Architecture
The style of architecture is in general Roman. The half-dome and the
colonnades are almost severely classic. The column capitals are Ionic.
But in the freedom of some of the architectural forms, particularly in
the archways at east and west, there is a suggestion of Renaissance
influence. The plan with its four cut-corners with fountains, and its
half-dome facing down the long colonnade to the bay, is ingenious. The
half-dome itself, dominating feature of the court, is exceptionally
dignified and impressive. To obtain the best view of it as a single
unit, one should stand between two columns of the colonnade near either
the Fountain of Summer or the Fountain of Autumn-as from these points
the eye is not carried through the doorway at the back of the dome, to
the detriment of a unified impression.
Henry Bacon is the architect who designed the Court of the Four Seasons.
Sculpture
Bulls on pylons. The finest sculpture here is to be found in the groups
capping the pylons at the entrance to the minor north court. Though
called by the artist "The Feast of Sacrifice," these are commonly known
as "The Bulls." The group, which is duplicated, shows a bull being led
to sacrifice by a youth and a maid, and is reminiscent of the
harvest-time celebrations of ancient peoples. But it is just as well to
forget the subject, and to admire purely for the sensuous charm-for
the beauty of outline, the fine modeling, and the remarkable sense of
spirited action.
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