New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-07-23
FRENCH FURNITURE.
THE ARTISTIC EXHIBITS OF MANUFACT-
URERS AT THE FAIR
BEAUTIFUL HANDMADE TApEsTRIEs-CARvINo
AND INLAID K-REPRoDUCriONS of
OLD FIRNITUEE-AN AWARD By
POPULAR VOTE,
fpRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE rnrBuSEl

IRON STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF Iit lH'n'"S"'
Chicago, July 12.-Commissioner Johr Boyu
Ihachcr's plan Of awards is extremely unpopular
among representatives Of foreign nations because
Of the fact that one man is presumed 70 De coh
petcnt TO Judge of the merits of certain classes
Of exhibits, and his judgment is intended 10 IN
accepted BY other members Of the board who are
supposed To know nothing at all about the SUI"
ioct The unpopnlarity of this system would s@cin
70 he founded on reasonable grounds if the com
bincd Judgment of 80 many Commissioners from
foreign countries may rightly be accepted as eVi.
dencc of the sense Of its practicabiity as applied
10 the consideration Of merits on 50 large a sca'e
az is necessary in connection with the Exhioitioh
But TO the superficial observer there appears 10
be no difficulty in deciding as TO who shohii
receive the award for the highest degree OF per-
fiction in the matter of upholstery and rich
furniture. after an inspection OF the eXhinfs In
the French Court Perhaps it is not quite RANT
70 take away from the Judge in advance 'hiS
prerogative by so fat an indicaiaa of what seems
20 he popular opinion; but surely nothing can
exceed the beauty the taste and the magnlhcence
of the dsplay which is made by French manu-
facturcrs. Tho aggregation here exhibited seems
70 present tho perfection Of the idcal. ConsidHr-
able snace has been allotted to exhibitors Oh luri
turc and upholstery and the ARRANGEMENT OIL t"e
payilions is such as to render the French section
particularly attractive in this respect from an eA-
terior view. II may be well to say by way oil
gentle hint to patrons Of the Fair who are YET
70 come. that when they see line piece OF
furniture either in this or any other section VINE"
il particularly tempting TO the eye ana suggestive
~ ease TO the body, in the rounds OF the Manu-
features Building. it does not follow that they
shoull proceed to sit down upon it, lhls class
of furniture il not made 10 be sat down upon
vet no matter how beautiful may he the design
of the tarrstry uron the chair or the SOFA or 'he
couch. II is amusing to see visitors as th'y come
along after securing entrance beyond the cor"'
which are stretched by the sides OF the paViiohs'
ottemDt TO make themselves comfortable oy u'iiiA-
ing the furniture rs if IT We're rhcir OWL anu
being suddenly reminded that the seats ior
strangers and visitors generally are upstairs III
the magnificent parlors of tn" Lyons SILK oepa'r
mont
Entering the French section from one OF the
rortaIs on the avenue running east and west the
visitor comes face to face with superb display
both Of furniture and of tapestry offered By
praouenie & Co, Of Paris. In the matter OF
tapestry the centre piece upon the wall as one
masses through the entrance is n magnificent
,;ec. bv I,rouillet and Niscont The suhrct j.
tho stairway Of the Opera House in Paris. ana
tho figures represent descent under glowing
artificial light after the performance, WIN III"
ACCOMPANIMENT of evidences Of much Parlsan gal
lantrv on the part Of man toward woman. fi"h-
ness OF color and beauty of style in robes are man
fest 70 say nothing OF the coluettlsh manner III
which these robes arr made - hang upon III"
trm,n Gqurcs This piece alone Is vI!ucd at
g. ,oo Along the wall on either sid" OF the
centre piece are arranged different specimens OF
tapestry Two of these. Of uniform size. ar" en-
titled Spring and Autumn" both being aiter
dc.igns by Brouillet and NiSc)n'i The value oil
each is ESQ. Another interesting design rep
rcscnts the Rape OF Europa This is by Pierre,
and i valued at $4,000. beautiful pastoral
fccnc. consisting Of nymphs in the foreground by
Il0uchrr j. valued at $500 The arrang'n'hto vi
this tapestry upon continuous wall space OIL
about seventy-nvc feet presents striking picture
upon this side OF the court. II is fascinating
representation. most pleasing To the eve of either
tho expert or the ordinary individual who may
look upon IT.
Turning 10 the floor space one s""s an array OF
furniture in perfect harmony with the beautiful
BACKGROUND provided by the tapestry. When II
il remembered that everything is hand made, one
cannot fail 10 appreciate the degree oil patience
bestowed upon the work by the artisans who have
20 accurately reproduced in all details the de-
signs Of the artists who conceived the IDEAS repre-
srnted in the pictures. Coming to the WOODWORK
upon the furniture, with its superb carvings, me
came sense of interest is excited. Inch by inch IN
the one ease have the carvings been perfected, ana
thread by thread In the tapestries have the pic
lures been developed AMI in both the spirit of the
artist has been wholly preserved
Here il mahogany bookcase Of the style OF
Louis XVI. On either side are Corinthian columns
with artisticalg wrought out capitals. The cary
ings in the Intermediate panels represent Art and
Music This piece is valued at $1,000. a small
table of the Louis XVI style mad" of hard wool
and richly carved is gem OF beauty. A hard
wood cabinet of the sty" Of the Renaissance, in
laid with bronze and marble is regarded from An
artistic point Of view as of the finest pro-
auctions i'm this department of the exhibition. IL
is valued at 81 900 Next turn to a set Of furni-
turc consisting Of six chairs and sofa, benT
reproductions of the originals in the chateau of
Richelcu The frames are carved gilt AMI I'll"
tapestries are from Aubusson, indeed are al the
tapestries in thi. pavilion. The DESIGN is simple
INTERVIEWING of stems and poppy flowers upon
background IL graysh white which brings out tn"
brilliant colors of the flowers strongly, but mod
cstly and without Sarishness.
This exhibit never fails to captivat" the eye of
the visitor There have been some pcop'' from
the country. and indeed from the vicinity of
Manhattan Island, brave enough to ventur, to asl;
the price, but when told that the six pieces ard
the sofa were valued at $4,000, they hav" with
drawn from the scene with quite ahcm with
out even indicating by action word Of mouth
whether or not they would call again at some
later date to resume the dicler
An exhibit around which people arr inclined to
lingcr il that of Charles Jansclme This consists
of reproduction of bedroom set in of the
homes of Napoleon |. The frame of the bedstead
is mahogany. There is great deal of inlai.l |
wood, and the contrast in colors is particularly |
attractive. In the headboard is a ccntIepiccc
representing Night Cupid il here and the poppy |
is i'm his hand or being distributed by him in the |