ART NOTES.

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1095, 24 February 1893, Page 16

ART NOTES.

EDITED BY ‘ CAPRICE.’ SOME RECENT~ftRT LITERATURE. . The increase in the numher of art books published is getting more and more, every year, and it is not easy to keep up with the supply. In a short paper like this I am only able to mention a few that have recently been published. One must not overlook the admirable sketch of Herbert Herkomer, R.A., in the Art Annual for 1892. Mr W. L. Courtney’s sketch of this versatile man is well written and the illustrations are well drawn. ‘ European Pictures of the Year ’ is a companion book to ‘Academy Pictures,’ (publishedby Cassell.) Reproductions of representative pictures by the leading artists of France, Germany, Russia, Austria, Italy, and Holland, appear in this volume, which is quite up to the high standard of ‘Academy Pictures.’ Hugh Thompson has just illustrated a selection of Austin Dobson’s poems under the title of ‘ The Ballad of Beau Brocade.’ Those who have seen Thompson’s drawing for ‘ Cranford,’ ‘ The Vicar of Wakefield,’ and several other books will welcome this very charming volume. One of the most sumptuous books of the year is Mr Harry Quilter’s ‘ Preferences in Art Life, and Literature.’ The book itself is one of great beauty, type, paper, printing and binding are everything that could be desired; but the centre of attraction is the illustrations, of which there are no fewer than one hundred and fourteen. They have been produced by many processes such as photo-gravure, wood engraving, etc. The book comprises a ‘ Chapter in the History of Pre-Raphaelitism,’ essays on Frank Holl, R.A., on G. F. Watts, R.A., on the water colour art of England, on Idyllic Art, on French and English Art of to-day, as well as literary criticisms of the work of Wilkie Collins and Amy Levy, and several shorter essays. Of these the ‘ History of Pre-Raphaelitism ’ is the most important. The ‘ Magazine of Art ’ for 1892 will compare with any of its predecessors for the beauty of its illustrations and the interest of its letterpress. Among artists to whom special articles are devoted with reproductions of their work, are, Stanhope Forbes, Sir George Reid, George du Maurier, Jules Bastion - Lepage, Jan Van Beers, and others. Current art as shown at the various exhibitions of the year is well looked after. Many useful hints may be obtained from a series of papers on ‘ Artistic Homes,’ and from an article on 1 Wall Paper Decorations.’ 11. E. Detmold’s painting ‘ A Breezy Day,’ has been chosen for the frontispiece, and is produced in chromophotypie, which is doing for the reproduction of pictures in colour what has been achieved by phototype in the reproduction of black and white, An exceedingly beautiful fo9s is ‘ Henrietta ftgimer,

the Painter of Cat Life and Character,’ by Mr H. Spielmann, of which a new and cheaper edition has just been issued. The get up is superb and the illustrations are beyond all praise. It is the best book of its kind that has ever been issued. Madame Ronner is one of the very few who have succeeded in portraying the charms of the feline race. The ‘Art Journal’ is the next volume I call to mind. The twelve etchings and photogravures are really worth the price of the volume. Four of the etchings are original, one of them, Herbert Dicksee’s ‘ His Royal Highness,’ a magnificient lion’s head, being specially worthy of notice. There are a number of artists’ biographies, and two private art collections of London are described, viz., those of the late Frederick Leyland, and of Sir John Pender. There are several short stories introduced, quite a new departure in this magazine. A series of articles describing the provincial museums and art galleries is worthy of notice. Other notable art books I might mention, are, Malcolm Bell’s ‘ Edward Burne-Jones, a Record and Review,’ Cole and Stillman’s 1 Old Italian Masters,’ A. T. Story’s ‘ Life of John Linnell,’ and ‘ The Autobiographical Notes of the Life of William Bell Scott,’ edited by Professor Minto. I have by no means exhausted the list. It would be impossible to do so in the space at my disposal. I have given the principal recent art books and 1 will conclude with a short note on the articles and illustrations which have appeared in the Christmas magazines. The Christmas number of Harper’s Magazine appeared in a new cover of blue, white and silver. The late Theodore Child’s paper j on certain types of the Virgin, as exempli-j fied in the works of certain of the old | masters, furnishes the occasion for some j beautiful examples of wood engraving by j Florian the French engraver. Mr Mow-. bray’s drawings for Aldrich’s poem ‘ Nour- j made,' are graceful and decorative. A j unique feature is the reproductions of Thackeray’s drawings for the ballad of Lord Bateman, drawings which show this artist’s talent for comic delineation. Mr Abbey and Howard Pyle are both well represented. In Scribner’s Magazine art and artists are of much more importance than Christmas itself. Mr Will H. Low has two articles, a brief account of the mural paintings in the Pantheon and the Hotel de Ville, Paris, and a defence of the Nude in Art, in which he is joined by Mr Kenyon Cox, each of them contributing a picture to aid in demonstrating the manner in which he thinks this great question should be met. Mr F. D. Millet furnishes a short account of the principal decorations in painting and sculpture of the Chicago World’s Fair, with a number of illustrations. H. H. Boyesen contributes an interesting paper on some of the principal Norwegian painters, and a coloured picture furnishes the frontispiece. A capital n umber from an artist’s point of view. The Century Magazine gives five choice examples of modern representations of the Madonna, all beautifully engraved in full plate pictures. The opening article on ‘ Picturesque New York ’ furnishes a number of engravings. George Rochegrosse’s drawings for John Malone’s ballad of the Cid are very clever and dramatic. In both the Magazine of Art and the Art Journal for January appear articles on Edward Burne-Jones A.R.A. He appears to be the artist of the hour at Home just now. Walter Crane devotes an article to ‘Design,’ with nine illustrations by the author to the former, besides which the following important articles appear, Theodore Watt’s ‘ Portraits of Tennyson,’ ‘ H. G. Hine, V.P.R.I,’ with illustrations of his work, ‘Current Art’ by Claude Phillips, and an original etching by David Law. Next week ‘ Justitia ’ will contribute an article on the loan collection of pictures to be opened at the new gallery next Saturday.