New-York tribune., 1874-12-10

lover Of art who without them. could know little OF
Blakes STYLE ray gam and so FAR as 1t goes
true acquaintance with the best designs OF the most
spiritually imagi ginative OF English painters.
think in no other way than by going to Egypt couid
one get 80 good al idea of the sights and delights OF
Egyptan travel through Augustus Hoppihs new
book OF sketches entitled "On the Nile" THIS oooK'
about the same In size Hoppns Crossing the Atiah
tic" and "Ups ant Downs Of Travel s to be had' eie
gautly bound for sl2; while there will bs an ed"'o" as
lure OF which only 100 copies will be made In portoo
for s15 These portfolio plates will have 80 inueh whi'e
margin as to be twice the z Of the others Dut az they
are more than twice the price, no douDt tne oo"nu
volume will be most In request HVppin lspreebinen'y
fitted for travelling artist He sees everything not
ony but he secs everything in its picturesque aspect
and ne yer las better work than In this Ol the
Nile" There but two objections to make to tho
book-one Is that tho battered and literallooking
sphinx which 1t gives us puts 70 flight the baio Vi
romance with which onr imaginatoDs have been wont
invest this mighty image OF sone and the otner ana
important Is tnat these sketches f Us with an h-
tense longing sl that they represent; ana we
cannot all for the land OF dromcdaries ana whr
ing dervshes But 1t is better perhaps to LOOK ana
long than never 10 have looked at All.
While speaking Of those among the valuable booxs OF
Osgood & Co. which have most attracted me-
| personally have left uumentioned the most eH'
pensive and perhaps the most important OF them
all refer to Immense volume entitled specimens
| OF the Decoration and Ornamcntation OF the AiAtn
Century," by Lenard. Among the numerous modern
collections which contain examples OF ornamental ana
decorative work. 1t would bs almost in vain to look for
A series Of original desGns composed by one or
more cotemporary artists Modern collections OF 'ndu
trial art contain only the reproductions OF tue designs
OF masters Of past whose work. bearing the i'm
press OF the time that produced II much moro bls'
orica interest than practical yaae for tue artists of TO-
day. But surely the nineteenth century has produced
hinCa In fha afda f,S1.i
worthy of coumemoration. 1t has to a cestau extent
formulated its own theories and it possesses s own
divduaiy. What are these eo,Ies-what Is this in
dividuaityi TO answer tbes questions Ossood & Co.
have presented tothe pue the work Of artist whose
talent is generally roguzsd and whose art is orig
ihal In conce9'Ja as 1t is prolific IN production we
learn the artistic idea of given quite as much from
the artists who make common things Oeautifui-who
embellsh the daily of lves-ds from those who
only paint pictures. BenveDuto Celiini shows US tnc
art Renaissance quite as truly us does Raphael; and
no man more than NJ Leuari has illustrated the art
ideas the nincteeuth century, lie has embraced the
complete and varied range OF nluSti art seeking the
motives OF bis ornament in the nature of his subject
and every detail Of his work is faithfully and character
iscay wrought out. From among the almost innumer-
able designs which he has made those have been Sc
lectcd this volume which seemed tho most varied
and the most thoroughly representative Tne variety
OF subjects almost infinite There decorations for
rors windows table legs; ornamental finish for gut
ter designs for furniture. Everything that Is neces
sary to make house. to furnish H. Is here, touched
with the grace of NJ. L6nards fascinating pencil Tue
volume is expensive-thirty dollars. bound In half
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS in style less sumptuOus; but.
were five times COSTLY architect, no designer OF
furniture household decorator, could afford to be
without it,
Another illustrated volume which will be OF value not
only all students of architecture but to all those
happy mortas who able to build seaside villas or
Summer cottages Is "The Picturesque Architecture of
Switzerland" drawn and engraved by a, f. warm,
and reproduced, in helioype by good Co., at tue
low price-consdering the Importance OF tho wor&-of
sl2 The Introduction to the Fren Edition is trans
lated, aud prefaces the American one. Tic author
speaks OF Swiss architecture and OF wooden houses as
follOws
The rural architecture of switz Is the last
tge OF style employed in cy houses III the Mdiie
Ages. Especially wnere wool Is used as the principal
material. fad striking lkoness in the forms aud
the general yiOgnOmy the AOdseS, however dncr
ent may be the decorative details In France there now
remain only very few OF those wooden houses, pun.
tourist in retired quarters of Troyes Anxtrre kouen
epoch differing greatly from ours in mannerS ideas
aud social Customs.
selves thee, however, III remarkable MANNER WOOd
by its hgnDess aud lis Ienacy admits or forms ana
combinations not permitied 10 stone; and the chtec!s
past avaIed themselves admirably OF THESE All
vantages both Tor useiu purpose. ana for picturesque
wood. because tey avoid tue constant danger O brc
but the appearance of the buildings c9mpOsod o. hein
has not always gained by the cnange. EJner by the
ieI the projections, Or the color "a tho uluoent uem
Ders frame OF house IL, SO 10 speak ne VsI-
bic skeleton. IL is organism, revealing lis internal
structure and enabling us TO es.iulie al glance INC
value of its strength and lis proportions.
Tie wooden house has air VI lie which Is wanting
to tho house OF tive speak OF ordinary honses)
Tue latter Is cold ana Inert, IKE DlOch qudIred and
followed by external power; while the IoIucr
seems 10 spring spontaneously 1r0m Inc sUl; all its
parIs have distinct and appreelDle junction; they
"a Of
the principal menoers Duttress ana iasten Ia nseives
together; result lge voluntary effort, Ike
1--we muscles Ia action Such Is tue impression tntt nc
specimens OF architecture in WOOD al@ays produce
They possess special CHARM such as belong yihS
being; and the observation OF this inspired the hrst
ejIts Gothic styie in which the slender grouped
columns simulate the trunks of trees, wle thc pointed
arch. and various mebers of tae roof luitate the
branches reunited at the summit
The ancient forms OF the wooden house then deserve
not 10 perish; and they certainly will not perish t0-Ay,
when modern inventions can render wood unlahaD4nL
ole and imperlshaO!e can communicate To t at WI me
special properties OF metal or even Of marble. and coiJ
ii, when necessary, with all the as by whicn the artist
may wish 20 harm0nlze the general CHARACTERIZATION OI
the edihce.
As the use Of wood architecture likely largely
increase it is we'll TO select rom the rich heritage or the
past all that ard the architect OF the future. To this
end the Brothers Varin have drawn aud engraved with
scrupuous care the large number OF plates contained in
this volume, exploring for tae purpose every
corner Of Switzerland: for each Canton and
village has Its own especial type. Like the work Of
Lenard, this book ought to be In the hands of every
architect
Add to all these expensive volumes OF plates, "The
Hanging Of the Crane and other illustrated books Of
poems the holiday edition Of Dr. OK with its really
beautiful illustrations; and the lesser books
picture-adorned, and If 1 not justified in my
assertion that rarely have any American publishers
made holiday preparations extensive those OF j.
r OsgoOd q Co.. for ls74-5 Lei
THE COMPULSORY EDUCATION Law.
DEFECTS IN ITS PROVISIONS.
To the EditOr OF The Trtbune.