The Sculpture and Mural Decorations of the Exposition: A Pictorial Survey of the Art of the Panama-Pacific international expositionPerry, Stella G. S. (Stella George Stern)
General
The Sculpture and Mural Decorations of the Exposition: A Pictorial Survey of the Art of the Panama-Pacific international exposition
Perry, Stella G. S. (Stella George Stern)
Panama-Pacific International Exposition (1915 : San Francisco, Calif.); Sculpture, American
The northern facades of all the palaces along the Marina are beautifully
embellished above the vestibules with an intricate plateresque
decoration, modeled after portals in Old Spain. In the three ornate
statue-niches - in the original probably devoted to saintly images - are
romantic figures by Allen Newman. It is appropriate that these figures
facing the water-front should represent, as they do, the Conquistador
and the Pirate Deck-hand, who once were masters and terrors of the main.
The Conquistador stands in the central canopied niche, the strong line
from his helmet-point down his sword-hilt making a grimly decorative
axis for the whole. The Deck-hand is repeated in the niches on each
side. This ruthless minion of sea adventurers is here pictured beyond
the urchin's dreams. The line of the rope he carries is a touch of
excellently handled decoration. Both these figures are so well
harmonized architecturally and sculpturally to their pedestals and
location that the entire facade should be seen for their proper
appreciation.
From Generation to Generation
Palace of Varied Industries
In the portals on the south side of the group of palaces, facing the
Avenue of Palms, we have again the beauteous old Spanish doorways in
plateresque design, with niches filled with modern sculpture. The portal
of the Palace of Varied Industries, copied from a famous prototype in
the old hospice of Santa Cruz, in Toledo, Spain, was assigned to Ralph
Stackpole. He is a sculptor who delights to honor the laborer and the
craftsman and has supplied the figures for niches and keystone space and
the tympanum and secondary groups in the portal of Varied Industries
with evident affection. He treats the subject of labor with dignity,
according it respect and not sentimentality. In this secondary or
crowning group, a strong young man is taking the burden of labor from
the shoulders of the last generation - an old workman, bowed but still
hale and vigorous. There is a sense of responsibility and earnestness in
the group, but complete confidence and power. It might well have been
feared that these rugged types of American life might ill accord with
the ancient ornate doorway. But the decorative proprieties have been
thoroughly sustained.
The Man with the Pick
Palace of Varied Industries
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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