New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-09

understanding OF art and all possible kncWleuSc
! of drawing must precede good work with the pen
Among German artists Mcneil has obtained the
first place followed by Dietz and among others
by Stucki, whom author declares TO he equai
TO Jacouemart. A curious example OF the ehect
~ a narti pris" is seen in the authors attitude
toward Luden's sketches OF the old Emperor Will
lam. the Crown Prince and Won Moltke at re-
| view and his attitude toward drawings by ola
masters. without quoting his exact words where
| in strange lines curves and dots obtain all
kinds of occult meanings from their devotecs. Mr..
penneU declares Mcneil TO be the Michael An
cello of illustrations" and he regards the Germans
as "the funniest Of comic illustrators" an opn-
ion shared by some of our own illustrators, who
have been much indebted 10 publications like
&" Flieqer Blattende" In France told that
there has been less pen drawing since the intro
duction of the Guillaume and Messenbach pro-
cesses Lalanne is set down as the landscape
nen drauQhtsman of France and ,Jeanniot as
I" the leading French pen draughtsman.' Although
we found an allusion TO the rough and almost
| cruel reproductions for the Salon catalogues"
on page 80, we read on page % If you take
up Salon catalogue you find it full of charm
ing pen drawing reproductions pictures in them
selves" Lhermitte Lalauze and Detaille
among the artists considered. but Meissonier is
omitted, although from various uneasy illusions
Mr. Pennel appears to have had MeissOner on his
conscience The discussion of English pen draw
ing begins with the group of illustrators who COM
mcnced drawing for " Once A Week" about $50.
Much of this work was drawn the wood block
and consequently lost. Mr.. Pencil regards Mr..
! George Reid as the least known. but perhaps
| the best pen draughtsman in Great britain
Mr. Hamerton introduced Mr. Reid TO the public
some years ago. Mr.. Alfred Parsons ." easily
stands at the head of his profession as a landscape
| pen draughtsman in England" We cannot dwell
| upon other comments. but it is interesting 10
| compare Mr. Pencils reserved treatment OF MI
| Du Maurier with the euogies of MIR. James Mt
Penpeu looks to technique, and he would probably
deriCG Mr.. James as an example OF Ihe purely
" literary. critic There is something TO be said
| on both sides.
"If Spain and Germany were the homes OF
nen drawing then certainly America is its adopted
country" Our author recounts the familiar story
of the new movement in illustrative drawing
| which followed the often quoted return from
| Munich and Paris in the early seventies. we
need not retrace this ground. Mr. Abbey is called
"rbe greatest EngIish-speaking illustrator the
world has ever seen" and there is much cordlai
praise of Messrs Reinhart, Blum, Brennan Brch'
| Frost Pyle, Forny and other wellIiho"h Illus
| traitors "a new school is arising, and this Is the
| school of Abbey, who has, at the present moment
| followers in every illustrating country III .nc
world men who are seeking to carry out MS
method of brilliant drawing carefully ana seriously
executed And really on the same piano WIN
him mnst he nlaced Alfred Parsons and Remnant.
| The work of Mr. Blum also receives Mt
Pencils special approval There is certalhV
,oaoon for nride in the company of American Illus
traitors assembled by the author, whose roll Is
| incomplete but he is Respondent regarding inc
fnture Zone cannot but fear that unless therc
is another reaction like that which followed the
Centennial Exhibition art in America VIII lall 10
| q lower level than it has ever held before"
Mr. PenneI acknowledges the debt owed 10
japan by modern artists, and especially, IL might
be added by the FrancO-Spansh school OF Wh'ch
he is pupil He assures that one can learn more
| from cheap japanese sketclbook than from "
whole season of modern European picture gal
Ieres" One interesting technical suggestion Is
that il might be better for Western artists 10
| give up drawing with pen and take TO the brush
that is, / mean, the brush used by the ChiheSe
and japanese IN another chapter Mr.. PennelI
elaborates his argument for the direct photo
graphic reproduction Of the illustrators work.
| This. indeed. is with him an essential article of
| faith and as we have often pointed out. 1t IS
entirely probable that Photographic reproduction
/
and other forms of engraving for reproduction.
The artists preference for exact fac-simile re-
| production is a familiar story. Some of Mr.. Pen
! nells comments will he taken probably III Ing
land as illustrations Of American shngincsS and IT.
| reverence If Albrecht Durer alive to-day
| he would do twice good work rs he ever
| did For Durcr had TO draw directly for the
engraver and then he not of getting
all the results he wanted the modern illustrator
draws for himself. Neither have l given another
| example Of that oft-trOtcd ont Egyptian brick
stamp, turned UP as trump the everlasting
| playing-card nor Guarrclled with the original ST.
| Christ. pher For / hold that If writers would
only pay some slight attention 10 what is going
| on around them. they wOdld at least collect data
which would serve as a basis for historians OF
art in the future Pen drawing or tion the
art of to-day, has so far been quite much ig
nored as wood.engravng was in its early stages.
The illustrators of the middle worked for the
| people; so 40 the illustrators Of to-day"
II is strange to find Mr. Pencil adhering
| throughout to his complaint that everybody
despises the pen-drawines, save few artists
and art editors, some of the latter having recog-
nized it simply because of It's cheapneSS for repro
ducton" "a mild example of the continual snarng,
to use word none TOO strong, which dsligurcs
this book lie feels il necessary to traverse the
familiar ground of the difference between amateur
ship and connoisseulship and TO repeat the old
structures on the vulgarity of a desire for ex-
elusive possession He recommends the dealers
20 buy pcn-drawlnGS have photoIravurcs made
and sell prints another familiar idea, Which we
should like 10 see tried under more favorable
conditions The etchcrs, who have frequently |
rebcllcd against candid criticisms upon the recent
course of etching, may be commended "a the asser-
ton by an etcher, well an illustrator. that |
etching is no longer an art but only business |
and trade" Mr. Pencils range of vision in. |
cludes early illustrated journalism. but the sub |
ect seems presently to reduce him to u condition |
of gloom even more marked than usual. Ills |