essays on life, art and science-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


insects；　the　reader　may　perhaps　remember　that　the　island　of　S。
Giulio；　in　the　Lago　d'Orta；　was　infested　with　insetti；　which　S。
Giulio　destroyed；　and　which　appear；　in　a　fresco　underneath　the
church　on　the　island；　to　have　been　monstrous　and　ferocious　dragons；
but　I　cannot　remember　whether　their　bodies　are　divided　into　three
sections；　and　whether　or　no　they　have　exactly　six　legswithout
which；　I　am　told；　they　cannot　be　true　insects。

The　fifth　chapel　represents　the　birth　of　the　Virgin。　　Having
obtained　permission　to　go　inside　it；　I　found　the　date　1715　cut　large
and　deep　on　the　back　of　one　figure　before　baking；　and　I　imagine　that
this　date　covers　the　whole。　　There　is　a　Queen　Anne　feeling
throughout　the　composition；　and　if　we　were　told　that　the　sculptor
and　Francis　Bird；　sculptor　of　the　statue　in　front　of　St。　Paul's
Cathedral；　had　studied　under　the　same　master；　we　could　very　well
believe　it。　　The　apartment　in　which　the　Virgin　was　born　is　spacious；
and　in　striking　contrast　to　the　one　in　which　she　herself　gave　birth
to　the　Redeemer。　　St。　Anne　occupies　the　centre　of　the　composition；
in　an　enormous　bed；　on　her　right　there　is　a　lady　of　the　George
Cruikshank　style　of　beauty；　and　on　the　left　an　older　person。　　Both
are　gesticulating　and　impressing　upon　St。　Anne　the　enormous
obligation　she　has　just　conferred　upon　mankind；　they　seem　also　to　be
imploring　her　not　to　overtax　her　strength；　but；　strange　to　say；　they
are　giving　her　neither　flowers　nor　anything　to　eat　and　drink。　　I
know　no　other　birth　of　the　Virgin　in　which　St。　Anne　wants　so　little
keeping　up。

I　have　explained　in　my　book　〃Ex　Voto；〃　｛10｝　but　should　perhaps
repeat　here；　that　the　distinguishing　characteristic　of　the　Birth　of
the　Virgin；　as　rendered　by　Valsesian　artists；　is　that　St。　Anne
always　has　eggs　immediately　after　the　infant　is　born；　and　usually　a
good　deal　more；　whereas　the　Madonna　never　has　anything　to　eat　or
drink。　　The　eggs　are　in　accordance　with　a　custom　that　still　prevails
among　the　peasant　classes　in　the　Valsesia；　where　women　on　giving
birth　to　a　child　generally　are　given　a　sabaglionean　egg　beaten　up
with　a　little　wine；　or　rum；　and　sugar。　　East　of　Milan　the　Virgin's
mother　does　not　have　eggs；　and　I　suppose；　from　the　absence　of　the
eggs　at　Oropa；　that　the　custom　above　referred　to　does　not　prevail　in
the　Biellese　district。　　The　Virgin　also　is　invariably　washed。　　St。
John　the　Baptist；　when　he　is　born　at　all；　which　is　not　very　often；
is　also　washed；　but　I　have　not　observed　that　St。　Elizabeth　has
anything　like　the　attention　paid　her　that　is　given　to　St。　Anne。
What；　however；　is　wanting　here　at　Oropa　in　meat　and　drink　is　made　up
in　Cupids；　they　swarm　like　flies　on　the　walls；　clouds；　cornices；　and
capitals　of　columns。

Against　the　right…hand　wall　are　two　lady…helps；　each　warming　a　towel
at　a　glowing　fire；　to　be　ready　against　the　baby　should　come　out　of
its　bath；　while　in　the　right…hand　foreground　we　have　the　levatrice；
who　having　discharged　her　task；　and　being　now　so　disposed；　has
removed　the　bottle　from　the　chimney…piece；　and　put　it　near　some
bread；　fruit　and　a　chicken；　over　which　she　is　about　to　discuss　the
confinement　with　two　other　gossips。　　The　levatrice　is　a　very
characteristic　figure；　but　the　best　in　the　chapel　is　the　one　of　the
head　nurse；　near　the　middle　of　the　composition；　she　has　now　the
infant　in　full　charge；　and　is　showing　it　to　St。　Joachim；　with　an
expression　as　though　she　were　telling　him　that　her　husband　was　a
merry　man。　　I　am　afraid　Shakespeare　was　dead　before　the　sculptor　was
born；　otherwise　I　should　have　felt　certain　that　he　had　drawn
Juliet's　nurse　from　this　figure。　　As　for　the　little　Virgin　herself；
I　believe　her　to　be　a　fine　boy　of　about　ten　months　old。　　Viewing　the
work　as　a　whole；　if　I　only　felt　more　sure　what　artistic　merit　really
is；　I　should　say　that；　though　the　chapel　cannot　be　rated　very　highly
from　some　standpoints；　there　are　others　from　which　it　may　be　praised
warmly　enough。　　It　is　innocent　of　anatomy…worship；　free　from
affectation　or　swagger；　and　not　devoid　of　a　good　deal　of　homely
naivete。　　It　can　no　more　be　compared　with　Tabachetti　or　Donatello
than　Hogarth　can　with　Rembrandt　or　Giovanni　Bellini；　but　as　it　does
not　transcend　the　limitations　of　its　age；　so　neither　is　it　wanting
in　whatever　merits　that　age　possessed；　and　there　is　no　age　without
merits　of　some　kind。　　There　is　no　inscription　saying　who　made　the
figures；　but　tradition　gives　them　to　Pietro　Aureggio　Termine；　of
Biella；　commonly　called　Aureggio。　　This　is　confirmed　by　their　strong
resemblance　to　those　in　the　Dimora　Chapel；　in　which　there　is　an
inscription　that　names　Aureggio　as　the　sculptor。

