The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-07-22
DICKENSS NEW ILLUSTRATOR.
4 Critics View or Frank Reynoids's ouali-
ueations for His Task.
Author of The SquGlO Man
SECOND LARGE EDITION


Apropos OF the announced publication
81 a new edition Of selections from the
-Pickwick Papers this fall by an Eng
lish Publishing house, with Illustrations
by Frank Reynolds. il Is interesting TO
Rad what was said about MIR Reynolds
three years ago IN IN" Brush, Pen and
Pencil series
Illustrators Of Charles Dickens are
legion. hut when one thinks 81 the op-
portunitsss for character study, without
that eNaggeration into which previous
illustrators have been too prone to in
dulge. which the works Of the great
novelist afford one 10 inclined TO think
that until We see that wonderful gallery
81 fanciiul personalities which began
with Mr. PIckwlok and his companions
portrayed bv the pencil ~ Frank Rey-
nolds We shall have 10 wait still for the
perfect edition ot Dickens One niche
IN that gallery has already been filed.
and a study Of the ~aterColor drawing
II Tony Weller AZ the Belle Savage
only Increases our desire, like the I'M
mortal oliver 10 ask for more
He - something more than mere
Jester his hun1or hut fsyors. A. ~ we're.
a serious study of human nature lg
noring Tor a moment the skill and charm
IL his technique one feels II 10 be an ac-
cIdent only that his vehicle ~ expression
H. pictorial and not literary He occupies
among artists the place which the novel
~ holds among men ~ leS(Rrs When
to the recognition of this'distHction ~
adde>i consideration 81 his artistic
ability per - his title to the appreciation
10 men IT tate and s~nsibility must he
conceded
The characters are ~ perfectly natural
We feel that W. have discovered the com
.dy ourselves. MT that n has been shown
10 ~ IN. secret lie- IN the artist =
power II restraint ne eNaggerate-. n"
raricaturas h.. must do -n to bring hIs
point horne TO orr duh wits Rui h. does
Il with such nicetv that the eNaggaratIon
and the Caricature ar" unn"tic-d In
iced th. terms are misleading " ~
h..tter to Say that ne emphasizes
Frank Reynolds reminds me. II he viii
forgive my ~ ying 50, Of q certain proian"
br!- driver whom ! have IN" priviI"g"
10 number among my ACQUAINTANCE
! With this Gloss. student 81 human natlr"
have had the good fortune To enjoy ire.
qu"nt conversations. and many ar" the
gestures which | recall ~ tn" whlp hand
toward tine pavement. accompanied 10y
tho remark an ,TsctI lIlmme. what funny
things 4 biloxi. do sea' ! confess freely
that often | should entirely mis- hut Tor
the obsarVant Jerk Of the whip the raIh
funny thing. and N - Ju-t that s-'TNic"
which the friendly busman renders To- mo.
a. u appears Ia my mind. that tranS R"y
nolds Performs FOR IN" community ~
lsrg"
1t j. precisely those Commonplac"
funny things. whether they no persons:
a 49, ia
remarks that happen under our Nerv
noses which he "Ncels m depicting and y
IL precisely the common pla"" familiarity
~ them that invests them with their Pc
ciIliar flavor and charm
But all this was being written u NJ
Rcynolda'S pictures IN Punch and the
SkT'rh ~ contemporary tvp~- and he had
not yet given much thought 10 Illustrating
pictorially what was seen hv Dickens
- M" comparison wifh Dickens ~ ~
unusual interest ~ the present turn "f
AfairE
1T is related of charles Dickens that the
creation Of many Of his famous Charic-
tiers was inspired hy chance roma "
overheard IN the street single telling
sentence uttering some quaint s"nt'-
nen'. perhaps ~ quaint idiom. would
-.' ny train ~ ideas ultimately result
ing after much meditative elaboration.
m Mrs Camp ~ Dick So weller.
The process - not dlSSlmilar. one
imAgineS. from that bv which N" artist
evolves = character sketch with This dIf
ference that whereas a SOLITARY trait. aCCI-
dorttlly revealed was - Dickens sum
Gent foundation upon which ~ construct
his fAnciful portrait such studies ~ tvpe~
a. Frank REYNOLDS excels IN must lie the
outcome not ri ono thing seen but II re-
iteratsd observation IN identical or closely
similar RtIiSr Tn" results IN either case
vary 80 the method employed Mrs
Camp. the outcome ~ "A singl" observa-
49, Il
and founded un fact rather than true
70 life