YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon From a Lithograph by JFilliam Rothenstein CATALOGUE OF AN EXHIBITION OF PAINTINGS, BRONZES AND GRAPHIC WORKS BY CHARLES RICKETTS AND CHARLES SHANNON WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY MARTIN BIRNBAUM NEW YORK BERLIN PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANY 305 MADISON AVENUE 1914 4-1 Copyright, 1914, by MARTIN BIRNBAUM RICKETTS AND SHANNON When Mr. Roger Fry followed the example of Herr Meier-Graefe and not merely hailed the new "masters," but also emulated them, al most all London blindly succumbed. Eager crowds rushed to see the latest amusing post- impressionistic sensation at the Grafton Gal leries, critics hid their cudgels and chanted hymns of praise, and the puzzled dealers opened their doors unwillingly to the dis torted masterpieces. Almost the only oasis in the town was the quiet studio of Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon, on Lansdowne Road, where you could leave the turmoil be hind and find the sacred flame of Beauty ever burning. The finest examples of Egyptian art, jewels of the ancient Persian miniatur ists, Grecian marbles, bronzes by Rodin and Legros, charming Tanagras, drawings by Barye, Daumier, and the Chinese masters, the harmonious works of Puvis de Chavannes, the graceful designs of Outamaro and Wat- 3 teau, were among the treasures which were there collected together by the two artists, and no higher praise of their own original works is needed than to state that they hold their own in such company. It is indeed a fortu nate circumstance that the rare culture of these two enthusiasts has not been sterile, and has expressed itself in paintings, bronzes, and graphic works of great charm, sensitiveness, and exquisite beauty. Ricketts, like Fromen- tin, has also mastered the art of expression in words, and has written some of the sanest essays on Art in contemporary literature. As far back as 1884, the two artists met in a school at Lambeth, where they were learning to engrave on wood; and they have been in separable ever since. As their friend Mr. Lewis Hind puts it: "They live together; they collect together; they work in adjoining stu dios, and in any account of the life, aims, and appreciations of Mr. Shannon, the name of Mr. Ricketts runs to the tongue as dutifully as that of Sullivan to Gilbert, or Fletcher to Beaumont." It is surprising, therefore, to find that the influence of one upon the other is almost imperceptible. As a matter of fact, they worked together only at the beginning of their careers, when they were still actively engaged in producing 4 graphic works for the sumptuous quarto "The Dial," and later for the publications of the Vale Press. The first number of their pro test against commercialism appeared in 1889, and was followed at intervals by four other parts. The versatility of Bicketts turned quite naturally to the realm of applied art, and with William Morris he became one of the leaders in the revival of good printing.1 The produc tion of "The Dial" culminated in the estab lishment of the Vale Press, and its publica tions were immediately recognized as superior in many ways to those of the Kelmscott Press. Morris was inspired by the mediaeval printers. Bicketts followed in the footsteps of the Ital ians, and in "Daphnis and Chloe" he was responsible not alone for the woodcuts, but also for the arrangement of the page and every other detail. The engravings for this book and its successor, "Hero and Lean- der," were designed and engraved on wood by both artists, but they are no longer quite certain as to which of them was responsible for some of the designs. Harmony and a uni form style rather than originality was sought 1 A good concise history of the entire movement is given by Holbrook Jackson in the nineteenth chapter of his book "The Eighteen Nineties" (1913). 