Axel Herman Haig and His Work

ILLUSTRATED F R M HIS ETCHINGS PENCIL - DRA INGS O , W

AND ATE R - C L U RS ITH A B R Y AN D W O O , W IOG APH A DESCRIPTIV E CATAL OGUE OF HIS ETCHED WORKS

E A A R M . . S T R O N G

L O N D O N

IN T R O D U C T IO N

T HE works of few etchers have achiev ed a wider and more general popularity than have those of Axel Herman Haig during the thirty years that have intervened between the publication of The Vesper

Bell, the earliest of his more important prod uctions, and the present

x day. During this period Mr. Haig has consistently e ercised his

x r powers upon the noblest e amples of architectu e in England ,

x France, Italy, and Spain, with frequent e cursions into other

a countries, among which his native l nd is to be included , always selecting worthy subjects, and producing works of art that have been a source of pleasure not only to those with power to appreciate m them as such , but to those also for whom fa iliarity with the scene depicted supplies an additional motive for acquiring an engraved representation of it.

l M r. The recent complete, or practical y complete, collection of

’ Haig s etchings shown at the rooms of The Fine Art Society formed

’ x a striking e hibition of the life s work of an artist, and the approval with which it was received has s u ggested that a volume reproducing a typical selection from these may prove acceptable. This has been

D un rendered possible by the readiness with which Mr . Robert

“ thorne, who ever since the early days of The Vesper Bell has

V AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

’ Hai . s been Mr g publisher, gave his consent to the reproduction of

C those etchings, of which the opyright is vested in him. At l w the exhibition a ready referred to, a number of pencil dra ings i — studies made by Mr. Ha g for use in his etched work were al so w i i sho n , and though not intended orig nally to be seen by the publ c,

x e cited almost as much interest as the etchings. Several of these

r l acco dingly have been reproduced a so, together with a few of the

- his water colours which Mr. Haig has painted for own amusement, or to serve the same purpose as his work in pencil . The water colours and some of the pencil drawings have been supplied by

Mr. Haig, but in the case of many of the latter the grateful thanks of the publishers must be tendered to Mr. C . Almquist, Mr. F. J . ll . M r. . . a Fry, Mr. F . G Hogg, A P Lauder, and who have

wall . temporarily denuded their s for the same purpose . Mr Dun thorne has also been good enough to permit e xtracts to be made from the pamphlets which he has issued in connection with several of the etchings, and to which the letterpress has been contributed l u . . . in many cases by his da ghter, Mrs H Tempest Rei ly

- The copyright in all the drawings, in pencil and in water colour, and as well as in the etching where it is so speciﬁed , is the property

x . of Mr. A el Haig C O N T EN T S

C H A P T E R I

T HE EARLY or AXEL HAIG

C H A P T E R I I

FROM SHIP- B UILDING T O HOUSE-B UILDING

C HA P T E R II I

EARLY TRAV ELS

C H A P T E R IV

B ECOM ING AN ETCHER

C H A P T E R V

! Thu : V ESPER B ELL

C H A P T E R VI

IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES AXE L HAIG AND HIS WO R K

CHAPTER VI I

1885—1892

C H A P T E R VIII

RECENT YEARS

C H AP T E R IX

PENCIL DRAWINGS AND “LATER- CO LOURS

C H AP T E R X

AT T HE PRESENT TIME

DESCRIPTIV E L IST OF AXE L HAIG‘S ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS IL L U S T R AT IO N S

e He a Ha 1 05 — o a A x l rm n ig, 9 P rtr it

The Publish ers wish it to be clearly under stood that both Editions of this Work are

’

. x strictly limited Th ey have Mr. A el B aig a authority for stating that after these are exhausted there will be no further reproduction of his Etchings .

Ce falu Cath e dral A ! ui e t Ho ur Ch artre s Ca th e dral In the Aisl e s

o e M nt St . Mich l We stminste r A bbey : Vi e w of the Transe pt

T he o a of Ge o e F unt in St . rg Pa mpe luna : R e turning from the Fair Stockh olm : The Floating Marke t Burgos Ca the dral : Inte ri o r Tol edo : Inte ri or

the ab a e a o In Ar ! u rt r, C ir AXE L HAIG AND HIS WORK

C HAPTER VI I

1885—1892

C H AP T ER VIII

RECENT YEARS

ﬁ H A P T ER

PENCIL DRAWINGS AND

AT T HE PRESENT TIMI

DESCRIPTIV E LIS THEIR SUBJE IL L U S T R AT IO N S

e He a Ha 1 05— o a A x l rm n ig, 9 P rtr it

R EP R O D U C T IO N S

E T C H I N G S

T he Portals of Rh e ims Cath e dral

T he We Doo a Hol rood st rw y, y T he V e spe r Be ll T he M orning of the Fe stival

oo a o e o A M rish Archw y, T l d

i O ob e E e Ass si, ct r v ning T he Castle of Vitré Ce falu Cath e dral A ! uie t Hour Chartre s Cath e dral : In the Aisl e s

o M M nt St . ich e l We stminste r Abbe y : Vi e w of the Chan ce l South Transe pt

T h o Ge o e e F untain of St . rg Pampe luna : Re turning fro m the Fair Sto ckholm : The Floatin g Marke t B urgos Ca th e dral : Inte ri or Tol e do : Inte ri o r

the ab a e a o In Ar ! u rt r, C ir AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

Cant e rbury from the Stour Pal e ncia : T he T rascoro

T he a a of . Gi e e B silic St ll s, Arl s Ulm Ca the dral

Th f a e o . Church St Fr ncis, Assisi

T he a a e a e a e o P l tin Ch p l , P l rm

W A T E R - C O L O U R S

M o nreal e : Inte rior o f the Cath e dral

h e T rO hime Arl e s : T e Clo ist rs of St . p Cairo : Arab Stud e nts Sego via

P E N C I L D R A W I N G S

Be le m : T he Cl oiste rs

’ a e i e o the a a St . M rk s, V n c , fr m Pi zz Batalha : T he Cl o iste rs Strassburg : Kl e ine r Frankre ich

’

T he a o a a e . a e i e M d nn with Musk t, St M rk s, V n c

: a o h H o of Salvi u s A mie ns Cath e dral A Fr gm e nt fr m t e ist ry St . Rh e ims Cath e dral unde r Re pair Cairo : T he Tomb o f K ait B ey

f ia T he o . e ba e o Church St Est n , S g v Rh e ims Ca th e dral : De tail of t he We ste rn Po rtals Rh eims Cathe dral T he No rth Transe pt L e o n Cathe dral A mie ns Cath e dral De tail o f Choir-Scre e n

T he a e o f the a a e . a e e Ch p l S cr m nt, St M rk s , V nic

La a e ei e o e M d l n , Tr y s

B : I he o H e o m usaco n t Convent f St . i r ny us C H A P T E R I

T HE EARLY LIFE O F AX EL HAIG

AX EL HERM AN HAIG, or HAGG , to give his patronymic its native

Katthamra form, was born at , in the Swedish island of Gotland , in i the house which has been the home of his fam ly for generations, and in which he still spends such time as he can spare from his busy life in England and elsewhere . Those whose geography is rusty may be reminded that Gotland

a or Gothl nd is an island about ninety miles long, situated in the

Baltic nearly half way between Sweden and Russia, and a little more than a hundred miles to the south of Stockholm . If they are refreshing their memory with a map, they will ﬁnd upon its north

a W . n west co st the town of isby, its capital It was there that you g

Haig was sent ﬁrst to school, and it has supplied subjects for more than one of the etchings of his later years . Between his life, however, as an etcher and the early days of his boyhood lies a considerable period occupied with other pursuits, in which it is interesting to note the stages of development by which he passed

a f into the c reer with which his name is now identi ied . He has not much to say about his school life, and it may almost be taken for 1 B 2 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK granted that such art as found its way into the school curriculum did not offer scope for the display of any conspicuous talent on his

. i l f part St l , he learnt to draw su ﬁciently well for his friends to

his recognise the fact that he was ready with pencil, and they took it into account in mapping out his future for him. This they seem to have done by combining his fondness for w l drawing ith another pursuit, which in ike manner was the occupa i N tion of his leisure rather than the object of his ndustry . o doubt he was a boy who did what his hand found to do with all his might, if we can j udge from the cheerful energy which he still throws into

- K h his work and his play . Wisby is a sea port ; att amra overlooks

u the Baltic, and on the sea and in it young Haig fo nd his diversion , so that by the time a profession had to be sought for him his know ledge of and fondness for boat sailing were as conspicuous as his power to depict boats and other objects upon paper. i His brother, inﬂuenced by the same surround ngs, went to sea and has lately retired from the Swedish navy with the rank of

x admiral . A el was sent to Karlskrona to study naval architecture in the great Swedish government dockyard there .

At Karlskrona he remained for three years, amusing himself, and

x e ercising his pencil, when he had time to do so, by drawing portraits of his friends in his Spare moments, but otherwise doing the work that he had been sent there to do to such purpose that he gained at the end of the period mentioned a diploma for proﬁciency as a designer of ships . The promise which he showed, and the zeal with which he had prosecuted his studies, had j ustiﬁed the selection which

a his friends had m de for him, but the Opportunity for acquiring a THE PORTA LS OF RHEIMS CATHEDRAL

See page 126

4 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK a genial and attractive personality combined to help him in pressing m his claims for employ ent.

After a short period of want of success he sought advice again , and was recommended to try the Clyde, where then as now, or more so than at the present day, a vast amount of shipbuilding was being

a c rried on .

he At Port Glasgow, on the Clyde, at last he found what wanted ,

i — an and what he had sought for in va n in London, opportunity for doing work which would afford him the experience necessary for his if c own improvement, and a position which , not of great importan e,

a had a salary att ched to it. The ﬁrm of Lawrence Hill and Com pany, into whose employment he now entered, was of considerable importance at that time . The head of it, Mr. Lawrence Hill, has i since died ; but Mr. Haig still enjoys the friendsh p of his widow, who survives him .

For three years Ax el Haig remained at Port Glasgow steadil y

n working for his employer, and acquiri g considerable knowledge of the principles and practice which prevail in the designing and con struction of ships . He was also able to employ his pencil as he had

in done at Karlskrona upon his friends and upon other subjects,

n cluding buildings, obtaini g thereby, as before, useful practice and a congenial recreation , while the readiness and accuracy of his draughtsmanship did not fail to attract attention . The connection between the architecture of a ship and that of a

e house is neither close nor obvious, but at the same time the st p l between them is not a long one, and it befe l that young Haig was i invited to take it by Mr. Hill, who wanted to have a new house bu lt THE EARLY LIFE OF AXEL HAIG 5

for the occupation of himself and his family. What the precise

! nature of the building may have been need not be recorded, but the task was carried out successfully, and Mr. and Mrs. Hill lived in it for many years. Mr. Haig also admits that it is still standing, but

v declines to reveal its identity . The incident need hardly ha e been mentioned but for its apparent influence on the future career of the

u x young draughtsman , or rather pon his ne t step towards it, and because it illustrates his willingness to turn his hand to anyt hing

z . useful, sei ing his opportunities and making the best of them It occu rred moreover at a time when in the ordinary course of events he would have been returning to his native land with a view to entering

w r the ﬁrm already mentioned . O ing, however, to ci cumstances not in his control , and into which it is not necessary to enter, this

d . opening had been close , and a fresh one had to be discovered C H AP T E R I I

FROM SHIP - BUILDING TO HOUSE - BUILDING

FROM the architecture of a ship to that of a house the step is not a very long one, at least so far as the planning of the internal arrangements is concerned , and much in the training of the young artist who has studied the former may well prove useful to him

. a should he desire to attempt the latter, as Mr H ig did at the request of Mr. Lawrence Hill .

' If it is conceded , however, that between designing ships and l being the architect of bui dings upon dry land, there lies a gulf

al d which is not together impassable, it will also be acknowle ged that a favourable opportunity to cross it would be likely to prove an irresistible temptation to any one endowed with artistic leanings

a al and the requisite intellectual equipment. For however subst nti may be the Opportunities for worldly success displayed before him who has devoted time and study to training himself as a naval designer, there will be a certain want of variety and freedom about the pursuit of his profession . He will presumably have to reside and carry on his business almost ex clusively in whatever locality he may have selected , or which the promise of employment has com 6 ' BELEM : THE CLOISTERS

See page 57

8 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

In order to educate himself for the new career upon which he now desired to embark, it was desirable that he should go to

x London, and his ne t step was consequently in that direction . He

e x had mad good friends at Glasgow, and it was again with e cellent introductions to those who might be able to help him that he sought another home and fresh employment, in which he in turn cou ld be of use to those who might assist him . He was by k this time a very competent draughtsman, with a nowledge of the

- i a practical side of ship bu lding, and also with a re dy power over his

’

a . ff pencil g ined not only when at work in Mr Hill s o ice, but also

a w by sketching, by drawing portr its of his friends, and other ise by

r exercising his artistic talents during his leisure hou s . One of the most important of the introductions with which he returned to London was given to him by his good friends the

Lawrence Hills . Mrs. Hill had a cousin an eminent architect in

M ‘ r Ive . London, Mr. John Anderson This gentleman enjoyed an

x r e tensive practice in London and in the count y, and Montagu

House, in Whitehall, the town residence of the Dukes of Buccleuch , may be mentioned as a building familiar to Londoners, for which he was responsible.

Mr. Anderson was not able himself to provide Mr. Haig with employment, but he had a wide circle of acquaintances and friends in his own profession , and it was through his inﬂuence that the f desired opening was found in the o ﬁce of Mr. Ewan Christian , who was at that time, and for many years afterwards, architect to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners . The work done for Mr. Ewan

Christian by Mr. Haig was thoroughly congenial to him, and the FROM SHIP - BUILD ING TO HOUSE - BUILDIN G 9 fact that it enforced upon him prolonged and careful study of ff church architecture had , no doubt, considerable e ect in guiding his tastes and in training his hand and brain for the future.

Although he did not know it, he was destined within a few years to renounce the profession of an architect for that of an

x etcher, or at all events to practise the latter almost to the e clusion

a u of the former, and it is not surprising that among the rchitect ral masterpieces that he has since delineated with the etching needle ecclesiastical buildings should predominate, or that he should have learnt to draw them with an unerring hand . Accurate perspective played a necessary part in architectural drawings which he had to

v make in the ser ice of his employer, and he no less necessarily had to acquire a practical as well as an artistic knowledge of every detail connected with Gothic architecture. f Axel Haig was for nine years in the o ﬁce of Mr. Ewan Chris

a ti n , but he had an employer who, fortunately for him , was willing to permit him to develop his tastes and to display his talents in the manner most pleasant and most proﬁtable to himself. Clearly the artistic side of his new calling interested him more than the

u rel p v practical, for it will be found that at this time it was chieﬂy

a b as an rchitectural draughtsman that e occupied himself. There was presumably not sufﬁcient scope for his energies in this partic ular department to be found in the ofﬁce of one architect only, but there were plenty of others desirous of having good work done

ﬁn d when they could the man to do it, and to pay well for the service rendered .

. d Mr Christian appreciated the situation in which he was place , 1 0 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK and was kind enough to lend him to others when the occasion de manded , as well as being able to furnish him with such introductions l as he might wish for. His ski l in draughtsmanship and his trained talent for perspective drawing in particular were in themselves an ample recommendation ; and there will be no great risk in con

ect urin . j g, where Mr Haig himself is silent, that a genial disposition and abundant in dustry backed up and supplemented any intro du ctions obtained from his friends .

r If, however, he had these th ee sources of strength upon which

— to depend , his talents, his personal q ualities, and the interest of his

- friends, there need be little doubt but that his reliance was based principally upon the skill with which natural gifts trained by diligent study and accurate observation had supplied him .

No one who knows or who makes himself acquainted with Mr.

’ Haig s large etchings Of the interior and exterior architecture of buildings of every variety can fail to appreciate the admirable i drawing which distinguishes them . Deta l may be omitted when to do so seems necessary to the artist, but the reproduction of no

x difﬁ detail, of no comple ity of form is evaded on account of any culty which its accurate presentation may offer.

Those who are themselves inclined to attempt, whether with brush, pencil, or etching needle, such subjects as Mr. Haig loves to portray, will, perhaps, be the most ready to render tribute to his l ski l, but they must not forget that it is a skill begotten of know

M r. can n ledge. Haig knows what be done by drawi g, and knows ho w i to do it, hav ng acquired his knowledge as the result of long practice in directions which to many artists would seem arduous DURHAM CATHEDRAL

See page 1 29

1 2 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WO R K

At the time when Axel Haig mad e his acquaintance in London

Mr . Burges was engaged upon one of the many schemes for the

’ interior decoration of St. Paul s Cathedral, which have occupied the energies of architects, and have been developed in some detail without eventually being carried out. It involved an elaborate casing of marble and mosaics, and in connection with it young

’ Haig was employed to make drawings of St. Paul s, some of

x which were e hibited at the Royal Academy, and some of which are now, or were recently, preserved in the Chapter House. The Royal Academy catalogue of 1 87 5 records these under the

v name of Mr. Burges as their author, but gi ing due credit for the work of representing them , thus

5 — ’ No . 9 2. Design for decoration of the Dome of St. Paul s

Cathedral . Drawn and coloured by A . H . Haig .

— ’ 9 9 5. No . Design for decoration of the Chancel of St. Paul s

Cathedral . Drawn and coloured by A . H . Haig.

’ - 1 005. No . Design for the general decoration of St. Paul s

Cathedral . Drawn and coloured by A . H . Haig.

i i Draw ngs such as these, made for the purpose of display ng Mr.

’ Burges s designs to the public, and to the authorities to whom they ff were to be submitted, not only a orded the young artist useful

a . . pr ctice, but were also well paid for Moreover, Mr Burges had himself travelled much upon the Continent in order to study

ia l a med eva architecture in It ly, in Germany, in France, and in

e x Belgium, so that he was precisely the man whose precept and ample were calculated to encourage a young student of architecture FROM SHIP - BUILDING ‘ T O HOU SE - BUILDING 1 3

to observe and to admire all that was worthy of admiration , and it

was acting upon his advice that Ax el Haig made an early trip to

1 87 5. Italy and Sicily in There is no need, however, to give any

detailed list of the work in which Mr. Haig was employed by

u other architects . Indeed, neither wo ld his memory serve to

supply one, nor has he any record to which he could refer for

the purpose. A few books of plans he possesses, some of which

r0 o sals are interesting to look through , containing p p for buildings

either long since built, or equally long projected, abandoned, and

forgotten . Of these there may be mentioned, as belonging to the

latter class, rejected designs for the Town Hall at Manchester, and

the those of Mr. B urges for London law courts, afterwards built by

' the late Mr. G . E . Street, and among them are to be found repro

du ced i many perspective draw ngs by young Axel Haig, which , if not

co - superior to the productions of his workers, are at any rate among

the i . best, and amply justify his selection for the task of mak ng them Another architect for whom young Haig did work at this period

was Edward William Godwin, a friend of Burges. It may be

mentioned of his architectural career that he designed the facade

r of The Fine Art Society in Bond St eet, the publishers of this work ,

’ in whose galleries the most important exhibition of Ax el H aig s

etchings and drawings has recently taken place .

a al Mr. Godwin, as well as being an rchitect, was so a man of

n a letters and an author, taking considerable i terest in theatric l

r matters, pa ticularly in connection with theatrical costume ; indeed,

r in the matter of d ess and costume he was an authority . Mr. E . W .

Godwin , who must not be confused with Mr. George Godwin , an 1 4 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

a architect also, and, like his n mesake, interested in theatrical matters

a as well as in literature, was a man qualiﬁed to dvise and encourage a young artist, and later as a critic it fell to his lot to deal with the etchings of the young man whom he had employed and got to know

x as an architectural draughtsman . The notices, however, of A el

’ ' Hai s T i mB ritts/z Archit ct g etchings which Mr. Godwin wrote in e

s did not appear to a sume a colour due to past friendship, for they did not greet him with any degree of enthusiasm in his new venture.

M r . Worthington and many others also might be named as archi te ct s k well known in their day, who employed young Haig to ma e

eu for them architectural drawings , and it was with substantial co uragement from such men as those who have been mentioned that he worked during the nine years that he was with Mr. Ewan

Christian, until a chance occurrence, or one which so far as he was concerned was fortuitous, again diverted him from his occupation of the moment. This again , like the occasion which drew him l from designing ships to designing buildings, was an impu se towards artistic life for which the training which had gone before had ﬁtted

al immedi him, though it had not been undergone with that object ately in view. T R ’ T HE S . MA K S , VENICE, FROM PIAZZA

See page 19

1 6 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

be as well to say with regard to this and to the other water - colours

- which accompany it, that he does not claim to be a water colour

painter. He is an artist who has made himself known to the

public through another medium , and who for his private use, and

his in also for amusement, has made notes colour of some of the

picturesque places and buildings that he has seen . Many of the

best of these he has parted with . They, no doubt, adorn walls in

x houses where they are valued, but their author has to a large e tent

lost record of them , and for the purpose of this work it has been

deemed sufﬁcient to show four from those which he still has in hi s

a possession . They represent, moreover, work of his younger d ys,

and must not be taken as examples of what he coul d achieve now

n had he the leisure to devote himself to painti g instead of to etching.

The drawing referred to above is of the Cathedral at Monreale ;

but Pal ermo was the ﬁrst point at which a lengthened stay was

made on this occasion , with the result that when Mr. Haig went

back to London he had in his sketch - books many drawings and

stu dies of the old town, of the Cathedral, and of the Cappella Palatina.

a Every one now is famili r with the etching of the Cappella Palatina ,

- published in the winter of 1 904 1 9 05. It has been reproduced

in this book, and many will learn with interest that it was the result of an acquaintance with its subject which commenced no

less than thirty years ago, although the most recent of the studies d 1 9 04 from which the plate was actually etched were ma e in , the year in which it was published . In a biography which is concerned with the artistic life of the ff subject, rather than with his domestic a airs, mention has not EARLY TRAVELS 1 7

hitherto been made of the fact that Mr. Haig had married an English 1 86 6 lady. He became the husband of Mrs . Haig in , the ceremony taking place at Hove . Mrs. Haig accompanied him upon his ﬁrst

and M journey to Sicily, when he left Palermo for onreale he did so

’

o d in r er t o ﬁnd quarters to which he could take her. These were not to be had at the inn to which he himself had

r to resort. Hotel accommodation is not particularly luxu ious in

- - - of . many of the out the way localities which Mr and Mrs. Haig 1 8 5 have since visited together, but at Monreale in 7 , the general arrangements must have been even more primitive than what was

then usual, for Mr. Haig speaks of them still with something

approaching a shudder. An idea may be gathered of the manner

in which things were conducted , when it is mentioned that the bed

had rooms no windows, and were only to be regarded as be drooms

at all in that they provided a kind of loose box for the sleeper to l rest in . They were, in fact, ike the cubicles in some public school

dormitories, divided from one another by partitions not continuous ff to the ceiling. Such conditions may not a ect the comfort of

but schoolboys, they are hardly consistent with the privacy which

u s - most of desire when we seek our rest in after life, and for the

’ Hai s time it looked as if Mr. g visit to Monreale would be a short

out one, while for his wife the place seemed of the question .

x ff Chance, however, altered the comple ion of a airs by introducing B to him some offi cers of ersaglieri, who were q uartered at Monreale

in order to keep brigandage in check, and generally to garrison and

to protect the town . They appear to have been very hospitable

gentlemen , for they at once invited Mr. Haig to stay with them at D 1 8 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

s the Benedictine monastery, no longer peopled by monk , which they

. r ff had turned into barracks Thei o er was accepted , and eventually

’ Mr. and Mrs. Haig were installed in the abbot s room, where they found themselves quite comfortable, their hosts providing them with all meals at their mess . It was an ideal arrangement for an l artist, as the ofﬁcers of the Bersaglieri not on y could command a

- but better food supply than would have been obtained at the inn , were able also to show them the country under the desirable pro t e ction of a military escort. Riding donkeys and guarded by soldiers

’ x d O rO Mr. and Mrs. Haig e plored the Concha or Golden Valley, as well as other districts which wou ld otherwise have been closed to them, and had the satisfaction of living secure in a town in which l ife was hardly safe according to modern European standards .

