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| ALCOVE WALL OF THE PORCELAIN PORCH - The
painting before us is done on porcelain, and decorated the wall of
the north alcove of the Porcelain Porch,
which was the most striking exhibit of the German Section on Columbia
Avenue in Manufactures Building. It was, of course, intended as a
setting for the display of porcelain
dishes and ornaments which are so happily placed in the foreground.
This painting is by Professor A. Kips, of Berlin. It represents
Cupid turned singing master, book and baton in hand, drilling the
chorus of the woods and lakes. The coloring of the life-sized
peacock was correct and detailed. The turkey struts, the cock
crows, the swan arches its stately neck, the stork sings, the goose
hisses, and the pet mocking bird sits on the very score itself. The
trees are full of the feathered tribe, who see their art taught to
the other denizens of the forest and stream. At Cupid's feet were
many humbler living things, not seen in the engraving. The vivid and
life-like coloring of this picture was praised by all the critics.
The caryatid at the end of this wall recalls the ornamentation of the
facade of the French Section, and the fence seen at the left is a
reflection in a mirror of the admirable iron-work on Columbia Avenue.
A vase at the left, and a partly revealed vase at the right, with
cherubs, add to the rich detail of the scene. |
