Part 1

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_WORKS BY WALTER CRANE_

THE BASES OF DESIGN. With 200 Illustrations, many drawn by the author. _Third Edition._ Crown 8vo, 6s. net.

LINE AND FORM. A Series of Lectures delivered at the Municipal School of Art, Manchester. With 157 Illustrations. _Third Edition._ Crown 8vo, 6s. net.

THE DECORATIVE ILLUSTRATION OF BOOKS, OLD AND NEW. With 165 Illustrations. _Fourth Edition._ Crown 8vo, 6s. net.

LONDON: GEORGE BELL AND SONS

IDEALS IN ART

IDEALS·IN·ART:

PAPERS·THEORETICAL·PRACTICAL·CRITICAL· BY·WALTER·CRANE·Author·of·“Line&Form”.Et

LONDON:GEORGE·BELL·&·SONS:1905

CHISWICK PRESS: CHARLES WHITTINGHAM AND CO. TOOKS COURT, CHANCERY LANE, LONDON.

PREFACE

The collected papers which form this book have been written at different times, and in the intervals of other work. Most of them were specially addressed to, and read before the Art Workers’ Guild, as contributions to the discussion of the various subjects they deal with; so that they may be described as the papers of a worker in design addressed mainly to art workers. They are not, however, wholly or narrowly technical, and the point of view frequently bears upon the general relation of art to life.

Some of the papers were delivered as lectures to larger audiences, and others have appeared as articles, mostly in journals devoted to art.

Of the former, the one upon the Arts and Crafts movement was prepared for and read as one of a series of lectures given during a recent exhibition of the Arts and Crafts Exhibition Society, and is now for the first time printed in its entirety.

The “Thoughts on House-Decoration” was read before the convention of the National Association of Master Painters and Decorators recently held at Leicester.

“The Influence of Modern Social and Economic Conditions on the Sense of Beauty” was the substance of an address at the opening of a debate on that question at a meeting of the Pioneer Club.

The paper on “The Progress of Taste in Dress” was written for “The Healthy and Artistic Dress Union,” and appeared in their journal “Aglaia.” The article on Mr. Chesterton’s book appeared in “The Speaker”; that on “The Teaching of Art” in “The Art Journal.”

The notes on “Gesso” work appeared in an early number of “The Studio,” and I have to thank the editor, Mr. Charles Holme, for kindly allowing me to reprint it here, and also for the loan of the blocks used for the illustrations, both for this and others of the papers.

My best thanks are also due to Mr. Ernest Gimson for the loan of photographs of his cottage at Stoneywell; to the Earl of Pembroke for enabling me to obtain those of the double cube room at Wilton; to Mr. Charles Rowley, and Mr. Charles W. Gamble of the Municipal School of Technology, Manchester, for photographs of the Madox Brown frescoes; to Mr. Augustus Spenser and Mr. FitzRoy, the Principal and the Registrar of the Royal College of Art, for their help in obtaining for me the examples of the work of the students given; and to Mr. Arthur P. Monger for the care he took in photographing them; also to Mr. Kruger of the Royal College, for the use of his admirable drawing of the decorations of Westminster Bridge, which appeared in “The Magazine of Art,” and is now reproduced by permission of Mr. M. H. Spielmann and Messrs. Cassell.

I should like to add a note or two on some of the illustrations, on other points not commented upon in the papers.

The sketch plan and elevation of a collective dwelling (at page 116), for which I am indebted to my architect-son, is offered as a suggestion of what could be done in this way on very simple lines. Each tenant in such a collective dwelling would have his private house or cottage, with the advantage of the use of the common dining-hall, and the service of a collective kitchen; also a general reading-room, and to these rooms a vaulted way with an open arcade on the side next the quadrangle would enable each tenant to reach this part of the building under cover from his own dwelling, which comprises a private garden, as well as the use of the common quadrangle.

From the architectural point of view grouped dwellings, upon some such principle as here suggested, would undoubtedly lend themselves to artistic and pleasant treatment, and would mitigate the depressing effect of the monotonous rows of squat dwellings intended for our workers’ homes, and the mean sameness of the streets, which are spreading around our great towns in every direction, only, it is to be feared, to form slums in the future.

In regard to Manchester, spoken of on page 119, another practical step has been taken in the much-needed direction of school-decoration. Through the public spirit of Mr. Grant, one of her citizens, who has found money enough to start the work, students of the Municipal School of Art are enabled to carry out on a large scale mural paintings upon the upper walls of the class-rooms in one of the principal primary schools. The subjects have been enlarged from some of my coloured book designs such as “Flora’s Feast.” Such work might not only be made to bear most helpfully on the general work of education, but in itself be an important side of school influence, since by means of large simple typical mural designs great historical events and personages, as well as natural form, might be made familiar to the eyes of children at the same time that their sense of beauty and imaginative faculties were appealed to.