Brigandage and murders, however, were matters which may have concerned their hosts in the discharge of their ofﬁcial duties, but which incommoded no one seriously except the victims and their immediate connections.

is Mr. Haig has since revisited Monreale, which now rendered m easy of access by mode means of locomotion, so that the want of a hotel, though it has not been supplied , need not trouble visitors . From the water colour reproduced it will be seen that its interior would lend itself to etching, and that this drawing, containing as it

ad l ll does an mirable representation of the mura decoration, wi prob ably be found to be Of considerable use for the purpose when the time comes for us to see a plate representing it. Until now it has only served as a reminder of a pleasant visit and of hospitable enter t ainment in circumstances not likely to be repeated . MON REALE INTERIOR OF T HE CATHEDRAL

See p ages 16 and 58

C H AP T E R IV

BECOMING AN ETCHER

IT x was after A el Haig had worked for some time in London , had

had x travelled a little, and gained considerable e perience of archi t ect ural draughtsmanship in the manner indicated above, that the ﬁrst suggestion was made to him which ultimately led to his becoming an

. . had etcher Mr. R Rowand Anderson , now Sir Rowand Anderson, conceived or had had suggested to him the idea of wr iting a book on

a—zval Medi Scottish Architecture, and was looking out for a suitable method of illustrating it, as well as for an artist who could be trusted

rt was to unde ake the task and to perform it satisfactorily. It to be

u n a work of considerable dignity and importance, and it was not natural that a series of etchings should occur to the author and to the proposed publisher as a means of illustration which woul d do justice to his subject. In order, however, that this might be achieved it was necessary to ﬁnd an etcher who would not only be capable of treating fﬁ the buildings pictorially , but who would be su ciently possessed of architectural knowledge to make his plates accurate records of the

ﬁnd buildings to be described . In short, it was necessary to an

l . architect who cou d etch , or an etcher who was an architect The so BE COMING AN ETCHER 21

’

i . x architect s qual ﬁcation was possessed by Mr A el Haig, with whose

g . d l e work Mr Anderson was alrea y we l acquaint d , but thou h his drawings had frequently been reproduced in periodicals devoted to architectural matters, he had not practised any branch of reproductive work himself.

In these circumstances Mr. Anderson put before his young friend i l some of the uses to which sk l as an engraver might be turned by him , and pointed to etching as the particular branch which he might most

u readily take p. The idea, coupled with the promise of immediate employment upon the projected book , bore fruit at once, for Mr . Haig acquired without delay a small instalment of the necessary apparatus, and set to work to gain for himself practical knowledge by personal

x e periment upon the copper plate. With characteristic independence he sought neither help nor instruction from those of his contemporaries

u l who were engaged pon etching, preferring to teach himse f, and to acquire methods of his own wherever individual ingenuity could help him . Such lessons as he learnt from others he gained from Mr. P . G .

’ Ham ert on s bu t writings on the subject, apart from this he faced the difﬁculties Of his task alone .

The results of his earliest trials he has not preserved . The

Katthamra subject of the ﬁrst was a windmill near his old home, , and that of the second he has himself forgotten . w His third was a vie of Verona. It shows the river Adige ﬂowing

al under the walls of houses, behind which rise the p ace, the campanile, church spires, and towers. The ﬁgures on the bank are of women , two of whom are washing clothes. Accurate drawing and careful

six composition distinguish it, and small as it is (less than inches 22 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK across and not four inches high) it was certainly a result which was calculated to encourage its author. Since the plate was ﬁrst etched — M r . indeed quite recently . Haig has added a little to it The sky in recent impressions will be found to have been produced by aquatint,

in 1 8 . d a process with which Mr Haig had not ma e acquaintance 7 7 , — but of which witness the Interior of Toledo Cathedral, reproduced — in this volume he can no w make most dexterous and effective use . l l It wou d be pretentious as well as use ess, in a work of this kind , to give a detailed description of the processes of etching, but at the same time it may be worth while to mention, for the beneﬁt of some into whose hands it may fall, that aquatint and line etching are both etching in the strictest sense of the word . In both acid is used to

in in eat (essen) into the copper plate, and nothing else does etch g consist. Those who know better may smile, but not long ago one i ’ . Ha s of Mr g sons was asked by some one, who spoke in terms of

’ the highest admiration of his father s skill, whether it was true that

“ ! “ he had really done the Interior of Bu rgos no less than ﬁve hundred times . Of course this was said by a person who had heard

“ ! the plate described as an etching, and was under the impression

“ “ that an etching meant a pen and ink drawing. For some reason or other etching is or was at one time a term used for draw

“ - l ing in pen and ink , particularly when a crow quil or other ﬁne pen was used . Mr. Haig says this is due to a confusion between

“ ! etching and hatching, or shading with ﬁne parallel lines drawn with a pen or pencil . It may be so, and certainly among people t who, as an etcher might say, ought to know bet er, a good deal of ignorance sometimes prevails as to how he produces his plates. T HE W DOORV VAY H EST , OLYROOD

See page 68

24 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

Doorway of Holyrood, is reproduced , and from it can be j udged what

x promise he showed, and to what e tent, even early in the day, he had learnt to do more than merely to draw upon the copper plate .

It will be seen that he was able to compel it to express what he

x required, and that he already e hibited his skill in suggesting by l means of an etching e aborate details of carved decoration . Some

’ l H ai . s of these Scotch etchings have been pub ished, but of Mr g intro duction to a publisher and what came of it more must be said when the proper t irne comes.

x Those into whose hands any of these ﬁrst e periments of Mr.

x Haig may fall, will ﬁnd it interesting to e amine them and to observe to what extent the power which lay behind and the prin ciples governing his methods can be traced even in t he early stages of his career. His power was that of a masterly and thoroughly trained ff draughtsman , and his e orts were directed by the desire to produce upon the plate for himself those eff ects which the printed sheet was

n w . o w to show He will tell you that it is, and al ays has been, his ambition to adhere to drawing his subject with such modiﬁcations as

he may desire as an artist to make in it, but above all, to draw it. ff He does not wish for e ects such as others may procure, but for

which he will not be directly responsible, or in other words, to have his work upon the plate supplemented by spaces ﬁlled with

f . s printing ink le t upon a surface void of etching Thi , which is practically a statement of the principles upon which he founds his style, taken from his own lips, does not imply any ingratitude for

ad d l the mirable printing which his etchings have receive , usua ly from BECOMING AN ETCHER 25

Mr. F . Goulding, nor does it imply that Mr. Haig is for a moment ff indi erent as to who may print his plates , or as to how the printing may be done. He does, however, believe in an etching being essen

’ t iall f y the product of the etcher s needle, and in the ef ects produced being those for which the work of the needle on the plate is mainl y

“ ! responsible. The word conscientious has been used above, and l it is one which may very ﬁt y be applied to Mr. Haig and to his

f u style . He shirks no di ﬁc lties, and he neither evades nor disguises anyt hing which would puzzle a less able draughtsman , or that would cause him to be content with producing an effect.

x A el Haig, moreover, claims with insistency that his etchings are as they would be if he etched them upon the Oopper as they appear before him. In other words, he is always careful to reverse on the plate in order to prevent the reversing incidental to printing. It is not necessary to do this, but it is, of course, desirable from the point of view of those who wish to see subjects with which they di are acquainted splayed in engravings as they know them, and it b is also o vious that where ecclesiastical buildings are concerned , to

a show north as south , and e st as west, is to introduce a material

ff a . di erence from re lity, and not one of appearance only In the case of large plates such as those of Mr. Haig, and of work in which l the detai is carefully considered and accurately represented, the l reversing process wou d be to some a laborious one, and it is u n doubtedly one which requires considerable practice and study before

e out . it can be carri d satisfactorily Want of industry, however, has

’ Hai s never been one of Mr. g failings, and no doubt constant practice him has made easy to that which would be irksome to others, and 26 AXEL HAIG AND H IS WORK

would rob their style of spontaneity. Etchers, to whose subj ects

x i the e act appearance of the local ty represented is immaterial , have of course no need to consider the question of reversing at all, and it

’ l Hai is mere y mentioned here as a characteristic of Mr. g s style that he is careful to do it, and that he does it with success.

Moreover, those who reverse as they etch , and yet place their

u subject directly on the plate, drawing it from nat re, without the aid i of studies such as Mr. Haig makes in penc l, do so as a rule with the

- s . aid of a looking gla s His plates, however, are too large for direct

i N O etching, and but ill su ted for the use of such apparatus . en h graver could take a large copperplate, as, for example, t at of the

Palatine Chapel at Palermo, into an ecclesiastical building, and there work at it day after day with the help of a mirror in order to see how the reversing process should be effected . A good deal of the above

a deals with somewhat element ry matters, so far as etchers and col lectors of etchings are concerned . Mr. Haig, however, has many admirers who do not belong to either of these classes, and it is for

r their information that it has been w itten. BA' l‘ ALl l A T HE CLOISTERS

Sac paya 57

28 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK perhaps lay stress u pon features which he deems worthy to be

u t accentuated , but who in Spite of such modiﬁcations will p before

e us a portrait of the place described, much as the paint r of a personal

ff x sitter gives us as true a likeness as he can, a ected to some e tent by his personal point of view. When Mr. Haig, on the other hand ,

“ ! gives us a plate with a fancy name, such as The Vesper Bell,

! “ ! The Morning of the Festival, or Castle Nowhere, in which f i “ we think we can trace am liar features, we have a composition drawn by him partly from his imagination and partly upon the solid foundations of architectural notes which he has made, but which ,

l d x intentiona ly, he has not transcribe with any e actness upon the copper. In the construction of these fancy subjects or compositions,

r in architectural details naturally play an impo tant part, and a limited degree we may ﬁnd them to be pictures of places well known to

r t avellers . More Often they consist of notes of individual buildings

x grouped together in suitable ju taposition , perhaps with characters

ae in medi val costume introduced into them, and with idealised fore

u x grounds or imaginary backgrounds imposed pon them . The e act ness of architectural detail in these natu rally becomes of no importance, and a local name is out of place and unnecessary. In

n x the manner indicated , and draw with a certain degree of e actness,

“ ! e the spires of Chartres are to be recognis d in A Quiet Hour, and

“ ! Rothenburg ﬁgures in The Fountain of St. George ; and in this

“ x M r way The Vesper Bell is based to a large e tent upon what .

Haig saw at N uremberg when he made his ﬁrst visit there. It was after he had made several experiments in etching such as those enumerated already, and had completed some of the plates “ THE VE SPER BELL ! 29 intended to illustrate Sir Rowand Anderson’ s book on Scottish architecture, that he conceived the idea of doing something larger,

al and, to use a term which, if hardly classic English, is well recognised m “ ! in the art world , ore important. The upshot of this resolution was the etching of “ The V esper

! Bell, a reproduction of which is published in this volume. From it those who are not familiar with ex amples of the etching itself may

’ gain a very fair idea of what the artist s powers then were, and of the nature of a plate the success of which did so m u ch towards

’ establishing its author s reputation and towards conﬁrming him in his adoption of a new career.

“ u u It m st not, however, be s pposed that The Vesper Bell commanded immediate success, or that its production was from the

. t ﬁrst regarded by Mr Haig as any hing in the nature of a tri u mph . He had not even when he had completed the plate any very ll a i . deﬁnite idea of how, if at , it was to be made known to the publ c

He took it, however, to Mr. Brooker of Margaret Street, Cavendish

l - Square, then as now a wel known name among printers of engravings,

who, in reply to a question as to what he should do with it, suggested D . unthom e Mr Robert of Vigo Street as a publisher .

D u nt h Since then Mr. om e has published more than a hundred

x plates etched by A el Haig, and there is no reason why he should not do the same for many more.

To write of these, however, when discussing an etching made in 1 87 9 l , would be to anticipate s ightly the natural order of things .

! The Vesper Bell was not brought o u t in an edition of two or three

x hundred e amples, as has been the case with many subsequent works 30 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

. has of its etcher Even the ﬁfty, to which its issue been limited ,

u were not printed at once, and the price of ﬁve guineas s bsequently

r assigned to it was an increase f om four, the sum originally asked of

- be would purchasers .

The exhibition of bla ck and white work (then held annually) at

l 1 8 9 ff x the Dudley Gal ery in 7 a orded an opportunity for e hibiting it, and its being shown thus was also no doubt responsible to some extent for a criticism in the T imes of an e xceedingly favourable

i x character. Th s did not form part of the article on the e hibition w n but hich was published at the date of its openi g, was contained in one which in 1 880 reviewed the etchings produced in the previous

T imes year . Mr. Tom Taylor was then the art critic of the , and

x l his article, which e tended to nearly two columns, and so was we l

“ i s . calculated to attract attention, was headed More about Etch ng He began by saying that “ to give more completeness to our review of recent work in etching a fe w typical or remarkable examples remain

! Ra on M ér on to be noticed, and proceeded to describe works by j , y ,

He k m ai r o er . . D eb nes , C P Slocombe, Brunet , Macbeth, and other etchers then as now well known to fame .

After criticising among these a recent etching by Mr. R. W. Mac

“ : beth, Mr. Taylor went on to say One of the most pictorial, as well as largest, of recent etchings, however, is the work of a Swedish

i — x art st A el Herman Haig, who is his own designer as well as etcher, f and whose plate was destroyed, we are sorry to learn, a ter thirty

’ ‘ off . impressions had been taken His subject, The Vesper Bell , represents the approach up several ﬂights of intricate stairway to a

- German cathedral, the ridge pinnacles of which , cut against the sky T HE VESPE R BELL

See pages 27 a nd 70

32 AXEL HAIG AND HIS IV ORK

i plate. Its very length serves to show the h gh value which the

writer set upon the plate , for, as has been pointed out, he had before him the work of other artists, needing no introduction to his readers,

u whereon to comment. Its acc rate and detailed ex amination of the subject contains one curious slip , and a deduction from it, for not all those proceeding to worship are women ; and the effect of the Reformation was probably not considered by the etcher, any more than he anticipated the favourable effect which his work would produce upon the T imes critic ; but otherwise it analyses with i considerable care and sk ll, and such a notice full of praise, yet

a u n discriminating, and by no me ns ignoring the points to which

r in favou able criticism might be directed, published such surroundings , was well calculated to call attention to the young etcher. Since 1 880 the weight of individual criticisms even in newspapers of the importance of the T imes has been to some e xtent diminished i ow ng to the large number published , and the quantity and variety of the publications submitted for review ; but twenty -ﬁv e years ago pu blic attention was more easily roused and attracted to a new man, and Mr. Tom Taylor, better remembered now as a dramatist,

P u nch and in connection with than as an art critic, had, through

e i t l honest appr ciation for good work, given a l f of incalcu able value to an artist altogether unknown to him personally or by reputation .

' The edition of ﬁfty after this was in due co u rse completely sold

’ out, and at Mr. Taylor s sale two years after its publication a proof fetched sixteen guineas . C H A P T E R VI

IN T HE EARLY EIGHTIES

l T HE publication of The Vesper Bel , together with the appreciation

- which it met from the press and from the art loving public, practical ly

’ H ai . s determined the subsequent course of Mr g industry, so that he became an etcher instead of an architect. Nevertheless the new career was a development and not a sudden change, and the ﬁrst success had to be followed up with others before his position could

a be said to be established , and before rchitecture, so far as England was concerned , could safely be abandoned . There were other small etchings in existence to meet any inquiries on the part of those whose attention had been attracted as to what this new man had previously

i — a done. Among these, Go ng his Rounds small plate showing a priest walking among his parishioners, with a boy carrying a basket

“ and Flemish Lace- workers were compositions of 1 87 2 and 1 877

u respectively . The etchings of Scottish architect re were also there

’ a to f ll back upon, for Sir Rowand Anderson s projected work had been found likely to be of a very costly character, so far as its

u l n prod ction was concerned, and had practica ly bee abandoned .

For some time, therefore, the work for Mr. Ewan Christian 33 F 34 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

t and other architects occupied the day ime, and the etching was done of an evening, the subjects chosen being those which his own inventive faculty could supply. One of the facts, by the way, which Mr. Haig recalls as to his early life and work is that at this time and for some while after he could work without the aid of

glasses, although he had to use them on ordinary occasions, and l could not see anything even at smal distances without them . Now, however, he works with spectacles, as indeed is not surprising with a man no longer young, but his sight for distance has so much

x improved that he never uses them at all e cept for reading, for etching, and for similar purposes. ff The two serious e orts with which Mr. Haig very soon followed “ l ! i up The Vesper Bel , sim lar in character, and resembling it in pro

“ “ ! portions, were A Quiet Hour and The Morning of the Festival.

Both of these deal with imaginary subjects . They are pictures with

t architectural backgrounds, composed from scenes visited by the ar ist when travelling upon the Continent. He acknowledges his indebted

- x ness. Sketch books with notes of Chartres provided , to some e tent,

“ ! the foundations of A Quiet Hour, and Bruges was laid under

! n contribution for The Morni g of the Festival. The former may be said to be the more purely architectural in that a pair of lovers on a bridge enjoying the eventide supply the only human interest to the i scene, a general sense of tranquillity being adm rably conveyed by still water, restful shadows , houses in evening twilight with slowly

a rising smoke ascending from their chimneys, and t pering spires the Spires of Chartres Cathedral — rising against a still background of summer sky. This and The Morning of the Festival have both MORNING OF T HE FESTIVAL

See page 72

36 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

- personality, and mental properties, which common sense at once shows are not translatable by an engraver, however talented .

The second etching to be published by the Art J ournal was the

x work of A el Haig, who signed it with a monogram in the corner,

a enclosed in a circle and not quite e sy to decipher, which he used

“ sometimes at this early period of his career. It was entitled An

“ ! Old German Mill, and was one of his compositions or fancy

“ ! u . pictures fo nded upon something seen somewhere Seeing, by the way, with Mr. Haig means making one or more pencil sketches, such as are published here, which serve to remind the

n artist vividly of the thi g seen . The editor on this occasion intro du ced Mr . Haig to his readers as one who within the last year or two has sprung into fame as an etcher of some plates of highly imaginative character, especially as regards the piles of buildings which he has reared up in the backgrounds of the scenes he has

! depicted. In the ensuing month the same publication produced

“ an etching by Mr. Birket Foster of An Old English Mill, affording an opportunity to compare or to contrast style and subject alike .

1 882 . l The following year, , marks a change of subject Stil an architect, as indeed so far as Sweden is concerned he ever will be ,

the Mr . Haig completed an etching showing his views as to how

Cathedral of Upsala in his native land might be restored . This, as

w a the scheme suggested s not carried out, may be said to partake of

“ ! the nature of a portrait of the spot in question , of a composition , and of one of those architectural drawings which he was in the habit im of making on behalf of others . Upsala, however, was not his

l x portant work in that year. Chartres had ﬁgured to a smal e tent IN THE EARLY EIGHTIES 37

“ 1 882 in A Quiet Hour, but in he began a series of etchings of l this great and wonderful cathedral . A fu ler account of these will be found in the pages devoted to describing the etchings, in which a few notes are added relating to the places and bu ildings which the plates represent. This has seemed to be the most desirable course

as to adopt, these Opening chapters are intended for notes more or fi less biographical, and personal to Mr. Haig . It is suf cient to say “ ! “ ! 1 881 here that In the Aisles, The Great North Porch , in , and

“ Under the Great North Porch , and Chartres, Street Scene and

1 882 u re re Cathedral, , were important contrib tions to the many p i sentat ons of a splendid subject. They were also works which were calculated to call attention to their producer, and to win for him admirers desirous of possessing them .

1 882 a l In another large etching, besides the two of Ch rtres a ready

u e . u mentioned , was p blish d For this also the s bject was found in

i . France, and was one tolerably famil ar to English travellers The

resemblance in situation, in general outline, and in name between

Mont St. Michel on the coast of Normandy near Avranches and

’ St. Michael s Mount, close to Marazion on the shores of Cornwall, and known in every nursery as the erstwhile home of the Giant f Cormoran, is su ﬁciently striking for a representation of the one to

x e cite interest in those more closely acquainted with the other.

In Mont St. Michel, crowned with its historic Abbey, piled high in

a w . st tely grandeur above the little to n that nestles beneath it, Mr

u Haig found a subject well suited to him, and one, no do bt, better adapted to the display of his power to deal with architecture than

’ the castle home of the St. Aubyns in our own Mount s Bay . 38 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

That he studied it closely, as well as from the point of view selected for his etching, was proved by interesting drawings of its detail, such as portions of the roof made upon the roof itself, hung

’ ai at the recent exhibition of Mr. H g s drawings and etchings held by The Fine Art Society . The result of his study was the plate of which a reproduction is given— one of the four very large ones which ff he has at di erent times completed . It was a very considerable

u . undertaking, and it met with a proportionate amo nt of success

’ Hai . s Some description of the subject from Mr g own pen , appended to the description of the etching at a later page, will Show how impressed he was with the grandeur of his subject and with its historical associations. It will also serve to inform us that some years of almost continuous residence in England and Scotland had enabled him to express himself in our language as vigorously and

n picturesquely as with his pencil or etchi g needle . A criticism, also quoted , is a reminder that an etched plate nearly a yard high and proportionately broad is one of unusual dimensions, but justiﬁed

and by a grandiose subject treated in a broad masterful manner, and

“ ’ that Mont St. Michel formed another important step in the artist s d i roa to publ c recognition .

