essays on life, art and science-第20章

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painting　up　to　nature　that　does　this。　　Here　at　Oropa　I　found　a　paper
on　the　floor　of　the　Sposalizio　Chapel；　which　ran　as　follows：…

〃By　the　grace　of　God　and　the　will　of　the　administrative　chapter　of
this　sanctuary；　there　have　come　here　to　work　　；　mason　　；
carpenter；　and　　　plumber；　all　of　Chiavazza；　on　the　twenty…first
day　of　January　1886；　full　of　cold　（pieni　di　freddo）。

〃They　write　these　two　lines　to　record　their　visit。　　They　pray　the
Blessed　Virgin　that　she　will　maintain　them　safe　and　sound　from
everything　equivocal　that　may　befall　them　（sempre　sani　e　salvi　da
ogni　equivoco　li　possa　accadere）。　　Oh；　farewell！　　We　reverently
salute　all　the　present　statues；　and　especially　the　Blessed　Virgin；
and　the　reader。〃

Through　the　Universal　Review；　I　suppose；　all　its　readers　are　to
consider　themselves　saluted；　at　any　rate；　these　good　fellows；　in　the
effusiveness　of　their　hearts；　actually　wrote　the　above　in　pencil。　　I
was　sorely　tempted　to　steal　it；　but；　after　copying　it；　left　it　in
the　Chief　Priest's　hands　instead。



ART　IN　THE　VALLEY　OF　SAAS　｛11｝



Having　been　told　by　Mr。　Fortescue；　of　the　British　Museum；　that　there
were　some　chapels　at　Saas…Fee　which　bore　analogy　to　those　at
Varallo；　described　in　my　book　〃Ex　Voto；〃　｛12｝　I　went　to　Saas　during
this　last　summer；　and　venture　now　to　lay　my　conclusions　before　the
reader。

The　chapels　are　fifteen　in　number；　and　lead　up　to　a　larger　and
singularly　graceful　one；　rather　more　than　half…way　between　Saas　and
Saas…Fee。　　This　is　commonly　but　wrongly　called　the　chapel　of　St。
Joseph；　for　it　is　dedicated　to　the　Virgin；　and　its　situation　is　of
such　extreme　beautythe　great　Fee　glaciers　showing　through　the　open
porticothat　it　is　in　itself　worth　a　pilgrimage。　　It　is　surrounded
by　noble　larches　and　overhung　by　rock；　in　front　of　the　portico　there
is　a　small　open　space　covered　with　grass；　and　a　huge　larch；　the　stem
of　which　is　girt　by　a　rude　stone　seat。　　The　portico　itself　contains
seats　for　worshippers；　and　a　pulpit　from　which　the　preacher's　voice
can　reach　the　many　who　must　stand　outside。　　The　walls　of　the　inner
chapel　are　hung　with　votive　pictures；　some　of　them　very　quaint　and
pleasing；　and　not　overweighted　by　those　qualities　that　are　usually
dubbed　by　the　name　of　artistic　merit。　　Innumerable　wooden　and　waxen
representations　of　arms；　legs；　eyes；　ears　and　babies　tell　of　the
cures　that　have　been　effected　during　two　centuries　of　devotion；　and
can　hardly　fail　to　awaken　a　kindly　sympathy　with　the　long　dead　and
forgotten　folks　who　placed　them　where　they　are。

The　main　interest；　however；　despite　the　extreme　loveliness　of　the
St。　Mary's　Chapel；　centres　rather　in　the　small　and　outwardly
unimportant　oratories　（if　they　should　be　so　called）　that　lead　up　to
it。　　These　begin　immediately　with　the　ascent　from　the　level　ground
on　which　the　village　of　Saas…im…Grund　is　placed；　and　contain　scenes
in　the　history　of　the　Redemption；　represented　by　rude　but　spirited
wooden　figures；　each　about　two　feet　high；　painted；　gilt；　and
rendered　as　life…like　in　all　respects　as　circumstances　would　permit。
The　figures　have　suffered　a　good　deal　from　neglect；　and　are　still
not　a　little　misplaced。　　With　the　assistance；　however；　of　the　Rev。
E。　J。　Selwyn；　English　Chaplain　at　Saas…im…Grund；　I　have　been　able　to
replace　many　of　them　in　their　original　positions；　as　indicated　by
the　parts　of　the　figures　that　are　left　rough…hewn　and　unpainted。
They　vary　a　good　deal　in　interest；　and　can　be　easily　sneered　at　by
those　who　make　a　trade　of　sneering。　　Those；　on　the　other　hand；　who
remain　unsophisticated　by　overmuch　art…culture　will　find　them　full
of　character　in　spite　of　not　a　little　rudeness　of　execution；　and
will　be　surprised　at　coming　across　such　works　in　a　place　so　remote
from　any　art…centre　as　Saas　must　have　been　at　the　time　these　chapels
were　made。　　It　will　be　my　business　therefore　to　throw　what　light　I
can　upon　the　questions　how　they　came　to　be　made　at　all；　and　who　was
the　artist　who　designed　them。

