. Fifty years of modern painting, Corot to Sargent . r is obviously true; buthe follows his Monet with a difference, and the difference isan English one. If we are to think of any one but when we are looking at his landscape painting, we canas readily think of Constable as of Monet; for his artremains English, modified only by French influence, whichalso has resulted chiefly in Mr. Steers carrying further thetreatment of the effects of light of which Constable was \\iqfirst investigator. Monet interested himself mainly in tran-quil effects of light under unclouded skies. Mr. Steer is
. Fifty years of modern painting, Corot to Sargent . r is obviously true; buthe follows his Monet with a difference, and the difference isan English one. If we are to think of any one but when we are looking at his landscape painting, we canas readily think of Constable as of Monet; for his artremains English, modified only by French influence, whichalso has resulted chiefly in Mr. Steers carrying further thetreatment of the effects of light of which Constable was \\iqfirst investigator. Monet interested himself mainly in tran-quil effects of light under unclouded skies. Mr. Steer is atrue son of the land of cloud and mist. The alternate lightand shadow on a landscape overhung by slowly moving,detached masses of cloud, the blaze of light in clear or mistyair, when the spectator faces the sun, trees brilliantlyilluminated by the sun and intensifying the solemn blue-blackness of a thunder-cloud behind them, such are thevisual memories that remain of Mr. Steers pictures. Thereis mere suggestion, yet abundant suggestion, of natures. PAINTING IN GREAT BRITAIN 373 infinite detail, and the broken, crumbly colour ensures thesense of atmospheric vibration. The pictures do not lackcomposition, but it is not so much a design traced on thesurface of the canvas, which it is the artists purpose to makeus forget, as such an arrangement of forms subordinated tothe subtle rendering of varied tones as will convey to theeye a sense of luminous atmosphere stretching far awaybehind the frame that encloses the picture. Mr. Steer has applied the same method of painting toportraiture. TTe may say, and in so saying we go a longway towards summarising the standpoint of the NewEnglish Art Club, that he insists upon light—colourbecoming variety of light—truth, which is also beauty,of atmospheric tones and vibration, the suggestion every-where of movement, either of objects or of light uponobjects, and only so much statement of form and detailas is necessary for essential expressiv
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