New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-10-24
THE VALL-PAPER PRIZES.

Of course with committee composed Oh
Messrs Christian Herer, f. c. Moore and william d.
Bgeow. no other choice was possible among tue o"H
pettive designs for Wallpapers called orh ny eTSS
Warren Fullers liberal o1ershan the one recorueu IN
SATURDAYS TRIBUNE. Had the award been III the hahus
NJ committee composed OF dealers in Wallpaper or OF
manufacturers the choice would is likely, have been
among those of the designs which are evidently INC WIN
Of persons accustomed to consulting the popular TASTE
and skilled i'm the mechanical methods of Manufacture
as also in the technical preparations OF the lhou''
which are TO be put into the wOrkmen's hands,
Nessrs Herter and E. C. Moore gentlemen whose
daily work makes it necessary for them to be fa'ar
with the practical the mechanical SIdc OF the question VI
design as applied to manufactures, but, personally "oS
are much more interested in the artistic side oil the ueS
ton Both these gentlemen know very well that the
problem Of training the hands and eyes OF workmeh'I
cult as it undoubtedly Is yet easy of solution com
pared the problem how to get designs worth uail's
wOrkmen to execute The training of hands ana eyes,
therefore, while it exacts from the employers themselves
almost as much dudgery and hard work as thcy IN e
turn exact from the workmcn If OF far less interest ana
Importance, even commercially than that other SIDE oI
their business which concerned with the discovery, or
| with the production, OF good designs
II is beginning to be felt the production Of good
! designs by any Of the long trci methods OF art
schools schools OF design South Kensngton Schools,
and the like is less and less TO bc depended on There
has been Tor some time in England much groaning ana
conplaipt over the failure the costly governmental
methods employed TO stimulate tho faculty OF design IN
the British subject and whether the peoples OF the CONT
nent are a. well alive TO their own failure or not Is
nevertheless ruc that only the Germans, the Aus
trians and the Italians, but even the French are re-
du.cd 10 the imitation Of the work Of the past in every
| department Of manufacture calling for design.
! II is true they have carried this I'M
| itaton not only in the design, but in the
manufacture ITSELF TO the very highest point Of peroc
ton so that tine brocadcs and stuff; Of all kinds the
| Ia.
wood and stone the glass; etc. etc, that are produced
to-day are i'm all where price Is OF no importance.
AZ well made as they ever ut any time, and even
when cheaper market IS looked for these things are
often Of a very high degree OF excellence But original
design has by kept pace with manufacture aud
though there are a few striking exceptions TO the state
ment it may safely said that in design to-day we are
dependent on the work OF those who have gone before
The design Of to-day consists in clever copying clever
combining what has been produced by other people
| in other times.
BY far the greater part of the wallpaper designs eX
| hibited at Mr.. Moore's gallery make plain
the fact have just stated. As we
| showed the other day, the design named
Perseverance merely, and no secret was made OF
the fact by the designer asscmbage Of details Dor
roved from japanese scrapbooks and acqucrs The de
signs sent from France initiated tapestries, ana very
cleyerly or combined the patterns Of the japanese
ciosonn6 cnamels, with japanese flower painting, and
"a If how persistent are the methods Of the pro
|
tonished US with rods Of bamboo, shaded to appear
round! Yet this In design that bore witness
to careful training OF hand and and to habit Of
| working for cheap or vulgar market one OF the
| home designs, that was by 10 means without merit
from the manufacturers point Of view, was distinctly
inspired by the Venetian patterns in velvet md gold 81
the sixteenth century though 1t wanted the ccarness of
marking which those relDurs always showed, aud the
border in which the designer necessarily thrown
most upon himself, since the old usage did not call for
borders was much better than the wall" But there
could be no reason for rewardng with prize dcs IN
belonging 10 family richly represented In all our inn
poraIt shops where Wallpapers and hanginGs are sold.
shops Of COtters, Narcotics our Iertcr or
| Georges.
| other designs there were in which the authors
| had collected bits Of design from such spcci-
| men books as Racinct aud owen Jones, and
| combined them In mOsacs Of more less
ingenuity. At least, this appeared TO be the case,
! and certainly ali the different clements were clearly
recognizable Others, again, showed the result Of that
mechanical notion fOsercd by certain writer's OF twenty
years ago that TO make good design for wall
papers hangings carpets and stats OF all SORTS u T.
enough 10 take unhappy flower and having pulled
il TO pieces stick its component paris together again In
new combinations. Suggestions for forms may of course
| be got In this way, but no design can
be thus shaken out of a dice-boK Though
al one time ii most powerfully and pOtcny believed
that it could be, and the doctrine had great vogue IN
| England. 81,
1
committee of practical men, artsoB and architects,
entirely satisfactory and that they may require
lifting make them thoroughly suitable 10 tie use
for which hey are propootd But tAry arc vastly better
than anything else that Is here and they real al
vance upon anything that has been Ia this country
up to this Mrs. Wheelers design, clever ~ il i,
! should ourselves have rcCkOnr'i second 10
that signed Vlnna 1appa, for the reason that we think
well suited tbs latter 10 cover large space
OF wall. 1t occurred ~, while looking at the four de
signs ranged the east wall OF the gallery ana OF
| which Vuno Tappa the FIRST and Miss Dora
Wheeicr's the last that they suitable for
| fOdng-screcn or, taken singly for small wall.
| hangngs than for wallpaper. Aud n the purpose Of
wall paper alone be considered, Mirs Wheelers " PINK
Pe0nes at least the wall portion OF II, must Dc reck-
oned more suitable, from its largenes ana simplicity
| we are inclined 70 pace MISS Io~nbendB t5uD
Rosa white Lilies y this lady has little native per
cepu0h oil me requirements OF good dclgn but as YET
she cannot thoroughly depend upon herself IA IL shown
by the great nieOnty OF her second design Even here,
however the wal" has much merit and needs only to
be little more defined to be acceptable.
| The prize design, Mrs. Wheeer'-, shows uncommon
talent both in lts arrangement and in it drawing The
bees eXcelleutly alive and busy and there Is
cessant variety In their attitudes, and OF force
| to the oval" over which they are at work
Then, all the forms uscd In making up the design
agreeable and decorative in Themselves, and Mrs.
Wheeler has used them, they pleasantly suggestive
obusiye. The only doubt IT, whether all this In suit
able for the walls OF room. and confess we think
that in practice IL viii not be found comfortable. II
wOuld however make good hanging for "A small room
In which the wall space was limited or where only
reasonable portion OF 1t would be likely 10 be seen at
| once.
10 our thinking, the encouraging feature Of the
present competition the victory gained over routine
| and commonplace. The designs which have won the
prizes have plainly emanated from strong individual i'll
terest in tho undertaken, interest In the
for It's sake there nothing perunCtOfy SLOPPY
about them They show real and an intelligent love OF
nature but they show well natural art feeling which
| has been strengthened by study and reflection Their
merit IL distinctly their own and their faults such
| are sure TO disappear with time.
| -------