essays on life, art and science-第16章

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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　life　would　be　very　likely
to　lead　to　the　foundation　of　a　series　of　chapels　leading　up　to　the
place　where　her　miraculous　picture　was　placed；　and　to　the　more
special　celebration　of　her　Nativity　in　connection　with　this　spot
throughout　the　valley　of　Saas。　　I　have　discussed　the　subject　with
the　Rev。　Jos。　Ant。　Ruppen；　and　he　told　me　he　thought　the　fact　that
the　great　fete　of　the　year　in　connection　with　the　Saas…Fee　chapels
was　on　the　8th　of　September　pointed　rather　strongly　to　the
supposition　that　there　was　a　connection　between　these　and　the
recorded　flood　of　September　9；　1589。

Turning　to　the　individual　chapels　they　are　as　follows：…

1。　　The　Annunciation。　　The　treatment　here　presents　no　more　analogy
to　that　of　the　same　subject　at　Varallo　than　is　inevitable　in　the
nature　of　the　subject。　　The　Annunciation　figures　at　Varallo　have
proved　to　be　mere　draped　dummies　with　wooden　heads；　Tabachetti；　even
though　he　did　the　heads；　which　he　very　likely　did；　would　take　no
interest　in　the　Varallo　work　with　the　same　subject。　　The
Annunciation；　from　its　very　simplicity　as　well　as　from　the
transcendental　nature　of　the　subject；　is　singularly　hard　to　treat；
and　the　work　here；　whatever　it　may　once　have　been；　is　now　no　longer
remarkable。

2。　　The　Salutation　of　Mary　by　Elizabeth。　　This　group；　again；　bears
no　analogy　to　the　Salutation　chapel　at　Varallo；　in　which
Tabachetti's　share　was　so　small　that　it　cannot　be　considered　as　in
any　way　his。　　It　is　not　to　be　expected；　therefore；　that　the　Saas
chapel　should　follow　the　Varallo　one。　　The　figures；　four　in　number；
are　pleasing　and　well　arranged。　　St。　Joseph；　St。　Elizabeth；　and　St。
Zacharias　are　all　talking　at　once。　　The　Virgin　is　alone　silent。

3。　　The　Nativity　is　much　damaged　and　hard　to　see。　　The　treatment
bears　no　analogy　to　that　adopted　by　Gaudenzio　Ferrari　at　Varallo。
There　is　one　pleasing　young　shepherd　standing　against　the　wall；　but
some　figures　have　no　doubt　（as　in　others　of　the　chapels）
disappeared；　and　those　that　remain　have　been　so　shifted　from　their
original　positions　that　very　little　idea　can　be　formed　of　what　the
group　was　like　when　Tabachetti　left　it。

4。　　The　Purification。　　I　can　hardly　say　why　this　chapel　should
remind　me；　as　it　does；　of　the　Circumcision　chapel　at　Varallo；　for
there　are　more　figures　here　than　space　at　Varallo　will　allow。　　It
cannot　be　pretended　that　any　single　figure　is　of　extraordinary
merit；　but　amongst　them　they　tell　their　story　with　excellent　effect。
Two；　those　of　St。　Joseph　and　St。　Anna　（？）；　that　doubtless　were　once
more　important　factors　in　the　drama；　are　now　so　much　in　corners　near
the　window　that　they　can　hardly　be　seen。

5。　　The　Dispute　in　the　Temple。　　This　subject　is　not　treated　at
Varallo。　　Here　at　Saas　there　are　only　six　doctors　now；　whether　or　no
there　were　originally　more　cannot　be　determined。

6。　　The　Agony　in　the　Garden。　　Tabachetti　had　no　chapel　with　this
subject　at　Varallo；　and　there　is　no　resemblance　between　the　Saas
chapel　and　that　by　D'Enrico。　　The　figures　are　no　doubt　approximately
in　their　original　positions；　but　I　have　no　confidence　that　I　have
rearranged　them　correctly。　　They　were　in　such　confusion　when　I　first
saw　them　that　the　Rev。　E。　J。　Selwyn　and　myself　determined　to
rearrange　them。　　They　have　doubtless　been　shifted　more　than　once
since　Tabachetti　left　them。　　The　sleeping　figures　are　all　good。　　St。
James　is　perhaps　a　little　prosaic。　　One　Roman　soldier　who　is　coming
into　the　garden　with　a　lantern；　and　motioning　silence　with　his　hand；
does　duty　for　the　others　that　are　to　follow　him。　　I　should　think
more　than　one　of　these　figures　is　actually　carved　in　wood　by
Tabachetti；　allowance　being　made　for　the　fact　that　he　was　working　in
a　material　with　which　he　was　not　familiar；　and　which　no　sculptor　of
the　highest　rank　has　ever　found　congenial。

