Once more Bok went over the field of mural art and decided this time that he would go far afield, and present his idea to Boutet de Monvel, the French decorative artist.Bok had been much impressed with some decorative work by De Monvel which had just been exhibited in New York.
By letter he laid the proposition in detail before the artist, asked for a subject, and stipulated that if the details could be arranged the artist should visit the building and see the place and surroundings for himself.After a lengthy correspondence, and sketches submitted and corrected, a plan for what promised to be a most unusual and artistically decorative panel was arrived at.
The date for M.de Monvel's visit to Philadelphia was fixed, a final letter from the artist reached Bok on a Monday morning, in which a few remaining details were satisfactorily cleared up, and a cable was sent assuring De Monvel of the entire satisfaction of the company with his final sketches and arrangements.The following morning Bok picked up his newspaper to read that Boutet de Monvel had suddenly passed away in Paris the previous evening!
Bok, thoroughly bewildered, began to feel as if some fatal star hung over his cherished decoration.Three times in succession he had met the same decree of fate.
He consulted six of the leading mural decorators in America, asking whether they would consent, not in competition, to submit each a finished full-color sketch of the subject which he believed fitted for the place in mind; they could take the Grove of Academe or not, as they chose; the subject was to be of their own selection.Each artist was to receive a generous fee for his sketch, whether accepted or rejected.In due time, the six sketches were received; impartial judges were selected, no names were attached to the sketches, several conferences were held, and all the sketches were rejected!
Bok was still exactly where he started, while the building was nearly complete, with no mural for the large place so insistently demanding it.
He now recalled a marvellous stage-curtain entirely of glass mosaic executed by Louis C.Tiffany, of New York, for the Municipal Theatre at Mexico City.The work had attracted universal attention at its exhibition, art critics and connoisseurs had praised it unstintingly, and Bok decided to experiment in that direction.
Just as the ancient Egyptians and Persians had used glazed brick and tile, set in cement, as their form of wall decoration, so Mr.Tiffany had used favrile glass, set in cement.The luminosity was marvellous;the effect of light upon the glass was unbelievably beautiful, and the colorings obtained were a joy to the senses.
Here was not only a new method in wall decoration, but one that was entirely practicable.Glass would not craze like tiles or mosaic; it would not crinkle as will canvas; it needed no varnish.It would retain its color, freshness, and beauty, and water would readily cleanse it from dust.
He sought Mr.Tiffany, who was enthusiastic over the idea of making an example of his mosaic glass of such dimensions which should remain in this country, and gladly offered to co-operate.But, try as he might, Bok could not secure an adequate sketch for Mr.Tiffany to carry out.
Then he recalled that one day while at Maxfield Parrish's summer home in New Hampshire the artist had told him of a dream garden which he would like to construct, not on canvas but in reality.Bok suggested to Parrish that he come to New York.He asked him if he could put his dream garden on canvas.The artist thought he could; in fact, was greatly attracted to the idea; but he knew nothing of mosaic work, and was not particularly attracted by the idea of having his work rendered in that medium.
Bok took Parrish to Mr.Tiffany's studio; the two artists talked together, the glass-worker showed the canvas-painter his work, with the result that the two became enthusiastic to co-operate in trying the experiment.Parrish agreed to make a sketch for Mr.Tiffany's approval, and within six months, after a number of conferences and an equal number of sketches, they were ready to begin the work.Bok only hoped that this time both artists would outlive their commissions!
It was a huge picture to be done in glass mosaic.The space to be filled called for over a million pieces of glass, and for a year the services of thirty of the most skilled artisans would be required.The work had to be done from a series of bromide photographs enlarged to a size hitherto unattempted.But at last the decoration was completed; the finished art piece was placed on exhibition in New York and over seven thousand persons came to see it.The leading art critics pronounced the result to be the most amazing instance of the tone capacity of glass-work ever achieved.It was a veritable wonder-piece, far exceeding the utmost expression of paint and canvas.
For six months a group of skilled artisans worked to take the picture apart in New York, transport it and set it into its place in Philadelphia.But at last it was in place: the wonder-picture in glass of which painters have declared that "mere words are only aggravating in describing this amazing picture." Since that day over one hundred thousand visitors to the building have sat in admiration before it.
The Grove of Academe was to become a Dream Garden, but it was only after six years of incessant effort, with obstacles and interventions almost insurmountable, that the dream became true.
