essays on life, art and science-第14章

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him　the　Virgin　was　to　be　born。　　Then；　later　on；　the　same　young
gentleman　appeared　to　him　again；　and　bade　him　〃in　God's　name　be
comforted；　and　turn　again　to　his　content；〃　for　the　Virgin　had　been
actually　born。　　On　which　St。　Joachim；　who　seems　to　have　been　of
opinion　that　marriage　after　all　WAS　rather　a　failure；　said　that；　as
things　were　going　on　so　nicely　without　him；　he　would　stay　in　the
desert　just　a　little　longer；　and　offered　up　a　lamb　as　a　pretext　to
gain　time。　　Perhaps　he　guessed　about　his　mother…in…law；　or　he　may
have　asked　the　angel。　　Of　course；　even　in　spite　of　such　evidence　as
this　I　may　be　mistaken　about　the　Virgin's　grandmother's　sex；　and　the
sacristan　may　be　right；　but　I　can　only　say　that　if　the　lady　sitting
by　St。　Anne's　bedside　at　Montrigone　is　the　Virgin's　fatherwell；　in
that　case　I　must　reconsider　a　good　deal　that　I　have　been　accustomed
to　believe　was　beyond　question。

Taken　singly；　I　suppose　that　none　of　the　figures　in　the　chapel；
except　the　Virgin's　grandmother；　should　be　rated　very　highly。　　The
under…nurse　is　the　next　best　figure；　and　might　very　well　be
Tabachetti's；　for　neither　Giovanni　d'Enrico　nor　Giacomo　Ferro　was
successful　with　his　female　characters。　　There　is　not　a　single　really
comfortable　woman　in　any　chapel　by　either　of　them　on　the　Sacro　Monte
at　Varallo。　　Tabachetti；　on　the　other　hand；　delighted　in　women；　if
they　were　young　he　made　them　comely　and　engaging；　if　they　were　old
he　gave　them　dignity　and　individual　character；　and　the　under…nurse
is　much　more　in　accordance　with　Tabachetti's　habitual　mental
attitude　than　with　D'Enrico's　or　Giacomo　Ferro's。　　Still　there　are
only　four　figures　out　of　the　eleven　that　are　mere　otiose　supers；　and
taking　the　work　as　a　whole　it　leaves　a　pleasant　impression　as　being
throughout　naive　and　homely；　and　sometimes；　which　is　of　less
importance；　technically　excellent。

Allowance　must；　of　course；　be　made　for　tawdry　accessories　and
repeated　coats　of　shiny　oleaginous　paintvery　disagreeable　where　it
has　peeled　off　and　almost　more　so　where　it　has　not。　　What　work　could
stand　against　such　treatment　as　the　Valsesian　terra…cotta　figures
have　had　to　put　up　with？　　Take　the　Venus　of　Milo；　let　her　be　done　in
terra…cotta；　and　have　run；　not　much；　but　still　something；　in　the
baking；　paint　her　pink；　two　oils；　all　over；　and　then　varnish　herit
will　help　to　preserve　the　paint；　glue　a　lot　of　horsehair　on　to　her
pate；　half　of　which　shall　have　come　off；　leaving　the　glue　still
showing；　scrape　her；　not　too　thoroughly；　get　the　village　drawing…
master　to　paint　her　again；　and　the　drawing…master　in　the　next
provincial　town　to　put　a　forest　background　behind　her　with　the
brightest　emerald…green　leaves　that　he　can　do　for　the　money；　let
this　painting　and　scraping　and　repainting　be　repeated　several　times
over；　festoon　her　with　pink　and　white　flowers　made　of　tissue　paper；
surround　her　with　the　cheapest　German　imitations　of　the　cheapest
decorations　that　Birmingham　can　produce；　let　the　night　air　and
winter　fogs　get　at　her　for　three　hundred　years；　and　how　easy；　I
wonder；　will　it　be　to　see　the　goddess　who　will　be　still　in　great
part　there？　　True；　in　the　case　of　the　Birth　of　the　Virgin　chapel　at
Montrigone；　there　is　no　real　hair　and　no　fresco　background；　but　time
has　had　abundant　opportunities　without　these。　　I　will　conclude　my
notice　of　this　chapel　by　saying　that　on　the　left；　above　the　door
through　which　the　under…under…nurse's　drudge　is　about　to　pass；　there
is　a　good　painted　terra…cotta　bust；　saidbut　I　believe　on　no
authorityto　be　a　portrait　of　Giovanni　d'Enrico。　　Others　say　that
the　Virgin's　grandmother　is　Giovanni　d'Enrico；　but　this　is　even　more
absurd　than　supposing　her　to　be　St。　Joachim。

