the city of domes-第14章

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　brilliant　California　flowers。　The　ornamental　columns；　the　Spanish　doorways；　and　the　great　windows　of　simple　and　yet　graceful　design　were　all　harmonious；　and　Guerin　and　Ryan　had　helped　out　with　the　coloring。



VIII

The　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons



As　we　entered　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons　the　architect　said：　〃If　I　were　to　send　a　student　of　architecture　to　this　Exposition；　I　should　advise　him　to　spend　most　of　his　time　here。　Of　all　the　courts；　it　expresses　for　me　the　best　architectural　traditions。　Henry　Bacon　frankly　took　Hadrian's　Villa　for　his　model；　and　he　succeeded　in　keeping　every　feature　classic。　That　half　dome　is　an　excellent　example　of　a　style　cultivated　by　the　Romans。　The　four　niches　with　the　groups　of　the　seasons；　by　Piccirilli；　screened　behind　the　double　columns；　come　from　a　detail　in　the　baths　of　Caracalla。　The　Romans　liked　to　glimpse　scenes　or　statuary　through　columns。　Guerin　has　applied　a　rich　coloring；　his　favorite　pink；　and　McLaren　has　added　a　poetic　touch　by　letting　garlands　of　the　African　dew　plant；　that　he　made　his　hedge　of；　flow　over　from　the　top。　See　how　Bacon　has　used　the　bull's　head　between　the　flowers　in　the　ornamentation；　one　of　the　most　popular　of　the　Renaissance　motives。　And　he　has　introduced　an　original　detail　by　letting　ears　of　corn　hang　from　the　top　of　the　columns。　Those　bulls　up　there；　with　the　two　figures；　carry　the　mind　back　to　the　days　when　the　Romans　made　a　sacrifice　of　the　sacred　bull　in　the　harvest　festivals。　This　Thanksgiving　of　theirs　they　called　'The　Feast　of　the　Sacrifice。'　〃

Crowning　the　half　dome　sat　the　lovely　figure　of　Nature；　laden　with　fruits；　by　Albert　Jaegers。　On　the　columns　at　either　side　stood　two　other　figures　by　Jaegers；　〃Rain；〃　holding　out　a　shell　to　catch　the　drops；　and　〃Sunshine；〃　with　a　palm　branch　close　to　her　eyes。　At　each　base　the　figures　of　the　harvesters　carried　out　the　agricultural　idea　with　elemental　simplicity　in　friezes　that　recalled　the　friezes　on　the　Parthenon。　Here；　on　each　side　of　the　half…dome；　we　have　a　good　example　of　the　composite　column；　a　combination　of　the　Corinthian　and　the　Ionic；　with　the　Ionic　scrolls　and　the　acanthus　underneath；　and　with　little　human　figures　between　the　two。

What　we　liked　best　about　this　court　was　its　feeling　of　intimacy。　One　could　find　refreshment　here　and　rest。　Much　was　due　to　the　graceful　planting　by　John　McLaren。　His　masses　of　deep　green　around　the　emerald　pool　in　the　center　were　particularly　successful。　He　had　used　many　kinds　of　trees；　including　the　olive；　the　acacia；　the　eucalyptus；　the　cypress；　and　the　English　laurel。

We　lingered　in　front　of　these　fountains；　admiring　the　classic　grace　of　the　groups　and　the　play　of　water　over　the　steps。　We　thought　that　Piccirilli　had　been　most　successful　with　his　〃Spring。〃　〃Of　course；　it's　very　conventional　work；〃　said　the　architect；　〃but　the　conventional　has　its　place　here。　It　explains　just　why　Milton　Bancroft　worked　out　those　murals　of　his　in　this　particular　way。　He　wanted　to　express　the　elemental　attitude　of　mind　toward　nature；　the　artistic　childhood　of　the　race。〃

When　we　examined　the　figures　of　the　Piccirilli　groups　in　detail；　we　found　that　they　possessed　excellent　qualities。　They　carried　on　the　traditions　of　the　wall…fountains　so　popular　in　Rome　and　often　associated　with　water　running　over　steps。　The　figures　were　well　put　together　and　the　lines　were　good。　All　of　the　groups　had　the　surface　as　carefully　worked　out。　In　〃Spring〃　the　line　of　festooning　helped　to　carry　on　the　line　leading　to　the　top　of　the　group。　There　was　tender　feeling　and　fine　workmanship　in　〃Summer；〃　with　the　feminine　and　masculine　hands　clearly　differentiated。　〃The　men　of　today　have　a　chance　to　learn　a　good　lesson　from　Rodin；〃　said　the　painter。　〃He　is　teaching　them　what　he　himself　may　have　learned　from　the　work　of　Donatello　and　Michael　Angelo；　the　importance　of　surface　accentuation；　the　securing　of　the　light　and　shade　that　are　just　as　necessary　in　modelling　as　in　painting。　In　these　groups　there　is　definite　accentuation　of　the　muscles。　It　makes　the　figures　seem　life…like。　The　work　reminds　me　of　the　figure　of　The　Outcast；　by　the　sculpter's　brother；　Attilio　Piccirilli；　that　we　shall　see　in　the　colonade　of　the　Fine　Arts　Palace。　So　many　sculptors　like　to　secure　these　smooth；　meaningless　surfaces　that　excite　admiration　among　those　people　who　care　for　mere　prettiness。　It　is　just　about　as　admirable　as　the　smoothing　out　of　character　lines　from　a　photograph。　But　the　Piccirillis　go　at　their　work　like　genuine　artists。〃

