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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-glass.  His scythe is seen in the background.  Time is bestowing the laurel wreath.  At the sides stand the arts of —

Jewelry making,
Weaving,
Glass making,
Painting,
Smithery,
Pottery.

The emerald pool is before you wreathed with the cotoneaster bufolia with its wealth of red berries.

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Pass now to the last season of the year in the niche to the left of the half dome, Winter.

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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; faggots 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.

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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.

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Look thru the entrance into the Court of Palms at the Horticultural Palace across the way — a fine green and white picture.

Turn back into the Court of the Four Seasons and below the half dome will be seen Albert Jaeger’s

Nature (there is a great probability that this will not be placed).

Mother Earth, the great mother, sits in the center.

On the left, carrying the shell, is the Sea.

On the right, upholding the globe, is the Heavens.

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Read the quotation from George Sterling’s “The Triumph of Bohemia” to make the connection with your Nature group: