the city of domes-第12节

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〃They　don't　understand　the　conditions　that　the　architects　had　to　meet。　That　plan　was　considered；　but　when　it　was　pointed　out　that　the　strongest　winds　here　blow　from　the　south　and　southwest；　it　was　seen　that　it　would　not　be　feasible。　Besides；　the　present　arrangement　has　the　advantage　of　leading　the　people　directly　to　one　of　the　most　beautiful　bays　in　the　world。　The　only　bays　at　all　like　it　that　I　know　anything　about　are　the　Bay　of　Palermo　and　the　Bay　of　Naples。　The　view　of　the　Exposition　from　the　water　is　wonderfully　fine。　It　brings　out　the　charm　of　the　straight　lines。　All　things　considered；　the　architects　did　an　uncommonly　fine　job　in　making　the　courts　run　from　the　Esplanade。〃

Under　the　star　figures；　among　the　sculptured　flowers'　surrounding　the　head　of　the　sacred　bull；　birds　were　nestling。　We　wondered　if　those　birds　were　really　fooled　by　those　flowers　or　whether；　in　these　niches；　they　merely　found　a　comfortable　place　to　rest。　〃There's　an　intimate　relation；　by　the　way；　between　birds　and　architecture。　It's　said　that　the　first　architectural　work　done　in　the　world　consisted　in　the　making　of　a　bird's　nest。　Some　critics　think　that　architecture　had　its　start　in　the　making　of　a　bird's　nest。　Have　you　ever　watched　birds　at　work　on　their　nests？　If　you　have；　you　must　know　that　they　go　about　the　job　like　artists。　In　our　profession　we　like　to　insist；　you　know；　that　there's　a　big　difference　between　architecture　and　mere　building。　In　its　truest　sense　architecture　is　building　with　a　fine　motive。　It's　the　artistic　printing　press　of　all　ages；　the　noblest　of　the　fine　arts　and　the　finest　of　the　useful　arts。　I　know；　of　course；〃　the　architect　went　on；　〃that　there's　another　tradition　not　quite　so　flattering。　It　makes　the　architect　merely　the　worker　in　the　rough；　with　the　artistic　finish　left　to　the　sculptors。　But　the　outline　is　nevertheless　the　architect's；　the　structure；　which　is　the　basis　of　beauty。　Even　now　a　good　many　of　the　great　French　buildings　are　roughed　out　in　this　way；　and　finished　by　the　sculptors　and　the　decorators。〃

Under　the　western　arch；　leading　to　the　inner　court　that　united　the　Court　of　the　Universe　with　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons；　we　found　the　two　panels　by　Frank　Vincent　Du　Mond。　Their　simple　story　they　told　plainly　enough；　the　departure　of　the　pioneers　from　the　Atlantic　border　for　the　Far　West　on　the　Pacific。　In　the　panel　to　the　right　we　saw　the　older　generation　saying　farewell　to　the　younger；　and　on　the　other　side　we　saw　the　travelers　arriving　in　California　and　finding　a　royal　welcome　from　the　Westerners　in　a　scene　of　typical　abundance；　even　the　California　bear　showing　himself　in　amiable　mood。　〃That　bear　bothered　Du　Mond　a　good　deal。　He　wasn't　used　to　painting　bears。　It　isn't　nearly　as　life…like　as　those　human　figures。〃

What　I　liked　best　about　the　murals　was　their　splendor　of　coloring；　and　their　pictorial　suggestiveness　and　vigor　of　characterization。　Perhaps　there　was　a　little　too　much　effort　on　the　part　of　the　painter　to　suggest　animation。　But　why；　I　asked；　had　Du　Mond　made　most　of　the　faces　so　distinctively　Jewish？

My　question　was　received　with　an　exclamation　of　surprise。　Yes；　the　strong　Jewish　types　of　features　were　certainly　repeated　again　and　again。　Perhaps　Du　Mond　happened　to　use　Jewish　models。　It　hardly　seemed　possible　that　the　effect　could　have　been　intentional。

When　I　pointed　to　one　of　the　figures；　a　youth　holding　out　a　long　bare　arm；　and　remarked　that　I　had　never　seen　an　arm　of　such　length；　my　criticism　brought　out　an　unsuspected　principle　of　art。　〃The　Cubists　would　say　that　you　were　altogether　too　literal。　They　are　making　us　all　understand　that　what　art　ought　to　do　is　to　express　not　what　we　merely　see　with　our　eyes；　but　what　we　feel。　If　by　lengthening　that　arm；　the　painter　gets　an　effect　that　he　wants；　he's　justified　in　refusing　to　be　bound　by　the　mathematical　facts　of　nature。　Art　is　not　a　matter　of　strict　calculation；　that　is；　art　at　its　best　and　its　purest。　It's　a　matter　of　spiritual　perception。　All　the　resources　of　the　artist　ought　to　be　bent　toward　expressing　a　spiritual　idea　and　making　it　alive　and　beautiful　through　outline　and　color。〃

〃But　how　about　the　mixture　of　allegory　and　realism　that　we　see　in　these　murals　and　in　so　much　of　the　art　here？　Don't　you　find　it　disturbing？〃

〃Not　at　all。　There's　no　reason　in　the　world　why　the　allegorical　and　the　real　should　not　go　together；　provided；　of　course；　they　don't　grossly　conflict　and　become　absurd。　What　the　artist　is　always　working　for　is　the　effect　of　beauty。　If　a　picture　is　beautiful；　no　matter　how　the　beauty　is　achieved；　it　deserves　recognition　as　a　work　of　art。　In　these　murals　Du　Mond　has　tried　to　reach　as　closely　as　he　could　to　nature　without　being　too　literal　and　without　sacrificing　artistic　effect。　He　has　even　introduced　among　his　figures　some　well…known　Californians；　a　Bret　Harte；　in　the　gown　of　the　scholar；　and　William　Keith；　carrying　a　portfolio　to　suggest　his　painting。〃

