the city of domes-第4节

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the　man　on　the　ground。　Though　he　did　not　contribute　any　work　of　his　own；　he　was　active　in　developing　the　work　as　a　whole；　taking　special　pains　to　keep　it　in　character　and　to　see　that；　even　in　it　its　diversity；　it　gave　the　impression；　of　harmony。

Calder　welcomed　the　chance　to　work　on　a　big　scale　and　to　carry　out　big　ideas。　With　Bitter　he　visited　San　Francisco　in　August；　1912；　for　a　consultation　with　the　architectural　commission。　Minutely　they　went　over　the　site　and　examined　the　architectural　plans。　Then　they　picked　the　sculptors　that　they　wished　to　secure　as　co…operators。

In　December；　1912；　Bitter　and　Calder　made　another　visit　to　San　Francisco　for　further　conferring　with　the　architectural　commission；　bearing　sketches　and　scale　models。　Bitter　explained　his　plans　in　detail　and　asked　for　an　appropriation。　He　was　told　that　he　should　be　granted　six　hundred　thousand　dollars。　The　amount　was　gradually　reduced　till　it　finally　reached　three　hundred　and　seventy…five　thousand　dollars。

It　was　at　this　period　that　Calder　submitted　his　plan　for　the　Column　of　Progress。　He　had　worked　it　out　in　New　York　and　had　the　scale　models　made　by　MacNeil　and　Konti。　It　won　the　approval　of　McKim；　Mead　&　White；　who　declared　that　it　made　an　ideal　feature　of　the　approach　from　the　bay　side　to　their　Court　of　the　Universe；　then　called　the　Court　of　the　Sun　and　Stars。

The　next　few　months　of　preparation　in　New　York　meant　getting　the　sculptors　together　and　working　out　the　designs。　The　first　meeting　of　the　sculptors　took　place　in　January；　1913；　in　Bitter's　studio；　with　a　remarkable　array　of　personages　in　attendance；　including　D。　C。　French；　Herbert　Adams；　Robert　Aitken；　James　E。　Fraser；　H。　A。　MacNeil；　A。　A。　Weinman；　Mahonri　Young；　Isidore　Konti；　Mrs。　Burroughs　and　several　others。　In　detail　Bitter　explained　the　situation　in　San　Francisco　and　outlined　his　ideas　of　what　ought　to　be　done。　Already　Henry　Bacon　had　sent　in　his　design　for　his　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons　and　sculptors　were　set　to　work　on　its　ornamentation；　Albert　Jaegers；　Furio　Piccirilli；　Miss　Evelyn　Beatrice　Longman　and　August　Jaegers；　a　time　limit　being　made　for　the　turning　in　of　their　plans。



Developing　the　Sculpture



In　June；　1913；　Calder　returned　to　San　Francisco　to　stay　till　the　Exposition　was　well　started。　On　the　grounds　he　established　a　huge　workshop。　Then　he　began　the　practical　developing　of　the　designs；　a　great　mass；　which　had　already　been　carefully　sifted。　Hitherto；　in　American　expositions　the　work　had　been　done；　for　the　most　part；　in　New　York；　and　sent　to　its　destination　by　freight；　a　method　costly　in　itself　and　all　the　more　costly　on　account　of　the　inevitable　breakage。　San　Francisco；　by　being　so　far　from　New　York；　would　have　been　a　particularly　expensive　destination。　From　every　point　of　view　it　seemed　imperative　that　the　work　should　be　done　here。

In　a　few　weeks　that　shop　was　a　hive　of　industry；　with　sculptors；　students　of　sculpture　front　the　art　schools；　pointers；　and　a　multitude　of　other　white…clad　workers　bending　all　their　energies　toward　the　completion　on　time　of　their　colossal　task。　A　few　of　the　sculptors　and　artisans　Calder　had　brought　from　New　York。　But　most　of　the　workers　he　secured　in　San　Francisco；　chiefly　from　the　foreign　population；　some　of　them　able　to　speak　little　or　no　English。

The　modeling　of　the　replicas　of　well…known　art　works　were；　almost　without　exception；　made　in　clay。　Most　of　the　original　work　was　directly　modelled　in　plaster…staff　used　so　successfully　throughout　the　Exposition。　For　the　enlarging　of　single　pieces　and　groups　the　pointing　machine　of　Robert　Paine　was　chosen　by　Calder。　It　was　interesting　to　see　it　at　work；　under　the　guidance　of　careful　and　patient　operators；　tracing　mechanically　the　outlines　and　reproducing　them　on　a　magnified　scale。　For　the　finishing　of　the　friezes　the　skill　of　the　artist　was　needed；　and　there　Calder　found　able　assistants　in　the　two　young　sculptors；　Roth　and　Lentelli；　who　worked　devotedly　themselves　and　directed　groups　of　students。

In　all　the　sculpture　Calder　strove　to　keep　in　mind　the　significance　of　the　Exposition　and　the　spirit　of　the　people　who　were　celebrating。　With　him　styles　of　architecture　and　schools　were　a　minor　consideration；　to　be　left　to　the　academicians　and　the　critics。　He　believed　that　sculpture；　like　all　other　art…forms；　was　chiefly　valuable　and　interesting　as　human　expression。



