the city of domes-第13章

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　of　the　architecture。　And　as　for　this　dome；　it　is　one　of　the　greatest　in　the　world。　See　how　cleverly　the　architects；　following　the　spirit　of　the　French　Renaissance；　have　used　those　ornamental　shafts。　The　only　criticism　that　can　be　made　on　them　is　that　they　serve　no　architectural　purpose；　which　ought；　of　course；　always　to　be　intimately　associated　with　use。　Instead　of　growing　from　the　nature　of　the　building；　they　are　put　on　from　outside。　Now；　in　the　mosque　they　were　very　important　in　their　service。　They　were　the　minarets　where　the　Muezzins　used　to　stand　in　order　to　call　the　faithful　to　prayer。　Those　minarets　up　there；　carrying　on　the　dome　motive；　on　the　corners　of　the　walls　of　the　main　palaces　are　much　closer　to　the　old　idea。〃

Our　talk　turned　to　the　subject　of　domes　in　general。　The　idea　had　come　from　the　bees；　from　the　shape　of　their　hives。　Prehistoric　man　used　for　a　dwelling…place　a　hut　shaped　like　a　hive；　as　well　as　an　imitation　of　a　bird's　nest。　In　formal　architecture；　the　dome　showed　itself　early。　The　Greeks　knew　it；　but　they　didn't　use　it　much。　The　greatest　users　of　the　dome　were　the　Byzantines。　It　was　all　dome　with　them。　The　first　important　dome　was　built　in　Rome　in　the　second　century；　to　crown　the　Pantheon。　Of　all　the　domes　in　the　world　the　most　interesting　historically　was　St。　Peter's；　the　work　of　several　architects。　It　was　the　inspiration　of　the　dome　of　St。　Paul's　in　London；　built　by　the　English　architect；　Sir　Christopher　Wren。　Architecturally　the　most　interesting　of　the　domes　was　Brunelleschi's；　built　for　the　Florence　Cathedral　in　the　fifteenth　century；　known　throughout　the　world　by　the　Italian　name　for　Cathedral；　the　Duomo。

It　was　in　connection　with　the　Duomo　that　the　architect　reminded　me　of　the　celebrated　story　about　Brunelleschi。　When　the　Florentine　church　authorities　decided　to　build　the　Duomo　they　were　puzzled　as　to　how　so　mighty　a　dome　should　be　developed。　So　they　invited　the　architects　to　appear　before　them　in　competition；　and　to　present　their　ideas。　One　architect；　Donatello；　explained　that；　if　he　secured　the　commission；　he　should　first　build　a　mound　of　earth；　and　over　it　he　would　construct　his　dome。　But　the　authorities　replied　that　there　would　be　great　labor　and　expense　in　taking　the　earth　out。　He　said　that　he　would　put　coins　into　the　earth　and；　by　this　means；　he　would　very　quickly　have　the　earth　removed　by　the　people。　When　Brunelleschi　was　asked　how　he　would　build　his　dome　he　said：　〃How　would　you　make　an　egg　stand　on　end？〃　They　didn't　know　how；　and　he　showed　them；　by　taking　a　hard…boiled　egg　and　pressing　it　down　at　one　end；　an　idea　like　the　one　that　occurred　to　Christopher　Columbus　about　fifty　years　later。

The　Palace　of　Horticulture　as　an　illustration　of　French　Renaissance　architecture　fascinated　this　observer；　in　spite　of　its　overelaborateness。　〃It's　marvelous　to　think　of　what　the　Renaissance　meant　throughout　Europe；〃　he　said；　〃and　how　it　showed　itself　in　art　through　the　national　characteristics。　French　Renaissance　and　Italian　Renaissance；　though　they　have　qualities　in　common；　are　very　different。　And　you'll　find　marked　differences　even　in　the　Renaissance　art　of　the　Italian　cities；　such　as　Rome　and　Florence　and　Venice。　But　the　Renaissance　showed　that　no　matter　how　far　apart　the　people　of　Europe　might　have　been　they　were　all　stirred　by　a　great　intellectual　and　spiritual　movement。　It　was　like　a　vast　moral　earthquake。　It　meant　the　rediscovery　and　the　joyous　recognition　of　the　relation　of　the　past　to　the　present　and　the　meaning　of　the　relation　for　mankind。　It　led　to　a　new　kind　of　self…emancipation　and　individualism。　It　created　art…forms　that　have　stamped　themselves　on　the　work　all　over　these　grounds。　In　a　sense　it　was　a　declaration　of　artistic　independence。〃

