ENGLISH ILLUSTRATORS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 24, 28 January 1911, Page 13

ENGLISH ILLUSTRATORS.

A. and C. Black's "Brush, Pen and Pencil" series, edited by A. E. Johnson, includes now the ""books" of John Hassall, the late Tom Browne, Dudley Hardy, Frank Reynolds, and ■ Lawson Wood (each 3/6 net). Each, .book contains about fifty examples of the subject's work in black or colour; and the view thus given of some of the leading exponents of the art of illustration in England at the present day is extremely interesting. The form of the books is fortunate; and the reproduction of paintings i>y the three-colour process (often, so disastrous!) is particularly I well managed The editor's commentary is not keenly critical, is deficient in biographical detail, and lias 'been swollen unduly to fit the plan—which necessitates carrying the letterpress to the end of each book; but it serves the purpose of supplying an agreeable chorus to the illustrations, and is not .without information. The plan of the "Studio" special numbers, which print text and illustrations separately, frees a writer from the painful necessity, of being long-winded over a short-winded subject. The ".Brush, Pen, »nd Pencil" series pleases the eye, and is full of diversion for an attractive mind. Both on .tb% artistic side, and' on the popular, it has a distinct merit. It is so well fitted for Australasian pleasure and instruction that the publishers may be urged to sacrifice that sixpence which \is the straw too much on the counter's back (English "3/6 net" means New Zealand's 4,/ and 4/ is an awkward bookselling price); and to try and flood our next Chistmae counters with the items issued and with others. ■

Booksellers nowadays are often beasts of business; but they -would' sooner sell an enlivening book than a dull one, or a good one than a bad one, if they can get an equal profit to further their private ends; and in Australasia the "net system" lessens their chance of keeping an intellectual conscience as well as a plethoric banking account. One need not apply the simile of the trough to the Christmas counter; but if any man (who has ieceived three inferior editions of "OmaT ,, -—two of them in the shopleather covers which that exploiter of popular ignorance, the American, Elbert Hubbard, has foisted upon the fair and foolish as an aesthetic "binding"; four slapped-together sets of snippets from Emerson, Marcus Aurelius, and other exponents of familiar virtue; and several other distracted oddments of "literature" made to sell and to smell, but not to read) -will be so ungallant, a wavering cense of duty to manners and morals will not prevent the official eye from, winking.

•Having said so much, one fully expects tp get nine assorted scraps. a,nd. .frfljp. nients of mingled maxima *nd .aiHHriery. next Chietmas (given' a next Christ-, mas) ; but if a single attentive .reader will send "The, Book of Dudley Hartry" in the "Brush, Pen, and Pencil" ■ series, the compensation will be sufficient. '■■ •

Dudley Hardy is a tpainter of no mean repute; and the examples gliven in the book allotted to him suggest that the repute is deserved. He was born in 1867, the eldest son of a marine painter, T. B. Hardy; and was -brought up to'the profession of art. Striking design, rich colour, and intelligent ideas—sympathy both with the surface and the meanting of his subjects—nappear in .Hardy's paintings. He interprets modern themes with a fresh mind and a fresh brush.

He does not appear as .an illustrator, preferring to take his own vision of life. Many ; examples of his (black ; and-white with .pen or brush are • "offered. Apart from, fine technfical qualities, they have imaginative interest, and develop an unusual sense of the human comedy. The skilful interpretation of the subject is a% noteworthy as the ease and freedom of the designs.

Frank Reynolds is another painter less vigorous, with, a softer style that is full of charm. He has won praise lately for a series of illustrations of Dickens; (aojdKEome of these, such as ,"Tony Weller," are excellent, though rather 'for colour than for character. For black-and-white she works -with a delicate, caressing line that is particularly effective in pencil, and lie has a particular talent for understanding and displaying character, Iboth on the humourous and on the pathetic side. Reynolds also as eon of a .painter, and has adapted modern French, methods to ihis 'English uses.

John Hassall is probably the test known of English poster designers. •■ He owes iis reputation to bold technJc- applied to bold ideas. His treatment is not subtle, but it is ingenious and arresting; his colour is nt)t fine, but on the hoardings it is uncommonly efficient. He' fills the" .public eye and satisfies the public mind. His 'black-and-white work in line is rather stiff; in ■wasii is rather obvious; nevertheless he is worth aecom--panying througH his .book in the series.

lewson Wood, like the others, reveals in this selection of 'his work a talent that is greater than one realises irom the .occasional examples that Teach us at this distance from iris sphere of work. . The observation applies especially to Jiis painting, which (as one might expect from his more familiar Waok-and-wiiite.) is distinguished toy a fright fancy and beautiful qualities of tone. Most -of the work shown is humorous; and there is no denying Wood a distinct gift «tf original humour. He sees things at the comic angle, and recreates Ms vision with spontaneous fun. Lawson Wood, also is son of a painter. The fertility of his invention, and his ■variety of style, make the Wood book one of the most interesting in the series. The late Tom Browne supplies another book in "Brush, Pen, and Pencil"; and 'here again we get fin colour, in wash, and in careful little line sketches, a new •view of the talent that is known by, the reproduction of ten 'thousand comic pictures for the multitude. . For the re■finements of illustrative art Browne is not noteworthy. As a caricaturist of common' life, with a qufick eye and an expressive touch for absurdity, it is here made dear that his .popularity, was well earned.