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When one watches the fire-flame leaping round the crucible in the enameller’s furnace, caressing the inert mass of silica and lead, giving it its own life and brilliancy, one’s thoughts revert to that great furnace of nature below us, which gives the black carbon its white gleam and makes the diamond,“with all the beauty that we worship in a star.” And so the enameller, watching over his little fire, unconsciously fulfilling like laws and methods common to the universe, in earth and sun and stars, gives the world an array of colours that is matchless in the realms of art — Alexander Fisher
Even the humblest article of utility deserves to be made beautiful — yes, and ought to be made beautiful; and every student should be made acquainted with the full significance of that fact. He who transforms a common article of daily use into a thing of beauty discharges the same high function as he who is building the greatest temple or painting the finest picture. — Alexander Fisher
Every form of art, as is well known, owes to its implements certain attributes of beauty that cannot be attained by means of other materials; and these attributes are often a joy to us even when viewed apart from subject and design. . . .Evidently, a complete expression of the material is of the utmost worth to every art, and in the art with which we are concerned here, the charm of preciousness is the first quality to command attention. Indeed, he who does not endeavour to attain this gem-like lustre of enamel should set himself to feel and think in a coarser medium. — Alexander Fisher
Enamelists
Bibliography
"The Art of 1899. Part I. Some London Exhibitions." The Studio. 16 (1899): between p. 222 and 223.
Baldry, A. L. "The Art of 1900." The Studio. 20 (1900): 3-5.
Fisher, Alexander. “The Art of True Enamelling upon Metal. ” The Studio Part I. 20-22 (1900): 242-54. Part II. 23 (1901): 88-96. Part III. 25 (1902): 108-18. University of Toronto copy made available online by the Internet Archive. Web. 25 January 2012. [Complete text available in the Victorian Web]
Fisher, Alexander. “Enamels.” Magazine of Art. 24 (1900): 228-31. Hathi Digital Library Trust version of a copy in the University of Chicago Library. Web. 19 January 2018. [Complete text available in the Victorian Web]
Miller, Fred. “An Enameller and his Work” The Studio 8-10 (1896-97): 149-56. University of Toronto copy made available online by the Internet Archive. Web. 23 January 2012. [Complete text in the Victorian Web]
Spielmann, Marion Harry. British Sculpture and Sculptors of Today. London: Cassell, 1901. Internet Archive. Web. 22 December 2011.
"Studio-Talk." The Studio. 17 (1899): 47.
Last modified 21 January 2023