The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1903-05-31

MRS. JACK GARDENERS ART PALACE.
Il Exterior of the palace.l
said also that her lawyers have as.
i sured her that she has now fulfilled the
requirements Of the law and that she
need not open her palace again if she
does not wish to do so. From the re-
strictions thrown about the museum on
the few occasions on which it has been
open to- the public, with tickets at 81 a
head and these tickets limited in num-
Der, it is not unrea sonable to suppose
that Mrs. Gardner will receive her law
yers' assurances with joy.
| Outwardly the palace is unimpos-
ing. with its high, long, plain walls,
broken by windows of the simplest
sort and covered by a roof Of red tile
| pitched barely enough to let the rain
run off, but the interior is described by
I one of the favored ones who have been
permitted to enter the sacred precincts
as beautiful in the extreme. 1t was
Mrs. Gardeners wish that her museum
should be unlike any other, and her
wish seems to have been accomplished.
The most striking feature Of the gal.
iery Is the courtyard. Running around
this courtyard is a narrow promenade
in which tall palms are interspersed
with famous specimens of old italian
statuary. On either side Of the entrance
sre panels representing Scriptural
scenes. and on the left is niche where
collection.sf stucco figures show the
crucff1xion. The structural decorations
around the courtyard are of marble
and brick. with two mute guards In
Roman armor bearing battleaxes and
shields and two huge stone lions.s The
central part Of the yard is filed with
beds OF rare flowers and with tropical
trees, through which wind graveled
walks. At the farther end of the yard
is Venetian fountain which for cen.
turtles adorned the estate of one of the
great families Of Venice Indeed, SO far
as possible. the materials for all the
building. even the window jambs and
doorWays, have been taken from Venice.
The rooms in which the pictures and
statues are placed have been designed
to reproduce the surroundings from
which their masterpieces came. The
Raphael room, for instance. is fitted I'D |
in the Italian style with craven chests |
and quaint old chairs and stools. mark
ing the luxurious taste of the middle |
ages.
The Chinese room on the second floor
is finished in Chinese dead gold and |
hung with the richest kinds Of tapes- |
tries, gongs and all sorts of curious
specimens of Chinese art, many of
which once belonged to emperors of
the Celestial Kingdom. A Gothic room
Or chapel follows carefully the require
ments Of Gothic art, and Dutch room.
Persian room and a Veronese room
are similarly complete. All these apart
ments are grouped about the court
yard.
A music room equipped for any kind
OF entertainment and said to be one of
the largest in any private establish
ment in the United States, extends
across one end Of the building on the
ground floor. Over this. is the main art
gallery, which contains some of the
most noted pictures extant. Its COR
geous ceiling was taken froIf an Ital-
ian palace and set here in it's original
form. Among the pictures here is Tt
tian's Europa and the Bull" which
Rubens declared to be the finest paint
Ing in the world. There are also Velas-
quezs full length portrait of Philip
~. OF Spain, Bottlcelli Madonna and
Botticeilps Death Of Lucretia," one of
the finest works of the Florentine mas
ter. A portrait of Rembrandt painted
by himself is another famous canvas.
Mrs. Gardner has a fine collection Of
Lie works Of American artists, includ-
ing several Whistlers. In the Raphael
room is that artists portrait of Cardi-
nal Inghirami, the replica of which Is
hung In the Pitt palace.
Among the pieces Of furniture scat
sered through the corridors are seven
Borghesi chairs which were the prom
erty Of Pope Paul ". and other arti-
lies of great age and inspiring tradi-
Ion. On one Of the walls is the stand
lrd Of Napoleon's Old Guard.
Without producing any homogeneous
.nect, the whole palace has all the
modern improvements, including an el-
'vafor, electric lights and hot air fur
faces. It is unfortunate that a mu-
eum SO original and so complete can
let be at all times free to lovers of the
,eautifuI. VAN DYKE BROWN. {