the city of domes-第9节

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ession　of　liveliness。　But　it's　a　nervous　liveliness；　characteristically　American；　not　altogether　healthy。〃

The　Fountain　of　Energy　and　the　Tower　of　Jewels；　we　decided；　both　expressed　the　same　kind　of　imagination。　Like　the　fountain；　the　tower　gave　the　sense　of　overstrain。　〃It's　pretty　hard　to　see　any　architectural　relation　between　those　figures　up　there　on　the　tower　and　the　tower　itself。　See　how　the　mass　tries　to　dominate　Kelham's　four　Italian　towers；　but　without　showing　any　real　superiority。〃

The　heraldic　shields　on　the　lamp　posts　near　by　attracted　us　both　by　their　color　and　by　the　variety　and　grace　of　their　designs。　How　many　visitors　stopped　to　consider　their　historic　character？　They　went　back　to　the　early　history　of　the　Pacific　Coast。　For　this　contribution　alone　Walter　D'Arcy　Ryan　deserved　the　highest　recognition。　Only　an　artist　could　have　worked　out　this　scheme　in　just　this　sensitive　and　appropriate　way。

We　stopped　at　the　vigorous　equestrian　statue　of　Cortez　by　Charles　Niehaus　at　our　right；　close　to　the　tower。　〃I　always　liked　Cortez　for　his　nerve。　He　didn't　get　much　gratitude　from　his　Emperor　for　conquering　Mexico　and　annexing　it　to　Spain。　And　what　he　got　in　glory　and　in　money　probably　did　not　compensate　him　for　his　disappointment　at　the　end。　When　he　couldn't　reach　Charles　V　in　any　other　way；　he　jumped　up　on　the　royal　carriage。　Charles　didn't　recognize　him　and　asked　who　he　was。　'I'm　the　man；'　said　Cortez；　'that　gave　you　more　provinces　than　your　forebears　left　you　cities。'　Naturally　Charles　was　annoyed。　We　don't　like　to　be　reminded　of　ingratitude；　do　we；　especially　by　the　people　who　think　we　ought　to　be　grateful　to　them？　So　Cortez　quit　the　court　and　spent　the　rest　of　his　life　in　the　country。〃

At　our　right　we　met　another　of　the　many　Spanish　adventurers　drawn　to　the　Americas　by　the　discovery　of　Columbus；　Pizarro；　who　presented　his　country　with　the　rich　land　of　Peru。　It　was　doubtless　placed　here　on　account　of　the　relation　between　Spain　and　California。　〃Civilization　is　a　development　through　blood　and　spoilation；〃　the　architect　remarked。　〃If　Pizarro　hadn't　been　lured　by　the　gold　of　the　Incas　we　might　not　be　here　at　this　moment。〃

The　figures　on　the　tower；　insignificant　when　viewed　from　a　distance；　at　close　range　took　on　vigor：　the　philosopher　in　his　robes；　the　bearer　of　European　culture　of　the　sixteenth　century　to　these　shores；　the　Spanish　priest；　typical　of　the　early　friars；　the　adventurer；　so　closely　related　to　Columbus；　and　the　Spanish　soldier。　The　armored　horseman；　by　Tonetti；　in　a　row　all　by　himself；　suffering　from　being　rather　absurdly　out　of　place；　might　have　won　applause　if　he　had　been　brought　on　a　pedestal　close　to　the　ground。　His　being　repeated　so　often　up　there　made　an　effect　almost　comic。　The　vases　and　the　triremes；　the　pieces　of　armor；　with　the　battle…axe　designs　on　either　side；　the　Cleopatra's　needles；　and　the　richly…girdled　globe　on　top；　sustained　on　the　shoulders　of　three　figures；　were　all　well　done。　The　only　trouble　was　that　they　had　not　been　made　to　blend　into　one　lightly　soaring　mass。

〃It's　curious　that　Hastings　should　have　gone　astray　in　the　treatment　of　the　tower。　He　must　have　known　the　psychological　effect　of　parallel　horizontal　lines。　When　skyscrapers　were　first　built　in　New　York　a　few　years　ago　they　were　considered　unsightly　on　account　of　their　great　height。　So　the　architects　were　careful　to　use　parallel　horizontal　lines　in　order　to　diminish　the　apparent　height　as　far　as　possible。　Then　people　began　to　say　that　there　was　beauty　in　the　sky…scrapers；　and　the　architects　changed　their　policy。　They　built　in　straight　parallel　lines　that　shot　up　to　the　sky。　In　this　way　they　increased　the　apparent　height。〃

The　inscriptions　on　the　south　side　of　the　tower's　base　reminded　us　of　the　Exposition's　meaning；　Conspicuously　and　properly　emphasized　here。　The　pagan　note　in　the　architecture　was　indicated　in　the　ornamentation　by　the　use　in　the　design　of　the　head　of　the　sacred　bull。　And　Triumphant　America　was　celebrated　in　the　group　of　eagles。

The　dark　stains　on　the　yellow　columns　made　us　see　how　clever　Guerin　had　been　in　his　application　of　the　coloring。　In　most　places　he　had　applied　one　coat　only；　trusting　to　nature　to　do　the　rest。　Most　of　all；　he　wished　to　avoid　the　appearance　of　newness　and　to　secure　a　look　of　age。　On　these　columns　the　smoke　from　the　steam　rollers　had　helped　out。　One　might　imagine　that　they　had　been　here　for　generations。

