The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-10-17
THE MIRRORS REAL MAGIC.
AN INTERESTING DISCoTERY o UT
OLD PORTRAITS.
KnEiAnd's Cottop Trade Threatened with tho
Greatest strike in Its HistsrJ-Why Egg
iiuh LudHeships Go y BesEinE-W. =. Gill;
bert DisEruntIed - Teiephono Complaints.

RnEiand's Cotton Trade Threatened with tho
Greatest strike in Its HistsrJ-Why Eng
lish JudEeships 90 = BeREinE-W. >. Gil
bert DisEruntiea - Telephono Complaints.
LONDON. Oct. ga curious demonstration
OF the magic Of tho mirror has been pointed out
by Mrs. Crawford in this weeks Truth. Tho
strange awkwardncss and absence OF all grace
In posture and costume are perhaps tho most
striking features OF old portraits In the great
p galleries OF Europs. The freaks OF fashion ana
the absence Of good taste in the cruder civiliza-
ton OF the time are the two explanations usual
ly given to account for the almost ludicrous an
gularities and the grotesquc habilinents depict
Ell upun the older canvnscs in the Louvre Por'
trait Gallery In Paris, tho National Portrait
Gallery In London and in almost all other
collections Of ancient portraiture. Mrs. Craw-
ford has been at pains to discover that most OF
these incongruilies suddenly disappeared with
the advent OF the modern mirror.
II would be ungallant to suggestthat she has
discovered too much. She does not say so, but
the inevitable inference from the facts which
sho puts forward would be that the source Of
woman's grace and Of her good taste in dress
Is her looking glass. But, without pursuing her
argument to this bitter end, 1t is interesting to
note tho remarkable change which the portrait
galleries OF Europe show took place in the sew
enteenth century coincident with the introduce
u lhlkCl ~ 80
II was ut tho Louvre Portrait Gallery, Mrs.
Crawford tells u, that she was first struck
with the difference between portraits done
when there were no great looking glasses and
those painted aftorward. Tho Holbein prin-
cesses ana grdnies danes belong to the former
period.
How stin. how gracoloss." Mrs. Crawford
writes, their clothes and carriage are! They
we're. for want OF proper looking glasses. at the
40, - tlatr Jr..aar. Eynp IN, liynly Apnn
Bolcyn is stitily cncased in her nne raiment.
The hammer cloth OF a carriage could not be
less adapted to show off feminine graces. The
old portrait of Anne OF Cloves in the gallery Of
Versailles is really that Of q handsome woman,
were it not for the blinking eyes that tell of The
smoky Chimneys that she sat by in the paternal
schlosS. But she is as graCe!ess as q queen of
cards. The portrait is said 10 be q Holbein.
So far from the line of teauty lying in u curve,
1t Is as triangular as forked lightning. Tho
cap or hood rises in a stiff acute angie above
the head and forms u pair of obtuse angles at
the temples.
The clothing Is as stiff as q board, and not to
be twisted out OF Its angularity. 1t is paved
with precious stones set in gold embroidery.
In short, it is q uniform that might keep com.
pany with the damascened armor OF q knight
No room Is afforded for individual feeling or
whim. The painter had TO harmonic the
NtdTeF va nc dIEhEti. no luhkcS u btAnu
fair and square before him. Her folded hands
form another angle. One could, by continuing
the lines OF hands, arms, and Golf, form an ir-
regular hexagon. The sedate vrouws of Franz
Halls also belong TO the pre- mirror period. Hen
rietta Maria inportod the swinging toilet look
ing glass from France. One could see we'll in
1t the head and bust, but not the whole figure.
This shows itself in Vandyke's portraits. Tho
hair and details OF the corsage are all grace
- -
lady's skirt. and when he does, is unsuccessful,
because she was unable TO drape it in proner
folds for want of a big mirror. His best full
lengths are of cavaliers and children, who are
graceful under all circumstances.
The Mirror Gallery at Versailles revealed to
Court beauties their strong points and short
comings. 1t taught them the tactics which led
to their eventual and complete victory. The
bearing became moro easy; tho defect was
hidden by its accentuation; the stout woman
learned that she was best dressed in rich cloth
ing scarcely trimmed; the Maypole that she
was at greatest advantage very much frilled
and beribboned. Stiff corsets were cut down,
hoops lost seriousness. and .;were treated as q
Joke, the walk grew smoother, the elbows were
rounded and hidden, when thin, with frilIs of
point lace. 1t was only possible to dance the
elegant gavotte after a rehearsal OF the steps
before glasses reaching from floor TO ceiling.
"In the eighteenth century all drawing rooms
of consequence were decorated with pier glasses.
The lady Of quality and the actress studied
] nature and gesture in the cheval glass. They
could sec themselves from head to foot. The
toilet became for the first time a harmony
Great attention was paid tn shoes and stock
-Ings, and to the set Of the skirt at the hem. Ono
no longer sees skirts OF awkward length in front.
The nicely shod foot peeps out; the fan, bor-
rowed from the Spanish ladies, who really re-
Quired it, was used as a sceptre. 1t was to the
Nwearer OF high Pompadour heels what the bal
nncing pole was to the tight-rope dancer. Eigh-
tecnth-century mirrors made beauty sure Of her
effects. One secs this in the piquant portraits
of Natter and La Tour. Their fair sitters were
armed cap-a. pie for conquest. Their bright eyes
convey challenges; they handle roses as though
they were gauntlcts to be thrown down in lists.
After armor went out, cavaliers wore rich
silks. brocades, laces, ribbons, jewels. Stimu-
lated by the big mirrors, the ladies OF the Louis
Quinze period snatched the tinery from them.
They wora 1t with SO much more grace as to
reconcile the other Sex to their loss. French
eightecnth-century art, save In the .nsipiditios
of Greuze, is permeated with loOking-glass sug-
gestion. Sir JOshua's ladies also consulted
their mirrors; but, rs the French say. Ihypoc-
risie anglaise led them to dlssimulate the fact.
There is no Coquettish defiance In their glances;
they are merely self-conscious. i should, how
ever, except the Duchesses of Devonshirc and
Rutland. The former, you may be sure, tried
on hat after hat and neckerchief after necker-
chief before she set out on her electioneering
canvass. There were fine French mirrors in her
time at Deyonshlre House and Chiswick. The
Duchess Of ltutland took q whole cargo Of mir
rors; to Dublin when she went there as Lady
Lieutenant. Her daring in dress WAS proven
bial, but she always knew where to draw tho
line"
the English cotton trade has reached the
greatest crisis in its history, and the indica-
tions are that 1t will speedily eliminate In a
labor war which will be far worse than even the
terrible struggle of four years ago. The situa.
ton Is really a desperate one. for the fate OF
tho chief industry of the English Midlands Is
practically at stake. Lancashire has so long
been the headquarters OF the cotton trade of the
world that the confession now made that it can
L - AnlA o. La-lLIaa aEl.l -