The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-04-10
Not Enough of the Gould Money
Within Reach to Complete 1t
as Planned.
HAS FLAVOR OF ROYALTY
Furniture and Decorations Were
Originally Made for Kings
and Princes.
IT'S GRAND STAIRCASE
Anatoh France, the Poet, Also
Has a House Full of Artistic
Treasures and Curios.

PARIS. March 29.-American multi-mil-
honaires. bent upon building palaces. should
look over the house OF Count Boni de Cas-
tellane in Paris.
The Count de Castellane may not be
great statesman, but he is decidedly man
of cultivated mind and refined taste. And
these elements of discernment and true
elegance, backed by untold millions. en-
abled him to set up a palace the equal OF
any in the world and more consisten: in
the way of combining lofty architecture
with congenial furnishings than any royal
residence of this or other days.
The great house rises at the junction
of two broad avenues near the Bots de
Boulogne, standing entirely by itself one
of the main charms of really beautiful
edifice, and Count Castellane, who. by his
marriage to the former Miss Anna Gould.
of New York, gained control of a vast
fortune, spent kings ransom 10 rear this
palace, which. like that of many majesty.
remains unfinished for want OF funds. on
that account persons of little his
torical knowledge have only sneers for the
Castellane home; they do not know that
most crowned heads live in houses built on
tower or portal according TO his means.
The Berlin Schloss, for instance. set up
in its present shape by the first King OF
Prussia with the aid of Insurers and
alchemists. gateless up to the time of
the present Kaiser.
Count Boni is a handsome. elegant young
man who delights in showing strangers
over his house. He is an excellent host, and
would wish no better cicerone in a
museum. The Castellanes own the finest
grand staircase in France, the land of
great structures of that kind. Ii is of
bright red marble, having white veins. and
the loftneSs and elegant swing of its
eral landings is unexcelled in architecture.
The structure is said to be imitation
of the great stairs of Trianon, the building
of which contributed so much to poor Marie
Antoinettes undoing. the most extrava-
giant stories about its cost being noised
about among the starving. 1t does resem-
bic the Trianon example In outline, but
conveys a more dgnified impression by the
richness of the material employed Ye who
have millions look at the ratings of gilded
| bronze. Each foot, nay inch, tells story,
and tells il admirably
DOOR OF ROYALTY IN ROOMS
There is decided odor of royalty about
| the rooms. Almost every piece of eurni-
ture, including the wall hangings, date
| from some royal palace or other. Several
years ago a great deal of fun was poked
| at Count Boni the supposition that he
| had allowed himself TO be duped by clriosi-
| ty dealers into buying limitations. In his
house all is real, all is valuable. all is his
/ tory.
There are collectors priding themselves
| upon their maps full of written autographs.
| Count Castelane filled his hundred-room
house with autograph furniture. Each
| mantelpiece and tabouret. each chair.
| table, desk, sofa or music stand bears the
| signet of some maker of the eighteenth
| century who worked for kings and princes
f1.a
| that he would not think of duplicating for
| some one else, no matter what price was
| offered. In those days artisans mad char
| acter and individuality and rich art lover
| was able to secure pieces that his neighbor
| could not. There joy in collecting
| then and in creating; no machinery 10 turn
| out works of sculpture; wood caryers had IL
| all their own way and originality counted
| with jewellers no less than with carpenters
and blacksmiths. These unique pieces OF
| furniture in the Castellane palace are works
| of art every one of them. One might go
| curiosity hunting for years before finding
! single duplicate. As everything dates from
the time of the regency and the Fifteenth
| and Sixteenth Louis, furniture, wallpapers.
| hangings, paintings and pictures In general
| supplement one another completely; moth
ing is out of place; there Is not footstool
that could not be missed without Earring
| ones artistic feelings eCt1t-ee -
The Countess Annals boudoir Is the quint-
essence of refined eghteenth-century taste.
No princess of the blood contemporary TO
the magnificent Louis boosted OF a more
| splendid and more elegant apartment A
| room like that one involuntarily associates
| with La Pompadour, Marie Antoinette. tho
Princess Lamballe and other great and
small ladies of that picturesque period The
| counts bathroom is another gem. This
| walls are covered with drawings and
| water co;ors by French masters of the
| eighteenth century. Jealousy cannot be
| among Countess Annals faiings, for there
| is hardly a picture that does not represent
| some beautiful woman, whose costume or
lack of costume, fit the genius loci Just
| before going 10 the Palace Castellane. L
had viewed the bathroom of the great
Napoleon. There Is no COMPARISON assure
| you. -
| mately represents the power of money used
| to create splendor welded TO art. Despite
! its lavishness, l am certain there is not a
/ franc wasted The Castellanes bought the
best and the richest that money can buy.
but good taste and the sense Of the fitness
of things outweigh mere monetary con-
sideration or passion 10. aspiay mex,
wants to build go TO the Castellanes; IL viii
be great education.
WONDERFUL VILLA SAID
And while in Paris do not miss Villa
Said. Anatole Frances home. Since the art
treasures of Edmund de Gocourts splendid
house were distributed all over the world.
villa Said more than any other palace.
represents its owners taste and mental
calibre. 1t is a small place. and IL would
be nisnomer TO call it a museum. IL 10
more. Each piece Of furniture. each article
OF decoration, is extraordinary as Ana
tole's ideas.
In the numerous apartments of the three
stories, on the stair landings. everywhere.
works of art. curious and beautiful things.
In the matter OF rareties. surely Mr. j.
Pierpont Morgan must take back seat
when his collections are compared with the
treasures of household furniture. pictures
and rare stuffs owned by this French poet
OF moderate means.
You can read the history OF France from
his mantelpieces. and that of other coun-
tries, too. Io here is one built OF the dis
carded mosaics OF the Borgia apartments
| i'm the Vatican. When these wonderful
rooms were renovated under Leo Nil,
some one discovered that the mosaics had
lost their original color and should be re-
| placed. Thus Anatole Was privileged IN
! enrich his house by the originals. chosen
by that incompatible connoisseur. Alexan-
der VI. Only poet can have such
luck There are works of art from Greece
as well as from Rome. among them a
| marble Eros of the very best period.
Athens, the Pelopones. and the islands fur
uish sculptures and vases the Louvre might
! be proud of. France himself collected Ii all