the city of domes-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


h　shame　of　the　body　which；　in　itself；　is　unhealthy。　If　art　can　help　us　to　get　back　to　a　more　normal　attitude　it　will　do　a　big　service。　All　the　more　reason　then　why　it　should　keep　within　reasonable　bounds。〃



XV

The　Court　of　the　Ages



As　we　turned　from　the　Avenue　of　Progress　toward　the　Court　of　the　Ages　the　architect　said：　〃The　workmen　about　here　call　this　inner　court　'Pink　Alley；'　not　a　bad　name　for　it；　though　its　real　name　is　the　Court　of　Mines。　Throughout　the　Exposition　Guerin　shows　that　he　is　very　fond　of　pink；　probably　on　account　of　its　warmth。　He　has　been　criticised　for　using　it　so　much　on　the　imitation　Travertine　for　the　reason　that　there　is　no　stone　of　exactly　this　color。　And　yet　there　is　pink　marble。　But　even　if　there　weren't　any　pink　stone　in　the　world；　Guerin　would　be　justified　in　his　use　of　the　color　for　purely　decorative　purposes；　just　as　he　was　justified　in　using　it　on　his　four　towers。〃

Inside　the　Court　of　the　Ages　the　architect　drew　a　long　breath。

〃In　this　court　we　architects　feel　puzzled。　We　think　we　can　read　new　architectural　forms　like　a　book；　and　find　that　they　are　saying　things　repeated　down　the　ages。　But　we　can't　read　much　here。　In　that　lovely　round　arch　there　are　hints　of　Gothic；　and　yet　it　is　not　a　Gothic　arch。　Throughout　the　treatment　there　are　echoes　of　the　Spanish；　and　yet　the　treatment　is　not　Spanish。　The　more　one　studies　the　conception　and　the　workmanship　the　more　striking　it　grows　in　originality　and　daring。　Mullgardt　has　succeeded　in　putting　into　architecture　the　spirit　that　inspired　Langdon　Smith's　poem　'Evolution；'　beginning　'When　you　were　a　tadpole　and　I　was　a　fish。'　In　the　chaotic　feeling　that　the　court　gives　there　is　a　subtle　suggestiveness。　The　whole　evolution　of　man　is　intimated　here　from　the　time　when　he　lived　among　the　seaweed　and　the　fish　and　the　lobsters　and　the　turtles　and　the　crabs。　Even　the　straight　vertical　lines　used　in　the　design　suggest　the　dripping　of　water。　When　you　study　the　meaning　of　the　conception　you　find　an　excuse　for　Aitken　in　flinging　his　mighty　fountain　into　the　center　of　all　this　architectural　iridescence。　He　caught　the　philosophy　of　Mullgardt　without　catching　the　lightness　and　gaiety　of　the　execution。　In　that　fountain　he　has　brought　out　the　pagan　conception　of　the　sun；　and　he　has　used　the　notion　that　the　sun　threw　off　the　earth　in　a　molten　mass　to　steam　and　cool　down　here　and　to　bring　forth　those　competitions　between　human　beings　that　reveal　the　working　of　the　elemental　passions。　Aitken　is　material　and　hard；　where　Mullgardt　is　delicate　and　fine。　How　subtly　Mullgardt　has　interwoven　the　feeling　of　spirituality　with　all　the　animal　forces　in　man。　That　tower　alone　is　a　masterpiece。　I　know　of　no　tower　just　like　it　in　the　world。　　From　every　side　it　is　interesting。　And　at　night　it　is　particularly　impressive　from　the　Marina。〃

The　architect　went　on　to　explain　something　of　the　court's　history。　〃When　Mullgardt　started　to　work　out　his　plans　he　must　have　had　in　mind　the　transitional　character　of　an　exposition。　He　knew　that　he　could　afford　to　try　an　experiment　that　might　have　been　impracticable　if　the　court　had　been　intended　for　permanency。　He　evidently　was　determined　to　cast　tradition　to　the　winds　and　to　strike　out　for　himself。〃

〃I　should　think　most　architects　would　like　to　work　in　that　way。〃

〃The　usual　process　is　very　different。　As　soon　as　an　architect　decides　to　design　a　building。　he　first　chooses　a　certain　type　of　architecture；　then　he　saturates　his　mind　with　designs　that　have　already　been　done　along　that　line。　Out　of　the　mass　of　suggestions　that　he　receives　he　is　lucky　if　he　evolves　something　more　or　less　new。　Often　he　merely　re…echoes　or　he　actually　reproduces　something　that　he　is　fond　of　or　that　has　happened　to　catch　his　fancy。　The　chances　are　that　Mullgardt　will　go　down　into　history　for　his　daring　here。　It　isn't　often　that　a　man　takes　a　big　biological　conception　and　works　it　out　in　architecture　with　such　picturesqueness。　It's　never　intrusive　and　yet　it's　there；　plain　enough　for　anyone　to　see　who　looks　close。　It　represented　a　magnificent　opportunity　and　Mullgardt　was　big　enough　to　get　away　with　it。〃

