English Water Colors of Gerald Ackerman

8/12/2019 English Water Colors of Gerald Ackerman

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English Water Colors of Gerald Ackerman, R. I.

Author(s): Evelyn Marie StuartSource: Fine Arts Journal, Vol. 37, No. 1 (Jan., 1919), pp. 34-40Published by:Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/25587618.

Accessed: 16/06/2014 09:16

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1 A K147'OIi?'T' C A S77'LEE -Coitresy. -tith?Ir AckTcrmmIfll Son, hic.ly Ocrald*1 CCkermam, I'. I.

E n g l i s h W a t e r C o I o r s o fG e r a l d A c k e r m a n, R. I.

By EVELYN MARIE STUARTI NAS-i U(il Ias \vater color has alway\\s);senljoyecd so muitclh restige with theEnglish there is somiiethlingt,miore thani apI)rol)riate abotit exhibitions of works inthismiledliuni in the galleries of ArthiuirAckermiiiauin Soni, so familedlfor thieir- ollectionlsof the old prints and engravings wvhich

wvere the begininiig of reproductive art inlnlngasnd. T he hiistol-yof this lhotise is sobound up) wvith the develol)ment of illuistration anid of th- putblication of etchliligsand engravings which ser-ve(d to preserveforl ftuttlu-eenerations the top)ography anid

miianniier-s of L'ng.an(l in the late scventeen.salld early eiglhteenis,that there is somiiethlinlgtra(litional about thle ctivities of one of thelast imemliber-s of the family in seeking topreserve the cliharlmi f I}ritish scener-ytilrotulgi the tise of a imiedlitiuimn which theE>lng,lishexcel.

FEnolish artists lhave alway'S takell Sokinddl towork inwater color,' says ani emilienitauithorit upon. the stibject, they laveslhowvniuichlready mastery of its p)ossibilities, ani(l the beauitiful r-esults thiey, have secure(l have beeni so warmly an1(d so sinicerelyr



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Page Thirty-siX EJ\AGUSH l V'.ATIER OLORS

A IATVICK CA STLE FI' OM THIE FIELDSJ;,I ;C1'Cr(tId'ckcrniaiuitx, 1.'. I.

admired, that it lias seemiie(l (Jtlitenaturalto speak of xvater color p)ainting as the distinictive niationlulart of E1lngland. It is uni(lotibtedly a formiif expression suite(l botlto the geniitis of theEnglish artists anid thetaste of the Enlglish public. \\Vithlno'chili-chies r otier l)public uildings to decorate, the arts of the sculptor anid the oilp)ainter lie ol)l)ressed unlinel-the weight of

public inl(ifference alndIapathy. The watercolor l)ainter, oni the othier haland,wvorks for

TlHE VILLAGE CROSS COR?FE CAS'l'J;y Gerald Ackcrmavvn, f. I.

the private apartments of indii(ltlals. I-Iismiioclest dirawiilgs canl only be seen l)y txwoor tlhreepeople at a timiie;hisart, one miiiglht ay, is essenitiall) ani initimnate,personalconversational onie. So thata society like that of ELnglancl(lrii ng the nineteenth cenitury-a society in which tl-er-ights of indlividtuals hiavebeen very largel)y ilnsisted ut)on anld the claims of atitlhority all( tradition somewhatiml1ored-wotild naturally afford imiore cope for the exercise of an.mrt which (loes nlot,

like oil p)ainting, require the scope of a largeaudience knit together by the ties oifthioughts and(I sympathies he&d in colimimloln.This history c' English art hias a brilliantchapter devote(d to wvater color herheirshinie great nlamiies,as Cozeins, Constable,Turnier, Cotmiiani,Cox, I.Hunt,Rosetti andb-urin-eJIolnes. It ha(l its beginninigio, owever, in the honorable el-fortsof the tol)ograp)hical dlratlghtsmen at the enidl o f theeighteenth century. VFinberg, in his wvork,

Tlhe 1E-'nglish Wk"ater CololPainters, gi\ves the folloviniganalysis of the ste1)s whliiclhle(l to the risc of this artin England and(I \vhiclh, evenUntil to(ldav,have shaped its

Dnring the seventeenth and\Vell ilnto the eighitceenthi cenitrll-v nglishl)aihp tes receive(1little clecouracgenillnt inI thirl'native lan(l. Thle picture hliver-s of that tielil eVeln ats (fonris prefrre(l to sp)en(l thieirlVieC)T onl the works of theItalian, Dutch and(I Frenchpainters, r-atiler than encour

a,gc the dle velop)ment of Lrittishlgenius. T'hec onil)y iranchof art in which aI native artist



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( s15X If"zlTI I? C'OLORkS Payge Thirty-sc-e

