T. Jacoby, Mr. J. F. Schwann, Mr. AlfredEast, Mr. William Windus, and Mr. RomerWilliams; while among the principal picturescoming, besides those already mentioned, will befound, The Slave Market, Gillingham, Alexandria,The Bay of Naples, The Treasure Finders, Venice,241Studio-TalkRhodes, Carnarvon Castle, The Avenue ofSphinxes, all, and the goal of most, of the pictures that areLynmouth, and Pandy Mill.The members of the Photographic Survey ofWarwickshire have just been holding their thirdexhibition in the Corporation Art Gallery. Bothfrom the artistic and archæological points of viewtheir work is of value, more particularly in thelatter direction, as they are gradually photographingin detail every building in the county. It isastonishing what excellent and deeply interestingarchitectural " finds " they have already made; andas the photographs themselves are, after exhibition,deposited in the City Free Library, they will be ofimmense service in the future to all students ofart or history. It will probably be many yearsbefore the Survey is quite completed.ST. IVES.- IN the main street of St.Ives there is a shop, though I cannothelp feeling that emporium best describes the variety of the goods and thefar- reaching enterprise of the proprietor.This shoporium, let us say, is at once the source ofpainted in St. Ives; for from it a stream of coloursthat are ground in London, Paris, Dusseldorf,and Brussels, are for ever trickling in slow rivulets,or flowing in rich streams, as the energy and styleof the painters require, into the various studios ofthe town, and floating back again in the form ofpictured waves, or sands, or sunsets, to decoratethe walls of a gallery that has been fitted up bythe enterprise of the proprietor, whose name I willnot however divulge, lest I should hurt his feelingswith even a suspicion of advertisement.As you advance through the shop the gloomsomewhat deepens, but one is conscious of beingclosely surrounded by many things without whichlife would still be endurable. Just beyond youthere is a little room; this is a picture gallerypotentially only, because the colours and thecanvases as yet are kept discreetly apart. Theyawait the happy moment when they shall be drawninto a closer and permanent connection for betteror for worse.On the left of this little gallery of future chefVIEW AT OSAKA DRAWN IN A NEW MANNER BY MORTIMER MENPES(See London Studio-Talk)242(See London Studio- Talk, page 239)OOLTEStudio-Talkshope ofSphinxes,graphic Survey ofholding their thirdn Art Gallery. Bothological points of viewmore particularly in thedually photographingall, and the goal of most, of the pictures that arepainted in St. Ives; for from it a stream of coloursthat are ground in London, Paris, Dusseldorf,and Brussels, are for ever trickling in slow riv diets,or flowing in rich streams, as the energy and styleof the painters require, into the various studios ofthe town, and floating back again in the form ofpictured waves, or sands, or sunsets, to decoratethe walls of a gallery that has been fitted up bythe enterprise of the proprietor, whose name I wilnot however divulge, st I should hurt his feelingsen a suspicion of advertisement.advance though the shop the glo inhat deepens, but one is conscious of beinganded by any things without whichhulle endurable. Just beyond youwoom this is a picture gallery---Rebecause the colours and thekot discreetly apart. Theyt when they shall be drawnanent connection for betterttle gallery of future chfNEW AT CSAKA DRAWN IN A NEW MANNER BY MORTIMER MENPES(See London Studio- Talk)242(See London Studio- Talk, page 239)"A MEXICAN WOMAN." DRAWNINA NEW MANNER BY MORTIMER MENPES.Studio-Talkd'œuvres and hors d'œuvres there are stairs somewhatlike the companion of an æsthetic ship, decoratedwith Florentine photographs, Botticellis, &c.; thisleads on to the upper deck, to the gallery in fact.Here, under an awning that softens the strong glareof the sky- light , you find a very charming little show,always fresh and interesting. Every month it isrearranged, new blood infused; the fearful gapsmade by that ruthless devastator of exhibitions, thebuyer, are filled up; and so from year's end to year'send this gallery flourishes like a tropical forest,dropping now and then a leaf though knowing noseason but one.Mr. La Thangue has two very fine pictures, morein harmonywith the Newlyn methods. Mr. WilliamStott has his Bathers, too well known to needmention; Mrs. Forbes her Edge ofthe Wood; Mr.Forbes his portrait of Mr. Robins Bolitho, one ofhis most convincing portraits, while Mr. Louis Griersends a large open landscape whereupon a suddenburst of rain falls in a sweeping squall.Mrs. Forbes has brought back from Francesome very delightful studies of that pleasant land,and altogether the show stands quite a peer withits predecessors, which is something.PN. G.ARIS. The Art season here is over.Messieurs les artistes are taking up theirholiday quarters, and for the time atleast we are spared the daily recital oftheir doings, which is something to bePeople might hastily assume that a picturegallery in a small town like St. Ives would be of asomewhat monotonous character; but this is notso because, though the town is small, the artisticcolony is large and of most varied constituents;furthermore the St. Ives painters are nomadic intheir instincts; they sally forth like the Barbary thankful for anyway.pirates from the little port and ravage distant landsof their beauties.Mr. and Mrs. Titcomb, for instance, are showingsome very good sketches of the lagoons andcanals of Venice; charming is the opalescent lightwhich they have caught on their canvases.Mr. Gwilt Jolly has been painting for some timepast in Capri, as his pictures testify, and MissBell, who has travelled further still for her painting,shows a world which can only be entered on thewings of fancy. Into such a world not every onecan even follow much less lead. But I must leavethis interesting little gallery for the present.NEWLYN. The lambs are stragglingback to the fold, one by one. Rathertired some of them seem with theirsummer gambolling in distant pastures, and not sorry to be once morein their native pen, so to speak.A new exhibition has also come into existence,the fifth since the gallery