Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.)
But the glory of the building is in its exhibits. France poured out the
treasures of the Louvre, the Luxembourg and the National Museum to adorn
this pavilion. Fine as is the exhibit in the French section of the
Palace of Fine Arts, the best pictures and Sculptures are shown here. In
the Court of Honor stands the masterpiece of the master sculptor of
modern times, "The Thinker," by Auguste Rodin. (p. 158.) In the
galleries are his "John the Baptist" and other important bronzes. Vast,
unique and of the greatest interest is Theodore Riviere's wonderful
group in bronze representing a triumphant band of desert soldiers
dragging captive the Moroccan pretender, secured in an iron cage. There,
too, are splendid paintings by Monet, Meissonier, Detaille, de Neuvilie,
and many other French artists approved by time. Magnificent old
tapestries adorn the walls of the great hall, with modern hangings on
the entrance stage. Two shrines hold relics of Lafayette and Rochambeau,
sent by their descendants; and busts of Washington and Franklin stand on
either side of the heroic figure of France at the entrance.
French manufacturers have sent here those commercial articles which
French taste elevates almost to the standards of Art. Exquisite products
of the jeweler, the perfumer, the milliner and the costumer, with fine
fabrics that make France famous, are shown in the wings beside the Court
of Honor. But the greater part of the French industrial exhibits are in
the Exposition palaces.
Belgium also finds her place in the French pavilion, with an exhibit of
great interest, including many admirable modern paintings, fine
panoramas of Antwerp, Ghent and Bruges, and a collection of rare old
laces that will delight the heart of every woman.
Greece.--The Greek Pavilion represents the latest addition of a foreign
nation to the Exposition family. The building was begun by the Kali
Syndikat, a German corporation, forced by the war to abandon its
undertaking. In April, 1915, the Greek government bought the building
and finished it in classic style. Its exhibits include two hundred and
fifty replicas of the most famous of ancient Grecian Sculptures.
Italy.--Though other countries have built pavilions characteristic of
their soil and people, or have lavished their money on splendid examples
of exposition architecture, it has remained for Italy to present in a
single group a summary of the best that art has produced in a national
history of two thousand years. (p. 159.) The Italian Pavilion does not
attempt to reproduce any one architectural masterpiece. It echoes many.
Therein is the triumph of the architect. Without copying, Piacentini has
suggested in this building much that is famous in the architecture of
Florence, Venice, and Rome. It is itself a masterpiece.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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