Summer - This is the period of the year when man amuses himself, when the games are in progress. One sees the disc thrower at the left resting after the game. Summer is crowning the victor of the canoe race.
Fruition - Fruits, vegetables, flowers fulfill the meaning of the subject.
Now pa.s.s out into the open to the niche at the left of the gateway of the east.
In the niche is Autumn, a mature figure indicative of the maturity of the year. (Mr. Piccirilli calls her Providence.) It is the time of the harvests. The apples, the grapes, and even the human family are being harvested. The wine is being made and the great vine-decked jars are filled with the ruby fluid.
Murals
Autumn - The colors speak of autumn. Here is seen the amphora of wine, the tambourine, the rhyton, the Greek drinking horn, and the raised Greek cup - all suggesting the time of festivity after the harvests.
Harvest, and one sees the garnered wheat and vegetables.
Standing between the two central columns and looking toward the half dome, the eye wanders to the summit, and there, seated on her great cornucopia, the symbol of abundance, is Harvest with her plenteous supply of luscious fruits.
The dates from the south are being borne in on one side, while the great sheaves of wheat are seen on the left.
Standing on the pedestal at the right of the half dome is Rain (by Albert Jaegers) catching the drops in her sh.e.l.l.
Sunshine (by Albert Jaegers) shielding her eyes with the long palm branch - the rain and the sunshine so necessary for the harvests.
Walk over to see the detail of the capitals and bases of the columns.
On the capitals of these pedestals, on which Rain and Sunshine stand, are the small figures of harvesters - a most charming, original treatment.
At the bases one sees harvest scenes.
The agriculturists pa.s.s along to their labors. The women and children accompany the laborers, expecting to help in the many duties of the harvest field. The dog, wagging his tail, follows after the children, and all is activity.
You will now find it convenient to examine the murals on either side the great half dome.
Facing the Dome.
On the right is Man Receiving Instruction in Nature"s Laws. The work is perfectly plain. You could not go astray if you simply read the inscriptions.
An interesting thing to notice is that "Mother Earth" is a man bearing fruits and that "Father Neptune" is a woman with a trident.
Nature"s laws are applied to:
Earth, Water, Fire.
Love, Life (protecting the flame of life) and Death.
On the left is:
Art Crowned by Time.
The queen of art with her sceptre and palette (with the suggestion of architecture in the temple in the background) is crowned by Father Time, holding his hour-gla.s.s. His scythe is seen in the background. Time is bestowing the laurel wreath. At the sides stand the arts of -
Jewelry making, Weaving, Gla.s.s making, Painting, Smithery, Pottery.
The emerald pool is before you wreathed with the cotoneaster bufolia with its wealth of red berries.
Pa.s.s now to the last season of the year in the niche to the left of the half dome, Winter.
Before you is naked winter. Back of her is the leafless tree, with splitting bark.
At the left one feels that man rests after the activities of the harvest season, but there is an added idea in Mr. Piccirilli"s words, "In winter, the central figure is Nature resting, or rather in a state of conception. To the right an old man is resting after having prepared the soil for the seed; at the right a strong man is sowing."
Murals
Winter with the snow on the ground.
The fire is necessary; f.a.ggots have been gathered; the animals are brought in for the winter food.
The time for spinning has arrived during the long winter evenings (considering the life of today this idea is almost obsolete).
Festivity - Winter strikes the strings of the harp and gaiety is about to glide forth.
The seasons are again suggested by names of the signs of the zodiac on the gateways,
Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricornus, Aquarius, Pisces.