has been open. Mr.Waterhouse's Faun and Hamadryad is the mostinteresting picture in more ways than one, butmarkedly so as being exotic to the atmosphere ofNewlyn, as exquisite work of a different inspirationshould always strike those who labour in anotherfield-unless they have closed their eyes to allother influences but that of their own clique, adanger signal of old age in Art.The last important event in the Art year of1895-1896 -for it is the fashion to think of thingsartistic only during the winter and the spring! —was the exhibition of the competitive works sent infor the Prix de Rome, at the École des BeauxArts. One came away with the melancholy reflection that nothing has changed, or will ever change,under the academic rule, and that the " official "Art schools appear to be sinking deeper and deeperinto the narrow conventions of a superannuatedtradition, altogether futile and barren. In placeofa free system of teaching, a system of intelligence,in the widest sense of the word, routine reignsalone, omnipotent, still forcing the false preceptsof false æsthetics on its victims, still exerting itsblind authority upon every teaching body, with allthe narrow-mindedness which appears to be theindispensable attribute of every body bearing thepompous title of " administration. "How can you "administer " the fine arts, howdraw up fixed rules for that which from its veryessence, in its every aim and effort, implies contempt for every species of servility, and rule andcode? The whole thing to my mind has alwaysseemed pitiable. Alas! what dreary tasks are imposed upon these candidates for the Prix de Rome?How sad a sight to watch these unfortunate youngpeople struggling through their work, buoyed upthe while by the illusory dreams of triumphs tocome. As ifall these diplomas, all these distinctions,counted for anything nowadays, when happily we244Studio-Talkreserve our appreciation for those who, by force ofability and strength of will, know how to carvea way for themselves, independent of all officialrecommendation. These and these only it is whohave the power to win the admiration of the intellectual few whose opinion alone counts! Let allhonour be paid in reward for a lifetime devoted toArt. Nothing could be more just than that. Butallow the young artist the completest independence,and beware of subjecting him to examinations,the preparation for which must needs exercise suchan influence upon his personality-if he possess anypersonality at all that in after years, when histalent should bear fruit, he will be forced to educatehimself anew, in order to be rid of the remembranceof the fetters and limitations of his early training.Where is there a schoolfor novelists and poets?They shape themselves, freefrom any official yoke; andwell that it is so. Life,nature, fancy, these are thetrue, the eternal source ofArt, and all the æsthetictheories ever invented willever be powerless to createtrue originality. They canproduce workmen, capableartisans, more or less skilledin their craft; but that isall, and it is not enough.The "Neo-symbolist Impressionists, " or whateverthey call themselves - forone gets confused amid allthe titles of all these infinitesimal coteries - heldtheir tenth or twelfth exhibition at Le Barc de Bouteville's in defiance of thedog- days' heat. The showcalls for no special noticeany more than did its predecessors, but one mightwrite at some length aboutit, not for the sake of thework itself, but rather onaccount of its tendency.One would hesitate to question the sincerity of thislittle group of artists. Butwhither are they tending?" MOTHER AND CHILD "What is their object? What is the artistic idealtowards which they are striding? Is it simply carelessness, or ignorance, or a foolish vanity whichnothing can justify, or simply a childish love ofbeing mysterious? One is forced to inquire towhich of these motives it is that such ideas of artare attributable.Edmond de Goncourt on his death-bed forms thesubject of a painting by Eugène Carrière-a workfull of feeling, and charming in its simplicity. Theartist will himself shortly prepare a lithograph ofhis picture for presentation to the frequenters ofthe Grenier d'Auteuil, and to the friends of the celebrated novelist, whose boast it was that he " discovered " not only the naturalistic romance, butBY JULES LAGAE(See Berlin Studio-Talk)245Studio-Talkthe art of the eighteenth century, and the art ofJapan into the bargain.Sir John Millais' death has caused a deep impression in those artistic circles where, for someyears past, they have had sense enough to realisethat England possesses artists, and great artiststoo. Our art critics still write " John Burns " or" Burns-Jone," for Burne-Jones, and " Michel- AngeRosati " does duty for Dante Gabriel Rossetti; butat the same time it would be unjust to accuse themnow of indifference as to the artistic movementacross the Channel. Sir John Millais was knownin France long before Burne-Jones and Rossetti.It was inevitable that numerous persons shouldconfuse him with Millet; but some of his works,formerly exhibited in Paris, notably his Yeoman ofthe Guard, are fresh in the recollection of many,and so will remain.44 EXPIATIONG. M.BRONZE GROUP BY JULES LAGAËBERLIN. Opinion is very much dividedas to the merits of this year's ArtExhibition. The general view, however, is favourable, and there arecompetent critics who go so far asto pronounce it the best we have had for yearspast. I am afraid I cannot subscribe to this veryoptimistic verdict, for out of the 4000 works displayed, there were not more than 50, or say 100at the outside, worthy of being regarded as genuineworks of art. But these latter suffice to console onefor the somewhat gloomy impression conveyed bythe contemplation of the exhibition as a whole.And it may be noted with complete satisfactionthat the State has purchased several of the best ofthese works for the National Gallery. Conspicuousamongthe artists thus justly honoured are HerrnZorn, Thaulow, Nisbeth, Gari Melchers, and thesculptor Tuaillon, whose Amazon has alreadyappeared in THE STUDIO. Under its new management a new spirit seems to have sprung up in theNational Gallery, and it is well such is the case,for of recent years the best work had seemed