The first three showed unmistakable evidence of a study of the manner of German Renascence woodcuts, but it was allied to the matter of modern thought and naturalism. With a freer graphic naturalism of a different order, Walker united a certain grace and sentiment derived from classic sculpture, curiously mixed with a Dutch-like domestic feeling. In his black and white drawing he shows, too, I think, to some degree the influences of the photograph, which since those days has had so obvious an effect upon art and artists.
LINLEY SAMBOURNE. REDUCED FROM A FULL-PAGE DESIGN IN "PUNCH."
"Once a Week," which introduced these with other artists to the public, was started by the proprietors of "Punch," which had long maintained and still maintains an effective and legitimate field for graphic drawing in line rendered by the facsimile wood-block. The work of John Leech and Richard Doyle is well known, the former, with a light and somewhat loose touch registering the fashions and foibles of English life from week to week, with extraordinary spirit, humour, and character, often conveyed by very slight means.
Sir John Tenniel, with his more serious and heavier style, continued until recently to give his familiar allegories of the political situation; this style again has, I think, been influenced by German work.
Then Charles Keene brought in a kind of impressionistic naturalism, expressed by a method of his own, having a look of great freshness and directness, like crisp sketches from nature.
Du Maurier developed a different style, less vigorous but more graceful in drawing, and with certain leanings at one time to the romantic Pre-Raphaelitism he used his pencil occasionally to caricature.
In Mr. Linley Sambourne we see a designer and draughtsman of considerable power. His pen-line is vigorous and his drawing solid and graphic, with considerable feeling for style, but showing, I think, the influence of the photograph in the rendering of light and shade.
In quality of line there is a certain kinship with the work of Mr. Phil May, a later addition to the staff, though his treatment is very different. He represents, indeed, rather the modern impressionist feeling in line drawing influenced by the Japanese; his outlines are often extraordinarily graphic, and convey a great amount of character with very slight variation, and very little detail; but there is rather a noticeable tendency towards awkward composition and ugly or repulsive types.
