Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1893-07-28
SPAIN AT FAIR.
The Old Country Makes a
Large and Effective Exhibit
Works Of Art Calculated to Astonish
the Average Visitor.
Novel iadsstr Established b essepsisins
spaaisA usnaa.

Fer country which is popularity
supposed to be about morihund. or at
least somewhat, commercially speak
ing, disrupted by party strife and al
ways on the brink of q revolution.
Spain makes q remarkably fine and
strong showing. 1t is certainly quite
evident that the glories of the land
which in centuries past gave SO much
TO the world-in literature, art, science,
commerce, as well as arins-are not
wholly extinct. The great heart and
head of Spain are slumbering, II is
true, but rich, red arterial blood is ebb-
ing back and forth in the stalwart
body, and one day she will awaken to
new life and activity and astonish the
world by her wonderful vitality. Any
body who viii walk through the ex-
tensive and comprehensive exhibit
Spain is making at this exposition will
have thoughts of this kind forced upon
him. The leading feature, the char
acteristic mark Of the whole, is the ar,
the pure, chaste, elevated art-that
impresses itself on the eye, the index.
the consciousness of the beholder.
There is hardly thing in the whole
exhibit which is Of poor quality or in
artistic in design. The national pride
OF Spain-a feeling, by the way, which
is still intensely alive there, despite all
reverses-was, of course, aroused by
the peculiar circumstances that called
forth this Columbian fair, and so she
has. no doubt, done about her level
best. am sorry to say that her col
onies have not, in this offering a strik-
ing contrast with the English colonies,
which alone have saved the British ex-
hibit from the taint of vulgarityand in
adequacy. And yet Spain's colonies have
more and vastly more remuncrative
commercial relations with this country
than have the British colonies, Canada
excepted.
Spain covers 1000 square feet of
space in Manufactures building, 1000
in Agricultural. the same space in
Horticultural, 1000 each in Mining
and in Machinery building, 5000 In
the Fine Arts palace, 1000 in Forestry
building, 400 in Transportation build
ing and 200 in the Woman's building
81, 600 all told. This, of course, is not
as much space as the other large
powers occupy, but it is space every
square foot of which Is taken up by
something worth seeing. Take her
exhibit in the Fine Arts palace first.
There are about 200 exhibitors; to-
gether they show us about 800 oil
paintings, so pieces of sculpture and
a number of engravings, etc Col
lectively it produces fine effect, and
though there is no Murillo nor Velas-
quez among those modern Spanish
painters there are such names as De
Ferreo. the professor of the art
academy of Barcelona; Madrazo, a man
who produces startling effects by
simple means; Diaz, Agrasot, Galore
Ollar, Herrer, Jimenez Amanda, Sierra,
Vallmitjana, Barrau, Cusachs, Mar
ques. Meifren, Moreno, Luna, Trgell.
I4orcnzale, Sans, Sorolla, among them.
Portraits are numerous and fine, while
landscapes are weak-the Spanish
school never produced much in land
scapes, even in its palmiest days. The
somberness of tone in some of these
canvases is, however, positively fright
ening.
Next we take in the Spanish section
in Manufactures building. The loea-
tion-duc 10 late application for space
lis discouraging, and the lack of light
in it is greatly increased by the curious
colonnades, constructed by the Spanish
government architect, Joaquin Pavia,
in imitation of the Moorish colonnades
in the famed cathedral of Cordova.
The effect thus produced is certainly
picturesque and original, but unfortu-
nately everything was sacrificed to
that.
One might just as well label this
part of the Spanish exhibit Bar
celona," for from that one live and
enterprising city on the Iberian penin-
sula have come nearly all the objects
shown-the silks and satins, the cottons
and cloths. the rugs and carpets, the
rope and sacking, the mantillas and
dainty kerchiefs, the books and soaps,
etc. The other cities represented-Mad-
rid, Valencia, Havana, Cuencia, Mallor
are but an appendix to Barcelona.
But there are mighty fine things on
view. The black silks, for instance,
that are shown in handsomely-carred
showcase. come altogether from sin
gIe house which manufactures nothing
hut that one article, and it shows every
variety of black silk, too, from the
cheap grades up TO the very finest.
Among the rugs, too, are beauties, Of
style peculiar to the country sub
dued shades, some woven, in a pattern
that leaves spaces entirely untouched.
on cloth-of-gold Laces, too. are there
in plenty, and the book exhibit fur
ther off shows that both printer and
binder know their business in sunny
Spain. Some of the industrial estab-
lish1nents represented in this section
employ from 1900 to 5000 workmen
and women.
The most beautiful objects on view
are the products OF Spanish woman S
ingenuity. Her name is Felipa Guis-
asoia, and her address Madrid, and it
was her own idea when she began, a
number Of years ago, style of decora-
ton wholly original-solid gold inlaid
and hammered into steel. This new
style she has now brought to such per
fection and has extended her business
SO enormously that she may be said TO
have created new national industry.
The two handsomest objects she has
on view are two vases, one of Pom
peiian design valued at $40, ,00ol and
the other of the renaissance style
worth $40. 900. and four times the size
Of the former. The latter is the sole
work of Seniora Guisasoia herself.
who spent seven years in executing it.
The designs are first deiicately traced
on the steel, and then the task of in
serting. IN place Of the little hoilows
made BY the chisel. the solid gold be-
gins. The designs are artistic and
diversified in taste, partly taking its
subjects from mythology and again
from history or popular tales This
same process is also shown on watch
cases, jewelry, etc, and it is In all in
stances remarkably beautiful
In Machinery hall Spain shows us
sewing machines, planers, eorking ma
chimes, shoemaking machines, gas
motors, verniceIli machines, machines
for cracking almonds, etc. Though
not Of very high grade Of efficiency
nor 50 neatly and elegantly construct
ed as the American, English or Ger.
man machines, there are at least q