ve more tapestry looms at work than
has Paris. The Baumgarten looms exceed in number the present Gobelins,
and the Herter looms add many more. The ateliers of Albert Herter are
in the busiest part of New York, and here are woven by hand many
fabrics of varying degrees of excellence. It is not Mr. Herter's
intention to produce only fine wall hangings, but to supply as well
floor coverings "a la facon de Perse," as the ancient documents had
it, and to make it possible for persons of taste, but not necessarily
fortune, to have hand-woven portieres of artistic value.

Apart from this commendable aim, the Herter looms are also given to
making copies of the antique in the finest of weaving, and to
producing certain original pieces expressing the decorative spirit of
our day. Besides this, the work is distinguished by certain
combinations of antique and modern style that confuse the seeker after
purity of style. That the effect is pleasing must be acknowledged as
illustrated in the plate showing a tapestry for the country house of
Mrs. E. H. Harriman. (Plate facing page 263.) It is not easy in a
review of tapestry weaving of to-day to find any great encouragement.

These are times of commerce more than of art. If art can be made
profitable commercially, well and good. If not, it starves in a garret
along with the artist. If the demand for modern tapestries was large
enough, the art would flourish--perhaps. But it is not a large demand,
for many reasons, chief among which is the incontrovertible one that
the modern work is seldom pleasing. The whole world is occupied with
science and commerce, and art does not create under their influence as
in more ideal times. What can the trained eye and the cultivated taste
do other than turn back to the products of other days?

We have artists in our own country whose qualities would make of them
marvellous composers of cartoons. The imagination and execution of
Maxfield Parrish, for example, added to his richness of colouring,
would be translatable in wool under the hands of an artist-weaver. And
the designs which take the name of "poster" and are characterised by
strength, simplicity and few tones, why would they not give the same
crispness of detail that constitutes one of the charms of Gothic work?
Perhaps the factories existent in America will work out this line of
thought, combine it with honesty of material and labour, and give us
the honour of prominence in an ancient art's reviv