New-York tribune., 1902-01-26

In some respects this volume is the most useful
mus far published in the series which Lady
DlIke is writing on French art in the eighteenth
century she was delightful when she dealt with
'he painters ana again when she devoted a
'oluihe 10 the architects and sculptors. We
know that she will be delightful when in her
fourth and last volume, she treats of the
ur"u8htSlnen and enSravers But in the present
volume she has a theme with which the public
Is none too familiar and, furthermore it is one
in the study of which the modern owner or
decorator will find needed inspiration. The ART
Oh decoration is one of the most difficult i'm the
world. although to thousands if may seen, tho
easiest, inasmuch ii so often means nothing
more than the furnishing, of a room according
10 one 5 individual taste. The best decoration is
'hdI which like the best painting or sculpture
follows the law of unity; when individual taste
Is controlled by that law il may be allied TO anv
style; but the moment mere whim is followed
artistic disaster arrives. The Frenchmen of the
eighteenth century did things which it is steady
ing To contemplate whether one means to use
their style or not
1t did not matter whether they were adjoining
large wall space making an independent
piece Of furniture; whatever they did possessed
artistic logic and symmetry. Speaking Of the
Golden Gallery in the Hotel du Toulouse (now
occupied by the Banque de Franco. the great
work OF De Cote the author Of this book can
say; The ornament seductively elegant in all
its details. is marshalled within the strong lines
OF the architectural composition and the alter
mating passages of flat tracery and low relief
combine. with the clear intention of carrying the
eye toward those parts for which the honor of
fuii relief are reserved" This is one way Of
France treated composition as a whole; he
understood that the purpose of decoration is to
decorate a point on which the modern designer
too often comes to grief We rooms in which
the desire for the presence of painting paint
ing results in the introduction of designs which
are really pictures, and which make holes in
the wall" instead Of counting as one of several
ordered elements in the establishment of a
surface. Lady bikes architects. decorators,
carvers, sculptOrs, cabinetmakers and furnishers
gencrally-for all the arts were employed in the
famous schemes of decoration which she de-
scribes-sought but one goal in common, the
goal at which no single artist or craftsman over
shadOwed another They We're Fortunate il IS
true, in the taste of their time. Since the period
of Raphaels great corridor in the Vatican. with
its wealth of invention wreaked upon the de-
Velopment of the arabeSque in decoration, there
has been no period more fecitous in its decora-
tive ideas than the period with which Lady
Dixie is concerned. One proof of this is the
vitality WnlCn the WOTk OF Jflat period sun pos
sesses. If this book is full of interest for the
amateur of luxurious objects and decorations IT
is also full of practical lessons
Lady Dilkes survey abOunds in technical crti-
cisn, but she has not neglected to sketch, in SO
far as available material has permitted the per-
sonallty of her decorators and CabinetmakerS,
has she omitted the methods they employed.
one of the most interesting chapters in her book
is that in which she follows the history of that
splendid piece of furniture now in the Louvre
which is known as the Bureau du Roi, the mas
terpiecc of Oebcn and Reisener OF this she
says:
miniature model had first been made, with
perfect reproductions of all the bTOnZeS,
flowers, figures and other ornament; even the
Semblance of the marquetry and different pat
terms of the wood deliberately carried out il
color. Drawings in perspective showing the ef-
feet of the bureau from every side were fol
lowed up by the construction of Il 'baty
grand de boS de NaulSe,' and even this had to
be done with infinite pains so that il might he
set up and taken to pieces while the work OF
completing the project regarded the Orna-
ment was carried through. This. indeed, no
light task, for they all again modelled III
they were ultimately intended to be in bronze
and in the course of this part of the work
various changes and improvements were under
taken. 1t was not until all these elaborate
preparations were complete that the actual exc
cution OF the work was taken in hand
Add to this that the masters of that era cult
waited a style of conSummate elegance, and is il
"A wonder that the examples which Lady Dixie