Part 3 (1/2)

It was evidently the aim of the sculptors to express in their work, in so far as they could, the character of the Exposition And the breadth of the plans gave them, a wide scope They must have welcomed the chance to exercise their art for the pleasure of the multitude, an art essentially popular in its appeal and certain to be h this new city was to be for a year only, it would surely influence the interest and the taste in art of the multitudes destined to become familiar with it and to carry away more or less vivid impressions

The sculpture, too, would have a special advantage Much of it, after the Exposition, could be transferred elsewhere It was safe to predict that the best pieces would ultimately serve for the permanent adornment of San Francisco - by no

It was felt by the builders of the Exposition thatmust be a notable feature

The Centennial Exposition of '76 had beenSixteen years later architecture had doo The Exposition in San Francisco was to be essentially pictorial, co, architecture, sculpture and painting

When Jules Guerin was selected to apply the color it was decided that he should choose the mural decorators, subject to the approval of the architectural board The choice fell onto New York, with two exceptions, Frank Brangwyn of London, and Arthur Mathews, of San Francisco They were informed by Guerin that they could take their own subjects He contented hi and life in it was an asset

In New York the painters had a conference with Guerin He explained the conditions their as towith reference to the tone of the Travertine They were instructed, moreover, to paint within certain colors, in hareneral color-scheme, a restriction that, in some cases, must have presented difficult problems

The preliminary sketches were submitted to Guerin, and froures In one instance the change of scale led to a change of subject The second sketches were er scale When they were accepted the decorators were told that the final canvases were to be painted in San Francisco in order to make sure that they did not conflict with one another and that they hareneral plan of the Exposition Nearly all the murals were finished in Machinery Hall; but most of the For Out-Doors

Some concern was felt by the painters on account of their lack of experience in painting for out-of-doors There was no telling, even by the most careful estimate, how their canvases would look when in place

Color and design iorous architecture, become weak and pale Besides, in this instance, theto harhly colored Furthermore, no two of the canvases would es in light and atmospheric effects, the conditions would be subject to continual change Finally, they were obliged to ithout precedent

It was true that the early Italians had done murals for the open air, but no examples had been preserved

That the painters were able to do as well as they did under the liood humor The truth was they felt the tremendous opportunity afforded their art by this Exposition They believed that in a peculiar sense it testified to the value of color in design It represented a newpossibilities for the future That so of initiative and individuality, of subordination to the general scheme, was unquestionable So and fine when they were assembled for the last touches in Machinery Hall becanificant on the walls Those most successfully met the test where the colors were in har and where they were in theorously handled The allegorical and the primitive subjects failed to carry, first because they had little or no real significance, and secondly because the spirit behind the in appeal and, occasionally, in sincerity

In one regard Frank Brangas more fortunate than the other painters

His h intended to be displayed in the open air, were to hang in sequestered corners of the corridors running around the Court of the Ages, the court, moreover, that was to have no color Besides, there were no colors in the world that could successfully co

The lighting of the Exposition, it was deterreatest expert in the country Several of the leading electric light coreed that the bestat the Hudson-Fulton Celebration and at the Niagara Falls Exposition Mr Ryan explained his systeht hidden, and made plain its suitability to an Exposition where the artistic features were to be notable, and where they were to be e so diffused as to avoid shadows

After his appoint he made several visits to San Francisco, and a year before the opening of the Exposition, he returned to stay till the close His plan of ornalass, of many colors, to shi+ne like jewels, created wide-spread interest on account of its novelty It was generally regarded as a highly original and sensational Exposition feature

Watching the Growth