Studio: international art (21.1901)

Austrian Decorative Art

decoration of the various sections, particularly that mentations in red, which is also the tone of the
of the Fine Arts in the Grand Palais des Champs woodwork and of the greater part of the furniture.
Elysees. It is wonderful to see how completely As may be judged from the reproductions
these Austrian artists and decorators have forgotten accompanying this article, there is more sobriety,
the past; how great is their ardour for novelty, for more judgment in the decoration of the Seces-
freedom from fetters and jormultz—from every- sionist galleries at the Grand Palais; moreover, it
thing, in fact, which might check the fancy and the may be said without hesitation that no section of
ambitions of the modern man in his eagerness to the Beaux Arts display is arranged with more
create a decor appropriate to the age. taste, or with a keener sense of the merit of the

Chief honour in this respect belongs to Joseph works displayed, than that of Austria. The
Hoffmann, the architect, who is a professor at the organisers of the French Exposition Decennale
Decorative Art School in Vienna. He is the very will do well to find inspiration therein, if ever
soul of the new movement, and his generous and —and, in the interest of our artists, one may
fertile influence is, in a greater or lesser degree, hope it may not be the case—they should be
manifest everywhere. His plan of teaching—as entrusted with the management of an Exhibi-
all may see who examine carefully any of the tion; for hitherto they have given a lamentable
various articles here dis-
played : laces, embroi-
deries, furniture, bindings,
glass - work, &c. — his
teaching, I say, is based
on a solid foundation,
which may be defined as
comprising a bold con-
ception of ornamenta-
tion, an absolutely logical
view of things, and a
rare sense of proportion.
The " general views " and
the writing-cabinet, repro-
duced on page 119 afford
striking proof of this.
The piece of furniture is
an excellent thing, which
does the highest honour
to the Viennese School of
Decorative Art. Its origi-
nality of shape and of
ornamentation will be re-
marked. The wood is
stained light blue, and
the drawer handles, if my
memory serves me, are
bronze—altogether it is one
of the most successful of
all the Austrian decorative
exhibits. In the mural
decorations there is perhaps
somewhat too strong a
suggestion of the familiar
motifs of the Glasgow
school. The ground is
straw - colour, with em-
broidered applique orna- the Austrian exhibition at the grand palais des champs elysees
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