the city of domes-第16章

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　type　and　it's　a　good　type　to　be　held　up　to　us　for　our　admiration；　better　than　the　conventional　ideal　of　success　embodied　in　the　Adventurous　Bowman；　for　example。〃

The　proportions　of　the　domes　we　could　see　at　a　glance　had　been　well　worked　out。　Earl　Cummings'　figure　of　the　Youth　had　a　really　youthful　quality；　but　there　was　some　question　in　our　minds　as　to　the　wisdom　of　repeating　the　figure　in　a　semi…circle。　〃After　all；〃　the　architect　remarked；　〃in　this　country　art　owes　some　concession　to　habit　of　mind。　We　are　not　trained　to　frankness　in　regard　to　nudity。　On　the　contrary；　all　our　conventions　are　against　it。　But　our　artists；　through　their　special　professional　training；　learn　to　despise　many　of　our　conventions　and　they　like　to　ignore　them　or　frankly　show　their　contempt　for　them。〃

That　elaborate　Sienna　fountain　was　well　adapted　to　the　Dome　of　Plenty；　though　it　was　by　no　means　a　fine　example　of　Italian　work；　with　its　design　built　up　tier　on　tier。　〃It's　the　natural　expression　of　a　single　idea　that　leads　to　beauty；　isn't　it？　The　instant　there's　a　betrayal　of　effort；　the　charm　begins　to　fade。〃

There　was　no　criticism　to　be　made；　however；　of　the　Italian　fountain　in　the　Dome　of　Philosophy；　the　simplest　of　all　the　fountains；　and　one　of　the　most　beautiful；　the　water　flowing　over　the　circular　bowl　from　all　sides。　〃It　makes　water　the　chief　feature；〃　said　the　architect　approvingly；　〃which　is　the　best　any　fountain　can　do。　Is　there　anything　in　art　that　can　compare　for　beauty　with　running　water？　This　fountain　comes　from　Italy　and　these　female　figures；　above　the　doorway；　with　books　in　their　arms；　are　by　one　of　the　most　interesting　of　the　sculptors　represented　here；　Albert　Weinert。　We'll　see　more　work　of　his　when　we　get　to　the　Court　of　Abundance。〃

At　sight　of　the　curious　groups　in　the　niches　I　expressed　a　certain　disappointment。　It　seemed　to　me　that；　in　the　midst　of　so　much　real　beauty；　they　were　out　of　key。　But　the　architect　had　another　point　of　view。　〃They　are　worth　while　because　they're　different；〃　he　said。　〃They　ought　not　to　be　considered　merely　as　ornaments。　They　have　an　archaeological　interest。　They　are　related　to　those　interesting　studies　that　Albert　Durer　used　to　make；　and　they　are　full　of　symbolism。　When　Charles　Harley　made　them　he　knew　just　what　he　was　doing。　The　male　figure　in　'The　Triumph　of　the　Fields'　takes　us　back　to　the　time　when　harvesting　was　associated　with　pagan　rites。　The　Celtic　cross　and　the　standard　with　the　bull　on　top　used　to　be　carried　through　the　field　in　harvest　time。　The　bull　celebrates　the　animal　that　has　aided　man　in　gathering　the　crops。　The　wain　represents　the　old　harvest　wagon。　That　head　down　there　typifies　the　seed　of　the　earth；　symbol　of　the　life　that　comes　up　in　the　barley　that　is　indicated　there；　bringing　food　to　mankind。　The　woman's　figure；　unfortunately；　is　too　small　for　the　niche；　'Abundance。'　The　horn　of　plenty　on　either　side　indicates　her　character。　She's　reaching　out　her　hands　to　suggest　her　prodigality。　The　head　of　the　eagle　on　the　prow　of　the　ship　where　she　is　sitting；　gives　the　idea　an　American　application；　suggesting　our　natural　prosperity　and　our　reason　for　keeping　ahead　in　the　march　of　progress。　In　one　sense；　those　figures　represent　a　reactionary　kind　of　sculpture。　Nowadays　the　sculptors；　like　the　painters；　are　trying　to　get　away　from　literal　interpretations。　They　don't　want　to　appeal　to　the　mind　so　much　as　to　the　emotions。〃



X

The　Palace　of　Fine　Arts　at　Close　Range



The　path　leading　to　the　northern　end　of　the　colonnade　attracted　us。　It　brought　us　to　the　beautiful　little　grove　of　Monterey　cypress　that　McLaren　had　saved　from　the　old　Harbor　View　restaurant；　for　so　many　years　one　of　the　most　curious　and　picturesque　of　the　San　Francisco　resorts；　one　of　the　few　on　the　bay…side。　Though　the　architect　frankly　admired　Paul　Bartlett's　realistic　〃Wounded　Lion；〃　the　pieces　of　sculpture　set　out　on　the　grass　bothered　him　somewhat。　He　couldn't　find　any　justification　for　their　being　there。　He　wanted　them；　as　he　said；　in　a　setting。　〃I　think　I　can　see　what　the　purpose　was　in　putting　them　here；　to　provide　decoration　that　would　be　unobtrusive。　But　some　of　these　pieces；　like　Bartlett's；　stand　out　conspicuously　and　deserve　to　be　treated　with　more　consideration。　Besides；　there's　always　danger　of　weakening　a　glorious　conception　like　Maybeck's　by　putting　too　many　things　into　it；　creating　an　artistic　confusion。〃

