the city of domes-第7节

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ise。　The　getting　together　of　the　material　was　full　of　difficulties。　Much　of　it　had　been　taken　away　for　safekeeping。　The　museums　were　all　closed　and　some　of　their　treasures　were　buried　in　the　ground。　Already　the　Russians；　during　their　raid　on　the　Carpathian　Mountains；　had　possessed　themselves　of　rare　art　works；　some　of　the　best　canvases　cut　from　the　frames　and　carried　off　by　the　officials。　Among　the　sufferers　was　Count　Andrassy　himself；　who　lost　valuable　heirlooms　from　one　of　his　country　estates；　including　several　Titians。　In　spite　of　that　experience；　Andrassy；　refused　to　hide　his　possessions。　He　preferred　the　risk　of　losing　them　to　showing　fear；　perhaps　helping　to　start　a　panic。

The　Hungarian　collection　came　near　missing　the　Jason。　It　was　mysteriously　held　up　in　the　train　that　carried　it　through　the　Italian　territory　to　Italy；　arriving　in　Genoa　three　days　after　the　Jason　was　scheduled　to　so　sail　from　there。　But　the　Jason　happened　to　be　delayed　three　days；　too。

By　the　German　steamer；　the　〃Crown　Princess　Cecilie；〃　it　happened　that　an　interesting　collection　of　German　Paintings；　after　being　exhibited　in　the　Carnegie　Institute　of　Pittsburgh；　was　started　on　the　way　to　Germany；　but　the　war　caused　the　ship　to　return　to　an　American　port。　After　a　good　deal　of　negotiating　the　canvases　were　secured　for　the　Exposition　and　taken　off　the　ship。

On　the　opening　day　of　the　Exposition　it　was　found　that　the　Palace　of　Fine　Arts；　far　from　having　too　little　material；　had　too　much。　Not　only　were　China　and　Japan　and　several　of　the　European　nations　well　represented；　but　on　the　way　were　many　art　works　that　there　would　not　be　room　for。　The　consequence　was　that　a　new　building　had　to　be　erected。　It　was　finished　in　July　and　it　became　known　as　the　Fine　Arts　Annex。



I

The　View　From　the　Hill



〃The　best　way　to　see　the　Exposition；　in　my　opinion；〃　said　the　architect；　〃is　to　stand　on　the　top　of　the　Fillmore　Street　hill　and　look　down。　Then　you　will　find　out　what　the　architects　were　up　to。　The　finest　point　of　observation　would　be　at　the　corner　of　Divisadero　Street　and　Broadway。〃

The　next　day；　as　we　stood　at　that　point；　the　Exposition　stretched　out　beneath　us　like　a　city　of　the　Orient。

〃When　the　architects　first　discussed　the　construction　they　knew　it　was　to　be　looked　at　from　these　hills。　So　they　had　to　have　a　scheme　that　should　hide　the　skylight　and　avoid　showing　lack　of　finish　on　top　and　that　should　be　pictorial　and　impressive　from　above。　One　of　the　problems　was　to　make　the　roof　architectural。　Now　as　we　look　down；　see　how　stunning　the　effect　is　…　like　a　Persian　rug。〃

〃And　the　color　helped　there；　too；　didn't　it？〃

〃Of　course。　And　notice　how　skilfully　the　architecture　and　the　coloring　harmonized。　As　the　Exposition　was　to　be　built　on　low；　flat　ground；　it　had　to　be　lifted　up。　One　way　was　by　using　the　domes。　The　central　portion　of　each　of　those　palaces　was　lifted　above　the　main　surface　of　the　roof　to　introduce　a　row　of　semi…circular　windows　to　light　the　interior　like　a　church。　And　the　domes；　besides　being　ornamental　in　themselves；　gave　spring　to　the　towers。　The　big　tower　provided　scope　for　the　splendid　archway　that　served　as　an　approach　and　set　the　standard　for　the　other　arches。〃

It　was　plain　enough　that　the　top　of　the　Exposition　had　not　received　the　praise　it　deserved。　〃Think　how　crude　that　scene　would　have　been　if　it　had　presented　a　straggling　mass　of　roofs。　And　even　as　it　is；　with　its　graceful　lines；　if　it　were　lacking　in　color　it　would　seem　crude。　Perhaps　it　will　help　us　to　realize　how　unsightly　most　of　the　roofs　of　our　houses　are；　and　how　unfinished。　There's　no　reason　in　the　world　why　they　should　be。　The　Greeks　and　the　Romans　had　the　right　idea。　They　were　very　sensitive　to　lack　of　finish。　They　felt　the　charm　of　decorated　roofs。　See　that　angel　down　there　that　keeps　recurring　at　the　points　of　the　gables。　What　a　pretty　bit　of　ornamentation。　The　Greeks　used　it　to　suggest　the　gifts　of　the　gods　coming　down　from　heaven。　'Blessings　on　this　house。'　I　suppose　the　wreath　in　the　hand　used　here　was　meant　to　suggest　the　crowning　of　the　work。　It　explains　why　the　figure　is　called　〃Victory。〃　By　the　way；　it　has　an　architectural　value　in　giving　lightness　and　grace　to　the　roofs。〃

The　builders；　we　could　see；　had　cleverly　adapted　their　plans　to　the　conditions。　〃The　effect　might　so　easily　have　been　monotonous　and　cold；　and　it　might　have　been　flat　and　dreary。　It　was　a　fine　idea　to　lift　the　central　portion　of　each　of　those　main　palaces　above　the　surfaces　of　the　roofs　to　introduce　the　semicircular　windows　in　the　domes。　It　helped　to　infuse　the　scene　with　a　kind　of　tenderness　and　spirituality。　And　see　how　the　two　groups　on　top　of　the　triumphal　arches；　the　Orientals　and　the　Pioneers；　contribute　to　the　soaring　effect　and　to　the　finish　at　the　same　time。　The　Romans　disliked　bareness　on　the　top　of　their　arches。　They　wanted　life　up　there；　the　more　animated　the　better。　So　they　put　on　some　of　their　most　dramatic　scenes；　like　their　chariot　races。〃

