Color Ornamentation Source: The Decorator and Furnisher, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Jul., 1883), p.

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*141

VOL. II.-JNo.
Copyright, tered

4.NE

TTJNT

NEW

YOK

TTTTV

UY

1883.

Four Annum, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Per

85 Cents. Copies,' Single

Dollars

1883, by E. W. BULLINGoB,all rights reserved. Mail Matter.

at the Netw York Post Office, as &cond-dass

will in be inserted . No advertisement (or "puff") or Reading at any price; the Editorial matter, parties having new designs may have them free of displayed, if worthy notice. charge, of our special Designs submitted and Articles if not accepted. returned, please give for their publication full address will in

The Decorator nd PumiBho

Issued on the Third Saturday of each Month.

be

Correspondents will each communication.

Published by Edited by

E. W. BULLINGER. - A. CURTIS BOND.

COLOR

ORNAMENTATION. part of art. in poetry as

As it is a means

COLORING is the decorative answers to rhythm and rhyme OFFICE,

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It the
of

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........ $4.00 40 aents Extra, per Year,

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so its indispensable producing, qualification is, In the higher aims of art it should be beauty. made subservient to character and expression, by in the according with the nature of the subject; lesser arts its function is to produce a harmonizing
effect all and to some extent and a pictorial to whatsoever one, for under ap circumstances, purpose

and French Subscribers supplied through our Agencies. GRIFFiTH LONDON AGENCY ........... & FAREr, cor. St. Pauls Churchyard. Vs. MoR. & Co. PARIS AGENCY ..............

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Terms.
Insertions, $20 00 per inch. on application.

Single Insertion, $2 50 per inch; Twelve

plied, the first qualification of coloring as a means of art, is that it should produce a picture. In the higher arts the mere representation of any object, however accurately detailed and color
ed, does not, constitute a picture; it must be re

Terms for larger spaces made known

CONTRIBUTORS:
M. lMCrs. ................................ London. B. HENRYWHEATLEY of Decoration." of "Art IS, Author E. HAMw

London.
and of " Decoration W. FEDIS, Author ROBERT London. of Town Houses"....................... Furnishing B. REDGRAVE, Secretary, Tephnical GILBERT London. Britain ......................... of Great Commission of Author HULME, "Principles F. EDWARD .London. Art" ...................--Ornamental ................. . -... London. HOOPER LUTHER of "Every Author F. DAY. Day Art," LEWIS and other Works ...................-.-.--.London. London. -.......... AS .' 1 '.H.OM T0; W. CAVE .................................... Paris. D ..................... CHI 'THEODORE of Forestry Chief B. HOUGH, Division, FRANKLIN Washington. .......... Boston. Boston T. ROBINSON FRANK Transcript, ...................... New York WRIGHT City. CURTIS GEO. es ".". GAY ... HUMPHREY M1iss MARY .............................. M. SKEINNEER CHARLES Brooklyn. others. And many ARTISTS: London. SAW ENRY ............................................................ ............. ;...............................-..................London. W. POLEY E. ............................... Canada. W. H. WATTS JNO. Ottawa, ............................... Mass. THOMSON J'AMES Boston, " " S. N. SMATL. ..................................... York City. DEWBON ....................-.-.-.New EDWARD R. I. J. W. BLISS. .Providence, ...........................N ew York R GUASTAVINO City. AFAEL P. HOOPER. W. ........................................ W. A. LESTLI F. others. And many Booksellers and Newsdealers will be supplied by the AMERICAN NEWS COMPANY, through their various Branches, as follows; New York, N.Y. The American News Company......................................... New York, N.Y. The International News Company................................... New York, N.Y. The National News Company .......................................... New York, N.Y. The New York News Company ..................................... The Brooklyn News Company .......................................... Brooklyn, N.Y. The Williamsburg News Company............................ Brooklyn, E.D., N.Y. ...................................... News New The Boston, Mass. Company England The Central News Company .......................................... Philadelphia, Pa. The Baltimore News Company .......................................... Baltimore, Md. Ill. The Western News Company.Chicago, StLOuis, Mo. ..................... The St. Louis News Company Ohio. The Cincinnati News Company ......................Cincinnati, Detroit, Miich. ..................... The Detroit News Company Pittsburg, Pa. The Pittsburg News Company ..................... Albany, N. Y. The Albany News Company ...................... NewOrleans, La. The New Orleans News Company ..................... an Francisco, Cal. .S.................... The San Francisco News Company Washington, D.C. ..................... The WVashinlgton News Company Providence, R.I. The Rhode Island News Company ..................... N. J. ............,Newark, The Newark News Company Mhiun. Paull, Company.St. News The American Kansas City, M^o. The American News Company ................. Neb. ..................Omaha, The American News Company Denver, Col. ................. The American News Company Canada. Compaay .M.................ontreal, Th. Montreal Newrs Toronto,Ontario, Canada. The Toronto New Company ................. . C................ lifon, Ontaio, Caaa. The Toreat. New Company, Clifton Branch

