Cotmania. Vol. I. 1926-7

Admirers of Cotman's art, and they have never been more numerous or influential than now, may rejoice that Mr. Kaines Smith, the editor of the admirable "British Artists" series, should have taken into his own hand the provision of a volume on "John Sell Cotman" (Phillip Allan and Coo, 5s. net). For while he does not hesitate to style Cotman "the greatest watercolour painter that the world has yet seen," h e is able to give reasons for the faith that is in him, and though few connoisseurs will need to be convinced on this matter, it is well that it should be ot left to dogmatic assertion. If one were inclined to any difference of opinion, it would be on mere points of detail. He demurs to the general opinion that Cotman's earliest is his greatest period, yet he seems to incline to it himself when confronted with that superb masterpiece, the "Greta bridge." As to this particular drawing, Mr. Kaines Smith leaves the impression that Mr. Colman's version is superior to that in the British Museum, as to which it is possible to form an opinion by placing side by side the excellent colour reproductions in two of the Studio special numbers, from which the conclusion would seem to be that in reticence, in the"ascetic" quality which Mr. Kaines Smith truly ascribes to Cotman, the version in the National Collection is the finer, as it is also in some details of its subtle pattern. How complete was the artist's dependence on a beautiful design is to be realised on examining two superb drawings in the Leeds Gallery "A Waterfall" and "The Brick Kiln," both of which are reproduced in tjis little volume, for both are almost monochrome, yet they satisfy by their keenly seen pattern. Mr. Kaines Smith mentions four living artists who owe something to Cotman, and one is inclined to add to their number D Y Cameron, as perhaps the greatest who can trace his artistic ancestry to that source. On the probable association of Cotman with Girtin the author indulges in conjecture, but he has with great ingenuity made out a plausible case, and indeed it seems hardly possible that these two masters, whose work had so much in common, did not influence each other's development. It is one of the merits of Mr. Kaines Smith's monograph that it is often provocative, and it must certainly be reckoned among the best estimates of Cotman's supremely fine art that has appeared. There are the usual lists of works in public collections, among which it is pleasant to note that Leeds figures well, with eight varied and typical examples. It is by the way, rather curious that in the British Museum list there should be no mention of two very important drawings, the early "Backwater in a Park" and the famous "Greta Bridge."