New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-03-05
LONDON TOPICS.
PROGRESS IN HOUSEHOLD ART.

RgsmENCE-THE CHAIR OF POETRY ST OXFORD.
lvEou TIE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE.
LONDON, Feb I7.-Onc Of the things IN London
most talked about for week or two past has been
Mr. Lcylands dnngrOOm. to tho decoration OF
which Mr. Whistler has devoted himself. Friends
of the artist have been permitted from time to time
to have gmpscs of it, but it is only quite lately
that the work has come near enough completion for
the layman to judge Of the general effect. ! have
seen it twice. but qutc despair Of giving anything
like an adequate description Of II. Mr.. Whistler
names it The Peacock Room. and calls his dccora-
tive work q Harmony in Blue and Gold. These two
colors and these only are 70 be seen on wa5and cell
ingand floor The only design employed il from the
peacock either the bird himself or hs pumagr, or
his eye. With this severely simple motif the variety
obtained is very great. The room il, should guess.
30 feet by 90. and II feet high. The ceiling Is dl-
viled into sections, ard uphods eight pendant
lamps which reach downward not more than three
feet into the room. The lamps are each treated as
centera, and from each is seen spreading pattern
invented from the eye Of the peacock. The ground
work of the whole ceiling is gold and on this the
eye is repeated in different arrangements, alter
mating with pattern from the breast feathers.
Wherever the walls there is gold groundwork
the treatment is the same or simlar there are hnt
the two patterns: vet 80 nqcnousy are they varied
dozen or more They are diversified in SIZE and the
actual touch Of the brush is never in two places
Gnite the same hut from his fidelity To his pattern
the painter never departs. | need not point ont
how much higher is the ingenuity requisite to attain
q successful result with simple than if the
artist had permitted himself to Introduce other
forms The eye rcappears all along the lower edge
of the cove beneath TIE throat feathers, with which
the cove Itself is oyerlaid. On the daco, or that
part of the wall which rises for some three feet
Immediately above the skirting board, bne
on gold appears, as the ceiling, the
pattern sometimes larger and sometimes
8maller, and the eye, the breast feathers,
and the throat feathers being combined dssmilarly,
with effects changing wherever you look, but always
on examination disclosing the sune secret. On the
walls. from floor 20 ceiling, light square shafr+
divided by shelves and supported bycorucr brackets
Of quaint device, break tie wall surface here and
there on all sides into inches, which arc to hold old
maxim blue and white china. The unbroken wall
surface is lined with leather and coorcd deep blue;
on this blue the eye and the feathers revealed
once more ip gold. The spcnGor would be quite
tOerdble if the blue and gold had everywhere met
III small patterns or in any pattern: but the eye-i
mean the human eye of the spectaor-ccts the re-
pose il needs on broad spaces OF pure blue az the
sides the floor AGAIN being covered with carpet OF
blue. tree from any i-lre or color whatever. The
shutters 20 the three windows one Of the long
sides are closed and down o gold ground the sweep
ing tails Of three royal birds descend in blue waves
to the floor. Al the further end the entire wall
above the dado is blue, but here the apotheosiS of
the peacock il reached, and the poem rises 70 its
highest strain. II is peacock Naihaa, where two
Of them are fighting over again the battles OF the
earth: two gorgeous creatures all gold, with
RULED pumage ayl eyes Of flame, hlled
with such spirit and pride as no merely
mortal birds ever showed to mortal man.
The eve Of fame in one is an emerald, in the other
diamond. At the opposite extremity of The room
over ,he fireplace. where mirror is commonly
found hangs peaceful portrait in oils of famous
Grcea beauty, which left Mr.. Whstlrr's easel many
years ago The furniture is to be gold; the chairs
gold lined with blue leather; the dining-table to be
laid with blu cloth underneath, and the linen it.
self 70 be fringed with azure Whether the service
will nr al gold or par " blue and white china, is an
open question. The only decorations over which
Mr. Nhi,ti.r's will cannot exercise its d,spotin sway
will be- the costumes Of the men and women VINO
ar, 40 dine in this room. 10 not see how The men,
a. least can be worthy Of the occasion, Tor even
how the ladies, though each may be perfectly
dressed as an individual At home are 20 agree II
harmonic their costumes with the and with
ant lucs sure to come together wiz introduce just
thc element needed 70 set off to lis hight the spcn-
dor If the decoration.
Of Mr. Whstlei's success in his daring experiment
there cannot De question. Its least merit, might
almost saw is its absolute originality. Anybody
can be original after a fashion, but to be original
and violate 10 aw of beauty and no canon Of art Is
. trumph Of no common order Every stroke Of
he brush is done by Mr.. Wh~tlcI's own hand: be
has not been content TO design and leave Others to
execute: il is safe 20 say that il he bad, the room
would have been something very unlike what ii is.
Here "a to been seen the difference between up
hostcrrrs' tricks and the sincerity Of an artist OF
genius. Nobody, not the most unframed eye, could
mistake the toucn here for that of mere craftsman
Mr. Whistler has wrought with freedom. and the
impression of individual power IS rs strong as the
sense Of fresh inspiration aud unconventional cOur
age There NAV be. as has been said, something Of
Oriental feeling in his work partly because he has
lcf, out the human element, partly because lie has
not shrunk from the magnicence nor feared TO
bring the fierce light of the East into contrast with
London gloom. But East or West there j. no room
like it. and il may be long before an artist If Nh
Whstlars force can again be found to give mp half
year of his life to reproducing scene out OF Fairy
Land.
The other lions of London at this moment include
the Chinese Ambassador, Mr.. Mackenzie Wallace
Gen. TchrrnayrH, snd Lord Beaconsic'd. On the
department of the latter in his new place in the
Lords columns have been written; anJ II Is
favorite entertainment with those who can get adj
mission to go for themselves and see how he
behaves. The number of times Inc has been lkened
70 a sphinx is beyond computation. If he goes to
theater and fails to relax The muscles of his face
at tho comedians best points siraightway
told he is SphinN-likc He ia SphinN-i;c ~ he sits
on the Eari's bench in the Upper Chamber sphinx
hl,e rs he MalAs ND MhiiahnlI SphinX-hle. ! dare