Class XXX.]

SUPPLEMENTARY REPORT OX DESIGN.

panels, carved in white wood, on a sideboard by J. M.Levies (p. 751), are in better style, although veryminute, but the general want of knowledge is too appa-rent. This deficiency of power and skill in the humanfigure is only an additional evidence of the want of bettereducation for our art-workmen. They need to haveproper treatises prepared for them, laying down the prin-ciples of ornament, and giving them a thorough founda-tion in practical geometry, form, proportion, and, aboveall, in anatomy, together with a careful education of thehand and eye; and unless the Government and the manu-facturers of this country are soon awakened to our defi-ciencies, and prepared to make great sacrifices, we musthe content to lag still further behind as the worldadvances, aud for the future to be manufacturers ofcheap goods, leaving excellence and beauty to our conti-nental neighbours.

IIardwahe.

Under this head are comprised grates, fenders, fire-irons,stoves, gas-fittings, lamps, and various miscellaneousapplications; the whole being largely connected withornamental design. The works in this section, however,are not more miscellaneous in their use than they are intheir style of ornamention, almost every manufacturerendeavouring to exhibit in any and every style. Thuswe have Greek candelabra adapted to many uses, Gothicchandeliers and Renaissance lamps, with a pretty largesprinkling of the forms and ornament of Louis X IV. audXV., to which, on the English side especially, is to headded the natural style before alluded to, which, adopt-ing foliage or flowers as its leading idea, presents themas they grow, without any constructive or architecturalarrangement whatever. Yet even this is encouraging,since it indicates a desire for something more than merereproductions of the antique, or that rnile'e of ornamentwhich the ignorant gather from many works, and re-assemble without taste or appropriateness; it at leastindicates a change. In a great portion of the metalworks French taste is found largely to prevail on bothsides of the building, nor is this to be wondered at, since,for a long time, the lively fancy and invention of many-excellent French artists have been directed to designingand modelling for these goods; ably seconded, also, bytrained and educated workmen capable of appreciatingtheir labours, and completing them by skilful casting, jchasing, and fitting. But the tendency of the French mind towards display-has resulted in over-ornamentation,and it is unfortunate that this fault is rather a merit inthe eyes of the world, and has been eagerly adopted bythe manufacturers of other nations, more especially ofour own, that which is meretricious being retained, ;whilst what is really excellent in French design, and !especially in French workmanship, is overlooked by jthem, or is unattainable. j

Moreover, whilst the most able French artists in metal, !eschewing the gaudy style of Louis XV. , have returnedto a modified form of the Renaissance , and have given itsomewhat of newness of character, the English designers ;for hardware (with a few exceptions) either still adhere ,to the contorted style first named, or produce works icomposed of ornaments pirated from all times and all 'nations, put together without any sense of construction,without selection and without fitness. Such works are a ;thorough chance-medley that disgrace our manufac-turers, and make us look back to the simpler forms of :the middle ages with respect aud regret. !

Let any one examine the characteristic simplicity ofthe candlestick here engraved (exhibited by Messrs. ,IIardjun, 532, p. 761, from a design by Mr. IV. Pugin ), 1adapted as it is for use, standing firmly, capable of being !handled, light, yet strong, and compare it with the showy jworks around it, so ragged and tangled with ornamentthat all characteristic form is lost, branched arms bristlingwith foliage weighing down rather, than bracing andsupporting them, with perhaps a bunch of flimsy chainsdangling in the way of those who would touch or liftthem, or two or three Parian Cupids basking at the foot,or bearing up the candles; and where the hand shouldgrasp the stem to lift the candelabrum, the ornament so I

sharp and thorny that to touch it would be impossible.

In making such a comparison can we do otherwise thanfeel that the one is honest, useful, characteristic, andtherefore beautiful, whilst the others are flashy andgrotesque, full of little prettinesses, which some mis-name “ ideas,” put together without any leading motive,and having no definite character or true construction ?

The faults of English design for hardware are obviousto every one; the error of the French designers is equallyopen to the most superficial observ er. In the great massof these works there is no rest for the eye—the wholesurface is nothing but ornament. Thus, for instance, theFrench art-bronzes have justly obtained a wide reputa-tion, and the works of Deniere, Pradier, Me'ne, and otherFrench artists, are sought for all over Europe ; but whensuch become a part of manufacture, and liable to beclassed as hardware, art is overlaid with ornament, audthe skill of the workman is directed to that which de-grades the work, and sadly militates against good taste.Thus, figures designed with much fancy, and modelledwith ability and vigour, are vulgarized from the imita-tion of fur and of the texture of the garments, of buckles,buttons, and ties of the dress, of chain or plate armouror weapons, whilst the homogeneity of the bronze is nolonger retained, but various parts of dress are treated invarious tints of the metal; and all the different qualitiesof surface, such as tooling, frosting, aud burnishing, inwhich it is but just to say the workmen are most skilful,are brought into play to enrich the effect; while some-times we have, in addition, combinations of many ma-terials, such as marble, porcelain, ivory, and bronze,united in a single work.

Another class of works are those anomalous candelabracomposed of porcelain vases filled with a bunch of flowersin or-molu, a few bearing candles amongst a number ofbarren branches, the whole being a bush of glitter andburnish. This is the direction which naturalism inornament takes in France . Such works have a totalabsence of constructive feeling, and an equal want ofproper treatment of metal; to add to their finery, ane'pergne of artificial flowers is often mixed up withmetallic ones, as a centre-piece for the dinner-table.There are many large candelabra in various parts of theExhibition—in France, Holland, Austria, and Russia —which evidence the wide dispersion of Freneh style, andcontain exaggerations of the most frequent French faults.The error, however, docs not wholly rest with the de-