Of The Decorative Illustration Of Books Old And New Part 12

FROM "MUNCHAUSEN" (LAWRENCE AND BULLEN).]

Without any vain boasting, it is interesting to note that whereas most artistic movements affecting England are commonly supposed to have been imported from the Continent, we are credited at last with a genuine home growth in artistic development. Although, regarded in the large sense, country or nationality is nothing to art (being at its best always cosmopolitan and international) yet in the history of design, national and local varieties, racial characteristics and local developments must always have their value and historic interest.

[Ill.u.s.tration: H. GRANVILLE FELL.

FROM "CINDERELLA." (J. M. DENT AND CO.)]

[Sidenote: BELGIUM.]

We may, perhaps, take it as a sympathetic response to English feeling, the appearance of such books as M. Rijsselberghe's Almanack, with its charming designs in line, from the house of Dietrich at Brussels. M.

Fernand Knopff's work, original as it is, shows sympathy with the later English school of poetic and decorative design of which D. G. Rossetti may be said to have been the father, though in book-ill.u.s.tration proper I am not aware that he has done much. In Holland in black and white design there is M. G. W. Dijsselhof and M. R. N. Roland Holst.

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOHN DUNCAN.

FROM "THE EVERGREEN." (GEDDES AND CO., 1895.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: JOHN DUNCAN.

FROM "THE EVERGREEN." (GEDDES AND CO., 1895.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ROBERT BURNS.

FROM "THE EVERGREEN." (GEDDES AND CO., 1895.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: MARY SARGANT FLORENCE.

FROM "THE CRYSTAL BALL." (BELL, 1894.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PAUL WOODROFFE.

FROM "SECOND BOOK OF NURSERY RHYMES." (GEORGE ALLEN, 1896.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PAUL WOODROFFE.

FROM "NURSERY RHYMES." (BELL, 1895.)]

[Sidenote: GERMANY.]

In Germany, such original and powerful artists as Josef Sattler and Franz Stuck; the former seemingly inheriting much of the grim and stern humour of the old German masters, as well as their feeling for character and treatment of line, while his own personality is quite distinct. While Sattler is distinctly Gothic in sympathy, Stuck seems more to lean to the pagan or cla.s.sical side, and his centaurs and graces are drawn with much feeling and character. We have already mentioned the "Munich Calendar,"

designed by Otto Hupp, which is well known for the vigour and spirit with which the artist has worked after the old German manner, with bold treatment of heraldic devices, and has effectively used colour with line work. The name of Seitz appears upon some effectively designed allegorical figures, one of Gutenberg at his press.

[Sidenote: "JUGEND."]

"Jugend," a copiously ill.u.s.trated journal published at Munich by Dr.

Hirth, shows that there are many clever artists with a more or less decorative aim in ill.u.s.tration, which in others seems rather overgrown with grotesque feeling and morbid extravagance, but there is an abundance of exuberant life, humour, whimsical fancy and spirit characteristic of South Germany.

[Ill.u.s.tration: M. RIJSSELBERGHE.]

"Ver Sacrum," the journal of the group of the "Secession" artists of Vienna, gives evidence of considerable daring and resource in black and white drawing, though mainly of an impressionistic or pictorial aim.

M. Larisch, of Vienna, has distinguished himself by his works upon the artistic treatment and s.p.a.cing of letters which contain examples of the work of different artists both continental and English.

French artists in decoration of all kinds have been so largely influenced or affected by the j.a.panese, and have so generally approached design from the impressionistic, dramatic, or accidental-individualist point of view, that the somewhat severe limits imposed by a careful taste in all art with an ornamental purpose, does not appear to have greatly attracted them. At all times it would seem that the dramatic element is the dominant one in French art, and this, though of course quite reconcilable with the ornament instinct, is seldom found perfectly united with it, and, where present, generally gets the upper hand. The older cla.s.sical or Renaissance ornamental feeling of designers like Galland and Puvis de Chavannes seems to be dying out, and the modern _chic_ and daring of a Cheret seems to be more characteristic of the moment.

[Sidenote: GRa.s.sET.]