We　began　to　see　how　the　colonnade　in　Gerome's　painting　had　worked　its　influence。　It　was　easy　to　imagine　two　chariots　tearing　along　here；　between　the　columns；　after　the　ancient　fashion。　And　those　bushes；　to　the　right；　rising　on　the　lower　wall；　between　the　vases；　surely　had　the　character　of　over…growth。　They　carried　out　Maybeck's　idea　of　an　abandoned　ruin。

The　architect　pointed　to　the　top　of　the　wall：　〃The　little　roof…garden　on　the　edge　of　the　upper　wall　gives　the　Egyptian　note　in　the　architecture　that　many　people　have　felt　and　it　is　emphasized　by　the　deep　red　that　Guerin　has　applied；　the　shade　that's　often　found　in　Egyptian　ruins。〃

Above　the　main　entrance　of　the　palace　we　saw　Lentelli's　〃Aspiration；〃　that　had　been　the　cause　of　so　much　criticism　and　humorous　comment　during　the　first　few　weeks　of　the　Exposition。　〃Lentelli　had　a　hard　time　with　that　figure。　It　drove　him　almost　to　distraction。　Perhaps　a　genius　might　have　solved　the　problem　of　making　the　figure　seem　to　float；　but　I　doubt　if　it　could　have　been　solved　by　anyone。　The　foot…rest　they　finally　decided　to　put　under　it　didn't　help　the　situation　much。〃

Directly　in　front　of　〃Aspiration；〃　on　its　high　pedestal；　stood　Charles　Grafly's　monumental　statue　of　〃The　Pioneer　Mother。〃　〃I　suppose　the　obvious　in　sculpture　has　its　place；〃　the　architect　remarked；　〃and　this　group　will　appeal　to　popular　sentiment。　Its　chief　value　lies　in　its　celebrating　a　type　of　woman　that　deserves　much　more　recognition　than　she　has　received　in　the　past。　Most　of　the　glory　of　the　pioneer　days　has　gone　to　the　men。　The　women；　however；　in　the　background；　had　to　share　in　the　hardships　and　often　did　a　large　part　of　the　work。　It's　a　question　in　my　mind　whether　this　woman　quite　represents　the　vigorous　type　that　came　over　the　plains　in　the　prairie　schooner。　However；　just　as　she　is；　she　is　fine；　and　she　has　a　strong　hand　that　looks　as　if　it　had　been　made　for　spanking。　I　wonder　why　the　sculptor　gave　her　that　kind　of　head…covering。　She　might　have　appeared　to　better　advantage　bare…headed。　The　children　are　excellent。　Observe　the　bright　outlook　of　the　boy　and　the　timid　attitude　of　the　girl。　There's　a　fine　tenderness　in　the　care　the　girl　is　getting　from　her　mother　and　from　the　boy；　too；　suggesting　dawning　manhood。　Altogether；　the　group　has　nobility　and　it's　worthy　of　being　a　permanent　monument　for　San　Francisco。　By　the　way；　there's　the　old　Roman　idea　of　the　decorative　use　of　the　bull's　head　again；　at　the　base　of　the　group。　It　has　a　very　happy　application　here。　It　reminds　us　of　the　oxen　that　helped　to　get　the　Easterners　out　to　California　in　the　old　days　before　the　railroads。　A　good　many　of　them　must　have　dropped　in　their　tracks　and　left　their　skulls　to　bleach　in　the　sun。〃

The　other　ornamental　design　we　found　very　appropriate　and　direct；　as　we　studied　the　pedestal。　There　was　the　ship　that　used　to　go　round　the　horn；　with　the　torches　that　suggested　civilization；　and；　at　the　back　of　the　pedestal；　the　flaming　sun　that　celebrated　the　Golden　Gate。

In　the　rotunda　we　found　Paul　Bartlett；　represented　again　by　the　equestrian　statue　of　Lafayette；　in　full　uniform；　advancing　sword　in　the　air。　It　unquestionably　had　a　magnificent　setting；　though　it　suffered　by　being　surrounded　by　so　many　disturbing　interests。　〃The　director　of　the　Fine　Arts　Department　cared　enough　about　this　figure　to　have　it　duplicated　for　the　Exposition。　It's　a　good　example　of　the　old…fashioned　heroic　sculpture；　where　the　subjects　take　conventional　dramatic　attitudes。〃

The　ceiling　of　the　rotunda　displayed　those　much…discussed　murals　by　Robert　Reid。　Up　there　they　seemed　like　pale　reflections。　〃You　should　have　seen　them　when　they　were　in　Machinery　Hall。　Then　they　were　magnificent。　But　the　instant　they　were　put　in　place　it　was　plain　that　the　effect　had　been　miscalculated。　At　night；　under　the　lighting；　they　show　up　better。　Judged　b