New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-10-15
LONDON ART.
THE HANDICRAFT EXHIBITION AT THE
NEW GALLERY-WILLIAMM MORRIS
HONORED BY FELLOW
CRAFTSMEN


"Beautys Awakening" is enforced anew at the
Arts and Crafts Exhibition. which has been
| opened to-day for private view at the New
| Gallery. The workman becomes artist when
he succeeds by qualities Of design and art In
color in giving pleasures by his handiwork
Systematic instruction In the art OF making
objects beautiful as well as useful began in
| England when the South Kensington Museum
| was founded. and now there are two hundred
| and fifty schools In the United Kingdom where
| fifty thousand students taught the prin-
ciples Of design This exhibition, like the Guild
| hall masque. offers evidence Of the progress
| which has been made by English art workers
| in acquiring a true color sense and real COM
| mand over form and in clarifying the commonest
| handwork.
One room OF the gallery Is occupied with ex-
| ampes Of the art of the greatest OF recent
| English designers and decorative artists. Will
| lam Morris. who died on the eve Of the previous
| exhibition. These include working drawings
| in colors for wallpapers and textile fabrics.
| figure designs and studies for stained glass.
| the only picture in oil which he is known to
| have painted needlework and tapestries Illus
trating his love Of color Illuminated manu-
scripts from his own hand. original black and
white drawings for his choicest books and the
|
| Kemscott Press Everything in this room Is
the actual handiwork Of this great craftsman.
| and his instinct for decorative beauty in form
| and color is revealed in drawings. embroderies
| designs printing. binding and many kinds OF
| surface ornamentation. No visitor can fail to be
| impressed with the range Of his art He mas
| tered the technical difficulties Of many crafts
| yet everything upon which he concentrated his
| artistic energies received the impress Of his
| characteristic vigor. simplicity of method and
| refinement Of spirit.
In this house beautiful are hanyings Of silk
linen wool, woven velvet brocatelle damask.
| cotton chintz. tapestry and other fabrics. The
design is always clear and precise. and perfectly
| adapted to the material and to the key Il color
| There are thirty coored drawings for
| the wallpapers, by which William Morris re-
| formed English taste in interior decorations.
| The designs are based on wild tulips, peoples,
| blackthorn Jasmine, lilies acanthus, roses and
| other flowers. and reveal the pleasure which he
derived from close study and minute observa-
| ton Of natural forms. In the drawings for
stained glass windows the outlines are clear and
strong and the shadowing Is rich In detail
Some Of his best qualities a designer are
| shown in work Of this class. which was adapt
ed for schemes Of bright color in ornamental
glazing. In this branch Of art. as in bookmak-
ing and manuscript Illumination he was an en-
thueiast for everything that medieval In
method and spirit but he neither copy
ist nor an imitator. He retained in every form Of
| craftsmanship his characteristic love Of
| line and color and his own luxuriant fancy.
! Beautiful the fabrics. tapestries and
| carpets in this room. booklovers have TO eyes
for anything except the trial pages, borders,
initials and bindings in the cases. Here is the
sumptuous Kelmscott Chaucer in folio, With a
delicate binding in white pigskin designed by
| William Norris. In the same case are two trial
| pages Of Froissarte Chronicles" on vellum.
| There are two additional with printed
books. wood blocks and bindings from the
Kelmscott Press. Lady Burne-Jones. Mrs. Nor
ris Mr. Fairfax Murray and Mr. Cockrell have
filed another with manuscripts on vellum.
| written Illuminated bordered and ornamented
by this man Of genius. whose heart went out
10 the work Of the Middle Ages. yet whose per-
Esonality was never lost under any Guise. There
| ore three remaining cases with original designs
for borders and initials. title and trial pages for
various works specimens OF golden and blue
| tyne and leaves from the first and the last
books printed at the Kelmscott Press. 1t was
| during the closing years OF a busy lifetime. when
his interest in social questions had waned. that
this many sided man Of genius found leisure for
| exerimenting with ink, paper and type. and for
| restoring the art OF printing and binding books
by handwork Every bookover who sees this
exhibit OF his work is impressed with this final
proof of fertility Of invention and refinement
Of taste.
The west and north galleries and the corridors
are flled with varied and interesting collection
| OF handicraft The large room contains cases
of printed books bindings, enamels and jewelry,
| embroideries, enamelled glass and copper and
| silver work. The walls are lined with en-
brolderies. needlework fire and banner screens.
| tapestries and lace. altar frontals and orna-
ments and designs for wall papers stained glass.
costumes and carpets. There are panels In
plaster. bronze. copper and pottery; electric
wall lanterns and silver and bronze brackets;
overrnantes and porteres; enamel plaques and
plates In repousse silver. and wide range Of
other objects. from case to hold spencers
| "Faerie Oueene" to designs for the end papers
of children's picture books. In the north gallery
| there are oak cabinets and chairs; dressers, with
porrdge bowls and copper jugs; frames for mir
rors and pictures; carpets. tapestries and silk
hangings altar and professional crosses and
ornamental potteres metal work and fabrics
without end. In the central hall there are lead
tubs garden gates red lustre vases. sundials.
painted tiles. silver tankards. eagle lecterns
aims boxes. brass door knobs. grand piano
and a great array Of art work Of every kind
This vigorous society consists Of hundred
| art workers with a wide circuit OF industrial
activities Mr. Walter Crane is the president
and among the members are Sir ". B. Rich
mond Mr. Hasey Ricardo. Mr.. W. r. Lethaby.
Mr. II Wilson. Mr. r. J. Golden Sa nderson and
Miss May Morris. A series Of lectures will be
delivered during the winter in the New Gallery
on the arts and crafts movement. the Pre-
Raphaelite school in relation to the revival Of
design and handcraft. craft guilds. pageantry
and the masaue. the Gothic revival and William