〃Is　there　really　such　a　thing　as　independence　in　art？〃　I　ventured　to　ask。

The　architect　began　to　smile。　〃I'm　afraid　there　isn't　much　independence。　If　there　were　this　Exposition　would　not　be　quite　so　intimately　related　to　Europe　and　the　Orient。　But　wait　till　we　get　into　Mullgardt's　Court　of　the　Ages。　Then　you'll　find　an　answer　to　your　question。〃

At　this　palace　the　architect　found　much　to　speculate　on。　〃Here　is　one　of　the　few　buildings　in　the　whole　Exposition　done　in　what　might　be　called　the　conventional　exposition　spirit。　I　like　it　immensely　as　an　exposition　building；　but　I　should　hate　it　as　a　public　building　that　I　had　to　see　every　day。　It's　too　fantastic。　In　this　place　it　serves　its　purpose。　But　it　might　fit　into　a　setting　like　the　Golden　Gate　Park；　where　it　would　be　close　to　nature。　Now　this　Exposition　is　very　different　from　most　of　the　enterprises　of　the　kind　that　have　taken　place　in　Europe。　It　is　probably　the　most　serious　exposition　ever　known；　with　the　possible　exception　of　the　one　in　Chicago。　If　it　were　in　a　great　European　capital；　for　example；　it　would　mainly　express　the　spirit　of　gaiety。　But　the　builders　here；　though　they　have　been　gay　in　their　use　of　color；　have　been　tremendously　serious　in　purpose。　They　have　worked　largely　for　the　sake　of　education。〃

The　use　of　green　on　the　building　was　unquestionably　one　of　the　most　successful　features　of　the　coloring；　particularly　when　it　suggested；　as　it　so　often　did；　old　copper。　〃To　me　the　deeper　green　that　Guerin　uses　is　the　more　charming　shade；　far　more　charming；　for　instance；　than　the　light　green　applied　to　Festival　Hall。　And　the　suggestion　of　green　in　the　dome　is　altogether　delightful。　But　it's　a　pity　they　didn't　use　another　kind　of　glass。　When　people　criticise　Ryan　for　not　doing　more　with　his　lighting　effects…in　this　dome　they　evidently　don't　know　that　a　mistake　was　made　when　the　glass　was　sent　and　Ryan　could　do　very　little　with　it。　In　order　to　carry　out　his　original　plans　Ryan　would　have　to　apply　a　coat　of　varnish　to　the　interior　of　the　dome；　a　rather　expensive　process。　However；　it　may　be　done　later。〃



Returning　to　the　South　Gardens



　From　where　we　stood　we　could　get　a　good　view　of　those　green　columns　in　the　Tower　of　Jewels；　occasionally　criticised　as　being　too　atmospheric　to　give　the　sense　of　support。　〃Those　columns　were　colored　by　Guerin　to　get　an　effect　of　contrast。　That　shade　was　one　of　the　first　of　the　shades　he　experimented　with。　He　tried　it　out　on　the　sashes　in　Machinery　Hall。　The　French　landscape　painters　used　it　a　good　deal　in　outdoor　scenes；　on　trellises；　for　example。　It　made　a　pleasing　effect　against　the　deeper　tones　of　the　grass　and　foliage。　The　notion　that　it　isn't　suited　to　columns　seems　to　me　unwarranted。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　there　are　several　kinds　of　green　stone　that　have　often　been　successfully　used　for　columns　in　architecture；　like　malachite　and　Connemara　marble。　The　Bank　of　Montreal　has　some　magnificent　Connemara　columns。　Of　course；　the　use　up　there　is　theatrical；　exactly　as　Guerin　intended　it　to　be。　People　seem　to　forget　that　Guerin　got　his　earlier　training　as　a　scene　painter。　He　was　recognized　as　one　of　the　greatest　scene　painters　of　his　time。　He　deliberately　undertook　to　make　this　Exposition　a　great　spectacle；　and　he　ought　to　be　judged　according　to　what　he　tried　to　do。　It　seems　to　me　that　his　success　was　astonishing。　He　created　a　picture　that　was　spectacular　without　being　garish　or　cheap　and　that　harmonized　with　the　dignity　and　the　splendor　of　the　architecture。　One　explanation　of　his　success　lies　in　his　being　so　fond　of　the　Orient；　where　the　architects　have　worked　in　color　as　far　back　as　we　can　go。　Every　chance　he　makes　a　trip　to　the　Orient　and　he　comes　back　with　a　lot　of　Oriental　canvases　that　he　has　painted　there。　Only　a　lover　of　the　Orient　would　have　dared　to　put　that　orange　color　on　the　domes。　See　what　a　velvety　look　he　got；　almost　wax…like。　He　was　careful　not　to　apply；　in　most　instances；　more　than　one　coat　of　paint。　He　wanted　it　to　sink　in　and　to　become　weathered。　He　knew　that　nature　was　the　greatest　of　all　artists；　always　trying　to　remove　the　shiny　appearance　of　newness　and　to　give　seasoning。〃

