The Washington times., 1906-01-20

How many people know how to hang
pictures? About half the population.
The other haIf-weli. they have their
ideas on the subject, bUt the results are
anything but pleasing, and 10 many.
consciously or unconsciously. are act
ually painful. To be sure. there are a
great number of things in this world
that are altogether "a matter of taste
But. Just the same. there are distress
ing number of people who are suffering
from bad taste. and don't know it.
The pictures in a home. even though
they take no active part III the house
hold machinery. are potent influences in
the harmony or things. The most care
full consideration is none too much to
give to their selection and arrangement.
II will pay in the end. and, il one is a
little dubious as 10 her talents in this
particular line. let her call in a friend
TO superlntend this wOrk-sO ne one
whose good taste is an acknowledged
fact.
Suppose now you enter a room-a
moderately sized room. over the man
teIpiece. opposite the door. hangs huge
picture with a frame magnificent in
gilt II fairly Jumps at YOU, and seems
TO crush the mantel into significance,
when. really upon inspection. the man
tel is a graceful, pretty piece of work.
Perhaps there is not two feet away
from this picture another of pygmy di-
mansions. whose delicate outlines seem
TO blink at you a5surdly.
In the first place. a large. heavy
framed picture has no place in d mod
erateiv sized house. much less bearing
down heavily upon a graceful colonial
mantel. ut-gracious!-to attempt to
~. 81. -. i
taste. TO explain the iangle of color. the
quarrel OF subjects. in fact, the general
displacement OF defenseless pictures-is
"A distracting business. Perhaps one or
two suggestions how TO do things. in
stead of how not 20 do them, are more
TO the point. anyway.
An idea that is carried out in a num-
Der of comfortable, well-oTdered homes
is TO have one thought expressed in
room. Suppose. firstly, 1t is the hallway.
The thought here should be dignity,
warmth. cordially. II the hallway is
square and not less than 12x12, the pict-
ures should be few and large. In the
extreme type of a long. narrow hall
there should be no pictures a all. IN
der such circumstances, they have the
appearance of railing over against each
other the next minute. They are in the
way, and no one ever sees them. Small
pictures should be hung sparingly in
the hall. In some turns of the wall or
in some corner where they seem just 10
mt. il Is all right, and takes away any
stiff effect.
The paper is very likely to be dark
and rich. The best frames for this are
of dark woods, and plain in design.
Steel engraVings, etChings. and fine
prints are always appropriate, but most
important are the subjects. These
should be of more or less serious ma
tuFe-battle scenes, landscapes, animal
studies and, to give the touch OF cor
diality, hoI4le scenes. IL the home is
roomy and luxurious the hall is the
place. above all others. for oil portraits.
In short. the hall pictures should he
selected and arranged with a view 10
dignity, warmth and cordially
The living room or library is the place
where solid comfort reigns. There are
grouped on these walls the bright. sun
ny faVorites of ali the family Let the
pictures be grouped gracefully and an
parently without study; they should
look comfortable" with never a hint
of stiffness A little dignity i'm This
apartment goes long way. Then, too
there should not be anything frivolous