to bealmost entirely ignored by its directors.Undoubtedly the very best and most remarkablework in the Exhibition, although it was far fromattracting most notice, was found in the exhibitsof the Belgian sculptor, Jules Lagaë, one of which,by the kindness of the artist, is reproduced as anaccompaniment to these brief remarks. This isthe group called Expiation, exhibited here inplaster, the bronze being in the museum at Ghent.The firm and sombre scheme of this powerfulwork must have required great fixity of purpose tobring it to a successful termination. But for greatthoroughness from first to last Lagaë must haveended by producing a commonplace and incomprehensible group. But as it is these two figureshave the effect of moving one's inmost feelings.The anatomy is so perfect and so true that to findanything fit to compare with it, one must go backto Donatello. The artist's fine æsthetic sensehas prevented him from overdoing any part ofhis work. Especially remarkable are the loosehanging, sinewy arms of the larger figure, with theveins standing out; the anatomy of the cranium,too, is superlatively good.That the artist has grasped the meaning of thebrighter, happier side of life, however, and iscapable of reproducing it at the proper season, wasshown by his charming group, Mother and Child246Studio-Talk(see page 245), which took the first prize medal atMunich last year, but has not been exhibited inBerlin. The deep love existing between motherand child, the first awakening of spiritual emotionin the human being, here find most worthy andmost complete realisation. This is one of thoseproductions full of an interest so thoroughlyhuman, that it must delight all beholders forgenerations to come.From his early youth Lagaë has been a sculptor.The son of a poor handicraftsman, at nine years ofage he was doing practical work in stone andwood ornamentation, and attending the littleschool in his native town of Rousselare, and thismingled round of study and practical labour wenton until he was nineteen, a fact which explains agood deal of the technical excellence of his work.Then he went to the Brussels Academy, where in1888 he won the Prix de Rome, which gave himthe means of living for three years in Italy. Therehe studied the old masters, particularly Donatello,with an assiduity the results of which we may seein his Expiation-which gained a first prize at theBelgian Triennial Exhibition-and in his otherworks. In Lagaë, Belgium possesses a genius ofthe first order, and one may hope his country willgive him the opportunity of producing some monumental work which may serve to show the fullextent of his remarkable gifts.It would be an interesting task to consider thevarious aspects in which the civilised races ofEurope have in succeeding centuries regarded theoutward form of Christ, and how the great artistshave severally depicted it. We should certainlyfind that each of the great masters had conceivedthe person of the Saviour from his own particularstandpoint of feeling and thought; one showingus the Man of Sorrows, another the Divine Ruler-the one a figure of grace and distinction, theother a man of low degree, ennobled by the imprintof spirituality; and to realise how full of variety thetheme would be, it is only necessary to name Dürer,Michael Angelo, Titian, Rubens and Rembrandt.Of recent years there have been two artists ofrepute who have devoted themselves largely toillustrating the life of Christ--Eduard von Gebhardt and Fritz von Uhde. The former has beeninspired by the old masters of the Dutch School.He clothes his figures in the same plain robes; buthis types are modern; humble persons, yet withearnest spiritual faces; and his Christ stands outas the central figure among them all, conspicuous by the profound and soulful expressionof His features. Uhde, on the other hand, throwsall tradition aside, and represents the Saviour surrounded by a group of figures, altogether of to- day.But he has not followed the examples to be seen inFrance, and made his apostles look like the dandiesof the boulevards. Christ's world was full of poorfolk, and as such Uhde always depicts the companions and followers of our Lord, who Himself isseen clad in a long robe, betokening the Leader,the Superior, before whom all men bow the knee.These pictures at first provoked a storm of disapproval in Germany. Those people who considered it quite natural that Christ-as in PaoloVeronese's work-should be represented at tableamidst a delightful assemblage of sixteenth centuryVenetians, were naturally the first to cry out whenUhde indulged in an anachronism of his own, andshowed the Saviour amid our modern surroundings.They completely overlooked the deep religiousspirit dwelling in these works, and the true andpersonal conviction displayed by the artist in thescenes he had represented . However, despite allthis outcry, Uhde's novel conception of the Christusexcited the utmost interest, and other modernartists have since devoted their attention to thestory of the Bible. So attractive indeed has thesubject proved that there was recently opened inBerlin an exhibition to which several artists, byspecial request, sent pictures each embodying itsauthor's ideas of the personality of Christ-amongthem Brütt, Kampf, Marr, Gabriel Max, Skarbina,Stuck, Thoma, Uhde. and Zimmermann.This novel and interesting experiment was madeyet more interesting by the notes written by eachpainter, explaining why he had represented thesacred figure in that particular way. The impression one formed after examining all these workswas that one- half of the artists had nothing new tosay about Christ, while the remainder said morethan they really felt. It must in justice be admitted, however, that there were great difficultiesin the way of suggesting adequately, in a halflength figure, the divine attributes of the Saviour,detached from His customary surroundings. Theonly opportunity of revealing the sublimity of Hisnature, and expressing His superiority over the restof mankind lay in the treatment of the face itself.And great work of this kind-soul- painting, if onemay so term it is not everybody's business.Skarbina alone, in my opinion, has shown us a247Studio-Talkfigure of Christ conveying a sense of His universalauthority, as