’ H ai s In the next few years there is a Slight pause in Mr. g pro wi t gress as an etcher, o ng to his having been busy with more stric ly

“ ! architectural work and with other matters. Peterborough Cathedral 1 883 was published in , but can hardly be claimed as one of his most

! 1 884 “ l l successful plates, and in A Corner of Sevi le Cathedra and

! A Moorish Archway, which latter plate has been reproduced , Show ff that he had by now visited Spain to some e ect, although his best E R F S RG KL INE RANKREICH, TRASSBU

40 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK

Etching and sketching are brothers, but the public like a picture with ﬁnish and body in it to hang on their walls ; and this is what Mr. Haig has supplied them with, without overstepping the legi timate boundaries of his art . He has given us etchings which combine much of the completeness of a steel engraving with

v it al . the tone, the colour, and the touch of pen and ink drawing l ! Yet he has on y served one master, and that is his own imagination . Of the particular etching published in connection with this article “ ff the writer added , The crowning e ect of all this picturesqueness ff and life is repose, and this e ect is produced by the just balance of all the elements of design . Balance of gables and arches, balance

al of straight lines and curves, balance of light and shade, b ance of

a colour and colourlessness , balance of warmth and coolness, b lance

— in ﬁ ures— of perpendicular and horizontal, and g balance of energy and apathy. C H A P T E R V I I

1 885— 1 89 2

T HE name of Axel Haig is usuall y associated with etchings which to many in England represent places with which they are unfamiliar, and he cannot certainl y in his choice of subjects be accused of hi partiality evinced towards the country of s adoption . He has in not a few instances preferred to go over ground which , when he

ﬁrst traversed it, was almost untrodden so far as British artists were

n d has concer e , and as a rule left our cathedrals to those more dis

f . 1 885 posed to stay at home than himsel In , however, he published seven plates of Westminster Abbey, one of which has been repro

d ls du ce . This one shows the chancel with the altar rai and altar perhaps the portion of the Abbey most easily to be recognised by those who worship in it . It forms one of a set of ﬁve small plates, the others of which are descriptive of nooks with which those are best acquainted who drop their dignity and “ do the Abbey as d tourists, with the same interest that they would isplay towards a cathedral in a foreign city . The other two etchings that make up

are the seven larger, one being a view of the north chancel aisle

. ul looking eastward towards the Chapel of St Pa , and with the 4 1 G

1 885— 1 89 2 43

in Northern Spain , described in fuller detail elsewhere . Of the others

ﬁve may, however, be mentioned here the aquatints of the interior of the Cathedral of Toledo , produced in the same year. This is the

’ Hai s most important part of Mr. g plates in which aquatint has

x almost superseded line etching, although the two are to some e tent

n combined in it, and those who tur to the reproduction can j udge with what complete success this particular meth od was employed .

1 89 0 l i x In there fol owed a ﬁne etch ng of the e terior of Burgos,

C i showing the loisters, a strong study of bright sunl ght and deep

in 189 1 - shadow, and the landscape shown in the water colour of

Segovia was the subject of an etching on an unusually large scale . These three years may be said therefore to have been devoted mainly

al to Northern Spain , although other places , including Cairo, so claimed

- attention . A water colour of a Cairene subject has been reproduced , and also the etching known as the Arab Quarter.

’ H ai s Mention has been made of Mr . g marriage, and Mrs . Haig and he have endured together the discomforts of Spanish travel .

x It might be a slight e aggeration to call them dangers, but in places

e x such as Burgos and Tol do travelling and hotels are not lu urious,

f . l and were less so ﬁ teen or twenty years ago The risk of i lness, at all events , has to be faced in very insanitary surroundings, and the knife is a weapon which still plays its part in the casual alterca tions of the inhabitants . Mr. Haig, however, is a sturdy gentleman

- of peaceful inclinations and law abiding habits . Accompanying the description of the etching of Pampeluna will be found a record of an occasion when he was arrested by the military authorities on the ground that he was placing on record the details of their fortiﬁca 44 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK

tions and defences , but beyond the temporary anxiety occasioned to Mrs. Haig by his detention , the incident had no serious result. He narrates how on one occasion on a mountain road in Northern

ox Spain he was attacked by an infuriated , but fortunately it

- threw him to the side of the road where the hill side sloped upwards.

r l Had it sent him in the other di ection, a fal down the precipice that

had ff i . yawned below would have a di erent end ng These, however, are but small matters to look back upon and none can deny that the etchings referred to, and in particular the two large ones of Burgos ff and that of the interior of Toledo, were worth whatever e ort they l may have required, or that they were calculated to estab ish a i position the way to which had been paved by those preced ng them.

Among the minor etchings by Mr. Haig appearing during this period mention may be made of two The Round Tower, Windsor

! u u Castle, p blished in the year of the ﬁrst Jubilee of Q een Victoria

Art J ou rna l x in the , and etched e pressly for that purpose ; and

“ ! 1 89 2 . A Street in Cologne, published in the same magazine in The latter of these was accompanied by reproductions of several

’ ! - r of the etcher s best known works, including the Interior of Bu gos,

“ and the Moorish Archway, Toledo, and by an interesting notice,

l . . biographical as wel as critical, from the pen of Mr Lewis Hind The following passages from this article gi ve an ex cellent summary of the position which its subject then occupied as an etcher, and are

i . equally appl cable now. Mr Hind wrote thus

“ Since the time when Mr. Haig set a new fashion with these

his tall strong plates, many have essayed to follow in footsteps, but their forerunner has not lost a fraction of a lap . He started alone,

46 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

a won so swift an appreciation were it not for this feeling for rom nce . His is that rare heritage to please himself and the publi c at the same

fﬁ . time . That he has tra cked to popular taste none can suggest In fact his late subjects are less convincing to the multitude than say

’ ‘ u . A Q iet Hour, which at least contained a pair of lovers His work call s a street- bred race to the kn owledge of a wider world fﬁ of a past, alongside which the present, engrossing and su cient i though it be, is but a s ngle incident in a long journey, of other

0 11 customs, other adventures, of peoples whose activities the curtain has long been rung down . To those whom fortune has given the leisure to experience these things the Haig etchings are mementoes ; to those who have seen no city but their own they are an earnest

’ of life s possibilities .

has 1 89 2 This, as been said, was written in , the year of the i publication of the Portals of Rheims, an etching which w ll always

’ i x . Ha s take its place as one of the ﬁnest of Mr g e teriors, and which at the time of its appearance had no need to fear comparison with those of Chartres, or with any others that had preceded it . In the same year the etcher published some plates with a Leeds

’ publisher, with Mr. Dunthorne s assent, but they related to Kirkstall

Abbey in Yorkshire, and so had a strong local interest. HE W ST ’ T H . MADONNA IT A MUSKET, MARK S, VENICE

S ee page 146

C H A P T E R V I I I

RECENT YEARS

T HE illustrations to this volume will be found to include one of

x the two large etchings which Mr . A el Haig completed during 1 89 3 — that of Durham Cathedral It will be seen to be a good ex ample of his skill in dealing with both perspective and details subjects in which his training as an architect has stood him in good

e c e i stead , and it shows the choir of one of the most beautiful cl s astical buildings in England . Another fine interior of this year was that of Amiens, a striking etching into which the artist has intro du ced a (for him) unusual number of figu re s— a crowd of little girls dr essed in white for their first communion . In the notes on this

’ Hai s plate will be found some of Mr. g observations upon the archi tecture of the cathedral, and particularly of the portion shown ; and it is interesting to be able to quote also his words with regard to the eff ect which a masterpiece of Gothic architecture produced upon him . They will serve to show him not merely as an artist selecting ll a subject for the display of his own ski , but as an enthusiast revelling in its beauty. It will be seen that this enthusiasm has lasted from the days when it was ﬁrst roused in one young and 47 48 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK comparatively inexperienced to the time when many years later he

u x gave to it in an etching the f llest e pression that lay in his power. The passage quoted is from a pamphlet published simultaneously with the plate, which commences thus

Reader, you may be a great traveller, familiar with most of the monumental masterpieces of the world, and no doubt you have seen

Amiens Cathedral, and may or may not agree with the French savant who calls it the queen among the cathedrals of France. But

ou whatever y may think, I wish here to record the impression this

x l f vast e ample of re igious art has made upon mysel , and I too have seen a few things worth remembering. When, many years ago , I

ﬁrst visited Amiens I had seen very little and knew very little indeed of Gothic art, but, in spite of my ignorance, it occurred to me decidedly that whatever else I might see in after years, anything

t n more j ust in proportion, more s rong in buildi g, and more harmoni o u sly and loftily noble I should not be likely to see anywhere.

x Advancing in years and e perience, and having visited Amiens sub

r has sequently many times, the ﬁ st impression even deepened , and the interior of this Cathedral still is to me all that is most pure and beautif ul in Gothic form at least, if not in colour. Observe the i boldness of the vertical l nes, the continuity of the horizontal ones ,

r the lightness and elegance of the columns, the cu ve of the vaulting

x a nd arches and ribs, j ust sufﬁciently pointed at the ape , yet full bold ; the temperate richness of detail, and the straightforward

: simplicity of the whole . So much for form as for colour, it must

the ff be admitted that e ect of nave, chancel, and apse is somewhat cold ; yes, cold, after the interiors of Italy, glowing with glorious

50 AXE L HAIG AND HIS WORK

as It seems to me that just this care out of, as well in, sight, con

l was stit ut es as it were the sou and conscience of art, as it under f stood by the honest workers o old . I am writing this in Amiens m 1 89 3 itself, and the cold and darkness of this month of Nove ber cannot chill my interest in the old church, which says many most

a eloquent things to me ; and if life and he lth are granted me, I hope

u to return to the subject again , and show the res lt of some studies

I am now engaged on .

! Canterbury from the Stour is the next in point of time of the

a 1 9 04 etchings which have been reproduced ; and in the same ye r, , are two other plates showing the same cathedral, or rather portions of it, from within and from without . The one in which the Stour forms a foreground , with ﬁelds and broad meadows between the

x Spectator and the city, has been chosen as a good e ample of what

. s Mr. Haig can achieve in landscape His name is usually a sociated

al in with purely architectur subjects, the presentment of which he has deservedly earned a high reputation , and he is, no doubt, well

’ me im and prudently advised to adhere mainly to these . At the sa t e it is natural that he should sometimes desert his ﬁrst love, and pu t before the public a scene in which architecture plays but a

r . secondary part, or f om which it is altogether absent This etching

o ne of Canterbury, and the of Assisi in the light of the evening sun

in autumn, which, by the way, also has a river ﬂowing in the fore l l ground, but not conspicuous, wi l prove that he can deal successfu ly

- ff l with Open air themes of widely di erent character, for nothing cou d

be more English than the one or less so than the other, while both i “ are full of the same sp rit of peace and repose. An English AMIENS CATHEDRAL : A FRAGMEN T FROM T HE HISTORY S ALV IUS

See page-v 55 and

RECENT YEARS 51

1 89 3 Pastoral, also, of the preceding year, , may be referred to as an instance of Mr . Haig as an etcher of broad ﬁelds and ﬂowing water . i He will not, however, be found lingering long in rustic surround ngs, i ll as a glance at the list of etch ngs belonging to this date wi prove,

al and one of the Cathedral of Tarrag ona, two of P encia, and one of Leon, are evidence of wanderings farther aﬁeld than Kent. A

“ drawing of Leon and the well - known etching of The T rascoro of

Palencia Cathedral are reproduced , and will be found interesting

x e amples of his work with pencil and with needle. The situation of the choir of Spanish cathedrals in the nave and not in the chancel

x l r is e plained in the notes to the Spanish plates, and is we l illust ated in this etching of the wonderfully carved western boundary or screen

al of the choir at Palencia, and in the aquatint of Toledo Cathedr .

The etching of Burgos also shows a railed way leading from the cor o or choir to the eastern end of the building .

’ Hai s Venice had been visited very early in Mr. g travels, and in 1 89 7 and in the two foll owing years it ﬁgured largely in the

’ i u etchings which he published . St. Mark s suppl es the s bject of two important plates, the largest, measuring nearly three feet

x across, showing the e terior, while the interior is dealt with in the

- others . There are also four of various chapels and well known portions of the interior, not so large in size as either of these, two of which are represented here by drawings . An etching of the

French church of St. Gilles near Arles, belonging to this period, has also been reproduced . i Paris, l ke London , has been left by Mr. Haig largely to others, and an etching of Notre Dame is the only one in which the French 52 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK

. 1 9 00 was capital ﬁgures This was published in , and followed in the two succeeding years by plates of Ulm and of Cefalu .

It will be seen from what has been written above that the

’ H ai s f history of Mr. g li e is in fact the history of his work, and that his story is best told by the long list which closes this volume. To those who read between the lines it is a narrative of untiring

r indust y, of the energetic determination of a man to do his best and to seek for himself opportunities for doing it. Such a tale is one of steady individual progress rather than of the outdistancing of de feated rivals, and , as has been hinted in the last chapter, even travel

- does not vary it with hair breadth escape and e xciting adventure .

n There are o ly small incidents, sometimes untoward, sometimes amusing for those acquainted with the subject of them , but less so

x had for others . Mr. Haig, for e ample, once a narrow escape from spending a night locked up in a chu rch which he had been sketching ; but even if that result had ensued it would hardly have seriously affected a gentleman of his robust constitution and easy conscience . d Moreover he soon obtaine release by making his voice, which is not a weak one, heard from a window in the belfry, when the

a st rtled populace thought that he was a spiritual apparition , and ran away, leaving him to his fate. Mr. Haig is, however, so very unlike a ghost that the delusion was not of long duration, and he was set free . Plenty of anecdotes of this kind , no doubt, could be told of

r . him, but they are ha dly worth dwelling upon

In the two years of 1 9 03- 1 9 04 several excellent plates have to — be chronicled England, France, Italy, and Sicily all contributing subjects. Four belonging to these years have been reproduced , that

54 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK

m to a very recent date. The ost prominent instances alone have been dwelt upon , leaving those who desire to identify and to know

al x l more about sm ler plates to e plore a detailed ist which, without

’ catalo ue r aisonne ill l being a g of the most elaborate character, w sti l, it is hoped , be found to furnish a certain amount of information . There it will be seen that in 1 9 04 the Church of La Madeleine at

Troyes supplied the subject of a large etching, and one, moreover, which is well worthy of inspection . It has not, however, perhaps attracted so much attention as that of the Palatine Chapel at Palermo,

e in . publish d a few months later the year Sicily, the objective of

’ Hai s Mr. g ﬁrst journey from England to Southern Europe, has i g ven him good subjects for brush and needle, as the drawing of

Monreale and the etching of Cefalu will prove, but on the whole his most successful representation of Sicilian architecture is this his most th recent one . The old chapel of e palace of the monarchs of Sicily contains much to attract the artist, whether painter or engraver ; and

’ Hai s Mr. g work must be judged by the standard of those who have not colour at their command to deal alike with fresco and mosaic, stone

i Cha el tracery and sculptured deta l . Since the Palatine p he has

u sought a subject once more in the co ntry of his adoption , and has

fe w found it in the transept of York Minster. Some months have

e . passed since this was complet d , and already Mr Haig is back from a journey to Spain and to Portugal with drawings of Santiago de

C om ostella l B usaco p , of Belem, Bata ha, and , to add to his stores of accumulated material . B ER N ASSISI, OCTO EVENI G

See page 153

C H A P T E R I X

PENCIL DRAWINGS AN D WATER-COLOURS

T HE drawings reproduced here have been chosen as illustrative of

’ M r Hai s i i u . g skill w th his penc l and of the scr pulous care which he bestows upon any study that he makes, as well as on account of the direct connection of some with his published etchings. A

“ ’ pencil drawing of the Madonna del Schioppo, St. Mark s, and two

“ ! - water colours, that of The Arab Students and that of Segovia, will show any one who cares to compare them with etchings of the same subjects that Mr. Haig does not trust to chance or to memory. He

he does not etch his plates on the Spot selected, but composes and draws the picture which he intends to show with his subj ect before him , and some of the pencil drawings will further bear witness to the care which he ex pends in providing himself with all that he may need in the way of detail . Conspicuous among these are the two studies of detail made at Amiens from the carvings of the exterior of the choir screen . This is decorated with a series of scenes sculptured in high relief and coloured, showing on the northern

the side the story of St. John Baptist, and on the other the legends

n of St. Saulve and St. Firmi The man who can make such 56 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

- drawings as these standing, and with his drawing block or board resting on his left forearm, must have a sure hand and a practised

x one . This, however, is how Mr. A el Haig makes many of his studies, if not most of them, and a brother artist describes how he has seen him at work in a busy street standing imperturbable and

- b . absorbed amid the passers y In a church, almost as much as in

h be a thoroug fare, there must considerable convenience in being independent alike of easel and of seat.

’ Three drawings of St. Mark s, one of which has already been mentioned , and another of which, The Chapel of the Sacrament, is

an also the subject of etching, are not devoted to the record of

— x — l detail . The third of these that of the e terior wi l remind many

a ll of a famili r aspect of it with the Campanile sti standing, as it is in the large etching made from a different point. Another pencil drawing which deserves Special attention is that of Rheims under repairs. The point from which the building is seen is, as will be

’ r noticed, near the entrance to the Archbishop s ga den, but the merit of the drawing itself lies in its masterly treatment of the building

f ~ as seen through a network of scaf olding. Rheims has been repro du ced in an etching of its western entrance ; the two drawings of its exterior will serve to show how Mr. Haig studies his subject from many points of view before setting to work to etch it, while

a another pencil study gives det il of the Portals ready for use, perhaps actually referred to, in etching the large plate. Similar detail, though on a rather larger scale, is found also in a drawing of the

Church of La Madeleine at Troyes.

Many of the drawings, it will be seen, refer either to subjects

58 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK owes much of its fame to the sculpture with which it is decorated ;

x . although in the opinion of some this has been carried to e cess. Mr Haig openly claims to appreciate that which is good work of its kind ﬁ without distinction or prejudice, and etches that which satis es him ff with the e ect that it produces, without regard to the school of architecture to which it belongs or to the strictness with which it

’

s . x may carry out that school s precept He would not, for e ample, be influenced by the depreciatory tone adopted by the late Mr . G . if E . Street in writing of Burgos, because he holds that even the Moorish element has removed this cathedral from the catalogue of purely Gothic buildings, the result nevertheless is magnificent. Sufficient reference has been made already in an early chapter to

’ Hai s r the circumstances which attended Mr. g ﬁ st journey in southern

- Europe, the date of which is upon the water colour of Monreale . This drawing shows a portion of the cathedral with the royal throne

- conspicuously placed . The subject of another water colour, the

T ro hime a Church of St. p at Arles, is known to many who will re d this volume, and has been referred to in connection with an etching ; but the cloisters seen in the water - colour reproduced have not yet been etched . This drawing therefore remains like that of Monreale,

“ for future use if required . Arab Students has been the subject of an etching which pretty closely follows the lines of the correspond

- l wi ing water colour, as is a so the case th the large plate of Segovia, afterwards reduced in size . Segovia is one of those old cities of

Spain which , though not unknown to British artists and tourists , or

h su fﬁ it might even be said , although well known to t em, is yet cie ntly off the beaten track to possess a certain freshness and PENCIL DRAWINGS AND WATER - COLOURS 59

attraction even in the twentieth century . When Mr. Haig drew it,

- acit it was less accessible, and as his water colour shows it is not y

a l likely to come re di y within the pale of modern civilisation , but is rather, like Toledo and other Spanish towns, ﬁlled with the relics of a

“ ! t . past prosperity, and of better days which have long depar ed

3000 - i Situated more than feet above the sea level, on a hill wh ch rises high above the surrounding plateau, it has been , and indeed is, the capital of the province of the same name. It is, however, a city with a popul ation of about living surrounded by a rampart adorned with towers, amidst ruined monasteries, and beside churches l and mansions of grandees fa ling more or less, according to circum

r r stances, into disrepair . Its cathed al dates from ea ly in the sixteenth

Al az r . centu y , having been built to replace an older structure Its c ar, a building mainly dating from the fourteenth century, rises upon

u . t foundations laid in the eleventh cent ry by Alfonso VI of Cas ile, and two of the towers of the Alcazar also are of that date . Its streets are the narrow and tortuous ways which impede wheeled

af tr ﬁc, and speak of the days when a street might have to be held readily against an attacking enemy . The aqueduct which brings it

i x water is one of the ﬁnest relics of its k nd e tant outside Italy.

The aqueduct, by the way, is the one which the devil built for the lady who mythologically represents Segovia. He desired to have her for his own , and she intimated her willingness to reciprocate his ff a ection , but only on the condition that he would construct for her an aqueduct which would bring water to her door, and so save her from having to go downhill any more to a stream to fetch it.

Satan accordingly built the aqueduct in a single night, and proceeded 6 0 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK

his to claim bride, but she took what may seem to some a mean objection , claiming that as one stone was missing from the aqueduct his contract was unfulﬁlled . This point , worthy of Portia , was upheld by the Church, to which possibly prejudiced body the dispute was referred , and Segoviana escaped the devil ; but the name El

Puento del Diablo is still used by the country folk to remind them of the legend . As a matter of fact the aqueduct was built by the R omans, possibly in the days of Trajan , and has since been repaired in the ﬁfteenth century from the designs of Juan Escovedo , a monk, who closely imitated the original work, and made good the destruction which had been done to it by the Moors. The association of the devil with architectural works which seem to rustic populations too

u m . stupendous for h an hands is, of course, not uncommon The worsting of Satan by a lady with the mind of a special pleader is w l also not ithout para lel, and no doubt was thought to typify the triumph of virtue over evil .

Before leaving the consideration of the water - colours shown in this volume, it is desirable to reiterate that they are just as are the

— pencil drawings notes which Mr. Haig has made for use in his etched work , and that he has not ever claimed to be an artist in this

n re rodu c medium . Indeed he has bee unwilling to lend them for p tion , and has done so only on the assurance that the circumstances in which they were mad e and the purposes for which they were intended should not be forgotten .

6 2 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

work in domestic architecture that merits more than a passing glance .

u - Perhaps, however, the most c rious feature of the dining room is the

iv way in which the y, with which the outside of the house is covered at this point, has forced its way in above the low, long window and

x spreads itself lu uriantly inside the room . Upstairs are pictures every

— - - where water colours by Mr. Haig, water colours by other artists, etchings by his hand and etchings by others, including more than one

Whistler. It is, however, the studio that those must visit who desire

. a hi s . i to understand Mr H ig and work It is a large room, open ng

a l - into the hall, with a g llery at one end ful of book shelves, and again

- i with etchings and water colours everywhere. It w ll at once be seen

’ that there is none of the free Space that is associated with a painter s studio . A large table in the centre piled high with books and papers arrests the eye, and closer inspection shows that most of the books

- l are sketch books of various sizes, sma l and large . Close by another

m l u table is si i arly occupied, altho gh this is capable of being cleared

n l and of being then discovered to be a mi iature bil iard table. Open

— - a carved oak cupboard sketch books again, not by dozens but by if scores, and all, you look inside them, ﬁlled with notes by the way, with scraps of landscape, with sketches of buildings, with notes of d i i detail, with stu ies of ﬁgures standing, sitt ng, and kneel ng, in every variety of pose and costume. On an easel is whatever plate may be in the course of preparation , and beyond is another studio, or rather

- a workshop, with water supply, baths for the immersion of plates,

’ bottles of acid, a printing press, and all that is necessary to the etcher s craft. Pull out a drawer anywhere and it is full of proofs or of drawings , and you will notice that it is but one of many similarly AT THE PRESENT TIME 63

i ﬁlled . Truth to tell, however, not everyth ng is put away in drawers, if and Mrs . Haig, you ask her, will agree cordially with you that the studio is not altogether a tidy place ; but in it Mr. Haig rules supreme — i as far as may be, and he l kes to have everything connected with his work around him .