The　expert　proceeded　to　point　out　the　architectural　balance　of　the　buildings。　The　severe　and　mighty　Palace　of　Machinery；　impressive　in　its　long　sweep　of　line；　at　one　side　made　a　dramatic　contrast　with　the　delicately　imagined　and　poetic　Palace　of　Fine　Arts　on　the　other。　In　front　of　the　walled　city；　between　the　long　stretch　of　garden；　stood　two　harmonious　buildings；　the　Palace　of　Horticulture；　with　its　glorious　roof　of　glass；　and　the　Festival　Hall；　closely　related　in　outline；　and　yet　very　different　in　detail。　And　the　garden　itself；　with　its　dark；　pointed　trees　standing　against　the　wall；　and　with　its　simplicity　of　design；　made　an　agreeable　approach　to　the　great　arched　entrance　under　the　Tower　of　Jewels。　〃Those　banners　down　there；　shielding　the　lights；　are　a　stroke　of　genius；　both　in　their　orange　color　and　their　shape。　And　those　orange…colored　streamers；　how　they　add　to　the　spirit　of　gaiety。　The　trees　have　been　placed　against　the　wall　to　keep　it　from　seeming　like　a　long　and　uninteresting　stretch。　And　observe　the　grace　in　line　of　the　niches　between　the　trees。　Even　from　here　you　can　feel　the　warmth　of　the　color　in　the　paths。　The　pink　effect　is　made　by　burning　the　sand。　Only　a　man　like　Guerin；　a　painter；　would　have　thought　of　that　detail。　I　wonder　how　many　visitors　down　there　know　that　the　very　sand　they　walk　on　has　been　colored。〃

Around　the　Tower　pigeons　were　flying；　somehow　relieving　the　mechanical　outlines。　Was　the　disproportion　between　the　great　arch；　forming　a　kind　of　pedestal；　and　the　outlines　above　due　to　mathematical　miscalculation　or　to　the　interference　of　the　ornamentation？　We　finally　decided　that　the　proportions　had　probably　been　right　in　the　first　place。　But　they　had　been　changed　by　the　Exposition　authorities'　cutting　the　Tower　down　one　hundred　feet；　thereby　saving　100；000。　A　matter　of　this　kind　could　be　reduced　almost　to　an　exact　science。　Besides；　though　the　ornamentation　interfered　with　the　upward　sweep　of　line；　the　effect　of　flatness　was　made　by　those　horizontal　blocks　which　seemed　to　be　piled　up　to　the　top。　If　the　outline　had　been　clean；　it　would　have　achieved　the　soaring　effect　so　essential　to　an　inspiring　tower；　creating　the　sense　of　reaching　up　to　the　sky；　like　an　invocation。

Thomas　Hastings　had　a　sound　idea　when　he　made　that　design。　He　wanted　to　do　something　Expositional；　exactly　as　Guerin　did　when　he　applied　the　coloring。　Now　there　were　critics　who　said　that　the　coloring　was　too　pronounced。　It　reminded　them　of　the　theater。　Well；　that　was　just　what　it　ought　to　remind　them　of。　It　had　life；　gaiety；　abandon。　The　critic　who　said　that　the　orange　domes　provided　just　the　right　tone；　and　that　this　tone　ought　to　have　been　followed　throughout；　didn't　make　sufficient　allowance　for　public　taste。　He　wanted　the　Exposition　to　be　an　impressionistic　picture　in　one　key。　But　one　key　was　exactly　what　Guerin　didn't　want。　His　purpose　was　to　catch　the　excitement　in　variety　of　color　as　well　as　the　warmth；　to　stimulate　the　mind。　He　succeeded　in　adapting　his　color　scheme　to　architecture　that　had　breadth　and　dignity。　At　first　he　expected　to　use　orange；　blue；　and　gold；　carefully　avoiding　white。　He　did　avoid　white；　but　he　expanded　his　color　scheme　and　included　brown　and　yellow　and　green。　But；　in　that　tower；　Hastings　did　something　out　of　harmony　with　the　architecture；　something　barbaric　and　crude。

Here　and　there　the　bits　of　Austrian　cut　glass　were　sparkling　on　the　tower　like　huge　diamonds。　〃At　times　the　thing　is　wonderfully　impressive。　There's　always　something　impressive　about　a　mass　if　it　has　any　kind　of　uniformity；　and　here　you　can　detect　an　intention　on　the　part　of　the　architect。　There　are　certain　lights　that　have　a　way　of　dressing　up　the　tower　as　a　whole；　giving　it　unity　and　hiding　its　ugliness。　And　at　all　times　it　has　a　kind　of　barbaric　splendor。　It　might　have　come　out　of　an　Aztec　mind；　rather　childish　in　expression；　and　seeking　for　beauty　in　an　elemental　way。　I　can　imagine　Aztecs　living　up　there　in　a　barbaric　fashion；　their　houses　piled；　one　above　another；　like　our　uncivilized　apartment　houses。〃

In　studying　the　Tower　of　Jewels　in　detail；　we　decided　that　it　was　not　really　so　crude　as　it　seemed　on　first　sight。　Much　might　be　done　even　now　by　a　process　of　elimination。　And　the　arch　was　magnificent。　〃In　its　present　condition　the　to