the city of domes-第13章

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picturesque　as　those　figures　are；　they're　not　much　more。　They　give　no　intimation　of　the　mighty　stirring　among　the　laborers　of　the　world；　a　theme　that　might　well　inspire　the　sculpture　of　today；　one　of　the　greatest　of　all　human　themes。〃

　From　the　Column　of　Progress　the　Marina　drew　us　over　to　the　seawall。　〃The　builders　were　wise　to　leave　this　space　open　and　to　keep　it　simple。　It's　as　if　they　said：　'Ladies　and　gentlemen；　we　have　done　our　best。　But　here's　Mother　Nature。　She　can　do　better。'　〃

To　our　right　stood　Alcatraz；　shaped　like　a　battleship；　with　the　Berkeley　hills　in　the　distant　background。　To　the　left　rose　Tamalpais　in　a　majestic　peak。

When　I　mentioned　that　there　ought　to　be　more　boats　out　there　on　the　bay；　a　whole　fleet；　and　some　of　them　with　colored　sails；　to　give　more　brightness；　the　architect　shook　his　head。

〃The　scene　is　typically　Californian。　It　suggests　great　stretches　of　vacant　country　here　in　this　State；　waiting　for　the　people　to　come　from　the　overcrowded　East　and　Middle　West　and　thrive　on　the　land。〃

Our　point　of　view　on　the　Esplanade　enabled　us　to　take　in　the　sweep　of　the　northern　wall；　with　its　straight　horizontal　lines；　broken　by　the　entrances　to　the　courts　and　by　the　splendidly　ornate　doors　in　duplicate。　Of　the　design　above　the　doorway　the　architect　said：　〃It's　a　perfect　example　of　the　silver…platter　style　of　Spain；　generally　called　'plateresque；'　adapted　to　the　Exposition。　Allen　Newman's　figure　of　the　Conquistador　is　full　of　spirit；　and　the　bow…legged　pirate　is　a　triumph　of　humorous　characterization。　Can't　you　see　him　walking　the　deck；　with　the　rope　in　his　hand？　It　isn't　so　many　generations　since　he　used　to　infest　the　Pacific。　By　the　way；　that　rope；　which　the　sculptor　has　made　so　realistic　and　picturesque　at　the　same　time；　reminds　me　that　a　good　many　people　are　bothered　because　the　bow　up　here；　on　the　Column　of　Progress；　has　no　string。　The　artistic　folk；　of　course；　think　that　the　string　ought　to　be　left　to　the　imagination。〃

In　the　distance；　to　the　west；　we　commented　on　the　noble　outlines　of　the　California　Building；　an　idealized　type　of　Mission　architecture；　a　little　too　severe；　perhaps；　lacking　in　variety　and　warmth；　but　of　an　impressive　dignity。　The　old　friars；　for　all　their　asceticism；　liked　gaiety　and　color　in　their　building。

As　we　were　about　to　start　back　to　the　Court　of　the　Universe　the　architect　reminded　me　of　the　two　magnificent　towers；　dedicated　to　Balboa　and　Columbus；　that　had　been　planned　for　the　approach　to　the　Court　of　Four　Seasons　and　the　Court　of　Ages　from　the　bay　side；　but　had　been　omitted　to　save　expense。　They　would　have　given　the　Marina　a　far　greater　splendor；　but　they　would　have　detracted　from　its　present　simplicity。



VII

Toward　the　Court　of　Four　Seasons



〃There　are　critics；〃　I　remarked；　as　we　walked　back　to　the　Court　of　the　Universe；　on　the　way　to　the　Court　of　Four　Seasons；　〃who　say　that　the　entrance　courts　ought　to　have　been　placed　on　the　other　side　that　the　Exposition　ought　to　have　been　turned　round。〃

〃They　don't　understand　the　conditions　that　the　architects　had　to　meet。　That　plan　was　considered；　but　when　it　was　pointed　out　that　the　strongest　winds　here　blow　from　the　south　and　southwest；　it　was　seen　that　it　would　not　be　feasible。　Besides；　the　present　arrangement　has　the　advantage　of　leading　the　people　directly　to　one　of　the　most　beautiful　bays　in　the　world。　The　only　bays　at　all　like　it　that　I　know　anything　about　are　the　Bay　of　Palermo　and　the　Bay　of　Naples。　The　view　of　the　Exposition　from　the　water　is　wonderfully　fine。　It　brings　out　the　charm　of　the　straight　lines。　All　things　considered；　the　architects　did　an　uncommonly　fine　job　in　making　the　courts　run　from　the　Esplanade。〃