Then　the　architect　told　me　the　human　story　behind　all　this　beauty　as　we　wandered　back　into　the　center　of　the　court　and　stood　there。　〃Notice　the　incline；〃　he　said；　〃from　the　entrances？　It　reminds　me　that　Mullgardt　had　originally　intended　to　have　the　floor　of　the　court　like　a　sunken　garden。　And　remember　that　the　name　expresses　the　original　idea。　The　Court　of　Abundance；　that　it　is　wrongly　called；　would　have　applied　much　better　to　the　Court　of　Four　Seasons。　Well；　after　the　notion　came　to　Mullgardt　to　suggest　in　the　court　the　development　of　man　from　the　life　of　the　sea　to　his　present　state　as　a　thinking　being；　less　physical　than　spiritual；　he　planned　to　build　a　court　that　should　be　the　center　of　the　pageants　for　the　Exposition；　where　art　should　have　its　living　representation　in　the　form　of　processions　and　of　plays；　some　of　them　written　for　the　purpose。　In　the　sunken　garden　there　should　be　plenty　of　room　for　the　actors　to　move　about；　using　it　as　a　stage。　There　should　also　be　room　for　the　sculptured　caldron　that　was　to　be　an　architectural　feature　and　that　later　developed　into　Aitken's　massive　evolutionary　fountain。　For　the　base　of　the　tower　there　was　designed　a　gorgeous　semi…circular　staircase；　which　was　to　serve　as　an　entrance　for　the　actors。　Around　the　court　there　was　to　run　an　ornamental　balcony；　covered　with　a　great　canopy　in　red　and　gold；　making　an　effect　of　Oriental　magnificence。　The　people　were　to　watch　the　spectacles　from　the　balcony　and　from　between　the　arches。　In　addition　to　the　main　tower；　very　like　the　present　tower；　but　to　contain　a　great　pipe　organ；　there　were　to　be　two　others；　in　the　corner　at　right　angles；　to　be　called　echo　towers。　The　music　of　the　organ　was　to　be　transmitted　to　the　echo　towers　by　wires　and　the　echoes　were　to　serve　as　a　sort　of　accompaniment。　The　effect；　if　it　had　been　managed　right；　would　have　been　stunning。〃

〃Mullgardt　has　kept　the　spirit　of　the　pageant　in　his　court；〃　I　said。　〃Just　as　it　is　it　would　make　an　ideal　setting；　particularly　for　pageant　with　music；　opera；　for　example。〃

〃Of　course；〃　said　the　architect。　〃But　the　music　ought　not　to　come　as　it　does　now；　from　a　band。　It　ought　to　come　from　the　orchestra。　Violins　belong　there。　Put　brass　never！〃

〃Well；　what　happened　to　the　pageant　scheme？〃

〃Oh；　when　Mullgardt　showed　the　preliminary　sketches　it　was　ruled　out　as　too　expensive。　Then　he　removed　the　balcony　and　the　staircase　and；　in　place　of　the　staircase；　he　introduced　a　cascade；　keeping　the　rest　of　the　court　as　it　had　been　before。　His　idea　was　to　use　the　water　in　the　cascade　only　in　a　suggestive　way。　It　was　to　be　almost　completely　hidden　by　vines；　after　the　manner　of　Shasta　Falls；　and　to　symbolize　the　mysterious　appearance　and　disappearance　of　water　that　came　from　…　one　didn't　know　where。　But　that　scheme　was　rejected；　too；　as　too　expensive。　However；　Mullgardt　accepted　the　situation。　He　was　so　interested　that　he　worked　out　himself　many　of　the　details　that　most　architects　would　have　left　to　subordinates。　He　really　cared　enough　to　make　the　whole　effect　as　close　to　perfection　as　he　could。　Everything　he　did　he　had　a　reason　for　doing。　Not　one　thing　here　did　he　use　gratuitously。　He　evidently　doesn't　agree　with　the　idea　that；　in　architecture；　beauty　is　its　own　excuse　for　being；　he　wants　to　make　it　useful；　too。〃

