DOI Heft:
No. 51 (June 1897)
DOI Artikel:Decorative art in the Salon du Champ de Mars
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18389#0053
Decorative Art at the Champ cie Mars
to devise simple articles of practical utility, such productions which fill us with admiration when we
as could be manufactured wholesale and brought see them in the museums, were objects of daily
within the reach of all ? Their sole desire would use; and the art-worker of to-day, if he wishes his
appear to be to satisfy the tastes of a little set of own work to be fruitful of good results, must aim
amateurs ; and here, undoubtedly, they make a great in the same direction. Only thus will he succeed
mistake. Do they imagine that their works would in impressing the public with his new ideas of
lose any of the artistic value they might possess by things. And then he will be doing good work for
being reproduced in great quantities ? Do they times to come.
imagine it is the precious material of which these This Exhibition, it should be remembered, is the
works are made that gives them their worth ? This sixth that has taken place since the inauguration of
new art movement can never become general, this objets (Tart section which was hailed with so
never make itself truly felt, so long as the com- much enthusiasm by all people of intelligence. But
mercial value of the object is put before the if one were to search for the works of real value dis-
question of taste. If the ambition of these art- played there, or make a list of the really original
workers is to produce articles intended for preserva- and personal efforts of truly fresh conception these
tion in collections, their labour is vain, for it is exhibitions have produced, the surprising fact would
very doubtful if they will ever equal the master- be evident that in this period of six years the
pieces of the past. And, in any case, it must be genuine progress made has been quite insignificant,
remembered that the majority of the marvellous All this is due to a thousand various causes, for
some of which, no doubt,
the artists themselves can-
not be held responsible ;
but the chief cause of all
—and for this they cer-
tainly are to blame—is a
lack of unity. The incon-
testable fact—one may as
well tell the whole truth at
once—is, the public ap-
pears to be taking less and
less interest each year in
these incoherent displays.
So many promises have
been made and so few
kept that the man in the
street shrugs his shoulders
and goes on his way. The
National Society of Fine
Arts gained much credit
for adding this section,
and for being bold enough,
to place works of applied
art side by side with paint-
ings and sculpture, gene-
rally considered as the
only things worthy of
being termed "art"; and
it is high time that the
committee of the Champ
de Mars, by a more rigor-
ous selection, by special
inducements to industrial
art-workers, and by the
KI REPLACE ANT) PANELLING BY L. C. /\. BENOUVILLE Complete exclusion Of
39
to devise simple articles of practical utility, such productions which fill us with admiration when we
as could be manufactured wholesale and brought see them in the museums, were objects of daily
within the reach of all ? Their sole desire would use; and the art-worker of to-day, if he wishes his
appear to be to satisfy the tastes of a little set of own work to be fruitful of good results, must aim
amateurs ; and here, undoubtedly, they make a great in the same direction. Only thus will he succeed
mistake. Do they imagine that their works would in impressing the public with his new ideas of
lose any of the artistic value they might possess by things. And then he will be doing good work for
being reproduced in great quantities ? Do they times to come.
imagine it is the precious material of which these This Exhibition, it should be remembered, is the
works are made that gives them their worth ? This sixth that has taken place since the inauguration of
new art movement can never become general, this objets (Tart section which was hailed with so
never make itself truly felt, so long as the com- much enthusiasm by all people of intelligence. But
mercial value of the object is put before the if one were to search for the works of real value dis-
question of taste. If the ambition of these art- played there, or make a list of the really original
workers is to produce articles intended for preserva- and personal efforts of truly fresh conception these
tion in collections, their labour is vain, for it is exhibitions have produced, the surprising fact would
very doubtful if they will ever equal the master- be evident that in this period of six years the
pieces of the past. And, in any case, it must be genuine progress made has been quite insignificant,
remembered that the majority of the marvellous All this is due to a thousand various causes, for
some of which, no doubt,
the artists themselves can-
not be held responsible ;
but the chief cause of all
—and for this they cer-
tainly are to blame—is a
lack of unity. The incon-
testable fact—one may as
well tell the whole truth at
once—is, the public ap-
pears to be taking less and
less interest each year in
these incoherent displays.
So many promises have
been made and so few
kept that the man in the
street shrugs his shoulders
and goes on his way. The
National Society of Fine
Arts gained much credit
for adding this section,
and for being bold enough,
to place works of applied
art side by side with paint-
ings and sculpture, gene-
rally considered as the
only things worthy of
being termed "art"; and
it is high time that the
committee of the Champ
de Mars, by a more rigor-
ous selection, by special
inducements to industrial
art-workers, and by the
KI REPLACE ANT) PANELLING BY L. C. /\. BENOUVILLE Complete exclusion Of
39