New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-10-03
MURAL DECORATION.
SOME ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE ART FOR
THE ASTORIA

The first exhibition Of the season. though brief
and even semi-private. Is one which has the adj
vantage Of carrying the observer straight to Of
the most important developments OF contemporary
American art. We have wrong 1t at mural decora-
ton during the last few years with extraordinary
energy and it Is with delightful frequency that
work In this field of art is brought for
ward. The paintings at present under considera-
ton not only form part of fresh scheme of con.
siderable magnitude. but they are very good They
are by Mr.. +. H. BIashhed and Mr. c. Y. Turner.
and have been prepared. respectively for the ball
room ceiling and restaura IT walls of the new hotel,
the Astoria corner OF Fifth-ave and Thirty fourth
st. That vast structure Is to contain an imposing
body Of decorative s-'. At the same time that Mr..
Blashfed gets his Limiting into place on the CELL
ing Of the ballroom Mr.. VIII H. Low places
elaborate series OF pahels on the walls. and other
artists engaged upon other portions of tho
building. Mr.. Blashfeld and Mr. Turner displayed
their productors yesterday and the day before at
the Fine Arts Building. in the galleries OF which
they have been prosecuting their abors for the last
three or four months. The canvases though poor
ly lighted were accessible enough to study and
criticism TO give an idea of what the two rooms will
look Ike for which they are destined at the hotel
Mr. Turner'S extensive series of spandrels,
lunettes and pendentives. forming a broken frieze
OF more than two dozen different spaces. will be
closely related to the great dinng-room AT present
familiar to all visitors to the Waldorf. The room
assigned to our artist Is really a continuation Of
the Waldorf restaurant the dividing wall being
pierced with arches IN the new plan. 1t duplicates
the dimensions OF the familiar room, and accord
insy the new restaurant will be 200 feet long. II
Is fifty feet wide and the ceiling Is twenty feet
high. In the Waldorf the ceiling was decorated
by Mr.. Crowninshield. The ceiling is TO be
frescoed along conventional lines, Mr.. Turner's
frieze providing the chief decoration. lie has mad
to reckon with a simple arrangement OF color. The
room IL to he practically red room. the red
brocaded hangings and wall coverings being broken
only by plaste:s OF dark green serpentine with
an ivory enamel finish appearing in the wood and
plaster work The artist has systematically adj.
hered to the order OF the Old rhyme in settling the
color note OF each one of his panels With red
figure In each c: the four centres. he passes In
either direction successfully yellow. green. blue
and violet. This brings the cooler tints into tho
corners of the room and secures very harmonious
effect. Mr. Turner'S panels are each filed with
n single figure. usually a woman but In some cases
I boy. On the north wall these figures are
companied by birds. the south they bear musical
Instruments. the long east wall is dedicated 10
flowers and fruit. with music appearing also, and
the opposite wall repeats the motives. with the ex.
ception Of the musical one. individually these ng-
graceful. dignihed and drawn with
happy adjustment 10 the exigencies Of their posi-
ton. Collectively. they present this last virtue in
even a more in press.ye light In fact Mr.. Turner
seems to us to have made in these panels de-
cided advance upon previous mural decorations OF
his anda have arranged his paintings with an
improved ingenuity Perhaps the very simplicity
Of his scheme has helped him. Placing but ono
figure I'm each panel. he has been able 10 give 10
Il a more concentrated study. Hence ne surprises
US by the naturalness which accompanies his va
rety: each figure Is admirable as seTIrate pro-
ducton at the same time that IL falls into an ar
tlstic sequence. For the sequence we are possibly
more grateful than for the satisfactory character
Of this detail OF hat. 1t is interesting to observe
NJ
draperes. 20 note the charm Of line which ne mas
achieved N more :han one p'sc; Tut the mann
point Is that his freze hangs together In tae
familiar phrase aid promises to make s''ii more
excellent Impression in its permanent place upo"
the walls OF the Astoria.
Mr. Turner's decoration Is method cal. forma'-
in every respect a work OF deberation. Therein
IL ii artistic. for the conditions called Tor su'h
work Mr.. Blashicd's ceiling has fewer ana less
arbitrary boundaries: Il could assume positively
lyrical form II 1t chose. and such a form II las
actually reached recalling aerial domes. although
the canvas is really laid upon fiat surface that
curves only slightly at the edges when u 3D.
proaches the e)rnce. The ballroom has a height o.
nearly % feet: IL IL % feet log and ~ feet broad
Mr. Bashheld has met these imposing dimensions
sympa;hetca!ly. and his canvas. instead OF bear
ing a tangle Of motives is designed with notable
simplicity At one end a company OF Semi-nude
dancers DRIFT across the room with Terpsichore In
their midst \ group similar in its broad ar
rangemeri but marked by differences OF detail. Is
dedicated 10 music The artist explains his purpose
IN symbollzng The two arts by observing that the
motives obviously inspired by ballroom seem
20 him the best ones use He ge.s through this II
spiritual symmetry. ~ it were. which 4 one OF the
first essentials OF mura. decoration. he gets aso;
as I, happens. as perfect balance OF the material
c.ements in his composition. TIE swaying darcers
rhythmic key in keeping with the aerial characte.
rI 10 c, af T5 wooe design is elastic OF the
air nd uhp he
one by one they disclose the supple outlines and
large free Gesture which belong to the harmony
OF such light. poetic fancy a. the arusr mas 's,
sayei - put forth Furthermore Mr.. Blashhet
has SO grouped his figures that Wien they are
considered as forming design they give the
spectator the subtles, ard most engaging conscious
ness OF a great cartodchc spread out on the cell
ing with its sides lost in clouds In other words.
the lyrical spirit OF the decoration has not deprived
Il Of architectural onableness. In color this
painting Is warm and mellow. The drapcr!es are
ciay among the musicians. a dark passage o.
ours. The background in the centre Is Hight blue.
modified hy heecy white cloud. This passes
through rosy zone until just behind the figures IL
reaches a golden yellow shade. Then as the walls
are approached the color fades into deep or.
SHn S paFe & ensemble aSyTi aTs sh s
liant. and yet distinguished by great deicacy, this
last factor belns due 10 the inesse with which the
huge scheme. but they have an elegance which
serves. happily to keep ,he hugcncss down, ard
make It more human. NOR asree,olc ,,or,,o,
In taking leave of this painting on the leaves
OF open book, spread at the feet OF one OF the
musicians. this legend appears: This ceiling was
designed and executed by Edwin Howand Blash-
fed. assisted by Arthur Reginald Wilie:. Vincenzo
Aderente and George VI. Carpenter" The idea Of
thus placing upon record the share OF the assist
in the work OF his master was. we believe hrst
adopted in this country by Mr. Blashtold: II IS
OF feeling which can never be too cordially rec5g.
nized among our artists.