5 for in these first experiments, and the famous Aldine "Hypnerotomachia" (1499) was drawn upon for many of the details. Very often they employed the happy conceit of putting their own portraits into the illustrations, but not infrequently the designs are almost like trac ings from the fifteenth-century book. The Vale type was first used for "The Early Poems of John Milton," and in it the remark able inventive skill of Ricketts and his fastidi ous taste are crystallized. In all, the press issued some fifty books, which are contribu tions of lasting worth to the spirit of our time, and after its doors were closed in 1903, Rick etts devoted himself to painting and sculpture. In these later works Ricketts strikes a distinct personal note, although he displays affinities with the pre-Raphaelites and Delacroix on the one hand, and with Rodin, the president of the International, on the other. The pre-Raphaelite influence is also notice able in the paintings of Shannon, but he is really a direct descendant of Watts and the Venetians of the Golden Age. Rich in ideas, you will find him making innumerable stud ies in various experimental media before he finally gives his subject a place on the canvas. Most of the subjects are found suggested among his lithographs. Indeed, it is by these 6 studies that he is best known here.1 He is an acknowledged master of the medium, and has exhausted all its possibilities except in the field of colour-printing. He will probably never employ colour, however, for he can make sunlight play among the green trees, or he can catch the gleam of foam on the sea, by the use of line and scratching. Shannon is devoted to the tondo, and he can arrange his figures in a circle with the same skill that Conder displayed in decorating a fan. Not the least charming of his works are a series of poetical circular woodcuts rhyth mically well balanced, printed in two colours after the manner of Ugo da Carpi and the eigh teenth-century prints of Skippe and Zannetti. Many of his lithographs are also circular or fan-shaped, and it is a pleasure to record that the admirable catalogue which Ricketts made of these prints in 1898 did not mean the end of his activities in the medium, for we have prints down to 1909. Shannon's works resemble those of his friend Ricketts only in the fact that the im pulses which created them, whether inspired by the Bible or by some strange fable, seem purely artistic rather than religious or emo- 1 As a portrait painter he is still confused with Mr. J. J. Shannon. 7 tional. As artists they are not popular, per haps because they are not boldly assertive. It is a mistake, however, to assume that their art is a mere reflection, because they talk sympa thetically and learnedly of the great artists whose works they collect. Their noble aspira tions and quiet devotion to their work are in themselves valuable as protests at a time when delicate taste and feeling are conspicu ously absent from the work of so many im patient young men. CATALOGUE OF THE FIRST AMERICAN EXHIBITION OF ORIGINAL PAINTINGS, BRONZES AND GRAPHIC WORKS BY CHARLES RICKETTS AND CHARLES SHANNON HELD AT THE GALLERIES OF THE BERLIN PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANY NEW YORK MARCH 18 TO APRIL 11 1914 CATALOGUE BRONZES BY CHARLES RICKETTS 1. The Fallen Angel. 2. Medea. 