September, 1918 
51 
•• 
The reverse of the late 
nth Century Italian 
doors below is flat 
with a continuous 
landscape painting 
iMBSiaBI 
! 
' 
use of color and numerous small panels. This 
use of many small panels, a common door char¬ 
acteristic in Spain, was a peculiarity of Moor¬ 
ish derivation, and in itself possessed great 
decorative value. Thanks to the same source, 
in Spain likewise were found doors divided 
into many small panels, each panel perforated 
and closely filled with small turned spindles or 
grilles. One of the illustrations shows an in¬ 
genious and striking modern application of the 
multiple division of panels filled with small 
Chinese frets. In 17 th Century Eng¬ 
land doors occasionally had the uppet 
panels filled with baluster turned 
spindles, and the same device has been 
used from time to time in other places. 
It is worth noting that in 18th Century 
England and America the great diver¬ 
sity in the shaping and placement of 
door panels, had a decorative intent. 
Metal Mounts, Strapwork and 
Studding 
Door decoration with metal mounts, 
re-enforcing bands or strapwork, and 
studding was practised in Renaissance 
Italy, Spain, France and England and. 
in its range from the utmost simplicity 
to intricate elaboration, could be suited 
to any taste or to any purpose. The 
wide acceptance of Tudor and Stuart 
domestic architecture especially invites 
a free use of such embellishment. Quite 
apart from this particularly attractive 
(Continued on page 60) 
Doors made from small Chinese 
fretted panels of a light wood, 
set into stiles and rails of similar 
wood. Courtesy of Durr Fried- 
ley, Esq. 
§ 
■1 
Late llth Century 
paneled Italian doors 
with polychrome and 
gilt. Courtesy of Wil¬ 
son Eyre, Esq. 
Early 18 th Century Italian doors 
made from black lacquered 
panels with gold decorations, 
from Chinese temple screens. 
Courtesy of Wilson Eyre, Esq. 
given in the following paragraphs. 
Painted ornamentation occurred in 
very numerous instances on doors of 
the Italian Renaissance and on Ital¬ 
ian doors of the 17th and 18th Cen¬ 
turies. The methods of application 
naturally differed at different peri¬ 
ods. One or two examples shown will 
serve fully to illustrate this point. In 
Renaissance Spain the practice also 
obtained somewhat and likewise con¬ 
tinued afterwards. In 17th and 18th 
Century France we find the same 
thing and occasionally in 18th Cen¬ 
tury Holland. Inlaid enrichment 
appeared also in Italian Renaissance 
doors and likewise in some early 
Spanish work. In view of the pres¬ 
ent trend in favor of Latin styles in 
domestic architecture, this memoran¬ 
dum of precedents carries pertinent 
suggestion. Some interest also at¬ 
taches to one incident that has fallen 
under the writer’s notice, to wit, the doors in a 
late 18th Century American house, grained to 
simulate mahogany with narrow bands of box¬ 
wood inlay painted on the graining. 
Italian and Spanish Doors 
Richly carved ornamentation graced many 
Italian and Spanish Renaissance doors, the 
latter being especially remarkable in this re¬ 
spect and frequently combining therewith the 
