TAPESTRY AT RliNISHAW HALL. 25 



much faded, and seems to have been retouched, many years ago, 

 in a few places with a brown dye, as if to revive the brown tints in 

 the hanging. It is needless to say that the attempt has been an 

 injurious failure. 



Sir Geo. R. Sitwell writes : — " I think the two reclining figures 

 in No. I represent Earth and Water, and I connect them in my 

 mind with the subject of sheets 4 and 5. 



" You admired the fineness of my hangings, but I don't feel 

 sure that you appreciated as much as I do (perhaps possession 

 inclines me to an exaggerated estimate) the beauty of design and 

 colouring. I showed No. 4 in London to Sir W. B. Richmond, R. A., 

 and he was in raptures over it. I feel sure that none of the 

 tapestries now left at the Gobelins are equal to this set ; nor do 

 I remember having seen any in my travels which could be said 

 to be superior. 



" These emblematic female figures, placed in stately gardens, 

 seem to me to offer the perfection of decoration in tapestry, and 

 I wish our modern makers would take the same motive, instead 

 of offering us life-size figures with no background worth looking 

 at. 



" I have written this because I suspect you may be more in 

 sympathy with the earlier tapestries, which are more curious and 

 interesting, but not to be compared for decorative value as for art. 

 In theory, it may be true that tapestries should not resemble 

 pictures, and should not show a distant background ; but is there 

 any adverse rule which some great artist has not shown us how to 

 treat with advantage ? " 



