Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-12-04
Letter from Boston.
Ara in tine Ashes.
lFRoM OUR REGULAR CORRESPONDENCE

BosToN, December /, 1872.
A few weeks before the fire the Household Art
company opened its store at 1853 fremont street.
The object of the company, as its name implies,
is to supply the public with beautiful and suita-
bic furniture and ornaments for houses, at a
reasonable price. Art books, art schools, art
lectures, and art exhibitions, have awakened
general interest in the subject, have created
desire, and TO some extent a demand, for artistic
furniture and have inspired housekeepers with
great disgust for the fashionable, but alas incl
egant articles which now adoru their parlors.
Briggs has for long time kept artistic china
and porcelain; Bumstead has made specially
of artistic hangings and draperies; many fnrni-
ture dealers have prided themselves on the taste
of their expensive wares; but nothing like the
experiment Of the Household Art company
has ever before been made here. 1t
proposes to completely furnish houses with
antique and artistic furniture, carpets, mirrors,
&c. And not with antique only, but it
will provide inexpensive furniture of the best
designs, for anybody willing to pay for it. 1t
opened with a captivating stock of carved, in
laid and painted cabinets, tables and chests of
drawers; with magnificent tall clocks, with
display of fine brass work, with specimens of
great variety of pottery and china, and with in
Vulnerable other things of interest. The open
ing was really a marked event here, and the
sales were, hear, satisfactory at first. l know
that the fine things disappeared rapidly. I'm
mediately after the fire the company let its
lower store, its salesroom, TO Shreve,
Crump & Low for one year, and moved
its stock up one flight, into the rooms
where it ls now established, and where
the goods are arranged with great taste. The
floors are covered with thick drab felt, cOnsid-
cred by many artists better than carpeting for
parlors and drawing rooms, as it enhances the
effect of good furniture, and of the dresses of
ladies, has the most desirable tint for
a floor, is impervious to dust, wears
well, and is rather less costly
than a Brussels carpet. The furniture is ar
ranged in the most attractive way possible, and
the small things stand where they can be easily
seen and examined. There are some remarka-
BILE and hideous dishes, for which Pallissy is re-
sponsible. lie was wonderful man, and his
life makes an interesting story, but believe no
human being could make more unsuitable or
offensive designs for dishes than his coied
snakes, damp lizards, frogs, toads and other
Shiny creatures, of life size, life color, and in
full relief As showing skill in pottery | can
appreciate their value; but if they are good art,
good art is most unpleasant thing in pottery,
and we deyouty hope this form of it will never
be popular. Then, too, it is realistic; we have
it impressed upon US that imitation Of nature is
"yulgaT" in ornament; that only conventional
type of flowers and leaves is allowable; we are
taught TO be offended at limitations of roses and
lilies, and why should we like green snakes in
the bottom of our plates, crabs hanging to the
edges, and lizards scouting along the rims?
Some of the reproductions of Majolica ware
are very nice, and the Nankin, China and Delft
ware one would like to possess. But there is
nothing more attractive than the collection of
tiles; they ale for floors, walls, mantle pieces,
furniture, and a dozen other uses; they are
Dutch, japanese, Italian, Pompeiian, German,
Arabic, French and English; they come singlY
or in sets; they have birds, animals, flowers,
fables, in fact anything anybody can desire on
them, and they cost all the way from seven cents
to seven dollars apiece; some Of the rarer ones
going much higher, a gorgeous old thing as
high as fifty dollars. The fable tiles seem to me
the best possible things for the walls of a nurs-
cry, or any room where children live and play
They can not be torn or lost, and there can be
no quareing as to which of the babies shall have
them; there they are, "The house that Jack
built "Hen-pen," all Konewka's pictures in
black" for children; birds, beasts; figures from
mythology and figures from fancy, all really to
be set permanently for the delight and edifica-
ton of the lucky infants of to-day. The men,
cries of my own childhood are rich in the tulips
and carnations of blue and white Dutch tiles /;
they linger fondy over the ancient ruins in
sepia or a creamy white ground, that were set
round the open fireplace in the old parlor, and
wander occasionally to the parlor of neighbor
where we used to look with delight mingled
with awe on the Scripture tales, the figures from
the Old Testament, apparently dancing in the
freight as David danced before the ark. What
a mine of delight they were! and now what
mines of greater delight these modern designs
and fancies will proyel Then, too, the House
hold Art company has stained glass, and EN-
broideries for churches and domestic use; it has
candlesticks and sconces, door handles, hinges,
and a thousand little things that pertain to
housekeeping and house building. The rooms
are one for the first places in Boston to be visit
ed by seekers Of pretty household articles, espe
cially as the holidays are near.
The latest excitement is the discovery of a
portrait Of Bartoomeo Passerotti, painted by
himself. 1t was bought for a trihe at an auc-
ton room here, about month ago 1t was a
small, dirty canvas, but the dim head looked as
if one would like to see it more clearly; so the
owner carried it to Mr.. Schirmer one of the
artists here, to have it restored, if possible.
Warm water cleansed the painting, which for
tunatey had never been cleansed before, and
showed the hne, dark face Of a man of middle
age The color was rich warm and unfaded.
Evidently the picture was a prize-perhaps even
a Vandyke, Tor it looked like the work of that
master, There was no signature on the paint
ing, but the back of the canvas could not be
seen, for another canvas or cloth had been
closely pasted to it. After being wet the outer
cloth peeled off, and you must imagine the emo
tions of the owner when this inscription be-
came not merely visible, but perfectly clear:
Barto'eo Pssserotti
Feel di sua mano sua efige, dicta DAM 81 in
Bologna.
Donate da ESQ
Meser Clio. Batta. Deti.
Adj 8, A. d. 1911.
Here was the portrait of n master, painted
three hundred years ago. 1t is in perfect CON
dtion, and is tol course an exceedingly interest
ny thing to see. Passerott painted many sa
cred pictures, which were as highly esteemed as
those of the Caracci, while as portrait painter,
Guido ranked him above the Caracci, and next
TO Titan. Mr.. Schrmers studio was burnt in
the great fire, but the first thing he saved was
this invaluable portrait, which is now for sale,
and of course we all hope that somebody who
was not burnt out will feel rich enough to buy
it for the art museum. After being so fortu-
natey born again here, and saved from the
fire, it would be pity TO let it go. The Misses
Williams, vino have been in Rome for the las t
eleven years, have returned home, and have
taken for the winter a large room in Studio
building, which they have fitted up very
nicely, and where they offer their pic
lures for sale. One OF the sisters
is landscape painter, the other a
figure painter; often they have both worked
on the same picture, and they have an interest.
ing collection of originals and COPIES. The