An unfavourable review of a 1934 exhibition by Jan and Cora Gordon

Jan and Cora Gordon exhibited in the Lefevre Gallery London in 1937 to some favourable reviews. However, I just discovered some far less supportive comments on a 1934 show in the same gallery.

The London Art Critic for The Scotsman (Friday October 19th, 1934) found the work of Sine Mackinnon (1901-1997) "eminently urbane, sophisticated, polished." The critic ranks Mackinnon "among the half-dozen best women painters in London. Who are they? Well, offhand, I suggest Eve Kirk, Winifred Nicholson, A.K. Browning, and Margaret Fisher-Prout, though duty compels me to add that Laura Knight and Ethel Walker have serious claims, and doubtless I have forgotten many others."

In contrast, the critic makes the following observations on the works by Jan and Cora Gordon: "The Gordons, well-known for their travel books, paint very much alike. The only difference is technical. Cora uses oil and Jan water-colour and tempera. Their work is pleasant but heavy-handed. To borrow another phrase from the game of tennis, the Gordons are merely good club players, while Sine Mackinnon is 'seeded.'"


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Jan and Cora Gordon and the Balkan Hat: Getting Published in World War I

Jan Gordon's WW1 Dazzle design for H.M.S. Southampton

Jan and Cora Gordon in Albania