Studio: international art (37.1906)

The Rothschild Artisans Dwellings in Paris

ROTHSCHILD ARTIZANS' DWELLINGS, PARIS AUGUSTIN REY, ARCHITECT

The painting of Mr. D. Y. Cameron's Glencatle
is remarkably beautiful in quality. M. Besnard is
one of those painters from whom we have learnt
to expect so much that we often meet disappoint-
ment half-way in looking at their pictures ; this was
so for us in Au Bord du Lac, and this despite
its many pre-eminent qualities. Mr. J. Whitelaw
Hamilton's Berwick-on-Tiveed shows that painter
with his high accomplishment at his best. Prof.
Hans von Bartels was represented by the painting, A
Flemish Inn; and EmileClaus showed May and June,
two paintings beautifully characteristic of his re-
fined art. Mr. Walter W. Russell in his Le Chateau
de Billy rendered the effect of a day of clear atmo-
sphere ; the painting showed that the subject had
been finely felt. Mr. A. Withers' Evensong was
grey and emotional. This year emphasised Mr.
Grosvenor Thomas's claims to be considered
amongst the first of our landscape painters. Mr.
Fritz Thaulow's Sun Reflections was an unassuming
painting, with the characteristics of this distin-
guished artist. A Stormy Evening well displayed
the completeness of Mr. Bertram Priestman's art.
Messrs. James S. Hill, A. D. Peppercorn, and Oliver
Hall exhibited characteristic works. Messrs. R.
Macaulay Stevenson, T. Willie Dow, H. Goodall,
Montague Smythe, and Frank Mura were by their
respective works each represented to great
advantage.

(To be continued.)

THE ROTHSCHILD ARTIZANS'
DWELLINGS IN PARIS, DE-
SIGNED BY AUGUSTIN REY.
DESCRIBED BY H. FRANTZ.

One of the questions most highly deserving of
interest in these days of emancipation and progress,
one too that we may venture to say touches very
closely the future both of races and nations, is that
of the housing of the working-classes and their
conditions of comfort, hygiene and sanitation.

We must regretfully note that hitherto nothing,
or almost nothing, has been done in the way of
progress or in conformity with the discoveries of
science. While these are neglected, three-fourths
of the Parisian population continue living in court-
yards that are virtually wells, the air of which
remains constantly unchanged, or in narrow, ill-
ventilated streets. From this, as is easily con-
ceived, ensues an augmented death-rate and an
impoverishment of national physique.

We must therefore gladly welcome every attempt
to put an end to this pernicious state of things,
and to provide the people with rational, healthy,
and comfortable dwellings. It was this great idea
which inspired Messrs. Rothschild when they
resolved to devote a sum of ten million francs to
the erection of workmen's dwellings. A competi-
tion was set on foot in furtherance of this object,
and the first prize awarded to a Parisian architect,