The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-11-30
AROUND TIE GALLERIES.
sumptuous Antique Textiles AZ the ATer'
lean Art Galleries.

lean Art Galleries.
The American Art Association has opened
the season with one Of those superb displays
for which its galleries have been noted.
arranged with discretion and taste tsat
permit enjoyable INSPECTION. Inc eAhioi-
ion in this case consists OF teN'iies, Iac's
and cnbroideries of the sixteenth, seven.
tenth and eighteenth centuries. collected
w Mr. Vital Bengeuat mostly from liahan
and Spanish sources, with hat instinct Tor
what il fine which mas made him rccog.
nized expert bot Ia London and New YORK
The art Of the needle and of weaving. moro
han any other branch Of art perhaps, brings
~ into closer touch with the -umptuosity
Of the Renaissance. the age Of splendid rs'
tronage and Cf consummato craftsnaaahip,
Al first supplied with motives and inspiras
ton by tho Oriental products that the argo-
sizes Of Genoa and Venice brought home, il
was established especially in those two
cities. and hence spread to Spain and Portu-
gal and to France. II shared in the awak-
ened enthusiasm for the beautiful in art ard
life and called forth an exuberance of inven-
tive fancy and an Astounding skll that are
not surpassed in any of the other branches
of art. Nor is il a small part of their fascina.
ton that these products OF the loom and
needle, V' Ier used in the ceremonial OF
| the Church or in the pageantry OF princely
courts, exhalo. a. II were. the spirit Of those
times, so crowded with passions, prodigA
alike of virtue and Of vice. an age Of com.
mar ding ntellect and sensuous abandons
ment.
In threading his way through the pro-
fusion Of this exhibition il NAV help the
visitor 10 keep in mind the general division
between the examples of ornament applied
by embroidery and those Of the weavers
craft. among which latter the most superb
ire the Gcnoese veivrts. II alb nd cha suble,
cope and altar frontal. he will find varieties
of the former where the design, either in
fiat stitching of silk or in gold and silver
thread applied over a raised cushion. 10
carried over surface Of velvet. silk or
cloth Of gold. He can, if lie cares to study
closer trace ont the inspiration Of the orna-
ment; finding II how III Byzantine motives,
or again in motives derived directly from
the East. in Gothic forms or again in the
splendid adGptstion of the Roman deco
rations, discovered in the baths, which the
versatility and luXuriant taste of the ltalicns
carried To such perfection in the later days
of the Renaissance. II is perfection that
cannot be reproduced, because the spirit
which produced il was Of the time and has
persisted with the time. What can be rec
vtvod, however,. is the manner Of the crafts
manshp. and no small part Of the enjoy.
Inent which these specimens excite 10
derivabe from a close study Of the actual
character Of the neadlework: how il varies
| according TO the character Of the design.
| whether If holiness and delicacy, and a gain
what varieties il discloses even within those
general divisions
| But We may prefer the examples of tfs
| Genoese looms. the velvet fabrics, fc-
! they are al least as rich and far more sult'a
! in color, through the endless varieties &C
delicate difference with which they WOO
| the action 4 he light. Tie silk of those
| DAYS must have been. If one may say SO,
of fatter quality than the worms pr, Gucs
| to-day, for to these fabrics, woven entirely
| of silk by the Geonese and Veret ians arS
| especially by the former, there are at orcS
more weight and body and a more suppl.
| and luxurious feel as you gather then,
| into handful than belong to the similar
products Of other makers. And no lss-
| do they excel in the quality of the dyes
| and ia the exquisite taste with which thu
| pile is cut to various degrees Of prominence,
so as 10 produce irexhaustible surprises.
| of light and tone. One may instance. for
| example. a pair Of Genoe~e cut velver
] purteres (No. s9S,. They are decorated
| with arabcsques Of ale green foliage a a
| gray and purple blossoms, in design
| "a full of freedom a. it il refined in feeling,
| upon a ground that may he cream-colored.
but glides into si,vcry. hay gays, vary
| ing in tone and even in tint. in response
| to tie various degrees Of light that it To-
| coives or according to the actual angle Of
| cur vision; presenting. in fact, All I'M
| limited range of delicate surprises. W'h
the Italian fabrics may 10 compared the
Of kLiva of Muscovy and those examples
| of iucomparable daiutiuess woven in Cir
| cassia. and many others. Indeed. within
the limits of this exhibition almost all tic
signal phases of the art are represented. a..