The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-07-14
IN WONDERLAND.
ltaly's Exhibit in the Manufac.
lures Building.
THE THREE PRINCIPAL FEATURES


Design, Bold and Ingenious in E1ecu-
tion-Pooriy Paid Artists.
WORLDS FAIR, July ID. = [Special.] -
| 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 veritahle won
derland. Though Italyw 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 al 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 lack 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
see 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
all other peoples in three great arts-those
OF carving in wood, sculpture in marble
I 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-
nese, and the handiwork of these wonder
full Orientals we shall consider in future
letter. OF hundreds Of specimens of this
Italian art l can pause to mention but a
few. Here is a beautiful desk, carved on
every square inch of it's surface in appro-
pirate figures, and with four little Cupids
sitting on the top. One is singing from a
music book, another reading from Iedg-
er, a third holding his pen listlessly and
leaning his head on his hand in WEAKNESS
from the days work, while the fourth is
gladly making ready to quit the Office.
This splendid piece, duty paid, is only 1850,
not much more than one would pay for
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
Here is 4 most elaborate carved cabinet
from Milan. 1t is enormous in size splen-
did in workmanship looked at purely
from the joaner's standpoint, and is be-
sides marvel Of carving from top TO bot
tom. How many years,wo were put in
upon it one can only guess. The price is
only $1,000. A Venetian bed ofdark wood
like mahogany, simply superb, is oniyS5o0,
and the wonder is how it could be made
and sold in this country for thrice that
sum. Here are some vases in Iight-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-
cited ambition. It has not as much detail
as 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 indeScribable. Take, for example, /
the room fitted up as a reproduction of
the bed cham Der of the Queen of Italy. 1t
is a dream. If all the work to be seen in /
it had been paid at our American wages | /
dare say the cost Of the apartment would /
run above 100000.
The Italians are not only patient and |
deft, but decidedly original in design. |!
They are bold and ingenious. For in |
stance, an old wood carver from Venice /
shows us a combination of two figures in /
one, back to back, which he SO places in /
front of a mirror that the observer sees (
two figures each distinct from the other. !
One is Marguerite and the other Mephisto- !
pheles. In another example of this sort 6 I
country girl mas run away from her par /
ents to visit her lover in the city. While /
the pair are parading the streets the par
ciAS eUNucAlN dppchi LILY gil Suggests
to her lover that he stand behind her, and |
she partly covers him with the drapery OF !
her skirts. IN front you see the demure /
face of the girl, behind the alarmed yet .
cautious countenance of the secreted lover /
These trick pieces are very effective.
The Italians have caught the electric |
spirit. They make some dazzling cleo |
troliers of wood, often colored with bronze /
or gold or black. Very successful are their /
ebony figures, Philippians and Moors with /
parted lips AID golden headdress. There
Is nothing the Italian carver cannot DO |
with piece os wood and q chisel.
The most fascinating part of the Italian /
exhibit are the marbles. Of course If you /
want TO see the finest examples OF Italian 1
sculpture you will have TO go to the Fine /
Arts palace. There the sons Of Italy show
their most ambitious pieces. But nothing /
in their section Of the fine arts, or any !
other section, can equal what they have /
here in their commercial display II gen
uine human interest and in expressiveness /
which the multitude understands and APP !
plauds. Il is a saying that in Italy every /
artisan is an artist. and we have here am 4
pie proof that in thai country II Is difficult 4
TO tell where the workman is left behind I
and the artist begins. 4ou viii see what +
! mean when you come here and walk .
through these collections Of marbles. 1
They are not exhibited as high art, bar as 4
tha firur-S and - cf l,rrtrr,erra &