Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-06
Taste at once rejects Nor II sees no beauty in
IL There ID no beauty In IL II It does not ''de-
liRht thu ava

i There is no beauty In il Il It does not ade-
light the eys.".
YuRPoss OF ORNAMENT nsuNpxnsrooD.
The great trouble has been that people have
misconceived the purpose Of ornament. II 10
not TO dazzle, to be seen of itself, 40 many
think: With this false notion they have triad
10 make their o-namentation - extravagant Hs
possible. When they lacked the means to have
really handsome ornament thew initiated. Or
nament ID something ''superadded to-" It must
render another object tractive, not draw At
tennon to itself A ceiling may become 80
handsome that it ceases to be an ornament to
the room. 1t becomes . work of art This
distinction 1t is we'll to bear in mind, for an IN
certainty a. to the functions Of ornament has
caused more displays of lsck Of taste than al
most any other condition.
MISUSE OF THE WORD "rAsrE"
Doubtless the word "taste" IL often misused.
Harmony Of colors or proportions is frequently
meant That is something absolute, something
that can be learned by study. But the color Of
the walls, the figures in the carpet, the orna-
ments on the mantel, the pictures on the walls,
the chairs in the room. the curtains at the win
dow-these call for the exercise of judgment,
the use of taste. The housekeeper must regard
tho purpose Of the ornament It's material and
the object 1t is designed to ornament For in
stance, taste would hardly approve of . clock
in a reception room. Its ticking is a too OBJ
trusive hint to callers Of the flight of time.
Taste would also require that pictures be hung
on q level with the eye of the average size man.
not elevated to q height at which only giraffe
could inspect them. Taste would ask that they
be hung as nearly as possible at a right angle
with line drawn from the eye and not tilted
forward from the wall, as is 30 often seen. Why
this is done even those who do it do not know.
In picture galleries pictures hung high are, of
course. tilted forward so that the eye will not
see them at an angle, but q room in q dwelling
is not picture gallery.
ADJOURNMENT OF TASTE A MATTER OF GROWTH.
Undoubtedly the requirement of taste is a
matter Of growth. Things that once pleased
the eye the eye in time discards not because they
are old for often like old things best, but be-
cause the eye has perceived more beauty in
the new. The art Of ornament is not to be
created. 1t is to be learned. 1t was estab-
lished in all essentials long ago. All beauty is
common to the artist. whether a painter or a
decorator. Lofty and graceful proportion,
vigorous light and shade, fancy tracing and
fretted vaulting are not a Gothic patent" it
has been said, though each cathedral with its
own crisp foliage and quaint imagery and
curious penetratiops and varied details, left to
us throughout the length and breadth of our
land as record Of the labor and zeal and love
OF these builders is as it were, a sign manual,
which it is forgery for US to repeat
The well, however, whence they drew is
open to us and We may do more and
better than they since they have shown us how
and we have not all that lesson to learn for
ourselves"
Beauty of all ages and epochs is ours and in
our ornament we can go to Queen Anne or
Queen Bess, but what We apply must be guided
by taste.