3. Actor with a Mask. 4. Io and the Sea Nymphs. 5. The Cradle. 6. Little Pieta. Sketch. 7. Descent from the Cross. 8. The Tragic Man. 9. Centaur and Baby Faun. 10. Faust and the Centaur. 11. Centaur and Nymph. 12. The Good Samaritan. 13. Chiding of Cupid. 14. Silence. 15. The Drinking Sphinx. 16. Laocoon and his Sons. 17. Orpheus and Eurydice. 18. Paolo and Francesca. 19. Salome and Herodias. OIL PAINTINGS BY CHARLES RICKETTS 20. The Flight of Cleopatra. 21. Job and his Comforters. 10 22. Departure of Tobias. (Lent by Hon. Thomas L. Raymond.) 23. Don Juan and the Statue. (Lent by C. W. Kraushaar, Esq.) OIL PAINTINGS BY CHARLES SHANNON 24. Portrait of the Artist. (The Marble Torso.) 25. Daphnis and Chloe. 26. The Toilet. I. 27. The Toilet. II. 28. The Wood Nymph. DRAWINGS BY CHARLES RICKETTS 29. Pen-and-ink study for "The Argonauts." (Male torso and hands.) 30. Pencil drawing for "Centaur and Lapith." 31. Nude. 32. Studies for the statuette "The Man with a Mask." 33. Studies of arms and hands. 34. Drawing for the bronze Laocoon. 35, 36. Studies for "The Argonauts." DRAWINGS BY CHARLES SHANNON 37. Portrait of Ricketts. 38. Study of Bathers. 11 39. Nude. 40. Water-colour sketch, "The Toilet." 41. Study for "Battledore." 42. Study for "Daphnis and Chloe." 43. Study for "Summer." 44. Harlequin. 45. Study for "The Mill Pond." 46. Study for the woodcut, "Coral-divers." 47. First sketch for the woodcut, "The Oven." 48. Study for the woodcut, "The Garden Plot." 49. Study for the woodcut, "Fruit-pickers." 50. A Bather. 51. A Woman's Head. 52. Water-colour Sketch of "White Nights." 53. Two Figures. 54. Studies of Oak Leaves for "Atalanta." 55. Sketch for woodcut, "The Porch." 56. Sketch for woodcut, "The Apple Shower." 57. Sketch for "Wounded Amazon." COMPLETE CHECK LIST OF LITHOGRAPHS BY CHARLES SHANNON (Not all the prints are hung in the exhibition. Some are kept in a portfolio. The inside numbers refer to the Ricketts' catalogue and Shannon's own lists.) 58. a. Trial proof of two nude women under a tree. One of two existing proofs. (Not mentioned by Ricketts.) 59. b. Child in a bath pulling the hair of a woman stooping over it. Six proofs 12 in all exist. (Not mentioned by Ricketts.) 60. c. A girl combing the hair of another. Ten proofs exist. (Not mentioned by Ricketts.) 61. d. Nude girl supporting another who is standing on a stool hanging a garland over a door. A child on the right. Three proofs exist. • (Not mentioned by Ricketts.) List Taken from the Ricketts' Catalogue, Printed at the Vale Press 62. The Vale in Snow 63. The 'Cellist 64. The Fantastic Dress 65. Bitten Apples 66. A Lithograph in White Line (Trial proof) 67. The Modeller (T. Sturge Moore) 68. Apples 69. Summer 70. Shepherd in a Mist 71. With Viol and Flute 72. Repeated Bend 73. The Little Apple 74. The Intruder 75. The Romantic Landscape 13 RICKETTS' 'ALOGTJE NO. YEAR OF ISSUE 1 1889 2 1890 3 1890 4 1890 5 1891 6 1891 7 1892 8 1892 9 1892 10 1892 11 1892 12 1892 13 1892 14 1893 TITLE BICKETTS' CATALOGUE NO. TEAR OP ISSUE 76. Atalanta 15 1893 77. White Nights 16 1893 78. The Ruffled Sea 17 1893 79. Ministrants 18 1894 80. The Messenger 19 1894 81. Shell-gatherers 20 1894 82. Caresses 21 1894 83. Mother and Child 22 1894 84. The Three Sisters 23 1894 85. Biondina 24 1894 86. Sea and Breeze 25 1894 87. Linen-bleachers 26 1894 88. The White Watch 27 1894 89. The Wood-engraver (Charles Ricketts) 28 1894 90. Le Fumeur (R. Savage) 29 1895 91. E. J. Van Wisselingh in a Hat 30 1895 92. E. J. Van Wisselingh 31 1895 93. Lucien Pissarro 32 1895 94. Apple-gatherers 33 1895 95. The Toilet 34 1895 96. In the