A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Z

The Art of the Exposition

E >> Eugen Neuhaus >> The Art of the Exposition




His pictures are not intellectual in the least, and all of the people in
his pictures are animals, more or less, and merely interested in having
a square meal and being permitted to enjoy life in general, to the
fullest extent.

The quality of enjoyment that runs through all of Brangwyn's work is
extremely useful in the general atmosphere of Mullgardt's court. In the
northwest corner, Nature is represented, in all the fecundity of the
earth. Only in our wildest dreams, and only in the advertisements of
California farm lands and orchards, do such grapes, pumpkins, pears, and
apples exist.

The picture to the left shows the grape-treaders, in the old-fashioned
and unhygienic practice of crushing grapes by dancing on them in
enormous vats. Others are seen gathering and delivering more grapes. As
in the other picture, showing the harvest of fruit, more people are
shown. Brangwyn never hesitates to use great numbers of people, which
seem to give him no trouble whatever in their modeling and
characterization.

Following on to the right, "Fire," represented as the primitive fire and
as industrial fire, in two pictures, continues the scheme. That group of
squatting woodmen carefully nursing a little fire is almost comical,
with their extended cheeks, and one can almost feel the effort of their
lungs in the strained anatomy of their backs. There does not seem to be
anything too difficult for Brangwyn. "Industrial Fire" is interesting
from the decorative note of many pieces of pottery in the foreground.
They seem to have come from the kiln which muscular men are attending.

"Water" is unusually graceful and delicate in its vertical arrangement
of trees and the curve of the fountain stream, coming from the side of a
hill. Women, children, and men have congregated, taking their turn in
filling all sorts of vessels, some carried on their heads, some in their
arms. Brangwyn's clever treatment of zoölogical and botanical detail is
well shown in flowers in the foreground, such as foxglove and freesia,
and the graceful forms of a pair of pinkish flamingoes. In the other
panel of the same subject, a group of men on the shore are hauling in
their nets.

The last of the four, "Air," represents this element in two totally
different ways; the one on the left gives the more tender, gentle
movement of this element, in the suggestion of the scent of the bowmen
screened by trees, moving toward their prospective prey, while the other
very bold composition is of a windmill turned away from the destructive
power of an impending windstorm. In the foreground people are rushed
along by gusts of wind, while children, unaware of the impending storm,
are flying kites.

The masterful and varied treatment of these eight canvases show Brangwyn
as the great painter he is known to be. We should rejoice to have such
excellent examples of his brush permanently with us.

While not exactly belonging to the number of official decorations,
Edward Trumbull's wall paintings in the unique Pennsylvania building are
of great interest. Thoroughly dignified in their composition, they are
most descriptive in their subject-matter. The "Pennsylvania Industries"
are on the west side and "Penn's Treaty with the Indians" on the other.
It is evident that Trumbull is a disciple of Brangwyn, though a personal
note is not lacking in his work.

The tea-room of the California building harbors some mural decorations
by Miss Florence Lundborg which the male part of the population can
enjoy only by special invitation. I regret that they are not placed
somewhere where the casual Exposition stroller can see them, because
they are deserving of more attention than they are apt to receive. Miss
Lundborg's artistic contributions have for many years been along the
lines of decorations and in this big, well-composed figural scheme she
discloses again a very fine, sympathetic understanding of the problems
of a wall decoration. The color scheme is very refreshing and gives life
to a large hall which has been endowed with unusual distinction by Miss
Lundborg's art. A number of decorative floral medallions complete a
scheme which is characterized throughout by dignity and sympathy.



The Illumination
Conclusion



While a daytime investigation of the Exposition no doubt has its
rewards, the full meaning of the Exposition reveals itself at night.
Never before has an Exposition been illuminated in the unique fashion of
the Panama-Pacific International Exposition.

Former exposition lighting consisted of a lavish display of lighting
fixtures, and of unavoidable millions of glaring bulbs, the number of
which nobody was permitted to forget. The offensive glare of the direct
light had to be eliminated to preserve that feeling of tonality, of
restfulness, so impressive in daytime. In other words, the sources of
all lights at night have been concealed, or so concentrated that they
could be far removed, so as not directly to offend the eye. The effect
is very much like the flood of light of a full-moon summer night.

In speaking of the rich mellowness of the lighting effect, one feels
again compelled to speak of the travertine stucco as the artistic
foundation of not only the architecture, sculpture, painting, and
landscape garden effects, but also of the illuminating effects designed
by Mr. W. D'A. Ryan, and executed by Mr. Guy L. Bayley. Without the
mellow walls and rich orange sculptural details, no such picture of
tonal beauty could have been produced.

