Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-28
Cruikshank's Activity a. am Artist.


L have glanced at the more important work
produced by George Ciuikshank between 1920
and 1880; and the reader has seen what kind of
effect it made in its time. and how it has been
judged by critics of high authority But the
full strength of the artist can be estimated ONLY
aner an examination OF the sum of minor work
when ne got through at the same time. When
his Life in London and Paris" archaeological
Illustrations, '.Humorist. Points OF Humor."
and many series of book illustrations -cOmpre-
hendlng notable quantity of his best crea-
tiOns-are estimated, in conjunction with his
hand-to-mouth work for the caricature shops
and the whole has been surveyed at once. the
connoisseur stands literally amazed at the i'm
measurable fecundty of the artist Within the
range OF this decade of feverish activity Ia
amassed such wealth of fancy of invention. of
Jocund spirit. OF sympathy for suffering of rage
over wrong. of minute observation of men and
things, and withai such conscientious eyer-im
proving execution with pencil and needle and
photographic ink and tinting-brUsh upOn
WOOD and stone and steel and copper.
as not all the caricatursts or comic
artists who have swarmed in Fleet
street since the queens coronation day could
equal If they made Joint show of their best.
Crulks shank was lavish with his fancy and his
humOr lives npon the smallest subject He never
made one poor little idea stand alone as the
practice Is in the comic or satircal cartoons of
the present day. 1t was his wont to support
! MS dominant conception with a score of helpful
accessories. He laid every detail under contri-
button towards the elucidatlon of the story TO
De told His caricatures as well as his serious
pictures abound in admirable by-play His
power OF concentrating interest is unmatched
His chairs and tables speak. There is life in
every accessory. Nature B,orte did not exist for
MIN. Dead as doOr-naiT' he cOuldn0 UNDER
stand; FOR under the magnetism of his etching
needle the nail would laugh and speak. He was
so fuli OF life himself-a hornpipe dancer In his
elghtY-fourth year-that. in spite of him. he in
FUSED 1t into anything he touched No artist
ever threw snch movement and infused such
vital breath into his pictures as this untaught
man of genius spontaneously breathed into his
etchlngs and wOodcuts. 4 scrimmaye by him
incllnes the behOlder to lift his arm to protect
himself When he leads off dance upon con-
per. you involuntarily hum iig When his
characters are merry, you laugh outright with
them.
On the other hand, in his mood solemn. he
can make your heart beat quick and send YOU
shudderlng away, with his images IN your
braln-presences You viii find it hard to Danish
The awful Jew that Cruikshank drew
fingered for years in Thackerays mind and the
profound impression which it made on the
public, when 1t appeared, has not faded even
Row.
More searching observation than that of
Cfuikshank II his prime was never possessed
by an artist. His range did not stretch be-
You'd the suburbs Of London. except perhaps
TO Margate In the hoy, but all that came within
IL ne made his own. Out of the suburban
landscapes he conjured fairy scenes, and High
gate aud Hampstead supplied him with distant
horizons which his Imagination widened at his
will. Thaekeray declared that Cruikshank had
fine eye for homely landscapes, aud vet his
trees are as bad as his horses "Old villages
iarIE YARDS, groups OF stacks. queer chimneys
Churches. gahIe-end cottages, Elizabethan
mansion houses, and other old English scenes
he depicts with evident enthusiasm" His
scenes to Brough's Life of Falstaff7' are ex-
quisitely drawn. Where Falstar is arrested at
the salt oil Mrs. Quickly, and again when he
pers2aGcs her to lend him more money. the old
i.eGssss are fine pict,lresques Enthusiastically
Tiff OF (ruasltask.n