the city of domes-第23章

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〃Because　they　are　unconventional　and　because　they　are　true。　And　yet　they　are　purely　decorative。　You　wouldn't　like　to　think　of　them　as　standing　apart　in　a　great　frame。　When　you　go　close　you　will　see　that　the　colors　are　laid　on　flat。　And　they　don't　shine。　For　this　reason　they　have　great　carrying　power。　Observe　The　Bowmen　down　there　in　the　distance。　Even　from　this　remote　end　of　the　court　it　expresses　itself　as　lovely　in　color　and　composition。　Let　us　walk　down　and　see　how　it　grows　on　us　as　we　approach。〃

Slowly　we　moved　along　the　colonnade；　the　figures　seeming　to　grow　more　and　more　lifelike　as　the　painter　indicated　their　technical　merits。　〃They　are　of　the　earth；　those　men；　aren't　they？　They　are　the　antithesis　of　the　highly　civilized　types　used　by　so　many　of　the　painters　today。　They　suggest　red　blood　and　strength　of　limb　and　joy　in　the　natural　things　of　life；　eating；　drinking；　the　open　air；　and　simple　comradeship。　They　make　us　see　the　wonder　of　outdoor　living；　the　kind　of　living　that　most　of　us　have　missed。　What　a　pleasure　it　is　to　find　a　worker　in　any　kind　of　work　trying　to　do　a　thing　and　actually　doing　it　and　doing　it　with　splendid　abandon。　Now　if　Brangwyn　hadn't　entered　into　the　feelings　of　those　bowmen　in　the　foreground；　he　couldn't　have　made　the　figure　alive。　And　the　life；　remember；　isn't　merely　brought　out　by　the　happy　use　of　the　flesh　tints　or　by　the　play　of　the　muscles。　It's　in　the　animating　spirit。　As　Brangwyn　painted　those　fellows；　he　felt　like　a　bowman。　So　he　succeeded　in　putting　into　his　canvas　the　strength　that　each　bowman　put　into　his　bow。　He　isn't　pretending　to　shoot；　that　sturdy　fellow　in　front。　He　is　shooting；　and　he's　going　to　get　what　he　is　after。〃

Before　each　of　the　four　pairs　of　murals；　the　painter　indicated　to　us　the　happy　way　in　which；　by　the　deft　use　of　the　coloring；　each　blended　into　the　other；　and　she　called　my　attention　to　the　clearness　of　the　symbolism。　So　often；　she　remarked；　the　mural　decorators　used　compositions　that　seemed　like　efforts　to　hide　secrets；　a　childish　way　of　working；　sure　to　defeat　itself。　Brangwyn　had　no　secrets。　He　was　sincere　and　direct。　He　was　happy　over　this　work。　He　said　that　he　had　enjoyed　doing　it　more　than　anything　else　he　had　ever　done　before。　If　these　canvases　had　been　found　in　the　heart　of　Africa　they　would　have　been　identified　as　coming　from　Brangwyn。　No　one　else　used　color　just　as　he　did；　with　his　kind　of　courage。　His　colors　were　arbitrary；　too。　He　didn't　follow　nature　and　yet　he　always　conveyed　the　spirit　of　natural　things。　Throughout　his　work　he　showed　that　he　was　a　close　and　subtle　observer。　The　sweep　of　rain　through　the　air；　the　movement　of　figures　and　of　draperies　in　the　wind；　the　expression　of　human　effort；　how　wonderfully　he　managed　to　suggest　them　all　and　to　make　them　pictorial。　But　he　wasn't　interested　in　merely　an　activity。　He　loved　repose。　In　nearly　all　of　these　eight　canvases；　so　brimming　with　life；　there　were　figures　looking　on　serenely；　calmly；　conveying　the　impression　of　being　absolutely　at　rest。

In　every　particular；　according　to　the　searching　observer；　Brangwyn　was　successful；　with　the　exception　of　one；　his　treatment　of　birds。　He　evidently　didn't　know　birds。　If　he　had　known　them　he　would　have　loved　them；　and　if　he　had　loved　them　he　would　have　entered　into　their　spirit　and　he　would　have　flown　with　them　and　he　would　have　made　them　fly　in　his　painting。　Now　they　merely　flopped。　They　were　just　about　as　much　alive　as　the　clay　figures　used　in　a　shooting　match。　Even　his　highly　decorative　flamingoes　weren't　right。　They　did　not　stand　firmly　on　the　ground。　They　weren't　alive。　And　the　necks　of　the　two　flamingoes　never　could　have　met　in　the　curves　that　Brangwyn　gave　them。　This　very　failure；　amusing　as　it　was　and　hardly　detracting　from　the　effect　of　his　work　as　a　whole；　was　another　proof　that　he　was　an　instinctive　painter；　who　relied　for　his　guidance　on　feeling。　But　it　was　plain　enough　that　he　had　chosen　those　flamingoes　for　their　color；　and　a　right　choice　it　was。

