Washington sentinel. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1856, 1855-07-14
The French Exhibition.


sons IN delicate healthmay traverse the vast cor
rluors and galleries, and wander without fatigue
among lanes of beautiful shops, glowing with
objects Of industrial art, Bath chairs are pro-
vided at trfng additional cost; and, 30 set the
/ example, few days ago. witness TO an
imperial cortege Of this description, where the
Empress led the way, followed by string of
separate carriages, in which were seated her
maids of honor, the Emperor accompanied her
/ Majesty on foot
The transept, with its spacious asles on either
side, is as nearly as possible completed. The
smell OF paint, the din of The hammer, the harsh
4 grating OF the saw, the dangerous passage of the
| COMMISSIONER, threading his way with ton of
| packing cases between his shoulders, has given
way to the genius of order and propriety. On
entering, the visitor is struck with the beauty of
vases, arms and poeula in terra Gotta on the one
side, and brilliant articles in ceramique on the
other. Before him, in the very centre of the
| nave, Is fountain, which, now that il is com
\ piete, and the mseries it caused in the shape of
dust, brick and mortar, in the process Of erection
are forgotten, is certainly most important
| Improvement in the general tableau. 1t is of
very large proportions, and the base is sur
rounded by marble trough where very will
derness of beautiful flowers bloom and give for-s
their grateful odors, while from a great height
the water bubbles, CUISINES, and FLASHES over
graceful naiads, who watch with delighted smiles
the element they are said to love so well.
And, now, benches with lounging backs, covered
with crimson, are placed in diagonal lines radi-
ating from this centre, and exotics are scattered
about hther and thither to render the repose
they offer still more inviting. The most striking
objects which fix the visitor attention, after he
has glanced coup dell are the altar pieces
three Of which in Parian marble, three in
| gilt copper, producing the glittering effect of
pure gold, and three either in wood or terra Gotta
They are all well worthy of close inspection, but
will only Particularize one, which is that of M.
Poassiegae Rusand. The statues of Abel, Abra-
ham, and the two high priests Mechisideck and
Aaron, the one the priest of the natural the
/ other of revealed law placed on the body of
! it, on either side is beautiful candeabrum on
pedestal, and in the centre, forming n species of
tent or canopy, there rises dial ornamented
with beautiful scollops in flagree, and presenting
a coup d'9ii of singular grace and beauty The
altar piece in terra Gotta, is pure Gothic; while
| the one have been family describing is some
what Byzantine; but this last is remarkable as an
instance of what excellent effects may DO pro-
duced in material SO little costly.
AS you advance towards the east end of the
| transept you are struck by exhibition of rare
ingenuity, and bearing at once its French origin.
1t is the model of large printing establishment,
| where the whole process is in full operation. 1t
contains about 500 mannikins, dressed, as French
| workmen always are, in the customary blouse,
and each plying that special division of labor
| which pertains to him. There is the printers
| in his Office, and thousand and one other func-
ttonaries, whose names a riddle to the I'M
initiated. Every one has the exact attitude that
suits his employment, and you may gaze and
gaze until you believe the mghtcst engine in the
world is literally in full operation before you. A
little farther on--and there is nothing in the
whole exhibition which attracts more universal
attention from all classes-is model of the Irish
locks, tanks, and breeding basins for an Irish
fishery. They are full of fish, the water being
supplied from a pipe connected with the foun-
| tains in the gardens fronting the Palais de I'm
dustrie; and nothing is more amusing than to
| witness the ingenious decoy which attracts the
| fish from one point to the other till at last the
fny tribe rendered perfectly domestic, be-
lieving themselves all the while in their native
waters. Crowds daily gather around this ingeni-
Gus model and in country where fish is in no
wise abundant such source of wealth to the
Irish is noted and appreciated
The aisles or recesses under the gallery; on the
| French side, present continuous series of lanes
garnished on either side with beautifully glazed
armoires-for they scarcely be termed shops
| IN which, arranged with the most artistic taste,
are to be seen every species Of French merchan-
die, from wax dolls ebnesterie, exquisite articles
| in bronze and ormolu down to the ehauss,tres de
Paris. Apropos of these boots and shoes of Paris,
it IS not easy TO imagine anything more peculiarly
| French, and therefore more peculiarly artistic
than the display of the department of French in
dustry. For some hundreds Of PAGES the eye is
RECALLED with galaxy of femanine slippers, boots
and shoes, such as no other country in the world
could produce. There they are, those fairy en-
caJrsmens for the feet, with rosettes so cunningly
| devised, that they look even more beautiful than
| the flowers they are intended to represent Such
delicate little bilous they look that you wonder
how foot Of mortal ever slides into them, and ask
yourself if Cinderella 5 ever resembled such as
these Boots, too, hgh-healed, and low-heeled
and no-hceled green and gold, green and silver;
/ such swans down tops-and sylph-like forms?
Then, too, they Of every color and nuanes, till
at last for fear Of being fairly bewildered and as-
cinated with things unheshy and deceitful, a
i gal ping correspondent is fam TO turn away his
| head and flee. These aisles are more abundantly
i lighted by openings cut in the galleries above
/ them and as the crystal roof has been covered
over almost entirely with canvass, the fierce heat
Of the sun is broke, and everything is of far
more agreeable character than the inauspicous
commencement originally promised
AZ, at the east end the visitor is about TO ascend
the magnificent flight of stone steps leading TO the
gallery his attention is arrested by superb frame
Of gold, Of an oval form, containing what at first
\ he believes of stuffed birds-that is, an
eagle lowering In the air, and stopping over his
i prev, which is wild duck and her little ones
basking among the rushes by the brook side. The
disposition Of the animals is admirable; but what
/ is your establishment TO read notice on the frame
/ that the whole is executed in human hair! The
case, which is suspended against the wall like
mirror is perhaps eight feet in length by four in
| width. The vegetation, rock, rushcs, water, &C.,
done to the life, and il seems almost incredible
that the artist should produce such wonderful
effects with such strange material. Up stairs
matters are daily improving, though still very
much remains TO be done. The beautiful pavil-
lion erected for the reception OF Turkish speci-
mems Of industrial art is now principally occupied
with silk from Broussa the patterns Of which are
not SO brilliant, nor the colors 90 glowing as the
/ looms Of France, or even Of England, arc in the
habit Of producing; but they are infinitely more
delicate in texture. Here n lady s dress might
be drawn through her wedding ring and not
crease would mark the passage 1t had made.
| But some Of the French houses are busy stock
| ing pavohs in the gallery with all kinds Of
things, which the most virtuous and sclf-denying
women are sometimes found TO covet Take, for
instance, the Maison Beauvas, Of NJ. Meron, rue
| Vivicnne, where is 10 be seen a dress of white
| tarlotan, with double skirt, bordered with
chenille, in broad festoons, containing branches
Of tho lilly Of the valley up 10 the top of the skirt
shaded in green and white floss silk So, at least,
lady described il TO me, as obcdiently penclled
down her words, standing before the robe Of pass-