the city of domes-第20节

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。　The　group　of　men　in　the　center　of　the　background；　at　the　base；　around　the　fire；　had　apparently　started　the　fire　by　rubbing　sticks　together。　One　was　intently　leaning　forward；　as　if　in　the　act　of　blowing。　Among　the　figures　behind　the　group　stood　a　man　with　an　infant　in　his　arms；　vividly　characterized　by　the　unseeing　eyes。

That　infant　was　instantly　singled　out　by　the　painter。

〃Brangwyn　is　very　wonderful　in　his　observation　of　children。　He　has　a　quality　that　is　almost　maternal。　Observe　the　difference　between　the　expression　in　the　face　of　that　baby　and　the　expression　in　the　face　of　that　little　boy　to　the　left　of　the　fire…makers。　How　intently　he　is　looking　on　as　he　leans　against　the　brown　jar。　He　shows　all　the　interest　of　a　boy　just　learning　how　to　do　things。〃

The　kiln　charmed　us；　too；　though　we　regretted　that　it　did　not　explain　itself　quite　so　spontaneously　as　most　of　the　other　panels。　〃But　symbolism　ought　not　to　be　too　obvious；　you　know；〃　the　painter　argued。　〃There's　a　certain　charm　in　vagueness。　It　makes　you　feel　your　way　toward　a　work…　of　art。　The　more　you　think　about　this　panel　the　more　you　find　there。　To　me　it　suggests　the　relation　between　fire　and　the　abundance　of　the　earth。　See　how　cleverly；　in　each　case　of　these　two　panels；　Brangwyn　has　used　smoke；　first　as　a　thin　line；　breaking　into　two　lines　as　it　goes　up　and　interweaving；　and　then　as　a　great　flowing　wreath；　dividing　the　panel　in　two　parts　without　weakening　the　unity。〃

For　composition　we　decided　that　the　two　Earth　panels　were　among　the　most　remarkable　of　all。　With　satisfaction　I　heard　Brangwyn　compared　by　the　painter　to　a　great　stage　manager。　〃When　I　look　at　these　groupings；　I　am　reminded　of　Forbes…Robertson's　productions　of　plays。〃　Now　we　could　see　how　brilliantly　the　decorator　had　planned　in　securing　his　effects　of　height　by　starting　his　group　of　figures　close　to　the　top　of　the　canvas。　And　with　what　skill　he　had　used　trees　and　vines　and　vegetables　and　fruits；　both　for　design　and　for　coloring。　〃He　has　always　been　mad　about　apples　and　squashes；〃　said　that　feminine　voice。　〃In　nearly　every　picture　here　you　will　find　not　one　squash　only；　but　several　squashes。　He　loves　them　for　their　color　and　their　shape。　And　how　wonderful　he　makes　the　color　of　the　grape。　He　suggests　the　miracle　of　its　deep　purple。〃

We　admired　the　painter's　pictorial　use　of　shadow　on　those　powerful　and　scantily　draped　figures　and　the　animation　he　put　into　the　bodies　of　the　wine…pressers。　And　down　there　in　a　corner　he　had　perfectly　reproduced　the　attitude　and　facial　expression　of　the　worker　at　rest；　holding　out　his　cup　for　a　drink。　〃There's　another　of　those　queer　and　interesting　children。　But　oh；　most　wonderful　of　all　is　the　opposite　panel　that　ought　to　be　called　Abundance。　See　that　mother；　holding　her　lusty　baby。　The　face　is　commonplace　enough；　but　it　has　all　motherhood　in　it。　And　the　woman　behind；　she　looks　as　if　she　might　be　a　mother　bereft　or　one　of　those　women　cheated　out　of　motherhood。〃

The　architect；　though　he　still　had　his　reservations　on　the　subject　of　the　Brangwyns；　conceded　that　they　were　distinctly　architectural。　They　blended　into　the　spirit　of　the　court。

The　painter　at　once　supported　the　opinion。　〃In　these　colonnades　Guerin　has　done　some　of　his　finest　coloring。　The　blue　and　the　red　are　in　absolute　harmony　with　Brangwyn's　rich　tones。　They　must　have　been　applied　to　fit　the　canvases。　But　the　marvel　is　that　the　murals　should　show　up　so　magnificently。　Brangwyn　painted　them　in　London　and　he　must　have　had　second　sight　to　divine　just　the　right　scheme。　Do　you　realize；〃　she　went　on　enthusiastically；　fairly　losing　herself　in　her　enjoyment；　〃the　immense　difficulties　he　had　to　contend　with？　In　the　first　place；　see　how　huge　those　canvases　are。　Their　size　created　all　kinds　of　problems。　To　view　them　right；　to　get　a　line　on　the　detail；　so　to　speak；　would　have　meant；　for　the　average　painter；　walking　long　distances。　But；　in　his　studio；　Brangwyn　could　not　have　taken　anything　like　accurate　measurements。〃

〃Perhaps　he　painted　them　out　of　doors；〃　the　architect　suggested。

〃I　believe　the　explanation　is　that　he　thought　them　all　out　and　he　saw　them　in　their　places。　From　Mr。　Mullgardt　he　had　probably　received　a　complete　account；　with　drawings；　of　just　what　the　court　was　going　to　be　like。　Then　it　lived　before　him　and　he　made　the　murals　live。　His　work　shows　that　he　begins　in　the　right　place；　unlike　so　many　people　who　paint　from　outside。　He　feels　the　qualities　of　the　people　he　is　going　to　paint。　He　really　loves　them。　He　loves　their　surroundings。　He　must　be　very　elemental　in　his　nature。　They　say　he　is　a　great；　uncouth　sort　of　a　fellow。　When　he　first　went　to　London　he　was　very　contemptuous　of　the　work　done　by　the　academicians。　It　must　have　seemed　to　him；　a　good　deal　of　it；　effeminate　and　trifling。　Can't　you　see　how　those　murals　show　that　he　is　a　man　clear　through？　They　are　masculine　in　every　detail。〃