7。　　The　Flagellation。　　Tabachetti　has　a　chapel　with　this　subject　at
Varallo；　and　the　Saas　group　is　obviously　a　descent　with　modification
from　his　work　there。　　The　figure　of　Christ　is　so　like　the　one　at
Varallo　that　I　think　it　must　have　been　carved　by　Tabachetti　himself。
The　man　with　the　hooked　nose；　who　at　Varallo　is　stooping　to　bind　his
rods；　is　here　upright：　　it　was　probably　the　intention　to　emphasise
him　in　the　succeeding　scenes　as　well　as　this；　in　the　same　way　as　he
has　been　emphasised　at　Varallo；　but　his　nose　got　pared　down　in　the
cutting　of　later　scenes；　and　could　not　easily　be　added　to。　　The　man
binding　Christ　to　the　column　at　Varallo　is　repeated　（longo
intervallo）　here；　and　the　whole　work　is　one　inspired　by　that　at
Varallo；　though　no　single　figure　except　that　of　the　Christ　is
adhered　to　with　any　very　great　closeness。　　I　think　the　nearer
malefactor；　with　a　goitre；　and　wearing　a　large　black　hat；　is　either
an　addition　of　the　year　1709；　or　was　done　by　the　journeyman　of　the
local　sculptor　who　carved　the　greater　number　of　the　figures。　　The
man　stooping　down　to　bind　his　rods　can　hardly　be　by　the　same　hand　as
either　of　the　two　black…hatted　malefactors；　but　it　is　impossible　to
speak　with　certainty。　　The　general　effect　of　the　chapel　is
excellent；　if　we　consider　the　material　in　which　it　is　executed；　and
the　rudeness　of　the　audience　to　whom　it　addresses　itself。

8。　　The　Crowning　with　Thorns。　　Here　again　the　inspiration　is　derived
from　Tabachetti's　Crowning　with　Thorns　at　Varallo。　　The　Christs　in
the　two　chapels　are　strikingly　alike；　and　the　general　effect　is　that
of　a　residuary　impression　left　in　the　mind　of　one　who　had　known　the
Varallo　Flagellation　exceedingly　well。

9。　　Sta。　Veronica。　　This　and　the　next　succeeding　chapels　are　the
most　important　of　the　series。　　Tabachetti's　Journey　to　Calvary　at
Varallo　is　again　the　source　from　which　the　present　work　was　taken；
but；　as　I　have　already　said；　it　has　been　modified　in　reproduction。
Mount　Calvary　is　still　shown；　as　at　Varallo；　towards　the　left…hand
corner　of　the　work；　but　at　Saas　it　is　more　towards　the　middle　than
at　Varallo；　so　that　horsemen　and　soldiers　may　be　seen　coming　up
behind　ita　stroke　that　deserves　the　name　of　genius　none　the　less
for　the　manifest　imperfection　with　which　it　has　been　carried　into
execution。　　There　are　only　three　horses　fully　shown；　and　one　partly
shown。　　They　are　all　of　the　heavy　Flemish　type　adopted　by　Tabachetti
at　Varallo。　　The　man　kicking　the　fallen　Christ　and　the　goitred　man
（with　the　same　teeth　missing）；　who　are　so　conspicuous　in　the　Varallo
Journey　to　Calvary；　reappear　here；　only　the　kicking　man　has　much
less　nose　than　at　Varallo；　probably　because　（as　explained）　the　nose
got　whittled　away　and　could　not　be　whittled　back　again。　　I　observe
that　the　kind　of　lapelled　tunic　which　Tabachetti；　and　only
Tabachetti；　adopts　at　Varallo；　is　adopted　for　the　centurion　in　this
chapel；　and　indeed　throughout　the　Saas　chapels　this　particular　form
of　tunic　is　the　most　usual　for　a　Roman　soldier。　　The　work　is　still　a
very　striking　one；　notwithstanding　its　translation　into　wood　and　the
decay　into　which　it　has　been　allowed　to　fall；　nor　can　it　fail　to
impress　the　visitor　who　is　familiar　with　this　class　of　art　as　coming
from　a　man　of　extraordinary　dramatic　power　and　command　over　the
almost　impossible　art　of　composing　many　figures　together　effectively
in　all…round　sculpture。　　Whether　all　the　figures　are　even　now　as
Tabachetti　left　them　I　cannot　determine；　but　Mr。　Selwyn　has　restored
Simon　the　Cyrenian　to　the　position　in　which　he　obviously　ought　to
stand；　and　between　us　we　have　got　the　chapel　into　something　more
like　order。

10。　　The　Crucifixion。　　This　subject　was　treated　at　Varallo　not　by
Tabachetti　but　by　Gaudenzio　Ferrari。　　It　confirms　therefore　my
opinion　as　to　the　designer　of　the　Saas　chapels　to　find　in　them　no
trace　of　the　Varallo　Crucifixion；　while　the　kind　of　tunic　which　at
Varallo　is　only　found　in　chapels　wherein　Tabachetti　worked　again
appears　here。　　The　work　is　in　a　deplorable　state　of　decay。　　Mr。
Selwyn　has　greatly　improved　the　arrangement　of　the　figures；　but　even
now　they　are　not；　I　imagine；　quite　as　Tabachetti　left　them。　　The
figure　of　Christ　is　greatly　better　in　technical　execution　than　that
of　either　of　the　two　thieves；　the　folds　of　the　drape