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ligllt 111i (ilonMe emp lOVelnt\wa5s lhatof )ortraittlre; andeVellv hIc r c thle En'liglishillall.cot1l(l onlv, hi(I llis ol)l)orttillitv when the supl)l)l of forcgi artists ral short. Thestorv of ( ;aIllsblorotiolh' unllsold Ia(ladscales stacked aw\yata,t Ing110-klal Cotll(l 1)1-o(lutcC algre,'at land(lscale painter longheforc an Coflv (lserahle ho(lyof piatrons COU1,d ) taluohlit oalplpreciate his \work.There secisli to have bleen afairl- larc (1cmand for- land-.scalpe5, rovi(lded they \\w rnot of Englishil scemlerv. I iStoy recort)d(s that alln ['mllo hcolnsuil ait \en ice i n d 1i e d

icanaleto to \workl or him atWvholesale prices, andclretailedtih eictures to kritish touristsait a collsi( lderal c Irohit. I ltllis N\\avmutiltitud(1esf (ianaletto s view's of Venlice a-c saidlto have l)cul sold or seiit overto Luglkalmld.The n1umlher fC(laudc's I )ltissllns, anti Salvator Rosas. \which streaniedilito the c o) ui II t r v prmolbablyOwe(l IloIrc to the -attl c tionof thlir shtbject-miaitterh.an tothirll artistic milelit.s. H en'lcethe few I, I ' I i s Ih landscape1)ailters \h10 1ecei v(lV aylv enc0oura1,gelnienltere thiosewho1)ai lnte(l Stlcll SCeCnCS as tiletoullrist Could boast famillilarlit\\ith ; (lld thiese iad(l to he)lilte(l ill 'the Italianl stvle."So that \wehlid \Walpole1, r till" in - I (draw\s attemtl inlto the e.xtraordil(aiy'' f a c tthat a cout li\-v s p)rofumselv.heauithiled with the aillellitiesof nature' asEI'niguland hadproduce(l so fe \w , 0dp)ainlters of lanmdscape. 'As



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Page Thirty-eight ENGLISH WATER COLORSwith our poets," he says, "warm theirimaginations with sunny hills, or sigh aftergrottos and cooling breezes, our paintersdraw rocks and precipices and castvellatedmountains, because Virgil gasped for breatlhat Naples, and Salvator wandered amidstAlps and Apennines. Our ever verdantlawns, rich vales, fields of haycocks, andhop-grounds are neglected as homely anidfamiliar ubjects."

The great task of the eighteenth centurywas to educate the colored portion of theBritish public to aln interest in the beautiesof their own land. "This, says Finberg,"was the indispensable preliminary beforea national sclhool of landscape painterscould be called inlto existence. And as welookc back now we can see that this taskw a s performed by the topographicaldraughtsmen and engravers who carried onthe work so superbly inaugurated by IHollar in the time of Charles I. From thattime we see a constant succession of engravers and draughtsmen riding or tramping into all parts of the kingdom, recordingand 'minutino'-to use WValpole's expression-the antiquities and places of interest,sketching the castles, cathedrals, and seatsof the nobility and gentry, and thus, without a thought of doing anything of thekind,creating an intellectuaf atmosphere inwhichthe genius of Turner and Constable couldlive and thrive."

The draughtsmeni and engravers to wiichour historian refers, were encouraged anddirected in no small measure by the firstAckermann and the institution which heestablishedl. To him and to them we mustther-efore accordl the achievemenit of cleveloping the taste of the British public toan appreciation of landscape and a discriminating love of the beauties of their ownland, its rivers and hi1s, its cities and villages, the humblest cottages nestling in itsmilost secluded valleys, the kingly castlescrowning its nloblest steeps.To carry on in the spirit of tliis work

into the higher atmosphere of fine art hasbeen the natural ambition of Gerald Ackermann, directly descended from the fotinderof the house, and heir to his artistic abilities. His exqusite water colors are notablefor their admirable draughtsmanship, theirspontaneous feeling, the vigor of the cotriposition and the tremendous perspectivewhich he achieves in small spaces. .

He works in pure wash, thereby resigniin' his muse utterly to the inherent qualities of a medium which is at once soft anclelusive, yet luminous transparent and capable of producing themost delicate illusions of light, air, distance and reality. Inabandoning all effort tomake water colorlook like oils he returns to the firstanid besttraditionis of the medium and places hiswork in linle with all the really greatachievements of its kind which the worldhas ever seen. He is in the forefront ofthe times also for pure wash is today accredited with the cognos-scente.His is a serious art, following traditionsthat have stood the test of years, even hiscolor being restraiMiedwithin the rangeoriginally advocated by Dayes, Cozens, Cotman and Turner in his earliest period. Thisold restricted range of color proves vastlymore pleasing and successful than the roseand gold and blue and purple of many moreambitiously polychromatic painters. It hasa dignity that is delightful and it tends toprevent themedium from degenerating intosweetness or trivial prettiness. It is all themore appropriate too when applied to suchthlemes as the grey old castles of Britainstanding on their rock foundations likefortresses of English tradition.

