New-York tribune., 1907-07-10
MURAL PRINTING.
It's Qualities Analysed by ". de la
ISiSeranne.

lSiSerdRne.
Translated by Chauncey Mccormick from the Revue
des Deux Mondes"l
True decorative sentiment is 10 be understood
by observing the conditions which inspire il
These are not the same IN mural decoration a
in easel painting. The artist who is making n
picture starts with q subject to be reproduced
or with an impression TO be realized. on the
other hand. the artist who is making a decora-
tive panel is dealing with the filing up Of a
given space. The first determines the form, di-
mensions and effect Of his painting from his sub
ject or his visionary impression He creates for
this end the necessary space The other finds
himself face to face with certain given forms
and dimensions: from these he decides the sub
ject effect composition and color The excuse
for the existence in pure art Of space is a sub
ject. The reason for a subject in decorative art
is a space. If there be subject 70 treat the
artist can have no excuse for stretching canvas,
for this "substratum." reduced TO Itself can be
OF use, while. on the other hand without any
painting, wall exists: it serves a purpose. nay.
is even indispensable. also ceilings. doors,
windows and curtains. none OF which made
primarily TO receive the embellishments Of the
painter. plasterer, upholsterer or gassblower.
There is. then, from the start a very precise
difference between decorative art and pure art.
The one creates the object which It displays
itself The other decorates an object which has
already been created without its assistance, and
is already filing its given mission.
The object to be decorated is ordinarily wall,
and as its proportions have not been calculated
to fit ths subject the impression of the painter
he is obliged to calculate his subject and to ac
coumodate his impression 10 the proportions Of
the wall. If. by chance, these are exactly
suited TO the subject Of certain picture, and If
the distance from which the wall s 10 be
garded be reasonably equal TO that whfen would
he required TO view canvas Of the same dimen-
sions no great difference is presented But such
conditions are rare. Ordinarily. the space to be
IN +ha form Of 0hl
squares on the large sides Of the apartment and
in the form of high, narrow panels on the small
sides or else the apartment necessitates long,
horizontal bands frIezes, which stretch them
selves out through spaces so large that one can
not take thcn III at glance. This condition
marks the point of dissemblance. the frontier
line From this point laws are derived which
are immutable, though by no means arbitrary,
because they the conditions imposed by our
visual organism. In fact il we cannot At a
,lanca con1preherd the entire composition of
given panel it is useless that the composition he
centralized that. from end 70 end all the ttg-
ures unite TO contribute to its unity At the
same time. since all the parts Of the decoration
can be each in turn. the undivided object OF at
tenfjon il is necessary that even the most distant
from the centre should afford an equal degree of
interest. Thus the concentration Of the subject
in the centre of the frame which is the primary
law in the composition Of a picture because de-
naanded by the operation Of our gaze before
scene that interests becomes a fault in a large
panel. This concentration must be replaced by
the spreading out of the subject and by the
scattering of the figures Of equal interest to all
portions of the space TO he viewed The subject
can etiu be individual, but II cannot be composed
of parts that react directly on each other. or
that do not exist except in relation 10 each
other The behoder whichever way he turns,
must find an entirety which is sufficient in it
self and which 10 explain its figures and its
acts does not require the assistance of other
figures and acts which may be to the right of
the beholder to his left or even behind his back.
This however does not exclude coordination
of PARTS nor harmonizing of lively effects. But
this coordination and this harmonizing are like
those of lower organisms (Which we can cut in
two without dealing a deathbloW) rather than
like the higher organisms, where the whole be-
ing is so united that no part can be removed
without the death Of the whole.
That the decorative panel may be extended to
a length which cannot be embraced by one
glance OF the eye, and that 1t may even surround
the spectator. leads 70 still another condition:
namely that IL cannot be considered from only
one point of view. The painter does not inn
pose this condition on the spectator on account
of the dimensions Of his field: he accepts II.
The spectator may place himself where he
pIeases but according TO where he stands he
sees the painting froHl an entirely different
angle II is absolutely necessary that II should
contain lines of perspective which may only
be correctly Judged from one point OF view. For
example there should be lines starting in
the foreground, running back toward the horizon
and rising or descending toward the vanish
ing point; there should be no colonnades in
receding perspective, no balconies, not even the
nerest suggestion Of a geometric figure, If fore
shortened. in a word then. it is necessary that
all long lines. that all large objects. should
appear in profile and not TO the face The oh
iects should move along the wall and should
not appear TO be coming out OF, or receding into.
the wall In this way, whatever be the point
from which we gaze at the decoration. the lines
VIII he true for as we move along the length
of the panel they will take upon themselves
their proper perspective inclinations as do the
lines of plinths and ceilings. Thus the first two
laws of the decorative panel-that everywhere
there Is something interesting TO be seen and
that this something may be seen from any point
OF view-are not arbitrary since they are re-
ouired by the limited range OF our vision in