essays on life, art and science-第21章

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Journey　to　Calvary　and　Crucifixion　chapels；　where　alone　there　are
any　horses　at　all；　are　of　Flemish　breed；　with　no　trace　of　the　Arab
blood　adopted　by　Gaudenzio　at　Varallo。　　The　character；　moreover；　of
the　villains　is　Northernof　the　Quentin　Matsys；　Martin　Schongauer
type；　rather　than　Italian；　the　same　sub…Rubensesque　feeling　which　is
apparent　in　more　than　one　chapel　at　Varallo　is　not　less　evident
hereespecially　in　the　Journey　to　Calvary　and　Crucifixion　chapels。
There　can　hardly；　therefore；　be　a　doubt　that　the　artist　was　a
Fleming　who　had　worked　for　several　years　in　Italy。

It　is　also　evident　that　he　had　Tabachetti's　work　at　Varallo　well　in
his　mind。　　For　not　only　does　he　adopt　certain　details　of　costume　（I
refer　particularly　to　the　treatment　of　soldiers'　tunics）　which　are
peculiar　to　Tabachetti　at　Varallo；　but　whenever　he　treats　a　subject
which　Tabachetti　had　treated　at　Varallo；　as　in　the　Flagellation；
Crowning　with　Thorns；　and　Journey　to　Calvary　chapels；　the　work　at
Saas　is　evidently　nothing　but　a　somewhat　modified　abridgement　of
that　at　Varallo。　　When；　however；　as　in　the　Annunciation；　the
Nativity；　the　Crucifixion；　and　other　chapels；　the　work　at　Varallo　is
by　another　than　Tabachetti；　no　allusion　is　made　to　it。　　The　Saas
artist　has　Tabachetti's　Varallo　work　at　his　finger…ends；　but　betrays
no　acquaintance　whatever　with　Gaudenzio　Ferrari；　Gio。　Ant。　Paracca；
or　Giovanni　D'Enrico。

Even；　moreover；　when　Tabachetti's　work　at　Varallo　is　being　most
obviously　drawn　from；　as　in　the　Journey　to　Calvary　chapel；　the　Saas
version　differs　materially　from　that　at　Varallo；　and　is　in　some
respects　an　improvement　on　it。　　The　idea　of　showing　other　horsemen
and　followers　coming　up　from　behind；　whose　heads　can　be　seen　over
the　crown　of　the　interposing　hill；　is　singularly　effective　as
suggesting　a　number　of　others　that　are　unseen；　nor　can　I　conceive
that　any　one　but　the　original　designer　would　follow　Tabachetti's
Varallo　design　with　as　much　closeness　as　it　has　been　followed　here；
and　yet　make　such　a　brilliantly　successful　modification。　　The
stumbling；　again；　of　one　horse　（a　detail　almost　hidden；　according　to
Tabachetti's　wont）　is　a　touch　which　Tabachetti　himself　might　add；
but　which　no　Saas　woodcarver　who　was　merely　adapting　from　a
reminiscence　of　Tabachetti's　Varallo　chapel　would　be　likely　to
introduce。　　These　considerations　have　convinced　me　that　the　designer
of　the　chapels　at　Saas　is　none　other　than　Tabachetti　himself；　who；
as　has　been　now　conclusively　shown；　was　a　native　of　Dinant；　in
Belgium。

The　Saas　chronicler；　indeed；　avers　that　the　chapels　were　not　built
till　1709a　statement　apparently　corroborated　by　a　date　now　visible
on　one　chapel；　but　we　must　remember　that　the　chronicler　did　not
write　until　a　century　or　so　later　than　1709；　and　though；　indeed；　his
statement　may　have　been　taken　from　the　lost　earlier　manuscript　of
1738；　we　know　nothing　about　this　either　one　way　or　the　other。　　The
writer　may　have　gone　by　the　still　existing　1709　on　the　Ascension
chapel；　whereas　this　date　may　in　fact　have　referred　to　a
restoration；　and　not　to　an　original　construction。　　There　is　nothing；
as　I　have　said；　in　the　choice　of　the　chapel　on　which　the　date
appears；　to　suggest　that　it　was　intended　to　govern　the　others。　　I
have　explained　that　the　work　is　isolated　and　exotic。　　It　is　by　one
in　whom　Flemish　and　Italian　influences　are　alike　equally
predominant；　by　one　who　was　saturated　with　Tabachetti's　Varallo
work；　and　who　can　improve　upon　it；　but　over　whom　the　other　Varallo
sculptors　have　no　power。　　The　style　of　the　work　is　of　the　sixteenth
and　not　of　the　eighteenth　centurywith　a　few　obvious　exceptions
that　suit　the　year　1709　exceedingly　well。　　Against　such
considerations　as　these；　a　statement　made　at　the　beginning　of　this
century　referring　to　a　century　earlier；　and　a　promiscuous　date　upon
one　chapel；　can　carry　but　little　weight。　　I　shall　assume；　therefore；
henceforward；　that　we　have　here　groups　designed　in　a　plastic
material　by　Tabachetti；　and　reproduced　in　wood　by　the　best　local
wood…sculptor　available；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　figures　cut　by
the　artist　himself。

