Studio: international art (11.1897)

Decorative Art at the Champ de Mars

There can be little doubt that M. Selmersheim whole truth about artists like these, and they will
will produce remarkable work in the future. Like forgive such frankness, for we want to show them
M. Plumet, he is an artist of whom one may con- once more how great is the interest attaching to
fidently expect great things. They are both on their work.

the right road, for they have escaped that most With a word of due appreciation to M. Henry
dangerous of pitfalls, the influence of the English Nocq's delicate goldsmith's work, and to M.
artists, and have also kept clear of the Belgian Alexandre Charpentier's interesting collection 01
school, which is simply an imitation of the English. gaufred papers, pewter work, bronze plaquettes,
They are ever striving after grace and delicacy and the four bottle-stoppers which adorn M.
and simplicity—qualities of the first order. One Plumet's dressing-table, we have now done with this
thing alone in their work makes one a little uneasy little group of artists.

—they are prone to twist their woodwork about, The Child's Chair by M. Jean Dampt, who has
and to give to the legs of their chairs, or tables, or also contributed to the sculpture section a little
whatnots, shapes which would better befit some bust of a young girl in wood and ivory, ornamented
other material—iron, for example. In their com- with precious metals, is quite exquisite, both re-
binations they sometimes denaturalise the material, garded as a whole and in detail. The delicate
with the result that the light falls in sudden masses, taste and the conscientious workmanship of the
which has the effect of unduly weighting or lighten- true artist are fully revealed here,
ing some of their furniture. One must speak the The dining-room fireplace and wainscoting by

M. A. Benouville are deserving of special
mention. Their execution, industrial and
mechanical as it is, rather raises than
lowers their intrinsic value. They are
constructed with entirely logical simpli-
city. Laths of wood are joined together
in the form of panels, and on these laths
is a modest geometrical ornamentation,
which develops and repeats itself. The
top of the wainscoting lets down in the
shape of brackets on which articles may
be placed. The walls are coated with
Bigot and Mattier's stone-work, which
harmonises delicately with the woodwork
when seen through the interstices. The
fireplace is also very workmanlike in form,
and contains shelves with looking-glass at
the back. This work appeals to all, by
reason of its mechanical construction. A
square metre of laths would probably cost
no more than ten shillings. This is a
work of real progress, and worthy of all
attention.

We can afford to pass by the fireplace
and the Etagere-clock by M. P. E. L.
Selmersheim, both excessively compli-
cated pieces; and we have no scruples
about ignoring either the hall box-chair
by M. Theodore Lambert, which is in
no way novel, and simply distorts, with-
out modernising, the shape of certain
church furniture of the Middle Ages ; or
M. Gardelle's trunk, which is like some
implement of war ; or M. G. Reynier's
book-cabinet by charles plumet furniture, decorated in pyrogravure. We

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