Leading Articles in the Reviews. 



285 



simplicity v. gorgeousness in decoration. 



Whistler and William Morris. 

 In the Century Magazine for February there is an 

 interesting article by Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pennell on 

 Whistler as decorator. 



WHISTLER FRAMES. 



Whistler, we learn, designed his early frames, he and 

 his assistants decorating them with patterns derived 

 from OrientiU motives. Each was different, being sug- 

 gested by the picture it enclosed. Later he gave up 

 these painted frames and adopted one now known as 

 the Whistler frame— simple gold with reeded lines for 

 "lis, water-colours, and pastels; and simple white for 

 t tchings and lithographs. He used many sorts of gold, 

 and his frames and canvases were of definite sizes, with 

 the result that the canvas fitted the frame for which 

 it was designed. 



FLAT COLOUR SCHEMES. 



He recognised no distinction between landscape and 

 portrait painters, and he insisted that to be a painter 

 nne must be a decorator, able to make of the wall and 

 ihu whole room a harmony, a symphony, an arrange- 

 ment, no less than was the picture which was a part 

 ipf it. Whistler had no sympathy with William Morris's 

 ideas of decoration. It is a curious fact, say the writers, 

 that Morris, who said he was appealing to the people, 

 !• ver appealed to them ; while Whistler, who tried to 

 rape the people, made it possible for the people to 

 ■How him. He always used a flat colour for his walls, 

 > that pictures and prints would tell upon it. Dis- 

 mper gave him best what he wanted, but plain paper 

 uld be used. The background of the " Mother," the 

 Carlyle," and the " .Aliss Alexander " shows the 

 heme of grey and black in his house— 2, Lindsey Row. 

 'v hile Morris, preaching art for the people, would run 

 up a bill for five thousand dollars in decorating a room, 

 and make it so precious that the owner hardly dare 

 use it, Whistler, insisting upon the aristocracy of art, 

 would, at the cost of five dollars, arrange a room more 

 beautiful, which cf)uld be used without fear, since it 

 could l)e done over .i-ain in a dav. 



Whistler liked hi^ windows big, and his curtains 



were mostly of white muslin without patterns. Of 



iirse, there were -harles in the studio. The matting 



I the floor he de-,i;.'ned himself in harmony with the 



' "lour .scheme. The furniture was simple in form. He 



' .id no patience with the modern upholsterer's elaborate 



ntrivanres to encourage lounging. His extravagance 



A. IS in detail— the china, the silver, the table-linen 



iiuirkcd with the butterfly, etc. When conditions justi- 



lii-d it, he could be as gorgeous as he was usually simple. 



\\ itness the 'amous Pcaco<;k Room which he w'as asked 



to decorate for Mr. I.eyland. 



MukRls ANn THE PAST. 



Morris's idea was to put himself in the past. He 

 preached that all things useful should be beautiful ; 

 ili.it art sprang from the people, and should return to 

 I lie people ; but, in practice, he made it impossible for 

 people to own, or even to see, the work which he main- 



tained w^as theirs by right. His designs were beautiful, 

 but the schemes he revived were often inappropriate 

 in modem houses. Similarly, in the making of books, 

 Morris copied old ones, without considering the needs 

 of his time. They were beautiful, but the Gothic type 

 he used was as ill-suited to Victorian eyes as mediaeval 

 tapestries to Victorian houses. They were to be looked 

 at rather than read, and the price explains how far 

 they were beyond the reach of the people. Whistler's 

 books are not toys for the rich ; with legible type and 

 a well-leaded page, they make easy reading, and were 

 intended to be read, and not hidden awav in a bookcase. 



DICKENS AND MDSIC. 



Mr. James T. Lightwood contributes to the 

 February number of the C/ioir (C. H. Kelly, City Road) 

 an article on Dickens and music. 



Strange as it may seem, the influence which poetry 

 and music, especially the latter, exerted on Dickens 

 has been little referred to, but Mr. Lightwood has 

 recently made a perusal of Dickens's works with a view 

 to noting all the musical references. This has revealed 

 the fact that in practically all his books Dickens has 

 introduced musical characters, or incidents with music 

 as the background. Though not a practical musician 

 himself, he was greatly interested in everything per- 

 taining to music, and eagerly availed himself of any 

 opportunity of musical intercourse. 



Dickens's orchestras are limited both in numbers 

 and resources— a solitary fiddle, or a fiddle and a 

 tambourine, or fiddles and harps, etc. He makes much 

 innocent fun of the flute. Ja<k Rcdburn found con- 

 solation on wet Sundays in " blowing a very slow tune 

 on the flute," The 'cello, " the melodious grumbler," 

 comes in for the most notice. .Mr. Morfin solaced 

 himself by producing " the most dismal and forlorn 

 sounds out of his violoncello before going to bed." 

 .Among the many references to organs and organists 

 may be noted the faithful Tom "Pinch playing his 

 favourite instrument. In " The Chimes " tliere is a 

 fine description of the music of the organ in the church. 

 .\s to vocalists, Dickens pays more attention to basso 

 profundos than to other voices, but the references are 

 all of a humorous nature. .Almost all the novels contain 

 references to singers, good, bad, and indifferent ; while 

 the songs are often a parody of the original, an adapta- 

 tion to suit the character who utters them, Dickens 

 shows much enthusiasm lor the patriotic songs of the 

 eighteenth century. " The Pritish Grenadiers " is " an 

 inspiring topic," and he is equally attached to ' Heart 

 of Oak," as it is more correctly named. According to 

 Dickens church music was not in a healthy condition, 

 either in the .Anglican churches or in the dissenting 

 chapels, but his view of the music in the village 

 churches is, on the whole, more favourable. 



World history and Kmpire history need to be taught 

 in our schools, and so develop a political force of no 

 small magnitude. Such is Mr, Douglas Gregory's 

 contention in the Einf>ire Rtvinc for Februar}'. 



I 