Local history might in this way be preserved also. In this connection one was glad to see the other day at Hoxne (the ancient Eagles-dune) in Suffolk the school-house connected with the history of the place by having a figure of St. Edmund carved as a finial of the chief gable, with a relief in stone let into the wall beneath, illustrating the incident of the saintly king being taken by the Danes at the bridge, while an inscription mentions that the building marks the spot, and the date of his death in 870.

WALTER CRANE.

YEW TREE FARM, _September, 1905_.

CONTENTS

PAGE

OF THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT: ITS GENERAL TENDENCY AND POSSIBLE OUTCOME 1

OF THE TEACHING OF ART 35

OF METHODS OF ART TEACHING 58

NOTE ON TOLSTOI’S “WHAT IS ART?” 69

OF THE INFLUENCE OF MODERN SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC CONDITIONS ON THE SENSE OF BEAUTY 76

OF THE SOCIAL AND ETHICAL BEARINGS OF ART 88

OF ORNAMENT AND ITS MEANING 102

THOUGHTS ON HOUSE-DECORATION 110

OF THE PROGRESS OF TASTE IN DRESS IN RELATION TO ART EDUCATION 171

OF TEMPORARY STREET DECORATIONS 192

OF THE TREATMENT OF ANIMAL FORMS IN DECORATION AND HERALDRY 203

OF THE DESIGNING OF BOOK-COVERS 225

OF THE USE OF GILDING IN DECORATION 237

OF RAISED WORK IN GESSO 247

THE RELATION OF THE EASEL PICTURE TO DECORATIVE ART 265

A GREAT ARTIST IN A LITERARY SEARCHLIGHT 273

INDEX 283

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

PAGE

Page from Blake’s “Songs of Experience” 5

Page from Blake’s “Songs of Innocence” 6

Wood engravings by Edward Calvert 7, 8

Illustrations to Tennyson: The Ballad of Oriana, by Holman Hunt 9 The Palace of Art, by D. G. Rossetti 10 The Bride (from “The Talking Oak”), by Sir J. E. Millais 11

Manoli, by Frederick Sandys 13

Royal College of Art, Students’ Designs: Figure Composition, Frederigo Barbarossa, by Lancelot Crane 37 Time Studies, by H. Parr 38, 39 Time Studies of Figures in Action 41 Design and Plan of a Domed Church, by A. E. Martin 42 Design for Tapestry, by E. W. Tristram 43 Design for Embroidery, by Miss E. M. Dunkley 45 Museum Studies in Embroidery, by Miss E. M. Dunkley 46 Sheet of Heraldic Studies, by Miss C. M. Lacey 47 Studies in Counterchange, by W. G. Spooner 49 Studies of Scroll Forms, by W. G. Spooner 51 Studies of Plant Forms, by W. G. Spooner 53 Pen Drawings, by H. A. Rigby 55, 57 Cabinet, designed and decorated in Gesso, by J. R. Shea 59 Group of Pottery, designed and executed by the Students 60 Wood Carving, by J. R. Shea 61 Stained Glass Panel, designed and executed by A. Kidd. 62 Frieze, by James A. Stevenson. 63 Page of Text, written by J. P. Bland 65 Panel by Vincent Hill 67

Wentworth Street, Whitechapel 79

Egyptian Hieroglyphics as a Wall Decoration (Temple of Seti, Abydos) 89

Greek Cylix (Peleus and Thetis) 105

Sketch for Collective Dwelling, by Lionel F. Crane 116

Plan of Collective Dwelling, by Lionel F. Crane 116

Frescoes by Ford Madox Brown in the Town Hall, Manchester 118, 119

View in Bournville 123

Cottages at Bournville, designed by Alex. W. Harvey 123

Interior, 1a, Holland Park, designed by Philip Webb 131

Ranworth Rood Screen, Norfolk (from Drawings by W. T. Cleobury) 133, 134, 135, 137, 138, 139, 141, 143

Lucas van Leyden, “The Annunciation” 145

Carpaccio, “The Dream of St. Ursula” 147

Cottage in the Garden City, Letchworth, Herts, designed by Lionel F. Crane 149, 150, 151