The　next　chapel　to　the　Birth　of　the　Virgin　is　that　of　the
Sposalizio。　　There　is　no　figure　here　which　suggests　Tabachetti；　but
still　there　are　some　very　good　ones。　　The　best　have　no　taint　of
barocco；　the　man　who　did　them；　whoever　he　may　have　been；　had
evidently　a　good　deal　of　life　and　go；　was　taking　reasonable　pains；
and　did　not　know　too　much。　　Where　this　is　the　case　no　work　can　fail
to　please。　　Some　of　the　figures　have　real　hair　and　some　terra　cotta。
There　is　no　fresco　background　worth　mentioning。　　A　man　sitting　on
the　steps　of　the　altar　with　a　book　on　his　lap；　and　holding　up　his
hand　to　another；　who　is　leaning　over　him　and　talking　to　him；　is
among　the　best　figures；　some　of　the　disappointed　suitors　who　are
breaking　their　wands　are　also　very　good。

The　angel　in　the　Annunciation　chapel；　which　comes　next　in　order；　is
a　fine；　burly；　ship's…figurehead；　commercial…hotel　sort　of　being
enough；　but　the　Virgin　is　very　ordinary。　　There　is　no　real　hair　and
no　fresco　background；　only　three　dingy　old　blistered　pictures　of　no
interest　whatever。

In　the　visit　of　Mary　to　Elizabeth　there　are　three　pleasing
subordinate　lady　attendants；　two　to　the　left　and　one　to　the　right　of
the　principal　figures；　but　these　figures　themselves　are　not
satisfactory。　　There　is　no　fresco　background。　　Some　of　the　figures
have　real　hair　and　some　terra　cotta。

In　the　Circumcision　and　Purification　chapelfor　both　these　events
seem　contemplated　in　the　one　that　followsthere　are　doves；　but
there　is　neither　dog　nor　knife。　　Still　Simeon；　who　has　the　infant
Saviour　in　his　arms；　is　looking　at　him　in　a　way　which　can　only　mean
that；　knife　or　no　knife；　the　matter　is　not　going　to　end　here。　　At
Varallo　they　have　now　got　a　dreadful　knife　for　the　Circumcision
chapel。　　They　had　none　last　winter。　　What　they　have　now　got　would　do
very　well　to　kill　a　bullock　with；　but　could　not　be　used
professionally　with　safety　for　any　animal　smaller　than　a　rhinoceros。
I　imagine　that　some　one　was　sent　to　Novara　to　buy　a　knife；　and　that；
thinking　it　was　for　the　Massacre　of　the　Innocents　chapel；　he　got　the
biggest　he　could　see。　　Then　when　he　brought　it　back　people　said
〃chow〃　several　times；　and　put　it　upon　the　table　and　went　away。

Returning　to　Montrigone；　the　Simeon　is　an　excellent　figure；　and　the
Virgin　is　fairly　good；　but　the　prophetess　Anna；　who　stands　just
behind　her；　is　by　far　the　most　interesting　in　the　group；　and　is
alone　enough　to　make　me　feel　sure　that　Tabachetti　gave　more　or　less
help　here；　as　he　had　done　years　before　at　Orta。　　She；　too；　like　the
Virgin's　grandmother；　is　a　widow　lady；　and　wears　collars　of　a　cut
that　seems　to　have　prevailed　ever　since　the　Virgin　was　born　some
twenty　years　previously。　　There　is　a　largeness　and　simplicity　of
treatment　about　the　figure　to　which　none　but　an　artist　of　the
highest　rank　can　reach；　and　D'Enrico　was　not　more　than　a　second　or
third…rate　man。　　The　hood　is　like　Handel's　Truth　sailing　upon　the
broad　wings　of　Time；　a　prophetic　strain　that　nothing　but　the　old
experience　of　a　great　poet　can　reach。　　The　lips　of　the　prophetess
are　for　the　moment　closed；　but　she　has　been　prophesying　all　the
morning；　and　the　people　round　the　wall　in　the　background　are　in
ecstasies　at　the　lucidity　with　which　she　has　explained　all　sorts　of
difficulties　that　they　had　never　been　able　to　understand　till　now。
They　are　putting　their　forefingers　on　their　thumbs　and　their　thumbs
on　their　forefingers；　and　saying　how　clearly　they　see　it　all　and
what　a　wonderful　woman　Anna　is。　　A　prophet　indeed　is　not　generally
without　honour　save　in　his　own　country；　but　then　a　country　is
generally　not　without　honour　save　with　its　own　prophet；　and　Anna　has
been　glorifying　her　country　rather　than　reviling　it。　　Besides；　the
rule　may　not　have　applied　to　prophetesses。

The　Death　of　the　Virgin　is　the　last　of　the　six　chapels　inside　the
church　itself。　　The　Apostles；　who　of　course　are　present；　have　all　of
them　real　hair；　but；　if　I　may　say　so；　they　want　a　wash　and　a　brush…
up　so　very　badly　that　I　cannot　feel　any　confidence　in　writing　about
them。　　I　should　say　that；　take　them　all　round；　they　are　a　good
average　sample　of　apostle　as　apostles　generally　go。　　Two　or　three　of
them　are　nervously　anxious　to　find　appropriate　quotations　in　books
that　lie　open　before　them；　which　they　are　searching　with　eager
haste；　but　I　do　not　see　one　figure　about　which　I　should　like　to　say
positively　that　it　is　either　good　or　bad。　　There　is　a　good　bust　of　a
man；　matching　the　one　in　the　Birth　of　the　Virgin　chapel；　whic