10 



FOREWORD 



time momentariness, dynamic force at its highest, and 

 soHdity, weightiness, permanence. Mr. Luard's great 

 triumph is in his black-and-white drawings and pastel 

 studies of cart-horses in violent action. With delight 

 in their power and his, he renders these great splendid 

 beasts of burden, momentarily rebellious against the 

 domination of man, rearing, plunging, threatening — in 

 their might the Titans of the fields — yet soon to be 

 brought into line again by the whip and voice of the 

 conqueror. The men and the beasts are obviously 

 French, and studied in France, but the treatment is 

 quite original and of singular power. We are not able 

 for the moment to cite any modern artist who with such 

 tremendous force, and withal such accuracy, has de- 

 lineated horses of this type in moments of fury and terror, 

 when individual struggle takes the place of combined 

 and harmonious labour. . . . Truly a Millet in action — 

 a Millet to which an electric battery has been applied." 

 Though this volume deals primarily with movement 

 as a leading aspect of Mr. Luard's art, it must not be 

 forgotten that his work has qualities of tone and colour 

 that must not be overlooked. Though most of the repro- 

 ductions are from drawings in monochrome, several are 

 from paintings ; and while movement is the keynote of 

 the pictures reproduced, they also possess sterling 



qualities that depend on sensitiveness of colour vision. 

 One may note in this connexion the feeling of space and 

 air that surrounds the horses and figures in " Ploughing," 

 " Tournant le Tombereau " and " Horses at Water " ; 

 and the sense of Notan, as the Japanese call the use of 

 dark and light pattern for emotional effect, which is 

 so effectively used in " On the top of the Bank " and 

 " Between the Stages." Here, and elsewhere, Mr. Luard's 

 colour is quiet and good ; and it is noteworthy that he 

 sees and uses it mostly in quiet scenes. This is perhaps 

 due to the fact that in Paris and in England colour 

 very rarely rises to an emphasis and violence which is 

 sympathetic and helpful to the expression of vigorous 

 movement. 



This volume is intended largely for the student, and 

 on that account I feel constrained to utter a word of 

 warning. These drawings, sometimes so slight, are 

 seemingly so spontaneous and inevitable — so easy and 

 rapid in execution — that the young student may think 

 that he can begin where they end. Looking at one of 

 them he may say that it took five minutes or less to 

 make, but Mr. Luard would have the right to reply, like 

 a distinguished predecessor, " It took me a lifetime." 

 The lesson to the student should be that he must look 

 and look and look, training his memory, and storing 



