the city of domes-第7章

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art；　when　the　art…worker　was　architect；　painter　and　sculptor　all　in　one。



II

The　Approach



〃You　see；〃　said　the　architect　as　we　started　down　the　hill；　〃when　the　Exposition　builders　began　their　work　they　found　the　setting　of　the　Mediterranean　here。　It　justified　them　in　reproducing　the　art　of　the　Orient　and　of　Greece　and　Rome　which　was　associated　with　it；　modified　of　course　to　meet　the　special　requirements。　Besides；　they　didn't　want　to　be　tied　down　to　the　severe　type　of　architecture　in　vogue　in　this　country。〃

First　of　all；　he　went　on　to　explain；　they　had　created　a　playground。　There　they　appealed　to　the　color　sense；　strong　in　the　Italians　and　the　Orientals；　and　weak　among　the　people　in　this　country；　decidedly　in　need　of　fostering；　and　the　appeal　was　not　merely　to　the　intellect；　but　to　the　emotions　as　well。　Color　was　as　much　a　part　of　architecture　as　of　painting。　So；　in　applying　the　color；　Guerin　worked　with　the　architects。　He　never　made　a　plan　without　taking　them　into　consultation。　Then；　too；　Calder；　acting　head　of　the　Department　of　Sculpture；　and　Denneville；　the　inventor　of　the　particular　kind　of　imitation　Travertine　marble　used　on　the　grounds；　were　active　in　all　the　planning。　In　fact；　very　little　was　done　without　the　co…operation　of　Guerin；　Calder；　Denneville　and　Kelham；　chief　of　the　Architectural　Board。　In　getting　the　Exposition　from　paper　to　reality；　they　had　succeeded　in　making　it　seem　to　be　the　expression　of　one　mind。　Even　in　the　development　of　the　planting　the　architects　had　their　say。　Here　landscape　gardening　was　actually　a　part　of　the　architecture。　Faville's　wall；　for　example；　was　built　with　the　understanding　that　its　bareness　was　to　be　relieved　with　masses　of　foliage；　creating　shadows。

Before　the　Scott　Street　entrance　we　paused　to　admire　the　high　hedge　of　John　McLaren。　We　went　close　to　examine　the　texture。　The　leaves　of　the　African　dewplant　were　so　thick　that　they　were　beginning　to　hide　the　lines　between　the　boxes。

〃Faville　realized　the　importance　of　separating　the　city　from　the　rest　of　the　world；　making　it　sequestered。　He　knew　that　a　fence　wouldn't　be　the　right　sort　of　thing。　So　he　conceived　the　idea　of　having　a　high；　thick　wall；　modeled　after　an　old　English　wall；　overgrown　with　moss　and　ivy。　As　those　walls　were　generations　in　growing；　he　saw　that　to　produce　one　in　a　few　months　or　even　a　few　years　required　some　ingenuity。　He　set　to　work　on　the　problem　and　he　devised　a　scheme　for　making　an　imitation　hedge　by　planting　ivy　in　deep　boxes　and　piling　the　boxes　on　one　another。　When　he　submitted　it　to　McLaren　he　was　told　that　it　was　good　except　for　the　use　of　the　ivy。　It　would　be　better　to　use　African　dew　plant。　Later　McLaren　improved　on　the　scheme　by　using　shallow　boxes。

〃Faville　designed　a　magnificent　entrance　here；〃　the　architect　went　on；　glancing　up　at　the　three　modest　arches　that　McLaren　had　tried　to　make　as　attractive　as　possible　with　his　hedge。　〃It　would　have　been　very　appropriate。　But　the　need　of　keeping　down　expenses　caused　the　idea　to　be　sacrificed。　However；　the　loss　was　not　serious。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　in　spite　of　the　efforts　of　the　Exposition　to　persuade　visitors　to　come　in　here；　a　great　many　preferred　to　enter　by　the　Fillmore　Street　gate。　During　the　day　this　approach　is　decidedly　the　more　attractive　on　account　of　leading　directly　into　the　gardens　and　into　the　approach　to　the　court。　The　Fillmore　Street　entrance；　with　the　Zone　shrieking　at　you　at　one　side；　hardly　puts　you　in　the　mood　for　the　beauty　in　the　courts。　At　night　the　situation　is　somewhat　different。　The　flaring　lights　of　the　Zone　make　the　dimness　of　the　court　all　the　more　attractive。〃



III

In　the　South　Gardens



Though　the　arrangement　of　the　landscape　might　be　French；　these　flowers　were　unmistakably　Californian。　The　two　pools；　ornamented　with　the　Arthur　Putnam　fountain　of　the　mermaid；　in　duplicate；　decidedly　French　in　feeling；　were　brilliant　with　the　reflected　coloring　from　both　the　flowers　and　the　buildings。

