Page:The Building News and Engineering Journal, Volume 22, 1872.djvu/452

 450 THE BUILDING NEWS. May 31, 1872. It may be expedient to do this—according to the external temperature—either when the apartment is full, or when it is empty, but the power of doing it with ease and rapidity should be a primary desideratum in eyery instance. , ———_———_ FURNITURE IN THE INTER- NATIONAL EXHIBITION. N the sideboard marked No. 2762, in room No. 7, Messrs. Gillow exhibit an extrava- gantly overloaded composition of the class of furniture so greatly admired some thirty years back, in which Renaissance architectural stone features are parodied in wood. The pedestals are half quadrants upon plan, and are flanked by monstrous balusters. Huge bolection mouldings and ponderous carved members emphasize every portion, if that can be called emphasis which is lavished equally everywhere. The material is walnut, with an oval bronze medallion in the centre of the backboard, under a curved pediment, which has a sort of furze bush of carved foliage in place of the keystone. ‘The general effect is, of its class—Louis Quatorze work—un- doubtedly rich and harmonious, and the workmanship excellent; but cw bono all this waste, which is quite outside the pale of art, and only ministers to false pride and senseless luxury ? It is made to sell, and we almost regret to think that in all probability that end, such as it is, will be effected, and some cotton lord from the North carry it off in triumph, asa tour-de-force of one of the first manufacturers of the age. Messrs. Gillow ~should strive to lead and not mislead such men, who are by no means averse to learn what is real art, and take a pride in making - collections of thesame. Close alongside of this pretentious example of workmanship is a cabinet not much less in size, but infinitely superior to it in artistic and practical character. It is exhibited by Messrs. Morant, Boyd, & Blanford, but is evidently from the design of some architect not unstudied in the matter of furniture, while the work we have just been discussing is as evidently from one of the furniture artists of the old school— probably a Frenchman—such as are retained by some of the more eminent manufacturing firms : men who are slow to imbibe new ideas, and faney their own hackneyed style to be perfection. The motif of the cabinet to which we would now direct attention is Medieval, but freely treated, with a good deal of impure Classic details, introduced after the fashion of the Queen Anne period, now so much and so foolishly imitated by some of those young men who strive to appear original by following some queer out- of-the-way type. The material of the cabinet is light wainscot, and the principal enrich- ments are sunk delicate ornaments gilded with a few paintings of fruit upon gold grounds, in the cove of the upper parts. The general tone thus produced is very pleasing, and is enhanced by the contrast of several plate- glass panels, which relieve, but do not fill, the recessed portions. Among the Gothic details of this work is the treatment of the cove just mentioned, and the pointed arches and slender columns atthe ends of this ; while as Classic may be noted the ege and tongue moulding | below the shelf on which these rest. Semi- cireular niches to some of the glass panels, and Elizabethan-like panels, bearsunk frets and Medieval bronze hinges; arid nondescript cuspings combine to forma jumble of styles which we cannot recognise as a new one, or one at allworth reproducing. Still, inspite of these vagaries, the designer has produced a graceful piece of furniture, and we should like to see essays by the same hand in a purer and better style. Messrs. Johnstone, Jeanes, & Co., also ex- hibit a cabinet in ebony and a chair, which present very much the same general characteristics in the detail, with the Gothic, and, indeed, the pure Classic element also eliminated; a genuine imitation of old English work, delicately moulded, and en- riched with sunk ornaments, with an open gallery with coved top inthe upper part for the display of china. We fancy that this in reality is from the same designer as the last. If so, why is not credit given to whom credit is due? <A small cabinet, No. 2765, by Messrs. Gillow, is also very similar in general char- acter, and likewise very good. Are we wrong in attributing all these to Mr. Talbert, whose style we seem to recognise throughout these works by different makers, who, according to the custom of the trade, put forward no names but their own, whereas nought of the brain- work is theirs? An ebony tea table, enriched with gold, exhibited by Messrs. Morant, Boyd, & Blanford, affects, but does not reach the same standard as the last, the detail being rococo, ‘The same might be said of (2759) another small cabinet by Gillow, which is common-place, and the niggling work of which is not effective in proportion to its cost. A cabinet, near to the last described speci- men, in light coloured work, decorated with stained ornaments in red and black, is sug- gestive, and not unpleasing, except as regards the queer balusters and arches which support the upper part. It is a sort of chest upon posts. The decorations resemble those upon Messrs. Simpson’s “‘ art tiles.” The art here is rather of a low type. No. 2785 — the catalogue fails to respond to the numbers —is an elaborate chimney-piece, modelled in cream-coloured pottery, with a high glaze, enriched with ormolu, of which we can but say again, that it is suggestive. Good work might be so wrought as well as a vicious jumble of Renaissance details, and in different ornaments, to the repetition of which the material sadly lends itself, but the general design and effect of the whole in this case is not bad. An interesting little cabinet, exhibited by Messrs, Doulton & Co., No. 2767, has six panels of Scripture subjects inserted in the doors, which are very well composed