The　only　documentary　evidence　consists　in　a　chronicle　of　the　valley
of　Saas　written　in　the　early　years　of　this　century　by　the　Rev。　Peter
Jos。　Ruppen；　and　published　at　Sion　in　1851。　　This　work　makes
frequent　reference　to　a　manuscript　by　the　Rev。　Peter　Joseph　Clemens
Lommatter；　cure　of　Saas…Fee　from　1738　to　1751；　which　has
unfortunately　been　lost；　so　that　we　have　no　means　of　knowing　how
closely　it　was　adhered　to。　　The　Rev。　Jos。　Ant。　Ruppen；　the　present
excellent　cure　of　Saas…im…Grund；　assures　me　that　there　is　no
reference　to　the　Saas…Fee　oratories　in　the　〃Actes　de　l'Eglise〃　at
Saas；　which　I　understand　go　a　long　way　back；　but　I　have　not　seen
these　myself。　　Practically；　then；　we　have　no　more　documentary
evidence　than　is　to　be　found　in　the　published　chronicle　above
referred　to。

We　there　find　it　stated　that　the　large　chapel；　commonly；　but　as
above　explained；　wrongly　called　St。　Joseph's；　was　built　in　1687；　and
enlarged　by　subscription　in　1747。　　These　dates　appear　on　the
building　itself；　and　are　no　doubt　accurate。　　The　writer　adds　that
there　was　no　actual　edifice　on　this　site　before　the　one　now　existing
was　built；　but　there　was　a　miraculous　picture　of　the　Virgin　placed
in　a　mural　niche；　before　which　the　pious　herdsmen　and　devout
inhabitants　of　the　valley　worshipped　under　the　vault　of　heaven。　｛13｝
A　miraculous　（or　miracle…working）　picture　was　always　more　or　less
rare　and　important；　the　present　site；　therefore；　seems　to　have　been
long　one　of　peculiar　sanctity。　　Possibly　the　name　Fee　may　point　to
still　earlier　Pagan　mysteries　on　the　same　site。

As　regards　the　fifteen　small　chapels；　the　writer　says　they
illustrate　the　fifteen　mysteries　of　the　Psalter；　and　were　built　in
1709；　each　householder　of　the　Saas…Fee　contributing　one　chapel。　　He
adds　that　Heinrich　Andenmatten；　afterwards　a　brother　of　the　Society
of　Jesus；　was　an　especial　benefactor　or　promoter　of　the　undertaking。
One　of　the　chapels；　the　Ascension　（No。　12　of　the　series）；　has　the
date　1709　painted　on　it；　but　there　is　no　date　on　any　other　chapel；
and　there　seems　no　reason　why　this　should　be　taken　as　governing　the
whole　series。

Over　and　above　this；　there　exists　in　Saas　a　tradition；　as　I　was　told
immediately　on　my　arrival；　by　an　English　visitor；　that　the　chapels
were　built　in　consequence　of　a　flood；　but　I　have　vainly　endeavoured
to　trace　this　story　to　an　indigenous　source。

The　internal　evidence　of　the　wooden　figures　themselvesnothing
analogous　to　which；　it　should　be　remembered；　can　be　found　in　the
chapel　of　1687points　to　a　much　earlier　date。　　I　have　met　with　no
school　of　sculpture　belonging　to　the　early　part　of　the　eighteenth
century　to　which　they　can　be　plausibly　assigned；　and　the　supposition
that　they　are　the　work　of　some　unknown　local　genius　who　was　not　led
up　to　and　left　no　successors　may　be　dismissed；　for　the　work　is　too
scholarly　to　have　come　from　any　one　but　a　trained　sculptor。　　I　refer
of　course　to　those　figures　which　the　artist　must　be　supposed　to　have
executed　with　his　own　hand；　as；　for　example；　the　central　figure　of
the　Crucifixion　group　and　those　of　the　Magdalene　and　St。　John。　　The
greater　number　of　the　figures　were　probably；　as　was　suggested　to　me
by　Mr。　Ranshaw；　of　Lowth；　executed　by　a　local　woodcarver　from　models
in　clay　and　wax　furnished　by　the　artist　himself。　　Those　who　examine
the　play　of　line　in　the　hair；　mantle；　and　sleeve　of　the　Magdalene　in
the　Crucifixion　group；　and　contrast　it　with　the　greater　part　of　the
remaining　draperies；　will　find　little　hesitation　in　concluding　that
this　was　the　case；　and　will　ere　long　readily　distinguish　the　two
hands　from　which　the　figures　have　mainly　come。　　I　say　〃mainly；〃
because　there　is　at　least　one　other　sculptor　who　may　well　have
belonged　to　the　year　1709；　but　who　fortunately　has　left　us　little。
Examples　of　his　work　may　perhaps　be　seen　in　the　nearest　villain　with
a　big　hat　in　the　Flagellation　chapel；　and　in　two　cherubs　in　the
Assumption　of　the　Virgin。

We　may　say；　then；　with　some　certainty；　that　the　designer　was　a
cultivated　and　practised　artist。　　We　may　also　not　less　certainly
conclude　that　he　was　of　Flemish　origin；　for　the　horses　in　the
Journey　to　Calvary　and　Crucifixion　chapels；　where　alone　there　are
any　horses　at　all；　ar