the city of domes-第16章

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e　wanted　to　suggest　that　these　types　were　in　no　way　mental。　They　were　wholly　physical。　Notice　the　care　he　has　lavished　on　their　muscular　bodies；　their　great　shoulders　and　legs。〃

〃It　doesn't　seem　like　English　work；　does　it？〃　said　the　architect。

〃No；　there's　something　almost　Oriental　about　it　both　in　the　feeling　and　the　coloring。　And　there's　the　Pagan　love　of　the　elemental　life。〃

〃But　what　a　chance　Brangwyn　had　to　do　something　new　with　this　magnificent　subject；〃　the　architect　went　on。　〃At　last；　after　centuries　of　effort；　men　are　actually　conquering　the　air。　They've　learned　to　fly。　They've　become　birds。　Now　why　didn't　Brangwyn　give　us　a　pictorial　expression　of　that　miracle？　Why　didn't　the　artist　have　as　much　sense　as　the　man　of　affairs　who　pays　Art　Smith　to　come　out　here　and　fly　before　the　multitude？〃

I　argued　that　Brangwyn　preferred　to　deal　with　antique　themes　…　they　were　so　much　more　pictorial。

The　architect　interrupted　with　some　impatience。　〃But　that's　exactly　what　they're　not。　In　my　opinion　Whistler　was　perfectly　right　when　he　said　that　if　a　mural　decorator　couldn't　make　modern　life　pictorial　he　didn't　know　his　business。　Flying　through　the　air　is　only　one　of　many　wonders　in　the　life　of　today　that　cry　out　for　expression　in　art；　but　you　scarcely　catch　a　note　of　them　here。〃

〃For　example？〃　said　the　painter。

〃Industry　…　our　great　machines；　the　new　power　they　bring　into　the　world；　the　change　in　industrial　relations　and　social　and　moral　ideals。　Now　in　these　murals；　Brangwyn　has　simply　repeated　himself　and　he　hasn't　by　any　means　done　his　best　work。　And　I　question　whether　his　observation　is　so　accurate　as　you　admirers　of　his　try　to　make　it　appear。　Look　at　the　way　those　fellows　are　holding　their　bows　…　with　the　left　hand；　presumably　for　the　pictorial　effect　of　the　composition。　Well；　let　that　point　pass。　One　fellow　has　shot　his　arrow。　The　other　is　holding　his　arrow　between　the　fore　finger　and　the　middle　finger。　Well；　it　won't　go　very　far。　The　Indians　know　better。　They　let　the　arrow　rest　on　the　thumb　to　give　it　plenty　of　freedom　to　fly。　One　of　those　bows；　by　the　way；　has　no　string。　Brangwyn　probably　thought　it　wouldn't　be　missed。〃

As　we　looked　at　the　other　panels　the　architect　conceded　that　the　points　the　painter　raised　for　Brangwyn；　the　brilliant　use　of　color；　the　dramatic　grouping　and　the　fineness　of　characterization；　were　true　enough。　〃But　he's　too　monotonous。　Though　his　groups　are　of　different　periods；　some　of　them　ages　apart；　they're　all　essentially　alike　and　the　figures　are　even　dressed　alike。　I'm　perfectly　willing　to　make　allowance　for　artistic　convention。　But　why　should　an　artist　limit　himself　unnecessarily　when　he　has　all　the　ages　to　draw　on？　Why　should　he　neglect　the　present；　the　greatest　of　all　the　ages？〃

〃Ah；　I'm　afraid　you're　too　literal　said　the　painter。　〃You　want　to　limit　a　genius　to　rules。〃

We　turned　from　The　Bowmen　to　study　in　detail　the　second　illustration　of　Air；　much　more　modern　and　yet　charmingly　old…fashioned；　the　windmill　and　the　little　mill　high　in　the　background；　the　group　of　naked　boys　flying　kites；　the　toilers　and　their　children；　going　home　as　fast　as　they　could；　fighting　the　wind；　their　picturesque　draperies　flying　around　them。

The　architect　was　impressed。　〃He's　caught　the　feeling　of　the　thunderstorm；　hasn't　he？〃　he　said。