and tolerably modelled, and exeeuted in their earthenware, glazed, and relieved with blue colour. They are from the hand of one of the modellers employed in Messrs. Dovflton’s establishment at Lambeth. An inlaid table of marble, exhibited by J. Wren, deserves praise, but the general design is too much like an ordinary wooden one, than specially fitted for the material. No. 1079, on the opposite side of the room, has a sort of tripod stand, and is far better in this respect, but inferior as regards the inlaying, and both examples err m having this portion of the work too naturalesque. No. 2761 is a Moorish piano case, elabo- rately and well wrought all over, and fairly designed in the style chosen, but why the choice? Is it going to Morocco? Another piano case, almost as elaborate, but in a more ordinary modern furniture style, and ornamented with painted porcelain panels, is sent by Messrs. Hopkinson, of Regent-street. The general effect of this is not commensurate with the cost, and the glaring white of the porcelain is too crude. No. 2787, a cabinet exhibited by J. Lamb, also decorated with porcelain, 1s far better. In- deed, this is, though peculiar, a rich and beautiful work. The main structure is black, polished, relieved with ornaments in gold and dead black, with panels and borders in am- boyna, enriched with decoration in cream colour and gold, while other still more pre- cious panels are of Wedgwood ware, having white figures on sage-green grounds. ‘There is, perhaps, some want of repose, every por- tion of the surface being ornamented ; but the general form, tone of colour, and the design of the details, in a modern French treatment of Classic, are refined and harmonious. No. 2760 is another small and curious cabinet, exhibited by Messrs, Doulton & Co., with flat plaques of pottery introduced as panels, with freely sketched groups of animals, touched with blue, and glazed. We are glad! very to see this comparatively common 1aterial | so artistically treated, and introduced in so novel a manner. In Room No. 9, Messrs. Cox & Sons (see lithographic illustrations) are large contri- butors, and their works, thanks to the super- intendence of Mr. S. J. Nicholl, are of a more uniform character, and in a far higher style of art than usual, and prove the im- portance of manufacturers placing reliance upon such trained able assistance. Some of Messrs. Cox’s productions, however, are by Mr. Talbert, and others by Mr. Moyr Smith, and the consequence is that they present an exceedingly interesting and generally— though, of course, in varying degrees—ex- cellent collection of works of art. manufac- ture. The chimney-piece and breast, carried up as a feature for the end of a room (2771), designed by Mr. Nicholl, and with tiles and panels drawn by Mr. Rossiter, is a really fine thing, though, as is often the case in such attempted tours-de-force made for exhi- bition, a little overdone and wanting in repose. The actual fireplace and mantel- piece are also made to appear almost signifi- cant among their surroundings, whereas, in reality, they should have been the prominent part of the composition, to which all the rest should have been subordinate. There is so much that is clever and well-designed, and such a wealth of excellent detail in this work that the eye rather resents not being suffered to rest upon any one portion in particular. The whole wants quieting down, and this might -easily be done, particularly by softening down the borders of the tiling. The colouring of the coved part, where the chimney-breast unites with the ceiling, is the softest and pleasantest part. A plain oak cabinet and lectern, by Mr. Nicholl, are full of character. His font is injured by the raw colouring of the tiles introduced, the lower part alone is soft and harmonious. Mr. Talbert’s reredos issomewhat loud and coarse in general design, and in the detail of the carved stonework, and the painting upon tiles within it, by Casolani, a very poor affair indeed. His font-cover is much better. A capital flagon by Messrs. Goldie & Child, and another less characteristic one by Mr. Butterfield, and a sumptuous and excellent pastoral staff for Hereford Cathedral, designed by Mr. Codman, after a remnant of an ancient one discovered there, are exhibited by Messrs. Cox, and the execution does that firm much credit. Miss A. Groome’s altar frontal, the embroidery of which is executed in straw, is good and effective. Mr. Rossiter’s panels in cabinet (2781), by Messrs. Cox, also deserve particular attention, now that the method of decorative painting is being discussed. One panel represents a young man with hawk and hound, and the other a girl attended by a swan. The cabinet itself is a good specimen of Mr. Moyr Smith’s quaint and characteristic designs. A perforated panel altar back, in two thicknesses of wood, black and red upon a yellow ground, is rich, and the series of small panels with drawings of insects and birds in gold lines, and some conventional ornament, treated in thesame way, ave very good. The same room has a pretty little black and gold seeretaire, with a larger one of similar character, both designed by Mr. Moyr Smith, exhibited by Messrs. Collinson & Lock; a very good cabinet (2780) sent by Gillow & Co. ; a rich table with inlaid top in the Greek style (2783) ; a cabinet with painted tiles, exhibited by John Bennett, somewhat too strong in colour ; and a start- lingly loud Gothic cabinet, sent by Messrs. Collier & Pecknett, which forms a good example of what to avoid. ; This colléction of articles of furniture is butasmall one, and cannot be looked upon as representative of the work of the day, being contributed by a comparatively few manufacturers, and from the designs of avery limited number of artists. Without being yery original or perfect, it is, on the whole, ereditable, and gives good promise for the future, as thereis but little of what may