the city of domes-第11章

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〃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　scene　that　each　observer　could　interpret　for　himself。　These　two　Egyptian…looking　guardians　at　the　doors；　with　the　figures　kneeling　by　them；　suggest　plainly　enough　the　futility　that　goes　with　so　much　of　our　struggling　in　the　world。　So　often　people　reach　the　edge　of　their　goal　without　really　getting　what　they　want。〃



V

The　Court　of　the　Universe



Through　the　arch　we　passed　into　the　neck　of　the　Court　of　the　Universe；　which　charmed　us　by　the　warmth　of　its　coloring；　by　McLaren's　treatment　of　the　sunken　garden；　by　its　shape；　by　the　use　of　the　dark　pointed　cypress　trees　against　the　walls；　and　by　the　sweep　of　view　across　the　great　court　to　the　Marina；　broken；　however；　by　the　picturesque　and　inharmonious　Arabic　bandstand。　We　glanced　at　the　inscriptions　at　the　base　of　the　tower　carrying　on　the　history　of　the　Canal　to　its　completion。　Then　we　stopped　before　those　graceful　little　elephants　bearing　Guerin's　tall　poles　with　their　streamers。　〃That　little　fellow　is　a　gem　in　his　way。　He　comes　from　Rome。　But　the　heavy　pole　on　his　back　is　almost　too　much　for　him。　He's　used　pretty　often　on　the　grounds；　but　not　too　often。　After　the　Exposition　is　over　we　ought　to　keep　these　figures　for　the　Civic　Center。　They　would　be　very　ornamental　in　the　heart　of　the　city。〃

As　we　walked　toward　the　main　court；　the　architect　called　my　attention　to　the　view　between　the　columns　on　the　other　side　of　the　Tower　of　Jewels；　with　the　houses　of　the　city　running　down　the　hills。　〃San　Francisco　architecture　may　not　be　beautiful　when　you　study　individual　houses。　But　in　mass　it　is　fine。　And；　of　a　late　afternoon；　it　is　particularly　good　in　coloring。　It　seems　to　be　enveloped　in　a　rich　purple　haze。　That　color　might　have　given　the　mural　decorators　a　hint。　It　would　have　been　effective　in　the　midst　of　all　this　high…keyed　architecture。　It's　easy　here　to　imagine　that　you're　in　one　of　those　ancient　Hindu　towns　where　the　gates　are　closed　at　night。　You　almost　expect　to　see　camels　and　elephants。〃

What　was　most　striking　in　the　Court　was　its　immensity。　〃Though　it　comes　from　Bernini's　entrance　court　to　St。　Peter's　in　Rome；　it　is　much　bigger。　There　are　those　who　think　it's　too　big。　But　it　justifies　itself　by　its　splendor。　The　use　of　the　double　row　of　columns　is　particularly　happy。　The　double　columns　were　greatly　favored　by　the　Romans。　In　St。　Peter's　Bernini　used　four　in　a　row。　And　what　could　be　finer　than　those　two　triumphal　arches　on　either　side；　the　Arch　of　the　Rising　Sun　and　the　Arch　of　the　Setting　Sun；　with　their　double　use　of　symbolism；　in　suggesting　the　close　relation　between　California　and　the　Orient；　as　well　as　their　geographical　meaning？　They　are；　of　course；　importations　from　Rome；　the　Arch　of　Constantine　and　the　Arch　of　Titus　all　over　again；　with　a　rather　daring　use　of　windows　with　colored　lattices　to　give　them　lightness　and　with　colossal　groups　of　almost　startling　proportions　used　in　place　of　the　Roman　chariot　or　quadriga。〃

Originally；　the　intention　had　been　to　use　here　the　name　of　the　Court　of　Sun　and　Stars。　Then　it　was　changed　to　the　Court　of　Honor；　and　finally　to　its　present　name；　to　suggest　the　international　character　of　the　Exposition。

Those　two　groups　represented　by　far　the　most　ambitious　work　done　by　the　sculpture　department。　From　designs　by　Calder；　they　were　made　by　three　sculptors；　Calder；　Roth　and　Lentelli。　They　presented　problems　that　must　have　been　both　difficult　and　interesting　to　work　out。　First；　they　had　to　balance　each　other。　What　figure　in　the　Pioneer　group　could　balance　the　elephant　that　typified　the　Orient？　Calder　had　the　idea　of　using　the　prairie　schooner；　associated　with　the　coming　of　the　pioneers　to　California；　drawn　by　great　oxen。

