Of The Decorative Illustration Of Books Old And New Part 11

FROM THE "MORTE D'ARTHUR." (DENT.)]

Mr. William Strang, who has made his mark in etching as a medium for designs full of strong character and weird imagination, also shows in his processed pen drawings vigorous line and perception of decorative value, as in the designs to "Munchausen," two of which are here reproduced.

[Sidenote: THE EVERGREEN.]

The publication of "The Evergreen" by Patrick Geddes and his colleagues at Edinburgh has introduced several black and white designers of force and character--Mr. Robert Burns and Mr. John Duncan, for instance, more particularly distinguis.h.i.+ng themselves for decorative treatment in which one may see the influences of much fresh inspiration from Nature.

[Ill.u.s.tration: AUBREY BEARDSLEY.

FROM THE "MORTE D'ARTHUR." (DENT.)]

[Sidenote: CONTEMPORARY ILl.u.s.tRATORS.]

Miss Mary Sargant Florence shows power and decorative feeling in her outline designs to "The Crystal Ball." Mr. Granville Fell must be named among the newer school of decorative ill.u.s.trators; and Mr. Paul Woodroffe, who also shows much facility of design and feeling for old English life in his books of Nursery Rhymes; his recent work shows much refinement of drawing and feeling.

Miss Alice B. Woodward ought also to be named for her clever treatment of mediaeval life in black and white.

More recently, perhaps the most remarkable work in book ill.u.s.tration has been that of Mr. E. J. Sullivan, whose powerful designs to Carlyle's "Sartor Resartus" are full of vigour and character.

Force and character, again, seem the leading qualities in the striking work of another of our recent designers in black and white, Mr.

Nicholson, who also engraves his own work.

[Ill.u.s.tration: EDMUND J. SULLIVAN.

FROM "SARTOR RESARTUS." (BELL.)]

Mr. Gordon Craig adds printing to the crafts of black and white design and engraving, and has a distinctive feeling of his own.

The revival in England of decorative art of all kinds during the last five and twenty years, culminating as it appears to be doing in book-design, has not escaped the eyes of observant and sympathetic artists and writers upon the Continent. The work of English artists of this kind has been exhibited in Germany, in Holland, in Belgium and France, and has met with remarkable appreciation and sympathy.

[Ill.u.s.tration: PATTEN WILSON.

FROM THE PEN DRAWING.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: LAURENCE HOUSMAN.

t.i.tLE-PAGE OF "THE HOUSE OF JOY." (KEGAN PAUL, 1895.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: L. FAIRFAX MUCKLEY.

FROM "FRANGILLA." (ELKIN MATHEWS.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHARLES ROBINSON.

FROM "A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSE." (LANE, 1895.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHARLES ROBINSON.

FROM "A CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSE." (LANE, 1895.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: CHARLES ROBINSON.

FROM A "CHILD'S GARDEN OF VERSE." (LANE, 1895.)]

[Sidenote: BELGIUM.]

In Belgium, particularly, where there appears to be a somewhat similar movement in art, the work of the newer school of English designers has awakened the greatest interest. The fact that M. Oliver Georges Destree has made sympathetic literary studies of the English pre-Raphaelites and their successors, is an indication of this. The exhibitions of the "XX^e Siecle," "La libre aesthetique," at Brussels and Liege, are also evidence of the repute in which English designers are held.

[Ill.u.s.tration: J. D. BATTEN.

FROM "THE ARABIAN NIGHTS." (J. M. DENT AND CO.)]

[Sidenote: THE CONTINENT.]

In Holland, too, a special collection of the designs of English book ill.u.s.trators has been exhibited at the Hague and other towns under the auspices of M. Loffelt.

[Ill.u.s.tration: J. D. BATTEN.

FROM "THE ARABIAN NIGHTS." (J. M. DENT AND CO.)]

At Paris, also, the critics and writers on art have been busy in the various journals giving an account of the Arts and Crafts movement, the Kelmscott Press, and the school of English book-decorators in black and white, and the recent exhibitions of "L'Art Nouveau" and "Le Livre Moderne" at Paris are further evidence of the interest taken there in English art.

[Ill.u.s.tration: R. ANNING BELL.

FROM "A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM."

(J. M. DENT AND CO., 1895.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: R. ANNING BELL.

FROM "BEAUTY AND THE BEAST."

(J. M. DENT AND CO., 1894.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: R. SPENCE.

FROM A PEN DRAWING.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ALFRED JONES.

A t.i.tLE-PAGE.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: WILLIAM STRANG.

FROM "BARON MUNCHAUSEN." (LAWRENCE AND BULLEN.)]

[Ill.u.s.tration: WILLIAM STRANG.