Examples of household taste . ltogether, may be described as a triumph of distorted taste. IND US TRIAL AR T. 517 Not to dwell too long upon so unlovely a theme, this misdirection, whichis seen so plainly in a landscape carpet, may be detected in almost every otherobject of use to which ornament can be applied. On the breakfast-table theboiled eggs are to be found in a porcelain basket which is the model of asetting hen, as though half-hatched eggs were delicacies, and when Mr. Croesusrequires some cream for his coffee, he seizes the rampant tail of an earthen-ware brown cow, and swinging the
Examples of household taste . ltogether, may be described as a triumph of distorted taste. IND US TRIAL AR T. 517 Not to dwell too long upon so unlovely a theme, this misdirection, whichis seen so plainly in a landscape carpet, may be detected in almost every otherobject of use to which ornament can be applied. On the breakfast-table theboiled eggs are to be found in a porcelain basket which is the model of asetting hen, as though half-hatched eggs were delicacies, and when Mr. Croesusrequires some cream for his coffee, he seizes the rampant tail of an earthen-ware brown cow, and swinging the whole animal in the air, forces the cream through her mouth—cream which has beenpreviously introducedinto her body througha skylight in her is also a tragicside to this demorali-zation of taste, for in aprivate sanctum, wherememorials of the pastare preserved to re-mind Mr. Crcesus of hisearly struggles, and toenhance the value bycontrast of presentwealth, are two candle-sticks of sea-greenglass, which are models. Jjmimmnmm^m Hindoo Wetter-Bottle. of the Crucifixion; thebowed head of the Sa-viour and his out-stretched arms formingthe handle by which itis to be carried; andthat great historic scenewhich was completewhen the dying Saviourcried in mortal agony,It is finished! is em-ployed to furnish theornament of a stickwith which to hold atallow candle — thecrown of thorns tocatch the grease as itgutters over, and the pierced side of Christ to be clasped in the hand whenever Bridget takes thiscandlestick into the cellar to light her when fetching a hodful of coals. All this happens when designers forget the limits by which ornamental artfor industrial purposes should be bounded, and, overstepping these lines, invadethe domain or employ the language of fine art, by imitation rather than adap-tation. The same mistakes occur, though in the opposite direction, when thedesigner of a picture or a statue abandons the truth and beauty of nature, orneglects to imitate her
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, bookp, booksubjectdecorativearts
