The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1873-02-14
The classic Rage in washington.

Perhaps there will come no change
until Washington is no longer the Capt.
tai, and we shall begin to erect the
buildings for the new one under the di-
rection OF that saving common sense
that is at the root of true art. The
style of building at Washington grew
out OF the prevailing taste of the time,
but the retiring waves of the renais-
ce,-fairly retired, in fact, and no
longer any life movement in them, sat
tling down into dull stagnation, had
received q new impetus, been set spas
medically rolling again by the senti-
mental enthusiasm, or make-believs en-
thusiasm, for so-called classic ideas and
ways which sprang in France Just be-
fore the Revolution. An enthusiasm
that spread all over Europe, kindling
touch-wood Italy, rousing sluggish Ger
many, setting common-sense John Bull
to growing, and even to singing in .
melo-dramatic manner about Liberty
with large land the Spartans final
lY flowed over to these shores of ours in
a softly rehuent manner, and made our
sensible, prosaic Revolutionary fathers
and mothers strike a great many Atti-
tudes, and say and do many things not
at all natural 10 them, or TO any human
beings, at any time or in any country.
It was this influence that caused 50
many buildings public and private to
be erected in imitation of Greek
temples, and that imported into this
country, and into England as we'll, from
France, the fashion in furniture which
we call "style of the Empire" from its
having been in vogue during the time Of
the First Napoleon, who shared 10 the
full the affectation of classicism which
infected world of people, weak and
foolish, in that befoggsd time.
This affectation il was that, among
other things, made curule-chairs, and
sofas a la grecQtIe, and stiff formal side
boards, and bureaus and wardrobes COW
cred with classic masks, and garlands,
and torches, all the fashion--furniturO
beautifully made, but as dull and lack
ing in ideas as ever was furniture Old
houses in this country are full of il,
particularly in Baltimore, Philadelphia,
Washington, and New York, and in the
older large towns Of New Jersey. All
the furniture in the government official
houses in Washington, dating from the
jefferson, Franklin, Adams times, is in
this style-happily almost all of il now
disappearing, and getting displaced by
something not much better. One secs
traces of this theatrical affectation for
Greek and Roman ways, in the old por-
traits of our notables of that time, par
ticularly in those of Washington, who
is oftenest represented standing by an
I" Empire" table with Jdsces for legs,
having Just risen from a curule chair,
and is looking unutterable Roman dig
nifty (as far as that dignity is attRinable
in powdered hair, lace ruffies, velvet
breeches, silk stockings and shoe
buckles y. his noble figure relieved
against highly improbable draperies
somehow with n marble
column in the Roman manner And
just as in France at that time we saw
Tallien at her parties, setting
the fashion TO the high French ladies Of
yelling their beautiful bodies in gauzes
rs transparent as those of Cos-becauso
Aspasia and Sappho did 80, II they did
and Madame Recamier, Mt her salons,
appearing with her pretty feet quito
naked, for similar Greek reasons and
homely, stumpy Madame De Stael
painted by Gerard as Sappho--lyre in
hand, stumpy figure in peplum, Sappho
sitting disconsolate ON the Lesbian
rocks and Napoleon getting his coro-
nation robes designed III theatrical, inn
lginary, Roman imperial style, and TAX
ng lessons in posturing OF Talma
against the ceremonial day while
,lassic tricks and manners such as these
we're playing on the French stage, wo
lave so sensible n woman as plain Abb
rail Adams, one of the best heads of her
ime, signing her letters TO her husband
Portia," and he himself, the embodi-
nent of strong common sense and
honesty, singing his
etters to the newspapers Cato"
The memories of this era-this queer
mixture of hair-powder and peplums,
ilk stockings and curule-chairs-nre
vritten all over the capitol at Washing
on, as over the White House tive beg
,ardon. we mean "The Executive Man.
ion l'') the Treasury Building, and Tho
latent Office-over these principally,
ut also over much of less importance.
-,ScTib1lcrs