the city of domes-第15章

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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　placed　this　magnificent　conception　in　so　commanding　a　position；　looking　down　into　the　courts；　on　what　he　called　〃the　main　axis。〃

〃It's　the　vision　of　a　painter　who　is　also　a　poet；　worked　out　in　terms　of　architecture。　Maybeck　planned　it　all；　even　to　the　details。　He　wanted　to　suggest　a　splendid　ruin；　suddenly　come　upon　by　travelers；　after　a　long　journey　in　a　desert。　He　has　invested　the　whole　place　with　an　atmosphere　of　tragedy。　It's　Roman　in　feeling　and　Greek　in　the　refinement　of　its　ornamentation。　That　rotunda　reminds　one　of　the　Pantheon　in　Rome。　Those　Corinthian　columns；　with　the　melancholy　drooping　of　the　acanthus　and　the　fretwork　and　the　frieze；　by　Zimm；　are　suggestive　of　Greece。　Maybeck　says　that　his　mind　was　started　on　the　conception；　'The　Island　of　Death；'　by　Boecklin；　the　painting　that　the　German　people　know　so　well　as　the　'Todteninsel；'　and　by　'The　Chariot　Race；'　of　Gerome。〃

The　architect　went　on　to　say　that　the　resemblance　was　remote　and　chiefly　interesting　as　showing　how　a　great　artist　could　carry　a　suggestion　into　an　entirely　new　realm。　The　Boecklin　painting　merely　suggested　the　general　scope　of　the　work；　and　the　chariot　race　gave　the　hint　for　that　colonnade；　which　Maybeck　had　made　so　original　and　graceful　by　the　use　of　the　urns　on　top　of　groups　of　columns　with　the　figure　of　a　woman　at　each　corner。　He　had　used　that　somewhat　eccentric　scheme　on　account　of　its　pictorial　charm。　All　through　the　construction　Maybeck　had　defied　the　architectural　conventions；　but　he　had　been　justified　by　his　success。

My　attention　was　directed　to　a　group　of　columns　at　the　end　of　the　colonnade。　〃There's　just　a　hint　of　the　Roman　Forum　over　there。　Perhaps　it's　accidental。　Perhaps　it's　developed　from　a　picture　way　down　in　Maybeck's　consciousness。　However；　the　idea　of　putting　two　columns　together　in　just　that　way　comes　from　the　French　Renaissance。　The　great　French　architect；　Perrault；　used　it　in　the　Louvre。　In　the　competition　he　won　out　over　Bernini；　who　is　living　again　in　the　Court　of　the　Universe。　It　gives　great　architectural　richness。〃

People　had　wondered　what　McLaren　had　meant　to　indicate　by　the　high　hedges　he　had　made　over　there　with　his　dew　plant。　He　had　merely　carried　out　the　designs　put　into　his　hands。　Maybeck　had　intended　the　hedge　to　be　used　as　a　background　for　willow　trees　that　were　to　run　up　as　high　as　the　frieze；　in　this　way　gaining　depth。　Through　those　trees　the　rotunda　was　to　be　glimpsed。　Willow　trees；　with　overhanging　boughs；　were　also　to　be　planted　along　the　edge　of　the　lagoon；　the　water　running　under　the　leaves　and　disappearing。

In　the　lagoon　swans　were　swimming　and　arching　their　long　necks。　〃The　old　Greeks　and　Romans　would　have　loved　this　scene；　though　they　would；　of　course；　have　found　alien　influences　here；〃　said　the　architect。　〃They　would　have　enjoyed　the　sequestration　of　the　Palace；　its　being　set　apart；　giving　the　impression　of　loneliness。　The　architects　were　shrewd　in　making　the　approach　long　and　circuitous。〃

〃They　might　have　done　more　with　the　water　that　was　here　before　they　filled　in；〃　I　said。　〃It　offered　fine　chances。〃

〃Yes；　and　they　thought　of　them　and　some　ambitious　plans　were　discussed。　But　the　expense　was　found　to　be　prohibitive。〃

At　that　moment　a　guard；　in　his　yellow　uniform　with　brass　buttons；　came　forward　with　a　questioning　lady　at　his　side。　They　stood　so　close　to　us　that　we　could　not　help　hearing　their　talk。

〃What　are　those　women　doing　up　there？〃

The　guard　looked　at　the　urns；　surmounting　the　columns。　〃They're　supposed　to　be　crying；〃　he　said。

〃What　are　they　crying　about？〃

The　guard　looked　a　little　embarrassed。　〃They　are　crying　over　the　sadness　of　art；〃　he　said。　Then　he　added　somewhat　apologetically；　〃Anyway；　that's　what　the　lecturer　told　us　to　say。〃

The　lady　appealed　to　us　for　information。　〃What　this　gentleman　says　is　true；〃　remarked　the　authority　at　my　side。　〃The　architect　intended　that　those　figures　should　express　something　of　the　sadness　of　life　as　reflected　in　art。〃

