Wilmington daily commercial., 1875-05-25
EnIuishing aIE0use-'rne u wall Paper
Question.

How to furnish Il house properly and especial
ly how to decorate il in the best manner possible
Is a question 70 which the American people seem
to have givon little consideration. In all me-
chanical inventions, from needle to locomo-
tive, they particularly excel. The difficulty and
ma ,nitado Of an enterprise. 50 far from deterrng
them from attempting 1t, only add fresh vigor TO
the determination with which they grapple it,
In the useful appliances OF life their success has
been demonstrated before the whole world but
IN matters which relate to the fine arts il must
lie confessed they fall below tho Europeans
whose Older CIVILIZATION has produced and pre-.
served 80 many masterpieces for the admiration
OF nanklud. That our people are beginning to
appreciate more fully the Importance OF art cul-
tule, and are endeaS orng to attain excellence i'll
lts pursuit, IL shown by the schools of design
which are already established in many of our
Large cities. Money is freely spent, and the
wolh Of the best artists. living and dead lind a
home IN private collections and III public mus
Gums which did not have an existence twenty
years ago.
The re is one branch Of art. however. in which
we are sadly deficient. and that is the decoration
~ our homes. We build costly house. fill them
with elaborate and sometimes useless furniture,
cover the floors with carpets eXtrAvagant in pat
tern and in price, and there our ideas of house
hold adjournment end. We disregard the fact
that our rooms have walls, and that art can hc
rightly employed III their ornamentation. That
part OF our dwelling from which we should de-
rive the greatest aesthetic delight is either
clothed IN barbaric srlendor or left as cold and
bsrren as our Northern hills in December.
The reason OF this condition ot things is part
~ because tile absolute necessity OF high mural
adorument has not impressed itself upon our
people, and partly because no adequate means
has been found ready to meet its requirements
ne time has been when the greatest painters
Of the world did not dlsdain TO leave the trophies
of their genius Oh ceilings and walls. But mod
ern artists paint pictures on canvas, and rightly
SO. because it pays We give a Thousand dol
lars for cabinet gem which can almost COW
cv with our hands When we decorate our walls
however. And seek the expression Of refined
feeling tlore,w lire half dozen house-paiuters.
who taAe Possession Of the rooms, and with
Their pots AMI brushes aud scanodins make
tie waole house a nuisance 20 long s. il st,its
their profit 70 occupy il. And when at LAST
they leave II, what shall he sA.d Of the result
side waA covered with shade which NAV or
iaay not be the enc desired snd of which the
most that can be claimed in is praise is thst il
= clean and ceiling frescced with design
evolved from .Ge.7 inner Consciousness. or s lad
copy q bsd original. which some authoritative
genius III their scnoo! has pronounced sue.
cess.
Whist. then Is tile esesre from the ;nai,ton
Of This style Of mural decorations We certain
Is do not turn foDd.y 70 blank wais, of yhsteysr
color. nor do we incer delightfully."- ever the
ssEdy wofk Of the modern fresco painter The
answer Is Something wAieh in itself is valuable
S. 5 worA of art. which exercises 5 refining in
lleuce and Is q constant source Of delight TO
every beholier. This we can ind in Wall Pspers-
ot late yesrs this style Of decoration has reached
the dignity q art
Designs Of exquisite beauty are obtained.
which are printed IN great variety Of colors,
rch and harmonious in tone and which sre
suited 10 the requirements Of sny home Nor
does the manufacturer Of wal psper limit his
prodacucn TO the designs of the artists Of To-
lay. Wherever in the museums OF the Old
World he finds some beautiful fabric or other
specimen ot Mural Art, whose merit has wsr-
rsnted rs careful preservation for 50 many vesrs
he reproduces Il with fidelity which would not
he dresmed Of a generation ago. Thus
the famous tapestries Of Venice, the embossed !