As　we　looked　up　toward　the　center　of　the　South　Garden　the　white　globes　on　the　French　lamp　posts　caught　the　architect's　eye。　〃Don't　you　remember　how　cheap　they　looked　on　the　first　days？〃　he　said。　〃The　trouble　was　that　they　were　too　white。　They　seemed　cold　and　raw。　So　they　were　sprayed　with　a　liquid　celluloid　to　soften　them　into　their　present　ivory　hue。　The　change　shows　how　important　detail　is；　and　how　carefully　Guerin's　department　has　worked。　While　the　construction　was　going　on　there　was　one　remark　that　often　used　to　be　heard；　'It　will　never　be　noticed；'　and　a　most　foolish　remark　it　was。　It　showed　that　the　people　who　made　it　were　lacking　in　imagination。　Millions　of　eyes　have　been　watching　the　details　of　this　Exposition　and　very　little　has　escaped　notice。〃

A　great　crowd　was　pouring　out　of　the　afternoon　concert　in　Festival　Hall。　The　architect；　as　he　looked　on；　remarked：　〃It's　like　being　in　Paris；　isn't　it？　Or；　perhaps；　it's　more　like　being　in　a　lovely　old　French　provincial　city；　where　the　theater　is　the　chief　architectural　monument。　It's　hard　for　me　to　understand　why　the　French　have　encouraged　that　kind　of　architecture　for　their　theaters　and　opera　houses。　It　seems　so　unrelated　to　sound；　which　ought　to　give　the　clue　to　the　building。　The　use　of　the　word　festival　here　is　a　little　old…fashioned　and　misleading。　It　doesn't　mean　what　we　usually　consider　festivity。　It　is　essentially　a　concert　hall；　and　the　architecture　ought　to　suggest　concentration　of　sound　by　being　built　in　a　way　that　shall　make　such　concentration　inevitable。　But　this　kind　of　building　is　obviously　related　to　dissipation　of　sound。　No　wonder　the　acoustics　turned　out　bad　and　the　interior　had　to　be　remodeled。〃



XII

The　Half　Courts



In　front　of　the　Court　of　Palms　we　stopped　to　admire　James　Earl　Fraser's　〃End　of　the　Trail；〃　the　most　popular　group　of　sculpture　in　the　Exposition。　〃It　deserves　all　its　popularity；　doesn't　it？　It's　finely　imagined　and　splendidly　worked　out。　The　pony　is　excellent　in　its　modeling　and　the　Indian　is　wonderfully　life…like。〃

At　our　side　a　man　and　a　woman　were　standing；　the　man　more　than　six　feet　tall；　with　broad　shoulders　and　a　face　that　had　evidently　seen　a　good　deal　of　weather。　〃I've　known　fellers　just　like　that　Indian；〃　we　heard　him　say；　〃up　in　Minnesota。　He　might　be　a　Blackfoot　after　a　couple　of　days'　tusselling　with　the　wind　and　the　rain　in　the　mountains。　I've　seen　'em　come　into　town　all　beat　out。　The　man　that　made　that　statue　knew　his　business。　An'　I　guess　he　knew　what　he　was　doing　when　he　called　it　'The　End　of　the　Trail。〃'

When　the　visitor　had　passed；　the　architect　said：　〃The　symbolism　gets　them　all；　doesn't　it；　and　the　realism；　too？　But　Fraser　couldn't　have　expressed　so　much　if　he　hadn't　put　a　lot　of　heart　into　his　'Work。　He　really　felt　all　that　the　Indian　represented；　as　a　human　being　and　as　a　representative　of　a　dying　race。〃

〃The　Court　of　Palms〃　captured　us　both；　by　its　shape；　by　the　splendor　of　the　Ionic　columns；　by　the　loveliness　of　its　detail；　by　its　coloring　and　by　that　charm　of　its　sunken　garden。　〃You　can　feel　here　the　mind　that　developed　those　four　Italian　towers。　It　shows　the　same　balanced　judgment；　and　skill　and　taste。　The　two　towers　here；　though　they　stand　at　either　end　of　the　court；　and　make　a　beautiful　ornamentation；　are　really　a　part　of　the　wall。　They　help　to　give　it　dignity　and　variety。　And　how　artistically　the　palms　　have　been　used　here。　They　can　b