In decoration, presented with suitable accessories. however, this picture is replaced by harmony, Individuals may have preferences, and as is usual with preferences desire to use them in many instances, perhaps, when they are not suitable. in the amateur, for the This may be overlooked professional decorator will make efforts to correct the fault if it interferes with the harmonious re
sult of his work; but that an artist should enter

such its and good taste; with son of knowledge is Knowledge in the extreme. effect is beautiful the true secret to effective decoration, as it is to all else, and mere surface knowledge will not answer, but the thorough acquaintance with the principles and reasons of color harmonies is required, such as may be acquired in the studio of some artist or in one of the many excellent schools we have for that purpose. The second purpose of color, in separating forms and defining shapes, while being of almost does in the general appearance equal importance not, of course, call foi the skill in application, and sufflcient for this may be readily the knowledge acquired by less arduous study. This quality which color has of separating forms is often lost sight of, If it isworth and much confusion thereby results. form, it is worth while to produce a decorative while to render it visible; and yet how mueh orna is lost to the eye ment, and even good ornament, through the confusion of its colors. Color alone, we think, has greater charms than form alone, yet colors, as has been said, when placed together can only please and satisfy the educated when they are combined harmoniously or according to the laws of harmony. There must then be laws which govern the ar rangement of colors, and these laws it is necessary before he can to understand for the decorator gracefully raise it into an art. Artists like La Farge and Tiffany in this coun in England have try and Sir Frederick Leighton the true theories of decoration and the mastered of colors. The employment most advantageous latter's recent fresco representing the interior of an of ancient armorers shop, is said to be a marvel the use of colors and their effective massing, and his beautiful frieze, referred to in our London corres resource of the pondence, shows the inexhaustible artist. in- the more Some of the decorative painting in this country, are guarantees recent -buildings of the that the cultivation for the improvements "color talent" has made in our art. WE have received from John A. Lowell. & Co., of Boston, a proof of an engraving whose subject has been borrowed from Hunt's picture of "The The purpose of the engraving is so en Bathers." tirely original, and the end sought in its peculiar effect is so decidedly novel for work of this char acter, that it deserves the most careful attention. in some The idea, as we take it, is to approach manner the effect of an oil painting, more particu school, of the modern French larly a painting where a view at short range shows outlines and almost be called crude if we details that might their author, but when were not familiar with seen from the distance of a yard or more, the ex quisite shading is developed and every minutE 'of traced. is cleanly and distinctly fibre or muscle In examining the work it is easy to understand three that the engraver, S. A. Schoff, exhausted years in his efforts to perfect it, and the final ac is certainly a success of no incon complishment siderable importance, for it opens a new field for the art, though the field may be said to embrace new results rather than new means. We presume the subject chosen was selected on account of its uniqueness, yet we feel that a some what better choice might have been mnade; there were certain features in the original painting that could have been improved and the engraver has been compelled necessarily to reproduce these fea may be the opinion as to tures. Still whatever subject, the engraving is remarkable in many ways and shows a treatment and handlling that is most artistic and effective.

or permit a preference to tain such a prejudice control his judgment would interfere very seriously In our remarks last month upon with his success. ornamentation we pointed out the unsatisfactory results of a misjudged of decoration, application
and found, in an existing instance, an example of a

failure to appreciate color.

Desirable as sky, care

the adaptability
in a color interior nature that of

of place and
and must agreeable

is green it in is the

to the
foliage with

eyes, despite
and

the harmonious
our

blending
be houses

of
used and

great

the bright green of the fields would be incongru ous, in the majority of instances, if transported to our inner walls. While the bright' green is avoid
ed, do not commit Morris the calls error "a of dingy, adopting what Mr. William bilious-looking

a color, Mr. Morris wishes yellow-green," distinctly understood, he is not responsible

Blue shade may than be green considered and may as be a more more

it to be for.

popular_ em readily

ployed in masses; but this, too, has many phases that require judicious handling, from the pale, washed out, " greenery" blue, beautiful when just right but atrocious when wrong, to the deep reddish-blue or purple. These suggestions as to the difficulties that rest in colors, and difficulties as they are that grow with each color in almost mathematical propor portions, are made merely to remind the decorator
that the use of colors in the average room must be

moderate and subdued, and some degree of relief, found only in a certain soberness, is always re quired from the light and lively tones of a rich and deep shade. WE apply color to decorations for two fold rea sons, it gives to the objects so treated a new charm -a charm impossible to obtain without this agency, and it likewise separates parts of figures or objects and thus gives shape and form to them. Its first province, that of lending a charm to the objects, is only possible in the hands of a per

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