The Phil May Album. Collected by A. M. Moore. (Methuen
and Co. 6s.)—It is needless to praise the character drawing and humour of Mr. May's work, for they are plain to all ; but it takes close examination to appreciate the subtle artistic qualities of the drawing. The head of the old man on p. 37, the modelling of the face on p. 22, and the old moneylender on p. 105 are each in their way masterpieces. Mr. Moore's introduction is well worth reading. In it he tells us Mr. May's early history, with its sad record of poverty. The artist was rescued from a pre- carious living gained by drawing portraits of actors at a shilling a head by the St. Stephen's Review. This journal was bringing out an illustrated Christmas number, the illustrations failed, and Mr. May was called in to do the whole thing in a week. He accom- plished the task by working day and night. This led the way to an engagement in Australia which restored the artist's health, which had been weakened by hardships. In later years there is nothing to record but success.
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