〃And　yet　they　have　a　good　deal　of　delicacy；　too；　haven't　they？〃　said　the　architect。　〃See　how　atmospheric　those　backgrounds　are。　They　actually　suggest　nature。〃

〃Because　they　are　unconventional　and　because　they　are　true。　And　yet　they　are　purely　decorative。　You　wouldn't　like　to　think　of　them　as　standing　apart　in　a　great　frame。　When　you　go　close　you　will　see　that　the　colors　are　laid　on　flat。　And　they　don't　shine。　For　this　reason　they　have　great　carrying　power。　Observe　The　Bowmen　down　there　in　the　distance。　Even　from　this　remote　end　of　the　court　it　expresses　itself　as　lovely　in　color　and　composition。　Let　us　walk　down　and　see　how　it　grows　on　us　as　we　approach。〃

Slowly　we　moved　along　the　colonnade；　the　figures　seeming　to　grow　more　and　more　lifelike　as　the　painter　indicated　their　technical　merits。　〃They　are　of　the　earth；　those　men；　aren't　they？　They　are　the　antithesis　of　the　highly　civilized　types　used　by　so　many　of　the　painters　today。　They　suggest　red　blood　and　strength　of　limb　and　joy　in　the　natural　things　of　life；　eating；　drinking；　the　open　air；　and　simple　comradeship。　They　make　us　see　the　wonder　of　outdoor　living；　the　kind　of　living　that　most　of　us　have　missed。　What　a　pleasure　it　is　to　find　a　worker　in　any　kind　of　work　trying　to　do　a　thing　and　actually　doing　it　and　doing　it　with　splendid　abandon。　Now　if　Brangwyn　hadn't　entered　into　the　feelings　of　those　bowmen　in　the　foreground；　he　couldn't　have　made　the　figure　alive。　And　the　life；　remember；　isn't　merely　brought　out　by　the　happy　use　of　the　flesh　tints　or　by　the　play　of　the　muscles。　It's　in　the　animating　spirit。　As　Brangwyn　painted　those　fellows；　he　felt　like　a　bowman。　So　he　succeeded　in　putting　into　his　canvas　the　strength　that　each　bowman　put　into　his　bow。　He　isn't　pretending　to　shoot；　that　sturdy　fellow　in　front。　He　is　shooting；　and　he's　going　to　get　what　he　is　after。〃

Before　each　of　the　four　pairs　of　murals；　the　painter　indicated　to　us　the　happy　way　in　which；　by　the　deft　use　of　the　coloring；　each　blended　into　the　other；　and　she　called　my　attention　to　the　clearness　of　the　symbolism。　So　often；　she　remarked；　the　mural　decorators　used　compositions　that　seemed　like　efforts　to　hide　secrets；　a　childish　way　of　working；　sure　to　defeat　itself。　Brangwyn　had　no　secrets。　He　was　sincere　and　direct。　He　was　happy　over　this　work。　He　said　that　he　had　enjoyed　doing　it　more　than　anything　else　he　had　ever　done　before。　If　these　canvases　had　been　found　in　the　heart　of　Africa　they　would　have　been　identified　as　coming　from　Brangwyn。　No　one　else　used　color　just　as　he　did；　with　his　kind　of　courage。　His　colors　were　arbitrary；　too。　He　didn't　follow　nature　and　yet　he　always　conveyed　the　spirit　of　natural　things。　Throughout　his　work　he　showed　that　he　was　a　close　and　subtle　observer。　The　sweep　of　rain　through　the　air；　the　movement　of　figures　and　of　draperies　in　the　wind；　the　expression　of　human　effort；　how　wonderfully　he　managed　to　suggest　them　all　and　to　make　them　pictorial。　But　he　wasn't　interested　in　merely　an　activity。　He　loved　repose。　In　nearly　all　of　these　eight　canvases；　so　brimming　with　life；　there　were　figures　looking　on　serenely；　calmly；　conveying　the　impression　of　being　absolutely　at　rest。

In　every　particular；　according　to　the　searching　observer；　Brangwyn　was　successful；　with　the　exception　of　one；　his　treatment　of　birds。　He　evidently　didn't　know　birds。　If　he　had　known　them　he　would　have　loved　them；　and　if　he　had　loved　them　he　would　have　entered　into　their　spirit　and　he　would　have　flown　with　them　and　he　would　have　made　them　fly　in　his　painting。　Now　they　merely　flopped。　They　were　just　about　as　much　alive　as　the　clay　figures　used　in　a　shooting　match。　Even　his　highly　decorative　flamingoes　weren't　right。　They　did　not　stand　firmly　on　the　ground。　They　weren't　alive。　And　the　necks　of　the　two　flamingoes　never　could　have　met　in　the　curves　that　Brangwyn　gave　them。　This　very　failure；　amusing　as　it　was　and　hardly　detracting　from　the　effect　of　his　work　as　a　whole；　was　another　proof　that　he　was　an　instinctive　painter；　who　relied　for　his　guidance　on　feeling。　But　it　was　plain　enough　that　he　had　chosen　those　flamingoes　for　their　color；　and　a　right　choice　it　was。

We　could　not　decide　which　of　the　eight　murals　we　liked　best。　Perhaps；　after　all；　they　could　not　be　considered　apart。　Though　each　was　in　itself　a　unity；　the　eight　completely　expressed　a　big　conception。　And　in　detail　each　canvas　was