The record-union., 1898-04-10
SHALL WE IMPROVE OUR ART
INDUSTRIAL OPPORTUNITY?

American Consul Morris at Client re-
ports to the State Department that
France no longer occupies an impreg-
nable position in the matter of art in
dustry. Once it was believed that in
that domain she was mistress, and
that French products were superior to
all others.
'Hhis was so generally accepted as
true that after the Worlds Fair of
1851 England deemed it necessary to
establish schools of design to bring to-
gether the best patterns and to organ
ize artistic instruction, She has reaped
full reward for that effort Germany
swung into line next, and made rapid
progress in the matter Of more artis-
tic work in her productions. Mean
while France remained stationary, de-
fant in her prestige and adhering to
old methods, confident in her ability
through them to vanquish all rivals.
The result has been the failure of
France to do this. Her rivals are not
actually crowding her from the mar
ket Most adult people on reflection
will realize that there is not now by
half the demand that once prevailed
that on fine art goods there must ap-
pear the brand of France. They will
realize that people are content nova
days to take goods from other nations
which are equally as finished and ar
tistic as those of France, and in many
cases are superior to them.
Here, says Mr.. Morris, is a great les
son for us, namely, that we must strive
to give artistic character to all of oul
products capable of such distinction
The art industries Of France are de-
clining. and ours should advance. few
though they are now. We believe that
they are advancing, and that, too, with
rapidity. We are turning out more ant
more artistic work, and, as Mr.. Morris
suggests, we can most proitably cul'
tivate this artistic taste to that end
Recently there appeared from the
Bureau Of Fine Arts at Paris volume
compiled and written by NJ. Vachon
who reviews the fine art industries o.
France exhaustively. His book is {
mine of information. He finds tha
the artistic value of silk textiles made
at Lyons has wonderfully fallen off
until now there is scarce any creative
taste or originality in designs from
that place. At st. Etienne the ribbor
manufacturers are in sore trouble be
cause of foreign competition. Even il
gun-making, the fame Of st. Etienne il
in decadence. and her workmen ap
pear to be losing their cunning.
In Marseilles twenty years ago ther,
were a hundred manufacturing jewelr!
establishments and over. Now thert
are but sixty, and the workmen hav'
fallen off rs per cent. However, in th
manufacture of artistic bronzes and il
the printing industry the city maintain
its old standard. Take the lovely por
celains of Limoges, for example. Thei
production has wonderfully decreased
though it is true that the production
of commoner works has enlarged blu
Mr.. Morris asserts that in articles d
luxe and fantasy ware Germany nov
leads, and French articles in this lin
are supplanted in France largely b.
those made in Germany
The city of Cours owed its great pros
perity to its artistic effects in furnitur
stuffs. Now she cannot muster NOR
than 200 workmen in that industry
AT Anglers as late as 1880 there wer
500 skilled workmen employed in ar
tfstic carving on wood and stone; nov
there are but 500, and the decline still
goes on. At Roubaix, where the chic
industries We're clothing goods and fur
niture stuffs, there is a threatening
crisis. There some $4,000 workmen ar
engaged In producing S100.000.00
worth of goods annually, but foreigl
goods now enter the Partisan marke
in competition with them, and it i
due wholly to the care given art in
struction and cultivation Of the de