There is something so well in keepingwith his story, and the langtiage inwhichGerald Ackermann chooses to relate it, thathiis pictures impress one like folk songs orthe legends of a people, for they seemrather to have grown and evolved than tohave been consciously made. We feel thisrather particularly in his study of Bam



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ENGLISH WATER COLORS Page Thirty-nineborough Castle whicth forms our frontispiece. Here indeed he becomes a poet, forthis mighty fortress rises grim and ghostlike in the background just as do the traditions of its times loom tip dimly, yetsturdily, in the history of England. Thisis indeed the backdrop for the spectacleof the present, but it also gives the cue forthe character of the play. For this is feudalism, the stern anid bitter system underwhich great private armament and defensewere necessary for themaintenanice of life.Thrilling tales of daring and romance dothese old walls suggest, for Bamboroughwvas a noted stronghoold originally selectedby Ida, King of Northumberland, as hisseat of power. Its site is thought by someto onice hate been an island, for its rockwalls rise perpendicularly and hills of sandhave now intervened betweeni it and theNorth Sea. It was often taken and retakenduring the Scottish wars anid the wars *ofthe Roses and its story is well interwoven

with the history of the land.Alnother great historic fortress celebrated

by Milr. Ackermann in a song of harmonious tolnes, isWarwick. Its site was fortified by the daughter of King Alfred. . hecastle w as built byWilliam the Conqueror,anid rebuilt by Henry II and was againrestored in times less ancient by ThomasBeauclhamp, Earl of Warwick. Our illustration gives an idea of the beautiy and dignity df the composition of the originalAvatercolor but its agreeable greyish greenisanidwonderful skies are lost.

Harlech Castle is yet aniother anlcientlalndmark whose massive towers have givenour artist an heroic inspiration. This wasthe border castle in North Wales, by meansof which the English he'd that part of thecounitry in reign. Chepstow, of which Mr.Ackermanin has also made a delightful picture, served the samne purpose in the conltrol of Sout:h WVales. In the Harlech studywve lhave a beautifully maniaged p)erspectivethat gives a stupendous imtpressioni of

height and volume even in the small reproduction. The sweep of sky around the hillgives it that feeling of mass with threedimensions, so easily lostwhen hill or cragis silhouetted against the skv. Little touchesof life are afforded in the foreground bythe cottage with its smoking chimney andthe grazing cattle achieved with littlemasterly rush strokesperfectly laced. The

whole work is brilliant and full of light,realizing to its fullest extent the advantageof water color. An old Welch song, **TheMen of Harlech," celebratesthe deeds ofheroismi in days gone by that had this ancient castle as their setting.Warkworth Castle is yet another inter

esting motif for a lovelyAckermann watercolor, featuring the poetic charm of anEnglish country ide. Here the listant ileis put a part of the landscape. WVhat anoble beauty pervades this landscape maybe appreciated even in black and white, soagreeable is the balance of masses, so dramatic thecomposition.Another of our illustrations showsArundel Castle, faint in the backgrouncd ofa lovely pastoral. A loneliness creeps intothis scene that is somehow most appealing.\Ve feel a sympatlhy arising in us for thosewho lived in times gone by, shut up in thesefortified mansions with all the riches ofour later, freer, social life denied tlhenm.The tranquillity of themeadow land tindersoft grey clouds has been exquisitely realized here and the wide luminosity of theskies. His skies indeed are such as onlywell handled water color can afford; subtleand full of effulgence, achieved with washand paper only, thereby preserving the fullbrilliancy of the medium.A lovely country scene with a cottage intfheforeground and the village cross at(arfe complete our illustrations. They givean idea but only that of the sincere, refinedand stately beauty of the work of Gerald'Ackermann. That he loves England wellone would know f rom his water colors



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f-'a(Igcorty JEAGLISH Vl7TER COLORSaone aind a dlistiniguiished recordl as ani officer in the sel rvice of his countlr dur-ilngthe latewar is vell inkeeping Nwithhat wvefeel inhis art work. I3ut lhedoes mor-e thanshlo\whis a-ffectioni vithlhis bruslh, for hiemakes us feel it too. One looks at hlisvTcaterolors ain(Iwonders if lanidwvere evermiiore fair- thalni his and(I if reality caln actuAlly be so charminig.Gerald Ackermann has been higlly colmimiienided by our great connioisseur, Dr. Gunisaulus, who has even nma(lemiienition of his

\0orkss n hiis add(lresses. This artist is onieof those favorites of fortulne that arrive

early at artistic lhonior, or hie has capturedthe Thomas Creswick :Royal Acadlemiiyl)rize, bestowve(d

fol- the best work in wvatercolor, at the age of ninieteenl,andclhlas exhiibited continuously since at the Academiiyani(l in all of the imiipolrtanit vater colorshowvs. A few years ago lhe w\\asdmittedilito the Royal Inistitute. flis work willun(loubtedly pass ilnto ar-t history as rankingwvith the best that the mliuemIiii and the

coUlntry have p)roduce(l and(I this is savingall that caln be sai(d in vie\w of the splendidtraditions of E1nglish water colors.

Fine Examplesof theBarb izon, Dutchand

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English Water Colors of Gerald Ackerman

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