We　could　not　decide　which　of　the　eight　murals　we　liked　best。　Perhaps；　after　all；　they　could　not　be　considered　apart。　Though　each　was　in　itself　a　unity；　the　eight　completely　expressed　a　big　conception。　And　in　detail　each　canvas　was　full　of　delightful　bits。　If　you　closed　your　hand　and　peered　between　your　thumb　and　your　fingers；　you　could　see　how　beautifully　the　color　had　been　applied　and　how；　throughout　the　whole　surface；　the　workmanship　sustained　itself。　Never　was　there　the　sense　of　faltering　or　of　petering　out。　And　everywhere　there　were　expressions　of　fine　understanding　and　sympathy；　in　the　study　of　a　peasant　mother　holding　her　babe；　nude　boys　flying　kites；　a　happy　face　with　the　lips　blowing　a　pipe；　a　muscular　figure　lifting　a　jar；　all　conveying　abundant　life　and　rich　coloring。

The　painter　finally　ran　away　from　us；　apologizing　for　her　enthusiasm。

In　discussing　her　opinions；　the　architect　said：　〃Well；　I　don't　altogether　agree。　But　she　may　be　right。　She　sees　from　the　inside；　which　is　very　different　from　seeing　from　the　outside。　There　is　a　great　deal　of　artistic　appreciation　that　can　be　felt　only　by　the　artist；　by　the　fellow…craftsman。　No　wonder　we　go　so　far　astray　when　we　criticise　aspects　of　art　that　we're　only　related　to　indirectly　or　not　related　at　all。〃

We　walked　to　the　Marina。　From　there　we　saw　the　sun；　a　great　red　ball；　sinking　behind　the　Golden　Gate。



XVII

Watching　the　Lights　Change



〃There　probably　never　was　an　Exposition　in　a　more　magnificent　setting；〃　said　the　architect。　〃The　stretch　from　here　to　the　Golden　Gate　makes　one　of　the　most　splendid　bits　of　scenery　in　the　whole　world。　It　was　a　good　idea　on　the　part　of　the　Exposition　people　to　build　the　little　railway　here　so　that　visitors　should　get　a　glimpse　of　all　the　beauty。　But；　ideally；　the　view　ought　to　be　seen　from　a　height。　The　curve　from　here　to　the　Cliff　House　makes　our　foreign　visitors　gasp。　It　also　makes　them　wonder　why　our　boasting　over　San　Francisco　doesn't　include　some　of　the　things　we　have　the　best　excuse　to　boast　about。〃

We　stopped　at　one　of　the　open…air　restaurants；　where　we　could　eat　and　watch　the　fading　light　at　the　same　time。　Then　we　went　to　the　lagoon；　which　the　architect　declared　to　be　particularly　interesting　at　this　time　of　day。

The　rotunda　and　the　colonnade　began　to　take　on　a　deeper　mystery。　Across　the　surface　of　the　water　ran　a　faint　ripple。　In　the　background；　over　the　Golden　Gate；　the　sky　was　turning　to　flame。　Delicate；　gray　cobwebs　seemed　to　float　in　the　air　like　veils；　dusk　and　fog　intermingled。

The　light　grew　dim　as　we　sauntered　along　the　colonnade　of　the　Palace。　Through　the　columns　we　could　see　the　Tower　of　Jewels；　suddenly　illuminated　from　inside；　all　in　red；　obscuring　the　sculptured　figures　and　giving　the　lines　greater　unity　and　reach。

In　the　red　glow　the　Italian　towers　fairly　leaped　into　the　air。　〃It's　curious　how　the　light　makes　them　taller；〃　said　the　architect。

Now　the　grounds　were　twinkling　with　a　multitude　of　bulbs。

Presently　the　red　light　in　the　tower　softened　into　white。　Two　of　the　Italian　towers　grew　paler；　the　other　two　retaining　their　brilliancy。　Ryan　was　putting　on　his　colors　like　a　painter；　one　over　another。

We　made　our　way　back　to　the　Marina；　where　the　scintillators　were　soon　to　blaze。　Before　we　arrived　they　informed　us　of　their　presence　by　the　great　feathered　fan；　of　many　colors；　that　rose　into　the　sky。

〃There　was　some　opposition　to　the　decorating　of　the　Tower　with　jewels。　The　architects　with　conservative　ideas　very　naturally　felt　that　architecture　which　depended　on　its　lines　for　beauty　didn't　need　that　kind　of　ornament。　But　Ryan　has　unquestionably　justified　himself。　The　feature　has　been　talked　about　throughout　the　country　more　than　any　other。　See　how　the　light　falls　on　the　tower　like　a　great　shimmering　robe。　It　gains　by　the　contrast　it　makes　with　the　subdued　lighting　beneath。〃

The　group　on　the　Column　of　Progress　stood　out　against　the　sky。

The　doorways　were　taking　on　the　color　of　gold；　becoming　even　more　beautiful　than　they　had　been　by　day。

〃What　Ryan　tried　hardest　to　get；〃　said　the　architect；　〃was　evenness　of　lighting。　He　wanted　to　bring　out　clearly　the　details　of　the　architecture　and　he　succeeded。〃



XVIII

The　Illuminating　and　the　Reflections