Stoneywell Cottage, designed by Ernest W. Gimson 153, 155

Old English Farmhouse Interior (from a Sketch by Walter Crane) 157

Combe Bank, Sevenoaks, the Saloon, decorated by Walter Crane 159

Printed Cretonne Hangings, designed by Walter Crane 160, 161

Wall-papers, designed by Walter Crane 163, 164, 165, 167, 168, 169

Greek Drapery (Temple of Nike Apteros, Athens) 173

Types of Artistic Dress 177

Types of Children’s Dress 179

Types of Working Dress 181

Hungarian Peasant Costumes 182, 183

A Contrast. Modern and Mediaeval Simplicity 187

Decoration of Westminster Bridge, by the Students of the Royal College of Art (from a Coloured Drawing by G. E. Kruger) 195

Suggestion for a Temporary Gatehouse at Temple Bar, by Walter Crane 197

Temporary Street Decoration 199, 201

Royal Mantle from the Treasury of Bamberg 205

Chasuble from the Cathedral of Anagni 206

Sicilian Silk Patterns (XIVth century) 207, 208, 209, 210, 211, 212, 213, 214

Embroidered Tabard in the Archaeological Museum at Ghent 215

Details from the Embroidered Tabard 216, 217, 218

Robe of Richard II (from the picture at Wilton House) 219

The Lions of England, designed by Walter Crane 220

Heraldic Lion, designed by Walter Crane 221

The Lions of England (from the Tomb of William de Valence, Earl of Pembroke, Westminster Abbey) 222

Equestrian Figure with Heraldic Trappings (from the Tomb of Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster, Westminster Abbey) 223

Binding in black morocco, with Medallions and Coat of Arms, by Thomas Berthelet 227

Binding in black morocco, with Arms of Edward VI, by Thomas Berthelet 229

Binding in stamped calf, with emblematical designs 231

Binding of oak boards covered with stamped calf, by John Reynes 233

Binding in brown calf, inlaid, by the Wotton Binder 235

Appartamenti Borgia, Vatican, showing Pinturicchio’s “Salutation,” etc. 238

Detail from Pinturicchio’s “Salutation,” with enrichments in Gesso 239

Palermo, Cappella Reale (from a Water-colour Sketch by Walter Crane) 241

The Double Cube Room, Wilton House 243, 245

Method of Working with the Brush in Gesso 249

Filling for Picture Frame in Gesso Duro, designed by Walter Crane 250

Design for a Bell-pull, modelled in Gesso, by Walter Crane 251

Gesso Panel, design for the Art Workers’ Guild, by Walter Crane 253

The Dance (Frieze Panel in Gesso), designed by Walter Crane 254

Picture Frame in Oak with Gesso filling, designed by Walter Crane 255

Treatment of Form in Gesso Decoration, by Walter Crane 256

System of Modelling with the Brush in Gesso 257

Gesso Decoration at 1a, Holland Park, by Walter Crane, the woodwork by Philip Webb 258, 259, 260, 261

Panel in Gesso, tinted with lacquers and lustre paint, designed by Walter Crane 262

Panel in Gesso, tinted with lacquer, designed by Walter Crane 263

Pictorial Decoration (Ducal Palace, Venice) 271

“Love and Death,” by G. F. Watts, R.A. 275

“Sir Galahad,” by G. F. Watts, R.A. 277

“Hope,” by G. F. Watts, R.A. 279

IDEALS IN ART

OF THE ARTS AND CRAFTS MOVEMENT: ITS GENERAL TENDENCY AND POSSIBLE OUTCOME

It seems a strange thing that the last quarter of the nineteenth--or what I was going to call our machine-made--century should be characterized by a revival of the handicrafts; yet of the reality of that revival there can now be no manner of doubt, from whatever point we date its beginnings, or to whomsoever we may trace its initiation.

Indeed, it seems to me that the more we consider the characteristics of different epochs in the history of art, or of the world, the less we are able to isolate them, or to deal with them as phenomena by themselves, so related they seem to what has gone before them, and to what succeeds them, just as are the personalities associated with them; and I do not think this movement of ours will prove any exception to this rule.

Standing as we do on the threshold of a new century--which so often means a new epoch in history, if not in art--it may, perhaps, be allowable to look back a bit, as well as forward, in attempting a general survey of the movement. Like a traveller who has reached a certain stage of his journey, we look back over the region traversed, losing sight, in such a wide prospect, and in the mists of such a far distance, of many turns in the road, and places by the way, which at one time seemed important, and only noting here and there certain significant landmarks which declare the way by which we have come.

To take a very rapid glance at the phases of decorative art of the past century, we see much of the old life and traditions in art carried on from the eighteenth century into the early years of the nineteenth, when the handicrafts were still the chief means in the production of things of use or beauty. The luxurious excess of the later renascence forms in decoration, learned from France and Italy (though adopted in this country with a certain reserve), corrected by a mixture of Dutch homeliness, and later by French empire translations of Greek and Roman fashions in ornament, often attained a certain elegance and charm in the gilded stucco mirror frames and painted furniture of our Regency period, which replaced the more refined joinery, veneer, and inlaid work of Chippendale and his kinds.

