The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-04-20
Ornament as Seen in Clas-
sic Prints.

AS An aid to those who will study
prints in their relation to ornament"
in the exhibition that has been ar
ranged by the Metropolitan Museum
W. NJ WINS, Jr., the curator OF prints.
makes an inquiry in the Bulletin into
the underlying impulses that sway the
multitudes OF designers into long con-
tinued devotions to certain styles. IT
may fly at times above the heads of
our designers, who heaven bless them.
are not so distinguished for their
powers of thought as for their intui-
tons. but it provides easy reading for
the elect.
In the course OF his ORGANIZATIONS
through the centuries Mr.. WINS hits
upon the period following the French
Revolution. and most people will par
allel the passage with the experiences
OF the present. He says:
THE Romantic Movement was in
full swing before any one realized it
French art, the truly national express
sion. unspoiled by foreign influence,
the art OF freedom, of expression, was
seen in the Gothic. And all of France
that counted for the future plunged.
Chateaubriand had written OF the
Genie du Christianisme. Count Mac
earthly and Van Praet collected the
books printed upon vellum, Baron
Taylor, aided by the invention of
photography started his series OF Voy-
ages Pittoresques en- France, and
called TO his aid Bennington, Isabey,
and many others, for the purpose of
illustrating the monuments OF past
time.
Shakespeare and Goethe came into
Sudden and violent vogue. and Della
CroiN Illustrated them with equally
sudden and violent pseudo Gothic Nth
ographs, while Victor Hugo epitomized
the movement in one sentence OF his
preface 10 Notre Dame--'Inspirons, s'L
est possible. a la nation ramour de
Architecture rationale With It all
came 'moyen-age' chairs, tables, cell
ings. windows, bindings. everything
For the first time In Europe was seen
the sight OF a people trying at one
and the same time TO turn their faces
back 400 years and to keep up with
modern invention, TO live and TO think
in the quinzieme- dix neuvieme steele,
to be moyensgeux and to travel in
steamboats, and railway cars,
THE organization OF the French
trades had received a most severe blow
| in 1875 when Louis XVI at tho behest
OF Turgot. but so much against the
will OF the Parchment that he had TO
resort 10 a lit de Justice 10 effect
II, completely reorganized the trade
guilds, their powers and personnel. In
1871 they were finally abolished and
the old traditional system was thrown
to the winds; the trades and profess
sions became free for all to practise
who would. Doubtless a wise eco
| nomic measure, 1t had the result of
disrupting the organization, the train
| ing, the education OF the designers and
the craftsmen. and In so doing OF be-
! ginning the destruction of the tradi-
! ton. running back 10 the middle ages,
which by its very intensive effect mad
brought about such remarkable things.
/ Then in 1903 came the debacle--the
| King was beheaded and France became
a republic, and with the republic came
! q complete change IN life and fashion,
: The political troubles had begun IN
: 1859, rhe same year that Mile. Der
vieuX had her house done over in
Piranesis style. and from that time
until 1875 there was little building or
artistic work done in France. During
Whose sSvsa years tha craftsmen were