Lord of mankind. Spiritual majestyshines from out the eyes; ineffable kindness, too,and unspeakable sadness. One forgets that thedrawing ofthe figure is not very happy, in presenceof this spiritual countenance, " without a trace ofaffectation," as Skarbina tells us he wished it to be.And his wish has been realised. A soft, greenevening sky, with rosy cloudlets floating in it, strikesthe same tender note as the figure itself.There is plenty of affectation to be found in twoof the other pictures, and these, of course, are thefavourites of the public. The surest way to pleaseis to make your picture altogether pretty, with nocharacter whatever. These two works may bepassed over in silence. Uhde, in his picture, recalls Rembrandt's type of Christ-the greatpreacher to mankind, with the sunlight playingabout His face. I cannot resist the feeling, however, that the head is far too peasant- like. Theaccessories point to the special significance of thefigure, but there is nothing to reveal the innernature of Christ. Stuck, for his part, shows us, notChrist, but an actor playing the character. Thetheme was no use to him, for it could not behandled dramatically. In the notes attached tohis picture Carl Marr asserts the impossibility ofachieving the task of representing Christ satisfactorily, without complete explanatory accessories.This difficulty may unreservedly be admitted; inany case Marr has quite failed to solve the problem. The serpentine lines of his blood-red skyattract far more attention than the figure itself.Lastly, we have Thoma-often so happy in his representation of a simple, direct subject-who portrays a tiresome, spiritless, uninteresting person,whose face has no meaning in it whatever. Thepicture is only redeemed by a charming landscapein the background.Thus among all these canvases there is but onewhich succeeds in realising the desired idea withany degree of completeness. At the same timethe exhibition is so full of interest that one couldwish the experiment might be repeated, with awider scope, embracing the artists of all countries.And surely the best place for such an exhibitionwould be England, where the subject would be sureto arouse general interest.B™G. G.RUSSELS. -Important changes havebeen effected at the " Musée Ancienhere, MM. A. Wauters and Cardonhaving been entrusted with the rehanging and the proper classificationof the canvases in our National Gallery, in orderto show them to full advantage. The first part ofthe undertaking was to rearrange the works ofRubens, Jordaens, Van Dyck, and the otherFlemish painters of their day, and the resultPORCELAIN PANELSLACOULEURFORME(See Brussels Studio- Talk) BY ISIDORE DE RUDDER248Reviews of Recent Publicationshas shown how necessary the work was. Thesepictures have now been hung together in thegalleries, and in the big hall will be placed theworks of the early Flemish school. QuentynMetsys' large Triptych, the gem of the collection,will be put in the centre of the great panel, and itis hoped that permission will be given to have thetwo compartments sawn through, so that visitorsmay see at a glance the entire work thoroughlydisplayed.M. Isidore de Rudder, one of our foremostsculptors in Brussels, has just completed some workfor the large Salle des Mariages in the Hôtel deVille, in the shape of a model for electric lightapparatus in gilded bronze, representing St. Michael,patron of the town, overcoming Satan. Thesegirandoles are perfectly adapted to the decorationof the hall, which is Gothic in style. M. de Rudderhas also been commissioned to execute two ornamental inkstands for this apartment.Madame I. de Rudder, whose embroidered panelsattracted great attention at the Cercle Artistiquelast year, has received an order from the Communal Council for a set of large embroideries, alsointended for the decoration of the Salle desMariages. The work will include a canopy, ornamented with life- size figures and medallions, anda large table- cloth.Of all the Belgian sculptors, M. de Rudderdevotes himself most to applied art. Not contentwith designing several remarkable pieces of goldsmith's work, and producing works of art in tin,like his confrères, he has devoted special study toceramics. His four large panels in hard porcelain,illustrated here, measuring three metres high byone metre wide, are very delicate and subdued incolour. Some of his busts and vases are alsoworthy of mention, particularly one of the latter,measuring one metre high, in hard biscuit porcelain.The white tone is simply exquisite, and the waterlily shape most graceful. On one side may beseen a dim figure of Ophelia.M. de Rudder is anxiously endeavouring to finda stoneware capable of resisting the worst inclemencies of weather, which would be of immensevalue in architectural decoration.F. K.REVIEWS OF RECENTPUBLICATIONS.The Principles of Art as illustrated in the RuskinMuseum. By WILLIAM WHITE. (London: GeorgeAllen. ) -No book of selections from the writingsof John Ruskin could be other than welcome tolovers of literature, but it would be hard to imaginea more inconvenient and unsatisfactory form thanthe latest publication sent forth by " RuskinHouse." This consists of a volume of nearly 700pages compiled by the devoted Curator as a sortof vade mecum to the Ruskin Museum at Sheffield.We might turn against the editor one of his sage'sand ask him whether he really expects any onefirst principles of art-fitness to the proposed endto carry this heavy book in his hands as he makesthe round of the Arundel reproductions and watercolour copies of Italian pictures and of Gothicarchitecture which form the staple of the Museum.On the other hand, the volume, read at homewith a comfortable desk to support its weight, isunsatisfactory by reason of its catalogue form, andby the editor's comments and explanations, whichliterature. Thus, for example, after we are upliftedare interspersed in such a way as half to spoil it asby Mr. Ruskin's description of the Campo Santoat Pisa "a place of holy tombs, prepared for itsoffice with earth from the land made holy by onetomb, which all the knighthood of Christendomhad been pouring out its life to win "-we arerudely dragged down to common earth again bythe next sentence ( not Ruskin's! ): "The enclosedquadrangle