An Art-Lovers Guide to the Exposition: Explanations of the Architecture, Sculpture and Mural Paintings, With a Guide for Study in the Art GalleryCheney, Sheldon
History
An Art-Lovers Guide to the Exposition: Explanations of the Architecture, Sculpture and Mural Paintings, With a Guide for Study in the Art Gallery
Cheney, Sheldon
Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)
The Nations of the East is made up of five mounted and four unmounted
figures, all typical of the Orient. Reading from the spectator's left to
right, the mounted figures are: 1. an Arab tribal chief on a horse; 2. a
Mohammedan standard bearer on a camel; 3. the East Indian on his
richly-caparisoned elephant; 4. another Mohammedan standard-bearer on a
camel; 5. a Mongolian horseman. Between the mounted figures are the
following on foot: 1. a servant with a basket of fruits; 2. an Arab
falconer; 3. a Thibetan lama or priest; 4. another servant with fruit.
The Nations of the West represents typical figures from the European
nations which have helped to develop America, together with two American
Indians and an Alaskan. A central composition shows the Mother of
Tomorrow and a surmounting group typifying the Spirit of Enterprise
which has led the Aryan race to conquer the West. The figures, from left
to right, are: 1. the French-Canadian (sometimes called "The Trapper"),
on horseback; 2. the Alaskan, carrying totem poles, on foot; 3. the
Spanish-American conqueror, mounted; 4. the German-American, on foot; 5.
the Mother of Tomorrow, on the tongue of the ox-drawn prairie schooner;
6. the Italian-American, on foot; 7. the English-American, mounted; 8.
an Indian squaw; 9. the American Indian, mounted. On top of the prairie
schooner the Spirit of Enterprise is represented by a spirited winged
figure, with a boy at either hand.
The way in which the two groups balance each other at the two ends of
the court is worthy of study-the elephant of the one offset by the
prairie schooner of the other. Indeed each feature of one is balanced in
the other so that the two will mass against the sky with the same
general decorative effect. "The Nations of the East," considered as a
whole, seems the more satisfying group-richer in feeling, more unified
in design, and more massive; in short, more monumental and therefore
better fitted to crown the noble arch. But if this fits its setting
better, and masses against the sky more satisfyingly, "The Nations of
the West" will be found on close examination to contain the better
individual figures. The Alaskan (unfortunately almost lost to view in
the present placing of the group), the Canadian Trapper, and the mounted
Indian are all worthy of prolonged study; and the figure of the Mother
of Tomorrow is one of the finest bits of sculpture at the Exposition. In
these figures, and only slightly less so in the other figures of this
and the opposite group, there is ample evidence that the American
sculptors have outgrown the traditions of by-gone "schools" and have
developed a genuine native medium of expression. The two groups are the
work of A. Stirling Calder, Leo Lentelli, and Frederick G. R. Roth in
collaboration.
Figures at north and south of sunken garden. Flanking the stairways to
the sunken garden at north and south are four large figures by Robert
Aitken, typifying "The Elements."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account