The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-15
THE NEW In HOUSEHOLD ART
ARTIST TIFFANY EXPLAINING THE
PAINTING or ms ROOMS.
How he blends Coiors into One Harmonious
whole, and yet Preserves the dividuni-
Ily Of ExerY Ohleet thnt he Palms.


words sweeping his arm toward all parts OF
the ROOM II Mr. Tiffany rides any hobby. 1t Is
that Of decorative art He likes 1t next to paint
ing in oils. and hus lately moved from tho
Young Mems Christian Association building to
experiment with his theories OF color in his
now rooms. Before tho Bella was built. MIR.
Tiffany struck n bargain for an entire story.
and insisted that the decoration and the car
pcntcrs work should be after his own plans.
The principal room extends along the avenue
front. from side wall to side wall. 1t has win
dows at cnch end only. one looking into Twcn-
ty-siXth street tho other over the adjacent
housetops An elevator carries the visitor di
rect to tho artists rooms. After you pass n
long dining room on the middle Of the Twenty
sixth street side Of the building. n wide. high
doorway. almost square. admits You into the
large room. above described. the only one in
which the nrtist has approximately expressed
his unique notions in household decoration.
Mr.. Tiffany has been ut work for some weeks.
and yet the rainbow variety Of colors does not
seem To- harmonic to suit his taste. In telling
his plans the artist said:
Every part Of room and every object in 1t
have separate uses then why not color each
portion OF the room according TO its uscp For
instance. let everything around fireplace be
so coorcd IA 10 suggest heat Crossing the
threshold the first object to meet the eye should
be- something to suggest hospitality. SO. you
soc. ! have the fireplace where first the eye
strikes rs you enter the room. The fireplace Is
the centre. or key to everything clsc."
The fireplace il broad,aud henmcd in md fair;
" crushed down 10y the objects huddicd around
IL. There are big shelves. holding rare jap
anese vases little shelves, with knick- knacks;
broad shelves with fUnriiully bound books:
funny little ornaments stuck here and there;
and over all, and reaching nearly to the ceiling.
agiidcl rqt-trap-lookinG affair. the arrange
ni"nt OF the whole Is peculiar. the colOrng IL
astonishing. Retiring from the fireplace and
radnting in all directions, tho color IL FIRST red
Dish brown. then purple. then blue. and finally
II dies awny into the prevailing tint Of tho room.
All these coorS insensibly melt into each other.
You sec. - the artist resumed. how the coll
ors constantly vary. The object uimed nt in
this method Of decoration is twofold: First, the
individuality 81 each object or group Of objects
devoted TO the same use. in the room IL pre-
own aud. second the unity of all the lndividu.
ais into one plrnsing. effective whole is secured
by the graduation Of the color Of each individual
object into that 81 it, neighbor.
The fireplace" the artist continued. car
rics out the former notion"
the walls and ceiling. Wherever there was
woodwork it was pa ntully blue, or blue green.
or q tint waverin, between both shades. Be.
ginning nj the bottom Of the walls the board
was SO dense "a blue IA TO be almost black. As
the eye WAS lifted the door and window castings
were ~ n lighter or PrussiHn blue. Further
up ana "a little yellow added changed 1t To n
bluc-green. So on. lighter and lighter blue
{ rminuted in yellow ~ the frieze. on which
thu artist was nj WORK, laying upon the smooth
VIM" surinro creamy bronze Injured paper.
while the Hat ceilns WAS ircscord with color as
yellow AZ Indian summer haze. Interpreted
by ~" artist. tins arrangement OF heavy color
la the lower part OF the walls and the light al
the top Is TO lead the mind from It's connne-
meni among terrestrial things m TO objects
celestial The lgltuess of tho room nboye sur-
ge-tS the opening ~ the heavens the dark color
below suggests the stability of earth, aud gives
rest and assurance 10 the mind. Blue was
chosen for the prevalent color because IL In the
most suggestive of retirement and distance.
The door il As blue rs the surrounding OBJ
jects; II u entirely OF lattice worS. and is sus-
pended oy two wheels that roll horizontally
backward OF forward over the DOORWAY clos M,
like the door OF astrett car. The rollers are OF
wood, and about foot in diameter. Along the
broad door casing, in front OF which the wheels
rolled. ARE painted on the greenish blu. back
ground circles ana spheres. Some are larger.
some smaller than the wheels. Here and there
circle IL half formed. MS though the artist had
changed his mind when II was half drawn. No
. You acc.' Mr.. Tiffany said. one Of my
theories u that every article in the room should
not only have its u.s.. bat also should be suhtly
sntg'stiNr 10 Ne imuLinaton OF the observer.
This design IL the nearest TO completion, comes
the eiosest e expressing my thought. OF any in
50 are tho pnnet- in the heavens around us
AMI have painted. besides the wheels. the
moon IN her phuscs-tte new moon Just ris-
ing. ana over there an old moon with the man in
il. IL you look closely. YOU Will see stars faint
~ pictured all around. Thus. You see. the mind.
seeing thu wheels rs led onward and upward
| by inscn-ibr degrees. through the suggestive
ness oi THESE conventionaiities. To dwell on the
| won rouS creations In the universe. Could
| anything De moro olevating? This is not an :
| the wheels represent other round objects in ma
! u,re besides planets. Hold the open bell Ol n
| Hover toward your eye. IL is round. You sec
| have painted the wheels themselves TO repre-
! sent an open flower. the hub being al the bottom
| of tae Hover zap. ana the felloe az the peri
| suggestion %! Hover is carried out in two or
| three paintings oi flowers among the planets
fNfIN 81 a. To-
| urine wheels Speaking oi flowers. we are To
| have window garden. See how | have antici-
| paied II by painting. on the side Of the window
| casing vines ana leaves. carrying them 10 the
! top Of the window in this conventional manner.
| Thus IN" contrast bwweon flowers and window
| rising Will NOT b. SO abrupt ma startling.
! Nothing must stand Isolated Ia the room: but.
| by menn- pi art. all are subtly come ted"
The walls of tue room are overs prenl with
| strips oi wood about two inches wide that run
precautionary AMI horizontally. forming
rfctangullr spaces Of all sl.s The strips are
| ere" n sh blue connecting the blue on the floor
| WIN tAr yellow in the ceiling. Into the rectAn-
/ guar spnccs had been fitted a coarse grass
cloth, sugSo stin- "a Japanese noblemnn's draw
! ing room. some OF the spaces contained pic
| lures st In iti lk" the wall.
! Pictures Suuui never bee set in proruling
! frames, the artist said, unless they are to be
| exhibited In an art gallery. There they are SO
| crowded tp:ciher that unless they are sep
! hruted BY picture frames they have their eln,t
ON earl other. and the effect cannot hut he bad.
| hrcuuse eyery picture is painted TO bee looked at
! hi it-"lt; IN art exhibitions picture frames
! cannot, therefore. easily De made too wide In
| u, SlNuf or IN ptIl"Ia' surh A' men ui means
/ often. with shocking taste. oVrrsto"k win pie
| lures tnr lllled frames ri tier and destroy tho
! Artists painting for exhibitions are often con
s'lous OF this rn't ~ staring. gildrd frames 50
they paint IN loud, staring culprs. that vie with
| the frame IN holding the eye Of the bcholder.
/ me picture Is prNs"d for It's hrlllaucy aud
| brings hi,h price. hut the purchaser finds
! that his p turr TINT da22ied him in tho eNhibi-
! tun has become overload and vulgar in the
! qul.t l%r."r II" r2nrudes that the artist is Il