’ Hai s be Not far from Mr. g house, by the bye, will found another

x most attractive e ample of his work as an architect, in the Church of

Gra swood All Saints, y , for which the parish is indebted to the gener

o sit . . . u . y of Mr A H Harman , a neighbo r and friend of the architect

As has been said elsewhere, Mr. Haig in England is an etcher .

u i In his native co ntry he is an etcher and an arch tect as well . There

his work is to be seen , to mention a few instances, at Floda , a large

r S Odermannland his count y church in , which ﬁgures in etchings . It

ai is celebrated for the old p ntings which , as is frequently the case in

Swedish churches, decorate its walls ; and Mr. Haig is responsible for

ai n x its restoration, with additions, as well as for wall p nti gs e ecuted

ft has e a er his designs in the new portion, in which work he be n associ

ated with his friend, Mr. Almquist, as his colleague. At Dalhem , a

country church in Gotland , he has restored and has furnished wall

paintings ; at Ardre also , in the same island, the work of restoration

has also been his. The restoration here includes that of wall paintings, t some of which date from the ﬁf eenth century. Wisby Cathedral also

’ x l Hai . s has been restored e ternal y under Mr g directions, and wall

i al paintings are st ll being prepared for its intern decoration . In much

of this work he has not been alone, but acknowledges the assistance

- . E M r. D d co . . o shu and operation of W g n of Leeds . Other minor

works need not be mentioned here. 6 4 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

. x x in Little has been said above of Mr Haig as an e hibitor, e cept “ B ! connection with The Vesper ell, and as a matter of fact he does not “ x i E n . ofte show in London, e cept at The Pa nter tchers To that

t now society he was elected soon af er its foundation, and he is a

e member of its committee, while he is always represented at its x

i n x his hibit o s . At e hibitions in Sweden and in the provinces work is seen also from time to time . At the Royal Academy he used

x . to e hibit, but he has not done so recently Nothing also has hitherto been said as to the decorations

in and rewards won by Mr. Haig such as are not bestowed h f al . u ave . this co ntry, in which artists little o ﬁci recognition Mr

Haig, besides being a member of the Royal Academy of Sweden , has been the recipient of two Swedish Orders, that of the Nord

— — stj ernan the Order of the Northern Star and the Wasa . He has

d ﬁrst - won three me als in Paris one at the Salon , another, a class gold

al x 1 9 00 med , at the International E hibition of , and another medal at the International E xhibition of 1 89 8. He has received awards at

Adelaide and at Chicago, a medal at Munich, and honourable mention — t at Berlin . He also tells a story of a Spanish Order tha of Charles

— hav1n II I . g been conferred upon him, of which he read in the f t newspapers, but of which no o ﬁcial intima ion and no insignia ever reached him. This, however, is an omission which it is not too late

s f i x to remedy, and should any Spani h o ﬁc al doubt the e tent to which

M n e r r. Haig has made know to Britons and Americans the archit ctu al treasures of his country he has only to scan the long list of etchings which follows this brief outline of biography .

6 6 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 877

publication . In each year they follow, as a rule, in order of their size, those published in groups or usually associated together being separated as little as possible . The ﬁrst two etchings, with the third

x and fourth e periments of the artist, are, however, placed ﬁrst in their year.

The dimensions recorded are those of the engraved surface, and are x e pressed in inches and fractions of inches, the width being given

ﬁrst. The ﬁgures in parenthesis following the dimensions give the number of proofs issued of the subject in question. They are not

in a x u printed all c ses , but rather as e amples, and m st not therefore be taken as suggesting in any way that there have been unlimited editions where they have been omitted . As a matter of fact their if absence in many cases indicates, anything, that the etching has never been formally put upon the market, and that but few examples of it exist.

1 877

1 2 . . AND

’ Hai s ﬁ x As Mr. g rst two e periments in etching have not been accessible for the purpose of measurement and description , it is only possible to say that they were small, presumably not larger than his third and fourth attempts mentioned below, and that they probably bear the record as do these of the order in which they were made, together with his name or initials. The subject of the ﬁrst is a

— windmill that of the second has been forgotten by its author . His later works during the ﬁrst year in which he tried his hand on the copper-plate and after are as follows ’ CAIRO ‘ IHE TOMB OF KAIT B EY

1 877 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJECTS 67

3 . VERONA

Houses seen from the opposite bank of the river, with towers and

the campanile rising behind them . In the foreground are

ﬁgures of women , some of whom are kneeling close to the water

- washing clothes . In the left hand corner is the inscription

“ 3. 5 x 3 . A . H . (in a circle) 7 7 . Etching No . 5 2

— — M r. Since this plate was ﬁrst etched indeed, quite recently

Haig has added some aquatint to the treatment of the sky, a form

of etching with which he was not acquainted in 1 87 7 .

4 . NUREMBERG

A courtyard between houses, above which rises a circular tower .

- Horses and carts in the courtyard . In the left hand corner is

“ 4. 5 etched Etching No . 5x

l he arin This ittle plate and the preceding one, g as they do upon their surface the record of their position in the development of the

’ artist s work, have been placed ﬁrst . Those which follow are

arranged under the years of which they bear the date, but as has

been said their order in those years is not chronological .

5. LINLITHGOW

The palace rises in the background with the lake lying below it. In t the foreground are trees right and lef , with a boat containing

three ﬁgures nearing the shore . The signature is in the right 6 8 AXEL HAI G AND HI S WORK 1 877

hand corner, and contains the full name of the artist with the

1 8 1 8 7 . date 77 , above and 7 below the name Haig He did not

use this somewhat elaborate method of signing often , nor has he 5 recently . 7} x

6 . T H E WEST DOORWAY, HOLYROOD

m The doorway, which is at the angle for ed by two portions of the

building, occupies the middle of the plate, and is richly carved .

A man and boy are entering, and two women are coming out .

8 x 1 1 . Above are the empty windows of a ruin . g

This plate has been reproduced in order to Show the nature of the

a work undert ken by Mr . Haig for the book on Scottish Architecture which Sir Rowand Anderson had invited him to illustrate. It also gives an idea of his powers in his early days as an etcher before he had produced The Vesper Bell, and embarked upon large plates and more important subjects. The task which he set himself in etching this Doorway at Holy rood was not an ambitious one, compared with some of the great interiors of continental cathedrals which he was to work at a few

. as years later If, however, the decorative details be studied, such

’ the line of angels heads immediately over the doorway, the small f head in a medallion to the le t of it, or the shield above, it will be seen that quite apart from his knowledge of perspective drawing and l his ski l in drawing such particulars as these with his pencil, he had learnt to make the copper-plate ex press his meaning with considerable

r x clearness and force . There is a ce tain hardness and e cess of

7 0 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 879

1 87 8

1 0 HIS R OUN D s . GOING

A priest going his rounds with a boy carrying a basket. The priest 5 1 00 is stopping to speak to children . 7 2x . (

An early “ composition or fancy study embodying notes of architectural features recorded by the artist at Bruges .

1 1 . MELROSE

“ Etched in the right- hand corner is Melrose Abbey : a View from ! i Chancel. It shows two complete arches of the ru n , one being

seen through the other. Between them is a broken archway,

under which two ﬁgures are standing . This was one of the etch

14 m . ings made as an illustration of Scottish Architecture . 7 9 x g

1 879

1 2 T HE . VESPER BELL

In u u the foregro nd are steps, p which three women are passing from

left to right. Beyond them a man and a woman , and beyond

these a procession carrying a cruciﬁx and torches are proceeding

towards and under an archway which occupies the centre of the

picture . The ﬁgures are in old Flemish costume . The arch is

surmounted by a covered way connecting two houses o n either

x side, and above the covered way is a cruciﬁ with two small

e statues. The background is formed by a church , with a ste p CEFA LU CATHED RAL

See page 149

1 879 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 7 1

l roof and ﬂying buttresses visible . In the belfry a bel is seen

1 2 x 2 1 ringing. g 3.

’ - Hai a . s This well known etching, the earliest and sc rcest of Mr g more important works, has been reproduced, and has been described

“ l ft . in Chapter V . On y ﬁ y proofs of it were issued It is a com

or position fancy picture, with architectural details founded upon buildings at Nuremburg . Mr. Haig still has in old notebooks some of the pencil sketches which he made use of in etching it.

1 3 : T HE O F S T . R . CAEN TOWER PIERRE F OM THE LANTERN OF THE HOTEL DE VALOIS

“ The open side of the lantern has the effect of a lofty round -topped

a arch, in deep sh dow, framing the view beyond . This consists

of sunlit sky and white clouds, and standing out against them

portions of the steeply pitched roof and Spire of the church .

74x 1 4),

: 1 4. JEDBURGH ABBEY A DOORWAY

Elaborately carved Norman doorway of Jedburgh Abbey, with dog 1 tooth carving above the circular arch . 7 3x 03.

Another of the illustrations intended for Sir Rowand Anderson ’ s

book , which , with two others (The West Doorway, Holyrood, and

South Aisle, Holyrood), has been published since by Mr. Dunthorne, f t the issue being conﬁned to ﬁ y impressions in all three cases . 7 2 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 880

1 5 - . FLEMISH LACE WORKERS

A Street in Bruges , with a row of women seated outside their house

doors making lace, and a priest passing in front of them .

1 1 x 75.

F or HUY 1 6 . O A DOORWAY THE CHURCH NOTRE DAME AT , BELGIUM

A double doorway surmounted with carved ﬁgures illustrating the

Adoration of the Mag i and other subjects . In the foreground a k waggon, and to the right a lady wal ing followed by a dog.

74x 1 0g.

This plate, of which Mr . D unthorne published proofs, came out

Et h r c e . in the , a periodical which has Since ceased to be issued It

“ was then entitled A Corner at Huy, on the Meuse , and was accompanied by a descriptive note from the pen of Mr. Haig.

1 880

T HE O F 17 . MORNING THE FESTIVAL

A canal or river ﬂowing through a town , with picturesque houses ’ d rising from the water s e ge . Along the stream are borne barges

- mediazval laden with holiday makers in attire, while others crowd l at windows and on ba conies to watch them, or wait beside the

n water to embark. The river is crossed by a bridge surmou ted

by a Gothic chapel with a tapering spire . Beyond rises the 2 1 tower of a church . x g.

7 4 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 880

than any description for those who are not acquainted with it, and will serve to recall it to the minds of those not fortunate enough to possess one of the original etchings .

AN OL D 1 9 . GERMAN MILL

- t A high building with a mill wheel occupies the lef of this plate, and

x 0 in the foreground runs the stream with boats on it. 7 1 35.

’ “ Hai s This is one of Mr. g early compositions , and was founded

u - upon sketches made at L neburg, a quaint old fashioned Hanoverian town in which many picturesque subjects might be found . Prints of

J r l Art ou na . it were published in the , as mentioned in Chapter VI

0 2 . A STREET IN FRANCE This little narrow “ upright plate shows a glimpse of a narrow i passage with steps leading upwards between high bu ldings .

There are ﬁgures ascending and descending, and in the back 4 ground are two Spires . 3x 75

This is more or less a composition, but any one familiar with

’ H ai s Chartres, or indeed with Mr. g work of this period, will recog

r nise the two spi es, and understand that that city has suggested and

l . inspired , if it has not directly supp ied , the subject

1 2 . HADDON HALL

f man A bridge to the le t over a stream, with a on it turning to a

woman in the doorway of a building beyond . A glimpse of the

Hall is visible through trees on the right of picture. 7 x A ! UIE T HOUR

See page 73

1 881 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 75

1 881

R : T HE R 22 . CHARTRES CATHED AL GREAT NORTH PO CH

The North Porch of Chartres Cathedral, seen from a point farther

“ ! from it than in the etching Under the North Porch, in which

the spectator is almost beneath the porch itself. In this plate

the porch is seen from the west, so that the Cathedral is to the

- right of the spectator as he faces south eas t. The front of the

a porch is in sh dow, sunlight illuminating its western side only. Owing to the greater distance at which the Spectator ﬁnds him

the in x self steps, scarcely seen the ne t plate, are visible, and down these a procession is advancing which has left the

Cathedral and turned to the left so as to pass under the western

2 . opening of the porch . 1 7 x 2 5

The many beauties of Chartres Cathedral, its distant aspect

r and the ichness of its decorative details, evidently possessed con ff siderable r . att action for Mr Haig at this period , and a orded him an

x l e cellent opportunity for demonstrating his ski l as a draughtsman .

The elaborately carved ﬁg ures of the north porch in particu lar have been studied by him with great care, and have been reproduced

“ in two important etchings, usually known as The Great North

! Porch and Under the North Porch .

These two plates, together with two which have been placed l among the works of the fol owing year, form a series which not only

a i attr cted considerable attention when they ﬁrst appeared, but wh ch

’ H ai s have always ranked among Mr. g most noteworthy achieve

. T imes l ments The published the fo lowing review of this series, 7 6 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 88 1 which may conveniently be quoted as the opinion of an independent and contemporary authority, as well as on account of the historical information contained in it.

T im a i The es s id Mr. Haig is mak ng an important addition to

ae his illustrations in etching of medi val architecture. No person who has lingered about the cathedral at Chartres will be able to under it ff stand the neglect has su ered at the hands of English artists .

It is certainly a picturesque obj ect, whether seen from afar, rising high above the other parts of the city, with the Eure ﬂowing through i the sm ling landscape on every Side, or from a distance of only a few i hundred yards. Its impos ng size, its symmetrical proportions, its graceful lines, its tall towers and spires, its massive portals, its many

— statues, its wealth of painted windows all this can hardly fail to impress even a tourist scouring over the country against time . Nor is the ediﬁce without interest to the antiquary and the historian . i Begun by Fulbert, it did not assume its present form unt l the thirteenth century, and in point of sty le may be said to belong to that period . Its association with the Holy Mother brought it fame

and wealth . Pilgrims repaired to it from all points of the compass.

1 59 4 Here, in , when Reims was in possession of the League, Henri

sainte am u le Quatre was crowned, the place of the p o being taken by some of the oil supposed to have been left by an angel with

St. Martin of Tours to heal a wound . In the words of Dean

‘ Stanley, the second image, supposed to date from the time when

Chartres was the centre of the Druidic worship, as described by

’

ae 1 7 9 3 l année terri ble. C sar, stood in the crypt, and was burnt in , The church still contains the relic of the Sacra Camisia given by

7 8 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 881

m This is not a large plate, but is one of the most ad ired of Mr.

’ Hai s g etchings of church interiors , and has been reproduced in ff this volume . In style it di ers from the two etchings representing

’ x the North Porch , and is an e ample of the artist s delicate and reﬁned skill in dealing with a beautiful interior in a subdued and com

in paratively uniform light, whereas the two etchings of the porch he f has relied upon broad and strong ef ects of sunshine and shadow.

The notice which this etching received in the Atlzenceu m

29 th 1 882 a re of August may be quoted, in order to Show the pp

’ ciation Hai s accorded to Mr. g early plates by a contemporary

“ ! reviewer, whose good word was worth having In the Aisles,

’ Chartres is the title of the third etching, which gives an interior

a - u view, landsc pe wise, including the entrance to the s perb chevet of the cathedral , with , on the screen of the choir, the Flamboyant Gothic and Renaissance carvings of the greatest elaboration and boldness. Near the centre of the view is one of the stately and l elegant pi lars of the ambulatory, which, with its fellows, divides

rv . the cu ing path into two alleys Sunlight fills the front, and is reflected into the vista with ever-diminishing brightness ; but the distant piers which are opposed to the windows of the radiating chapels beyond lose none of their solidity. The stupendous solemnity of the architecture could not be more finely rendered than by this print .

2 4 : F OR R OF . UPSALA DESIGN THE RESTO ATION THE CATHEDRAL

In the foreground the river rushes down a weir under an embank

ment faced with stone . Close by are market stalls and a ' ‘ CHAR IRES CATHEDRAL : IN THE AISLES

See p age 77

1 88 1 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJECTS 7 9

’ blacksmith s forge situated in an open Space which ex tends d to the cathedral and the house adjoining it. The cathe ral

has at its west end two lofty spires, behind which is a smaller

1 3 x 22 one. 35 i .

This etching does not represent Upsala as it is, nor was it ever intended to do so. Some time ago the question of restoring arose, and Mr. Haig, who in his native country is well known as an architect as well as an etcher, made suggestions as to the form which i i the restoration or completion of the build ng m ght assume . This

’ he embodied in an etching, a form of making the architect s meaning

a plain, which has the advant ge over the majority of purely archi t e ct u ral drawings, of presenting the proposed building with its t surroundings composed into an attrac ive picture, so that the result

of the design can be fully recognised. Eventually, however, Mr.

’ Hai s x g suggestion was not carried into e ecution , and the work was

Zett ervall done upon lines laid down by Herr , the Government

architect. The two spires which are conspicuous in the etching

are consequently absent from the building as it stands, and those who travel in Sweden and visit Upsala will ﬁnd that in other

. l matters Mr Haig has not etched it quite as they wil see it. Upsal a is the great un iversity town of Sweden and the seat of the Arch

. in f bishop Its university was founded the ﬁ teenth century, and its

A . D 1 260 cathedral, which is of brick, had its origin about . .

25 . A S WEDISH PULPIT

A portion of the interior of a church with a pulpit, and pews

in which are seated the congregation . The preacher, who is 80 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 882

- addressing his hearers from the pulpit, has a black skull cap

a x on his he d in some impressions, but in others has not. 7 1 0.

The church, of which part only appears in this plate, is the

Old SOderma nlan interesting Swedish country church of Floda in n d.

Since the date of the etching it has been considerably enlarged , and

is in process of being decorated from designs by Mr. Haig . The skull - cap mentioned above as being worn by the preacher was inserted by the etcher after some impressions had been taken , in order to prevent any one from thinking that he had intended to portray the actual incumbent of the church .

: T HE O F SAN 26 . VERONA PULPIT FERMO MAGGIORE

u Interior of a church, with a pulpit s rmounted by a canopy towards

e . th right, and ﬁgures kneeling in the foreground A remarque i when present consists of three angels sing ng, with label ,

- m rda 1 2 x 1 4. S u rsu co . i

in a 250 This plate was ﬁrst etched for publication Americ , but

D unt hom e proofs were also issued by Mr. in England . The pulpit which forms the subject of the etching is in the Church of San Fermo

Maggiore at Verona, once belonging to the Benedictines and after

and wards to the Franciscans, built by the former in the fourteenth century. 1 882

S T 27 . MONT . MICHEL

k n Mont St. Michel on the coast of Normandy is so well own , and

’ - like St . Michael s Mount, its Cornish cousin german , has ﬁgured

82 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 882

I does not ﬁg ure in the picture . t may be conjectured that it would d not in any case have done so, for the artist strongly isapproves of

ae this addition from an architectural and sthetic point of view, and he considers himself entitled to omit from buildings details which

al are not essenti , and which are in his Opinion undesirable also . The

had spire, by the way, not only not been built, but the fact that it

’ Hai s was intended to be raised had not been brought to Mr. g notice, for when he referred to the restorations going on in the observations which are quoted below, he had nothing but what was complimentary to say of them . In connection with the etching of Mont St. Michel

x an interesting pamphlet, from the pen of Mr. Haig, e planatory of the history of the place and of its features, was published, and some extracts from it are given in the expectation that they will prove interesting l l In the bay of Avranches, some seven and a ha f English mi es

’

n . from that tow , lies the isolated rock upon which St Aubert, Bishop of Avranches, in the early part of the eighth century, at the com mand of the Archangel Michael, built the monastery which has since developed into the majestic structure we now ﬁnd it. Historians are uncertain as to the origin , but the devout believe the legend

ho w i which relates the archangel appeared three t mes to St. Aubert, commanding him to build the monastery. The ﬁrst and second time i S t. he treated the vision as a dream, but the th rd time Michael placed his ﬁnger upon the head of the bishop with such effect that

al the skull was pierced , thus convincingly proving the re ity of the august presence ; after which St. Aubert lost no time in executing

’ — the angel s command . So far the legend but certain it is that some MONT MICHEL

See page 80

1 882 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJECTS 83 religious establishment must have existed here some time before the tenth century. The little town of Mont Saint Michel was founded about this time (the tenth century) by some families which ﬂed to the rock from the country of Avranches to escape the ravag es of the Norsemen . After the peace between Gangar Rolf (Rollo) and

9 12 r Charles the Simple, and his baptism in , histo y becomes more

9 6 6 certain . In Richard, grandson of Rollo, called to Mont Saint

Michel some Benedictine monks from Mont Cassin , and made

Mainard ﬁrst abbot. During his successor the abbey was burnt to

. 1 020 the the ground ; but Richard I I founded in ch urch, of which to the present day remain portions of the transepts and the nave . The greatest constructor, however, connected with the early history of Hild ebert . m the abbey was I I , the fourth abbot, who co menced that wonderful structure upon which the western portion of the church , now destroyed , was founded . The church was completed

1 1 35. i in One of the most illustrious abbots was Robert de Tor gni, during whose reign of thirty - two years arts and sciences ﬂourished

1 203 i ﬁre in the abbey. In a terr ble swept over the place, the

church, some walls and vaults, only being saved ; but in the same

‘ ’ year was commenced the great structure, called la Merveille,

partly from the rapidity of its construction , and partly from its size

x di and the e cellency of its architecture. This building rises imme

ately from the wood to the north , and is shown in the etching, but

t. somewhat altered from its original state, to which it is now ( e. 1 882 in ) being well restored by M . Corroyer, the accomplished

. 1 50 Government architect This great building, rising some feet

a above the rock, cont ins in its eastern half the almonry, the 84 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 882

and e ‘ refectory and dormitory, in its west rn, the cellars, la Salle des

’ Chevaliers, and the cloisters. “ D uring the thirteenth century some of the fortiﬁed towers and l wal s towards the north and east of the abbey were constructed ,

’ ’ also the ﬁne building, the abbot s house, called Belle Chaise, to the east. In the year 1 300 the great central tower and adjoining parts d were destroyed by lightning, and the ﬁre spread to and consume the greater part of the town . The church was restored through

mu niﬁcence l 1 3 4 e . 1 350 7 the of Philip Bel Again in , and in , the

n abbey was damaged by ﬁre caused by lightni g, but was repaired by the abbots Nicolas le Vitrier and Geoffroy de Servon . One of the greatest architects and restorers of the abbey was Pierre le Roy ( 1386 He constructed to the north of Belle Chaise the a w Ch telet, which , with its two round to ers, appears in the etching w j ust belo the apse of the church . This grand apse, with its chapels ,

ﬂying buttresses, and turrets boldly projected towards the sky, was built about the middle of the ﬁfteenth century by the energetic ’ l Est out evil e . cardinal, William d “ 1 41 5 E l After the battle of Agincourt in , the victorious ng ish overran this part of Normandy, and having entrenched themselves

T mberlaine on the rock of o in the bay, some miles from Mont

- Saint Michel, Robert Jolivet, the then abbot, found it necessary to add to the ramparts, which with their bastions and towers remain

l x . to the present day, and are, to a sma l e tent, shown in the etching

’ d Est out eville The name of the brave governor, Louis , shines out grandly in the annals of the abbey during this period, when it had m 1 423 to endure a long and glorious siege, which lasted fro until

86 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 882

rock rises, quite as impressive as the waste of waters which at high tide wash the ramparts . Boats there are none ; two or three by h the gate on the sout side near the river, which here ﬂows out and m for s the border between Normandy and Brittany, but on the east side no shipping is to be seen . All the ﬁshing is done on the sands when the tide is out. Impressive not less than from the sands is the view from the top of the church , reached by means of a staircase

- in the bold turret rising to the south east of the apse, and connected with the topmost parapet by means of the delicately - worked open

‘ ’ — air staircase called l Escalier de Dentelle from between turrets and pinnacles, over the old town and ramparts, far out over the sands to the distant coast of Normandy, as far as Avranches and Granville

- ! to the left, and Brittany with Mont Do out to the rock of Cancale to the right, and then towards the west, the ocean . From here a most impressive sight is the incoming tide, the distant roar of which will be heard long before the bright line of the water will

x be seen to approach . In fact over this e panse of sand the sound will travel far, and even before the little Speck of a ﬁsherman, far

T ombelaine away by the rock of , half way to Avranches, is seen , l his song will be heard, for he is often a merry fe low, and sings as he trudges along under his heavy load on the often shifting and

! treacherous pathless sand .