Here　the　builders　had　used　the　Corinthian　column；　with　the　acanthus　leaves　varied　with　fruit…designs　and　with　the　human　figure。　〃It　was　a　lucky　day　for　architecture　when　the　column　came　into　use。　It　doubtless　got　its　start　from　a　single　beam　used　for　support。　Then　the　notion　developed　of　making　it　ornamental　by　fluting　it　and　decorating　the　top。　In　this　Exposition　three　kinds　of　columns　are　used；　the　Doric；　which　the　Greeks　favored；　with　the　very　simple　top　or　capital；　the　Ionic；　with　the　spiral　scroll　for　the　capital；　and　the　Corinthian；　with　the　acanthus　flowing　over　the　top；　and　the　Composite　which　uses　features　from　all　the　other　three。〃

〃Do　you　happen　to　know　how　the　acanthus　design　was　made？　Well；　Vitruvius　tells　the　story。　Anyone　that　wants　to　get　a　line　on　this　Exposition　ought　to　read　that　book；　or；　at　any　rate；　to　glance　through　it　and　to　read　parts　of　it　pretty　thoroughly。　It　is　called　'The　Architecture　of　Marcus　Vitruvius　Pollio。'　There's　a　good　translation　from　the　Latin　by　Joseph　Gwilt。　It　has　become　the　architect's　bible。　According　to　Vitruvius；　the　nurse　of　Corinthian　girl　who　had　died　carried　to　the　girl's　tomb　basket　filled　with　the　things　that　the　girl　had　particularly　liked。　She　left　the　basket　on　the　ground　near　the　tomb　and　covered　it　with　a　tile。　It　happened　that　it　stood　over　the　root　of　an　acanthus　plant。　As　the　plant　grew　its　foliage　pressed　up　around　the　basket　and　when　it　reached　the　tile　the　leaves　were　forced　to　bang　back　in　graceful　curves。　Callimachus；　a　Corinthian　architect；　noticed　the　effect　and　put　it　into　use。〃


IV

Under　the　Tower　of　Jewels



When　we　entered　the　arch　we　looked　up　at　the　magnificent　ceiling　used　by　McKim；　Mead　&　White；　in　panels；　with　a　pictorial　design　beautifully　colored　by　Guerin。　〃The　blue　up　there　blends　into　the　deeper　blue　of　the　Dodge　murals　just　beneath。　Those　murals　are　in　exactly　the　right　tone。　They　give　strength　to　the　arch。　But　they　are　weakened　by　being　in　the　midst　of　so　much　heavy　architecture。　Their　subjects；　however；　are　in　harmony　with　the　meaning　of　the　tower。　Guerin　was　right　when　he　told　the　mural　decorators　that　a　good　subject　was　an　asset。　By　studying　these　murals　you　can　get　a　glimpse　of　all　the　history　associated　with　California　and　with　the　Panama　Canal。　Dodge　has　made　drama　out　of　Balboa's　discovery　of　Panama　and　out　of　the　union　of　the　two　oceans；　a　theme　worthy　of　a　great　poet。　And　Dodge　is　one　of　the　few　men　represented　in　the　art　on　the　grounds　who　have　made　pictorial　use　of　machinery。　There's　the　discovery　by　Balboa；　the　purchase　by　the　United　States；　the　presentation　of　the　problem　of　uniting　the　two　oceans；　very　imaginative　and　pictorial；　the　completion　of　the　Canal；　and　the　crowning　of　labor；　with　the　symbolic　representation　of　the　resulting　feats　of　commerce　suggested　by　the　want　of　the　winged　Mercury。　Dodge　is　dramatic　without　being　too　individual。　His　murals　don't　call　the　attention　away　from　their　surroundings　to　themselves。　They　are　a　part　of　the　architecture；　as　murals　always　should　be。〃

On　either　side　we　found　the　columned　niches　designed　by　McKim；　Mead　and　White；　each　ornamented　with　a　fountain。　The　back　wall　made　a　splendid　effect　as　it　reached　up　toward　the　tower。

To　the　right　we　turned　to　view　Mrs。　Edith　Woodman　Burroughs'　〃Fountain　of　Youth；〃　lovely　in　the　girlish　beauty　of　the　central　figure；　and　in　the　simplicity　and　the　sincerity　of　the　design　as　a　whole。　In　some　ways　the　figure　reminded　us　of　the　celebrated　painting　by　Ingres　in　the　Louvre；　〃The　Source；〃　the　nude　girl　bearing　a　jug　on　her　shoulder；　sending　out　a　stream　of　water。　There　was　no　suggestion　of　imitation；　however。

〃The　symbolism　in　the　design；〃　said　the　architect；　〃does　not　thrust　itself　on　you；　and　yet　it　is　plain　enough。　That　woman　and　man　pushing　up　flowers　at　the　feet　of　the　girl　make　a　beautiful　conception。　The　whole　fountain　has　an　ingenuousness　that　is　in　key　with　the　subject。　Across　the　way；〃　he　went　on；　turning　to　view　the　Fountain　of　El　Dorado；　by　Mrs。　Gertrude　Vanderbilt　Whitney；　〃there's　a　piece　of　work　much　more　sophisticated　and　dramatic；　fine　in　its　conception　and　strong　in　handling。　No　one　would　say　offhand　that　it　was　the　work　of　a　woman；　and　yet　it　shows　none　of　the　overstrain　that　sometimes　characterizes　a　woman　artist　when　she　wishes　her　work　to　seem　masculine。〃

In　approaching　the　〃El　Dorado〃　we　noted　the　skill　shown　in　the　details　of　the　conception。　〃This　fountain　might　have　been　called　'The　Land　of　Gold；'　in　plain　English；　or　'The　Struggle　for　Happiness；'　or　by　any　other　name　that　suggested　competition　for　what　people　valued　as　the　prizes　of　life。　When　Mrs。　Whitney　was　asked　to　explain　whether　those　trees　in　the　background　represented　the　tree　of　life；　she　said　she　didn't　have　any　such　idea　in　her　mind。　What　she　probably　wanted　to　do　was　to　present　an　imaginative　scen