In　that　inner　court　we　noticed　how　cleverly　Faville　had　subordinated　the　architecture　so　that　it　should　modestly　connect　the　great　central　courts。　McLaren　was　keeping　it　glowing　on　either　side　with　the　most　brilliant　California　flowers。　The　ornamental　columns；　the　Spanish　doorways；　and　the　great　windows　of　simple　and　yet　graceful　design　were　all　harmonious；　and　Guerin　and　Ryan　had　helped　out　with　the　coloring。



VIII

The　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons



As　we　entered　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons　the　architect　said：　〃If　I　were　to　send　a　student　of　architecture　to　this　Exposition；　I　should　advise　him　to　spend　most　of　his　time　here。　Of　all　the　courts；　it　expresses　for　me　the　best　architectural　traditions。　Henry　Bacon　frankly　took　Hadrian's　Villa　for　his　model；　and　he　succeeded　in　keeping　every　feature　classic。　That　half　dome　is　an　excellent　example　of　a　style　cultivated　by　the　Romans。　The　four　niches　with　the　groups　of　the　seasons；　by　Piccirilli；　screened　behind　the　double　columns；　come　from　a　detail　in　the　baths　of　Caracalla。　The　Romans　liked　to　glimpse　scenes　or　statuary　through　columns。　Guerin　has　applied　a　rich　coloring；　his　favorite　pink；　and　McLaren　has　added　a　poetic　touch　by　letting　garlands　of　the　African　dew　plant；　that　he　made　his　hedge　of；　flow　over　from　the　top。　See　how　Bacon　has　used　the　bull's　head　between　the　flowers　in　the　ornamentation；　one　of　the　most　popular　of　the　Renaissance　motives。　And　he　has　introduced　an　original　detail　by　letting　ears　of　corn　hang　from　the　top　of　the　columns。　Those　bulls　up　there；　with　the　two　figures；　carry　the　mind　back　to　the　days　when　the　Romans　made　a　sacrifice　of　the　sacred　bull　in　the　harvest　festivals。　This　Thanksgiving　of　theirs　they　called　'The　Feast　of　the　Sacrifice。'　〃

Crowning　the　half　dome　sat　the　lovely　figure　of　Nature；　laden　with　fruits；　by　Albert　Jaegers。　On　the　columns　at　either　side　stood　two　other　figures　by　Jaegers；　〃Rain；〃　holding　out　a　shell　to　catch　the　drops；　and　〃Sunshine；〃　with　a　palm　branch　close　to　her　eyes。　At　each　base　the　figures　of　the　harvesters　carried　out　the　agricultural　idea　with　elemental　simplicity　in　friezes　that　recalled　the　friezes　on　the　Parthenon。　Here；　on　each　side　of　the　half…dome；　we　have　a　good　example　of　the　composite　column；　a　combination　of　the　Corinthian　and　the　Ionic；　with　the　Ionic　scrolls　and　the　acanthus　underneath；　and　with　little　human　figures　between　the　two。

What　we　liked　best　about　this　court　was　its　feeling　of　intimacy。　One　could　find　refreshment　here　and　rest。　Much　was　due　to　the　graceful　planting　by　John　McLaren。　His　masses　of　deep　green　around　the　emerald　pool　in　the　center　were　particularly　successful。　He　had　used　many　kinds　of　trees；　including　the　olive；　the　acacia；　the　eucalyptus；　the　cypress；　and　the　English　laurel。

We　lingered　in　front　of　these　fountains；　admiring　the　classic　grace　of　the　groups　and　the　play　of　water　over　the　steps。　We　thought　that　Piccirilli　had　been　most　successful　with　his　〃Spring。〃　〃Of　course；　it's　very　conventional　work；〃　said　the　architect；　〃but　the　conventional　has　its　place　here。　It　explains　just　why　Milton　Bancroft　worked　out　those　murals　of　his　in　this　particular　way。　He　wanted　to　express　the　elemental　attitude　of　mind　toward　nature；　the　artistic　childhood　of　the　race。〃

When　we　examined　the　figures　of　the　Piccirilli　groups　in　detail；　we　found　that　they　possessed　excellent　qualities。　They　carried　on　the　traditions　of　the　wall…fountains　so　popular　in　Rome　and　often　associated　with　water　running　over　steps。　The　figures　were　well　put　together　and　the　lines　were　good。　All　of　the　groups　had　the　surface　as　carefully　worked　out。　In　〃Spring〃　the　line　of　festooning　helped　to　carry　on　the　line　leading　to　the　top　of　the　group。　There　was　tender　feeling　and　fine　workmanship　in　〃Summer；〃　with　the　feminine　and　masculine　hands　clearly　differentiated。　〃The　men　of　today　have　a　chance　to　learn　a　good　lesson　from　Rodin；〃　said　the　painter。　〃He　is　teaching　them　what　he　himself　may　have　learned　from　the　work　of　Donatello　and　Michael　Angelo；　the　importance　of　surface　accentuation；　the　securing　of　the　light　and　shade　that　are　just　as　necessary　in　modelling　as　in　painting。　In　these　groups　there　is　definite　accentuation　of　the　muscles。　It　makes　the　figures　seem　life…like。　The　work　reminds　me　of　the　figure　of　The　Outcast；　by　the　sculpter's　brother；