Little English Girl Draws Marvellously with Chalks
A Child's Religious Visions Attract Wide Attention in London
A profile of Daphne Allen, a young English girl said to have produced remarkable religious drawings from an early age, whose work was exhibited in London and published as a book — an odd little episode of Edwardian fascination with child prodigies and spiritual art.
NewsPipe summary
The Sun · November 16, 1913 · Page 40
2 min readLittle English girl, Daphne Allen, plays marvellously with art. Beginning at the age of 3, and at the present time under 12, this child has made thousands and thousands of drawings, visions, right "out of her head," never from models and always without fatigue, effort or tuition.
Three drawings have been of fancy land, fairyland, romanceland, dream forms, but always and principally her inspiration has been drawn from the New Testament. Saints, angels, holy children, scenes in the Life of Christ, groups of Apostles, the Annunciation, the Nativity, such are the chief subjects of the inspired young artist.
A number of these drawings of religious tendency have been gathered together and mechanically reproduced without any of the touching up or editing usually made necessary in a child's efforts, and are now published by [...] under the happy title of "A Child's Visions," one of the most remarkable books, age of the artist considered, ever issued.
Whether this extraordinary talent will develop with little Miss Allen's years is of course another question — but that these effortless, joyous pictures, showing such facility, imagination and, above all, variety, should be done for the sheer pleasure of doing by a child, is a happy marvel will be admitted by every one who sees the book. An exhibition of the originals is being held in London and attracting wide attention. Mr. Selwyn Image, in an introduction to the catalogue of the exhibition, says:
"It is impossible to prevent saying to oneself, What will come of it all? The bud is so beautiful: will it blossom into the full flower? This healthily minded, gifted child, will she have grace to pass in due time through the ordeal of disciplined training and come out unspoiled, the adequately equipped artist? I am aware there are those to whom such a question will seem irrelevent. In these matters it is the fashion just now to throw contempt upon training, to say even to the accomplished artist 'Your training has been fatal; go bathe in the naive, unsophisticated child and try to imitate him.' Impossible; impossible quite. Do that and you become but an affected mimic.
"It is hard that in looking at this child's beautiful drawings mere reflections such as these should force themselves on one. For the moment, then, let us dismiss them; bid them fly off into air. Let us give ourselves over for a while to the pure enjoyment of a real child's work, vivid in its imagination, penetrating in its sentiment, often exclusive in its expression."
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