the city of domes-第21节

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s　in　itself　a　unity；　the　eight　completely　expressed　a　big　conception。　And　in　detail　each　canvas　was　full　of　delightful　bits。　If　you　closed　your　hand　and　peered　between　your　thumb　and　your　fingers；　you　could　see　how　beautifully　the　color　had　been　applied　and　how；　throughout　the　whole　surface；　the　workmanship　sustained　itself。　Never　was　there　the　sense　of　faltering　or　of　petering　out。　And　everywhere　there　were　expressions　of　fine　understanding　and　sympathy；　in　the　study　of　a　peasant　mother　holding　her　babe；　nude　boys　flying　kites；　a　happy　face　with　the　lips　blowing　a　pipe；　a　muscular　figure　lifting　a　jar；　all　conveying　abundant　life　and　rich　coloring。

The　painter　finally　ran　away　from　us；　apologizing　for　her　enthusiasm。

In　discussing　her　opinions；　the　architect　said：　〃Well；　I　don't　altogether　agree。　But　she　may　be　right。　She　sees　from　the　inside；　which　is　very　different　from　seeing　from　the　outside。　There　is　a　great　deal　of　artistic　appreciation　that　can　be　felt　only　by　the　artist；　by　the　fellow…craftsman。　No　wonder　we　go　so　far　astray　when　we　criticise　aspects　of　art　that　we're　only　related　to　indirectly　or　not　related　at　all。〃

We　walked　to　the　Marina。　From　there　we　saw　the　sun；　a　great　red　ball；　sinking　behind　the　Golden　Gate。



XVII

Watching　the　Lights　Change



〃There　probably　never　was　an　Exposition　in　a　more　magnificent　setting；〃　said　the　architect。　〃The　stretch　from　here　to　the　Golden　Gate　makes　one　of　the　most　splendid　bits　of　scenery　in　the　whole　world。　It　was　a　good　idea　on　the　part　of　the　Exposition　people　to　build　the　little　railway　here　so　that　visitors　should　get　a　glimpse　of　all　the　beauty。　But；　ideally；　the　view　ought　to　be　seen　from　a　height。　The　curve　from　here　to　the　Cliff　House　makes　our　foreign　visitors　gasp。　It　also　makes　them　wonder　why　our　boasting　over　San　Francisco　doesn't　include　some　of　the　things　we　have　the　best　excuse　to　boast　about。〃

We　stopped　at　one　of　the　open…air　restaurants；　where　we　could　eat　and　watch　the　fading　light　at　the　same　time。　Then　we　went　to　the　lagoon；　which　the　architect　declared　to　be　particularly　interesting　at　this　time　of　day。

The　rotunda　and　the　colonnade　began　to　take　on　a　deeper　mystery。　Across　the　surface　of　the　water　ran　a　faint　ripple。　In　the　background；　over　the　Golden　Gate；　the　sky　was　turning　to　flame。　Delicate；　gray　cobwebs　seemed　to　float　in　the　air　like　veils；　dusk　and　fog　intermingled。

The　light　grew　dim　as　we　sauntered　along　the　colonnade　of　the　Palace。　Through　the　columns　we　could　see　the　Tower　of　Jewels；　suddenly　illuminated　from　inside；　all　in　red；　obscuring　the　sculptured　figures　and　giving　the　lines　greater　unity　and　reach。

In　the　red　glow　the　Italian　towers　fairly　leaped　into　the　air。　〃It's　curious　how　the　light　makes　them　taller；〃　said　the　architect。

Now　the　grounds　were　twinkling　with　a　multitude　of　bulbs。

Presently　the　red　light　in　the　tower　softened　into　white。　Two　of　the　Italian　towers　grew　paler；　the　other　two　retaining　their　brilliancy。　Ryan　was　putting　on　his　colors　like　a　painter；　one　over　another。

We　made　our　way　back　to　the　Marina；　where　the　scintillators　were　soon　to　blaze。　Before　we　arrived　they　informed　us　of　their　presence　by　the　great　feathered　fan；　of　many　colors；　that　rose　into　the　sky。

〃There　was　some　opposition　to　the　decorating　of　the　Tower　with　jewels。　The　architects　with　conservative　ideas　very　naturally　felt　that　architecture　which　depended　on　its　lines　for　beauty　didn't　need　that　kind　of　ornament。　But　Ryan　has　unquestionably　justified　himself。　The　feature　has　been　talked　about　throughout　the　country　more　than　any　other。　See　how　the　light　falls　on　the　tower　like　a　great　shimmering　robe。　It　gains　by　the　contrast　it　makes　with　the　subdued　lighting　beneath。〃

The　group　on　the　Column　of　Progress　stood　out　against　the　sky。

The　doorways　were　taking　on　the　color　of　gold；　becoming　even　more　beautiful　than　they　had　been　by　day。

〃What　Ryan　tried　hardest　to　get；〃　said　the　architect；　〃was　evenness　of　lighting。　He　wanted　to　bring　out　clearly　the　details　of　the　architecture　and　he　succeeded。〃



XVIII

The　Illuminating　and　the　Reflections



That　motionless　steam　engine；　all　in　gray；　harmonizing　with　the　Travertine；　was　furiously　at　work。　Into　the　air　it　sent　clouds　of　steam　that　turned　to　red　and　blue　and　green　under　Ryan's　magic。　And　up　there；　at　the　top　of　the　Column　of　Progress；　we　saw　the　Adventurous　Bowman　and　his　companions　in　two　groups；　one　reflected　on　the　illuminated　fog。

