Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-11

The Sert OF Thing That Builds Up Com
muMtSm.


With ell that has been written about the
palatial dwellings Of the vanderbilts In New
York few have yet seen the dlninr-room OF tho
| house of Cornelius Vanderbilt. 70 reach II we
| ascend three oakep steps In the hall and ind
ourselves in the main hall. Opposite rs il the
solid oak staircase partially hidden BY repro
duction OF Gobelin tapestry, for which It IL said
Mr.. Vanderbilt paid thirty thousand dollars. In
| front Of this stands an old marriage chest Of
black oak and brass. A few old oak chairs.
covered with old Dutch leather. complete the
furnishing Of the hall. portiere which is to
| hang at the dining-room door is not yet In its
| place, but will bear mentioning. Upon an oaken
bar with rings Of gold is to hang precious
fabric measuring six by four feet It is literally
| piece Of cloth Of gold. To prove that it is
| a cloth Of gold. 1t is only necessary to
state that Tiffany h Co., the jewelers., under the
direction Of an artist, spun from pure gold
thread which composes this hanging at q cost
Of twenty thousand dollars. Worked In silver
and delicate blue and sea-g1een metal threads
are the scenes OF the Eneid. Into the
| late hours of the night were these busy
| promised time. If the hours spent upon 1t were
reckoned by the eight-hours- system four
| years and half would be the result shown of
the time consumed. This is the way of the
nineteenth century in America. II we have the
| money we must have what we desire at a mo-
ments notice To walt year is such q long
| time!
Passing within the door we find that It is In
fact two months over year since the decorator
| and the interior fnisher began their work. It
is large oblong room with spacious conserva-
| tory at the end, which will be filed with rare
| exotics. At the other end an arch separates
the breakfast room from the dining hall One
thing that is the m6et noticeable IL the absence
| of windows around the ROOM There is no light
except through the glass Of the conservatory,
and that viii be partially obscured by screen
of stained glass. This portion Of the house is
but one story high, and consequently jewelled
| glass skylight of immense size forms large
| part Of the ceiling. The room is high studded,
and the woodwork, which is Of oak, darkened to
give an antique appearance, is pannelled with
! heavy mouldings OF hammered brass making a
dado of about five feet around the room The
| heavy beams, foot in thickness, intercept each
| skylight to I'LL the different center panels.
But the delight Of any one looking upon this
| room will be centered upon the panels which
constitute the ''style" or that space between
the walls and the skyllght on the ceiling Here
| art has triumphed. Four Of these panels repre-
| sent the seasons In bas-relief figures three
quarters lite size-and others of classic de-
| sign.
To attempt to describe them will be to fall,
but mere suggestion of autumn may be the
foundation OF dream which the writer will
vouch cannot equal the reality. Here Is a par
TALLY nude figure, the flesh parts cut from solid
ivory and the drapery chseled from greensh
stone known as serpentine standing against
vines and leaves carved from the solid oak that
constitutes the whole background with the
left hand raised above the head grasp
ing heavily carved grape branch.
from which hang in clusters OF varied hues
punches or grapes carved from mother-of-
pearl. The right arm is extended, the hand
| holding bent circle of inlaid meteorological
and ebony-the deepening of the flesh tints has
been given to the ivory with acids, shading it
into the browns and ecru coloring Hammered
brass and cast bronze are also utilized in the
hair. Although Mr. Lafarge reaps the praise
that now Is and ever Will be given to these.
there is one to whom great deal OF the praise
belongs. While he is a great colorist Mr.
Lafarge is, alas, poor draughtsman, especially
where the human figure is concerned. These
panels must have been failure had not the
hand OF st. Gaudens modelled them.
Within this room there are no chandeliers but
above the skylight row of gas jets will cast a
mellow light through the stained glass Jewels
upon the silver and glass of the table below
The heavy beams OF the ceiling are naid with the
Grecian pattern In mother-of- pearl. and the high
mantel has an exquisite inlaying of pure silver
ebony, mother-of-pearl and ivory. forming vases,
birds and foliage. The breakfast-room Is in
white and gold, and the. ceiling is panelled with
places for ten pictures which are now being
finished In Mr.. Lafarges studio It is est
mated that these rooms will cost S10O, 900 when
finished.