〃Oh；〃　said　the　lady；　as　if　she　only　half　understood。

Then　she　and　the　guard　drifted　away。

〃Those　people　have　unconsciously　given　us　a　bit　of　art　criticism；　haven't　they？　One　of　the　most　pictorial　notes　in　this　composition　of　Maybeck's　is　the　use　of　these　figures。　But　it's　also　eccentric　and　it　puzzles　the　average　looker…on　who　is　always　searching　after　meanings；　according　to　the　literary　habit　of　the　day；　the　result　of　universal　reading。　Perhaps　the　effect　would　have　been；　less　bewildering　if　those　urns　were　filled　with　flowers　as　Maybeck　intended　they　should　be。　Then　the　women　would　have　seemed　to　be　bending　over　the　flowers。　The　little　doors　were　put　into　the　urns　so　that　the　man　in　charge　of　the　flowers　could　reach　up　to　them。　But　this　item　of　expense　was　included　among　the　sacrifices。〃

The　coloring　of　the　columns　had　been　a　subject　of　some　criticism。　The　ochre　columns　were　generally　admired；　but　the　green　columns　were　considered　too　atmospheric　to　give　the　sense　of　support。　And　that　imitation　of　green　marble　directly　under　the　Pegasus　frieze　of　Zimm's；　near　the　top；　had　been　found　to　bear　a　certain　resemblance　to　linoleum。　But　in　applying；　the　colors　Guerin　had　worked　with　deliberate　purpose。　The　green　under　the　frieze　was　really　a　good　imitation　of　marble；　and　the　shade　used　on　the　column　suggested　the　weather…beaten　effect　associated　with　age。

〃There　are　columns　that；　in　my　opinion；　have　more　beauty　than　those　Maybeck　used。　But　that's　a　matter　of　taste。　In　themselves　those　columns　are　fine　and　they　blend　into　impressive　masses。　That　altar　under　the　dome；　with　the　kneeling　figure；　only　a　great　artist　could　have　conceived　in　just　that　way。　Ralph　Stackpole；　the　sculptor　of　the　figure；　worked　it　out　in　perfect　harmony　with　Maybeck's　idea。　To　appreciate　his　skill　one　ought　to　get　close　and　see　how　roughly　it　has　been　modeled　in　order　that　the　lines　should　be　clear　and　yet　give　an　effect　of　delicacy　across　the　lagoon。　And　those　trees　along　the　edge　of　the　lagoon；　how　gracefully　they　are　planted；　in　the　true　Greek　spirit。　The　lines　in　front　of　the　rotunda　are　all　good；　as　they　run　down　to　the　water's　edge。　And　how　richly　McLaren　has　planted　the　lagoon。　He　has　given　just　the　luxuriance　that　Maybeck　wanted。〃



The　Western　Wall



We　turned　to　get　the　effect　of　the　western　wall　looking　out　on　this　magnificence。　〃Faville　has　done　some　of　his　finest　work　there。　All　over　the　Exposition　he　has　expressed　himself；　but　as　his　name　is　not　connected　with　one　of　the　great　courts　we　don't　hear　it　very　much。　When　he　tackled　the　Western　Wall　he　had　one　of　the　hardest　of　his　problems。　There　was　a　big　expanse　to　be　made　interesting　and　impressive；　without　the　aid　of　towers　or　courts。　It　was　a　brilliant　idea　to　break　the　monotony　with　those　two　splendid　Roman　half…domes。〃

The　figure　of　〃Thought〃　on　the　columns　in　front　of　the　Dome　of　Plenty　and　repeated　on　the　Dome　of　Philosophy　started　the　architect　talking　on　the　subject　of　character　and　art。　〃Only　a　sculptor　with　a　very　fine　nature　could　have　done　that　fellow　up　there。　In　that　design　Stackpole　shows　the　qualities　that　he　shows　in　the　kneeling　girl　at　the　altar　in　the　rotunda　across　the　lagoon　and　in　his　figure　of　the　common　laborer　and　the　little　group　of　artisans　and　artists　that　we　shall　see　on　the　doorway　of　the　Varied　Industries。　They　include　fineness　and　cleanness　of　feeling；　reverence　and　tenderness。　This　particular　figure　is　one　of　three　figures　on　the　grounds　that　stand　for　virtually　the　same　subject；　Rodin's　〃Thinker；〃　in　the　courtyard　of　the　French　Building；　and　Chester　Beach's　〃Thinker；〃　in　the　niches　to　the　west　and　east　of　the　tower　in　the　Court　of　the　Ages。　They　are　all　different　in　character。　Stackpole's　gives　the　feeling　of　gentle　contemplation。　That　man　might　be　a　poet　or　a　philosopher　or　an　inventor；　but　a　man　of　the　kind　of　thought　that　leads　to　action　or　great　achievement　in　the　world　…　never。　You　can't　think　of　him　as　competing　with　his　whole　heart　and　soul　in　order　to　get　ahead　of　other　men。　However；　it　would　be　an　achievement　just　to　be　that　type　and　it's　a　good　type　to　be　held　up　to　us　for　our　admi