DOI Heft:
No. 178 (December, 1911)
DOI Artikel:Holiday Book Reviews
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.43448#0401
Hol/idciy Book Reviews
From “Les Grands Palais de France’’
DECORATION OVER A DOOR FROM THE LOUIS XIV ROOM
(PALAIS DE VERSAILLES, 1679-1701)
OLIDAY BOOK REVIEWS
“Les Grands Palais de France,”
V ersailles (two portfolios), $3 7.50, by M.
Pierre de Nolhac. Fontainebleau (one
portfolio), $25.00. Ritter & Flebbe, Boston, Mass.
The architects of our more important hotels—
those buildings of the order of the Plaza, the
Knickerbocker, the Astor, the St. Regis and the
Bellevue-Stratford—seem inclined of late to lean
heavily upon historic precedent in detail. This
detail, furthermore, seems to consist principally
of work of a character that is popularly known as
“Modern French.” That the architects are con-
tent to adapt well-studied details of proven ac-
ceptability, rather than inclined to inflict upon us
originalia of problematical and questionable
merit, is indeed fortunate. And that they have
elected, especially for the details of hotels and
theatres, to exploit the style of the French Regen-
cies, is doubly fortunate. That a hotel should
present an appearance both inside and out little
less festive and cheerful than a theatre is an idea
of naissance and growth of no more than the last
two decades. The architectural embellishments
of an old-fashioned hotel in this country, its de-
pressing efforts to suggest opulent magnificence,
resulted in mournful parodies of decoration which
tended to make it rather a port in a storm than a
place to be sought for amusement.
But whence came the graceful pilasters, the
gilded garlands, the crystal chandeliers and glit-
tering mirrors of the great modern hotel? Cer-
tainly they form no part of anything that could be
called a “national style,” and one must look to the
gorgeously elaborate apartments of the Palais de
Versailles and to those of Fontainebleau to trace
the happy inspirations which have recently en-
lightened our architects. And now there have
come to hand the first volumes of a remarkably
well presented and carefully studied series of vol-
umes dealing most minutely with those sources of
inspiration.
M. de Nolhac prefaces the letter press of his two
great volumes of splendid plates with certain gen-
eral remarks, made with the purpose of stating
what he considers to be the significance of the
architecture and decorations at Versailles, and
what he has endeavored to present to the architect
and student in his “Grand Palais de Versailles.”
XLV
From “Les Grands Palais de France’’
DECORATION OVER A DOOR FROM THE LOUIS XIV ROOM
(PALAIS DE VERSAILLES, 1679-1701)
OLIDAY BOOK REVIEWS
“Les Grands Palais de France,”
V ersailles (two portfolios), $3 7.50, by M.
Pierre de Nolhac. Fontainebleau (one
portfolio), $25.00. Ritter & Flebbe, Boston, Mass.
The architects of our more important hotels—
those buildings of the order of the Plaza, the
Knickerbocker, the Astor, the St. Regis and the
Bellevue-Stratford—seem inclined of late to lean
heavily upon historic precedent in detail. This
detail, furthermore, seems to consist principally
of work of a character that is popularly known as
“Modern French.” That the architects are con-
tent to adapt well-studied details of proven ac-
ceptability, rather than inclined to inflict upon us
originalia of problematical and questionable
merit, is indeed fortunate. And that they have
elected, especially for the details of hotels and
theatres, to exploit the style of the French Regen-
cies, is doubly fortunate. That a hotel should
present an appearance both inside and out little
less festive and cheerful than a theatre is an idea
of naissance and growth of no more than the last
two decades. The architectural embellishments
of an old-fashioned hotel in this country, its de-
pressing efforts to suggest opulent magnificence,
resulted in mournful parodies of decoration which
tended to make it rather a port in a storm than a
place to be sought for amusement.
But whence came the graceful pilasters, the
gilded garlands, the crystal chandeliers and glit-
tering mirrors of the great modern hotel? Cer-
tainly they form no part of anything that could be
called a “national style,” and one must look to the
gorgeously elaborate apartments of the Palais de
Versailles and to those of Fontainebleau to trace
the happy inspirations which have recently en-
lightened our architects. And now there have
come to hand the first volumes of a remarkably
well presented and carefully studied series of vol-
umes dealing most minutely with those sources of
inspiration.
M. de Nolhac prefaces the letter press of his two
great volumes of splendid plates with certain gen-
eral remarks, made with the purpose of stating
what he considers to be the significance of the
architecture and decorations at Versailles, and
what he has endeavored to present to the architect
and student in his “Grand Palais de Versailles.”
XLV