28 : . CHARTRES CATHEDRAL UNDER THE GREAT NORTH PORCH

The porch is supported by piers, round which , near their top, are

statues of saints in niches with carved canopies over their heads . H H ST S . B C URC OF ESTE AN , EGOVIA

1 882 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJECTS 87

The porch itself is approached by steps. In this plate it is seen

from its east Side and from a point close to it, so that it looms

high above the spectator, the sculptured ﬁgures of the nearest

piers standing out boldly upon it. A gabled house Opposite

to it is visible, and from the roadway, albeit not conspicuous,

a procession is ascending, the leaders of it entering under the

porch , with a few spectators looking on . If the eye be carried

to the background, under the porch , between the piers which l support it in front, and the church itse f, the commencement

of a narrow street can be seen in the distance . The cathedral 1 is to the left of the Spectator. 75x 22g.

did Once upon a time Bismarck said, or possibly not say, of the

French nation , speaking of them as the enemies of Germany, Take

away from them the cook, the tailor, and the hairdresser, and what

- remains of them is the copper coloured Indian . Mr. Ruskin , commenting in F ors Clavig era upon this speech thus attributed to the German Chancellor, could ﬁnd no more scathing words in which to deal with it than these This said of the nation which gave us Charlemagne, St. Louis, St. Bernard , and Joan of Arc ; which founded the central type of chivalry in the myth of Roland ; which showed the utmost height of valour yet recorded in history in the literal life of Guiscard ; and which built Chartres Cathedral .

It will be seen from the quotation given below that V iollet le

Duc holds the North Porch on the whole to be richer in detail than that terminating the south transept, but considers that the

South Porch has the advantage of superior position . The combina 88 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 882

ensembl e tion of with intricate detail, to which the great French l authority refers , natural y provides a splendid opportunity for the

V iollet le etcher. Duc, assigning to his subject the same pre

o f l eminence as others, wrote its transept porches as fo lows Les porches nord et sud plantés devant les portes du transept de la

’ a r - o Cathédrale de Chartres passent, justes titres, pou des chefs d euvre .

Leur plan, leur structure, leur ornementation , la statuaire qui les

’ u d ét ude et co vre, sont des objets inépuisables, leur ensemble

’ présente cette harmonie complete si rare dans les oeuvres d archi

du details m tecture . Celui nord, plus riche de , plus complet com e

- entente de la sculpture, plus original peut etre comme composition,

’ ’ d effet du un produirait plus , s il était ainsi que celui sud , élevé sur

enmarchement et x le au x du l . grand , e posé tout jour rayons solei

’ Dans l origine ces deux porches étaient peints et dorés ; leur aspect alors devait etre merveilleux .

’ ’ C est lorsqu on ex amine dans leur ensemble et leurs détail s ces

’ rofondement execu tion compositions claires, p étudiées, d une irre

’ ’ rochable n av ons p , qu on peut se demander si depuis lors nous pas

’ d a r dre désappris au lieu pp en .

“ ’ ’ d int elli ence d effet s La somme g , de savoir, de connaissance ,

’ d ex érie nce x p pratique, dépensée dans ces deu porches de Notre

su fﬁrait Ia Dame de Chartres, pour établir gloire de toute une ’ t génération d art is es.

: 29 . CHARTRES STREET SCENE AND CATHEDRAL

In the foreground is a bridge leading past old gabled houses, with

1 3 x 22 . the cathedral rising high in the background . % 3

9 0 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 883

The ﬁreplace is surmounted by three engravings. A window

1 4 x 1 0 and bookcase are seen . % .

This etching of the great naturalist’ s study is one which has been and is of considerable interest to his admirers. It was etched by his son ’ s request from a drawing made for the purpose a few days after his death . The room is arranged precisely as its owner last saw it, and the plant shown on the table in the etching was

h ‘ ub e t t e s j c which he was studying very shortly before he died .

31 S T . . MONT MICHEL

’

. Hai s A tiny version of Mr g large plate, etched by him for the

purpose of illustrating his pamphlet, published by Mr. Dun m tho e, which gives the history of Mont St. Michel, and from

i a wh ch quot tion has been made above . The pamphlet was

1 883. 8 published in The two etchings bear the date 1 8 2.

x 3g 5.

1 883

32 E . A STREET IN SEVILL

A narrow shady street leading away from the spectator towards the

a background , where, bove other buildings, and lit by sunlight,

rises the tower of the Giralda, in which bells are ringing. A

number of persons, chieﬂy women wearing mantillas and other

wise characteristically dressed , are walking and loitering in the

1 4 x . 2 . roadway, and standing on balconies above it 735 1 883 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 9 1

i “ The great Giralda of Seville, the tower w th a gyratory vane

it — above from which its name is derived , is a feature which renders any picture in which it occurs easily recognisable . Erected by the Moors upon " foundations of broken and destroyed Roman and Christian statuary in order that from it the Muezzin might summon the faithful to worship in the mosque below, it now ﬁnds itself the

- l i . bel tower of a Christian cathedral , ruled by a Span sh archbishop

3 3 . PETERBOROUGH CATHEDRAL

r l A view of Pete borough Cathedra , which transports the spectator

u to the north side of the b ilding, and shows him its north

’ western aspect on a winter s afternoon . The trees which

al surround the cathedr are bare of leaves, and the ﬁgures of

in those who are proceeding along the path the foreground, presumably about to form the congregation at an afternoon

1 6 22 . service, suggest chilly weather. 2x

34. A SWEDISH RIVER

wi . A river fringed th trees Beyond these, in the background , is a

building with two small towers . On the right are sailing boats i and a barge, near the towing path, on wh ch a woman and child

i . 1 1 x are walk ng 5,

The locality in which this charming little Swedish view is to be

O erebro : found is the neighbourhood of Orebro, or a name pro nounced with the second sy llable short, and a certain breadth of

“ intonation expanding the ﬁna o . Orebro is the capital of the 9 2 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 884

province of that name, and is situated about a hundred miles west

mar Hiel . of Stockholm, on Lake

L D 35. AN O HANSE TOWN

A river and quay with boats and ﬁgures in the foreground . There

i u are build ngs to the right, and in the background other b ildings

x 1 0 and a bridge, also a church tower. 7 ;

“ This is a composition or fancy picture which Mr. Haig has founded upon drawings made at Hamburg. The tower visible is

“ that of the Church of St. Michael, Hamburg. As with the Old

! J r 1 880 Art ou nal. German Mill, , this plate appeared in the

1 884

3 OF 6 . A CORNER SEVILLE CATHEDRAL

This plate shows a doorway leading into Seville Cathedral, with ﬁ gures passing in . Bright sunlight illumines the right side of

u t . the pict re, and a building on the lef is in deep shadow

1 4 x 2 ! 7 ,

This plate is an example of the strong contrasts of sunlight and ff m shadow which Mr. Haig introduces so e ectively at ti es, particularly

x n into his Spanish Etchings of E teriors, such as, to ame another

“ instance, The Cloisters of Burgos The doorway shown is that leading into the eastern extremity of the south aisle of the cathedral.

- Mr. Haig has, framed , in his home at Haslemere, a water colour drawing, a good deal smaller than the etching, which formed the fou ndation of this plate .

9 4 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 885

This plate has been reproduced, so any lengthy description of it is unnecessary . The archway is to be found near the college for il m itary students at Toledo . It gives an ex cellent idea of a sleepy

- southern town , where foot passengers move slowly and choose the ; shade in preference to the sunshine, and has been praised by Mr

Lewis Hind in the article quoted in Chapter VII .

IN 39 . TOLEDO

t Through a very lof y pointed arch is visible the screen of the Choir,

richly carved with ﬁgures . Statues in niches form the decoration

- of the lower part of the right hand pier supporting the arch .

Near the base of the left - hand pier is a large font- like holy - water

stoup, in which a woman is about to dip her hand . There are

also ﬁgures on the other side . The pavement is tesselated with

! “ - square tiles . This is a dry point, which with others has

’ H ai s been included in the list of Mr. g etchings for the sake of

5 x 9 . convenience. § %

1 885

’

0 : ST . U E 4 . WESTMINSTER ABBEY VIEW FROM EDM ND S CHAP L

’ V I s The spectator faces the archway which leads into Henry I .

Chapel . In the foreground are visible portions of three ﬂat

topped tombs, and behind them is one surmounted by a

recu mbent ﬁgure in armour ; other portions of tombs are also

1 5 x 25 . visible . 1 5 1 885 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 9 5

In order to ﬁnd the subject of this plate, it is necessary to seek the easternmost portion of the abbey. Those who identify it will

x perhaps observe that Mr. Haig has e cluded from his etching the

’ screen which separates St . Edmund s Chapel from the aisle . Reference has been made to occasional omissions such as this which the artist has permitted himself where he has considered that his

l . u work wi l gain thereby A photographic likeness of the s bject is, of course, not aimed at in any case . Writing of it himself in a small book published in connection

x with his etchings of Westminster, and e planatory of them , and from which other quotations will be made, Mr . Haig gives his reason for this omission , and his description of his subject is worth printing in full

“ ’ The subj ect is taken from St. Edmund s Chapel, on the south side of the choir. Possibly I should have retained the ex isting t screen had it been in its original s ate, but mutilated as it now

u is with the gly straight piece at the top , it would have been a very undesirable object in the view . Screens are often in them

of selves things beauty, and it would then be barbarous to ignore

x them , but this one has only this e cuse from a pictorial point i of V ew, that it may form a good immediate background to the

ﬁne tombs in the chapel, while it much inj ures the vista beyond .

“ This View includes the tombs of Richard III . , Queen Philippa, V and the chantry of Henry . ; and in the foreground the ﬁne

’ II - I . s tombs of William de Valence, King Henry half brother, and John Eltham, son of Edward I . Under the arch of the V ’ II. s chantry of Henry V. are the steps leading to Henry Chapel, 9 6 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 885 the entrance to which and that to Queen Mary Stuart’s monument l i form the subject of one of my etchings . The tomb of Wi l am de Valence, now partly stripped of its copper and enamel (French ‘ i work of the th rteenth century), was erected by his son , Aymer de Valence . f To the le t, over the tomb of Edward II I we j ust obtain a

! glimpse into the Chapel of Edward the Confessor.

: 41 . WESTMINSTER ABBEY NORTH CHANCEL AISLE

i i . The Nort h Chancel Aisle of Westm nster Abbey, look ng eastward

To the right of the spectator is the tomb of Henry I II . , situated between two pillars forming the nort h side of the Chapel of

Edward the Confessor. Below the tomb is seated a verger

ad n with a mouse near him . Beyond are steps le i g to the Chapel

’

f . of Henry VII . , and to the le t of these St Paul s Chapel, with 1 5 23 tattered ﬂags placed high upon the wall . % x g.

In the pamphlet explanatory of these etchings of Westminster

Abbey, from which a quotation has already been given , Mr. Haig thus describes the subject of this plate

“ Passing by the nave, where I have found but little that lends

u s itself to my purpose, let enter the aisles of the chancel, where, on the north side, I find my first subject. I choose this because here comes prominently into View, on the right side of the picture, the tomb of King Henry II I during whose reign the greater portion of the present abbey was erected . The tomb, containing mosaics and fine slabs of porphyry and marble, is the work of a

9 8 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 885

“ In the view of the chancel, taken from the south transept, will be seen the monument of Aymer de Valence cousin of

Edward I . and Earl of Pembroke ; to the east of this the tomb

u of Edm nd Crouchback, ﬁrst Earl of Lancaster, and to the west

x that of Aveline, wife of this latter. To show to what an e tent i ll vandal sm may go, I wi here mention that when the monument of 1 59 General Wolfe, killed at Quebec, 7 , was to be erected , it was actually proposed to destroy the venerable and beautiful tomb of

Aymer de Valence and to place that monument in its stead . The

al idea was, however, through the interference of Horace W pole, altered, and the cumbrous block of marble was placed on the other i side of the aisle, even then not without sacr ﬁcing an ancient Gothic screen .

4 : 3. WESTMINSTER ABBEY A DARK CORNER

This small etching shows the entrance to the South Aisle of Henry

’

V I s . I . Chapel Two walls meet at a right angle, that one

which faces the spectator having a rectangular doorway in it,

with a window above . To the left of this, in the other wall,

is a second doorway, arched, through which a verger has d j ust passe . The foreground shows paved ﬂooring and two

steps . Through the rectangular doorway three steps lead into

x the chapel beyond . 75

V I’ I . s This is the entrance to the South Aisle of Henry Chapel, and those who wish to identify the spot can do so on their way to visit the tomb of Mary Queen of Scots . 1 885 ETCHING S AND THEIR SUBJECTS 9 9

’ 44 : T HE . WESTMINSTER ABBEY POETS CORNER

“ Seats occupy the foreground of this small upright plate, and in the centre beyond them stands the high pedestal surmounted

u . by the b st of Dryden , below which can be read his name

1 2 . Beyond are other monuments . 7% x

’ n This etchi g does not, as a matter of fact, show the Poets

a Corner, but only small part of the South Transept, in which it

r is situated . The wealth of interesting monuments familiar to eve y

’ visitor to London, and gathered together in the Poets Corner, lies to the right hand of the spectator who places himself in the

’

H ai s . foreground of Mr. g picture

’ : T HE T o 45 . WESTMINSTER ABBEY ENTRANCE THE POETS CORNER

x A glimpse only of the e terior of the abbey, rising in the background , ff is a orded by this etching. A narrow alley or roadway, bordered

by iron railings and small trees, with pavement and one of the

u corners of a ho se to the left of it, conducts the eye past the

Chapter - Hou se to the small doorway which leads into the

’

x 1 1 . Poets Corner. 7 5

The portion of the exterior of the abbey shown in this plate

’ can best be fou nd by visiting the Poets Com er and passing out

at the doorway situated at the south - eastern corner of the South

Transept. It will then be seen that there are now no buildings not connected with the abbey at the point where the etcher has

- placed them on the left hand side of his picture . 1 00 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 885

46 . WESTMINSTER ABBEY : T HE CLOISTERS

The cloisters of Westminster Abbey scarcely need description

in order that they may be recognised . The spectator looks

down the long vaulted cloister, the open Side of which is on

his right, and through a doo rway narrower than the cloister

itself can see a passage way and a glimpse of open air beyond .

x 8 9 2 .

Visitors to the abbey who have mad e their way to the Chapter

u Ho se, and who, if from the United States, will possibly have deposited their cards beneath the monument to their countryman

James Russell Lowell, should turn to the left after leaving it in order to ﬁnd themselves at the point where Mr. Haig made this will etching. From the eastern end of the south cloister they see ll the View that he shows, and wi ﬁnd that the vaulted Opening in

’ the background leads into Dean s Yard .

4 T HE OF S T . 7 . FOUNTAIN GEORGE

A street scene centred round a fountain , which plays into a circular

basin . The ﬁgure of St. George overcoming the dragon is

In conspicuous upon a pillar which rises above the water. the

background is a chapel above an archway. Numerous ﬁgures

m x are grouped round the fountain . g

’ “ Hai s This is one of Mr. g compositions, and it has been

i . reproduced, so that deta led description of it is not needed

as The Fountain of St. George is to be seen pretty much

1 02 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 886

George. The castle is on the left in Shadow. The cathedral

- with its seven towers is in sunlight. Towards the right hand

- 24 side of the plate are a mill wheel and a bridge . % x

“ This etching, The Cathedral of St . George , Limburg on

’ dimen the Lahn , to give it its full title, resembles in its large sions, and in its general character, that of Mont St. Michel , and forms with it a striking pair, the two subjects lending themselves well to treatment on a large scale. Visitors to Limburg will ﬁnd

’ Hai s l that the old mill shown in Mr. g etching has been pu led down and replaced by a commonplace and un sightly warehouse .

51 . T HE ALCAZAR, SEGOVIA

A lofty pinnacled building crowns the summit of a steep rock , which

the occupies most of the plate . Below runs river Clamores,

with women washing clothes at the edge of the water. In the

n foreground are other grouped ﬁgures, and a windi g path

- 4 descends on the right hand Side of the picture . 1 6 x 2 3.

1 89 1 Segovia ﬁgures most prominently in the etchings of , but

’ Hai s Mr. g visits to Spain have been frequent, and he has found there ground not so frequently trodden by other artists as in other countries where ﬁne architecture is to be sketched . The Alcazar is not now quite the same building as when Gil Blas was conﬁned in

u it, much of it having been recently reb ilt, and many destructions and reconstructions have followed one another since the Moorish invader ﬁrst saw the possibilities of its Splendid site and laid its earliest foundations . 1 887 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CT S 1 03

52 . A X MAGD LEN COLLEGE, O FORD

l - l The wel known tower of Magdalen Col ege, as viewed from

’ Addison s Walk . In the stream in the foreground are men at d work in a boat, and on the bank are ﬁgures of undergra uates

1 3 1 8 . and others . x 2

Magdalen Tower has been so well known to all who have visited

’ O xford ever since it was built in the early days of Cardinal W olsey s

a career, that detailed description of it is h rdly needed here .

cHL o ss ZWIN GE B R 53. S N U G ON THE NEC KAR

Zwin enbu r Schloss g g, an old castle not far from Heidelberg, stands

- high on a hill, and is shown with rain clouds sweeping over it.

- 1 0 1 5 . Below is the river with a ferry boat. kx g

54. COLOGNE

Cologne is shown at night in this plate, with the cathedral in the

background . Between it and the Spectator lies the river, crossed

by a railway bridge, with barges in the foreground . A good deal

8 x of aquatint has been introduced .

1 887

: 55. PAMPELUNA RETURNING FROM THE FAIR

- This well known plate has been reproduced, so need not be described

at length . As will be seen , it shows a bridge with four arches . The end of the parapet nearest to the Spectator is decorated with AXE L HAIG AND H IS WORK 1887

a coat of arms and surmounted by a pillar bearing a cross and l a ﬁgure of the Madonna. A bullock cart, fol owed by a number

of people, is crossing the bridge . In the background rises the

Cathedral of Pampeluna, a large pile of buildings, a characteristic l and noteworthy feature of which is the angu ar apse, distinguished

- 36 x 25 . by three ﬂying buttresses. 5 g

“ ’ n Hai s Pampelu a is the largest of Mr. g etchings, its only rival being the plate of Segovia which was cut down after a fe w

z impressions only had been taken from it in its original si e. Pam

eluna in p itself is fairly represented it, but some of the details in the decorative accessories shown on the bridge are additions devised by

x Mr. Haig. The cross and coats of arms, for e ample, will not be

i u i n seen by any visitor to Spa n , and the b ldi g on the right hand is

’ au n E a n — a u a true clzcite e sp g e creat re of the artist s imagination . l Pampeluna or Pamplona, by the way, wil be found by those who

n go there to be a very ancient town of Northern Spai , with an i nteresting history and some ﬁne buildings, as well as a picturesque site . It has been a ﬁghting ground many times in the stormy history of the country. It was captured and held by the Visigoths in very dark ages indeed , and later by the Moors . It has been occupied by

n Franks, and has formed the capital of the kingdom of Navarre, duri g

r which period , in the fourteenth century, Charles III . of Nava re commenced the b u ilding of its cathedral. Castilians have held it ;

French soldiers have captured it from its rightful owners , and have 1 813 been ousted in their turn , in , by the Duke of Wellington and

in since then Carlist armies have fought its vicinity .

1 06 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 887

marching past him, and who accordingly arrested and escorted him to the citadel, spent a pleasanter afternoon than if they had continued on their way . With regard to the military usefulness of his Sketch and the danger of allow n such proceedings as his, Mr. Haig observes that he could have bought photographs at any time with impunity showing the scene which he was recording by means of his pencil,

- x including the incriminating sentry box . A sudden an iety over the photographing or sketching of fortiﬁcations is, however, not quite

- unknown, even in these easy going islands, in spite of the fact that

- the subject in dispute is already displayed upon picture post cards .

’

56 . E L GLISE DES DOMINICAINS, ARLES

x Portion of the e terior of the Dominican Church at Arles, with door

ﬁ rires in the centre and another doorway on the left. There are g

1 2 20. of eight peasants in the roadway . x

’ O N 57 . THE REGENT S CANAL

’ ’ A scene on Regent s Canal, near Regent s Park . On the left and

v . right, houses seen o er the trees In the background a bridge .

1 0 x 8. Barges near the bank to the right . %

This is a small view of a picturesqu e bit of what was once

r souve nir subu ban London , and may be regarded as a of the days

when the etcher lived not far off in Maida Vale.

58 : T HE . WINDSOR CASTLE ROUND TOWER

w T he R ound Tower of Windsor, vie ed from the roadway outside

l x the castle precincts . A royal escort is apparent y e pected, STOCK HOLM FLOATING MARK ET

S ee page 108

1 887 ETCHING S AND THE IR SUBJECTS 1 07

L ife u ardsmen for two g are advancing from the left, towards

1 0 . whom the spectators in the roadway are turned . 7 x 5

This was etched ex pressly for the Art J ou rnal for inclusion in

“ 1 887 . . u the Jubilee number of the year The editor, Mr Marc s

. b e d B Huish , in an accompanying note, describes how accompanie

Mr . Haig to Windsor in wintry weather to ﬁnd an appropriate

“ subject, saying, Where everything is so well preserved and trimly kept the selection of a subject from the Royal Palace was not an easy one ; even the Round Tower, from its ovoid form, only lending

’ Hai s itself to artistic reproduction at one point. Mr. g plate is a remarkable translation of the scene as viewed in winter sunlight d with a cutting easterly win .