It is difficult to single out, among the many suggestive pictures, the
most alluring one, but I may safely say that the first half hour after
the close of day, as enjoyed around the lagoon, with the Fine Arts
Building in the background, reflected in the waters, will linger forever
in the minds of all who are privileged to see it.

Such blues I have seen only in pictures by Maxfield Parrish. Combined
with the rich gold of the colonnade, they are almost supernatural. The
whole effect, as reflected in the placid surface of the lagoon,
occasionally broken here and there by a slowly moving waterfowl, or the
protruding mouth of a carp, is inspiring, and must awaken an aesthetic
response in the soul of the most ordinary mortal. Very quickly, however,
does this colorful picture change, and the very intense blue of the
early evening sky rapidly changes into a colorless black.

The Palace of Fine Arts, above all others, offers many wonderful bits of
enchantment at night. It seems to have been thought out not only for its
daytime effect but for the night as well.

Of the inner courts, those with larger and smaller bodies of water are
most effective at night. The Court of the Four Seasons, with its placid,
shrub-encircled pool, is doubly interesting at night. The four
wall-fountains add much to the outdoor feeling that this court
possesses, by reason of the suggestive murmur of the waters, descending
in gentle splashes from bowl to bowl.

The most striking court, in its mysteriousness, is Mullgardt's Court of
Abundance, particularly so on a foggy night. Large volumes of vapor are
lazily rising from huge bowls and torches, below, and in the tower,
suggesting the early days of the cosmic All, cooling off from the
turbulent period of its creation. The fogs sweeping from the bay add
more mystery, and with the gorgeous perfume of the hyacinth carpet in
the garden spaces, the effect is almost narcotic. The whole court, under
these conditions, seems heavy with the atmosphere of abundance, of
physical well-being, of slumbering natural powers.

At the same time, it is truly religious in its effect of turning the
mind away from the ordinary world into the realm of the mystic and the
supernatural. I never realized what our San Francisco fogs could produce
in artistic effects until I visited Mullgardt's court on a foggy night.
The effect of the fog is absolutely ennobling.

So many things like these, possibly not originally thought of, have
added, together with the illumination, rare charm to the Exposition.
Great masses of pigeons, attracted by the light thrown upon the two
great groups of the Nations of the West and of the East, give an
unusually inspiring touch to the Exposition at night. The spectacle of
these graceful birds encircling rhythmically the great sculptural piles,
apparently enjoying the bath of light, will never be forgotten. These
pigeons seem to have decided to live in the Exposition; they are there
always, and apparently glad to play their part in the Exposition
ensemble.

The lesson of the Exposition will be far reaching in its many
demonstrations of the commercial value of artistic assets. The whole
Exposition is really a city-planning exposition of the first order. Any
city-builder, by the respectful use of the great fundamental principles
of balance, harmony, and unity, cannot help but do on a large scale what
the Exposition presents in a more condensed fashion. I admit that we
have made tremendous strides in the remodeling of many of our large
cities, particularly in the East, but we are still constantly starting
new cities in the old planless way.

Our only practical and lasting effort in San Francisco along the lines
of civic progress has been made in the civic center, where a
far-reaching plan has been adopted and partly put into existence, and in
some of our very charming newer restricted residence districts in the
western end of the city, like St. Francis Wood, or in Northbrae and
Claremont, in Berkeley, and elsewhere around the bay.

There is no doubt that we must better capitalize our own artistic
assets, which we often allow to lie idle before we ever utilize them
properly. The water front, Telegraph hill, the ocean shore, Sutro
Heights, and Lincoln Park are all waiting to be developed in such a way
as the Exposition suggests. The talk of cost is idle twaddle. If the
Exposition, as an artistic investment, pays - and I see no reason
whatever why it should not pay for itself - then we cannot do anything
better than to invest our money wisely in other artistic improvements of
a permanent character.

San Francisco is known all the world over for its unique location,
rivaled only by that of Marseilles, and we have now the responsibility
to use this natural asset, for which many envy us. The Exposition will
start an avalanche of improvements along artistic lines which will be
given increasing momentum by the development of long periods of
prosperity.

