Newport weekly independent., 1903-02-06
FRENCH FURNITURE.
Attempt to Restore or Replace the
 Beauties of Old Types.

zars' in Paris, from which Zola 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 astute 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- Ire and the studios of the Quartier Latin have long ago composed their answers to a challenge so seductively held out. They will create you style as light-heartedly as they will destroy a government, and with just as little compunction about the ultimate veri- ties involved.
 In reality, says the London Tele graph, our enterprising bazar keep CT of Montmartre is not so original as may be imagined. For some years perfect contagion of eccentricity has rioted across the continent, under the name of "L'Art Nouveau. The year just closed has seen several exhibi- tions inspired by the same repudia- tion of everything traditional. In Vi- enna, in Berlinandi 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 mean ingless decoration; jewellers have twisted gold and enamel and precious stones into the newest deformities of an extravagant impropriety.
 Forvery many years France was the center of the artistic light in Europe In many ways she must be still. But a death blow was dealt to more than one monarchy by the events of 17S9. Throughout the eighteenth century French art, fostered by the centraliz- bg influence of the "grand mon arque," gradually increased in the varied power of its expression. At the death of Louis XIV. two styles, associated with the names of his inn 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 renaissance which took its whole departure from the central principle of the rehabilita- tion of the individual. Temples were forgotten, for houses had to be built. Artists turned from monumental work to lavish divine ingenuity on the production and decoration of ob- 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, Caffieri, Boulle, Charles Crescent, Riesener, Gouthiere, whose collaborators were Vatican, Fragon- ard, Boucher, Natoire, Van Loo. Hoet, Van Sapendonor. You may see as fine specimens of their work as exist anywhere in the Jones collec- tion at the South Kensington muse um or in the Wallace collection at Hertford house. Everywhere reigns good breeding. Not trick of fash ionable coquetry is lost, or of that sweet disorder in the dress, kindling in cloathes wantonesse," (which is as far from grQssne:s as it is different from modesty. The artists had an ex- quisite tact, happy license, an at- rractive 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 i, is all the charm of gallant, careless, aristocratic age that has passed away