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| A DISPLAY OF FRENCH FURNITURE - When the
portals of the French section in the Manufactures Building were
opened to the public, which was not until June, exclamations of
delight and gratitude began, and continued through the season. It
was to be seen that in the elegant things of life the French had no
rival except Italy, the mother of modern art; and Italy was so slow
to accept space at Chicago that her wares were divided, crowded, and
practically ruined for exhibitory purposes. The engraving depicts
one of the many displays of rich and beautiful household furniture
which came to Chicago from Paris. The French had the southeastern
corner, at the central clock-tower, and
their exhibit was to be seen from Columbia Avenue, the main aisle,
without entering the section. Nothing has yet exceeded the grace and
beauty of the paintings on satin, the tapestry-work, and the
treatment of rosewood and gilded metals, which are the principal
attractions of Parisian furniture; but it may be justly averred that
chairs on which valuable paintings are exposed, which must be kept
covered forever, and must be soiled with the first occasion of their
use, have risen out of the true sphere of utility, and are truly
beautiful only in museums and exhibitions. Nevertheless, the
impressions received on a visit to the French section were those of
respect for France and admiration for her laborious and artistic
people. The French displays were a sore reflection on the cultures
of America, whose section of show-cases spread northward near by. |