The　intention　at　first　had　been　to　make　a　sunken　garden　here；　but　the　underground　construction　had　interfered。　Now　one　might　catch　a　suggestion　of　Versailles；　except　for　those　lamp　posts。　〃Joseph　Pennell；　the　American　etcher；　who　has　traveled　all　over　Europe　making　drawings；　finds　a　suggestion　of　two　great　Spanish　gardens　here；　one　connected　with　the　royal　palace　of　La　Granga；　near　Madrid；　and　the　other　with　the　royal　palace　of　Aranjuez；　near　Toledo。　They've　allowed　the　flowers　to　be　the　most　conspicuous　feature；　the　dominating　note；　which　is　as　it　should　be。　Masses　of　flowers　are　always　beautiful　and　they　are　never　more　beautiful　than　when　they　are　of　one　color。〃

〃And　masses　of　shrubbery　are　always　beautiful；　too；〃；　I　said；　nodding　in　the　direction　of　the　Palace　of　Horticulture；　where　McLaren　had　done　some　of　his　best　work。

〃There's　no　color　in　the　world　like　green；　particularly　dark　green；　for　richness　and　poetry　and　mystery。　It's　intimately　related　to　shadow；　which　does　so　much　for　beauty　in　the　world。〃

〃The　Fountain　of　Energy　almost　hits　you　in　the　face；　doesn't　it？〃　I　said。

〃Of　course。　That's　exactly　what　Calder　meant　to　do。　In　a　way　he　was　right。　He　wanted　to　express　in　sculpture　the　idea　of　tremendous　force。　Now　his　work　is　an　ideal　example　of　what　is　expositional。　It　has　a　sensational　appeal。　One　objection　to　it　is　that　it　suggests　too　much　energy；　too　much　effort　on　the　part；　not　only　of　the　subject；　but　of　the　sculptor。　The　artist　ought　never　to　seem　to　try。　His　work　ought　to　make　you　feel　that　it　was　easy　for　him　to　do。　But　here　you　feel　that　the　sculptor　clenched　his　teeth　and　worked　with　might　and　main。　As　a　matter　of　fact；　he　did　this　piece　when　he　must　have　been　tired　out　from　managing　all　the　sculpture　on　the　grounds。　He　made　two　designs。　The　first　one；　which　was　not　used；　seemed　to　me　better　because　it　was　simpler　in　the　treatment　of　the　base。　Even　the　figures　at　the　base　here　are　over…energized；　the　human　figures　I　mean。　Still；　in　their　sportiveness　and　in　the　sportiveness　of　Roth's　animals；　they　have　a　certain　charm。　And　with　the　streams　spouting；　the　work　as　a　whole　makes　an　impression　of　liveliness。　But　it's　a　nervous　liveliness；　characteristically　American；　not　altogether　healthy。〃

The　Fountain　of　Energy　and　the　Tower　of　Jewels；　we　decided；　both　expressed　the　same　kind　of　imagination。　Like　the　fountain；　the　tower　gave　the　sense　of　overstrain。　〃It's　pretty　hard　to　see　any　architectural　relation　between　those　figures　up　there　on　the　tower　and　the　tower　itself。　See　how　the　mass　tries　to　dominate　Kelham's　four　Italian　towers；　but　without　showing　any　real　superiority。〃

The　heraldic　shields　on　the　lamp　posts　near　by　attracted　us　both　by　their　color　and　by　the　variety　and　grace　of　their　designs。　How　many　visitors　stopped　to　consider　their　historic　character？　They　went　back　to　the　early　history　of　the　Pacific　Coast。　For　this　contribution　alone　Walter　D'Arcy　Ryan　deserved　the　highest　recognition。　Only　an　artist　could　have　worked　out　this　scheme　in　just　this　sensitive　and　appropriate　way。

We　stopped　at　the　vigorous　equestrian　statue　of　Cortez　by　Charles　Niehaus　at　our　right；　close　to　the　tower。　〃I　always　liked　Cortez　for　his　nerve。　He　didn't　get　much　gratitude　from　his　Emperor　for　conquering　Mexico　and　annexing　it　to　Spain。　And　what　he　got　in　glory　and　in　money　probably　did　not　compensate　him　for　his　disappointment　at　the　end。　When　he　couldn't　reach　Charles　V　in　any　other　way；　he　jumped　up　on　the　royal　carriage。　Charles　didn't　recognize　him　and　asked　who　he　was。　'I'm　the　man；'　said　Cortez；　'that　gave　you　more　provinces　than　your　forebears　left　you　cities。'　Naturally　Charles　was　annoyed。　We　don't　like　to　be　reminded　of　ingratitude；　do　we；　especially　by　the　people　who　think　we　ought　to　be　grateful　to　them？　So　Cortez　quit　the　court　and　spent　the　rest　of　his　life　in　the　country。〃