Under　the　star　figures；　among　the　sculptured　flowers'　surrounding　the　head　of　the　sacred　bull；　birds　were　nestling。　We　wondered　if　those　birds　were　really　fooled　by　those　flowers　or　whether；　in　these　niches；　they　merely　found　a　comfortable　place　to　rest。　〃There's　an　intimate　relation；　by　the　way；　between　birds　and　architecture。　It's　said　that　the　first　architectural　work　done　in　the　world　consisted　in　the　making　of　a　bird's　nest。　Some　critics　think　that　architecture　had　its　start　in　the　making　of　a　bird's　nest。　Have　you　ever　watched　birds　at　work　on　their　nests？　If　you　have；　you　must　know　that　they　go　about　the　job　like　artists。　In　our　profession　we　like　to　insist；　you　know；　that　there's　a　big　difference　between　architecture　and　mere　building。　In　its　truest　sense　architecture　is　building　with　a　fine　motive。　It's　the　artistic　printing　press　of　all　ages；　the　noblest　of　the　fine　arts　and　the　finest　of　the　useful　arts。　I　know；　of　course；〃　the　architect　went　on；　〃that　there's　another　tradition　not　quite　so　flattering。　It　makes　the　architect　merely　the　worker　in　the　rough；　with　the　artistic　finish　left　to　the　sculptors。　But　the　outline　is　nevertheless　the　architect's；　the　structure；　which　is　the　basis　of　beauty。　Even　now　a　good　many　of　the　great　French　buildings　are　roughed　out　in　this　way；　and　finished　by　the　sculptors　and　the　decorators。〃

Under　the　western　arch；　leading　to　the　inner　court　that　united　the　Court　of　the　Universe　with　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons；　we　found　the　two　panels　by　Frank　Vincent　Du　Mond。　Their　simple　story　they　told　plainly　enough；　the　departure　of　the　pioneers　from　the　Atlantic　border　for　the　Far　West　on　the　Pacific。　In　the　panel　to　the　right　we　saw　the　older　generation　saying　farewell　to　the　younger；　and　on　the　other　side　we　saw　the　travelers　arriving　in　California　and　finding　a　royal　welcome　from　the　Westerners　in　a　scene　of　typical　abundance；　even　the　California　bear　showing　himself　in　amiable　mood。　〃That　bear　bothered　Du　Mond　a　good　deal。　He　wasn't　used　to　painting　bears。　It　isn't　nearly　as　life…like　as　those　human　figures。〃

What　I　liked　best　about　the　murals　was　their　splendor　of　coloring；　and　their　pictorial　suggestiveness　and　vigor　of　characterization。　Perhaps　there　was　a　little　too　much　effort　on　the　part　of　the　painter　to　suggest　animation。　But　why；　I　asked；　had　Du　Mond　made　most　of　the　faces　so　distinctively　Jewish？

My　question　was　received　with　an　exclamation　of　surprise。　Yes；　the　strong　Jewish　types　of　features　were　certainly　repeated　again　and　again。　Perhaps　Du　Mond　happened　to　use　Jewish　models。　It　hardly　seemed　possible　that　the　effect　could　have　been　intentional。

When　I　pointed　to　one　of　the　figures；　a　youth　holding　out　a　long　bare　arm；　and　remarked　that　I　had　never　seen　an　arm　of　such　length；　my　criticism　brought　out　an　unsuspected　principle　of　art。　〃The　Cubists　would　say　that　you　were　altogether　too　literal。　They　are　making　us　all　understand　that　what　art　ought　to　do　is　to　express　not　what　we　merely　see　with　our　eyes；　but　what　we　feel。　If　by　lengthening　that　arm；　the　painter　gets　an　effect　that　he　wants；　he's　justified　in　refusing　to　be　bound　by　the　mathematical　facts　of　nature。　Art　is　not　a　matter　of　strict　calculation；　that　is；　art　at　its　best　and　its　purest。　It's　a　matter　of　spiritual　perception。　All　the　resources　of　the　artist　ought　to　be　bent　toward　expressing　a　spiritual　idea　and　making　it　alive　and　beautiful　through　outline　and　color。〃

〃But　how　about　the　mixture　of　allegory　and　realism　that　we　see　in　these　murals　and　in　so　much　of　the　art　here？　Don't　you　find　it　disturbing？〃

〃Not　at　all。　There's　no　reason　in　the　world　why　the　allegorical　and　the　real　should　not　go　together；　provided；　of　course；　they　don't　grossly　conflict　and　become　absurd。　What　the　artist　is　always　working　for　is　the　effect　of　beauty。　If　a　picture　is　beautiful；　no　matter　how　the　beauty　is　achieved；　it　deserves　recognition　as　a　work　of　art。　In　these　murals　Du　Mond　has　tried　to　reach　as　closely　as　he　could　to　nature　without　being　too　literal　and　without　sacrificing　artistic　effect。　He　has　even　introduced　among　his　figures　some　well…known　Californians；　a　Bret　Harte；　in　the　gown　of　the　scholar；　and　William　Keith；　carrying　a　portfolio　to　suggest　his　painting。〃

In　that　inner　court　we　noticed　how　cleverly　Faville　had　subordinated　the　architecture　so　that　it　should　modestly　connect　the　great　central　courts。　McLaren　was　keeping　it　glowing　on　either　side　with　the　most　brilliant　California　flowers。　The　ornamental　columns；　the　Spanish　doorways；　and　the　great　windows　o