Cotmania. Vol. I. 1926-7

Art for the Heart's Sake. John Sell Cotman by S. C. Kaines Smith
Prout and Roberts by Jane Quigley (Philip Allen 5/- each.)
Cotman did not sell, and, in the grand Victorian tradition, from Haydon downwards, Cotman made a tragedy out of the fact. They were all highly excitable and nervous, these Victorian geniuses, always unstable, often very vulgar in their clamouring for fame and money. Mr. Kaines Smith tells the interesting story of Cotman's life movingly, and gives a closely reasoned account of his work, work which is deservedly popular to-day. There is a racy, and not unfair, attack on Ruskin as an art critic. Miss Quigley does her best for Prout and Roberts, conscientiously rather than enthusiastically, and indeed, they are included in this series because they were rather more British than artists. But the two volumes do increase one's admiration for the British Watercolour School. {The Granta. Dec: 1926.}

/

DAWSON AND DARTMOOR Dealing with more or less the same kind of subject - including Dartmoor, the watercolours of Mr. Cecil Hunt and Mr. Hugh Eggington, now on show at Messrs. Frost and Reid's, 26c, King- street, St. James's, are very different in approach and treatment. Of the two artists Mr. Hunt is less preoccupied with the subjects themselves and "gets away with it" in a broadly pictorial treatment, with heightened colour in his own method of thickened wash, recalling the watercolours done by Cotman under the influence of Turner. The defect of his work is that it has more style than construction, and his success depends a good deal on the character of his subject - being most complete here in "Sunrise in Dorset," with a white light striking up from behind the hill; "Poole Harbour," in a distant view: and "Council Bridge." {Times 29.12.26}

/

1808 Cotman (J. S.) Specimens of Architectural Remains in...England, principally in Norfolk. Etched by John Sell Cotman with descriptive notices by Dawson Turner, and architectural observations by Thomas Rickman. 2 vols., roy. folio, with 240 etched plates; half morocco neat (pub. £24) 1838 4 4 0 {catalogue cutting}

/

{Kitson notes} Feb 7 1927. Walker Galleries received from Mr Bulwer in Canada 6 drawings
(1) Blasting the Rocks - Exh(ibite)d Norwich 1888 no. 168 (b(ough)t by Charles E Russell. Rutland Gate.)
(2) Via Mala Mountains. large and late. d(itt)o d(itt)o
(3) Poole Harbour - late very blue Exh(ibite)d Norwich 1888. no. 161.
(4) Crosby Hall. large. b(ough)t by V & A Museum . Exh(ibite)d Norwich 1888. no. 194
(5) Interior of Jesus Chapel. Exh(ibite)d Norwich 1888 no. 3 (b(ough)t by S.D.K.)
(6) Crypt in Normandy b(ough)t for Ashmolean Museum but not accepted (a sinister drawing Exh(ibite)d Norwich 1888. Tate Gallery 1922, belongs to R. J.Colman.)