59 . WASHERWOMEN AT CHARTRES

A river running through a town, closely hemmed in by houses, with women washing at the waterside under a penthouse on

x 1 0 the left. 7 .

l This is a very charming litt e plate, and one which is not easy to obtain , the artist himself having long possessed but one

x . a u e ample of it A great m ny were presented, when it was bro ght e ’ out, to subscrib rs to the Artist s Benevolent Fund, Mr. Haig having given it for that purpose, and in this way many were induced to support an excellent institution , who, it is to be hoped , have since continued to do so. 1 08 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 888

6 0. WISBY

x E terior of cathedral , with an archway leading into the cathedral

x 1 0 yard . A cart with two horses in the foreground . 6§ .

al This etching shows the eastern towers of the Cathedr of Wisby, in Gotland, referred to already in the introductory chapters of this

’ Hai . s volume as the town , not far from Mr g old home, where he received his early education .

1 888

1 : T HE 6 . STOCKHOLM FLOATING MARKET

w A vie of Stockholm Harbour, with the ﬂoating market being

conducted on rafts and boats in the foreground . To the left

a sailing Ship, two masts of which are visible, lies at her moor

ings. Close to the quay is a small steamer, and the back groun d is formed by houses rising one above the other on f the hillside, while above all is the lo ty dome of the Church

l 5 x 23 . of St. Catherine. § %

i This subject has been reproduced in th s volume, and forms one i ’ Ha s . of the most striking of Mr. g etchings of his native country

It is one in which he has introduced many ﬁgures, the busy life of the ﬂoating market being in eff ective contrast with the tranquil dignity of the background .

6 2 . A HILL TOWN IN NAVARRE

in u . A street in shadow on the right, and on the left s nshine On

the left a lofty building, approached by steps protected by

1 1 0 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 889

the middle of the church , and in this case it lies just a little

west of the lantern . The iron screen has a door, above which

is a ﬁgure of St. Christopher, and a corresponding door and

statue are on the other side . The picture is lighted by sun

light ﬂowing in from the windows of the lantern, which forms

the centre and motive of the plate, and the illumination falls

upon the rich and elaborate decoration of the lantern, and upon one of the sturdy cylindrical piers which support the

octagon , showing its incised and carved decoration , the latter

’ being at the base . The pier on the spectator s right is in

shadow . In the foreground are ﬁgures of worshippers, standing,

a kneeling, and sitting, some of the last being se ted upon stone

’ off steps towards the spectator s left . Others farther are d listening to a preacher within the rails. In the ecoration of the lantern can be distinguished part of the inscription which

laudabo et runs round it In medio templi tui te, gloriam

t rib u am fa 1 x nomini tuo qui cis mirabilia . 7%

This etching of the Interior of Burgos Cathedral , one of the many famous ecclesiastical buildings in Spain , may fairly be described as

’ - H ai s the best known and most highly val ued of Mr. g etchings of l cathedral interiors . In none does his skil as a draughtsman , com bine d with his power of rendering delicate and intricate detail,

Show itself to greater advantage. It owes much to the delicacy f of the work, and to the skil ul rendering of the lighting, but is so well known to admirers of the etcher’ s work that description of it is hardly needed . Moreover it is reproduced here, and this BURGOS CATH EDRAL : INTERIOR

See page 109

1 889 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 1 1 will serv e to bring it to the minds of those who do not possess it better than descriptive words . Those who visit Spain, and are

not limited by the desire for convenient routes and ﬁrst - class hotel l accommodation, wi l not fail to Visit Burgos, and these perhaps

’ wil l best appreciate the etcher s work . Those who cannot do so can only envy others who can j udge for themselves of the beauties

of this great cathedral, with its fourteen chapels, including the

l s Chapel of the Condestable and its Site on the hi l ide .

’ In Street s G othic A rchitectu re in Sp ain it is thus summed u p

But if Burgos Cathedral is far inferior in scale to that of Toledo,

and somewhat so to that of Leon in skilfulness of design, it is in

all other respects equally deserving of study, and is in its general ff e ect at present far more Spanish than either of them . The many

x r additions have to a great e tent, it is true, obscu ed the original

design ; but the result is so picturesque, and so far more interesting

u than an unaltered church sually is, that one cannot well ﬁnd fault.

The central lantern was the last great work ex ecuted in

e this cath dral, Felipe de Borgona being entrusted with it near

x the end of the si teenth century. The authority quoted above adds that “ the whole composition of the lantern is Gothic and

u bu t pict resque, there is scarce a portion of it which does not

x ! show a most strange mi ture of pagan and Gothic detail . He

also ﬁnds fault with the cylindrical piers, and observes that there

is a combination of heaviness of parts and intricacy of detail .

’ Mr . Street s sympathies, however, were so strictly with Gothic architecture that he could not bring himself to admire wi thout l qua iﬁcation a building into which other elements entered. 1 12 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 889

6 6 . TOLEDO CATHEDRAL : INTERIOR

This very striking etching consists almost entirely of aquatint,

and as it is the largest plate, and indeed the only large interior

for which Mr. Haig has used this method , it can easily

s be distinguished by those who desire to recogni e it, the

aquatint giving it almost the appearance of a mezzotint. It

shows the sanctuary with the choir entering it in procession .

There are kneeling ﬁgures in deep Shadow in the foreground,

26 . 350 and the screen and pillars are in strong light. x 5 ( )

ff x This plate a ords a good e ample of aquatint, a variety of

etching described in Chapter IV. , and is well calculated to display

’ Hai s w Mr. g po er in making use of this method . It represents,

“ x moreover, a church of e treme beauty, in which the heart must be

cold indeed that is not at once moved to worship by the awe - fulness

of the place . The Cathedral of Toledo , still the seat of the l metropolitan archbishop of Spain, was originally bui t, so legend says, in honour of the Blessed Virgin during her lifetime, and was long afterwards used by the Moors as a mosque during their occupancy . The building so desecrated was pulled down later, and the present one was completed towards the end of the ﬁfteenth

x century. The richness of the carvings that adorn the e terior of

’ Hai s the coro may be j udged of from Mr. g etching ; it is situated

m al rather nearer to the east end than in ost Spanish cathedr s , although in a more central position than the choirs of English

d . cathedrals. It has been reproduce

1 1 4 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 889

valley below close to a small stream crossed by a second

bridge of very humble dimensions compared with the other.

On this second bridge are two peasants — a man riding a donkey

1 3 1 8 . and a woman walking. x

6 9 . A STREET IN CUENCA

l A smal portion of a street with a narrow paved footway, and to the

left a building with a fountain in the wall under an archway . A i mule w th a bundle of sticks is being led down the street. 1 n

This etching and the preceding one are well calculated to give an idea of an old stronghold of bygone days, easy to defend ,

a-val and well adapted to resist the onslaught of medi enemies, but scarcely likely to become a convenient residence for modern citizens.

7 0 . GRIM TOLEDO

n A street in Toledo, with deep shadows and high lights . Lanter s

hanging from the b uildings. A man is riding down the street

on a mule . This plate is sometimes printed in ink of a blue f tint, giving an e fect of moonlight. It consists principally

‘ 1 2 1 1 . of aquatint with some line etching. 8x

Toledo was built in turbulent days, and in times when vehicles d were few. Its narrow streets with many turnings were well suite

for street ﬁghting, but many of them are of such a nature that driving through them is out of the question . One of the results 1 889 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 1 5

of this most noticed by travellers is an absence of noise, giving iff an idea of sleepy quiet, rather d erent from what we might l natural y associate with a city which , if of lessened importance nowadays, was once the capital of a great country .

: M AR 7 1 . BARCELONA SANTA MARIA DEL

A church doorway Opening u pon a street . At each side of it

v is a carved ﬁgure of a saint, and above it is a car ing of Christ

n seated with a man k eeling at his side. Through the door

way many worshippers are issuing, including young girls dressed

for their ﬁrst communion . S unlight falls upon the carved decoration above the doorway and upon the side of the church

in which it is deeply set. On the opposite side of the street

is the angle of a building in black shadow, and shadow covers

the foreground . To the right and left of the doorway are i . 1 0 x 1 6 stalls with people buying and sell ng 3 .

The Church of Santa Maria del Mar at Barcelona has been

x described as a vast building of a very simple plan, and e ceedingly characteristic of the work of Catalan architects, the grandest church in that city after the cathedral . It was commenced in or about

1 328 u n the year , and the b ilding of it took a lo g time, probably

not being ended much before the conclusion of the same century .

A description of the immediate surroundings of the church , 1 86 5 written in , will be found to apply to them as they were when Mr. Haig placed them on record pictorially ; and as the

Spanish are a conservative race, there is no reason why the same 1 1 6 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 889 conditions should not continue to illustrate the daily life of the l populace . Long rows of ittle sheds for shops, which have managed to gain a footing all along the base of the walls, rather

ff u disturb the e ect ; though they and their occ pants, and the busy dealers in fruit who ply their trade all about Santa Maria del

! Mar, make it a good spot for the study of the people .

7 2 . WISBY MORNING

The spires and towers of Wisby shown against a sky illuminated

with the light of dawn . The slope of the hill towards the

spectator is almost in darkness . A dovecot and the ﬁgures of

a child and woman can be discerned at the foot of the hill ; in

8 1 2 . the background is running water. x 5

Another little etching by Mr. Haig of scenery on his native island, and of the district where he went to school as a boy . The

x ne t three etchings to be mentioned are also of Sweden , and Show a

u . ch rch , upon the restoration and redecoration of which Mr Haig has been employed as an architect.

3 7 . FLODA

u a A ch rch rising upon an eminence faces the spect tor, below which

. ﬁelds, sloping down to the river, occupy the foreground

6 x 1 0 5 5.

7 4 . FLODA

The church rises in the background . Between it and the Spectator

5 x 8 . are trees, and a ﬁeld with cows in it. 5 5

1 1 8 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 890

the same time it is a striking work , drawn with considerable power,

an with strong contrasts of Shadow and light, giving impression of glowing heat and warm sunshine.

7 9 . CAIRO : ARAB STUDENTS

An interior of Oriental character, with turbaned students seated

- 23 x . cross legged on the ground busy with their books . % 1 6g

One of the water- colours reproduced is the study upon which

- this etching is based , and is followed closely in the copper plate.

The water- colour will Show those who can compare it with the etching how useful a colour - sketch may be for an etcher to work

a . from, although this is better seen in the c se of frescoes and mosaics

’ H ai s m d Mr. g large etching of Cefalu Cathedral was a e from a

- water colour, not from a pencil drawing.

’ 80 U : T HE . L BECK SKIPPERS GUILD

A portion of the interior of the home of the Skippers’ Guild at

L iibe ck , with models of ships of ancient construction hanging

1 2 x 1 from the timbered ceiling. 731 .

The hanging up of models of vessels as votive offerings in many il l old continental churches, in seaports and ﬁshing v lages, wil be

’ brought to mind by this etching of the Skippers Guild at L iibeck. f Here, however, they must be taken to serve as mementoes le t behind by their owners, rather than as intended to aid in the averting 1 890 ETCHING S AND THE IR SUBJE CTS 1 1 9

of storm and tempest. There is much else that is picturesque to be u‘ found at L beck , an old Hanseatic city easy to visit from Hamburg, bu t the etcher has been attracted by a subject redolent of his old

nav al calling of designer.

81 . O F B EY ENTRANCE TO THE MOS! UE MOHAMMED , CAIRO

g A fra ment of the building of the Mosque, with the greater part d of the plate occupied by the doorway, up to which lea steps

on which are seated several ﬁgures . To the right is a

’ a 1 0 x 1 5 merchant s st ll . § §3a

82 A . C IRO

A street scene in Cairo with a merchant’s stall and ﬁgures grouped

x round it.

I 83. N RHINELAND

A background of picturesque buildings . Houses, with a church

steeple behind them, form an angle towards the right, where a

ﬂight of steps leads up to a covered porch and doorway. Near

this, in the centre of the picture, is a richly carved and over

x hanging Gothic window. To the left the e tremity of a

building, otherwise unseen, is of circular form, and near this a

in man and woman stand talking an Open Space, the visible

ex it to which is a rounded archway . In the foreground are

. 6 l a steps, a river, and the bows of a boat lying moored x I i 1 20 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 89 1

This charming little etching is a composition which the artist i has founded upon a v ew in Coblenz, seen from the Moselle near its conﬂuence with the Rhine .

84. F EL L AHAH , CAIRO

The ﬁgure of a woman with child in her arms, and a building decorated

r 3 5 . with characteristic Egyptian carving behind he . % x 3

1 89 1

85. SEGOVIA , SPAIN

subject of this very large etching can best be described by

reference to the water - colour of Segovia reproduced in this

volume, and the same may be said with regard to the two

w al plates which follo , for the drawing contains practic ly the

whole of the subject of the large plate, which has since been

divided . It Shows near the Spectator rough country, with a river ﬂowing in a winding course between precipitous

banks . A few poplar trees, a group of peasants to the right,

one of them riding a donkey, with a ﬂock of Sheep behind i l them, vary this rugged foreground , and beyond, in the m dd e

distance , lies the city of Segovia, stretching away to the right

upon level ground and rising on the left towards the cathedral,

the towers and Spires of which show black against the sky . In the background towards the right are the snowy heights h of the Sierra Guadarrama, between whic and the town the

34 x great Roman aqueduct of Segovia is plainly seen . 5

1 22 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 89 1

86 . SEGOVIA

- The left hand portion of the large plate of Segovia last described ,

Showing the Cathedral of Segovia standing on high ground ,

with the river ﬂowing in a rocky bed below. It can be iden

tiﬁed by comparison with the left- hand portion of the water

. 1 6 x 24 colour of Segovia which has been reproduced 5} g.

8 : 7 . SEGOVIA SIERRA GUADARRAMA IN THE DISTANCE

- - upper right hand portion of the large plate, the left hand

Side of which constitutes the etching last described . A snow d cla range of mountains, the Sierra Guadarrama, occupies the

background , and in the centre are the lofty arches and straight

narrow piers of an aqueduct. The foreground shows rough

n and rocky ground , with a ﬂock of sheep and their attenda t

- shepherds. Like the last mentioned plate its subject can be

discerned easily enough by ex amining the water - colour of

1 x 1 1 . Segovia. 7} %

IN R 88. THE A AB QUARTER , CAIRO

This characteristic portrayal of a street in Cairo in the Arab quarter

has been reproduced . As will be seen , it shows high buildings

to the right and left, with richly carved windows and gay t draperies, sunlight falling on the houses to the lef and the

f in a w. minarets beyond , while the le t is Sh do To the left ’ l is a group of bargainers at a merchant s stal , where quaintly IN T HE B R CAl RO ARA ! UARTE ,

See page 1 22

1 89 1 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 23

shaped bottles are arranged, and beyond them is a crowd of

. 1 6 x 27 ﬁgures, with a donkey standing near them (

89 . VESPERS

The interior of a church , with a priest in the background ascending

n the steps of a pulpit. Worshippers are kneeli g beneath a 1 1 1 canopied group of carved ﬁgures. % x 7

The motive of this subject was found at Beauvais , but the subject is not one of those which needs a local name, nor is it intended as an accurate representation of the building or of the scene shown .

9 0. : A . D . 1 500 WISBY TOWING IN THE PRIZE,

i six The mouth of a harbour, w th a boat rowed by oarsmen entering

it. In the bows of the boat stand a trumpeter and a halberdier

d a . in me i eval costumes The prize, captured in battle, is being

towed in from the left, only the forepart of this vessel being

8 x 1 1 . visible . 5

’ Hai s It need hardly be said that this is one of Mr . g original i compositions, and that but l ttle of the present harbour of Wisby can be traced in it. He has endowed it with buildings which probably resemble those which once stood beside its quays, and with shipping such as found it a safe port in days long gone by, his knowledge of architecture and of shipbuilding enabling him to do this with success . 1 24 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 89 1

: 9 1 . COLOGNE A STREET SCENE

To the right an archway, with a procession passing under it away

from the spectator. The archway, which leads from one street

to another, has ﬁgures in niches disposed round it. To the

— x 1 o left stands a church that of Santa Maria in Capitol. 7 i .

“ This etching has also been called Santa Maria in Capitol, l l . but, as wil be seen from the fo lowing observations by Mr Lewis

Hind which accompanied its publication in the Art J ou rnal in 1 892 “ ! , it is really a composition based on a view in Cologne.

D unt ho . m Mr e published proofs of it. Mr. Hind wrote as follows “ Like ‘ The Vesper Bell ’ and ‘ A Quiet Hour ’ it is a com

position, and does not pretend to be an absolute reproduction

of any particular part of Cologne, though the title that was originall y given to it Santa Maria in Capitol —would not have

u u . been a very grave ins lt to acc racy The church , of which the

upper part of the apse appears in the etching, derives its name i from the fact, or rather the trad tion , that the site it now occupies was the ancient capitolium of the Romans who founded a colony

in . in Cologne. In this as other of his plates , Mr Haig, while

n a the retaini g essential features, has, by rejection of cert in of

surrounding buildings which were not particularly pictorial, and

the substitution of others , succeeded in giving a picturesque appear

’ H ai s ance to the scene. On this point Mr. g views are well deﬁned in the following remark he once made to the writer.

1 26 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 892

1 89 2

T HE O F 9 4. PORTALS RHEIMS CATHEDRAL

The great west entrance to Rheims Cathedral, with its three

gabled porches, richly carved with niches ﬁlled with statues ,

and a rose window over the central porch . A procession is

1 8 x entering the cathedral through the central doorway. (325)

This has been reproduced . It is deservedly one of the most

’ n H ai s x widely admired, as it is also one of the ﬁ est, of Mr. g e teriors .

S e c The Cathedral of Rheims, the Metropolitan of France, is

ﬁttingly one of the most striking Gothic buildings not only in that if country, but in the whole world, and the magniﬁcence of its archi

r in tectu e is not centred its western end, its west front is at any rate

’ r the ﬁ st of its features which meets the visitor s eye, and is likely to

’ H ai s be one of the last to leave his memory . In Mr. g etching i attention is directed to the triple portals, to the elaborate carv ngs which surround them, and to the tracery of the rose window above . The relief adorning the middle doorway shows the Coronation of the

Blessed Virgin , that on the right displays the Last Judgment, and

’ that on the left our Saviour s Passion .

Above the rose window the subject is the baptism of Clovis, by

St. Remy, whose Abbey Church, in the same city, is a building which alone would render Rheims worthy of a visit by traveller or by artist. It must be remembered that at one time Rheims, if not the capital of France and seat of government, welcomed monarchs RHEIMS CATHEDRAL DETAIL OF IV EST ERN PORTALS

See page 1 26

1 892 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJECT S 1 27

to its cathedral for their coronation , and that Joan of Arc stood before its altar on the day when Charles VII . was crowned . Draw ings of this cathedral, as well as the etching of the Portals, have been reproduced in this volume .

9 5. KIRKSTALL ABBEY

e u - n The ruined abb y is seen from the so th east. In the foregrou d are 1 a ﬁeld and water. 7gx

has The etchings in which Mr. Haig shown various aspects of the ruined Abbey of Kirkstall were not published in London, but were made for a Leeds publisher, Mr . Jackson .

R 9 6 . KI KSTALL ABBEY

a the Ruins of Kirkst ll Abbey as seen from courtyard, Showing the 1 0 remains of the Tower. x

9 7 . CASTLE NOWHERE

A castle with pointed pinnacles rising on a eminence at the edge

of a lake, with a sunset behind it. A small aquatint, and a

’ H ai s g good example of Mr. g use of this method of etchin .

7§ x 6

It is hardly necessary to say that this is the etcher ’ s name for a subject of an imaginary character . 1 28 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 893

I : 9 8. AM ENS CATHEDRAL INTERIOR

i . Interior of the cathedral , look ng east The ﬂoor Space is crowded

with ﬁgures, principally children assembled for their First

1 8 x 2 . Communion . } 7 %

fine a This is a etching of a picturesque subject, and the m ss of little white - robed girls renders detailed description of the plate superfluous, if the brief notes here printed on the subject are regarded as given merely for the purpose of identification .

’ A quotation from the artist s own account of Amiens, published at the same time as his etching, is appended , and from it will be seen how keenly he feels the beauty of that of which he transfers the

- image to the copper plate, and how enthusiastic he can become in

dilating upon the beauties of a masterpiece of architecture . Mr .

Haig describes this plate as giving the general impression of the b cathedral when seen y one entering from the west. His high

O f Opinion of the beauty the building will be found in Chapter VIII . In the pamphlet there referred to he calls attention to the pulpit

n in 1 3 show the etching, the work of a sculptor of Amiens in 77 , and

u r . to the ﬁg res of Faith, Hope, and Charity suppo ting it The angel

H oe ac ct vives. above it holds a book with the inscription, f The

carving on a pillar opposite the pulpit is stated by Mr. Haig to

have been copied from that over the altar at St. Riquier, near

Abbeville .

1 30 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 893

: T HE - 1 01 . KIRKSTALL ABBEY CHAPTER HOUSE

- u This plate, which shows the Chapter Ho se of the old abbey, has

sometimes been described as representing the crypt. It displays

the vaulted interior of a portion of the ruins, with Norman arches

and capitals . There are two ﬁgures in it in modern dress, and through the arches can be seen in the background glimpses of

i 1 5 x 9 . open air and sunl ght. } 5

1 0 L : T HE 2. KIRKSTA L ABBEY CLOISTERS

i Another view of the beautiful ruins of the old Yorksh re abbey,

showing an angle in the courtyard , and arched cloisters with

ﬁgures of two women and a child ; a clergyman also is walking

the not far from them. To left is a grass plot with pigeons 0 . 1 5 x 1 feeding } } .

03 R : RA 1 . RHEIMS CATHED AL NORTH T NSEPT

x Another e terior view of the great cathedral, which has supplied

Mr. Haig with the materials for his ﬁner and more elaborate 8 2 plate dated 1 9 . This etching shows the North Transept

and door, with a side View of the east end . The pencil study 1 0 1 5 for it is reproduced. x .

