the city of domes-第13节

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of　the　figure　of　The　Outcast；　by　the　sculpter's　brother；　Attilio　Piccirilli；　that　we　shall　see　in　the　colonade　of　the　Fine　Arts　Palace。　So　many　sculptors　like　to　secure　these　smooth；　meaningless　surfaces　that　excite　admiration　among　those　people　who　care　for　mere　prettiness。　It　is　just　about　as　admirable　as　the　smoothing　out　of　character　lines　from　a　photograph。　But　the　Piccirillis　go　at　their　work　like　genuine　artists。〃

Those　murals　we　were　inclined　to　regard　as　somewhat　too　simple　and　formal。　〃After　all；〃　said　the　architect；　〃it's　a　question　whether　this　kind　of　effort　is　in　the　right　direction。　So　often　it　leads　to　what　seems　like　acting　in　art；　regarded　by　some　people　as　insincerity。　At　any　rate；　the　best　that　can　be　said　of　it　is　that　it's　clever　imitation。　But　here　it　blends　in　with　the　feeling　of　the　court　and　it　gives　bright　spots　of　color。　Guerin　has　gone　as　close　to　white　as　he　dared。　So　he　felt　the　need　of　strong　color　contrasts；　and　he　got　Bancroft　to　supply　them。　And　the　colors　are　repeated　in　the　the　other　decorations　of　the　court。　It's　as　if　the　painter　had　been　given　a　definite　number　of　colors　to　work　with。　In　this　matter　of　color；　by　the　way；　Bancroft　had　a　big　advantage　over　the　old　Roman　painters。　Their　colors　were　very　restricted。　In　this　court　they　might　have　allowed　more　space　for　the　murals。　They're　not　only　limited　in　size；　but　in　shape　as　well。　Bancroft　used　to　call　them　his　postage…stamps。

In　the　entrance　court　we　found　Evelyn　Breatrice　Longman's　〃Fountain　of　Ceres；〃　the　last　of　the　three　fountains　done　on　the　grounds　by　women；　and　decidedly　the　most　feminine。　〃Mrs。　Longman　hasn't　quite　caught　the　true　note；〃　the　architect　remarked。　〃The　base　of　the　fountain　is　interesting；　though　I　don't　care　for　the　shape。　But　the　figure　itself　is　too　prim　and　modish。　Somehow　I　can't　think　of　Ceres　as　a　proper　old　maid；　dressed　with　modern　frills。　The　execution；　however；　shows　a　good　deal　of　skill。　The　frieze　might　be　improved　by　the　softening　of　those　sharp　lines　that　cut　out　the　figures　like　pasteboard。　And　these　women　haven't　as　much　vitality　as　that　grotesque　head　down　near　the　base；　spouting　out　water。〃　The　architect　glanced　up　and　noticed　the　figure　of　〃Victory〃　on　one　of　the　gables；　so　often　to　be　seen　during　a　walk　over　the　grounds。　〃There's　more　swing　to　that　figure　than　to　the　one　here；　and　yet　there's　a　certain　resemblance　between　them。　They　both　show　the　same　influence；　the　Winged　Victory　of　Samothrace。　Of　course；　Miss　Longman　has　purposely　softened　the　effect　on　account　of　the　mildness　of　her　subject。　But　she　might　have　been　more　successful　with　her　draperies　if　she　had　followed　the　suggestions　in　the　Winged　Victory　more　closely。　There　the　treatment　of　the　draperies　is　magnificent。　Both　the　Greeks　and　the　Romans　were　very　fond　of　this　type　of　figure。　And　it's　often　found　among　the　ruins　of　Pompeii；　which　kept　so　close　to　Rome　in　its　artistic　enterprise。〃

The　need　of　separating　the　entrance　to　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons　from　Ryan's　display　of　scintillators　on　the　imitation　of　Morro　Castle　at　the　edge　of　the　bay；　had　given　John　McLaren　a　chance　to　create　another　of　these　deep　green　masses　that　surrounded　the　pool。　It　shut　the　court　off　from　the　rest　of　the　world　and　deepened　the　intimacy；　leaving；　however；　glimpses　of　the　bay　and　the　hills　beyond。



IX

The　Palace　of　Fine　Arts　From　Across　the　Lagoon



In　returning　to　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons；　we　started　along　another　of　those　inner　courts；　made　charming　by　those　Spanish　doorways　and　by　the　twisted　columns；　a　favorite　of　the　Romans；　evidently　borrowed　from　the　Orientals。　〃All　through　the　Exposition；〃　the　architect　remarked；　〃we　are　reminded　of　the　Oriental　fondness　for　the　serpent。　Some　people　like　to　say　that　it　betrays　the　subtlety　and　slyness　of　the　Oriental　people。　But　they　admired　the　serpent　chiefly　because；　in　their　minds；　it　represented　wisdom；　the　quiet　and　easy　way　of　doing　things；　a　little　roundabout　perhaps；　but　often　better　than　the　method　of　opposition　and　attack。〃

Before　us；　looking　down　as　if　from　an　eminence；　stood；　the　Palace　of　Fine　Arts。　The　architect　reminded　me　of　the　clever　planning　that　had　placed　this　magnificent　conception　in　so　commanding　a　position；　looking　down　into　the　courts；　on　what　he　called　〃the　main　axis。〃

