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!
even now by a process of elimination。 And the arch was magnificent。 〃In its present condition the tower unquestionably provides a strong accent。 It has already become a dominating influence here。 But it's an influence that teaches people to feel and to think in the wrong way。 It encourages a liking for what I call messy art; instead of developing a taste for the simplicity that always characterizes the best kind of beauty; the kind that develops naturally out of a central idea。〃
From the Tower of Jewels we turned our attention to those other towers; the four so charming in design and in proportion; Renaissance in feeling; their simplicity seeming all the more graceful on account of the contrast with the other tower's over…ornamentation。 〃I wonder what the world would have done without the Giralda Tower in Seville? It has inspired many of the most beautiful towers in the world。 It helped to inspire McKim; Mead and White when they built the Madison Square Tower; and the Madison Square Tower might be described as a relative of our own Ferry Tower; which is decidedly one of the best pieces of architecture in San Francisco。 And it's plain enough that these four towers and the Ferry Tower are related。 The top of the four towers; by the way; has a history。 It comes from the Choragic Monument of Lysicrates; the little temple in Athens that was built by one of the successful chorus…leaders in the competitive choral dances of the Greeks; who happened to be a man of wealth。 Afterward; when a chorus…leader won a prize; which consisted of a tripod; it was shown to the people on that monument。〃
〃Some critics;〃 I said; 〃have complained of the coloring and the pattern on those towers。〃
〃They can't justify themselves; however。 Though this plaster looks like Travertine; it nevertheless remains plaster; and it lends itself to plastic decoration。 The Greeks and the Romans often used plaster; and they did not hesitate to paint it whenever they chose。 Kelham's four towers have been criticised on account of their plastic design; which has a good deal of pink in it。 But that design provides one of the strongest color notes in the whole Exposition; a delightful note; too。 It happens that makers of wallpaper have had the good sense to use a design somewhat similar。 But this fact does not make the design any the less attractive or serviceable。〃
Between the houses on the hill we could catch glimpses of the South Gardens between the glass dome of the Horticultural Palace and Festival Hall。 The architects rightly felt that in general appearance they had to be French to harmonize with the French architecture on either side。 In the distance the Fountain of Energy stood out; like a weird skeleton that did not wholly explain itself。 Stirling Calder; the sculptor; must have forgotten that the outline of those little symbolic figures perched on the shoulder of his horseman would not carry their meaning。
Now; before our eyes; the Exposition revealed itself as a picture; with all the arts contributing。 It suggested the earlier periods of 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 hea