Page 61 - Studio International - March 1974

most part are allowed to retain a good deal of in the old Penguin Modern Painters series false dawns of British painting this century,
meaningful ambiguity. 'Bring in a psychiatrist' edited by Kenneth Clark: each starts with a an individual assessment by someone in
Burra told him, when asked the meaning of one brief general introduction and then, like an Sir John's position of a number of more or
of his paintings,' and we'll find out.' What obituary, reverts quickly to fundamentals less isolated figures may in the long run have
he does — all he chooses to do — is to discuss their with a paragraph beginning 'Ceri Geraldus as much to offer as anything about the broader
output in the light of what he knows of them Richards was born on 3 June 1903, the eldest movements; and many of his once lonely
personally; and he knows or has known all of the three children of', and so on, so that the judgements, about Burra and Houthuesen for
those in this volume except for Christopher author can take you through the career from instance, gain new adherents every year.
Wood (and in his case he had the help of Wood's scratch in order to make his comments on the This is not a glossy heavyweight, and
friend, Rex Nan Kivell). That is why, although work in context. At the back the facts appear presumably in order to keep the price down
he is excellent on Bacon and Sutherland, what again, with the dates of exhibitions and mention the book by present-day standards is rather
he has to say about those painters who are less of travels, teaching posts etc. added, but without sparingly illustrated. Few people perhaps know
well known and who have been accorded little sufficient detail to provide really effective Colquhoun's work now, and it is tantalizing to
official recognition is much more interesting. chronologies over and above what in potted have to make do with only one photograph
As in the previous two books, the artists are form has already appeared in the main text. when so much by him is enthusiastically
selected without any reference to a historical It depends how the publishers expect the discussed. However, if it whets the appetite
framework or stylistic evolution but solely potential buyer to use the book, but it seems sufficiently that one goes in search of the work
because the author admires their work. The unlikely that anyone reading a wonderfully itself, so much the better. And there is surely not
sixteen he chose are: Christopher Wood, lucid and revealing essay about Bacon is going a study in the book that fails to do that. q
Stanley William Hayter, Ceri Richards, to benefit very much from being told, in the CHRISTOPHER NEVE
Graham Sutherland, Albert Houthuesen, biographical section, that he is a figure and
John Piper, Edward Burra, Tristram Hillier, portrait painter. To this extent the balance is
Cecil Collins, Victor Pasmore, Francis Bacon, not perfect. Nor, incidentally, is the proof Smythmaking
Robert Colquhoun, Lucian Freud, reading; the text is hopping with literals. David Smith, edited by Garnett McCoy.
Michael Andrews, Bridget Riley and Nevertheless, the perceptive and highly 230 pp, 62 illustrations, 8 in colour.
David Hockney. (I dread to think what independent opinions expressed in the essays Documentary Monographs in Modern Art.
Colquhoun's reaction would have been if themselves more than compensate for any minor Allen Lane, London. £4.00.
described as an English painter in the French discrepancies of that kind. Like Sickert's
pub or the Gargoyle Club.) The balance criticism, this is not only readable and sometimes From the historian's and enthusiast's view, I
Rothenstein strikes in these pieces between the unfashionable comment on the painters suppose, this is the best book on Smith that
biographical material, much of which would concerned, but also a vivid indirect commentary has yet appeared, being, in contrast to the
anyway be available in a good dictionary, and on the tastes and attitudes of the period. glamorously presented 'David Smith by
hard criticism is about of the kind to be found Among all the confused fits and starts and David Smith', but covering the same ground, a

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