The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1922-08-29
Frederick Haskin's Letter
GROWTH OF a NEW ART

ten0eQ 10 tulS mAnVIaCNre eXciu-
sively.
Frank Niepold began sleeping
himself in the at Of the Italian
period. He took in ex-
studied books and ea,a-
logues, and acquired rare pictures.
Eventually he visited Italy and
there i4os Only saw tie great mus
cum and private collections, but
acquired Tor himself numerous
pieces. And as his knowl-
edge broadened, he increased the
number of designs in manufacture
in his plant, until now they number
several hundred, the objects includ
ing fruit bowls, wall sconces, and
brackets, lamps, mirror frames.
book-ends, decorative panels and
altar pieces, candle sticks, jewel
boxes, plaques, and medieval busts.
The first book-end designed con-
tinues to be steady fayGrite.
Even as the Niepolds increased
their range of pieces, they improved
the composition in which the OBJ
jects are cast. This question of
material was problem from tho
outset. The old Italian artists
used wood, which was carved anil
then covered with plaster before be-
ing finished. But even with the
marvels which modern wood-turn-
ing machinery is able to accomp-
lish, wood itself was~out of the
question for this work. 1t is i'm
possible nowadays to obtain in
commercial quantities wood so long
seasoned that it will not warp or
shrink. But any warping or shrink
ing under the plaster coat would
be fatal to the durability of the
ornament.
Plaster Not Suitable.
Plaster, too, could be ruled out,
partly because of its fragility and
partly because many persons bear
superstitious prejudice against
having it in their houses.
Accordingly the Niepolds took a
hint from the product called car
ton pierre and began working to-
ward casting composition that
should serve their purposes, Others
were working along the same line;
and as a. result there has been
evolved = new commercial sub
stance, the use of which has rapid
ly spread in industry. In the un-
finished state it resembles stone,
and in this state it is used for
making mantlepieces in houses.
Half the fine electric lighting fix.
lures produced today are made Of
this substance, substituting for the
brass of which practically all fix,
lures were made few years ago.
When the liquid composition has
set, it is - hard and tough that OBJ
jects made of it can be dropped to
| the floor with an even chance that
they will not break.
The Borghese reproductions owe
their appeal probably less to their
shapes or to their designs than to
their rich coloring and finish. Tho
colors are subdued and blended per-
fectly by the eye of an artist. The
secret of the art of making faithful
reproduction lies in the finishing
after the colors are laid on 4
takes dozen or more processes oil
painting, rubbing, shellacking and
polishing before the pieces attain
that subtle CLEAN or patina which
, characterizes the genuine antique.
These processes are the result Of
long experimentation in the Niepoid
shop.
Some of the panels producsd
frame copies of such familiar old
Italian masters as the Mona Lisa
Apparently these portraits are
painted directly upon the com 1osi-
/ ton of the cast. Actually they are
prints. which are first glued to the
composition and then worked over
by BRUSHING and rubbing until they
too, seem to show the effects Of
! long time and wear. The final
touch is to leave them showing the
strokes of the painters brush.
Although the business is now 3
lucrative one and the plant en-
p!oys q score or more Of workmen.
the prbprietors do not do as they
might and sit around in All office
directing the work. Every day the
father and three sons don .hei.
long painters aprons and take their
places at the benches with the other
workmen, modelling. painting, and
finishing. AS family they resent
BILE the guild craftsmen of medieval
times. Their presence as workers
in the work rooms, keeps there .
spirit of qhality in the workman
ship that might be sacrificed if any
attempt were made to secure mass
production. Every workman there
feels that he is doing an artistic
thing.
i The >wide sale of these reprnr
auctions is an indication thatfths
American people are an art-loFins
nation" says Frank Niepold, Il do
not-consider that we are educating
the public in the artistic ornamen-
tation of their houses so much 40
} we<hre making it possible for thea
to get what they have always really
wanted-beautiful are objects,
. which have been out of their reaca
because they existed only in ra!s
: originals"