New-York tribune., 1896-09-01
NEW MURAL PAINTINGS.
SOME DECORATIVE WORK BY MR.. BLAsH-
FIELD AND MR. TURNER

FIELD AND MIX. TURNER
1t is with a slight feeling of surprise that one
looks upon the long decorative painting which Mr.
L. Y. Turner has just completed for the rotunda
of the new Hotel Manhattan. 1t was visible yes
terday afternoon In the Fine Arts Building. where
the hrst sketches for the work had been displayed
only SIX or seven months before. The canvas Is
ABOUT sixty feet long and yet within the short space
OF tine mentioned Mr. Turner has crowded his space
with personages. celebrating procession Of life
size figures which conveys admirable impression
OF numbers and activity. The fear expressed
In this place at the tirle Mr.. Turner brought out
his design that he would develop II along too
pictorial lines but the finished work is consistently
decorative. and ought look well when it is put up
this week In the new hotel
This painting Is dedicated to the island OF Man
nattan whose genius Is enthroned In the centre to
receive the homage of all the racial social types
conspicuous in her history. on one side old Peter
Stuyvesant approaches Indian looms bulky
among the people on the other, and the entire
body OF men and women is varied. representative n
true pageant with every detail of costume char
acter effectively emphasized and yet kept well In
hand as part Of big spectacle not thing TO be
thrown In high relief for its sake. This unity
Is preserved throughout all the relations of Mr..
turner's work, and Is. indeed, his brightest merit.
lifting the canvas to a level upon which in strict
matters of execution 1t does not stand. Not mere
~ Is the procession homogeneous in design the
figures being well grouped for their position tke
wall. but the light tone of the design is handled
with very happy balancing Of necessarily diversi-
fed colors. With small host to look for, the
artist has still preserved n color harmony without
sinking into color monotony. Studied yesterday
In a most inadequate light. the decoration revealed
itself as sufficiently warm in tone and yet
strained. simple. peculiarly dignified When the
work is in place and well lighted 1t will undoubtedly
make better effect 1t has been produced in a
very brief space Of time. but Mr.. Turner has not
scamped his work. The handling is thorough ind
workmanlike. 1t might be nervous.
spontaneous. to advantage, and 1t might also be
little more suggestive. Mr.. Turner is prone TO
deliberate method which rather drags in matters Of
outline and makes one long for little dash. little
boldness. On the other hand. he is. az has been
said commercially careful, and when he has rut
ns m Of II % s as
cleyerly designed and carried out with much taste
Mr.. Turner exhibited his decoration in the large
Vanderbilt gallery in the Fine Arts Building, whsre
large Mr.. B.ashheld has been painting a great
M vsH which 70 he also mas s O aly
VIII be erected in the rotunda Of the Bank INK
being a fee a long and
feet from It's base to the crown. OF the arch which 1t
trolling spirit OF Piusburg. the spirit of iron. and a
well chosen inscription on tablet in the foreground
Pttsburg offers her iron and steel to the commerce.
industry navigation and agriculture of the world "
field wakens the thought OF a foundry's c.angor
and powerful lights and forms. The central figure Is
seated upon throne which Is tactfully restrained
within the unadorned limits OF mere iron block;
she wears herself dignity in Keeping with her
massy pedestal and there seems incongruity
between her beautiful drapery and the molten bar
which lies glowing at her feet. while two brawny
workmen rest on their hammers before her. Behind
her the mysterious lights of an iron workers
though they speak Enthusiastically of the place we have
named. Blue is the prevailing color in the back
ground and elsewhere. appearing where the ruddy
oranges and yellows of the iron light permit il 10
minge with their tawny elements The color scheme
s strikngly simple. being confined to these hues. and
figures grouped around the presiding goddess
ruggedy modelled into a less pyramidal
whole their glistenng bodies serving base for a
composition which is literally crowned by the hroned
woman in her glory of famelike light.
There much admire in Mr. Blashfelds de-
sign. In its force in its Judcious distribution OF lines
and there is the authority shown in his tech
nique in his subtle using OF THE deep blues OF his
background with the and yeower tones Of the
workmen and allegorical figures who fill the space
But In a degree not often reached by contemporary
decoration this work takes an idea, and with all its
adherence to the limits of decorative art. gives IL
superbly vitazed expression Ii Is great pity that
Ii must go on to Ptsburg At once. for the public
combination of artistic with Intellectual power. That
after all. Is the great desideratum a kind OF decora
ton which Will Join 10 the fe}icities OF absolutely
structural mass OF color and form those other feci
ties of poetry and imagination which quite as
essential 10 the greatest art There are no fantastic
in its meaning but by the Characterization In his
figures and above ALL by HIS handling of the splendid
foundry lights. Mr.. Blashfie.d has produced work
which breathes the very soul OF iron. Ii Is a noble
achievement and one which may well envy the
lightened citizens OF Pittsburg.