第 17 节
作者:
冬恋 更新:2021-02-21 11:15 字数:9321
ccessfully Mathews has chosen his colors。 These deep purples help to bring out the splendor of those golden tones。 This canvas is unquestionably one of the best of all the murals。 It shows that in Mathews San Francisco has a man of remarkable talent; one of the great mural painters of the country。〃
On the way to the second half…court we had a chance to see the South Wall at close range; with its rich ornamented doorways; its little niches and fountains devised to make it varied and gay。 Those little elephant heads were another sign of Faville's careful attention to ornamental detail。 And the coloring gave warmth to the background; contrasting with the deep green of the planting。
At the Court of Flowers we met Solon Borglum's 〃Pioneer; too old to be typical; different from the man in lusty middle age or in youth who came to California in the early days。 But it justified itself by suggesting perhaps the greatest of the pioneers in old age; one who had grown with the community; the poet; Joaquin Miller。 〃It's Miller sure enough;〃 said the architect; 〃even if the likeness isn't close。 But why those military trappings on the horse? Like the rest of the pioneers; Joaquin was a man of peace。〃
The Court of Flowers we thought well named; both for its planting; McLaren at his best; and for its Italian Renaissance decoration; with that pretty pergola opening out on the scene; Calder's Oriental 〃Flower Girl〃 decorating the spaces between the arches。 And those lions by Albert Laessle were a fine decorative feature。 The fountain; 〃Beauty and the Beast;〃 by Edgar Walter; of San Francisco; was one of the most original and decorative pieces of sculpture we had seen。 The figure of the girl standing on the coils of the beast was remarkably well done and the water flowing over the bowl; with the pipes of Pan glimpsed underneath; made a charming picture。 There was a whimsical and a peculiarly French suggestion in the use of the decorative hat and sandals on the nude figure。 In detail those two towers at the end were slightly different from the other two。 Like the others they served as a decoration of the wall; breaking the long lines。〃
XIII
Near Festival Hall
At close view we found the Festival Hall more interesting than it had seemed at a distance。 It unquestionably had something of the elegance associated with the best French architecture。 But; unlike most of the buildings here; it did not develop out of a central idea。 Much of its ornamentation seemed put on from the outside。
Of all the domes this dome impressed us as being the least interesting。 It did not even justify itself as being a means of giving abundant light。 〃This kind of architecture doesn't really belong in this country; but it seems to be making its way。 Observe the waste of space involved。 However; the curving arches on either side are rather charming。 And the architect has succeeded in putting into the whole structure a certain amount of sentiment。 In fact; throughout the whole Exposition you feel that the architects haven't worked merely for money or for glory。 They have appreciated the chance of doing something; out of the commonplace。〃
The sculpture by Sherry Fry was evidently executed with the idea of festivity in mind; the 〃Bacchus〃 and 〃The Reclining Woman〃 and two 〃Floras〃 decorated with flowers; and 〃Little Pan;〃 and 〃The Torch…bearer〃 reproduced above each of the smaller domes。 But; somehow; those figures did not quite indicate the real character of the building; intended for concerts and lectures and conventions; rather serious business。 The coloring; too; of the statues; was disappointing; the dull brown being out of key with the light green of the domes。
〃In the smaller concert room upstairs; Recital Hall;〃 said the architect; 〃there is some very fine stained glass; two windows; and on the landing of the north stairway there's a third window; all done by the man who has been called the Burne…Jones of America; Charles J。 Connick; of Boston。 Instead of being hidden away there; they ought to have been put in the Fine Arts Building。 They represent something new in the way of stained glass; and they have a wonderful depth and brilliancy。〃