The most urgent need, no, doubt, is the establishment of a municipal art
gallery in the civic center, the only ideal place for it, where the
workingman from the Mission and the merchant from west of Van Ness
avenue will find it equally convenient of access. If a smaller number of
citizens could raise the money for a municipal opera house, there should
be no trouble in getting funds for a building devoted to a far more
extensive public benefit, like an art gallery. People generally will
want to know why it is that certain things can be given to them for one
year, so successfully, and why it should not be possible to have them
with us permanently. The inspiring lesson of beauty, expressed so simply
and intelligently, will sink deep into the minds of the great masses, to
be reborn in an endless stream of aesthetic expression in the spiritual
and physical improvement of the people.

We, out here in the West, have been measuring the tide of human progress
in biological terms. We have almost forgotten the days of our great
calamity, and still speak of them in that typical expression of
apprehension of the "earthquake babies." Let us think now of the future
and its bright prospects, inaugurated so auspiciously for the benefit of
our Exposition generation.



Appendix



Guide to Sculpture



South Gardens:

Fountain of Energy (center) - A. Stirling Caller
Directly opposite the main entrance, the most conspicuously placed
fountain in the grounds. The four major figures in the bowl represent
the Pacific, the Atlantic, and the two Arctic oceans. The minor eight
figures suggest the marine character of the fountain. The reclining
figures on the sphere typify the two hemispheres. The youth on horseback
represents energy and strength.

The Mermaid (fountains in long pools) - Arthur Putnam
The same figure is used twice, near the Horticultural Palace on the west
and Festival Hall on the east.

Equestrian Statue, "Cortez" - Charles Niehaus
Guarding the Tower of Jewels. This statue represents the great Spanish
conqueror. As one faces the tower, this figure is on the left.

Equestrian Statue of "Pizarro" - Charles Cary Rumsey
Similar in type and feeling to the preceding statue on the right, in
front of the Tower of Jewels.

Horticultural Building:

Frieze at Base of the Spires - Eugene Louis Boutier
Loose arrangement of standing female figures surrounding the bases of
the spires on all sides of the Horticultural Palace, with no other
meaning than that of decoration.

Pairs of Caryatides - John Bateman
Architectural vertical members supporting the pergola around the
Horticultural Palace. Used also on the Young Women's Christian
Association and the Press buildings, near the main entrance.

Tower of Jewels:

Statues of "Priest," "Soldier," "Philosopher," and "Adventurer" - John
Flanagan
Four figures suggestive of the forces which influenced the destinies of
our country. Very big in scale - about twice life size. They are
standing on a row of columns below the cornice on the tower and are
repeated on all four sides.

The Armored Horseman (Terrace of the Tower) - F. M. L. Tonetti
A decorative equestrian statue on the lower terrace of the tower above
the preceding figures - repeated sixteen times.

Tower Colonnades:

Fountain of Youth (east end) - Edith Woodman Burroughs
Snugly placed inside the abutting walls, east of the Tower of Jewels.
Naive in character and simple in treatment, without any further
symbolical meaning than that suggested by the name. Motif in side
panels, "Ship of Life."

Fountain of El Dorado (west end) - Mrs. Harry Payne Whitney
In position similar to the preceding, west of the Tower of Jewels. A
triptych of dramatic expression, naturalistically treated.

Festival Hall:

Figure crowning the minor Domes - Sherry E. Fry
A standing finial figure, on the minor domes, of graceful pose.

Two groups in front of the Pylons - Sherry E. Fry
Practically conceived as wall fountains, they are composed of the figure
of a girl, suggesting the joy of life, emphasized by young Pan, with a
lizard, at the base on the left, and a seated young girl on the right.

Cartouche over the entrance (figures only) - Sherry E. Fry
An architectural unit over the big arch of the main central dome,
outside the building, for decorative effect.

Reclining figures on Pylons - Sherry E. Fry
A male and a female figure, reclining, crowning the architectural units
projecting into the South Gardens. Suggestive of life and pleasure.

Court of Palms:

Equestrian statue, "The End of the Trail" - James Earl Fraser
At the entrance of the Court of Palms, off the main avenue opposite the
Horticultural Palace. Symbolical figure, representing the destinies of
the vanishing red race; to be considered in connection with the
"Pioneer" at the entrance of the Court of Flowers.

The Fairy (Italian Towers - Palms and Flowers) - Carl Grupp
A figural termination of the four towers guarding the entrances to the
Courts of Palms and of Flowers.

Caryatides - John Bateman and Mr. Calder
Winged half-figure in the attic-space, repeated all around the court.

Spandrels - Albert Weinert
Reclining decorative figures composed into the triangular spaces over
all the doorways in the corridor.

