MODERN DRAWINGS
Edited by Campbell Dodgson
In the preface to his Modern Drawings (Studio, 30s.) Mr. Cairavbell Dodgson defends himself in advance against most of the charges which could be made against the book. Each reader will naturally be tempted to complain that he would not have included this or that drawing, or left out entirely this or that artist, but Mr. Dodgson explains that difficulties in travel have prevented him from making the group of foreign drawings as representative as he wished. But Mr. Dodgson has made the selection according to his own taste, within the limits set by these restrictions, and consequently the book presents a coherent group of_drawings, though it would require very subtle analysis, as Mr. Dodgson admits, to arrive at a definition of the qualities which they have in common. In one way only does the selection give a false im- pression of modern drawing as a whole : it makes it appear slightly dull. This seems to be because, when faced with any choice, Mr. Dodgson has always played for safety. The first result of this is that there are more English and fewer French drawings than is perhaps fair to the relative merits of the two schools. Secondly, it has led Mr. Dodgson to choose the most academic work of artists who are happier in a freer style. The Derain Nude, for instance, the Matisse Persane, the Picasso Portrait or the La Fresnaye Portrait of J. L. Gamper' are all unworthy of representing some of the best of recent draughtsmen, though it must be said that Matisse and Picasso are each represented by another and better example. But this is only the inevitable result of the fact that the book was chosen by one man and will not therefore suit all tastes, though it will suit many.
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