is about 400 feet in length and 118in breadth, forming a wide covered gallery." Andfor this anticlimax the need of cataloguing two ofMr. Fairfax Murray's water- colour drawings fromfrescoes is responsible.The final estimate of Mr. Ruskin is still to bemade. It is easy to say that he is a great prosewriter who happened to treat of art; an eloquentmoralist who drew sermons from pictures andbuildings; a brilliant but hopelessly contradictorythinker who astonishes by flashes of insight andirritates by confusion and wilfulness; but it wouldbe foolish not to acknowledge in him a sensitiveness to what is beautiful in art, unprecedented ina writer and almost miraculous in a moralist; orto deny the informing presence, above all contradictions, of a consistent theory of the nature andinfluence of art. However this may be, thepresent editor is not the man to whom we maylook for a critical estimate of Ruskin's genius andmission. For although he sets forth as the object249Reviews of Recent Publicationsof his book "the attempt to concentrate into asingle focus the fundamental principles whichunderlie the weighty words of John Ruskin, " heacquits himself of his share in the task by denouncing the " temporal tricks and fads of miasmicfungus growth that are always liable to be sprungupon us," and by quoting Mr. Lionel Cust as anauthority for calling his master " the art prophetof the nineteenth century. "Of the six illustrations, the Peacock's Feather, theHead of St. George (after Carpuccio) , and the Studyof a River-bank, are interesting as coming fromMr. Ruskin's own hand, while the Madonnaadoring the Infant Christ, although but indifferentlyreproduced, is a charming fifteenth century Florentine picture (not Verrocchio, as stated in thecatalogue) here published for the first time. Mr.Bunney's accurate but spiritless study of theN-W. Angle of St. Mark's comes out excellently,but the same cannot be said of Mr. Newman'sView of Covie, which is badly blurred.MARY LOGAN.An Architectural Account of the Churches ofShropshire. By D. H. S. CRANAGE, M.A. PartII. (Hobson & Co. , Wellington, Shropshire. ) —It is with great pleasure that we welcome thesecond instalment of Mr. Cranage's important work.The part before us deals with the churches oftheHundred of Munslow, the chief of which is thatdedicated to St. Lawrence at Ludlow. Incomparably the finest parish church in Shropshire, Mr.Cranage has done well to deal with it at length.The building is of great interest to the student ofarchitectural evolution from Early English of thefirst period, to late Perpendicular. The letterpressis very accurate: a useful plan and some excellentprocess blocks materially add to the value of theauthor's description of the church. Not a few ofthe churches in the Hundred of Munslow haveimportant Norman work. Amongst them are Ashford Carbonell, Ashford Bowdler, Cardington,Church Stretton, and Heath, which, according toour author, is an " unusually complete and genuineexample of the Norman style. " It is to be repaired, but we trust not restored. The subjects forillustration have been well selected, and the authorand his illustrators are to be congratulated on theirwork. Representations of the elaborate hour- glassat Easthope, and a delightful family pew at Stokeshay, are specially welcome, for such things only toofrequently disappear in small country churches intowhich the local builder is let loose. We are gladto find Mr. Cranage protesting against the mutilation which is euphoniously called " restoration. "Academy Architecture. Volume IX. (London:58 Theobald's Road, W.C.) -We have received acopy ofthe ninth yearly volume of this useful publication edited by Mr.Alexander Koch. The presentnumber comprises three parts , devoted respectivelyto reproductions of a selection of the most prominent architectural drawings hung at the exhibitions of the Royal Academy, London, the RoyalScottish Academy, Edinburgh, and the GlasgowInstitute of Fine Arts; sculptures, and a review ofinteresting architectural subjects carried out ordesigned during recent years. The general get-upof the volume leaves little to be desired, andmembers of the architectural profession will find ita work of very considerable value.The Rape of the Lock. By ALEXANDER POPE.Illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley. (London:Leonard Smithers. Price 10s. 6d. net . ) - Mr.Beardsley has recently made some points of departure in the technique of his work whichcannot be commended. But in the illustrationsbefore us these unpleasant features are less noticeable, perhaps, than in some other recent drawingsby him. But they are not wholly absent. Theexpenditure of much labour upon insignificantdetail can only detract from the value of themain lines of the composition.EachThe elaborate treatment of the parquet flooring ofthe frontispiece is an example of the unpleasant workto which we refer. There was a time when the valueof line was so esteemed by this artist that he nevertraced one but that it was full of meaning.scratch that he put upon paper was an indispensableportion of the complete design. But this crosshatching with which he has been so busy of late isaltogether too wearisome. And it is also commonplace. Perhaps one of the most successful drawings in the present work is the Toilet (facing page 6).The touch of black in the maid's dress contrastsmost satisfactorily with the grey of the ladies'peignoir and hair, and the white of the dressing- table.Mr. Beardsley, in spite of his many imitators, isstill the master of his own style of design—a stylewhich is as nearly a creation as is perhaps possibleto come to in these days. Could he but turn hisattention to healthier subjects and not occupyhimself so much with trivialities, he would gainmmeasurably, not only in popularity but in manythings which are necessary to great art.Artistic Landscape Photography. By A. H.WALL. (London: Percy Lund & Co. )-This is atimely and useful book, by a most sane photographer. His remarks on composition, on the250Awards in " The Studio " Prize Competitionsimportance of cloud effects, and a hundred othermatters, are well digested , reasonable and clearlystated.Plants and their Application to Ornament.Edited by EUGÈNE GRASSET. In twelve monthlyParts. 