New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-10-16

'NO'NSi''7 Tue oored and listless Spectator e
moved 10 inquire whether there IS anvtbf,e
mover IN the expression of emotion by "a swirl
or chinon' strange coiors and unsuspecte5 esst-
ings OF light" The FIRST oF these s,,L-.
color is entitled The Awakening OF Hone >, and
is combination Of greens. blues and ros,,,-a.
Inc oFapeTies and silk nets lack the fun Ius+ra
OF uue green but the blue is pure and Sc an.
-lcheo Win touches Of mauve: and this r,ang,
u1alloh OF The colors IS supposed to exDress +ts
premature or belated revival of hona and $50
ceHce' The reality Of human love in woman ana
Suggestions OF the possibilities Of passion rba-a
= l'o11''l'S original or Oriental in the use Of
tAese colors The medieval painters tnvar,ab1,,
1seo green IN vivid or duh tones when thew
wished to express hope. freshness and cr.s +t,,.
Ao'cei true blue when they painted the Virgins
mantle and violet when they indicated self
sacrlAce or passion These JeweIIed effects OF
Color were borrowed from the emerald ,ba
sapphire ana the amethyst, and each had its
mystic sense and symbolism in ancient art. Il
was hardly necessary for the dressmaker 10
nave recourse 70 early Chinese art for an
s4--0oc4flent OF the pleasures Of hope, when
stroll through the Italian or Flemish
.OuHs OF me National Gallery OF the Louvre
"ou4d have revealed the proper use OF
coiors in expressing emotion. The SECOND COS
tune The Story OF the Daisy" with vfite
1lll--oI-s flushing with pale pink paIing in tones
u SILVER and lighting up with tints Of yellow
ana golc is a fanciful illustration Of fallen
star transformed into daisy. This is +be
theme OF 2 drawing room recitation nv The
heroine Of the play. and there can hardly be anv
Symbolism IN the choice Of the coIors The de-
sisneF IS careful. however, TO have the yellow
bright rather than rusty and dull. The r,,s5i-
eVal painters were equally cautious St JosaDb
and St Peter were arrayed in clean yellovvs bu+
dirty shade was always reserved for thu
ueacherous, deceitful Judas. The white ana
sAVer OF the costume in the second act cannot
suggest purity, innocence and faith when The
woman IS flirting with her husbands cousin.
and the yellows are toned too high to indicate
disloyalty and bad faith.
IN me third act when the victim Of an IN
compatible marriage finds herself in a RAPTURE
o. PASSION Ior young man who does not appen
70 oe her literary husband there Is q stirring
syrphony OF reds. puppies and b,pas as ~
gown Is named In PASSIONS ThraIl'. The
SYMBOLISM Is not necessarily Chinese. for II can
De Illustrated from every Italian room in thu
Natloral Gallery. The designer knew better
In@n 70 combine red and white IN the heroioe's
gown. tor those were the coIors reserved In
sacred art for love ard innocence. and Mrs
Dane IN The Golden Light" does not resemble
. cecilia She was less mindful OF the me-
dlseval conventions when she associated the
$500 "a az -@' & picture nat with the flaming
REDS, for this blend suggested the revels Of evil
spirits and the condemnation Of lost soula sin
olack itself denoted Temptation properly enough.
ana the hat vas tsken of as soon as the
husband fell IN q faint and the dutiful
VIE came 70 her senses. The Anal cos
tune OF soft grays indicated the peni-
tent wife's sadness during her husbands
illness. and possibly her deep humility: and the
touches OF subdued rnauve conveyed the sub+l.
intimatio0 thar passion was not dead. but Womb
name cut atresh as soon as the young lover re-
appeared This gown. styled Constable Sorrow.
repeated the ordinary symbolism OF penitential
art and was not remarks bic for originality
At one moment black chiffon wrap was thrown
over the costume. and this might have suggested
q decent interval OF mourning II the widow had
not rushed 10 the window TO smile upon her
young lover as soon as her husband was dead
There ought. perha ps. 10 have been IN the soft
clinging grays what Mrs. Brown Potter calls
"a grumb!e or tone Of dissatisfaction" 10 match
the variation from true greer IN the first sym
phony OF hope. There is nc evidence however.
that the dressmaker travelled far from the re-
or symbolism IN colors. Apparently her chief
motive vas that Of providing the actress with
series OF wonderful gowns and II this respect
she was completely successful. The players
without the resources OF color fantasies and
tone symphonies could easily express what little
emotion there was in this shallow drama