Through　the　smoke　and　the　fog　the　bombs　were　shooting　and　breaking　into　great　masses　of　liquid　fire；　golden　and　green　and　pink　and　yellow。　〃Someone　says　we're　all　children　at　heart；〃　the　architect　remarked。　〃These　fireworks　get　more　attention　than　all　the　architecture　and　the　art　put　together。　But；　after　all；　they're　just　about　as　beautiful　as　anything　man　can　make　and；　in　the　way　of　color；　they　put　the　artists　to　shame。〃

We　were　part　of　the　crowd　that　swept　to　the　Court　of　the　Universe；　never　so　splendid　as　at　night；　with　the　columns　reflected　in　the　pool　and　Calder's　star　figures　shining　from　the　concealed　electric　bulbs。　On　reaching　the　court　itself　we　stood　at　the　end　of　one　of　the　corridors　and　looked　down。　Great　drops　of　light　hung　on　the　columns　like　molten　gold。　〃Ryan　has　done　something　very　artistic　and　unusual　there；〃　the　architect　remarked。　〃So　far　as　I　know　nothing　just　like　it　has　ever　been　done　before。　It　suggests　the　tongues　of　fire　mentioned　in　the　Scripture　that　descended　from　Heaven。〃

In　the　sunken　garden　those　two　shafts；　rising　from　the　fountains；　looking　like　stone　by　day；　had　become　great　candles；　glowing　from　the　base　to　the　glass　globe　on　top。　〃They're　practically　the　sole　means　of　illuminating　this　court。　The　other　lights　are　merely　ornamental。　So　far　as　I'm　aware　nothing　just　like　these　shafts　has　ever　been　tried　in　an　Exposition　or　anywhere　else。　It's　a　novel　Expositional　effect。　Some　people　don't　like　it；　but　most　people　admire　it　immensely。　It　symbolizes　the　gold　that　first　drew　the　multitude　to　this　part　of　the　world。　If　the　golden　color　had　been　used　more　extensively　throughout　the　Exposition　it　would　have　helped　a　lot。　Guerin　gets　it　at　night　by　means　of　the　light　that　shines　through　the　windows　and　Faville　gets　it　in　the　light　behind　those　wonderful　doorways　of　his　that　haven't　been　praised　half　as　much　as　they　ought　to　be。〃

The　Court　of　the　Ages　lured　us　along　the　dimly　lighted　inner　court；　the　arches　taking　on　an　even　more　delicate　beauty　in　the　night　light。　Once　within　the　court　we　found　ourselves　under　the　spell　of　Mullgardt's　genius。　The　architecture；　the　cauldrons　sending　out　pink　steam；　the　flaming　serpents；　the　torches　on　the　tower；　the　warm　lights　from　within　the　tower；　the　great　ecclesiastical　stars；　brilliant　with　electricity；　all　carried　out　the　idea　of　the　earth；　cast　off　by　the　sun。

In　the　entrance　court　we　found　the　effects　less　magnificent　but；　in　their　way；　just　as　beautiful。　The　lighting　emphasized　the　refinement　of　the　court；　the　rich　delicacy　of　the　ornamentation。　〃Mullgardt　ought　to　go　down　into　history　for　this　contribution　to　the　Exposition；〃　said　the　architect。　〃He　has　shown　that　originality　is　still　possible　in　architecture。〃

In　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons　we　watched　the　Emerald　Pool　turning　the　architecture　into　a　mermaids'　palace。　The　water　flowing　under　the　four　groups　of　the　seasons　shone　from　an　invisible　light　beneath；　coloring　it　a　rich　green。　〃When　Ryan　promised　to　illuminate　the　water　here　without　letting　the　source　of　the　light　be　seen；　it　was　thought　by　the　people　it　couldn't　be　done。〃　For　a　long　time　we　sat　in　front　of　the　lagoon　where　the　swans　were　silently　floating　and；　and　the　Palace　of　Fine　Arts　was　reproduced　with　a　deeper　mystery。　Now　we　could　feel　the　relation　between　the　colonnade　and　Gerome's　chariot　race。　〃It　would　please　Gerome　if　he　could　know　that　he　had　helped　to　inspire　so　magnificent　a　conception；〃　said　the　architect。　〃And　if　Boecklin　could　see　this　vision　and　hear　that　his　Island　of　the　Dead　had　started　Maybeck's　mind　thinking　of　it　he　would　probably　be　astonished　and　delighted　at　the　same　time。　With　his　fine　understanding　of　the　influences　operating　in　art　he　would　see　that　his　contribution　did　not　in　any　way　detract　from　Maybeck's　originality。　Down　the　centuries　minds　have　been　influencing　one　another　and；　in　this　way；　adding　to　the　sum　of　wisdom　and　beauty　in　the　world。　Now　and　then；　as　in　this　instance；　we　can　plainly　see　the　influences　at　work。　Behind　Boecklin　and　Gerome　there　were　doubtless　influences　that　led　to　their　making　those　two　pictures；　inspirations　from　nature　or　from　other　artists；　or　both　together。　And　this　palace　will　doubtless　inspire　many　another　noble　conception。〃

〃When　we　apply　that　thought　to　the　Exposition　as　a　whole；〃　I　said；　〃we　can　see　what　a　big　influence　it　is　likely　to　have　on　the　art　of　the　country。〃

〃It　has　undoubtedly　had　a　big　influence　already；　even　though　we　may　not　he　able；　as　yet；　to　see　it　working。　The　very　interest　the　Exposition　has；　aroused　in　the　people　that　come　here；　whether　they　are　artists　or　not；　can't　help　being　productive。〃



Seeing　the　Lights　Fade



We　went　over　to　the　South　Gardens　to　see　the　lights　change　on　the　Tower　of　Jewels；　passing　the　h