Then　I　was　initiated　into　the　details　of　the　workmanship。　〃Observe　how　the　ideas　in　the　structure　of　the　walls　of　the　court　are　carried　on　in　the　ornamental　details　and　in　the　tower。〃　The　primitive　man　and　primitive　woman　repeated　in　a　row　along　the　upper　edge　had　been　finely　conceived　and　executed　by　Albert　Weinert。　And　the　nobility　of　outline　in　the　tower　was　sustained　by　the　three　pieces　of　sculpture　in　front　made　by　Chester　Beach。　That　top　figure　some　people　believed　to　be　Buddhistic　in　feeling。　But　it　belonged　to　no　particular　religion。　It　stood　for　the　Spirit　of　Intelligence。　The　ornamentation　on　the　head　was　not　an　aureole；　as　bad　been　reported；　but　a　wreath　of　laurel；　symbolic　of　success。　The　group　beneath　was　mediaeval；　depicting　mankind　struggling　for　the　light；　expressed　in　the　torches；　through　those　conflicts　that　so　pitifully　came　out　of　the　aspirations　of　the　soul；　expressed　in　religion。　The　lowest　group　showed　humanity　in　its　elemental　condition；　related　to　the　animal；　close　to　the　beasts。　So；　to　be　followed　in　sequence；　the　groups　ought　to　be　studied　from　the　lowest　to　the　highest；　and　then　the　eyes　should　be　able　to　catch　the　meaning　of　the　lovely　ornamentation；　crowning　the　tower；　the　petals　of　the　lily；　emblem　of　spirituality；　the　arrow…like　spires　above　expressing　the　aspirations　of　the　soul。

On　the　sides　of　the　tower　the　symbolism　was　consistently　maintained；　war　and　religion　marking　the　progress　of　man　toward　the　state　indicated　by　the　single　figure　of　The　Thinker。

〃And；　speaking　of　the　soul；〃　the　architect　went　on；　〃Observe　these　great　clusters　of　lights　that　illuminate　this　court　and　the　approach　on　the　other　side　of　the　tower。　They　look　like　stars；　don't　they？　And　the　intention　evidently　is　to　use　them　for　their　star…like　character。　But　there　is　history　behind　them。　They　are　like　the　monstrance　used　in　the　Catholic　Church；　to　hold　the　sacred　host；　the　wafer　that　is　accepted　by　the　faithful　as　the　body　and　blood　of　Jesus　Christ。　Since　the　sixteenth　century　it　has　been　used　by　the　church；　a　beautiful　emblem；　made　of　gold　and　designed　to　suggest　the　prayer　of　the　sun；　the　Spirit　of　God　in　radiance。　Its　use　here　helps　to　give　the　court　its　ecclesiastical　character。〃

As　we　made　our　way　toward　the　Marina　we　noted　how　much　the　court　gained　by　its　general　freedom　from　color。　In　the　colonnade；　to　be　sure；　Guerin　had　been　particularly　successful　with　the　shade　of　blue。　But　he　would　have　done　better　if　he　had　omitted　the　color；　in　fact　all　color；　from　the　niches　in　the　tower。

Viewed　from　the　Marina；　the　entrance　to　the　court　proved　to　be　a　vision　of　loveliness。　There　was　only　one　intrusive　note　to　jar　the　harmony；　the　coarse　sea　figure　by　Sherry　Fry；　presumably　Neptune's；　Daughter；　standing　in　the　center；　with　a　great　fish　at　her　feet；　plainly　out　of　place　here；　in　spite　of　the　court's　celebration　of　the　sea　as　the　source　of　human　life。



XVI

The　Brangwyns



We　lingered　in　the　colonnade　to　view　the　eight　mural　decorations　by　Frank　Brangwyn；　of　London。　In　front　of　The　Bowmen　we　found　a　friend；　a　gifted　woman　painter；　fairly　bursting　with　enthusiasm。　〃What　delights　me　in　Brangwyn；〃　she　said；　〃is　his　artistic　courage。　He　dares　to　put　down　just　what　he　feels。　This　sturdy　figure　in　the　foreground；　for　example；　peering　through　the　trees；　how　many　other　painters　would　have　allowed　him　to　turn　his　back　on　the　spectator？　And　yet　how　interesting　he　is　and　how　alive。〃

〃Some　of　those　heads　strike　me　as　curious；〃　I　remarked。　〃That　fellow　closest　to　the　center；　just　about　to　let　his　arrow　fly；　seems　to　have　no　head　to　speak　of。〃

〃Sometimes　he's　careless　with　his　drawing。　And　yet　he　can　draw　magnificently；　too。　He　evidently　had　a　purpose　in　making　so　many　of　the　heads　in　these　murals　almost　deformed。　He　wanted　to　suggest　that　these　types　were　in　no　way　mental。　They　were　wholly　physical。　Notice　the　ca