1 04 L . ENGLISH PASTORA

A winding stream ﬂowing towards the spectator, with reeds and

grasses growing in the water in the extreme foreground . To ‘ RHEIMS CATHEDRAL : T HE l RANS EPT

Se e page 130

1 893 ETCHINGS AND T HEIR SUBJE CTS 1 31

su nshine wit h the right a broad ﬁeld illuminated by , cattle

- feeding in its left hand portion . Shady trees , one of which

overhangs the river. Figures of a man and woman are seen th in outline under e trees and towards the left of the picture . 1 45x 105

‘

This is one of the etchings by Mr . Haig which shows him

-of - depicting out door subjects. His reputation , earned by successful plates deal ing with richly decorated interiors and exteriors of ecclesiastical buildings, has created a demand for these which has hindered him from developing to their full extent his tastes and talent for more open - air work — a circumstance which some will

“ regret. The subj ect of the etching An English Pas toral was found near Haddon Hall .

ON 1 05. THE SWEDISH COAST

The bank of a river, with a troop of horsemen , headed by a

ad trumpeter, emerging from the sh e of the trees in the centre

of the picture. The opposite bank rises high , and is sur

4 9 x 6 . mounted by a castle . 5 5

“ This little plate is sometimes known as The Cavalcade . It “ m t is a composition , of which the o if was found near Marstrand , d a Swe ish town built on an island at the entrance to the Cattegat .

r Marst and is a resort of bathers in summer time, and has been called the Madeira of Sweden . 1 32 AXEL HAIG AND HI S W ORK 1893

HAN G I 1 06 . T

- a A man in Georgian costume with a white tie wig st nds, pipe in

hand, with his back to the Spectator, facing a confused pile l s wal . of pictures leaning again t a , with some hanging upon it

a To the left is a coat of arms blazoned with n ils, picture

rings, and other appropriate symbols, above which is the

1 3 x 3 . date 7 9 3. § %

b ﬁll This little plate was etched y Mr. Haig to a blank on

l Ex - the wa ls of the hibition of the Royal Society of Painter Etchers,

l x 1 9 3 on the occasion of their annua e hibition of 8 . The Space

n . seemed to require somethi g to occupy it, and Mr Haig threw

x himself, in the form of an etching e ecuted on the spur of the m moment, into the breach . It ight be considered almost too

his r in slight to mention , but many of f iends possess it, and the midst of serious work, such as the large plates of cathedrals and

i ff r monastic build ngs, it is pleasant to ﬁnd a sketch which a o ds

al . some suggestion of the artist s geni humour Those, moreover, who have ever had to hang an exhibition of pictures by various artists will appreciate the meditative attitude of the gentleman in

- rt the long ski ed coat, and will not wonder that he scratches his puzzled head at the risk of deranging his wig, or that he seeks w solace in tobacco. There is an ingenious bit of detail in a cro n

— composed of two horses apparently a suggestion for a signboard , i which he is look ng at.

134 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 894

It was to tread this aisle and the well - worn steps that terminate it that the pilgrims of whom Chaucer tells journeyed to Canterbury. For a year after Becke t’ s murder no service was held in the cathedral, the decorations were removed , and the bells were not

i 1 1 7 1 29 th rung. Th s was in , the murder having taken place on i “ 1 1 0. December 7 F fty years later, a costly shrine having been prepared for the canonised martyr in the centre of the Trinity

Chapel , the translation of his remains from his tomb in the crypt 0 took place on 7t h July 1 22 . This ceremony was graced by the

' Pandulf e presence of King Henry II I the P pe s legate, Arch bishop Cardinal Langton , the Archbishop of Rheims , and other

x prelates . The e pense attending the ceremony was immense, the archbishop having provided refreshments, with provender for

all . horses, along the road from London , for who chose to attend Conduits were dispersed about the city of Canterbury which ran f with wine, and nothing was wanting to give full ef ect to this

’

. l triumph of priestly power The upper part of Becket s sku l, which had been severed by his murderers, was preserved by itself on an

a x alt r highly decorated, at the eastern e tremity of the church in

’ the tower now called Becket s Crown . The festival of the Trans lation of St. Thomas became an anniversary of the highest splendour, attended by a grand display of the riches and greatness of the

! convent .

1 1 0. CANTERBURY CATHEDRAL

A - view of Canterbury Cathedral from the north east side, with

1 2 x the ruined refectory in the foreground . 5

1 894 ETCHING S AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 35

: T HE E OF SAN 1 1 1 . TOLEDO CONV NTUAL CHURCH JUAN DE LOS REYES

A dark church interior lit by a window situated high on the left,

below which is rich carving. The rays of sunlight pass above

the heads of priests and acolytes towards the right of the picture .

a These are advancing with their backs to the spect tor, apparently

towards an altar for the celebration of service . Behind them

men and women are kneeling on the ﬂoor and on two steps. 1 2 The way towards the altar is carpeted . x

Mr. Haig observes that the decoration of this church is extremely

u i . ﬂorid late Gothic, the carving being wonderf l of its k nd Its date

x r is the beginning of the si teenth centu y . It was built by Ferdinand l and Isabel a, and is one of the many ﬁne churches that survive in Toledo out of a far larger number to remin d the traveller of the greatness that has departed from the old capital .

1 1 2 . STOCKHOLM HARBOUR

n The town risi g in the background and centre of the picture. i foreground the harbour, with sh pping and a steam tug

. 1 1 7 a barge . Aquatint % x

O R 1 1 3. N THE A LANZON , NEAR BURGOS

c Flats at low tide, with shallow water and stret hes of sand and mud

in the background . The spires and steeples of Burgos Cathedral , 1 36 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1895

. 9 with the sun setting behind them , in the background 2; x

N 1 1 4. O A SWEDISH LAKE

A glimpse along the side of a Swedish lake . Near the shore, to the

right of the picture, a man ﬁshing from a boat. Aquatint.

1 89 5

T HE OF 1 1 5. LEGEND THE BELLS

“ A . a s fanciful composition of Mr H ig, Showing bell ringing in a

belfry, the chimes as they peal forth taking the forms of angels

the which ascend towards Madonna and Child . Through a lancet

1 6 x 23 window a river is seen in the distance . 5 ?

1 1 6 . TARRAGONA CATHEDRAL

This etching gives the view across the Transept and shows the choir

screen, through which part of the Choir is visible, and above it

the organ . The painted doors or shutters which close over the

t he organ pipes when they are silent are open. To left is one of the lofty piers of the arch which forms the entrance to the

choir, with a pulpit beside it, near which are worshippers .

l 5§ x 23§.

Mr. Haig describes how, when he was ﬁrst engaged upon sketching

this subject, the doors or shutters over the organ pipes were closed ,

and he was not aware that they were ever Opened . Then the organ ,

without warning, began to sound , and as it pealed forth the great

1 38 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 895

: T HE OF 1 1 7 . PALENCIA ALTAR THE VISITATION

This view of a portion of the interior of the Cathedral of Pal encia

shows the South Aisle, which the eye of the Spectator can follow

into the distance towards his right. The foreground is in shadow, but the light which illuminates the more distant part of the aisle

a falls upon the upper portion of the Altar of the Visit tion . This

forms the centre of the picture. It is set back in the wall of the

coro , and above it are paintings both at the back and side of the

recess . Above all are richly carved canopies . Before t healtar w ’ a woman is kneeling, and to ards the spectator s left a priest

r stands in a doorway with two cho isters or acolytes before him .

225x 1 6 5.

The Al tar of the Visitation is on the south side of the coro of

Old Pall antia the Cathedral of Palencia, the Roman town of , in

Northern Spain . The paintings mentioned represent St. John the

a Baptist, St. Andrew, St. Lawrence, and St. Stephen ﬂ nking the central picture of the Visitation .

1 1 8. LEON

A foreground of water and ﬁelds in the evening or late afternoon .

- The cathedral is drawn from the north east, so that the side of it

ad towards the onlooker is in sh ow, and the salient points towards

i n the west are lit by the setting sun . The build gs that lie to

t . the right and lef are also in Shadow The cathedral has a light .

a open , tapering spire rising centr lly, and at the west end two PALENCIA : T HE T RASCORO

See p age 140

1 895 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJECTS 1 39

towers, one of which is fully seen . It is rectangular, and is

i . crowned by a short spire . The background is of sunl t clouds

l e?f x 1 25.

r i This is not a close portrait of its subject, as the a tist adm ts

- having introduced a non existent roof. Those who visit Northern Spain and ﬁnd themselves at Burgos or Palencia no doubt Will always

r include Leon in their j ou ney, as it lies between seventy and eighty m - iles to the north west of the latter city, and is not a great deal farther from the former. Its cathedral is considered to be one of the

ﬁnest in Spain , comparable in style with those of Amiens and Rheims, k and parta ing of qualities traceable to French inﬂuence . It was built about the middle of the thirteenth century upon a Site which l two churches had a ready successively occupied , and its rank among other churches is recorded in the monkish Latin verse

D e T olentana a a Ovetensis iv s , s nct ,

u a L eo a or a a a a P lchr nin , f tis S l m ntin .

Local pride once recorded on a column in front of its principal doorway the eulogy

e His anu s ditissima u lchra u e e a Sint lic t p p q t mpl ,

a Hoc tamen egregiis o mnibus rte prius .

1 1 9 . GOTHEM, GOTLAND, SWEDEN

x A ruined Gothic archway, with the ﬁgure of a saint at its ape . To

the left an old man seated, also a woman and a child . Beyond

x a church is seen . 1 13 1 6 . 1 40 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 896

1 89 6

0 : T HE T RASCORO 1 2 . PALENCIA

Interior with kneeling ﬁgures in the foreground facing a procession

emerging from the crypt. On the left a pulpit with canopy

tra r carved with ﬁgures. The sco o or screen in the centre

- of - is elaborately carved with ﬁgures and a coat arms, and is

. 1 6 x 23 surmounted by a ﬁgure of Moses 5 2.

As this etching is reproduced , it is only brieﬂy described . The

the trascoro beauty of it lies in rendering of the richly carved , on

coro trascoro which the light falls. The or Choir, of which the or screen at its eastern end forms the centre of interest in the

u picture, is sit ated, as in other Spanish cathedrals, considerably to the west of the usual position of the choir in the churches of other European countries . The late Mr. Street, who in his admiration for pure Gothic architecture denies any great merit to the Cathedral of Palencia, makes some interesting observations in his work on G othic Architectu re in Sp ain with regard to the situation of its Choir. This, he ﬁnds, was moved from a more

A . D . 1 51 8 eastern position in , ;and draws the inference that the peculiar position of the choirs of Spanish cathedrals is of com parativ ely late origin .

1 2 1 : V i Ew . BURGOS FROM THE SOUTH

s The river Arlanzon ﬂows pa t in the foreground , with ﬁgures of

lon women visible washing clothes in it. The g straight line

1 42 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 897

1 24. IN THE AISLES, AMIENS CATHEDRAL

x six To the right an altar, with cruciﬁ and candlesticks upon it. In the centre and to the left the richly carved ﬁgure subjects

of the chancel screen , with more carving above each of the

pointed niches which contain them , and below two monuments ﬁ with recumbent g ures. A nun is conducting school children

“ - up the steps to the left. Amiens etched in left hand corner.

’ Hai s own Mr. g admiration for Amiens can be j udged from his words quoted above in Chapter VII . Reproduced are drawings of some of the carvings of the screen, in one of which will be observed

- part of the choir screen, which ﬁgures in the etching. The drawing,

- however, shows it from a point towards the south east, whereas in

- the etching the spectator is to the south west.

1 25. DALHEM, GOTLAND , SWEDEN

Interior of church looking westward from the altar rails, a wedding

D alhems procession in the background . Engraved on the plate

1 3 x Kyrka Pa Gotland . g

- Dalhem is a country church in the island of Gotland , half way

’ Hai s Katthamra. between Wisby and Mr. g home at As an architect he has taken a prominent part in the restoration of this church , and is now preparing cartoons for the decoration of it. ,

Several of these have already been completed and can be seen in the church, the older portion of which dates back to the thirteenth and ﬁfteenth centuries. CATHEDRAL : DETAIL O F T HE CHOIR—SCREEN

S ee pages 55 and 142

1 89 8 ETCHING S AND THEI R SUBJE CTS 1 43

1 89 8

’

S . : X 1 6 . T 2 MARK S , VENICE E TERIOR

’

T he . western facade of St Mark s, viewed from the Piazza and from

- a a point to the north west of it . The Campanile is p rtially

shown to the right of the picture, and the ducal palace is visible

the beyond the cathedral front. There are many ﬁgures in

32 x 23 . foreground . i

But little need be said in describing for the purpose of ident iﬁca tion a plate the subject of which is so well known not only personally

eu to the thousands who have visited Venice, but by paintings, gravings, and other methods of representation of every description and of every degree Of merit, to the still greater number who have l . l never been there Its general appearance, as we l as its detai ,

n including the famous bronze horses, its history, and its surroundi gs ff are familiar to all, and it has a orded Mr. Haig an opportunity for a large etching faithfully portraying it.

1 27 . T HE OF S T . BASILICA GILLES, ARLES

The triple western portal is shown , the central and southern of

the three arched doorways being visible, as well as part of

r a . the thi d one, that nearest to the Spect tor The masonry

immediately above the circular arches . and the carved decora

tion between them, is quite plain , and is surmounted with a

straight line of coping. The doorways are approached by steps

with ﬁgures grouped on and near them . The lower part of 1 44 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 89 8

in fﬁ u the plate is deep shadow, which has proved rather di c lt

to reproduce satisfactorily. The reproduction , however, renders 1 9 further description of the plate unnecessary. 5x

This ﬁne piece of twelfth century architecture is not included among the sights visited by every tourist, as the town which takes

Old . ( E its name from the Abbey of St gidius , or St. Gilles, is situated ten or eleven miles from Arles, and is in itself of no i great beauty or importance . Still, those who v sit the latter, and

T ro hime admire the beauties of the Cathedral of St. p , should

include in their sight - seeing a church much of which is of great

’ Hai s antiquity . Mr. g etching suggests a ﬁne if somewhat neglected

n u building, with elaborate but mutilated carvi gs, standing in a co ntry town where trafﬁc is not brisk and where modern “ improvements !

are not conspicuous .

1 28. T HE O F A COURTYARD THE DUC L PALACE, VENICE

This etching shows the angle of the Courtyard of the Ducal Palace

’ in which is situated the Giants Staircase, seen to the right

of the picture. Women are engaged in obtaining water at the

octagonal wells. The end of the Courtyard opposite the spec } x 1 3 x 20. tator is that ne t to the Church of St. Mark. 3

’ This is one of the etcher s open - ai r studies of architecture seen

more or less at close quarters , its subject being the Courtyard of the

famed D ucal Palace of Venice, with the Scala dei Giganti, and other

a u fe tures with which travellers are well acq ainted , and of which all

’ S t V ni on s ce r . can read in detail in Mr. Ruskin s e of e and elsewhe e

1 46 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 899

1 2 IN 3 . NORTHERN SPAIN

u A sluggish stream, ﬂowing between ho ses crossed by a bridge from m one of them . A s all study of a Spanish town , which the

Escosia artist identiﬁes with rather than with any other place, although he declines to say that it is a representation of any

6 x particular locality. %

1 89 9

’

1 33 T HE ST . . MADONNA WITH A MUSKET, MARK S

’ A portion of the interior of St. Mark s, Venice. Towards the left, m and al ost in the background, is a square pier supporting two l circu ar arches, and on the two sides of the pier visible are carved

ﬁgures in rectangular panels. One of these is the Mad onna del

Schioppo, the Virgin with a musket hanging beside her, from 1 which the subject is named . 1 % x

i Of this plate no reproduction is publ shed here, but the drawing h from whic it was etched is given, and it forms with the three that

’ follow a set of four, showing chapels of St. Mark s , Venice . The musket was placed near the shrine by a man who believed that he had been miraculously prevented from committing a murder with it .

’

ST . 1 34. T HE OF CHAPEL THE SACRAMENT, MARK S

w i the The Chapel is in shado , with a single ﬁgure kneel ng at left

before the altar. the rails of which are visible on the right. The 9 ’ ' T HE E ( H T l l E N T MAKR S V EI l C E CHAP L SACRAME ,

See page 1 46

1 900 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJECTS 1 47

Chancel of the church is j ust visible through an archway. A

1 1 1 6 . pencil study of this su bject has been reproduced . 5x

’ 3 T HE O . ST . 1 5 F S T . CHAPEL CLEMENT, MARK S

A pulpit, with ﬁgures of priests and acolytes on the left preparing for

a procession . On the right an altar, and in the centre an archway .

1 4 x 1 1 .

’

36 . T HE 1 S T . BAPTISTERY, MARK S

- x r The great cup like font with its he agonal base, and the ﬁgu e of

St. John the Baptist surmounting its curving bronze cover, which

is decorated with reliefs in panels, makes the etching easy to

l o x 1 4 identify . g.

1 9 00

1 3 . 7 NOTRE DAME, PARIS

A view of the Cathedral of Notre Dame from the south side of the

Seine . The river and a bridge Slightly to the left of the plate lie 31 between the church and the spectator . x

1 38. BARCELONA CATHEDRAL : INTERIOR

i A view of the North Aisle of Barcelona Cathedral, look ng towards the

’ west. On the right is the canopy of the Bishop s Throne and

- the railing of the choir screen . The Choir, as is usual in Spain ,

1 5 22 . is in the middle of the church . x 1 48 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1900

al The architectur history of Barcelona is much more complete, whilst its buildings are more nu merous than those of any of our old cities, of which it is in some sort the rival . The power which the

Barcelonese wielded in the Middle Ages was very great. They carried on the greater part of the trade of Spain with Italy, France, and the East they were singularly free, powerful, and warlike. And l ﬁnally, they seem to have devoted no sma l portion of the wealth i they earned in trade to the erection of bu ldings, which even now testify alike to the prosperity of their city, and to the noble acknow ledgment they made for it . The cathedral, built upon the site of

x are a previously e isting church , of which fragments probably

i r incorporated in the present build ng, bears as the date of its e

1 29 8 1 329 . construction the years to The parts, however, which are ascribed to the builders of the ﬁrst church may be assigned to the eleventh century.

1 39 . WINDSOR CASTLE

The Castle with the Thames in the foreground . Aquatint and line

l o x etching. 7 .

1 40 OF . SAINT ELISABETH HUNGARY

’ w - A woman s head , with do ncast eyes, facing three quarters to the

ad right. On her he , which is surrounded by a ring or

nimbus, is a jewelled circlet and a veil thrown back. Her dress 5 is fastened with roses at the neck . x

1 50 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1 902

1 4 2. AMIENS

This view of the exterior of the beautiful Cathedral of Amiens shows

it rising out of trees and houses, with the Somme ﬂowing in the

1 1 x 41 1 . foreground . 4 3

“ A larger plate of landscape Shape was originally etched , but it was believed to be improved by cutting down, and the dimensions given above are those of more recent impressions ; a few, however,

x e ist in the larger size .

1 4 3. BALMORAL

The Royal Castle rising above trees, with the river Dee ﬂowing in

1 0 x 6 . the foreground . 5

1 44 . STOCKHOLM

in Stockholm Harbour, with the dome rising the background , which figures so conspicuously in the large etching of 1 888 reproduced

and already described . Nearer to the spectator are the waters of

t . 4 x 6 . the harbour, with boats lying moored towards the lef 4

1 9 02

Z 1 45. SAN ENO , VERONA

Spectator faces the east end of the church, in which two services

in can be held simultaneously, one the crypt and the other in

the Chancel above. The descent to the crypt is through three

rounded arches, which are shown in the centre of the plate .

Under the right - hand one of these the choir is passing down ULM CATHEDRAL

See page 1 51

1 902 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 51

- r wards , followed by the cross bearer, acolytes, and p iest . On

the far right is t he staircase by which access is obtained to the ! Chance . The screen above the steps to the crypt is surmounted

by ﬁgures of Christ and the Twelve Apostles . Two partially

destroyed frescoes, one of a prelate, the other of a saint, are on

21 x the piers to the right and left.

This church is dedicated to a Bishop of Verona, of African birth , and apparently of African blood, for he is commemorated in the

xi not church by a statue of swarthy comple on, if of negro type.

Z r San eno ﬂourished in the fourth centu y, and the ch u rch which bears his name was erected in the twelfth century. The statues upon the screen shown in the etching are work of the twelfth century .

U L M 1 46 . CATHEDRAL

A portion of the interior of the Cathed ral at Ulm forms the subject

of this etching, a reproduction of which is given . Beyond the

foreground, which is paved with square tiles, rises the lofty

Chancel arch, with the tapering canopy of the tabernacle or

sacrament house to the left of the Spectator . This is carved

and ﬁl with considerable wealth of detail, has many niches led

and - with statues of saints . Near it, towards the right hand

K r al ar eu z t . side of the picture, is the In the Choir a long double line of carved heads or busts of saints and worthies

- adorns the stalls, and is visible above the wrought iron screen

1 4 x 2 1 or railing . 5 5 1 52 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 902

This etching shows a view from the south- west of the Choir of

‘ in the M i mst er, Ulm , commenced the fourteenth century, and not actually completed until the nineteenth, when it was restored and

u S akraments ﬁnished . The most conspic ous feature is the or sacramental tabernacle, a remarkable piece of fretted Gothic work

a tapering with extreme grace and delic cy, as can be j udged from the reproduction given . The busts above the Choir stalls may also be

Or S rin cited as peculiar. They were the work of a carver named J g y , whose own portrait ﬁgures among those on the north side, though not in the two rows seen in the etching . These are of saints and

t ro w prophets of the Old Tes ament occupying the lower , and of apostles and saints of the New Testament above them . Correspond

ing heads on the opposite side of the Choir, not seen in the etching,

r are of holy women, the wife of the a tist being placed among them .

1 4 : 7 . BURGOS CATHEDRAL NORTH PORCH

d altar outside the Cathedral of Burgos, ﬂanked by four can le

sticks and with a Madonna and other ﬁgu res above it. In the

- ~ foreground are the roadway and side walk with passers by . There

a . . x 8 are worshippers kneeling before the alt r Aquatint 1 1 3 .

1 48 S AN . PORTA PIETRO, ASSISI

w The city gate, seen behind a parapet of the road ay. Foreground of

shrubs and grass. 4}1 x 6g.

1 54 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1903

side two monks are walking together on the bank with a peasant

4 x woman approaching them . 2 1 9 .

This plate, which has been reproduced, is one of the most successful of the landscape studies of an etcher whose name has

been established by his architectural subjects . It has not, however, yet been formally issued to the public . The Church of St . Francis , built in the form of three churches rising one above the other, will be more ﬁtly touched upon in connection with the etching of the interior of the middle portion of it which follows. Peacefulness and contrast of fading light and deep Shadow — the restfulness of

— evening, in short are the principal characteristics of this etching.

la i ra if F ora C v e . In g Mr Ruskin declared himself willing, convinced that it would be right and wise under the conditions of human life

“ had all and thought with which he to deal, to leave else and live

’ in a cell at Assisi or a shepherd s cottage in Cumberland — widely ff di erent and distant Spots typ ical of surroundings tranquil , beautiful, and in harmony with his frame of mind .