House of Delia 35 1895 97. SaltWater 36 1895 98. The Letter 37 1895 99. The Stone Bath 38 1895 100. The Dive 39 1895 101. The Little Venus 40 1895 102. T. Sturge Moore in a Cloak 41 1896 103. W. L. Hacon 42 1896 104. Alphonse Legros 43 1896 105. John Gray 44 1896 106. The Nursery Floor 45 1896 14 TITLE 107. The Hand Mirror 108. MaxBeerbohm 109. After the Bath 110. The Dressing-room 111. The Corner Seat 112. The Wall Cupboard 113. The Infancy of Bacchus 114. Winter 115. Sea Folk The Ricketts* Catalogue ends here 116. The Sower and the Reaper 117. The Bathers 118. The Wayfarers 119. Portrait of the Artist 120. The Swimmer 121. The Bath 122. An Idyll 123. The Mill Pond 124. Morning 125. A Fan (The Toilet) 126. A Fan (The Tub) 127. A Fan (The Wave) 128. The Breakwater 129. The Morning Visit 130. The Wood Nymph 131. The Divers 132. At the Water's Edge 133. The Cup of Tea 134. A Fan (The Snow, Winter) 135. A Fan (The Promontory) 136. Playmates 137. The Bead Necklace 15 RICKETTS' YEAR OF CATALOGUE NO. ISSUE 46 1896 47 1896 48 1897 49 1897 50 1897 51 1897 52 1897 53 1897 54 1897 55 1904 56 1904 57 1904 58 1905 59 1905 60 1905 61 1905 62 1905 63 1905 64 1906 65 1906 66 1906 67 1906 68 1906 69 1907 70 1907 71 1907 72 1907 73 1907 74 1907 75 1908 76 1908 TITLE RICKETTS' CATALOGUE NO. TEAR OE ISSUE 138. The Sea Coast 77 1908 139. The Morning Toilet 78 1908 140. The Incoming Tide 79 1908 141. The Child 80 1909 142. The Coral Branch (A Fan) 81 1909 143. The Bath (A Fan) 82 1909 144. The Rising Tide 83 1909 ETCHINGS BY CHARLES SHANNON (Probably not more than two proofs exist.) 145. The Hand Mirror. 146. Master Herford. CHIAROSCURO WOODCUTS BY CHARLES SHANNON 147. Fruit-pickers. 148. Winter. 149. Autumn Leaves. 150. Sheaf-binders. 151. Coral-divers. 152. The Apple Shower. 153. The Porch. 154. Captive Pegasus. 155. The Oven. 156. Shell-gatherers. 157. The Garden Plot. 158. Hot August. 16 WOOD-ENGRAVINGS FOR "DAPHNIS AND CHLOE" (Artist Hand Proofs) DESIGNED BY RICKETTS. ENGRAVED BY RICKETTS AND SHANNON 159. Pan and Echo. 160. Winter. 161. The Temple of Bacchus. 162. The Ikon (with portraits of Shannon and Ricketts). 163. Feast at the House of Dryas. 164. Ganymede. 165. Daphnis saved from Pirates. 166. The Feast. DESIGNED BY SHANNON 167. Chloe and her Mother. 168. Chloe singing. 169. The Fountain. 170. The Burial. 171. The Topmost Apple. 172. The Sleeping Methymneans. 17 WOOD-ENGRAVINGS FOR "HERO AND LEANDER" DESIGNED BY RICKETTS 173. Eros and Anteros. 174. Diana and Venus. DESIGNED BY SHANNON 175. Hermes and the Fates. WOOD-ENGRAVINGS FOR "CUPID AND PSYCHE" DESIGNED AND ENGRAVED BY RICKETTS 176. Jupiter and Cupid. 177. Psyche and Cerberus. 178. Venus and the Dove. LITHOGRAPH BY RICKETTS 179. Darius Rising from the Tomb. 180. Lithograph Portrait of Ricketts and Shan non by Will Rothenstein. 18 The case contains books printed at the Vale Press, copies of "The Dial," and volumes decorated by the two artists. Note: The border used on the cover of this cata logue was designed by Ricketts for Marlowe's "Hero and Leander." 19 Berlin EXHIBITIONS OF THE BERLIN PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPANY 305 Madison Avenue New York City London 1911-1914 Aubrey Beardsley Alfred Stevens Albert Sterner Ernest Haskell Charles Conder Will Rothenstein Arthur Freedlander Maurice Sterne German Graphic Art New York Society of Etchers Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon Pan Press Hokusai Leon Bakst Robert Blum Mahonri Young Pamela C. Smith Herman Struck Hamilton E. Field Marcus Behmer Muhammadan Art Graphic Art in Austria- Hungary and Bohemia Max Beerbohm 20