The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1891-09-12
VOL. XXVI.-NO. 4B

in matter of the precise tint necessitates the
dipping over and over again of the same
roll, until both possess the required har-
mony. During long hours the workman
handles ard rehandles, touches and re-
touches, and goes to an immense amount
of trouble to secure exactness in his work.
Sometimes he takes an entire week to dye
a single skein. All of this care is matter
of enormous cost, and when one considers
the expenses Of the laboratory where the
tinting formulas are prepared, the cost of
raw material, the fuel for the heating of
the baths, it is not surprising that this
branch alone becomes of most considerable
cost,
Originally these tapestries were not de-
signed to enter into rivalry after fashion
with the art of painting. The painted
models submitted for the guidance of the
weavers were simple designs involving few
colors, and those of easy evolution; but
during the reign of Louis XIV. Oudry, the
animal-painter, received the then remark
able charge to superintend the execution
of some ofhis original designs in tapestry.
1t was he who directed that the colors of
his beasts and the delicate details of his
landscapes should be reproduced in thread
by the aid of bobbin, so as to give his
work the appearance of picture. From
the success of this primitive attempt it
became necessary to greatly augment the
resources of the factory and elevate to the
standard of an art a profession which up
to that date had been well content to mere
ly initiate it.
Then it was that the colors of the carpet
dyer were renounced for the more varied
range Of the painter on canvas. Objects
hitherto treated merely in light and shade
must now be composed with full respect to
their intermediary values. Tones, half
tones, reflections, grays must now be man
aged in the slow and laborious work of the
weaver to final appearance of the same
dexterity with which a painter would
spread with his brush the desired hue from
eastly-managed dabs of color.
In initiating the play of light in all its
forms and to give the smoothness of a
painting the artist has recourse to a COM
bination of points, which at little dis
tance removed melt together into one har-
monious surface, although of most varied
coloration. There is an exquisiteness and
delicacy in the fresh tapestry which paint
ing sometimes finds it difficult to equal
The sun is, however, the mortal enemy of
the tapissier's art, and as they are compa-
ratively strong or feeble, point by point
these grains of color succumb to its fatal
influence. Here is the great injustice done
by nature to the artist in tapestry, who,
while he has arrived by force of genius and
the most wearing labor to the level of the
painter who thrives at half the cost of time
and skill, is compelled to contemplate the
fragility of his handiwork sometimes even
within his lifetime.
To the credit of France, be it said, that
to the elevation of this remarkable profess
sion she has not hesitated to enlist the SER
vices of her most wonderful men of science
1t was in the laboratory of the manufacture
des Gobelins that that grand centenarian
and man of infinite science, NJ Chevreuil,
spent the latter half of his noble existence.
To the presence of such an interpreter of
natures law within her walls the establish
ment owes the breaking down of barriers
to complete success,
As has been seen, the dyeing is an opera
ton so slow and so full of minute detail
that desired color has to be bespoken long
before it is desired to put it into actual use
in quantity. For immediate demand a
stock of the 1000 or 1000 shades is kept
continually on hand carefully stored in
atmosphere and dust-tight cases. Each
skein thus stored is wound tightly upon a
convenient bobbin. The bobbm is the
brush, so to speak, of the artist in tapestry.
Before commencing the copy of given
model the weaver carefully enumerates the
tints which he desires and fills his box with
bobbins as an artist would his palette with
colors. The mechanical part of his trade
is the simplest, almost as simple as in an
tiquity. A simple frame, upon which is
stretched the ground material, and in and
out of which he passes his thread-bearing
lance. As he proceeds, the completed part
Of his work is rolled up above his head
and, inch by inch, he works on to the COM
pletion of his task, few of which will fill
the short measure Of lifetime But nine
square feet per year can be produced by
even the most expert artists; beyond this
amount force and skill are sacrificed in
some way.
The slowness of the work, combined
with other elements of cost, does much to
elevate the cost of production far above
the reach of ordinary purses. For the
handsomest examples, copies of celebrated
and beautiful works of art, 81 600 is OBJ
tanned for each square metre
The tapestry is far from terminated on
quitting the hands of the artist. Many
details of the work have been too delicate
to admit of execution with the bobbin in
the ordinary way, so it is necessary at the
termination of the principal part of the
task to turn the material over to inisher,
who still more laboriously completes the
detail with needle. His work also COM
prises the retouching of imperfect work,
the levelling of roughnesses and inequali-
ties. Even after this latter functionary is
through laborious searching of the fabric
stitch by stitch with strong magnifying
glass, must follow. So strict are the regu-
lations Of the State that no tapestry may
leave their care, even for sale to private
individual, without having undergone the
close scrutiny of half score of important
sworn officials, who register every detail of
manufacture and leading popularity. Thus
when a hundred years hence special pro-
duction may have increased in fictitious
value under pressure of prevailing art
craze, the French Government may be
able to identify it and vouch for its au-
thenticity.
The Gobelins tapestries which have
been prepared for the recent Exposition
are among the most wonderful successes
ever achieved. As already stated, thanks
to the devoted science Of NJ. Chevreuil,
improvements have been made within the
past few years in all departments, so that
the nroductions nf fodav surnass tho