The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1884-11-07
ENAM EEL.
Tho Art One of the Oldest in the Civilized
World.


The Renaissance enamels of Limoges
in general, and of Leonard Limousin in
particular, must, although during many
generations they suffered under q curl
Gus depreciation in price, continue to be
precious and energy sought for, for the
simple reason that "grandes pieces" of
this wonderfully beautiful ware arc eX-
ccedingly scarce, aud that 1t was pre-
cisely in 1856 that his rare talent had
reached its acme Enameling ia one Of
the oldest arts in the world; hut that
which may be termed painters enamel,
or enamels executed on n
single surface, instead Of incised
surfaces il distinct outcome of tn
Renaissance, ana it was provoked by the
desire to possess imperi liable reproduce
tons for decorative purposes of the
greatest works of art which has been
painted IN Italy by Leonardo la Vinci,
by Ralaelle and their successols. The
movement began in the first year Of the
nineteenth century; among the first pro-
motors of the new process was glass
painter of Limoges named Nardon Pen
! lchud, one OF whose masterpieces, eXe-
cutod for the poet King Rene, OF Vaude-
mont and Lorraine, and dated 1903, ia
now in the Cluny museum at Paris. In
4532 Francis l., of France,
who, with all his faults, was as
magnificent patron of the arts as
our Charles !. was aiterward caused to
be established Il manufacture of enam-
els at Limoges, the direction Of which
he entrusted TO Leonard, called "Le Iii
mOusin," or "LimOsin." The artist, by
tho express directions from his royal
master, procured from Italy accurate
copies of the best works of RaiIaelle,
Giullo Romano and Pinnaticcio, and he
also had recourse to the best draughts-
man and sculptor of the French Rem
aisSance, Jean Cousin. The earlier
works of Lo Iimousin had been medin-
val and almost Byzantine in style, but
the contemplation of the Renaissance
models sent him from Italy, led him TO
initiate the purer and more correct
forms OF revived Greek art His mode
OF treatment was essentially his own.
The general effect OF his work was bril-
liant, light and harmonious, relieved
and cheered by bright sky, blue tints
and turquoise blue sprinkliug on shin
ing ground. lie was specially distin-
! gulshable by a bright yellow, which he
introduced into the hair of his person
ages and by pink and limpid flesh tints,
which added TO the feeling of delighted
surprise, excited by his enamels, tho eff
feet Of which has been compared to the
chameleon like brilliancy Of shot satin.
No one knew so well as he, how to make
touches of gold with which to brighten
the effect of his medallons on black
ground. During his years of active
| life, his productiveness was as
tonishing, but his later enamels, which
como down to 1874, show the marks OF
an aged and failing hand. Yot, notwith-
Vt.ii N,sv lao
vases, ewors, gobets, portraits and
plaques in grissailo, cups and bowls,
signed by his well-known monogram of
~ lag" sometimes accompanied by q
lleur dc lys, the NOR important pieces
of "Tho LimOuSin," coon grew rare,
Many of his works have mysteriously
disappeared. large proportion of these
vanished enamels were, in all prob
ability, melted down during the stormy
| days of the first revolution in France,
the perpetrators Of The act of vandalism
being under the impression that tho
enamles were painted on gold and sill
yer plate, whereas, in tho great majority
OF instances, u substratum Of copper
was material used. A very
singular fact overlook no fewer
then n score Of enamels on which he
had most sodulouSly labored. Francis
l., being DESTROYS of decorating the
saloons of his newly erected Chateau de
Madrid, in the Bois do Boulogne, with
the most splendid specimens procurable
OF Limoges onamels, commissioned Tho
Limousin TO paint twenty pictures of
the extraordinary dimensions of five
feet in length bv four feet in hight, illus
trative of the heothen mythology.
| Twenty years were spout by the master
EVANGELIST of Limoges and his pupils in
| execution of these picturprs. lint
! Francis died in - 4, and not one of the
! twenty remained in the possession of
the heirs of Leonard de Limusin until
the outbreak of the RoVolution-a period
of more than 200 years--and n French
critic, written In 1910, stated that the
| twenty euamels or extraordinary dimon-
sions were purchased i'm 1903 10y a Milor
! Anglais, who sent them 20 England.
| Who're are they; and how many guineas
apiece would they bring were they put
up at public auction London Tele-
graph.
! The largest stock of fancy and staple