8s. each net. (London: Chapman & Hall. )Parts I. to IV. In the parts that have at presentappeared of this beautifully printed work a numberof different artists have been employed, chief ofwhom is M. P. Verneuil, so well known forhis beautiful floral ornamentation . The schemeadopted for the presentation of the studies is onewhich is familiar to most teachers. Drawings of aflower or plant in outline, tinted in natural colours,are first given so that the habit of growth as well asthe characteristic form may be observed. Basedupon these forms, various schemes of design suitable for wall decoration, stained glass, ceramicwork and similar purposes then follow. The plantswhich have received attention in the parts thathave at present appeared are the iris, poppy, waterlily, columbine, gourd, crown imperial, geraniumand cyclamen. Used in connection with instruction as to the limitations and requirements ofmanufacture, such as supplied in the excellentmanual on " Practical Designing," published byGeorge Bell & Sons, this series of French studiesshould be of undoubted use to art masters andstudents of ornament.Messrs. Reeves & Sons, Limited, have sent us anew colour- box which they call the "Autolycus. "It is especially intended for outdoor sketching in oils, and is actually a colour- box, an easel,and a palette combined. The construction ismost ingenious and thoroughly practical. Thesmall space it occupies when closed, and the easewith which it may be carried about, render itparticularly suitable for the travelling student andthe artist globe- trotter.A'WARDS IN " THE STUDIO ”PRIZE COMPETITIONS.(A XXXVIII. AND A XXXIX. )THE consideration of these competitions is unavoidably postponed until next month.DESIGN FOR A TITLE- PAGE.(B XXXIV. )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toHornie (Arabella L. Rankin, Muthill, Perthshire).The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Groombridge (P. R. Waller, 27 St. George's Road,Pimlico, S.W. ) ,Atlas (T. H. Wakefield, Hadley Green, Barnet);Acrone (Sunderland Rollinson, 12 Princess Street,Scarborough); Complex (Frank Ivimey, I DowneTerrace, Richmond); Chatnoirville (J. J. Houry,16 Falmouth Road, Bishopston, Bristol); Excelsior(J. M. Aiken, 61 Loch Street, Aberdeen);Esperanza ( May S. Tyrer, Southam Villa, Prestbury Road, Cheltenham); Lea (Gertrude E. Bayle,South Bank, Margate); Pokey (Enid Jackson, 12Forest Road, Birkenhead ); Poesy (Scott Calder,c/o Mrs. Taylor, 159 Sydney Street, Chelsea,S.W.); Ranji (Chas. A. Allen, 50 Lorne Street,Kidderminster); and Scrawl (Dorothy Harmon,4619 Lake Avenue, Chicago, Ill . ) .DESIGN FOR REPOUSSÉ WORK DISH.(C XXXII. )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toSixpence (G. S. Tanner, The Knoll, Frith Hill,Godalming).The SECOND PRIZE (Half a guinea) to Ulula(Bessie Ridpath, Ravenhead, Beckenham, Kent) .Honourable mention is given to the following:-Barney ( Mabel Chandler, Station House, Aldershot); Chatnoirville (J. J. Houry, 16 FalmouthRoad, Bishopston, Bristol); Doctor (Agnes C.Martin, 45 South Road, Handsworth, Birmingham); Mav ( May Dixon, Mulberry Green, Harlow,Essex); Ouvrier (J. H. Rudd, 17 RichmondStreet, Barnstaple); and Snowdon (Jessie Hay,The Cedars, Westgate Road, Beckenham) .PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NATURE.STUDY OF FIELD FLOWERS.(D XXV. )The FIRST PRIZE ( One guinea) is awarded toLux (A. Keighley, Flosh House, Keighley) .The SECOND PRIZE (Halfa guinea) to Phoebus(A. M. Dorothea Maw, Severn House, Ironbridge,Salop).Honourable mention is given to the following:-Clover (Henry Irving, Darwen, Lancs. ); Chic- a- lee( Miss M. C. Cameron, Little Dewchurch Vicarage,Ross, Herefordshire); Dandelion (Miss Watson,Briery Yards, Hawick, N.B.); Dormouse ( MabelNewcombe, I Cheyne Walk, Chelsea, S.W.); Föhn(Walter E. Hughes, Villa Corncordia, Davos Dorf,Switzerland); Flora (Joseph Casier, 91 Rue desRemouleurs, Gand, Belgium); Kiltennel (LadyEleanor Stopford, Courtown House, Gorey, Ireland); Numismatist (Walter Booth, 31 ThorntonRoad, Bradford); Rector (Rev. W. A. Woodward,Flax Bourton Rectory, Somerset, R.S.O.); Saddleback (J. C. Smith, Nandana, Penrith); and YellowJacket (J. W. Palache, 900 Eddy Street, SanHonourable mention is given to the following: Francisco, Cal. ) .251Designs for a Title-Page (Competition B XXXIV.)THEWORKS OFROBERT BURNSLNDONWith Glossaryand Notes.IllustratedbyJ.Robinson.18FIRST PRIZEPOEMSHON. MENTIONLONDON189SMITH44 HORNIEBYROBERTHERRICK .SWINBURNEPOEMSANDBALLADSGRAY HILL & CORBETTLONDON & BOSTONSECOND PRIZEfoamsOF40 "" GROOMBRIDGE" ESPERANZA HON. MENTION "ATLAS 3111HON. MENTIONADesigns for a Title-Page (Competition B XXXIV.)BALLADS AND RONDERUSSESTINAS VILLANELLESETC SELECTED WITHA CHAPTER ON- THEVARIOUS FORMS BYGLEESON WHITENEW YORKD APPLETON AND COMPANY1888 HON. MENTION" SCRAWL田POEMS܀ ܀BY?༡EDMUND WALLER?2? '?PRINTED FOR J. & R.TONSONHL LONDON GASHON. MENTION " CHATNOIRVILLE 22 HON. MENTION............11 " LEA44 GROOMBRIDGE "田LOGYSWEETESTBOSEBAY,)REPOUSSÉ WORK DISH.FROM A DRAWING BY"SIXPENCE "FIRST PRIZE (COMPETITION C XXXII . )SECOND PRIZE(COMPETITIONC XXXII.) REPOUSSÉ WORK DISH.FROMA DRAWING BY"ULULA"FIELDLOWERS .FROM APHOTOGRAPH BY"LUX ' "1FIRST PRIZE (COMPETITION D .)XXVCOMP .( D.)XXV " PHOEBUS " MENTION HON .(CMP D)XXV NUMISMATIST " ." SECOND PRIZE13TThe Lay Figure Alone in LondonHE LAY FIGURE ALONE INLONDON." WHAT have you been doing in townall this month?" said the Journalist, whohad run up with a few other men for a day ortwo." But you have not told us your opinion of thepermanent art collections of the metropolis, " saidthe Journalist."Well, excepting the National Gallery, theywouldnot satisfy a good provincial town," the Lay Figurereplied. "Besides almost all they contain of anyintrinsic merit has been bestowed by liberal patrons,when Art was not talked about so much, butlavishly paid for. At Dulwich, Greenwich Hospital, the Soane Museum, and some of the olderinstitutions such as the Society of Arts, one meetswith Reynolds, Gainsboroughs, Turners, and a"Taking stock of our local art," said the LayFigure, " it is the only time of the year one cansee the permanent scarecrows, and track to theirhiding-places and revisit the Diploma Pictures,the Chantrey Bequest efforts, and the rest.""What are the permanent