Court of Flowers:

Equestrian statue, "The Pioneer" - Solon Borglum
At the entrance of this court. Representing the white man and his
victorious civilization. (To be studied with "The End of the Trail.")

Lions (at the entrances) - Albert Laessle
Very conventional architectural decorative animal forms at the entrance
inside the Court of Flowers - used six times.

The Fairy (above the Italian Towers) - Carl Gruppe
[See Fairy under Court of Palms by the same artist.]

Central Fountain, "Beauty and the Beast" - Edgar Walter
Decorative fountain inside the court, with crowning figure of a young
woman, reposing on a fabulous beast.

Flower Girls (in niches) - A. Stirling Calder
Repeated figures, conventionally treated, of young women, decorated
profusely with flower garlands, in the attic space.

Court of Abundance:

Groups on the altar in the main tower - Chester Beach
These groups constitute the historical composition in the tower on the
north side of the court. Beginning with the lower one, they represent
the primitive ages, the middle ages, and modern times.

Group at column bases and finials - Leo Lentelli
Decorative figures. Used four times at the base of the shaft near the
tower. A single finial figure of a girl with a bow is used on top of the
same column.

Fountain of the Earth (central pool) - Robert I. Aitken
An architectural composition telling the story of human life in its many
phases. The outstretched arms on the south side represent destiny giving
and taking life.

Figures on top of the Arcade - Albert Weinert
Primitive men, with the pelican and deer; the mother with a child is
repeated all around the court.

Aquatic Life (north extension) - Sherry B. Fry
A figure which might represent Neptune's daughter. This figure stands
north of the tower in the open space toward the Marina below, between
the Palaces of Transportation and Mines.

Court of the Universe:

The Nations of the East; The Nations of the West - A. Stirling Calder,
Leo Lentelli, and Frederick C. R. Roth, collaborators.
Colossal groups on top of the two great arches, representing, in many
types, Western and Eastern civilization.

Statues on columns (eastern and western arches) - Leo Lentelli
Winged statues standing on top of columns on the inside as well as the
outside of the two great arches.

Spandrels, Pegasus - Frederick G. R. Roth
Triangular compositions spanning the arches, repeated on both sides.

Medallion - B. Bufano
Circular decorations of male figures on the left side of the arch
without any meaning other than architectural effect.

Medallion - A. Stirling Calder
Same as above, of female figures, on the right side of the arches.

The Stars (colonnades) - A. Stirling Calder
Very conventional standing figure, with hands united above the head,
forming a star with radiated head-dress, placed on the balustrades of
buildings adjoining the court and in the avenue leading north from the
court.

Frieze on corner pavilions, "Signs of the Zodiac" - Hermon A. MacNeil
Decorative friezes on four sides of the four corner pavilions, of
mythological character.

Two fountains, "The Rising Sun" and "The Setting Sun" - Adolph A.
Weinman
Two columns rising from fountain bowls and crowned by winged figures, of
a woman, representing the Setting Sun, on the left, and of a winged male
figure, the Rising Sun, on the right.

Four reclining figures, "The Elements" - Robert I. Aitken
At the head of the stairs leading into the sunken garden; on the left,
near the Music Pavilion, "Fire;" on the right, "Water;" on the left,
near the tower, "Air;" on the right, "Earth."

Two Groups - Paul Manship
Near the arches at the head of the steps, two figural groups. One is of
female figures, suggesting pleasure; the other, music and art.

Western Plaza, in Front of Machinery Palace:

Monument, "Genius of Creation" - Daniel Chester French
Group of allegorical figures, suggestive of the development of the human
race.

Court of the Four Seasons:

Four groups representing "The Seasons" - Furio Piccirilli
In niches. Southeast corner, "Winter;" northeast corner, "Fall;"
southwest corner, "Spring;" northwest corner, "Summer."

The Harvest (above the half dome) - Albert Jaegers
Seated figure with a horn of plenty and other agricultural emblems.

Rain and Sunshine (figures on columns) - Albert Jaegers
Standing female figures on columns on either side of the half dome.
Sunshine, holding a palm branch, is on the left, and Rain, holding up a
shell, on the right.

Groups, "Feast of Sacrifice," on the pylons in the forecourt - Albert
Jaegers
The two groups on top of the building, in which huge bulls predominate,
led by a young woman and a young man; very decorative.

Fountain, "Ceres" - Evelyn Beatrice Longman
Situated halfway between the Court of the Four Seasons and the Marina,
in an avenue leading north; architectural in character.

