Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1893-07-20
IN WONDERLAND.
ttaly's Exhibit in the ManufaC-
lures Building.
fHE THREE PRTrOIPAL FEATURES

Sons of Sunny Italy Excel in the Art of
Carving in Wood. Sculpture in Marble
and the Making of Laces-Original i'm
Design, Bold aud Ingenious in Execu-
tion-Poorly Paid Artists.
WORLDS FAIR, July 49, - [Special.l 49,
Nowhere in this exposition are the crowds
thicker than in the Italian section of the
Manufactures building. Here the sons of
sunny Italy have created veritable won
1erland. Though Italywas the last of the
great foreign nations to decide to make
showing at this fair, her exhibit is one of
the most interesting to be found within
the grounds. Practically all she has to
display is displayed in this one spot, and
here she has only half enough space for
proper showing of the surprising number
and variety of articles which she has sent.
There is no other place in the building
where the Jack of sufficient room is so
painfully apparent. The Italians have
been compelled to pile their stuff together
In the best shape they can, and to make
The most of a belated bargain. Hence we
sec here the odd effect of exhibits and Wis
itors so run and mixed together that the
wonder is people do not destroy half the
wares while on their sightseeing rounds
1t is easy to see that the Italians excel
Ill other peoples in three great arts-those
of carving in wood, sculpture in marble
and making laces. On these three fea-
lures of their display alone they could
confidently rest their claims, though of
COURSE they have many things besides to
show. Some Of their wood carvings are
amazing There is nothing else like them
in the world What other artists are able
to do in marble or bronze the Italians
alone show in wood. The only people, so
far as l have been able to see, who can
rival them in their carvings are the Japa-
hese, and the handiwork of these wonder
full Orientals we shall consider in n future
letter OF hundreds of specimens of this
Italian art | can pause to mention but
few. Here is beautiful desk, carved on
every square inch of its surface in appro-
pirate figures, and with four little Cupids
sitting on the top. One is singing from
music book, another reading from n ledg-
err a third holding his pen listlessly and
leaning his head on his hand in wearincss
from the days work, while the fourth is
gladly making ready to quit the Office.
This splendid piece, duty paid, is only $3.50,
not much more than one would pay for u
heavy pressed desk of similar size made in
this country. When one considers the
amount of work put upon those decorative
carvings he will understand the patience
Of the workmen who made it, and the
small wages which they must receive for
their toll is evidenced by the price at
which the article is sold. IN fact the
whole Italian exhibit speaks eloquently of
patient, artistic work poorly paid.
1Inrn Is. a most al n horata farya6 ou1 Il; !, Of
from Milan. it is enormous in size, SPLEEN
did in workmanship looked at purely
from the joiner's standpoint, and is be-
sides Il marvel of carving from top to bot
tom. How many years work were put in
upon it one can only guess. The price is
only 81 POO 4 Venetian bed of dark wood
like mahogany, simply superb, is only 5000,
and the wonder is how it could be made
md sold in this country for thrice that
sum. Here are some vases in light-colored
wood, which may be either Italian ash or
maple. One is somewhat like the famous
Dore vase in bronze, in that it has Bac-
chante for its topic, the swelling vase with
vines and flowers, and cupids struggling
to reach the top, lifting one another up,
frisking toward the summit of their eX-
pited ambition. 1t has not rs much detail
rs the bronze vase, but is strong and i'm
pressive in the few figures which it has
besides, you must remember this was cut
out of solid wood, not fashioned in plastic
clay.
With their art in carving one would
suppose the Italians to be proficient in
furniture. They are. For beauty and
workmanship think the Italian furniture
excels that of France and Germany. 1t is
simply Undesirable. Take, for example
the room fitted up as a reproduction OF
the bed chamber of the Queen of Italy. il
Is a dream. If all the work to be seen il
1t had been paid at our American wages
dare say the cost of the apartment would
run above 100000.
The Italians are not only patient ant
deft, but decidedly original in design
They are bold and ingenious. For in
stance, an old wood carver from Venic,
shows US combination of two figures il
one, back to back, which he so places il
front of a mirror that the observer see
two figures each distinct from the other
One is Marguerite and the other Mephisto
pheles. In another example Of this sort
country girl has run away from her par
ents to visit her lover in the city. Will
the pair are parading the streets the par
ents suddenly appear The girl suggest
to her lover that he stand behind her, an,
she partly covers him with the drapery O
her skirts. In front you see the demur
face Of the girl, behind the alarmed We
cautious countenance Of the secreted lover
These trick pieces are very effective
The Italians have caught the electri
spirit. They make some dazzling cleo
troliers of wood, often colored with bron2
Or gold or black. Very successful are thei
ebony figures, Philippians and Moors wit
parted lips and golden headdress. Their
Is nothing the Italian carver cannot d
with piece of wood and chisel.