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 group "Harvest" surmounting the great niche in the Court of the
Seasons is a fine placid thing - and the bull groups on the pylons are
time-honored, virile conceptions strikingly placed.
The three-tiered sculpture groupings of the Tower of Ages make rich
appeal in relation to the romantic architecture.
There are groups in niches in the west walls that will remain caviar to
the general, but which are conceived with a fine sense of decoration,
and need only a touch of relation to reconcile them to the observer. To
him they are too strange. Yet strangeness exists and if sufficiently
medicated is even admired. It is strange when one thinks of it, to have
had an Exposition.
"The End of the Trail" is perhaps the most popular work on the grounds -
the symbolism is simple and reaches many, with just the right note of
sentiment. On the other hand, there are those who have gone beyond the
obvious and prefer less realistic subjects particularly in relation to
architecture. Of this kind may be found many inserts and details making
no particular claim for attention except that of delightful enrichment.
The details of the Exposition are excellent and sometimes brilliant.
"The Pioneer" is not well understood. The trappings here puzzle the
realists who insist on a portrait of a certain personage - Joaquin
Miller. The sculptor, I know, intended nothing of the sort. It is his
vision of an aged pioneer living over again for a moment his prime.
Astride his ancient pony hung with chance trappings, symbols of
association, with axe and rifle with which he conquered the wilderness,
he broods the past.
A mural decoration should be fitting for the place which it embellishes
- both in color and composition. The subject, also, should be relatively
interesting, but not the first consideration as is the color, the line,
the chiaros-curo. At a glance the decoration should be the jewel for the
surrounding space. The murals at the Exposition are rather unusual in
their settings, where every building and every court is so replete with
Mr. Guerin's splendid coloring.
Mr. Brangwyn's decorations are by far the most interesting in their free
joyous use of color and amusing composition. From about the middle of
the cloister under the arches one turns to the right or left and is
greeted with a pleasant surprise of color. Then the story appears and is
buoyant and rich in execution. One is rather shocked when standing
directly near or underneath by the big patches of color and coarse
drawing, the vulgar types not well enough drawn to move our admiration.
The cloister looked poor to have such rich notes in each corner, but one
glance without the arches into the rich and teeming court, and we were
reconciled to their placing.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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