The record-union., 1899-03-05

not be overestimated. Names are Ell
faced or fade from view, books are mis-
placed and forgotten. but the book plate
attached in size, as of old. in proper
ton to the volume preserves It's loen-
tity. The addition of book plate to
ones library paraphernalia is really
quite essential, and few clever young
women are devoting their time to evolv-
ing original and unique devices for their
patrons which net them from 30 to I'D.
This of course, varies according to the
design. The work is peculiarly adapt
ed to women whose delicacy and REIN
ed tastes seek expression in the treat
nlent of a field wherein magma ton
and culture are SO closely united. 1t
is too expensive a fad to become COM
mon, besides being of such an artistic
nature as not to attract people who
do not appreciate its value as work
of art.
New York World: Virginia Brush,
who has high rank among decorative
artists, entered that artistic. speciality
. almost by accident.
She early studied art from pure love
Of it, and when necessity compelled her
to strike out as a money maker she
was well equipped in the career she
chose.
She took up interior decoration as a
speciality, and in that art she has ac-
complished much.
Miss Brush declares that there are
possibilities in every room if only the
situation is carefully studied. The great
fault in furnishing is OVERRIDING, rather
than underdoing. Simplicity of style
is a strong point in good decoration,
and there are tones which are beauti-
ful in themselves, yet as furnishings
should be sparingly used.''
Miss Brush has in many instances
equipped an entire house Sometimes.
at occasion requires it, she takes out the
woodwork, windows and doors. At
other times artistic treatment is given
to ceilings. She places electric lights.
dresses the walls, furnishes each room,
chooses linen, china and glass. and SO
complete is her supervision that the
occupants have only to open the front
door to find themselves settled in one
OF the most artistic of homes
Miss Brush has done work for MANY
big houses of New York In one of the
dlning-rooms of the Vanderbilt man
SION there are a set of curtains de-
signed by her and made at the work
shop IN her studio. She has decorated
the homes of Mrs. Josiah Macy, Mrs.
isaac Platt.s Mrs. Martin and other
Wen known society women.
New York Post: The National Soci-
ETY. of Mural Painters has made a sig
nlf1eant modification of it's constitl,-
ton by adding a lay memberships. II
Is not proposed to swell the list ind,s-
crlmInately, but to confine. the invita-
tlon to persons who are really inter-
ested In the objects of the society and
can do something to promote them. The
great difficulty which has always con-
1fonted the society has been it's numer-
lcal smallness. To mention no other
result, this has prevented it from hay-
lnga local habitation and establishing
i.seiI as befits society with such ends
III view. On the other hand the mem
cefshlp mas been kept limited from the
very laudable intention of excluding
any whose entrance might seem to
nave been invited for the purpose OF
securing commissions. The society.
out Tor this jealous watchfulness.
nlsht easily have degenerated into a
iltie business ring. 1t has therefore
oelDerately chosen to go slowly; to es-
.apiish us integrity of purpose, and to
Iet us polcy, as 1t We're shape itself
ne new departure should mean much.
mural decorauon-in its varied aspects
oi painting, mosaic and stained glass
Is branch of art in which the public
are very closely interested Much CT
the work is done for public buildings.
ana with the growth of public taste
ana public ambition to express itself in
beautiful externals, much more will be
done. 1t is a subject on which the
public needs and desires to learn much
Inc painters themselves hesitate to do
missionary work; it lays them open to
the unpleasant suspicion of grinding
their own ak. But, by importing lay
men into the society, some of whom are
engaged in writing upon art or whose
vacations bring them within the posi-
oility of influencing the public, much
can be done to extend the knowledge
OF and the interest in this subject of
mural decorations. There is another
aspect of the question. AS much of
the painters work is concerned with
pubic buildings. and will be mora so
as time goes on, they cannot too frank
~ take the laymen into their conf
dence. The benefit is mutual At any
rate, the old fellows found it so: wiz
ness those weekly meetings in the
studio OF Baccio d. Angelo, at Florence.
in the first years of the sixteenth cen
tury, where Leonardo da Vinci. Bra
mantle, Michael Angelo and the young
Raphael, and many more used to con-
sort with laymen for the discussion of
art The breadth and comprehensive
ness of their work may we'll have been
partly due to these symposia.
Public Opinion: Many years ago, De-
lacroix was struck with the originality
and intellectual force of English art
and with the strong personal element
and "prodigious amount of conscience"
which he found in the work of English
painters. And now NJ. de la Sizeranne
is equally impressed with the high de-
gree CT culture that distinguishes our
foremost living masters. Mr.. Watts.
he remarks, is a philosopher William
Blake, Dante Rossetti, and William
Morris We're all poets of a high order,
Lord Leighton spoke every language
under the sun, Sir Edward Buine-
Jones is learned in the legendary lore
OF all ages and lands, Tadema is an
archaeologist, Holman Hunt a teacher
of exegesis, Sir Edward Poynter and
Herkomer are Professors who deliver
lectures at the universities. This wide
and varied knowledge no doubt tends
to give our national art that complcxity
of aims which in the eyes of our neigh
hors Is fatal to its highest develop
ment. English art has never been