At　our　right　we　met　another　of　the　many　Spanish　adventurers　drawn　to　the　Americas　by　the　discovery　of　Columbus；　Pizarro；　who　presented　his　country　with　the　rich　land　of　Peru。　It　was　doubtless　placed　here　on　account　of　the　relation　between　Spain　and　California。　〃Civilization　is　a　development　through　blood　and　spoilation；〃　the　architect　remarked。　〃If　Pizarro　hadn't　been　lured　by　the　gold　of　the　Incas　we　might　not　be　here　at　this　moment。〃

The　figures　on　the　tower；　insignificant　when　viewed　from　a　distance；　at　close　range　took　on　vigor：　the　philosopher　in　his　robes；　the　bearer　of　European　culture　of　the　sixteenth　century　to　these　shores；　the　Spanish　priest；　typical　of　the　early　friars；　the　adventurer；　so　closely　related　to　Columbus；　and　the　Spanish　soldier。　The　armored　horseman；　by　Tonetti；　in　a　row　all　by　himself；　suffering　from　being　rather　absurdly　out　of　place；　might　have　won　applause　if　he　had　been　brought　on　a　pedestal　close　to　the　ground。　His　being　repeated　so　often　up　there　made　an　effect　almost　comic。　The　vases　and　the　triremes；　the　pieces　of　armor；　with　the　battle…axe　designs　on　either　side；　the　Cleopatra's　needles；　and　the　richly…girdled　globe　on　top；　sustained　on　the　shoulders　of　three　figures；　were　all　well　done。　The　only　trouble　was　that　they　had　not　been　made　to　blend　into　one　lightly　soaring　mass。

〃It's　curious　that　Hastings　should　have　gone　astray　in　the　treatment　of　the　tower。　He　must　have　known　the　psychological　effect　of　parallel　horizontal　lines。　When　skyscrapers　were　first　built　in　New　York　a　few　years　ago　they　were　considered　unsightly　on　account　of　their　great　height。　So　the　architects　were　careful　to　use　parallel　horizontal　lines　in　order　to　diminish　the　apparent　height　as　far　as　possible。　Then　people　began　to　say　that　there　was　beauty　in　the　sky…scrapers；　and　the　architects　changed　their　policy。　They　built　in　straight　parallel　lines　that　shot　up　to　the　sky。　In　this　way　they　increased　the　apparent　height。〃

The　inscriptions　on　the　south　side　of　the　tower's　base　reminded　us　of　the　Exposition's　meaning；　Conspicuously　and　properly　emphasized　here。　The　pagan　note　in　the　architecture　was　indicated　in　the　ornamentation　by　the　use　in　the　design　of　the　head　of　the　sacred　bull。　And　Triumphant　America　was　celebrated　in　the　group　of　eagles。

The　dark　stains　on　the　yellow　columns　made　us　see　how　clever　Guerin　had　been　in　his　application　of　the　coloring。　In　most　places　he　had　applied　one　coat　only；　trusting　to　nature　to　do　the　rest。　Most　of　all；　he　wished　to　avoid　the　appearance　of　newness　and　to　secure　a　look　of　age。　On　these　columns　the　smoke　from　the　steam　rollers　had　helped　out。　One　might　imagine　that　they　had　been　here　for　generations。

Here　the　builders　had　used　the　Corinthian　column；　with　the　acanthus　leaves　varied　with　fruit…designs　and　with　the　human　figure。　〃It　was　a　lucky　day　for　architecture　when　the　column　came　into　use。　It　doubtless　got　its　start　from　a　single　beam　used　for　support。　Then　the　notion　developed　of　making　it　ornamental　by　fluting　it　and　decorating　the　top。　In　this　Exposition　three　kinds　of　columns　are　used；　the　Doric；　which　the　Greeks　favored；　with　the　very　simple　top　or　capital；　the　Ionic；　with　the　spiral　scroll　for　the　capital；　and　the　Corinthian；　with　the　acanthus　flowing　over　the　top；　and　the　Composite　which　uses　features　from　all　the　other　three。〃

〃Do　you　happen　to　know　how　the　acanthus　design　was　made？　Well；　Vitruvius　tells　the　story。　Anyone　that　wants　to　get　a　line