scarecrows? " said the heap of splendid things. But modern artMan with a Short Briar."The monuments which are expressive of ourlove of loveliness, our devotion to all that is fair,"replied the Lay Figure, quoting from That VeryMab. " The objects are not meant to alarm predatory fowls (though admirably adapted for thatpurpose), but to commemorate heroes often moreor less predatory.""You must have had an amusing experience-The Retrospective Critic alone in London-itwould make a good Nineteenth Century article.""I do not think they would print it, " the LayFigure replied; "you see the contributors to thatstupendous monthly all look forward to be scarecrowed themselves one day; no, I think it wasthe empty pedestals that struck me most! ""I don't remember any! " said the Journalist."Not the Marble Arch, and the screen at HydePark Corner, the gate at Constitution Hill , thearch by the Temple Station, the piers of Blackfriars Bridge, and- ""Stop, please! " said the Journalist, " I see whatyou mean.""But who is to pay for statuary for theseplaces? " said the Man with the Short Briar.' They don't seem able to raise the £2000 wantedto cast Thornycroft's Boadicea."66"Puta tax on photographic-portraits, self- erectedmonuments of vanity," said the Journalist, " andapply it to national sculpture. Why the thingcould be done with a stroke of a pen.""We have the sculptors, I think, " said the LayFigure, "we have plenty of uncommemorated heroes,and we certainly have the pedestals, but why persist in sticking up solitary obtrusive figures, insteadof completing fine architecture compositions?"" But the modern statue is usually of a selfmade man-in a self-made frock- coat apparently,with a beard and umbrella, " said the Man with aShort Briar. "Objects of this sort don't look wellon marble arches. ""You have forgotten the Diploma Gallery andthe Chantrey pictures," said the Journalist."No, I did the first thoroughly, and found asusual a ha'porth of bread to an intolerable quantityof sacking spoilt by pigment. Still the ' Diploma 'with its Raeburn and its Millais, to take two of itsfair children, is quite interesting. But the Chantreyis scattered. There are rumours of stacks in thecellars of Burlington House, I believe, and itsusual lodging at South Kensington seems chieflyempty wall- space. At Bethnal Green a few of thepurchases do their best to look comfortable.What a funny lot they are! ""They have a percentage of good things, evenyou must admit, " said the Man with a Short Briar." Of course, the Sargent, the Watts, and perhapsa dozen others; but a fund devoted to picturebuying that has no Whistler, no Burne- Jones,no Peppercorn!-in fact the ' Noes ' would haveit, if you attempted to continue the list. "" I wish we had a few modern French andDutch pictures," said the Man with a Short Briar,"So far as I remember, there is not a Corot, aTroyon, a Daubigny, a Mauve, a Maris, not tomention a Manet, a Monet, or a Degas, in anypublic gallery in the biggest city in the world.Griffins in Fleet Street, mosaics in St. Paul's,many groups of lamp-posts with polished granitebases, all sorts of committees expending money onmodern art of all sorts, except the art that isformally recognised as such by the whole civilisedworld-fine sculpture and fine painting.""It is all the fault of you ultra- modern Apostlesof the poster, and the process- block, " said theJournalist, mockingly; " you taught us to believea fine poster was as worthy of honour as a finepainting, and now you want both. ""Well, we may want them, " said the Lay Figure,"but at present there seems little chance of gettingtoo much of either."THE LAY FIGURE.94258

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Front matter

COVENT GARDEN MDCCCXCVI

INDEX TO VOLUME VIIIAMAN-JEAN, M. , Some Pictures at the New Gallery99 "" Royal AcademyAn Italian Artist-Luigi Conconi . G. Beltrami. Nine IllustrationsBALDRY, A. Lys. The Work of Solomon J. Solomon, A. R. A. Eight Illustrations .Beltrami, G. , An Italian Artist-Luigi Conconi . Nine IllustrationsBulloch, J. M. Charles Dana Gibson Five IllustrationsCARRIÈRE, Eugène. Frances Keyzer. Seven IllustrationsCharlton , A.R.E. , E. W. Maldon as a Sketching Ground.Chinese Snuff Bottles. A Little Appreciated Side of Art.Six IllustrationsMarcus B. Huish. Seven IllustrationsPAGE . 165· 1098138175135215IIDIEPPE, Rouen and Chartres as a Sketching Ground . Giffard H. Lenfestey. Seven Illustrations 142ENAMELLER and His Work, An. Fred. Miller. Eleven IllustrationsEnglish Artist in Japan, An. Four Illustrations149162GEORGE, Ernest, Mr. , The Work of. The Revival of English Domestic Architecture. Seventeen Illustrations .HAMMER, K. V. Gerhard Munthe. Decorative Artist. Three IllustrationsHind, Lewis. The Work of J. J. Shannon. Eight IllustrationsHome Arts and Industries Association at the Albert Hall. Gleeson WhiteHuish, Marcus B. A Little Appreciated Side of Art, Chinese Snuff Bottles. Seven Illustrations27, 2042216791IIKEYZER, Frances. Eugène Carrière. Seven Illustrations . 135LAY Figure Alone in London, The 258"" Amused, The 6499 and Its Friends, The 132"" at South Kensington , The · 194Lenfestey, Giffard H. Dieppe, Rouen, and Chartres as a Sketching Ground. Seven Illustrations • 14239MALDON as a Sketching Ground. E. W. Charlton, A.R.E. Six IllustrationsMiller, Fred. An Enameller and His Work. Eleven IllustrationsModern Portrait Painter, A. Gabriel Mourey. Eight IllustrationsMourey, Gabriel.33A Modern Portrait - Painter. Eight IllustrationsThe Salon of the Champ de Mars. Nine IllustrationsThe Salon of the Champs- Elysées. Seven IllustrationsMunthe, Gerhard. Decorative Artist. K. V. Hammer. Three IllustrationsNATIONAL Competition , The, South Kensington, 1896. Twenty- eight Illustrations .215 · 14919719717 ΙΟΙ221POSTERS of Louis Rhead, The. Seven Illustrations .224157REVIVAL of English Domestic Architecture, The—IV. The Work of Mr. Ernest George. Eight IllustrationsV. The Work of Messrs. George and Peto. Nine IllustrationsSALON of the Champ de Mars, The.99 Champs Elysées , The.Gabriel Mourey. Nine IllustrationsGabriel Mourey. Seven Illustrations2720417ΙΟΙ330IndexSome Leaves from Mr. Dudley Hardy's Sketch Book. Edward F. Spence. Fourteen IllustrationsSome Pictures at the New Gallery, Criticised by a French PainterRoyal Academy "" ""Spence, Edward F. Some Leaves from Mr. Dudley Hardy's Sketch Book. Fourteen IllustrationsStudio Talk. Sixty -three IllustrationsWHITE, Gleeson . The Posters of Louis Rhead. Seven IllustrationsThe Home Arts and Industries Association at the Albert Hall .Illustrations .Work of J. J. Shannon, The. Lewis Hind.Work of Solomon J. Solomon, A.R.A. , The. A. Lys Baldry . Eight IllustrationsEight IllustrationsPAGE33165• 109. 