Those　murals　we　were　inclined　to　regard　as　somewhat　too　simple　and　formal。　〃After　all；〃　said　the　architect；　〃it's　a　question　whether　this　kind　of　effort　is　in　the　right　direction。　So　often　it　leads　to　what　seems　like　acting　in　art；　regarded　by　some　people　as　insincerity。　At　any　rate；　the　best　that　can　be　said　of　it　is　that　it's　clever　imitation。　But　here　it　blends　in　with　the　feeling　of　the　court　and　it　gives　bright　spots　of　color。　Guerin　has　gone　as　close　to　white　as　he　dared。　So　he　felt　the　need　of　strong　color　contrasts；　and　he　got　Bancroft　to　supply　them。　And　the　colors　are　repeated　in　the　the　other　decorations　of　the　court。　It's　as　if　the　painter　had　been　given　a　definite　number　of　colors　to　work　with。　In　this　matter　of　color；　by　the　way；　Bancroft　had　a　big　advantage　over　the　old　Roman　painters。　Their　colors　were　very　restricted。　In　this　court　they　might　have　allowed　more　space　for　the　murals。　They're　not　only　limited　in　size；　but　in　shape　as　well。　Bancroft　used　to　call　them　his　postage…stamps。

In　the　entrance　court　we　found　Evelyn　Breatrice　Longman's　〃Fountain　of　Ceres；〃　the　last　of　the　three　fountains　done　on　the　grounds　by　women；　and　decidedly　the　most　feminine。　〃Mrs。　Longman　hasn't　quite　caught　the　true　note；〃　the　architect　remarked。　〃The　base　of　the　fountain　is　interesting；　though　I　don't　care　for　the　shape。　But　the　figure　itself　is　too　prim　and　modish。　Somehow　I　can't　think　of　Ceres　as　a　proper　old　maid；　dressed　with　modern　frills。　The　execution；　however；　shows　a　good　deal　of　skill。　The　frieze　might　be　improved　by　the　softening　of　those　sharp　lines　that　cut　out　the　figures　like　pasteboard。　And　these　women　haven't　as　much　vitality　as　that　grotesque　head　down　near　the　base；　spouting　out　water。〃　The　architect　glanced　up　and　noticed　the　figure　of　〃Victory〃　on　one　of　the　gables；　so　often　to　be　seen　during　a　walk　over　the　grounds。　〃There's　more　swing　to　that　figure　than　to　the　one　here；　and　yet　there's　a　certain　resemblance　between　them。　They　both　show　the　same　influence；　the　Winged　Victory　of　Samothrace。　Of　course；　Miss　Longman　has　purposely　softened　the　effect　on　account　of　the　mildness　of　her　subject。　But　she　might　have　been　more　successful　with　her　draperies　if　she　had　followed　the　suggestions　in　the　Winged　Victory　more　closely。　There　the　treatment　of　the　draperies　is　magnificent。　Both　the　Greeks　and　the　Romans　were　very　fond　of　this　type　of　figure。　And　it's　often　found　among　the　ruins　of　Pompeii；　which　kept　so　close　to　Rome　in　its　artistic　enterprise。〃

The　need　of　separating　the　entrance　to　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons　from　Ryan's　display　of　scintillators　on　the　imitation　of　Morro　Castle　at　the　edge　of　the　bay；　had　given　John　McLaren　a　chance　to　create　another　of　these　deep　green　masses　that　surrounded　the　pool。　It　shut　the　court　off　from　the　rest　of　the　world　and　deepened　the　intimacy；　leaving；　however；　glimpses　of　the　bay　and　the　hills　beyond。



IX

The　Palace　of　Fine　Arts　From　Across　the　Lagoon



In　returning　to　the　Court　of　the　Four　Seasons；　we　started　along　another　of　those　inner　courts；　made　charming　by　those　Spanish　doorways　and　by　the　twisted　columns；　a　favorite　of　the　Romans；　evidently　borrowed　from　the　Orientals。　〃All　through　the　Exposition；〃　the　architect　remarked；　〃we　are　reminded　of　the　Oriental　fondness　for　the　serpent。　Some　people　like　to　say　that　it　betrays　the　subtlety　and　slyness　of　the　Oriental　people。　But　they　admired　the　serpent　chiefly　because；　in　their　minds；　it　represented　wisdom；　the　quiet　and　easy　way　of　doing　things；　a　little　roundabout　perhaps；　but　often　better　than　the　method　of　opposition　and　attack。〃

Before　us；　looking　down　as　if　from　an　eminence；　stood；　the　Palace　of　Fine　Arts。　The　architect　reminded　me　of　the　clever　planning　that　had　p