Yet, on the other hand, among the newer French School, we find an artist of such careful methods and of such strong decorative instinct as Gra.s.set, on what I should call the architectural side in contradistinction to the impressionistic. His work, though quite characteristically French in spirit and sentiment, is much more akin in method to our English decorative school. In fact, many of Gra.s.set's designs suggest that he has done what our men have done, studied the art of the middle ages from the remains in his own country, and grafted upon this stock the equipment and sentiment of a modern.

[Sidenote: LETTERING.]

In his book ill.u.s.trations he seems, however, so far as I know, to lean rather towards ill.u.s.trations pure and simple, rather than decoration, and exhibits great archaeological resource as well as romantic feeling in such designs as those to "Les Cinq Fils d'Aymon." The absence of book decoration in the English sense, in France, however, may be due to the want of beauty or artistic feeling in the typographer's part of the work.

Modern French type has generally a.s.sumed elongated and meagre forms which are not suggestive of rich decorative effect, and do not combine with design: nor, so far as I have been able to observe, does there seem to be any feeling amongst the designers for the artistic value of lettering, or any serious attempt to cultivate better forms. The poster-artist, to whom one would think, being essential to his work, the value of lettering in good forms would appeal, generally tears the roman alphabet to tatters, or uses extremely debased and ugly varieties.

More recently, however, French designers and printers appear to be giving attention to the subject, and newly designed types are appearing; one firm at Paris having issued a fount designed by Eugene Gra.s.set.

The charming designs of Boutet de Monvel should be named as among the most distinctive of modern French book ill.u.s.trations, for their careful drawing and decorative effect, although, being in colours, they hardly belong to the same category as the works we have been considering, and the relation of type to pictures leaves something to be desired.

A respect for form and style in lettering, is, I take it, one of the most unmistakable indications of a good decorative sense. A true ornamental instinct can produce a fine ornamental effect by means of a ma.s.s of good type or MS. lettering alone: and considered as accompaniments or accessories to design they are invaluable, as presenting opportunities of contrast or recurrence in ma.s.s or line to other elements in the composition. To the decorative ill.u.s.trator of books they are the unit or primal element from which he starts.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WALTER CRANE.

FROM SPENSER'S "FAERIE QUEENE."

(GEORGE ALLEN, 1896.)]

[Sidenote: ITALY.]

The publication at Venice of "L'Arte della stampa nel Renascimento Italiano Venezia," by Ferd. Ongania--a series of reproductions of woodcuts, ornaments, initials, t.i.tle-pages, etc., from some of the choicest of the books of the early Venetian and Florentine printers, may perhaps be taken as a sign of the growth of a similar interest in book decoration in that country, unless, like other works, it is intended chiefly for the foreign visitor.

A sumptuously printed quarterly on Art, which has of late made its appearance at Rome, "Il Convito," seems to show an interest in the decorative side, and does not confine its note on ill.u.s.trations to Italian work, but gives reproductions from the works of D. G. Rossetti, and from Elihu Vedder's designs to "The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam."

Certainly if the possession of untold treasures of endlessly beautiful invention in decorative art, and the tradition of ancient schools tend to foster and to stimulate original effort, one would think that it should be easier for Italian artists than those of other countries to revive something of the former decorative beauty of the work of her printers and designers in the days of Aldus and Ratdolt, of the Bellini and Botticelli.

It does not appear to be enough, however, to possess the seed merely; or else one might say that where a museum is, there will the creative art spring also; it is necessary to have the soil also; to plough and sow, and then to possess our souls in patience a long while ere the new crop appears, and ere it ripens and falls to our sickle. It is only another way of saying, that art is the outcome of life, not of death.

Artists may take motives or inspiration from the past, or from the present, it matters not, so long as their work has life and beauty--so long as it is organic, in short.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HOWARD PYLE.

FROM "OTTO OF THE SILVER HAND." (SCRIBNER.)]

[Sidenote: HOWARD PYLE.]

I have already alluded to the movement in Boston among a group of cultured young men--Mr. Lee the printer and his colleagues--more or less inspired by "The Hobby Horse" and the Kelmscott Press, which resulted in the printing of "The Knight Errant."

[Ill.u.s.tration: HOWARD PYLE.

FROM "OTTO OF THE SILVER HAND." (SCRIBNER.)]