New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-06
THE DEC0R1TTTE Art SOCIETY.

COMPETITIVE EXHIBITION OF EMBRoIDRRIEs, AND
LoAS-ooLLEcrIoS OF EsrBRoIDERIEs.
The ladies of the Decorative Art Society
with that tact which IN woman is second nature are
bringing all their force 10 bear OF late the cultivation
Of arts where they have the field 70 themselves, and
need not fear the competition OF And chief among
these arts s embroidery in which domain man is 10 our
thinking, interloper In works with the
needle woman Is entirely at home here her peculiar
qualities her neatness her dextey her patience her
delight in the little her pleasure In seeing things grow
men, a rule caring only 10 things come 70 an end
and despsing the intermediate stages-an these quail
ties essentially womanly ind room TO play IN the Wde
peasance Of the embroidery frame. And while an III
stitution OF the scope OF the Decorative Art
ocey cannot eonne itself TO one branch Of tho arts
but encourage talents OF various arts It seems
natural that the drift OF the efforts put forth by the man
ayers 20 cultivate in the art OF design should De
toward embroidery art which always In Europe mas
been chiefly I'm tho hands OF women, and which even IN
the East outside OF the manufactures Is in their hands
as wen. Perhaps there Ia really difference In this
respect between the East and the West for in Europe
also men andboys are much employed in embroidery
lace making and Knitting yet for all that II never
seems 10 natural, bat rather the result OI Some
economic displacement Of labor.
The present exhibition in the rooms OF the American
Art Gallery Kurtz Building, Madison square-consists
Of three divisions In the first place. there the works
and designs submitted I'm competition for the various
prizes offered Then there embroderies that have
been wholly executed in the Of the Society, either
from designs borrowed from abroad or from designs pro
duced here at home Lastly there Is loan collection Of
cubroderles. modern, but most OF them ancient,
and European as well AZ Oriental
II viii thus that the Exhibition has much va
rcty to rccommendn the prospect and viii De found
20 have stil 10 recommend II closer view II
viii be found, by women at least, an exhibition
that cannot be passed by neglected there "a some
thing here FOR everybody and much may be learned by
any who IL DESTROYS OF improving herself IN the art
OF design the execution OF her work Tho designs
in competition and the works Of the Society itself oc-
cupy all four walls Of the large hall ono entire wall,
the southern with the Socieys exhibit, the
competitive work Ills the other three sides of the room,
and there also IN the middle Of tho room con
tanning the smaller and delicate articles specimens
OF lace. OF drawn work. and Of the fine sorts OF
embroidery that would be killed n hung on
the walls alongside those more brilliant and solid
hangings for doors aud windows. The loan
collection "a arranged in tho long room on broadway
and makes very effective and interesting display Here
c,urch-vesments, copcs and chasublcs altarfron
tails chalcc-covers; pieces from Italy, nom SPAIN
from France from England, with some few made here
homo that do yield to any OF the foreign born In
beauty OF workmanship. Then there hangings from
Franco and Persia from Venice from SPAIN and Others
the origin OF which Is doubtful since imitation aud d.
rect copying have practsed In al countries in al
ages.
! But shall be mistaken II the public interest does
not prove be strongest in the work of own people,
IN the competitive deslgns and in the work executed by
/ the Society itself The exhibition shows real
/ advance both the part Of the society-in
its higher standard In design and In the increased
/ excellence 81 the northumberland on the
part Of public In the direction our Society was al
fr-t trammcllcd by Ia natural adherence 10 English
OF looking at the subject and English way 81 Work
and 10 mistakes easily understood now AMI easily
excused while twas learning 90 stand on its own feet
| The DAYS 81 rigorous insistence on the kenslngton
stitch are happily passed, and the uckese word legt
ate which have I'm spite Of pcdants driven out OF
tho field " woodengraving and water-color painting
has happily dsl0dged from the embroidcrers' art
] a. well We stln see too much imitation, too much
| straning after eiect, and too much lingering
affection for the queer but there IA also strong and
healthy growth in other direotlonsmOre reliance on
simplicity Of means, more direonoes in dealing win h'
useful practical side OF design less sentmenai pper
| in short, and, what especially Ike In our Aneri
| can work, mono az all OF tho morbid feeling
! that IA tho bane OF much English design
y FAR tho greater part Of our home work natural and
healthy and when quito rid Of Japan and have
said final Tata 10 South kensngtOn, We shall nnd th'
much promised American school OF embroidery appeal
ing with force 20 our people, and under the sluil
/ 81 an employment that will have something more sub
stautial than fashion o. ts back developing into
serious national industry And IN this development tn
Decorative Society Is destined 20 play an important