Spandrels (arcade) - August Jaegers
Reclining female figures above the arches at the west and east entrance
of the Court of the Four Seasons.

Attic figures - August Jaegers
Standing decorative figures of architectonic feeling, in the attic above
the preceding figures.

Varied Industries Palace:

Tympanum group in the doorway - Ralph Stackpole
Groups of men and women in the lunette of the ornate doorway on the
south side.

Secondary group, doorway - Ralph Stackpole
Groups above the preceding one, showing Age transferring his burden to
Youth.

Figure for niches, doorway (man with the pick) - Ralph Stackpole
A repeated figure of a miner, of relatively small scale, on the consoles
in the doorway.

Figure for keystone in doorway - Ralph Stackpole
A small seated figure of a laborer, on the headstone.

Figure for niches, on the east façade of this Palace and of the Palace
of Mines - Albert Weinert
Standing figure in niches above doors, also used in avenue leading into
the Court of Abundance from the east.

West Wall of the Palaces (facing Fine Arts):

Motifs for wall niches ("Triumph of the Field" and "Abundance") -
Charles R. Harley
Seated male and female figures surrounded by a great wealth of
emblematic forms. The male represents "Triumph of the Field;" the
female, "Abundance."

Figures on columns (flanking the half domes): Philosophy and Physical
Vigor - Ralph Stackpole
A colossal figure of a youth, on top of free-standing columns on the
west wall of the main buildings.

Palace of Fine Arts:

Standing figure, inside of the rotunda on top of columns - Herbert Adams

Figures in the attic of the rotunda - Ulric H. Ellerhusen
Standing females and males between architectural friezes immediately
below the cupola of the dome.

Frieze on the altar - Bruno Louis Zimm
Figural frieze at the base of the rotunda facing the Laguna can only be
seen from a great distance across the water.

Relief panels for the rotunda - Bruno Louis Zimm
Eight panels on the outside, of strictly architectural character,
representing a procession, showing the development and influence of art.

Friezes around the base on the ground - Ulric H. Ellerhusen
Figures with garlands, used everywhere at the base of the building.

Figures on the flower boxes - Ulric H. Ellerhusen
Standing figures, looking inward, representing introspection.

Kneeling figure on the altar - Ralph Stackpole
The shrine of worship. That delicate small figure seen best from across
the laguna in front of the rotunda.

North Façade, Main Group of Exhibit Palaces:

Figure for central niches, "Conquistador" - Allen Newman
A Spanish soldier, with helmet and sword and a large mantle.

Figure for side niches, "The Pirate" - Allen Newman
A coarsely shaped man, in small niches on the north side of the main
buildings near the preceding one.

Column of Progress:

Bas-relief (four sides of the pedestal) - Isidore Konti
Four allegorical friezes depicting man's striving for achievement.

Finial group, "The Adventurous Bowman," frieze and decoration - Hermon
A. MacNeil
The group on top of the column suggests man's supreme effort in life,
the supporting frieze is "The Toilers."

Palace of Machinery:

Figures on columns (four "Powers") - Haig Patigian
Repeated large scale figures of men, representing the industries
exhibited within the building.

Friezes for columns, vestibule - Haig Patigian
Decorative architectural figure compositions of similar subjects.

Spandrels (two pairs) - Haig Patigian
Reclining figures filling out the triangular spaces above the doors in
the vestibule reflecting the purpose of the building.

Palace of Education:

Repeated figure within the Half Dome, of Thought - Albert Weinert
Standing figure of a maiden with a scroll inside the portal, repeated
eight times.

Palace of Food Products:

Repeated figure within the Half Dome, "Physical Vigor" - Earl Cummings
Similar to that above, inside the Portal of Vigor, showing a standing
young man, with an oak wreath.

Friezes and figures in niches, main south entrance (portals of the
Manufacturers and Liberal Arts Palaces) - Mahonri Young
Figures representing domestic life and industries like foundry work,
smithing, spinning, and sculpture. Figures in the niches: woman with
spindles and men with hammers.

Tympanum panels (north and south entrances of the Palace of Education) -
Gustave Gerlach
Decorative panels above the doors outside of the building showing
maternal instruction.

Panels inlaid in the walls over the minor entrances
Pupils of the School of Sculpture of the Society of Beaux Arts
Architects and National Sculpture Society.
Decorative panels of school life and of science.

Copyright (c) 2007. famouswriterz.com. All rights reserved.