"The universe - an infinite sphere. Its center everywhere, its
circumference, nowhere." This comes from Pascal, from his Pensées.
This splendid quotation gives you the infinite side of your subject.
Now pass back to the Court of the Universe and you will see ninety times
repeated against the sky, A. Stirling Calder's very decorative "Jeweled
Star." This will suggest the myriad of suns in our great universe (since
stars are suns).
The nearest star to us, our sun ("The Rising Sun," by A. A. Weinmann of
New York) then attracts the attention.
He is seen just before daybreak.
This fresh, strong young sun is just bout to start on his journey. Dawn
is soon to break upon the world and with muscles stretched, the heavenly
joy of the first move expressed upon his face, the wind blowing thru his
hair, the vigor of young life pulsating thru his body, he will start the
chest forward and move those outstretched wings.
Walk toward him and you will see him begin his journey thru space.
Now read the quotation an the Triumphal Arch of the Rising Sun:
"The moon sinks yonder in the west
While in the east the glorious sun
Behind the herald dawn appears
Thus rise and set in constant change those shining orbs
And regulate the very life of this our world."
- By Kalidasa (the Shakespeare of India).
The sun at setting is represented by a beautiful woman. The day is just
about to close and with muscles relaxed (knees bent, head drooping, arms
falling, wings folding) she is soon to sink to slumber, to pass from
view. This is what is suggested by calling the figure the Setting Sun.
In the Fine Arts Palace, Mr. A. A. Weinmann has called the same figure
"Descending Night," and that title is much more consistent and
satisfactory, for how are you going to account for the youthful sun's
appearing at the end of the day as a woman?
Then again the reliefs refer to "Descending Night," for they are called
"The Mysteries of Dusk."
Now raise your eyes to those beautiful cameo figures on the burnt orange
ground at the entrance to the colonnades, and you will be carried in
thought to the Zodiac, that great imaginary belt thru which the sun and
planets travel.
There you see the zodiacal figures, two and two, with their symbols,
gliding thru space.
The clouds or nebulous matter is suggested by the female figures with
swirling drapery, toward the end of the frieze.
In the center stands Atlas, mythologically the first astronomer. Your
fancy has carried you on the wings of the wind at this very suggestion.
These fourteen maids are Atlas' fourteen daughters.
Go close to the die of the fountain of the Rising Sun and look at the
reliefs.
The subject is Day Triumphant. The genius of Time with hour-glass is
followed by the genius of Light with flaming torch, and Energy sounds on
his trumpet the announcement of the break of day.
Truth follows with mirror and sword emerging triumphant from the
sinister powers of Darkness. Falsehood shrinks from its own image
reflected in the mirror of Truth. Vice cowers and struggles in the coils
of a serpent.
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Walk over to the corresponding die on the fountain of Descending Night.
On it are shown the Gentle Powers of the Night. Dusk envelops in her
cloak Labor, Love and Peace.
Following are Illusions carried upon the wings of Sleep. Then come the
Evening Mists, followed by the Star Dance and Luna, goddess of the
Silver crescent. (Let me acknowledge the kind help of Mr. A. A. Weinmann
in the interpretation of these reliefs.)
You have swept your mind over the cosmical side of the Court of the
Universe on objects at a great distance. Come closer now to view the
elements. These colossal figures of Earth, Air, Water, Fire assume a
certain majesty in this Court of the Universe.
They are in horizontal composition and add greatly to the decorative,
side of this inspiring court.
Earth - The sleeping Earth which yields to man wood (from the great
trees whose roots ramify below the surface of the ground), stone and
minerals - (man wrests thru great muscular strength these substances
from the earth).
Air - That holds to her ear the star. She is listening to the music of
the spheres. On her back are wings which man has fastened so that he can
overcome her - a fine suggestion to aerial navigation.
The bird, the symbol of the air, is twice repeated.
Fire - His very expression of face shows you the terrorizing effect of
fire. He holds his hand in the flame. The lightning plays on his right
arm. Across his figure passes the salamander, the fabled reptile of the
fire. (See the real salamander in the Japanese concession on the Zone.)
Water - The bellowing ocean with mouth agape lies on the tossing waves,
thru which sport the dolphins.
Ocean, the king of the waters, carries the trident.
On his head and in his hands the kelp is seen.
The elements are by Robert Aitken of New York, formerly of San
Francisco.
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