As we drew near the Avenue of Progress we saw the magnificent doorway of the Varied Industries; overladen with ornamentation。 〃It was clever of Faville to put that doorway just in this spot where it would be seen by the crowds that entered by Fillmore Street。 It comes from the Santa Cruz Hospital; in Toledo; Spain; built by the Spanish architect; De Egas; for Cardinal Mendoza; one of the most famous portals in Europe。 The adaptation has been wonderfully done by Ralph Stackpole; with those figures of the American workman carrying a pick at either side and the semicircular panel just above the door and the group on top。 That panel is one of the finest pieces of sculpture in the Exposition。 It has tenderness and reverence。 It's the kind of thing the mediaeval sculptors who worked on religious themes would have been enthusiastic over。 See how simple it is; just a group of workers; with the emblems of their work; the women spinning with the lamb close by; the artist and the artisan; and the woman with the design of a vessel's prow in her hands; suggesting commerce。 The single figure in the center is the intelligent workman who works with his hands and knows how to work; too。 The group on top is a very pretty conception; the Old World Handing Its Burden to the Younger World; with its suggestions of the European people coming over here and raising American children。〃
XIV
The Palace of Machinery
On reaching the Avenue of Progress we found ourselves at the gayest corner of the Exposition; with two fine vistas of the two avenues。 To our right stood the massive Palace of Machinery; one of the largest buildings in the world; so successfully treated by the architect that it did not give the faintest suggestion of being cumbersome or monotonous。 〃It's the Baths of Caracalla in Rome;〃 said the architect; 〃adapted by a master。 Those three gables above the main entrance are taken directly from the baths。 See how simple the ornamentation is and yet how satisfying。 The building as a whole is a perfect example of old Roman architecture; feeling its way toward the big architectural principles that are in vogue today; among others the economical principle involved in the counteracting of thrusts。 If the Roman Emperor who was nicknamed Caracalla on account of the hooded military tunic that he made fashionable in his day hadn't built those baths we should probably not have the glorious Pennsylvania station in New York; that some of the architectural authorities consider the most important building of its kind built in this country。 Although the work here is all concrete; Clarence Ward; the architect; says that with care; it could last hundreds of years。〃
Now we were struck by those vigorous…looking figures; by Haig Patigian; that stood on top of the Sienna columns all evidently designed to express the power of machinery。 At the entrance the reliefs of the columns were in the same spirit and; as one might have surmised; by the same sculptor working out the meaning of the buildings in designs that kept the contour of the columns; strong and well…modeled。
〃There's distinctive character in this building;〃 said the architect。 〃It actually conveys the sense of tremendous energy; and by the simplest means。 And inside; Ward has done something new and interesting。〃
When we entered we found the supports of the roof left bare。 Instead of being unsightly; they had a kind of beauty and impressiveness。 〃Observe the magnificence of the spaces here on the floor and up to the ceiling。 Some one asked Ward if all this height were necessary。 He said it wasn't; but he wanted it for pictorial effect; to carry out the feeling of massiveness and splendor。〃
In the great figures that stood on the columns in front of the Palace of Machinery the architect found a theme for a discourse on the human figure as the chief inspiration of art。 〃It is possible that we shall change our minds on that subject;〃 he remarked。 〃Already the world is showing a tendency to get away from the worship of the body。 Ever since the Christian era; of course; the physical has been deprecated。 We may come to see that the body is useful as it develops and serves the spiritual; that is; as it subordinates itself。 The marvel is that the pagan tradition has persisted so long in spite of the Christian influence。 This Exposition shows how strong it remains。〃
〃But what would you have in place of the human figure as the inspiration of art?〃 I asked。
〃Oh; there are plenty of things that might take its place。 Flower themes are just as beautiful in decoration as the shapes of men and women。 I can conceive of the time when it will be considered uninteresting and commonplace to have human bodies used as a means of aesthetic display。 The self…glorification in it alone becomes wearying。 We are gradually learning that the best we can do in life is to forget about ourselves and our old bodies。 There are even those who go so far as to look forward to the time when we shall escape from our bodies altogether。 It would be interesting; by the way; to get the point of view of