I found some reasonably informative writing in "The Bookplates of George Wolfe Plank and a Selection of his illustrations" compiled by John Blatchly (foreword by John Craig) (The Bookplate Society 2002), which strangely was located in The Early Books Section of our library. After travelling deep under the library's belly and then up numerous flights of curving staircases I really expected a dustier, older tome.
But anyway the collection had a nice if small collection of snippets, letters, writing on G.W Plank, some of which I'll reproduce (and if anyone has a problem with the length of these snippets please pm me and then delete).
• For some light biographical information George wrote, "mother was unhappiness, my father pride-crippled & crushed; I knew not either one, both gone".
• Despite being a mostly self taught artist Plank did attend life classes for half a term under William Chase at The Pennsylvania Academy of Arts in 1906.
• He started his working career as a "dry goods clerk" in a store owned by William F. Gable (where his sister Anna also worked). Plank had a life long friendship with Gable who became his patron (in a way) and he often made advertisement woodcuts/prints for Gable's stores.
• Also, there seems to be some consternation as to Craig's (another lifelong friend whose prints Plank greatly admired) advice as quoted in Bed's link. The compendium gave this quote: "My own work is not good. Be careful to avoid my mistakes. It is wrong to make grey tones as I do, & all should be line [rather than live]." (Not amazingly important but mildly interesting nonetheless).
• Other influence's cited (but barely touched upon throughout the compendium) were the fascinatingly named "Beggarstaffs", Aubrey Beardsley, Jessie M. King and (something that reads like) Joseph Crewhul (in my own pretty illegible scrawl).
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"Art of Vogue Covers" William Parker (1983)
Of the American artists to work for Vogue in those exclusively American years, only George Wolfe Plank produced with any regularity images that could match, in their high finish, in the, firmness and resolution of the drawing, in the boldness and invention of the design, the work of such men as Rackham and Dulac. There is too, a certain shadow in his work, just a whiff of fin-de-siècle Paris and Vienna, not so much a suggestion of Lautrec but rather, in the richness of its decoration and the (word illegible) of its line, of Alphonse Mucha and even Gustav Klimt. Still, enjoyable through it undoubtedly is, influence spotting is a misleading game if taken too far, too literally. To suggest a reference of comparison that might encourage the curious reader to look again, for himself, to draw his own conclusion, is one thing, to be over-definite is so speculative a field, is quite another, for influences work upon artists, as they do upon all of us; insensible; and a few they know of, they do not always care to admit.
Olive Percival in Shedon Cheney’s "Bookplate Booklet" (1939)
The talent of which Mr. Plank is possessed is an unusually distinguished arc. It combines, and very ideally, as appreciation of the traditions, the limitations of his art, with a modernism that is beautifully informed and discriminating. In the use of the graver, Mr. Plank shows distinction in the management of his lines and masses. He draws with certainty and his masses are arranged with the unerring taste of a 18th Century Japanese print designer. Ugliness absents itself from all his designs and, while vigorous, they never affect a medieval crudity which, to so many, seems always to characterise this particular art.
..............
Surely our ante-bellum world was very unbeautiful but, interpreted by the blocks of Mr. Plank, it is suddenly a delightsome place, decorated with persons who, in spite of chimney-pot hats & side-whiskers & hoopskirts & round shoulders, are very engaging indeed.
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There was also a post humous appraisal written by Perditta Schaffner (Hilda Dolittle's daughter whose novella "The Hedgehog he illustrated) which I'll write up or pm to anyone who's interested).
Despite the caveat in William Parker's piece, I feel validated in some small way by the above snippets, as upon viewing the Vogue pieces I immediately thought of Klimt, 18th Century Japanese art or even religious iconic art. Still enjoying the Vogue pieces, probably, as said before, because of the slightly Klimt(who I'm completely enamoured with)-esque slant to them. Unfortunately, the compendium I found had none of the Vogue covers and they're something I'd definitely like to see compiled/own off web so I could have a leisurely flick through now and again. |
