Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1903-01-29
FRENCH FURNITURE.
Attempt to Restore or Replace tho
Beauties of Old Types.

" =
An enterprising proprietor Of one
of those enormous universal ba-
zars'' in Paris, from which lola drew
his ''Bonheur des DANES" has offered
prize for such designs in furniture
and house decoration as shall best
typify and reflect the civilization Of
the third republic. His astut tie pro-
posal has drawn attention not only to-
the Importance of his own establish
ment. but to what he no doubt con-
siders the secondary question of
whether such designs are possible at
all, and what the '<Style Troisieme
Republique'' may fairly be considered
to be. There is, of course, no shadow
of doubt that the cafes Of Montmar-'
tire and the studios Of the Quarter
Latin have long ago composed their
answers to a challenge so seductively
held out. They will create you style
as Alphabetically as theywill destroy
government, and with just as little
conjunction about the ultimate veri-
ties involved. .*
In reality, says the London TeIe-
graph, our enterprising bazaar keep
er of Montmartre is not so original as
may be imagined. For some years a
perfect contagion of eccentricity has
rioted across the continent, under the
name Of "L'Art Nouveau" The year
just closed has seen several exhibi-
lions inspired by the same repudia-
ton Of everything traditional. In Vi
emma, in Berlinand in Munich whatare
called secession" galleries have been
filled with skillful monstrosities. At
Turin the same tendency was every
where observable. Artists have wan
dered off in debaucheries of NEAL
ingless decoration; jewelers. have
twisted gold and enamel and precious
stones into the newest deformities of
an extravagant improperly.
Forvery many years France was the
center of the artistic light in Europe.
In many ways she must be still. Buta
death blow was dealt to more than
one monarchy by the events of 1882
Throughout the eighteenth century
French art, fostered by the centraliz-
ing influence of the "grand mon
argue" gradually increased in the
varied power of its expression. At
the death Of Louis XIV. two styles,
associated with the names of his i'm
mediate successors, were logically and
beautifully developed, which have
been the JOY Of collectors ever since.
They inherited the rich harvest of
the sixteenth century Of a renaissance
which took its whole departure from
the central principle of the rehabilita-
ton of the individual. Temples we're
forgotten, for houses had to be built
Artists turned from monumental
work to lavish divine ingenuity on
the production and decoration of OBJ
jects in which the personal motive
was predominant The chateau
called into harmonious service all the
larger arts; furniture became the
epitome Of all the lesser. On such
foundations worked the men who
made eighteenth century furniture
from France, whose names were Jean
Lamour, Cafieri, Boulle, Charles
Crescent, Riesener, Gouthiere, whose
collaborators were Vatican, Fragon-
ard, Boucher, Netoire, Van Loo,
Hoet, Van Sapendonor. You may
see as fine specimens Of their work as
exist anywhere in the Jones colIec-
ton at the South Kensington muse
UNI or in the Wallace collection at
Hereford house. Everywhere reigns
good breeding. Not a trick Of fash
ionable coquetry is lost, or of that
"sweet disorder in the dress, kindlin,g
in cloathes a Wantonesse," whichIs as
far from grossness as it is different
from modesty. The artists had an ex-
quisite tact, happy license, an at
tractive piquancy in those days when
convention had a greater influence
on life and conduct than it ever had
before or since. Better die than be
ungraceful" was their motto, and in it
is all the charm Of gallant, careless,
aristocratic age that has passed away
forever. It bloomed the fairer be-
cause it was on the verge of an abyss.
The guillotine cut off at stroke the
old traditions Of spacious luxury for
which the exquisite furniture Of
Louis XIV. and XVI. has been Gre
ated. .r@5