Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-07-22
THE ALHAaIBRA.TO-DAY
Description of this Monaerful Jumbl.
Of buildings.
Charles Dudley Warner, in Hartford courant.

Description of this Wonderful tumble
Of Buildings.
Charles Dudley Warner, in Hartford Courant.
The Alhambra is a juhble of buildings, with
irregular tiled roofs and absolutely plain. rough,
uncolored walls on the exterior that gives no in
dication the beauty within. Thus the Moor In
his palace fortress masked the splendor of his
luxurious residence as he concealed the beauties
OF his harem from vulgar eyes,, What the chief
entrance was we have no means of knowing,
for Charles V. pulled it edowH. together with
portion of the palace, to make room for his own
palace an enormous heavy mass, which obtrudes
itself in the center of the Alhambra Enclosure.
The pseudO-ROman and Bramante construction
is the eyesore Of the grounds. The emperor
drained his treasury on it and left it unfinished,
and it is solid enough and ugly enough to resist
earthquakes and the weather. Nothing could
be in worse taste and in less keeping with its
surroundings. Within the vast pile is an arena
for bull fights The Spaniard, who touched
nothing after the Conquest that he did not de-
grade it. replaced some OF the tile work In the
halls and courts of the Alhambra with the
rough and tasteless tiles of his own manufac-
ture He also rooted one of the lesser halls
with heavy and vulgar ceiling. We can forgive
his destruction and his neglect better than his
reservations and substitutions.
The beautiful stucco decorations Of the walls
can be reproduced with an approach to the
original, except as to color for 1t is not diff
cult to take Impressions and make accurate
casts of the old work. The new work, how
ever is too sharp, and lacks the delicious tone
that the old has acquired. The original stucco
work, the designs of which are infinite in variety
and as exquisite as the finest laces, was cOlOred
in blue, red, green, yellow and gilt These
colors have been reproduced in some restOra-
lions of the Alhambra but the colors are too
garish.
What is beyond imitation and beyond copy
ing, however. is the thing on the dadoes 1t Is
in endless variety of pleasing and never-weary-
ing patterns done in the solid primary colors. bat
all iridescent shimmering in colOrs like an opal
or the feathers of the peacock. 1 60 day after
day to feast my eyes on the splendor of this re-
Elected light and sheen, and wander from hall
to hall, and tower to tower in amaZement at
the fertility Of invention that never repeated
ITSELF
There are two or three incongruities in the
decoration Of the Alhambra which cannot escape
observation. One of them is the rude, snub-
nosed, 'heraldic lions that support the fountain
basin in the court that takes it's name from
Sala de Justicia, off the Court of Lions. One of
these paintings represents ten bearded MoOrs
seated in council; they are in the true costume
OF the Grenada Moor, the features are Oriental
In cast, but regular and noble, even beautiful;
the figures are well drawn, and the colors are
brilliant aud fresh as any fresco Of the best Pc
Rod OF the art. There are other scenes OF chiv-
airy, OF love. of hunting, with background Of
trees, castles and animals, but all the subjects
are in honor of the Moor, whose royal shield is
seen everywhere. In one Moorish knight I'M
horses a Christian warrior These paintings are
said to be on leather, nailed to the ceilings As
the MOslem religion did not permit any carving
or any decoration in imitation OF any living
thing, how came these lions and these paintings
in a Moorish palace, which Is elsewhere devoid
of even an imitation Of if1oyQrs mr. any natural
objects? 1t is suggestedt that the paintings were
by an Italian artist in the fourteenth century,
but why did the Moslems permit them? If they
were executed after the Conquest, in this hall
heard mass, and where the cross was tirsterected
after their entry, would mot the subjects have
been ecclesiastical? Certainly they would not
have been in honor of 1.-THE MOOrs. The lions
may have been the vorkIOf Persans, who were
Sunites, and made images and used animal
forms freely in decoration. But no Persian
could ever have painted these pictures.
Another puzzle is the famous Alhambra Vase,
considering the place whereit was found. This
noble piece of faience is ep four feet in height,
and OF exquisite proportions. One handle Is
gone, and it is badly cracked. 1T is kept out of
sight in sort Of lumber room called the mu-
scum, lighted by one small window, and stands
against the wall, SO that it cannot be seen to
advantage. 1t is treasure that should have a
conspicuous exposure, wen guarded, where all
ithe-wof}d could study it.. it ishighly enameed
and beautifully lustrous. The main color is a
light blue-a cerulean color. of which the Arabs
seem to have had the secret The decorations
are formed by this color, with gold and brown
and white. The sides are different On each
side. however, are quaint figures of animals the
conventional Persian story. The whole of the
decoration in it's feeling and character is Per-
sian, aud have no doubt in my own mind that
the decorators were Persians. There is nothing
else of the same character in the Ahambra halls
a
old Moorish CuartO Real. in the city. They have
a white ground with gold scroll work freely
drawn and have every appearance of being
Persian work. It is to be noted that the iri-
descent tiles OF the MOOrs have no resemblance
to the superb glazed tiles of the Persians and of
the Saracens in Damascus and in Egypt, and
that the Barbary MOOrs developed. both in
stucco and in tiles. a perfectly distinct and in
dependent sort of decoration. At least, it seems
so to me.
Opening Week ut a Summer Resort.
Yes, I've been here week. I've had just one
Filtration, ana already it is done.
The gentleman was MIR. Harry May;
We happened to arrive the self-same day.
We got acquainted, had quiet talk,
And In the evening took pleasant walk.
He came as an advance guard, so to speak,
Said Mrs. May was coming down next week.
When he said that vowed my lady fine
Should find him kneeling at another shrine.
To f1rt with single fellows is bore,
Unless they've other sweethearts to make sore.
but Wnon you cnalcc TO caUcn Il married one,
To f1rJ is naughty. Then It's lots OF fun,
Especially II you can make his wife
So jealous that she's very tired OF life.
Well, during this past week played each card
To capture him. never tried so hard
To make mash. And great was my success
He won't get over it for years, guess.
And was in the height OF ecstacy
TO think how angry Mrs. May would be.
Tonight she came. and was all prepared
TO show her she was hated. Somewhat scared
At what might happen though was, Town. =
let him meet her at the stage alone.
And it was after tea an hour or two
Before he took me to an interview.
l never was mad in all my life,
The lady was his mother, not his wife.
Boston Post