3338, 112, 167 , 237157Twenty- four25367LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONSAMAN- JEAN, E. Paintings99 PhotographBAERTSOEN, Albert . Painting Berchmans, E. PosterBirks, John E. Wall DecorationBlanche, J. E. PaintingBoughton, G. H. PaintingBullas, W. Metal WorkCANTON, Ruth. Silver StatuetteCarrière Eugène. PaintingsChabas, Paul . Painting Charlton, E. W., A.R.E. SketchesChinese Snuff BottlesConconi, Luigi. Etchings .Cowan, Helen M. Stencil DesignCrespin, M. DecorationDawson, Nelson. Beaten Copper Tablet De Rudder, Isidore . Porcelain PanelsDesmoulin, F. PortraitDidier- Pouget. PaintingDillens, J. Ivory StatuetteDonnay, A. PosterElectric Light BracketEmmanuel, F. L. Book PlateFELL, H. Granville. Panel for DecorationFischer, Otto. PosterFisher, A..Enamelled Silver WorkGEORGE, Ernest, and Peto, Messrs. ArchitectureGibson, C. Dana. DrawingsGiles, Alice B. Design for IllustrationGould, David. Stained Glass WindowGrimshaw, W. E. Silk HangingHAITÉ, G. C. Painting ·Halliday, George. Repoussé Copper PanelHardy, Dudley. Sketches.Hankar, M. DecorationHawkins, L. W. PaintingHill-Burton , M. R. PaintingHome Arts and Industries AssociationHomewood, Florence M. Book Illustration17, 196, 198, 199, 200, 201 , 203197201172351939171168134, 135 , 136, 137 , 138, 139, 141• ΙΟΙ215, 216, 217, 218, 219, 22011, 12, 13 , 14 , 15 , 1681 , 82, 83, 85, 86, 87, 89, 90· 2361782402482410549116170, 1714316950149, 150 , 151 , 153 , 154, 15527, 28, 29, 30, 31 , 32 , 204 , 205, 206, 207 , 209, 210,211, 212, 21376, 77, 78, 79, 80229174. 1752363817233, 34, 35, 36, 37· 178234191 , 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97 , 98, 99, 100227JONES, Alfred . Design for Title PageKERSHAW, Agnes. CasketKhnopff, Fernand . PaintingKoepping, Karl. Blown Glass .LAGAE, Jules.Lefevre, Carlos. Painting.SculptureLenfestey, G. H. SketchesLévy-Dhurmer. PaintingLomont, Eugéne. PaintingIndexGENERAL BOOKBINDING CO.74 2 1། ༩༢ ་ མ013QUALITY CONTROL C 3017 MARKPAGE22523048 25,26245, 246. 103Lowther, C. G. Stencilled FriezeLunois, A. From a LithographMACKENZIE, J. D. Copper PlaquesMarché, Ernest. PaintingMenpes, Mortimer. StudiesMercer, E. L. Electric Bell PlateMeunier, Henri . PosterMignot, Victor. PosterMunthe, Gerhard . DesignsNELSON, H. Book PlateMetal Work142, 143, 144, 145 , 147 , 148• 10710423711444, 45 102241 , 242, 243173177. 176221 , 222 , 223• 226OAKLEY, Herbert C.Overnell, T. J. DesignPETERS, T. Cabinet .Picknell, W. L. SketchPugliese - Levi, C. PaintingsPuvis de Chavannes. Decorative PanelRAMSDEN, Omar. CasketRassenfosse, A. SketchRhead, Louis . Photograph Posters233, 234 224171108179, 18021231122156Roberts, Albert T. SundialRooke, T. M. , A.R.W.S. Drawing .Serrurier, G. DesignsShannon, J. J. Paintings Simpson, Lilian . Casket157, 158, 159, 160, 161 , 16223246118 , 119, 120, 12166, 67, 68, 69 , 71 , 72, 73, 75• 231Smith, Harold. Wrought Iron Gates 234Smith, Winifred .Smith, Philip W.DesignsDesignsSmithies, James. Hammered Copper ShieldSolomon, Solomon. J. PaintingsSolon, Leon V. Design for TilesStonelake, F. P. PanelSturdee, Percy. Paintings.TAYLOR, Frederick . Designs for Buckles .Taylor, Thomas. Wrought Iron ScreenThaulow, Fritz . Painting .Tuck, Edward. Stove Grate PanelVERNEUIL, M. P. PosterWEST, Walter J. Book Plates .Willette, A. Design for Fan••2282, 33, 238• 2402, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10• 113 • 235163, 164, 165• 235• 172 • 18• 1731154247alJAman-Jean, E. Drawing in Colours .Bell, R. Anning. Design .Johnson, E. Borough . SketchMenpes, Mortimer. Study of a HeadPennell, J. , Auto - LithographSkarbina, F. SketchSturdee, P. PaintingWhistler, J. McNeil. Auto- LithographIndexSUPPLEMENTSPAGEFacing page 198"""" " " 3280. 243Facing page 2261141641699THE EDITOR'S ROOMAWARDS IN COMPETITIONS.SERIES A. -DESIGNS FOR INDUSTRIAL PURPOSES.(XXXVII. ) Design for a Cloth Book Cover.54SERIES B. -DRAWINGS FOR REPRODUCTION.(XXXI. ) Private Note- Paper Heading(XXXII ) Advertisement.55 126(XXXIII . ) Black and White Subject: " Summer(XXXIV. ) Title- Page184251SERIES C. -DESIGN FOR AMATEUR'S WORK.(XXIX. ) Fretwork . 55(XXX. ) Poker-Work Panel 127(XXXI. ) Metal Panel(XXXII ) Repoussé Work Dish184251SERIES D. -PHOTOGRAPHS FROM NATURE.(XXII. ) Foreground Study 55 (XXIII. ) Exterior of a Church 126184251EFAE(XXIV. ) Picturesque Old Cottage(XXV. ) Study of Field FlowersBOOKS REVIEWEDAcademy Architecture. Vol. IV. Edited by Alexander Koch • 250An Architectural Account of the Churches of Shropshire . D. II . S. Cranage, M.A.Artistic Landscape Photography. A. H. Wall250250 Bradley, His Book. One Illustration . • 54Considerations on Painting. John La Farge . 122Evolution in Art. Alfred C. Haddon 124 Fitzroy Pictures. Heywood Sumner. Two Illustrations 53Fors Clavigera. John Ruskin . Vol. I. •52History ofthe Horn Book. Alexander W. Tuer, F.S.A. 122Lorenzo de' Medici and Florence in the Fifteenth Century. E. Armstrong, M.A.Photographyfor Artists. Hector Maclean .18152Plants and their Application to Ornament. Edited by Eugène GrassetRare Books and their Prices. (London: George Redway). 25153Ten Auto-Lithographs of the Lower Thames. C. E. Holloway and T. R. Way. One IllustrationThe Compleat Angler by Walton and Cotton. Edited by R. Le. Gallienne .The England of To- dayfrom the Portuguese of Oliveira Martins· 125 One Illustration . 123123The Florentine Painters of the Renaissance; with an Index to their Works. Bernhard Berenson.The Midsummer ofItalian Art. Frank Preston StearnsThe Principles of Art as illustrated in the Ruskin Museum. William WhiteThe Rape of the Lock. Alexander Pope . Illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley Through the Dolomites. Alexander Robertson181• 181249• 250 124

"JUDGMENT OF PARIS"FROM A PAINTING BYSOLOMON J. SOLOMON,A.R.A.TTHE STUDIOHE WORK OF SOLOMON J.SOLOMON, A.R.A. BY A. LYSBALDRY.