WOMEN'S ARTISTIC WORK.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 527, 7 June 1909, Page 3

WOMEN'S ARTISTIC WORK.

~ Formerly there were comparatively few handicrafts! oxbept those of - tho needle (says a writer in a Scotch paper), in which it was usual for : women to bo employed, whereas nowadays.it:may bo truthfully assorted, that a very largo proportion of the modern artworkers, .arc- women. For this, of course, art schools aro to a, large oxtcnt accountable, as well as tho fact; that tho various branches of artistic craftsmanship afford a field of light and congenial work, in which there is,ppe r haps, ■ not' such- great stress of competition asinmost other callings. '■■ •_ : .•Take for instance the art of illuminatingmanuscripts -by hand, which was so highly cultivated a handicraft in the days beforo printing. In those days, of courso, it was for tho'most part done by, or at any.rate under the auspices of,-the monks, as being tho class .generally endowed -with a greater, shar.e than anypno else of that knowledge and taste which aro essentials in this: kind of work, Modern illuminating, however,: is, on "tho contrary, .very largely in the'.hnhds of womon. It is'precisely the kind of work, requiring as it does-remarkable oxactitudc, neatness, and manual skill, in which women very often excel, and is! thorofore being taken up by many women of culture and taste, who with the addition of tho necessary 'special .technical, graining, are .thus enabled to'.'turn, these a'dmirablo' qualities to, practical account.' There is, indeed, an over-growing tendency to direct women's energies into some craft of this .kind, which may be mado lucrative if necessary, Itv, tho old days the lot of; tho "reduced gentlewoman'.', was a,horrible thing,arid tho difficulty \of Mrs. Gaskell's "Miss Matty" .was one: far from, uncommon when the. average female accomplishment' of at.all a technical kind was- something absolutely useless, however, laborious, in the "way. of fanoy.'needlework or painting'of flowers or fruit..- ':.'•'•

How different, for example, from the work of; tho: Mid-Victorian and. Early Victorian'. Eras is tho; art.needlework done at the Royal School,in London, in. which H.R.H. Princess; 'Christian': takes' so kindly,an interest. Here tho w'bnderful ' art of tapestry-making is brought back totho sa'ino high level of excelloiico which it occupied' centuries; ago, when William the Conqueror's Queen and her maidens chronicled with thoneedlo the Norman's fietbrious career. 'Much artistic needle-, work is'., also done here for' ceremonial robes ; on tho occasion of tho Coronation, it will be rbmembered,' Queen -Alexandra's rbbes were 'adorned, with some of'the magnificent, embroidery which tho. school can turn out. Royal weddings .'also frequency furnish the students with opportunities' for the exorcise, of their 'skillj the.trousseau of' Queen Ena of/Spairi; it will be remembered;' contained several examples;, and tho long-remembeTed fancy dress ball at Devonshire House;in.the Corbnatipn ;year also kept the , School, of l Needlowbrk busy for many months, .turning oilt .'pieces :bf embroidery for historical 'costumes; wliich thorp would he great difficulty in getting correctly copied elsewhere. :A now branch of the art of embroidery aiid painting ,is. apparently; that of producing processional banners,, as witness the tremendous display; on the occasion of; tho suffragists' dernonstra-.tion^in-London,'■';.when, all.'tjhp .banners,-hud' been' designed and iexecuted by women. One of the; leading. exponents of the nqw revival of ta'pestry is.;not connected with 'the: Royal: School.;-Miss-May Morris, sister of tho lato William Morrisj is possessed of, great artistic taste and,a'mastery of the /technical part ol ; the art/-■ Among her finest productions 'is a .large .//tapestry. • '.replica- .. of v . ..Botticelli's ■•"Spring,"'and.anyone remembering the. immense amount of detail jand;,yariety of ".'sub--iect:ih.'the. original .will realiso."what.a .diffi-: cult,task : .itvmust have been .to.reproduce .faithfully all these.'forms 'and colours.in tho medium .of tapestry, o .', :_■ ■■.; The c half-tono process of illustration has, of coursej'.practicalfy ousted tho wood engraver's "art. 'm--most: bases'.". .There are; however, still a 'fcw/who'.cnde'aTour to keep-up the.traditions of which..Albrecht'Durer was, .perhaps, the greatest Exponent' of.' all time;' and amongst : these" ono of the most ablo is a woman. Miss Oleraenco Housman has produced many beautiful wood blocks for her brother, Mr.; Laurence Housman, charming illustrations to his books; one; so decorated being "The Blup Moon," a . volume; of .fairy stories.,'.'.-.;