City Art Gallery -': & Templenewsam House,::Q the Libraries 4 Arts (Art Gallery 4 Temple Newsam House) Sub-Committee
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CITY ART GALLERY -': & TEMPLENEWSAM HOUSE,::Q THE LIBRARIES 4 ARTS (ART GALLERY 4 TEMPLE NEWSAM HOUSE) SUB-COMMITTEE The Lord Mayor Chairman Councillor A. Adamson Deputy Chairman Mrs. Gertrude Ha!hot, J.P. Alderman J. Croysdale Councillor Z. P. Fernandez Advisory Members Alderman L. Hammond Councillor A. M. M. Happold Mr. Edmund Arnold Alderman C. Jenkinson, M.A., LL.B. Councillor F. E. Tetley, D.S.O. Mr. C. H. Boyle, J.P. Alderman Sir G. Martin, K.B.E.,J.P. Councillor G.A. Stevenson Professor B. Dobree, O.B.E. Councillor H. S. Vick, J.P. Councillor H. Bretherick Peacock Councillor D. Murphy, J.P. Mr. L. W. K. Fearnley Mr. H. P. Councillor W. Shutt Lady Martin Mrs. J. S. Walsh Councillor D. Kaberry Mr. E. Pybus Mrs. R. H. Blackburn Director Mr. E. I. Musgrave THE LEEDS ART COLLECTIONS FUND President The Rt. Hon. the Earl of Halifax, K.G., O.M., G.C.S.I.,G.C.I.E. Vice-President Mr. Charles Brotherton, J.P. Trustees Mr. Edmund Arnold Professor Bonamy Dobree, O.B.E. Major Le G. G. W. Horton-Fawkes Committee Councillor A. Adamson Professor Bonamy Dobree, O.B.E. Mr. Edmund Arnold (Hon. Treasurer) Major Le G. G. W. Horton-Fawkes Mr. George Black Mr. E. I. Musgrave (Hon. Secretary) Ali Communications to the Hon. Secretary at Temple Newsam House, Leeds Subscrlptions for the Arts Calendar should be sent to Temple Newsam House 1/6 per issue (postage 1 ') 6/6 per annum, post free Single copies from W. H. Smith and other book shops inter Xiiniber 1947 THE LEEDS ARTS CALENDAR IN THIS ISSUE disturbing intrusions can be removed with- left the EDITORIAL —PICTURE CLEANING out interfering with what is of original. This remarkable exhibition, and QUARTERLY REVIEW admirable SOME RECENT ACQUISITIONS perhaps more particularly the THREE EXHIBITIONS catalogue of it, has for the first time pro- that TWO PORTRAIT DISCOVERIES- vided the general public with proof CROMWELI. AND ARUNDEL picture cleaning and restoration is a pure remain a SIGNATURES OF PAIN science. No longer does it deep PAINTINGS BY GRAHAM SUTHERLAND 8 mystery. The illusion of the picture restorer shattered, the iron THE DULWICH PICTURES IN LEEDS .. 12 as a magician has been curtain has been removed and we see picture ARTS CALENDAR 14 cleaning and restoring in its true light as a CHILDREN AT TEMPLE NFWSAM 17 scientific process; one, of course, which THE HOLI.INGS COLLECTION demands exceptional skill, years of experi- 111:ENGLISH SLIPWARE 21 ence and highly specialised equipment. The PICTURE CLEANING amateur and the "quack" must, of course, The controversy which has raged on the always remain a menace. subject of cleaning the National Gallery Those who knew the Dulwich pictures now pictures appears to have ended for the time before the war find them completely cases completely being. To comment on it here might seem transformed. In many in colour, content and character. irrelevant were it not for two articles in this changed So much so that a re-assessment of their issue which deal with pictures recently values is necessary because we can see for subjected to cleaning and restoration —the the first time what the artist intended for us Dulwich collection and the two 17th cen- and judge him by what is truly his. portraits. tury But for the work of the cleaner and exhibition arranged Mr. Philip The by restorer, the two portraits acquired for has surely Hendy at the National Gallery Temple Newsam might have remained provided the complete answer to the critics. unrevealed as valuable historical documents. After seeing what can be revealed, no one The shattered canvas of Cromwell might can be satisfied any lotiger to gaze through well have been destroyed and the accom- a haze of dirty and discoloured varnish at plished portraiture of Mytens remained in the faint echoes, distorted in tone and dingy obscurity. We owe a debt to tlie colour, of works by old masters, when by picture restorer, but perhaps a greater one sound scientific process it can be removed. to Mr. Philip Hendy who has no. only Nor can we be satisfied with the daubings revealed to everyone the science, but also of latter-day restorers, however discrimi- added new experience, through research, to nating they may have been, when those this valuable and indispensable profession. E.I.M. Uarterly Review SOME RECENT ACQUISITIONS Outstanding among the acquisitions of design was strong in this country. The the last three months is the pair of Georgian apron with its cherubs'ead mask, the tables bought for Temple Newsam by design of the top in low relief, and the Councillor F. E. Tetley, D.s.o., one of vigorous carved scroll at the base, show a which is here illustrated. These ornamental fanciful