The　sixth　chapel　deals　with　the　Presentation　of　the　Virgin　in　the
Temple。　　The　Virgin　is　very　small；　but　it　must　be　remembered　that
she　is　only　seven　years　old；　and　she　is　not　nearly　so　small　as　she
is　at　Crea；　where；　though　a　life…sized　figure　is　intended；　the　head
is　hardly　bigger　than　an　apple。　　She　is　rushing　up　the　steps　with
open　arms　towards　the　High　Priest；　who　is　standing　at　the　top。　　For
her　it　is　nothing　alarming；　it　is　the　High　Priest　who　appears
frightened；　but　it　will　all　come　right　in　time。　　The　Virgin　seems　to
be　saying；　〃Why；　don't　you　know　me？　　I'm　the　Virgin　Mary。〃　　But　the
High　Priest　does　not　feel　so　sure　about　that；　and　will　make　further
inquiries。　　The　scene；　which　comprises　some　twenty　figures；　is
animated　enough；　and　though　it　hardly　kindles　enthusiasm；　still　does
not　fail　to　please。　　It　looks　as　though　of　somewhat　older　date　than
the　Birth　of　the　Virgin　chapel；　and　I　should　say　shows　more　signs　of
direct　Valsesian　influence。　　In　Marocco's　book　about　Oropa　it　is
ascribed　to　Aureggio；　but　I　find　it　difficult　to　accept　this。

The　seventh；　and　in　many　respects　most　interesting　chapel　at　Oropa；
shows　what　is　in　reality　a　medieval　Italian　girl　school；　as　nearly
like　the　thing　itself　as　the　artist　could　make　it；　we　are　expected；
however；　to　see　in　this　the　high…class　kind　of　Girton　College　for
young　gentlewomen　that　was　attached　to　the　Temple　at　Jerusalem；
under　the　direction　of　the　Chief　Priest's　wife；　or　some　one　of　his
near　female　relatives。　　Here　all　well…to…do　Jewish　young　women
completed　their　education；　and　here　accordingly　we　find　the　Virgin；
whose　parents　desired　she　should　shine　in　every　accomplishment；　and
enjoy　all　the　advantages　their　ample　means　commanded。

I　have　met　with　no　traces　of　the　Virgin　during　the　years　between　her
Presentation　in　the　Temple　and　her　becoming　head　girl　at　Temple
College。　　These　years；　we　may　be　assured；　can　hardly　have　been　other
than　eventful；　but　incidents；　or　bits　of　life；　are　like　living
formsit　is　only　here　and　here；　as　by　rare　chance；　that　one　of　them
gets　arrested　and　fossilised；　the　greater　number　disappear　like　the
greater　number　of　antediluvian　molluscs；　and　no　one　can　say　why　one
of　these　flies；　as　it　were；　of　life　should　get　preserved　in　amber
more　than　another。　　Talk；　indeed；　about　luck　and　cunning；　what　a
grain　of　sand　as　against　a　hundredweight　is　cunning's　share　here　as
against　luck's。　　What　moment　could　be　more　humdrum　and　unworthy　of
special　record　than　the　one　chosen　by　the　artist　for　the　chapel　we
are　considering？　　Why　should　this　one　get　arrested　in　its　flight　and
made　immortal　when　so　many　worthier　ones　have　perished？　　Yet
preserved　it　assuredly　is；　it　is　as　though　some　fairy's　wand　had
struck　the　medieval　Miss　Pinkerton；　Amelia　Sedley；　and　others　who　do
duty　instead　of　the　Hebrew　originals。　　It　has　locked　them　up　as
sleeping　beauties；　whose　charms　all　may　look　upon。　　Surely　the　hours
are　like　the　women　grinding　at　the　millthe　one　is　taken　and　the
other　left；　and　none　can　give　the　reason　more　than　he　can　say　why
Gallio　should　have　won　immortality　by　caring　for　none　of　〃these
things。〃

It　seems　to　me；　moreover；　that　fairies　have　changed　their　practice
now　in　the　matter　of　sleeping　beauties；　much　as　shopkeepers　have
done　in　Regent　Street。　　Formerly　the　shopkeeper　used　to　shut　up　his
goods　behind　strong　shutters；　so　that　no　one　might　see　them　after
closing　hours。　　Now　he　leaves　everything　open　to　the　eye　and　turns
the　gas　on。　　So　the　fairies；　who　used　to　lock　up　their　sleeping
beauties　in　impenetrable