1 51 . T HE O F S T . CHURCH FRANCIS, ASSISI

This etching shows the great altar in the lower or middle church of

St. Francis . The altar is raised, and is approached on all sides

six by steps . It is supported on pillars and bears a cross and

lighted candles . The vaulted roof is very low, and is richly

decorated with frescoes . Worshippers kneel at the altar steps ,

a on in some monks are st nding the left, and the background I ASS l S l T HE H H ST . R C URC OF F ANC S,

See page 154

1 903 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 55

towards the left a priest and acolytes followed by others are

24 x l 9 . approaching.

The reproduction of this etching provides an ample description

- r n . of a wonderfully inte esting subject, and a well know one For

u x those nacquainted with it, it may be e plained that the altar Shown is that in the lower of the two churches built one over the other at Assisi in honour of St. Francis, and is placed immediately over the crypt which holds his bones . The church originally con sisted of two ch u rches or chapels one above the other. It is the

’

H ai s . lower one of these which ﬁgures in Mr. g etching The bones

had of St. Francis at ﬁrst been laid to rest at San Giorgio, but the

Perugians made attempts to carry them off and the people of Assisi feared lest they might succeed in doing so . In order to prevent this they constru cted a crypt beneath the lower church shown in the etching, and to this they transferred the mortal remains of their

- 230 - w u beloved patron saint in the year 1 . The rock he n sep lchre

n which they had devised was in fact as well as in ame a crypt, for

x though its e istence was known , its position was kept a complete

1 81 8 . secret, and was discovered only in It was then enlarged and con

u verted into a chapel, so that there are now three b ildings in which

- worship may be held, rising one above the other on the hill side, the

r nature of the g ound permitting each to be entered , if desired , on the level . Assisi can be found described in many works of all ages, but the account given below in the words of a writer of the early part

l x of the last century not on y e plains its architecture, but also ably

’

H ai s . deﬁnes the characteristic features conspicuous in Mr. g etching 1 56 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1908

' Lord Lindsay in his Sketches (y the H istory of Chris tian Art

v ol . . . . ( ii p after speaking of the Church of St Francis, Assisi, l as the cradle of Ita ian painting, writes as follows It consists properly Speaking of two churches, one above the other ; the Upper

u broad and spacio s, preserving the usual form of the Latin cross, i but free from side chapels and from every ncumbrance, and lighted by broad and lofty windows, cheerful and almost gay in its general appearance— the Lower gloomy as the grave which it is designed

is to imitate ; the nave lined by chapels, dark and obscure like

r sepulch al recesses, the windows are small , the arches round and low, bending heavily over the shrine of St. Francis, situated in the

ou centre of the transept, and below which y may descend deeper still to a subterranean cryp t or ex cavation in which his relics l actual y repose . Nowhere is the distinctive symbolism of the k Lombard and Gothic architecture more stri ingly contrasted , and the whole scheme of decoration seems to have been planned in

! reference to it. The gloom as of the grave, the arches bending

- heavily over the shrine, the scheme of decoration , all these character istic s can be studied in the etching. Even the rich colouring can

d had be ju ged of and appreciated , almost as though it been trans cri ed b by the brush instead of suggested with the etching needle .

1 52 T HE O F E . CASTLE VITR

x View of the e terior of Vitré, a castle with many circular turrets

! “ - of the form sometimes compared with that of a pepper pot, a building with scarcely an opening in it that could be call ed

1 58 AXE L HAIG AND HIS WORK 1904

1 9 0 4

1 54. L A MADELEINE, TROYES

Through a lofty archway are seen women worshipping before a

n Madonna standi g with the Infant Christ in her arms . Right f i and le t of her are lil es, and above, a richly carved canopy with

statues of saints in niches. To the right is the carved rood ll i screen, brightly i um ned, with a single statue surmounting w it . A Sister of Charity, ith children round her, is seated near

l r the pier which supports the arch a ready mentioned, towa ds

the right of the picture. In the wall, close to this pier, is a

n 0 11 carved representatio of the Resurrection . the pier to the

1 x left is a Station of the Cross. 55

At Troyes Mr. Haig has found a ﬁne subject in an old town worthy to be remembered by those who have the opportunity of

- visiting it. Once the principal gathering place of the Gaulish tribe

T ricasses of , it has, through them , given its name to the town of

T ricasses Troja in Apulia, commemorating the date when the and

rd Senones captured Rome ﬁfteen centuries ago. Later it has aff o ed to British schoolboys good reason to remember it, possibly not with d benedictions, by a ding Troy weight to the terrors of their early arithmetic .

Mr. Haig has not taken the Cathedral of Troyes for his etching, but has chosen the church of La Sainte Madeleine, a thirteenth century l building older than the greater part of the cathedra itself, and has

its ube - a shown ﬁnest feature, the J or Rood Loft of Giovanni Gu ldo, LA M E R YES ADEL INE, T O

See page

1 904 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 59 who also was connected with the building of the fortiﬁcations of the town. Jean Gualde, as his name appears in French garb , was paid

ﬁve er diem for his carving sous p in winter, and in summer, when

the n . working days were lo ger, seven He now rests beneath it, in

“ u words of the inscription once legible over his bones, Po r y attendre

’ !

1a resurre ction r . , sans peu d etre écrasé Its decorations, eighteen feet

x deep, and e tending over the two pillars at the sides, have been

! ’ u n lut ot u u ne described as a curtain of lace cut in marble, bijou p q

’ ! m a onnerie lut ot u une . c , une ciselure p q sculpture

’

ai s r . In Mr. H g etching the Jube is seen th ough an archway Of d the carvings mentioned above , not forming part of the ecoration of

u bé ef the J , but right and l t of it on wall and pier, the Station of the

Cross to the left ex ists in fact ; the Resurrection to the right may be

u noted as a detail introd ced by Mr . Haig for the sake of balancing his picture, and not to be seen at the spot where he has placed it.

T E E 1 55. H PALATINE CHAPEL, PAL RMO

i in the background , sl ghtly to the left, are the steps lead g to the

Chancel, in which a service is being conducted . The spectator

u looks across the ch rch from a corner of the Nave, whence priests and choristers can be distinguished within the Chancel i rail, part of the altar being v sible. In the centre the pulpit

is conspicuous, having beside it the great candelabrum . The

v whole is rich in car ing and decoration . Worshippers kneel

upon the marble ﬂoor in the foreground , one of these to the right being a woman with a shawl over her head and a fan in her

1 8 x 2 . hand . k 7 1 6 0 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 904

’

Hai s . Mr. g etching of this subject is reproduced It is one of his most recent works, and it bids fair to rival some of the best known of his earlier productions in popular esteem . It has aff orded

l x him an Opportunity, of which he has avai ed himself to the full e tent, for showing his ability to suggest in etching both rich carving and pictorial decoration upon smooth surfaces, consisting in this instance of mosaics .

Sicily counts among its most beau tiful mediaeval buildings the

Cappella Palatina at Palermo, raised by King Roger to the honour

f . of St. Peter early in the twel th century Designed as the chapel of the royal palace, it has a nave about a hundred feet long decorated l with rich y coloured glass mosaics on a golden ground, the more

u ancient of which date from the time when King Roger b ilt it.

Similar mosaics occur at Cefalu, where some are perhaps ﬁner than

- ff those in the Cappella Palatina, and their colour e ect can be judged

’ i - . Ha s of in Mr g water colour of Monreale, reproduced in this volume.

The pulpit and marble candelabrum, seen to the right of the etching, date from the twelfth century.

1 56 . LAON

in The Cathedral of Laon, with its two towers, rises high the back

ground . Towards the right of the Spectator a nun is conducting

schoolgirls down a ﬂight of steps. At the head of the steps

is a high gateway leading into the cathedral precincts, and to

. 1 0 x the left of these are trees and shrubs }2 1 5. This is a small but attractive etching of the Cathedral of Notre e L ’ Dame at Laon , the chief town of the D partment de Aisne .

1 6 2 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 904,

r f mitre on his head, and the fe rule of his pastoral sta f thrust into

the mouth of a dragon which lies at his feet. Above the ﬁgure

of the Archbishop is an ark - shaped canopy supported on nine

Of round pillars, the eight points of the upper portion the canopy

being surmounted by richly carved ornaments . A ﬂat tomb,

lies with a covering raised on shorter pillars, beyond Archbishop

’ de Grey s, and between his monument and the spectator are two

more tombs . The nearest of these, of which only part is seen ,

has a high and richly carved canopy, beneath which are two

1 5 x 23. kneeling ﬁgures . ;

The Dean of York wrote an interesting note upon this etching

“ at the time of its publication, concluding it by saying, Truly such an etching as that of Mr. Haig must be an abiding pleasure to those who know and love the Minster ; while it must kindle in those who yet know it not the aspirations of the Psalmist H ow amiable are l Thy dwellings, thou Lord God of Hosts ; my sou hath a desire and longing to enter therein, yea, my heart and my ﬂesh rejoice in the living God .

In his general observations upon the architecture of the Transept

- E Dr. Purey Cust cited the Opinion of the late Mr. G . . Street, to

- whom, as a well known authority upon Gothic architecture, frequent reference has been made above in connection with the Spanish

“ cathedrals . He recalled how Mr. Street used to say that he gazed with rapture upon the Transept of York Minster whenever he

u n returned home from his foreign tours, as unsurpassed , nay

of equalled, by any even the most stupendous achievements of the l’ HE H R PALATINE C APEL, PALE MO

See page 1 50

1 904 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 6 3

u great architects abroad . After dwelling pon the delicacy of the clustered columns, the simplicity of the mouldings, and the light

st re n th and ness and grace of the building, combined with its g

- great stability, Dr. Purey Cust proceeds to describe thus in detail G the monument of Archbishop de rey and other features of Mr .

’ Haig s etching “ In the forefront of this picture stands very appropriately the

s m unificence tomb of Archbi hop Grey, by whose , and perhaps skill , this ideal sanctuary was reared . A shrine not only in harmony r i with its su round ngs, but in the purity of its outline and ornamenta tion , singularly appropriate to the memory of him Whose ashes repose beneath ; for it is said that when chosen for this high office his enemies objected to his installation on the ground that he was an illiterate person and therefore unfit for so high a post. They

d f ‘ admitte , however, the purity of his li e and character. Per

’ Pet ru m ‘ Sanctum , said the Pope Innocent, virginitas magna est

’ et cu m u virtus nos damus vobis, and he conferred the pall pon him . “ The result thoroughly conﬁrmed the wisdom of his appoint ment, for, like the building around him , his simplicity was not inconsistent with strength .

The monument was raised over his grave, probably by Sewal de

B a ovill , the De n , who succeeded him for two short years ; Godfrey l de Ludham , the Precentor, who fol owed him for almost as short

n a time ; and Stephen de Langton , who, nominated by the Ki g as

Archbishop, was rejected by the Pope, and died Dean of York, having refused the Bishopric of Carlisle . They seem to have desired to indicate that in death they would not be separated from 1 6 4 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK 1 904

f him with whom they had been so lovingly associated in li e, for their graves are clustered round his tomb . A plain marble

floriat ed ll slab charged with a cross, elevated upon low pi ars, marks the resting - place of the first ; another cross cut on a stone the place of the second ; but nothing now remains of the very remark able monument which once commemorated the third . “ We can catch sight of the Eastern Window of the North l Aisle fi led with glass commemorating the martyrdom of St.

the Catherine, by Peter de Dene, the tutor of ﬁrst Prince of

E . Wales, dward I I

The Dean of York adds Mr. Haig has very properly de lineated the tomb of the Archbishop without the high iron screen which shields it so much from view. This is said to have been the work of Antwerp metal - workers about t he beginning of the i nineteenth century, and it cannot unluck ly be moved now, as it

u s pports the east end of the monument, which would otherwise

ﬂ ia fall to the ground . At the same time the or t ed ﬁnials above B the canopy were added by ernasconi, an eminent Italian sculptor. They are made of plaster and are intended to represent thrushes on woolpacks .

“ The thrushes or grey birds are explained as the badge of

m t he u the Grey fa ily, and woolpacks as all ding to the fact of the

oﬂice Archbishop having held the of Lord Chancellor. As will be seen from the etching, these thrushes are clustered round the bosses of stone which represent the woolpack or woolsack , and are not obtrusive , however glad we might be to dispense with them .

1 66 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1905

This fourteenth century Gothic house is situated nearly Opposite to the Church of St. Lawrence at Nuremburg, and at the corner

arolinenst rasse. l of the C The bui ding, a small portion of which is visible to the left, is the Church of St. Lawrence.

1 60 . CAPILLA DEL CONDESTABLE , BURGOS CATHEDRAL

l This etching shows the altar of St. Anna standing close to the wal

of the Chapel of the Constable, so that the woman who kneels

before the altar has the wall close to her at her right. The

a l a . alt r itse f is pl in , and is covered with a white cloth Four

candlesticks are standing on it, and it is approached by three

steps . Its great beauty and characteristic feature consist in the rich carving of the canopy which rises above it and encloses

it. This is carved with many ﬁgures in niches. Three other

statues in niches with canopies above them are visible beyond

the altar, as well as one to the right of the plate. Beyond the

a i alt r there is a painting, and on the hither side another w th h folding doors to close over it. Above the head of t e kneeling

5 x 8 . woman is a bénitier. }

This is a plate etched expressly for publication in the large

A l H ai an H i paper edition of xe g d s Work. The subject of it l is an altar in the Capil a del Condestable, one of the many chapels

i a of Burgos Cathedral , and one of the most mport nt architecturally.

Those who study the ground - plan of the cathedral will ﬁnd at the east end of it, nearly due east of choir and nave, between the

Chapel of San Gregorio and the Chapel of Santiago , this large B U T ST E S ACO : IN HE CONVENT OF . HI RONYMUS

See p age 57

1 905 ETCHINGS AND THEIR SUBJE CTS 1 6 7

chapel built towards the east as if it were to be an octagon , but

A . D . 1 48 rectangular towards the west. It was erected about 7 by the Constable Don Pedro Fernandez de Velasco and his wife, the architect probably being Juan de Colonia, said to have been t a German imported into Burgos by Bishop Alfonso de Car agena, who discovered him when attending the Cou ncil of Basle and induced him to come to Spain . He was also the architect of the

M iraﬂo res . chapel at the Carthusian monastery of , close to Burgos

a Some, however, attribute the chapel of the Const ble to Simon

t . de Colonia, a son of Juan . The etching is of the al ar of St Anna h in the Sout Transept of the chapel , richly carved and adorned with coloured wooden ﬁgures and reliefs .

’ Hai s w This concludes a list of Mr. g etchings hich comprises not only his published plates but a good many which can hardly be so described . Among omissions which have been made intentionally i may be mentioned the small souvenirs which Mr. Ha g has from time to time distributed among his friends . Mr. Haig, like many

u v artists, is his own p r eyor of Christmas cards, and several of these might have been mentioned in detail had they been thought of

1 9 00 x sufﬁcient importance . In , for e ample, there was one of

“ ! which the subject was The Star of Bethlehem ; on another occasion an old man sitting over a blazing ﬁre illustrated his genial

“ ? 1 9 04 . inquiry What Cheer In , St Christopher was the subject. The recipients of these no doubt value them for the associations

r which they recall, but it seems hardly necessa y to say more here with regard to them . The list cannot be taken farther than the 1 6 8 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK 1905

1 9 05 summer of without embarking in the realms of prophecy, but the drawings of Portugal made in this year which have been reproduced seem to foreshadow etchings illustrating some of the

’ a architecture of Spain s ne r neighbour. These may follow the etching in preparation at the time of writing of the Portico de la

m o tell Gloria of the Cathedral of Santiago de C o p s a. Had this been finished in time for its inclusion here it would have been found to Show the extraordinarily sumptuous carvings of the great doorways seen from under the portico itself, with figures of saints and bishops in stone flanking the entrances to the nave of the d church , and supported upon quaint iabolical monstrosities forming the bases of pillars which seem to cru sh them . In the foreground and beyond, Worshippers before going into the cathedral will be kneeling and standing in attitudes of reverence . In Size this plate

u u 1 8 i 2 n. will be found to meas re abo t ; in . by 7 , dimensions similar

u to those of the Palatine Chapel p blished a year earlier. Although ,

’ x Hai x . s however, the list of Mr A el g work now e tant is closed , there is no reason why many additions should not be made to it in

“ ahn anac the future . If the records of the and silver threads among the gold are to be taken as evidence, he has passed some time ago what is usually known as middle age, and he can hardly take off ence if he is call ed a veteran . Known by his works as an artist should be, he is in the prime of life, reaping as the fruits of past industry and observation the knowledge and mastery of

u his art, and ready to engage upon fresh ndertakings with undimmed eye and a hand as sure as ever.

IN D EX T O T H E E T C H IN G S

a a e o a Alc z r, S g vi a of a o a e a Alt r Visit ti n , P l nci e a e a e o Ami ns C th dr l , Ext ri r In the Aisles Inte ri or a e a o Ar b Stud nts , C ir a o ea o Arl nz n, n r Burg s ’ e L E i e des o a Arl s, gl s D minic ins e St . Gill s f St a u o . Assisi , Church Fr n s Octobe r Eve ning Porta San Pi etro

a a B lmor l . ’ a e St a Ve e B ptist ry, . M rk s, nic a e o a a e a e o B rc l n C th dr l, Ext ri r Santa Maria del Mar f S l e e a a o t . B silic Gi l s, Arl s Bayonne o a e a a a del o e abe Burg s C th dr l, C pill C nd st l e o the o e Ext ri r, Cl ist rs Inte ri or North Porch From the S outh On the Arlanzon

’ ' Ca d Oro e e , V nic S ae o e of t . e e C n, T w r Pi rr Cairo Arab ! uarter Arab Stud e nts F ell ahah Mosque of M oh amm ed Be y Canterbury Cath edral From the Stour 1 7 2 AXEL HAIG AND HI S WORK

’ a e b e C nt r ury, Pilgrim s Aisl Castle Nowhe re of Vitré a e a and e see e e a e o a a o e C th dr ls Church s Ami ns , Arl s, Assisi, B rc l n , B y nn , o a e e a a e o o e a e a o a Burg s , C nt rbury, C f lu, Ch rtr s , C l gn , D lh m , Durh m , Fl d , Ho oo Hu Je a ao eo fie lyr d , y, dburgh , Kirkst ll, L n , L n, Lich ld , Limburg ,

e o e o St . e o e a e a e a a e o e e bo o M lr s , M nt Mich l , N tr D m , P l nci , P l rm , P t r r ugh , '

e St . a e l e e a a o a o e o o e Rh ims, M rk s, S vi l , Sw dish Pulpit, T rr g n , T l d , Tr y s, U m al a o a l e e t e o . , Ups , V r n , W s minst r, Wisby , Y rk Cavalcad e a a Ce f lu Cath e dr l .

St. a a e of St . e e e e Ch p l Cl m nt, M rk s, V nic ' h a a e St of t e . a e e S cr m nt, M rk s , V nic a re ea o o Ch rt s, Gr t N rth P rch In the Aisl es Stre et Sce ne and Cathed i al Und e r Great North Porch Wash e rwome n at In Church , of St a A . Fr ncis , ssisi e : e a e a Church s s e C th dr ls . Cologne Stree t Sce ne o a e a a o C nt rini d gli Scrigni , P l zz C orner of Sevill e Cath e dral o a of a a a e e e C urty rd Duc l P l c , V nic Cue nca Stree t in T wo Bridge s

a e o a D lh m , G tl nd ' Darwin s Study Durham Cath edral

E e des o a e glis D minic ins, Arl s English Pasto ral

e Wa for be F rry, iting , Lu ck Flemish Lace Worke rs oa a e to o Fl ting M rk t, S ckh lm Fl od a

o a o f St eo e F unt in . G rg a e a ee 1n Fr nc , Str t

Going his Rounds ’ Great North Iorch Chartre s

3 ,

1 7 4 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

a a e Hans e e N ss u r , Nur mb rg a a re H o N v r , A ill T wn in o o o N rth P rch , Burg s Chartres a e e Ch rtr s, Und r Westminste r Abb ey o e a e a N tr D m , P ris Nuremberg

obe e Oct r Ev ning, Assisi Old Ge rman Mill Old Hanse Town On a Swe dish Lak e the a o o On Arl nz n, Burg s ’ On the Regent s Canal On the Swe dish Coast

a a e a e a e o P l tin Ch p l , P l rm ’ ’ a a o Ca. Oro e e P l zz d , V nic o a i e e e C nt rin d gli Scrigni, V nic a e a l a of the a o P l nci , A t r Visit ti n T he T rascoro

a e o a a e a e P l rm , P l tin Ch p l a e u a Re o the a P mp l n , turning fr m F ir a o e a e P ris, N tr D m a o a P st r l , English

Peterborough Cath edral . a a de la o o e l e Pl z C nstituci n, S vi l Portals of Rhe ims San e o a o e e o a Pulpit, F rm M ggi r , V r n l e Pu pit , Sw dish e e e In the Pyr n s,

! uie t Hour

’ Re e a a the g nt s C n l, On Re o the a r a e a turning fr m F i , P mp lun R e o a e h ims, N rth Tr ns pt T he Portals e a In Rhin l nd ,

S aint Elisabeth of Hungary Francis of Assisi eo e o a of G rg , F unt in l e Arlee Gi l s, ' a e e a e M rk s, V nic , B ptist ry ha f C el o St . e en 1 ) p Cl m t INDEX TO THE ETCHINGS 1 75

’ a a e i e a e of a a e S int M rk s, V n c , Ch p l S cr m nt Exte rior Inte rior Mad onna with M usket San e o a o e e o a F rm M g gi r , V r n , Pulpit

a e o : see St . a Fr nc sc Fr ncis . J a de l os Re e o e o u n y s, T l d e o e o a Z n , V r n a a a a a o o o e S nt M ri in C pit l , C l gn Schloss Zwinge nbe rg on the Necke r Segovia

Alcazar Sie rra Guad arram a i n Di stance e l e o e of a e a S vil , C rn r C th dr l Plaza de la Constitucion Stre et in o e Ho oo S uth Aisl , lyr d a In o e Sp in, N rth rn Stockh olm Fl oating Mark et Harbour Morning Strassburg Stree t in Cue nca in France in Se vill e e e o o e Sc n , C l gn e oa the Sw dish C st, On

J ) a e a L k , On Pulpit River

Tarragona Cathedral o e o a e a e o T l d C th dr l, Int ri r Grim In M oorish Archway San Juan de los Reyes o the i e W b T wing in Pr z , is y Trafalgar Square T rascoro a e a , P l nci o e La a el e e Tr y s , M d in

Ulm Cath edral e o o a e Und r N rth P rch , Ch rtr s 1 7 6 AXEL HAIG AND HIS WORK

Unknown Subj ect a a e fo r E t e o Ups l , D sign x ri r Inte rior

Venice ' Ca d O ro . o a a a a e C urty rd , Duc l P l c Old Wh arf Palazzo C ontarini de gli Scrigni ’ a sec St . M rk 5 . Verona l San e o Ma wre Pu pit, F rm gg San Ze no Vesper Be ll Ve spe rs é a e of Vitr , C stl

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