imagination and a freedom which side tables were made in the reign of George is only exceeded in our collection by the II, about z7~o. They are superb examples Wall Brackets on the opposite side of the of the carvers'rt and entirely gilt. These Long Gallery of about the same date. This tables, often made in association with orna- pair of tables, illustrated in Francis Leny- mental mirrors, under which they were gon's " Furniture in England," was origin- usually placed> are characteristic of a period ally made for Temple Newsam. For many when the influence of French Rococo years their whereabouts have been unknown, GEORGE II SIDE TABLE C. IT~O (ONE OF A PAIRl PRESEiNTEO BY COL'NCILI.OR F. E. TETLEY. but they were discovered at Hickleton Hall excellent example of the work of Othon during the sale of Lord Halifax's collection> Friesz, a French artist born at Le Havre in and have since been acquired and returned I 879. It is an example of his more mature to their original position in the Long and solidly-constructed style of 1937. Until Gallery. about t 9o7 he painted Fauvist pictures, but Another superb example of decorative since then has gradually become more furniture is an elaborately carved wood realistic and lyrical. The subject is Honfleur. chimneypiece of about t76~. It is carried Another interesting painting is "Poppies, out in the style of Chippendale and there is Open Window to the Downs," by Ivon reason to suppose that it may have come Hitchens, given by Mr. Stuart Bond. This from his workshop. The Sienese marble painting, which is one of Hitchens'ore surround is bordered and plinthed with decorative works, relies for its appeal on its white marble, forming an admirable con- delightful arabesque. In this way it is trast to the crisp and imaginative carving. different from our earlier example in which This piece is to be set up in the North West the third dimension is used with real room. emotional effect. Among the pictures acquired is an "HONFLEUR" by OTHON FRrESZ BOUGHT FROM THE CORPORATION FUND o Poi trait discoveries CROMWELL AND ARUNDEL At the sale of the Earl of Carlisle's col- canvas perished. But all the canvas and lection at Naworth Castle last May, three paint remained and there had been only one portraits were bought for the permanent small restoration, a crude bit of repainting collection. All of them appeared to be in a beneath the chin and an inscription of later state of dilapidation and obscured by the date. A superficial cleaning left no doubt accumulated dirt of years. Sufficient evi- about the authenticity of the attribution to dence remained that the pictures were of Walker. It was carefully compared with the i7th century origin and obviously accom- National Portrait Gallery version of the plished. The portrait of Cromwell, attri- same portrait. Further cleaning, after the buted to Robert Walker, was tom and the picture had been lined with a new canvas, ~4NI Im II I ~ ~ ~ e !~ ~ e ~ ~ei I8%j",„~--:.~ ~ -..-.- THE CROMWELL PORTRAIT before restoration revealed the date t649; the paint being second full-face, half-length, also in armour. undoubtedly contemporary with that of the The former is the earlier, and there are portrait. Robert Walker, who died in t6~8, copies, all probably from Walker's studio, was the chief painter of the Parliamentary at the National Portrait Gallery, Althorp, party during the Commonwealth. Though Hagley and other places. It has been greatly influenced by Van Dyck, his assumed that the National Portrait Gallery painting has a strong individuality. His version from the Rich collection is the portraits of Cromwell are his best-known original. No date appears on any but ours, works, though he painted Ireton, Lambert, and it has not previously been possible to Fleetwood and other members of the party, say at what period in Cromwell's career it as well as John Evelyn, the diarist. His was painted. Whether the existence of a portraits of Cromwell are of two types; date is sufficient evidence that ours is the the first, like ours, threequarter length in original, it is difficult to say. The National armour with a page tying on his sash; the Portrait Gallery version is more thinly OLIVER CROMWELL (after restoration) by RottERT WAt.KER t649 painted which might indicate a first portrait that it must be in much the same state as but ours is without doubt by Walker's own when it left the artist's studio. Arundel was hand. It is a noble portrait showing Crom- probably the most painted man in Fngland well at the age of fifty. Painted in the year during the early part of the I 7th century and of the execution of Charles and the procla- he is known to have been painted by mation of the Commonwealth, it might Daniel Mytens, a Dutch artist who came to reasonably be assumed that the portrait was England about I 6I4.