New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-05-09
TILE HOUSE or AN ARTIST.
MIR. ALMA-TADEMA AT HOME.
From The queen


A kindly salye " greets the VISITOR VINO passes
mn the garden banked with blue l0Delas Ol TOWN."
hend House Regents Park, and dlsarms the threat
ening grin of the Orazon knocher, t in everv
nOON and Granny OF TOwnshend IiouSe, from ron .ne
sOfjly-colOred entrance pasSage-Dlocheu w wv
blmSb doors which open from two SIDE rooms 10
right and left and refuse admittance TIL the cl0aKs
have been left in of then-tO the last toucn III
the topmOst Dutch bed room. ,...
with portraits of Mr.. and MIS- Alma-I aIelna, III
gold medalliOns, and whichever room we eject 10
enter we find soft cOucheS ana strange euec's. ino
rIght.hand room has bOOkshelveS and wIltng-taDie.
the left-hand one offers tea and cohec I'D snug
corner. This ROOM 100 Is tne snlt i VI ~.
Alma Tademas greatest and most pathetlc MASTER
niece, the Death of the tlIstDOrn'' a picture
which some pains on he part of the author rec0v-
cred from the greedy clutches OF the outer WOrlu.
and replaced where it Is always best seen ana most
thoroughly apprenticeship his own house III hangs
in a strange mnrky fight, BETTING It's subject. we
catch sight of cottage piano of somewhat quaint
form, embellished by paintings ny MIS-; AInla-l d
dema among them few notes OF the carry MUSIC 10
thc meligyal lay, Summer is cumIn IN: and then
we PASS INTO second little room, painted in two
whites blush white and cream white us to Waln-
scot which rises up to about six ieet rom me
pTound. Above il the wall is covered with Spanish
feather The panels of this pale walDsr0t are
painted with pretty subjects, like narrow Rllmpses
OF larger pictures Beyond opens conservatory,
where tall plants stand, and stone TANK AFTER
he Roman fashion, catches the uIternlttent
stream of water from a small mask almost hidden
at one side. A hammOck of Indian grass suspended
across the conservatory suggests sleepy DOCK ON
some hot idle day.
As we turned away from this little den. palm
leaves hammock, Chin ese lanterns and ALL we pass
I'D the rather narrow winding staircase, hung with
MOrrlss pOmegTanate paper, thanked below with
dado-like covering Of dark brown batic. Above
Stars there is complete contrast TO the many
doored ground floor; there no doors at all. and
this apparent publicity i'll the dwelling rooms gives
the house an Oriental character Totally unusual.
Persian and Chinese hangIngS fall III SOFT f0ldS
where the doors ought TO be Our host meets us at
the first curtain, our hostess at the second or third,
may be. Mr. Tadema has al the Dutch tondness
for nook and crannies, little rooms opening INTO
other Iitte rooms, with unexpected elimpscS of
further rooms in effective sequence.
The first room we enter carries us bodily back TO
Holland i'll tie seventeenth u injury 1t might be tine
parlOr of some remote ancestor OF our host. Panels
of old oak and rosewood. OF capital construction,
run around the room (which IS slnalD, and ncl0Se a
single small convex mirror about brcast-higb, be-
fore which stands table. 1t is lighted by wlndOw
OF lattired glass, having shutters OF dark wood
guarded by charming metal work on the right hand.
The wall above the wanIscOt is painted white, or
nearly 80, ami gllleS into the arched meDVa cell
inV .ils0 waite. This whIteues5 would be disagr
able were IL not broken and SUftoned by deep broad
shadows OF niche and shelving suraccN-Onc or TWO
ola Ouch portraits of quaint forgotten people. Blue
and white pots ana Old German glass crowd the
shelves here ANA buSls Of our hOSt and hostess, by
DalOu and AmemdOla, occupy various pedeStasS.
