The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-22

SCIENCE AND ART ~ HOME DECORATION.
WE have more than once alluded to the School OF
Design for Women as an institution that is based
upon correct principles, and that is doing mpor-
tant work in the education of the public taste to the
proper appreciation of the Importance OF that branch
Of art which applies more particularly to the decora
ton of homes. The means and facilities of this
school are limited and its real value has never yet
been fully recognized, but the time is approaching
when so practical a people as ours cannot longer
afford to overlook the economy Of good taste" and
the actual saving in dollars and cents that may be
accomplished by the application of correct artistic
principlest to the establishment OF our homes and
persons. The School of Design for Women is
pioneer in the good work, and it has to contend
against mass of ignorance, prejudice and thought
lessness that seems almost insurmountable
The School of Design was established for
the purpose of furnishing young women
with a respectable profession by which
they can earn their living, but its real value is an
educator of the public for without public that can
appreciate and understand true art in matters of
decoration and industrial design, the pupils of the
institution would be without patronage and encour-
agement With view of educating public taste, as
well as demonstrating the perfectly practical system
of instruction adopted the lectures given each win
ter open to the public, and all who are interested
invited to attend. The first lecture OF the course
was delivered lew days ago by Professor Braid
wood, the subject being "Science in the Decoration
OF Our Homes.'
One of the main ideas that were set forth was the
cheapness OF good taste: how that beauty and ele-
gance in home decoration do not depend upon the
costliness of the materials used, or the amount of
money expended upon them but upon the correct
application of easily understood principles of art
If these principles were generally understood there
would be less bad taste in dress and in the ornamen
tatOn OF homes less garishness and display of costly
materials merely because they are costly, and far
more elegance, beauty land real comfort than are
produced by the lavish expenditure Of money. There
is scarcely household in the land however humble,
that may not be made to present bright cheerful,
and attractive appearance with the most limited
means and the most unpromising materials provided
there is the good taste to apply them properly. The
rules Of art that regulate such matters these
not difficult scientific distractions, that none but
those who make them a special study can under
stand; they are not the arbitrary dogmatlsms OF
learned professors, but they are simply the plain
sense and practical principles OF nature, and
are easy to understand that it is a matter for
wonder that they should be SO habitually disre-
garded
The very first principle OF uttaran art is utility.
This would seem to be obvious trulsm, but there
is no plan practical and perfectly simple rule OF art
that is more habitually set at defiance by men who
profess to be artists, but who have become so alb
sorbed with pet theories and academic rules that
they have lost sight altogether OF nature and COM
! mon sense.
Some men have become so fascinated with classic
| art that they have been unable to see beauty in
anything that does not conform to the Greek stand
| ard. They can not understand that while Greek
art was admirable for purposes of study, and as a
standard OF TASTE that is for the most part utterly
| unadapted for modern uses. Such buildings as the
| Custom House and Girard College beautiful in
themselves, but as specimens OF utitaran art they
| are abomnations, and 1t was happy day when
| architects became impressed with the idea
! that such structures are as much
! out OF place in modern Philadelphia as the
Post ONCE or the Academy OF Music would have
1 been IN Athens two thousand years ago. Another
| example of glarng bad taste is the Parliament
buildings in London. The gothic style OF architec-
ture was emlnenty suited for the purpose but the