〃It's　the　vision　of　a　painter　who　is　also　a　poet；　worked　out　in　terms　of　architecture。　Maybeck　planned　it　all；　even　to　the　details。　He　wanted　to　suggest　a　splendid　ruin；　suddenly　come　upon　by　travelers；　after　a　long　journey　in　a　desert。　He　has　invested　the　whole　place　with　an　atmosphere　of　tragedy。　It's　Roman　in　feeling　and　Greek　in　the　refinement　of　its　ornamentation。　That　rotunda　reminds　one　of　the　Pantheon　in　Rome。　Those　Corinthian　columns；　with　the　melancholy　drooping　of　the　acanthus　and　the　fretwork　and　the　frieze；　by　Zimm；　are　suggestive　of　Greece。　Maybeck　says　that　his　mind　was　started　on　the　conception；　'The　Island　of　Death；'　by　Boecklin；　the　painting　that　the　German　people　know　so　well　as　the　'Todteninsel；'　and　by　'The　Chariot　Race；'　of　Gerome。〃

The　architect　went　on　to　say　that　the　resemblance　was　remote　and　chiefly　interesting　as　showing　how　a　great　artist　could　carry　a　suggestion　into　an　entirely　new　realm。　The　Boecklin　painting　merely　suggested　the　general　scope　of　the　work；　and　the　chariot　race　gave　the　hint　for　that　colonnade；　which　Maybeck　had　made　so　original　and　graceful　by　the　use　of　the　urns　on　top　of　groups　of　columns　with　the　figure　of　a　woman　at　each　corner。　He　had　used　that　somewhat　eccentric　scheme　on　account　of　its　pictorial　charm。　All　through　the　construction　Maybeck　had　defied　the　architectural　conventions；　but　he　had　been　justified　by　his　success。

My　attention　was　directed　to　a　group　of　columns　at　the　end　of　the　colonnade。　〃There's　just　a　hint　of　the　Roman　Forum　over　there。　Perhaps　it's　accidental。　Perhaps　it's　developed　from　a　picture　way　down　in　Maybeck's　consciousness。　However；　the　idea　of　putting　two　columns　together　in　just　that　way　comes　from　the　French　Renaissance。　The　great　French　architect；　Perrault；　used　it　in　the　Louvre。　In　the　competition　he　won　out　over　Bernini；　who　is　living　again　in　the　Court　of　the　Universe。　It　gives　great　architectural　richness。〃

People　had　wondered　what　McLaren　had　meant　to　indicate　by　the　high　hedges　he　had　made　over　there　with　his　dew　plant。　He　had　merely　carried　out　the　designs　put　into　his　hands。　Maybeck　had　intended　the　hedge　to　be　used　as　a　background　for　willow　trees　that　were　to　run　up　as　high　as　the　frieze；　in　this　way　gaining　depth。　Through　those　trees　the　rotunda　was　to　be　glimpsed。　Willow　trees；　with　overhanging　boughs；　were　also　to　be　planted　along　the　edge　of　the　lagoon；　the　water　running　under　the　leaves　and　disappearing。

In　the　lagoon　swans　were　swimming　and　arching　their　long　necks。　〃The　old　Greeks　and　Romans　would　have　loved　this　scene；　though　they　would；　of　course；　have　found　alien　influences　here；〃　said　the　architect。　〃They　would　have　enjoyed　the　sequestration　of　the　Palace；　its　being　set　apart；　giving　the　impression　of　loneliness。　The　architects　were　shrewd　in　making　the　approach　long　and　circuitous。〃

〃They　might　have　done　more　with　the　water　that　was　here　before　they　filled　in；〃　I　said。　〃It　offered　fine　chances。〃

〃Yes；　and　they　thought　of　them　and　some　ambitious　plans　were　discussed。　But　the　expense　was　found　to　be　prohibitive。〃

At　that　moment　a　guard；　in　his　yellow　uniform　with　brass　buttons；　came　forward　with　a　questioning　lady　at　his　side。　They　stood　so　close　to　us　that　we　could　not　help　hearing　their　talk。

〃What　are　those　women　doing　up　there？〃

The　guard　looked　at　the　urns；　surmounting　the　columns。　〃They're　supposed　to　be　crying；〃　he　said。

〃What　are　they　crying　about？〃

The　guard　looked　a　little　embarrassed。　〃They　are　crying　over　the　sadness　of　art；〃　he　said。　Then　he　added　somewhat　apologetically；　〃Anyway；　that's　what　the　lecturer　told　us　to　say。〃

The　lady　appealed　to　us　for　information。　〃What　this　gentleman　says　is　true；〃　remarked　the　authority　at　my　side。　〃The　architect　intended　that　those　figures　should　express　something　of　the　sadness　of　life　as　reflected　in　art。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　the　lady；　as　if　she　only　half　understood。

Then　she　and　the　guard　drifted　away。

〃Those　people　have　unconsciously　given　us　a　bit　of　art　criticism；　haven't　they？　One　of　the　most　pictorial　notes　in　this　composition　of　Maybeck's　is　the　use　of　these　figures。　But　it's　also　eccentric　and　it　puzzles　the　average　looker…on　who　is　always　searching　after　meanings；　according　to　the　literary　habit　of　the　day；　the　result　of　universal　reading。　Perhaps　the　effect　would　have　been；　less　bewildering　if　those　urns　were　filled　with　flowers　as　Maybeck　intended　they　should　be。　Then　the　women　would　have　seemed　to　be　bending　over　the　flowers。　The　little　doors　were　put　into　the　urns　so　that　the　man　in　charge　of　the　flowers　could　reach　up　to　them。　But　this　item　of　expense　was　included　among　the　sacrifices。〃

The　coloring　of　the　columns　had　been　a　subject　of　some　criticism。　The　ochre　columns　were　generally　admired；　but　the　green　columns　were　considered　too　atmospheric　to　give　the　sense　of　support。　And　that　imitation　of　green　marble　directly　under　the　Pegasus　frieze　of　Zimm's；　near　the　top；　had　been　found　to　bear　a　cer