The Sunday herald and weekly national intelligencer., 1891-01-18
ARTISTIC WASHINGTON.
lConttnued from Ninth Page

dining g-room the frieze, also painted by Mrs.
Halliday, is appropriately of fish and water
fowl, gliding gracefully through their native
element.
MRS SENATOR HENDRRsoN's ALHAMBRA HALL.
Mrs. Henderson, wife of the ex-senator, occu-
pies tho spacious stone castle at the head of Six
teenth street and the Boundary, for which she
not only drew the intricate details of building,
but which she has further beautifed with num-
ber of her own figure paintings, which are un-
usually fine. The hallway is modelled after q
portion OF the Alhambra sketched by Mrs. Hen
derson during one of her many trips abroad,
and 1t is not only beautiful, but very unique.
1t is octagonal in shape, the walls of pale blue
rising from the marble-tiled flooring About
the many arched doorways broad borders are
formed Of Moorish hieroglyphics in darker blue
mingled with gold The white and gold morn
ing-room on the left near the entrance is sepa-
rated from the hallway by partition wall four
feet high, the space between which and the cell
ing is filled in with Moorish fretwork of white
and gold. The woodwork of the living-room or
art gallery, opening out from this at the north
end, is OF dark mahogany, with deep-crimson
walls which form fine back ground for the mag
nifcent paintings hung thereon.
MRS REPRESENTATIVE HIT.
Mrs. Hit, wife of the Illinois Representative
possesses In an eminent degree that indescribably
artistic ability which enables the fortunate pos
SCISSOR to transform an ugly room into pretty
homelike apartment. ANY one who has ever
had to struggle with the difficult task of evolv-
ing habitable cozy look to long parlor will
appreciate the credit due for the successful ac-
complishment of such an achievement. Mrs.
Hits parlor, originally long, unpromising
room, has, under her tasteful management, be-
come truly artistic interior. Asmay naturally
be imagined the composite elements which 60
to make up this harmonious whole have been
selected without regard to expenditure. The
walls are almost entirely concealed behind
tapestries worked in Old World converts to
adorn the walls Of church and palace. In the
hallway there are bits OF armor, gorgeous hang
ings, Eastern rugs, bronzss and pictures.
DIR. William A. Hammond, though unfortu-
nate in the selection of site for his immense
new house on Columbia Heights, has fortunately
not fallen into the common error of sacrificing
the spaciousness Of the apartments in order to
obtain greater number either on the first or
second floor. 1t is planned upen the Mexican
idea Of a large square court in the centre, and
! in one respect Is wholly unlike any other house
alcove, which holds colossal gilded figure OF
Buddha, with all the appropriate accessories OF
| that god with the worship of which DR.. Ham
mond is populsrly accredited.
| Col. John Hay may be regarded as among the
pioneers OF modern interior decoration In
| Washington, his residence On Lafayette Square
having been one of the first to discard the old
| time heavy interior decoration and adopt the
lighter tones, both in woodwork and furnish
| ing. The wide square hallway might be justly
| termed poem in cream and gold as the stair
| case and woodwork throughout is Of white ma
| hogany. The walls are hung in rare tapestries
| and each Of the rooms opening out are uphol
| stored in different colors. The dining-room is
magnificent apartment in carved dark woods.
| THR COLLECTION OF THE BRAZILIAN MINISTER
WIFE.
| Madame MendonGa, wife of the Brazilian
| Envoy on special mission to this country, hat
the happy knowledge last season that her hous
contained the most valuable private collection
of pictures to be found in the city. The maj
of them were purchased abroad by Sehor Men
dorca and are veritable works of the oil
masters. One of them, Corot, is pastora
scene, one Of the few In which he has ever in
troduced human figure. The house leaset
last season on New Hampshire avenue wa
always thronged upon reception days alike b.
society-goers and persons of an artistic sens
outside Of the charmed circle. To each and al
! a cordial welcome was given by Madame Men
| donca, who, though an American by birth, Il
physique and coloring is to the full as Spanisl
looking as any of her attractive young step
daughters, who always assist in entertaining
| the guests on such occasions. 1t Is not We
decided whether or not Seffor and Madam
| Mendonca will return to Washington, bu
should they do SO they will endeavor to secur
house with large ballroom gallery i
which their paintings can be hung to better ad
vantage. MISS GRUNDY, JR.
t -s--