〃And　he's　brought　out　all　the　picturesqueness　and　the　color　and　the　majesty　and　even　the　humor；〃　said　the　painter。　〃See　how　wonderfully　be　has　composed　the　picture；　what　pictorial　use　he　has　made　of　every　detail。　The　background　of　the　clouds　and　the　rain；　the　dark　blues　and　the　green　and　the　pink；　and　the　kites　catching　some　of　the　color；　and　the　lovely　color　of　the　mill　and　of　the　grass　dried　by　the　sun。　And　see　that　figure　up　there　on　the　steps；　all　windblown　and　rushing　under　cover。　It's　all　beautiful　and　yet　there's　not　one　face　or　figure　there　that　would　be　considered　beautiful　by　the　painter　who　works　for　prettiness。　He　has　no　interest　whatever　in　what　the　average　mural　decorator　considers　beautiful。　And　yet　he　sees　beauty　everywhere　and　he　makes　it　felt。　How　pictorially　he　has　used　those　purple　flowers　in　the　foreground　at　the　base　of　the　composition。　And　observe　their　relation　to　the　purple　clouds　on　top。　And　then　what　character　he　has　put　into　those　active　figures；　particularly　in　this　queer　little　boy；　naked　except　for　the　purple　drapery　flying　from　his　waist。　He　has　caught　something　of　the　fantastic　spirit　that　you　often　see　in　children。〃

In　nearing　the　two　panels　illustrating　Water　we　had　a　chance　to　see　how　dexterously　Brangwyn　could　manage　his　design　without　perspective；　which　would　have　made　a　hole　in　the　wall。　Those　women　with　jars　on　their　heads　stood　against　a　sky　none　the　less　lovely　because　it　was　flat。　It　was　exquisite　in　its　varieties　of　blue　and　white　and　green。　That　sturdy　fellow　lifting　a　heavy　jar　was　actually　working　and　working　hard。　〃And　how　splendidly　Brangwyn　has　modeled　the　figure　with　his　back　turned　to　us；〃　the　painter　exclaimed。　〃What　a　stroke　of　genius　it　was　that　a　yellow　handkerchief　of　just　that　shade　should　hang　from　his　neck。　And　the　figures　in　the　companion　panel　drawing　their　nets；　they　are　putting　their　heart　and　soul　into　their　work　and　they　are　having　a　good　time；　too。　And　this　man　here　in　the　corner；　with　the　purple　shadows　on　his　bare　back；　lifting　his　net；　he's　evidently　had　a　big　catch。　He's　holding　the　net　in　a　way　that　shows　it's　heavy。　And　how　decorative　those　men　in　the　background　are；　with　the　baskets　on　their　heads。　Brangwyn　loves　to　use　figures　in　this　attitude。　They　are　interesting　and　picturesque　and　dramatic　at　the　same　time。〃

〃But　they're　too　conscious；〃　the　architect　insisted；　〃too　posed。

〃Remember；　they're　not　paintings；〃　the　painter　insisted。　〃They're　formal　decorations。〃

In　the　panel　representing　the　elementary　use　of　Fire　we　were　all　struck　by　Brangwyn's　daring　and　fine　treatment　of　the　ugly。　Nearly　every　face　was　almost　grotesque。　And　yet　every　face　was　appealing　for　the　simple　reason　that　it　expressed　attractive　human　qualities。　Two；　a　man　and　a　woman；　had　noses　ridiculously　large。　The　group　of　men　in　the　center　of　the　background；　at　the　base；　around　the　fire；　had　apparently　started　the　fire　by　rubbing　sticks　together。　One　was　intently　leaning　forward；　as　if　in　the　act　of　blowing。　Among　the　figures　behind　the　group　stood　a　man　with　an　infant　in　his　arms；　vividly　characterized　by　the　unseeing　eyes。

That　infant　was　instantly　singled　out　by　the　painter。

〃Brangwyn　is　very　wonderful　in　his　observation　of　children。　He　has　a　quality　that　is　almost　maternal。　Observe　the　difference　between　the　expression　in　the　face　of　that　baby　and　the　expression　in　the　face　of　that　little　boy　to　the　left　of　the　fire…makers。　How　intently　he　is　looking　on　as　he　leans　against　the　brown　jar。　He　shows　all　the　interest　of　a　boy　just　learning　how　to　do　things。〃

The　kiln　charmed　us；　too；　though　we　regretted　that　it　did　not　explain　itself　quite　so　spontaneously　as　most　of　the　other　panels。　〃But　symbolism　ought　not　to　be　too　obvious；　you　know；〃　the　painter　argued。　〃There's　a　certain　charm　in　vagueness。　It　makes　you　feel　your　way　toward　a　work…　of　art。　The　more　you　think　about　this　panel　the　more　you　find　there。　To　me　it　suggests　the　relation　between　fire　and　the　abundance　of　the　earth。　See　how　cleverly；　in　each　case　of　these　two　panels；　Brangwyn　has　used　smoke；　first　as　a　thin　line；　breaking　into　two　lines　as　it　goes　up　and　interweaving；　and　then　as　a　great　flowing　wreath；　dividing　the　panel　in　two　parts　without　weakening　the　unity。〃

