That they have nobly succeeded in this difficult double achievement is
an actual triumph. "The Harvest," by Albert Jaegers, crowning the
half-dome, is a magnificent bit of architectural sculpture. It seems a
faithful part of the surface it enriches; its outlines are faultlessly
balanced; although its sides are varied, its mass is superbly centered.
The Goddess of the Plentiful Harvest sits in the slope of an overflowing
cornucopia; a sheaf of ripe wheat rests in her supporting arm; she is
attended by a lad who can scarcely lift the weight of fruit he bears.
The group is bound more closely to the half-dome by a graceful garland
applied to the wall-surface Mr. Jaegers has further illustrated the
traditional idea of Harvest Home festivals by the vigorous groups, "The
Feast of Sacrifice," which adorn the huge pylons of this court.
Rain
Court of the Four Seasons
On separate columns flanking the Half-Dome of the Harvest, Albert
Jaegers has given us classic presentations of the two great resources of
nature that bring the blessing of rich harvest. These are symbolic
figures, "Rain," here pictured, and "Sunshine." In "Rain," the nymph of
the Earth, holds upward a shell, her cup, in grateful expectation of the
beneficent rainfall, while she shields her head from the storm with a
cloud-like mantle. On the other column, that of "Sunshine," the nymph
shades her head with an arching palm-branch, though she looks up in
happy appreciation to the welcome glow of the sun.
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