The second room, TO which We pass through an aIch
OF classic construction, III wood, modelled to n de-
sign of Mr.. Ahna-Tadcma's IN dolcalely-cut ridges
and cOrnIce, completely different. The arch Is sur
mounted by two openings cut through the wall
which form shelf tor more china, and,
pushing aside Chinese curtain of blue
and yellow satin, g0lG embroidered, we find
ourselves in a room which recalls late Roman lux
urY. The tloOr is naid WITH IL paIqnery OF ebony
and maple of elegant design (nOt dangerously
glazedl, Oh which lilo carpets. On one side stands
chair that Dantc5 Beatrice might have sat in f; OH
the other couch, rich with Oriental brOidrries.
The wanscOt OF this room. covered with Il ByZan-
tine pattern, is carried up about five feet, with
shelving cornlce, which may support light fan OF
little pot; above, all IS plain unyarnished gold, leaf
by leaf laid over the whole wall and ceiling. Be
N hat lois
carven ivory, mounted IN ebony, the minute replica
of the PartheuOn frieZc This runs all around the
room, and is not stopped by the mante.shelf. Be-
meath. the fireplace IS screened by peacock with
spread tail he wlndOw-fOr which no glass were
quaint enough, az iG forms the background to the
delicate cOOTs OF tie Instrument, ana to the head OF
the panist-ls formed of paues of Mexican alabas-
ter, wherein the tender veins of brown contend
with semi transparent white; and the leading Of
these charming pancs Enthusiastically describes tho
initials of Nh. and Mrs. Alma-I adena, l.. A. l."
again and again.
But even here we are not permitted to be severely
Roman. The advantages of the nineteenth century
are wisely admitted. The lego" is distinctly felt
There s no furniture in this sumptuOus little roOn
save the sparse seats and the grand piano. of which
all tho world has heard, designed by the owner
made by BrOadwoOd, and which Is as full as every
thing else in his house of his singular and original
taste. Cedar, ivory, and fine brass, Solomon him.
self had he lived in the days OF such musical nstrI-
mcnts would not have dIsCained such q gift from
the Queen of Shebas hands,; Ihe very screw nails
which riyet part 10 part in lien Of the single cut 10
admit the ScreWdriYeT, wear Is little l. / on their
faYorte heads. The delicate chasing and details
and the whole redeemed design, the idle cry
that pianOfOrte never be artistic object,
and show that it can, If knowledge of art and me-
chancal construction are both brought to bear ON
it. The interest of its beauty is heightened by the
autographs OF celebrated pianists, who have i'll
scrlbed their names on the parchment inside the
lifting Hap, after performance on the keys. Rum
ming one within another, two more rooms have TO
be crossed before we reach the paintInC-rOOin One
IS mauted III crimson velvet from Venice, Persian
applique work, which found It's way to Italy during
some remote " loot" The ceiling is yellow. IA iue
design. 4 curious threadlike stencil SuImCunts the
yelvets. Here we find definite hreside such as
murals love- and easy chairs and sofas, all singular
affected fashion Of the present day among some en-
thusiasts. a picture OF Mrs. Alma-1adema, by her
husband, hangs in one corner.
Ascending three bright hrazen steps, we reach ut
last the pautipg-TcOm. We find square Pom
eau-OOklue apartment full of shelves ut one end,
wherein lnnumcIable "drareres" lie rolled M, but
protrudiug Just enough 10 be distinguish ell The
woodwork of these shelves Is painted pale yellow,
and on this ground various fantastic ornaments
have been painted nv Mr.. Anna radrma. Here 1t Is
a sleeping man. thpie strange white BUDS with UNI
manageable length of limb strut or dnze. he wall,
decorated after the POmpeinn tasic Is chiefly dark
in tones but panels OF yellow aud Ied do not de-
strOy the unity.
The fireplace in tho pantiuC-TOOm is of modern
round shape certainly not Queen Anne. aud stlll
less classical but it looks right there. lhel ceiling
il very rich. designed by the same hand rs all the
stcl,cIl5 and ornaments III tho house. The deep
PompeIan red, with many-oOlOred urabesques, in-
closes panels aud medAllOns OF light Dlue ect., on
which the gods and gOddesses disport-Apollo driv
ing his chariot in tho ndst, amid the golden rays