Classical taste dominated our architecture, striving hard to become domesticated, but looking chilly and colourless in our English gray climate, as if conscious of inadequate clothing.

This Greco-Roman empire elegance gradually wore off, and turned to frigid plainness in domestic architecture, and to corpulency in furniture, as the middle of the century was approached, when the old classical tradition in furniture, handed on from Chippendale, Sheraton, and Hepplewhite, seemed to be suddenly broken into by wild fancies and fantastic attempts at naturalism in carving, combined with a reckless curvature of arms and legs supporting (or supported by) springs and padding. Drawing-rooms revelled in ormolu and French clocks, vast looking-glasses, and the heavy artillery of polished mahogany pianos, while Berlin-wool-work and anti-macassars in crochet took possession of any ground not occupied by artificial flowers, and other wonders, under glass shades.

The ’51 Exhibition was the apotheosis of mid-nineteenth century taste, or absence of taste, perhaps. The display of industrial art and furniture then, to judge from illustrated catalogues and journals of the period, seemed to indicate that ideas of design and craftsmanship were in a strange state. The new naturalism was beginning to assert itself, but generally in the wrong place, and in all sorts of unsuitable materials. Those were the days when people marvelled at the skill of a sculptor who represented a veiled figure in marble so that you could almost see through the veil!--but that was “Fine Art.” Industrial art was in a very different category, yet it was influenced by fine art, and, generally, greatly to its disadvantage. We had vignetted landscapes upon china and coalboxes, for instance, and Landseer pictures on hearth-rugs--and our people loved to have it so.

These things were done, and more also, in the ordinary course of trade, which flourished exceedingly, and no one bothered about design. If furniture and fittings were wanted, the upholsterer and ironmonger did the rest.

Yet was it not in the “fifties” that Alfred Stevens made designs for iron grates? so that there must have been _one_ artist, at any rate, not above giving thought to common things. Designers like Alfred Stevens, and his followers Godfrey Sykes and Moody, certainly represented in their day a movement inspired chiefly by a study of the earlier renascence, and an honest desire to adapt its forms to modern decoration. Their work, though suffering--like all original work--deterioration at the hands of imitators, showed a search for style and boldness of contour and line, touched with a certain refined naturalism which gives the work of Alfred Stevens and his school a very distinct place. It was mainly a sculptor’s and modeller’s movement, and represented a renascence revival in modern English decorative art; and through the work of Godfrey Sykes and Moody, in association with the government schools of art, it had a considerable effect upon the art of the country.

But I think many and mixed elements contributed to the change of feeling and fashion which came about rather later, in which perhaps may be traced the influence of modes of thought expressing themselves also in literature and poetry, as well as the study of different models in design.

One cannot forget that the early years of the nineteenth century were illuminated by the inspiration and clearness of inner vision were expressed in so individual a form with such fervour of poetic feeling and social aspiration, both in verse and design, in the books engraved and printed by himself which remain the remarkable monument of his neglected genius.

The group of artists associated with him, too, such as Edward Calvert and Samuel Palmer, marked an epoch in English poetic illustration, associated with wood engraving and printing, of very distinct character and beauty, the influence of which may be seen at the present day in some of the woodcuts of Mr. Sturge Moore.

The more conscious classical designs of Flaxman and Stothard were colder, but graceful, and mark a period from which we seem more widely separated than from others more remote, yet seemingly nearer in sentiment.

Quite a different kind of sentiment was fostered by the writings of Scott upon which so many generations have been fed, but they had their effect in keeping alive the sense of romance and interest in the life of past days, still further enlightened by the researches of antiquarians, and the increased study of the Middle Ages, and above all of Gothic architecture. All these must be considered as so many tributary streams to swell the main current of thought and feeling which carried us on to the artistic revival of our own times.

The poetry of Tennyson, with its sense of colour, sympathy with art and nature, and the romance of the historic past, its thoroughly English feeling, and its revival of the Arthurian Legend, and its association (in the Moxon edition of 1857) with the designs of some of the leading pre-Raphaelite painters must be counted if not as a very strong influence upon, at least as an evidence and an accompaniment of that movement.

The names of Ford Madox Brown, of Dante Gabriel Rossetti, of William Holman Hunt, at once suggest artists of extraordinary individuality, remarkable decorative instinct, and carefulness for, and scholarly knowledge of, beautiful and significant accessories of life, of which all have not only given evidence in their own craft of painting, but also as practical designers.