Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-07-06
Old Landscape Designs and Chinese
Scenes in Favor.

rom suburban. Lie.
Some Of the most beautiful wall papers
of the season are reproductions of pop
ular designs of the colonial period. Con-
spicuous among modern reproductions are
favOrite colonial designs showing scenes
from the bay of Naples. and rural groups
in quaint panels, with softer outlines
than those our ancestors fancied. Among
them are charming little Vatican pic
lures in the form of medallions Orna-
mented with groups of figures rural
scenes. and sometimes with baskets of
flowers showing contrasting colors Of
sveral kinds.
One characteristic Of colonial wall pa
pers was the fact that many of them We're
designed by artists Of note French pa
per, as rule, was more delicate in col
ortng. and more accurate and charm
ing In drawing, than those which came
from England or even from China. In the
French papers one finds q great deal of
the work Of Chippendale and the Adam
brothers, as we'll as delicate pictures after
the manner of Vatican, and charming
scenes copied from the works OF the best
Italian painters. These papers are on the
market today. among the most beauti-
full and exclusive that we have, and in
exquisitely blended shades Of color. in
gray, together with modern fabric eff
feet, as Of woven material, as well as in
effects OF MORE and brOaceded silks and
velvetS Of a past age
Most Of our ancestors in colonial times
imported the small squares Of paper and
matched them very carefully upon their
walls, and these papers were often hand
painted, which made the covering of
well every expensive. and added charm
Of originality not possible In printed pa
pers. The old French papers Of the
printed variety showed great care in
color and design, and used rich hues
without the unpleasant vividness which
the same colors in more brilliant tones
exhibited In English squares of paper.
French paper, for instance would show
half a dozen or more groups Of figures in
| the airy delicacy known to Vatican, and
in over dozen shades of color, upon
grounds or gray or brown or cream. some
| times with a black mesh superimposed
upon the whole. English paper, on the
contrary. expressed a fancy for hunting
scenes not as We depict them, but with
the hunter In panel above his horse. and
the horse above the dog. England. too, in
the eighteenth century, sent over a pa
per which Is sort OF illustrated biog-
| raphy OF the life of an English gentle
man. who played at cards. quarreled,
fought duels, eloped with beautiful mai
dens and followed the hounds, in lively
colors. framed In gilt scrolls.
One or the papers OF this season Is an
importation In very handsome and rich
style of paper used by Hancock and
granate leaves, buds, flowers and fruits in
less attractive mass Of cOlors than those
which combine to form a beautiful cover
Ing for dining room today This COM
bination, as now produced, shows a pre-
dominance OF purplish rose color with
| many soft tints of green's. grays. touches
OF brown and old gold with purple, rose
color, hint Of blue, and glimpses Of a
icream-colored background seen through a
fabric-mesh. The paper looks as though
IL were made of velvet
rather common design for colonial
papers included racing scenes In which
appeared the blue sky dappled with gray
clouds, and black and brown horses ca
| reering over green turf, while the Jockeys
| were arrayed In vivid colors About the
| middle OF the eighteenth century groups
OF rural scenes on paper were very COM
mon. and among them were handsome
hand painted papers from China, illus
trating the cultivation of tea. This wall
paper decoration Is one Of the Oldest
In the celestial kingdom. and was used
here even more than a paper which de-
picted groups Of human figures, or pa
godas. temples and grottoes. interspersed
with such birds as never few, and such
flowers as never grew upon this earth
and which were arranged In q manner
possible only to an oriental.