The　Decorative　Figures



Less　successful　on　the　whole　than　the　blending　of　sculpture　and　architecture　were　the　individual　figures　designed　to　be　placed　against　the　walls。　Some　of　them　were　extremely　well　done。　Others　were　obvious　disappointments。　The　unsophisticated　judgment；　free　from　Continental　bias；　might　have　objected　to　the　almost　gratuitous　use　of　nudity。　For　a　popular　exhibition；　even　the　widely…traveled　and　broad…minded　art　lover　might　have　been　persuaded　that　a　concession　to　prejudice　could　have　been　made　without　any　great　damage　to　art。

In　the　magnificent　entrance　to　the　grounds　it　was　deemed　fitting　that　the　meaning　of　the　Exposition　should　be　symbolized　by　an　elaborate　fountain。　So　in　the　heart　of　the　South　Gardens　there　was　placed　the　Fountain　of　Energy；　the　design　of　A。　Stirling　Calder；　the　athletic　figure　of　a　youth；　mounted　on　a　fiery　horse；　tearing　across　the　globe；　which　served　for　pedestal；　the　symbolic　figures　of　Valor　and　Fame　accompanying　on　either　side。　The　work；　as　a　whole　suggested　the　triumph　of　man　in　overcoming　the　difficulties　in　the　way；　of　uniting　the　two　oceans。　It　made　one　of　the　most　striking　of　all　the　many　fountains　on　the　grounds；　the　dolphins　in　the　great　basin；　some　of　them　carrying　female　figures　on　their　backs；　contributing　to　an　effect　peculiarly　French。



The　Column　of　Progress



The　Column　of　Progress；　suggested　by　Calder　and　planned　in　outline　by　Symmes　Richardson；　besides　being　beautiful　symbol　and　remarkably　successful　in　outline；　was　perhaps　the　most　poetic　and　original　of　all　the　achievements　of　the　sculptors　here。　It　represented　something　new　in　being　the　first　great　column　erected　to　express　a　purely　imaginative　and　idealistic　conception。　Most　columns　of　its　kind　had　celebrated　some　great　figure　or　historic　feat；　usually　related　to　war。　But　this　column　stood　for　those　sturdy　virtues　that　were　developed；　not　through　the　hazards　and　the　excitements　and　the　fevers　of　conquest；　but　through　the　persistent　and　homely　tests　of　peace；　through　the　cultivation　of　those　qualities　that　laid　the　foundations　of　civilized　living。　Isidore　Konti　designed　the　frieze　typifying　the　swarming　generations；　by　Matthew　Arnold　called　〃the　teeming　millions　of　men；〃　and　to　Hermon　A。　MacNeil　fell　the　task　of　developing　the　circular　frieze　of　toilers；　sustaining　the　group　at　the　top；　three　strong　figures；　the　dominating　male；　ready　to　shoot　his　arrow　straight　alit　to　its　mark；　a　male　supporter；　and　the　devoted　woman；　eager　to　follow　in　the　path　of　advance。



The　Aim　of　the　Sculptors



It　was　evidently　the　aim　of　the　sculptors　to　express　in　their　work；　in　so　far　as　they　could；　the　character　of　the　Exposition。　And　the　breadth　of　the　plans　gave　them；　a　wide　scope。　They　must　have　welcomed　the　chance　to　exercise　their　art　for　the　pleasure　of　the　multitude；　an　art　essentially　popular　in　its　appeal　and　certain　to　be　more　and　more　cultivated　in　our　every…day　life。　Though　this　new　city　was　to　be　for　a　year　only；　it　would　surely　influence　the　interest　and　the　taste　in　art　of　the　multitudes　destined　to　become　familiar　with　it　and　to　carry　away　more　or　less　vivid　impressions。

The　sculpture；　too；　would　have　a　special　advantage。　Much　of　it；　after　the　Exposition；　could　be　transferred　elsewhere。　It　was　safe　to　predict　that　the　best　pieces　would　ultimately　serve　for　the　permanent　adornment　of　San　Francisco　…　by　no　means　rich　in　monuments。



Mural　Painting



It　was　felt　by　the　builders　of　the　Exposition　that　mural　decorating　must　be　a　notable　feature。

The　Centennial　Exposition　of　'76　had　been　mainly　an　expression　of　engineering。　Sixteen　years　later　architecture　had　dominated　the　Exposition　in　Chicago。　The　Exposition　in　San　Francisco　was　to　be　essentially　pictorial；　combining；　in　its　exterior　building；　architecture；　sculpture　and　painting。

When　Jules　Guerin　was　selected　to　apply　the　color　it　was　decided　that　he　should　choose　the　mural　decorators；　subject　to　the　approval　of　the　architectural　board。　The　choice　fell　on　men　already　distinguished。　all　of　them　belonging　to　New　York；　with　two　exceptions；　Frank　Brangwyn　of　London；　and　Arthur　Mathews；　of　San　Francisco。　They　were　informed　by　Guerin　that　they　could　take　their　own　subjects。　He　contented　himself　with　saying　that　a　subject　with　meaning　and　life　in　it　was　an　asset。

In　New　York　the　painters　had　a　conference　with　Guerin。　He　explained　the　conditions　their　work　was　to　meet。　Emphasis　was　laid　on　the　importance　of　their　painting　with　reference　to　the　tone　of　the　Travertine。　They　were　instructed；　moreover；　to　paint　within　certain　colors；　in　harmony　with　the　general　color…scheme；　a　restriction　that；　in　some　cases；　must　have　presented　difficult　problems。

The　preliminary　sketches　were　submitted　to　Guerin；　and　from　the　sketches　he　fixed　the　scale　of　the　figures。　In　one　instance　the　change　of　scale　led　to　a　change　of　subject。　The　second　s