For　composition　we　decided　that　the　two　Earth　panels　were　among　the　most　remarkable　of　all。　With　satisfaction　I　heard　Brangwyn　compared　by　the　painter　to　a　great　stage　manager。　〃When　I　look　at　these　groupings；　I　am　reminded　of　Forbes…Robertson's　productions　of　plays。〃　Now　we　could　see　how　brilliantly　the　decorator　had　planned　in　securing　his　effects　of　height　by　starting　his　group　of　figures　close　to　the　top　of　the　canvas。　And　with　what　skill　he　had　used　trees　and　vines　and　vegetables　and　fruits；　both　for　design　and　for　coloring。　〃He　has　always　been　mad　about　apples　and　squashes；〃　said　that　feminine　voice。　〃In　nearly　every　picture　here　you　will　find　not　one　squash　only；　but　several　squashes。　He　loves　them　for　their　color　and　their　shape。　And　how　wonderful　he　makes　the　color　of　the　grape。　He　suggests　the　miracle　of　its　deep　purple。〃

We　admired　the　painter's　pictorial　use　of　shadow　on　those　powerful　and　scantily　draped　figures　and　the　animation　he　put　into　the　bodies　of　the　wine…pressers。　And　down　there　in　a　corner　he　had　perfectly　reproduced　the　attitude　and　facial　expression　of　the　worker　at　rest；　holding　out　his　cup　for　a　drink。　〃There's　another　of　those　queer　and　interesting　children。　But　oh；　most　wonderful　of　all　is　the　opposite　panel　that　ought　to　be　called　Abundance。　See　that　mother；　holding　her　lusty　baby。　The　face　is　commonplace　enough；　but　it　has　all　motherhood　in　it。　And　the　woman　behind；　she　looks　as　if　she　might　be　a　mother　bereft　or　one　of　those　women　cheated　out　of　motherhood。〃

The　architect；　though　he　still　had　his　reservations　on　the　subject　of　the　Brangwyns；　conceded　that　they　were　distinctly　architectural。　They　blended　into　the　spirit　of　the　court。

The　painter　at　once　supported　the　opinion。　〃In　these　colonnades　Guerin　has　done　some　of　his　finest　coloring。　The　blue　and　the　red　are　in　absolute　harmony　with　Brangwyn's　rich　tones。　They　must　have　been　applied　to　fit　the　canvases。　But　the　marvel　is　that　the　murals　should　show　up　so　magnificently。　Brangwyn　painted　them　in　London　and　he　must　have　had　second　sight　to　divine　just　the　right　scheme。　Do　you　realize；〃　she　went　on　enthusiastically；　fairly　losing　herself　in　her　enjoyment；　〃the　immense　difficulties　he　had　to　contend　with？　In　the　first　place；　see　how　huge　those　canvases　are。　Their　size　created　all　kinds　of　problems。　To　view　them　right；　to　get　a　line　on　the　detail；　so　to　speak；　would　have　meant；　for　the　average　painter；　walking　long　distances。　But；　in　his　studio；　Brangwyn　could　not　have　taken　anything　like　accurate　measurements。〃

〃Perhaps　he　painted　them　out　of　doors；〃　the　architect　suggested。

〃I　believe　the　explanation　is　that　he　thought　them　all　out　and　he　saw　them　in　their　places。　From　Mr。　Mullgardt　he　had　probably　received　a　complete　account；　with　drawings；　of　just　what　the　court　was　going　to　be　like。　Then　it　lived　before　him　and　he　made　the　murals　live。　His　work　shows　that　he　begins　in　the　right　place；　unlike　so　many　people　who　paint　from　outside。　He　feels　the　qualities　of　the　people　he　is　going　to　paint。　He　really　loves　them。　He　loves　their　surroundings。　He　must　be　very　elemental　in　his　nature。　They　say　he　is　a　great；　uncouth　sort　of　a　fellow。　When　he　first　went　to　London　he　was　very　contemptuous　of　the　work　done　by　the　academicians。　It　must　have　seemed　to　him；　a　good　deal　of　it；　effeminate　and　trifling。　Can't　you　see　how　those　murals　show　that　he　is　a　man　clear　through？　They　are　masculine　in　every　detail。〃

〃And　yet　they　have　a　good　deal　of　delicacy；　too；　haven't　they？〃　said　the　architect。　〃See　how　atmospheric　those　backgrounds　are。　They　actually　suggest　nature。〃

〃Because　they　are　unconventional　and　because　they　are　true。　And　yet　they　are　purely　decorative。　You　wouldn't　like　to　think　of　them　as　stan