We　ask；　then；　at　what　period　in　his　life　did　Tabachetti　design　these
chapels；　and　what　led　to　his　coming　to　such　an　out…of…the…way　place
as　Saas　at　all？　　We　should　remember　that；　according　both　to　Fassola
and　Torrotti　（writing　in　1671　and　1686　respectively）；　Tabachetti
｛14｝　became　insane　about　the　year　1586　or　early　in　1587；　after
having　just　begun　the　Salutation　chapel。　　I　have　explained　in　〃Ex
Voto〃　that　I　do　not　believe　this　story。　　I　have　no　doubt　that
Tabachetti　was　declared　to　be　mad；　but　I　believe　this　to　have　been
due　to　an　intrigue；　set　on　foot　in　order　to　get　a　foreign　artist　out
of　the　way；　and　to　secure　the　Massacre　of　the　Innocents　chapel；　at
that　precise　time　undertaken；　for　Gio。　Ant。　Paracca；　who　was　an
Italian。

Or　he　may　have　been　sacrificed　in　order　to　facilitate　the　return　of
the　workers　in　stucco　whom　he　had　superseded　on　the　Sacro　Monte。　　He
may　have　been　goaded　into　some　imprudence　which　was　seized　upon　as　a
pretext　for　shutting　him　up；　at　any　rate；　the　fact　that　when　in　1587
he　inherited　his　father's　property　at　Dinant；　his　trustee　（he　being
expressly　stated　to　be　〃expatrie〃）　was　〃datif；〃　〃dativus；〃　appointed
not　by　himself　but　by　the　court；　lends　colour　to　the　statement　that
he　was　not　his　own　master　at　the　time；　for　in　later　kindred　deeds；
now　at　Namur；　he　appoints　his　own　trustee。　　I　suppose；　then；　that
Tabachetti　was　shut　up　in　a　madhouse　at　Varallo　for　a　considerable
time；　during　which　I　can　find　no　trace　of　him；　but　that　eventually
he　escaped　or　was　released。

Whether　he　was　a　fugitive；　or　whether　he　was　let　out　from　prison；　he
would　in　either　case；　in　all　reasonable　probability；　turn　his　face
homeward。　　If　he　was　escaping；　he　would　make　immediately　for　the
Savoy　frontier；　within　which　Saas　then　lay。　　He　would　cross　the
Baranca　above　Fobello；　coming　down　on　to　Ponte　Grande　in　the　Val
Anzasca。　　He　would　go　up　the　Val　Anzasca　to　Macugnaga；　and　over　the
Monte　Moro；　which　would　bring　him　immediately　to　Saas。　　Saas；
therefore；　is　the　nearest　and　most　natural　place　for　him　to　make
for；　if　he　were　flying　from　Varallo；　and　here　I　suppose　him　to　have
halted。

It　so　happened　that　on　the　9th　of　September；　1589；　there　was　one　of
the　three　great　outbreaks　of　the　Mattmark　See　that　have　from　time　to
time　devastated　the　valley　of　Saas。　｛15｝　　It　is　probable　that　the
chapels　were　decided　upon　in　consequence　of　some　grace　shown　by　the
miraculous　picture　of　the　Virgin；　which　had　mitigated　a　disaster
occurring　so　soon　after　the　anniversary　of　her　own　Nativity。
Tabachetti；　arriving　at　this　juncture；　may　have　offered　to　undertake
them　if　the　Saas　people　would　give　him　an　asylum。　　Here；　at　any
rate；　I　suppose　him　to　have　stayed　till　some　time　in　1590；　probably
the　second　half　of　it；　his　design　of　eventually　returning　home；　if
he　ever　entertained　it；　being　then　interrupted　by　a　summons　to　Crea
near　Casale；　where　I　believe　him　to　have　worked　with　a　few　brief
interruptions　thenceforward　for　little　if　at　all　short　of　half　a
century；　or　until　about　the　year　1640。　　I　admit；　however；　that　the
evidence　for　assigning　him　so　long　a　life　rests　solely　on　the
supposed　identity　of　the　figure　known　as　〃Il　Vecchietto；〃　in　the
Varallo　Descent　from　the　Cross　chapel；　with　the　portrait　of
Tabachetti　himself　in　the　Ecce　Homo　chapel；　also　at　Varallo。

I　find　additional　reason　for　thinking　the　chapels　owe　their　origin
to　the　inundation　of　September　9；　1589；　in　the　fact　that　the　8th　of
September　is　made　a　day　of　pilgrimage　to　the　Saas…Fee　chapels
throughout　the　whole　valley　of　Saas。　　It　is　true　the　8th　of
September　is　the　festival　of　the　Nativity　of　the　Virgin　Mary；　so
that　under　any　circumstances　this　would　be　a　great　day；　but　the　fact
that　not　only　the　people　of　Saas；　but　the　whole　valley　down　to　Visp；
flock　to　this　chapel　on　the　8th　of　September；　points　to　the　belief
that　some　special　act　of　grace　on　the　part　of　the　Virgin　was
vouchsafed　on　this　day　in　connection　with　this　chapel。　　A　belief
that　it　was　owing　to　the　intervention　of　St。　Mary　of　Fee　that　the
inundation　was　not　attended　with　loss　of　l