The　Oriental　group　doubtless　shaped　itself　in　picturesque　outlines　much　more　quickly　than　the　sturdy；　but　more　homely　Americans　of　the　earlier　period。　The　Orientals　displayed　an　Indian　prince　on　the　ornamented　seat；　and　the　Spirit　of　the　East　in　the　howdah；　of　his　elephant；　an　Arab　shiek　on　his　Arabian　horse；　a　negro　slave　bearing　fruit　on　his　head；　an　Egyptian　on　a　camel　carrying　a　Mohammedan　standard；　an　Arab　falconer　with　a　bird；　a　Buddhist　priest；　or　Lama；　from　Thibet；　bearing　his　symbol　of　authority；　a　Mohammedan　with　his　crescent；　a　second　negro　slave　and　a　Mongolian　on　horseback。

The　Nations　of　the　West　were　grouped　around　that　prairie　wagon；　drawn　by　two　oxen。　In　the　center　stood　the　Mother　of　Tomorrow　a　typical　American　girl；　roughly　dressed；　but　with　character　as　well　as　beauty　in　her　face　and　figure。　On　top　of　the　wagon　knelt　the　symbolic　figure　of　〃Enterprise；〃　with　a　white　boy　on　one　side　and　a　colored　boy　on　the　other；　〃Heroes　of　Tomorrow。〃　On　the　other　side　of　the　wagon　stood　typical　figures；　the　French…Canadian　trapper；　the　Alaska　woman；　bearing　totem　poles　on　her　back；　the　American　of　Latin　descent　on　his　horse；　bearing　a　standard；　a　German；　an　Italian；　an　American　of　English　descent；　a　squaw　with　a　papoose；　and　an　Indian　chief　on　his　pony。　The　wagon　was　modelled　on　top　of　the　arch。　It　was　too　large　and　bulky　to　be　easily　raised　to　that　great　height。

The　architect　was　impressed　by　the　boldness　of　the　designs　and　to　the　spirit　that　had　been　put　into　them。　〃It's　very　seldom　in　the　history　of　art　that　sculptors　have　had　a　chance　to　do　decorative　work　on　so　big　a　scale。　It　must　have　been　a　hard　job；　getting　the　figures　up　there　in　pieces　and　putting　them　together。　Some　of　the　workers　came　near　being　blown　off。　Some　of　them　lost　their　nerve　and　quit。　I　wonder；　by　the　way；　if　that　angel　on　top　of　the　prairie　wagon　would　be　there　if　Saint　Gaudens　hadn't　put　an　angel　in　his　Sherman　statue；　and　if　he　hadn't　made　an　angel　float　over　the　negro　soldiers　in　his　Robert　Gould　Shaw　monument　in　Boston。　He　liked　that　kind　of　symbolism。　He　must　have　got　it　from　the　mediaeval　sculptors　who　worked　under　the　inspiration　of　the　Catholic　Church。〃

Varying　notes　we　found　around　the　American　group。　Cleopatra's　needle；　used　for　ornamentation；　suggested　Egypt　and　the　Nile。　That　crenellated　parapet　once　belonged　to　military　architecture：　between　those　pieces　that　stood　up；　the　merlons；　in　the　embrasure；　the　Greek　and　Roman　archers　shot　their　arrows　at　the　enemy　and　darted　back　behind　the　merlons　for　protection。　In　spite　of　its　being　purely　ornamental　it　told　its　story　just　the　same；　and　it　expressed　the　spirit　that　still　persisted　in　mankind。　Nowadays　it　was　even　used　on　churches。　But　religion　and　war　had　always　been　associated。　Besides；　in　an　International　Exposition　it　was　to　be　expected　that　the　art　should　be　international。　How　many　people；　when　they　looked　at　Cleopatra's　needle；　knew　how　closely　it　was　related　to　the　newspapers　and　historical　records　of　today？　The　Egyptians　used　to　write　on　these　monuments　news　and　opinions　of　public　affairs。　The　Romans　had　a　similar　custom　in　connection　with　their　columns。　On　the　column　of　Trajan　they　not　only　wrote　of　their　victories；　but　they　pictured　victorious　scenes　in　stone。

The　little　sprite　that　ran　along　the　upper　edge　of　the　court　in　a　row；　the　star…figure；　impressed　me　as　making　an　unfortuna