essays on life, art and science-第17章

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figure　of　Christ　is　greatly　better　in　technical　execution　than　that
of　either　of　the　two　thieves；　the　folds　of　the　drapery　alone　will
show　this　even　to　an　unpractised　eye。　　I　do　not　think　there　can　be　a
doubt　but　that　Tabachetti　cut　this　figure　himself；　as　also　those　of
the　Magdalene　and　St。　John；　who　stand　at　the　foot　of　the　cross。　　The
thieves　are　coarsely　executed；　with　no　very　obvious　distinction
between　the　penitent　and　the　impenitent　one；　except　that　there　is　a
fiend　painted　on　the　ceiling　over　the　impenitent　thief。　　The　one
horse　introduced　into　the　composition　is　again　of　the　heavy　Flemish
type　adopted　by　Tabachetti　at　Varallo。　　There　is　great　difference　in
the　care　with　which　the　folds　on　the　several　draperies　have　been
cut；　some　being　stiff　and　poor　enough；　while　others　are　done　very
sufficiently。　　In　spite　of　smallness　of　scale；　ignoble　material；
disarrangement　and　decay；　the　work　is　still　striking。

11。　　The　Resurrection。　　There　being　no　chapel　at　Varallo　with　any　of
the　remaining　subjects　treated　at　Saas；　the　sculptor　has　struck　out
a　line　for　himself。　　The　Christ　in　the　Resurrection　Chapel　is　a
carefully　modelled　figure；　and　if　better　painted　might　not　be
ineffective。　　Three　soldiers；　one　sleeping；　alone　remain。　　There
were　probably　other　figures　that　have　been　lost。　　The　sleeping
soldier　is　very　pleasing。

12。　　The　Ascension　is　not　remarkably　interesting；　the　Christ　appears
to　be；　but　perhaps　is　not；　a　much　more　modern　figure　than　the　rest。

18。　　The　Descent　of　the　Holy　Ghost。　　Some　of　the　figures　along　the
end　wall　are　very　good；　and　were；　I　should　imagine；　cut　by
Tabachetti　himself。　　Those　against　the　two　side　walls　are　not　so
well　cut。

14。　　The　Assumption　of　the　Virgin　Mary。　　The　two　large　cherubs　here
are　obviously　by　a　later　hand；　and　the　small　ones　are　not　good。　　The
figure　of　the　Virgin　herself　is　unexceptionable。　　There　were
doubtless　once　other　figures　of　the　Apostles　which　have　disappeared；
of　these　a　single　St。　Peter　（？）；　so　hidden　away　in　a　corner　near　the
window　that　it　can　only　be　seen　with　difficulty；　is　the　sole
survivor。

15。　　The　Coronation　of　the　Virgin　is　of　later　date；　and　has　probably
superseded　an　earlier　work。　　It　can　hardly　be　by　the　designer　of　the
other　chapels　of　the　series。　　Perhaps　Tabachetti　had　to　leave　for
Crea　before　all　the　chapels　at　Saas　were　finished。

Lastly；　we　have　the　larger　chapel　dedicated　to　St。　Mary；　which
crowns　the　series。　　Here　there　is　nothing　of　more　than　common
artistic　interest；　unless　we　except　the　stone　altar　mentioned　in
Ruppen's　chronicle。　　This　is　of　course　classical　in　style；　and　is；　I
should　think；　very　good。

Once　more　I　must　caution　the　reader　against　expecting　to　find
highly…finished　gems　of　art　in　the　chapels　I　have　been　describing。
A　wooden　figure　not　more　than　two　feet　high　clogged　with　many　coats
of　paint　can　hardly　claim　to　be　taken　very　seriously；　and　even　those
few　that　were　cut　by　Tabachetti　himself　were　not　meant　to　have
attention　concentrated　on　themselves　alone。　　As　mere　wood…carving
the　Saas…Fee　chapels　will　not　stand　comparison；　for　example；　with
the　triptych　of　unknown　authorship　in　the　Church　of　St。　Anne　at
Gliss；　close　to　Brieg。　　But；　in　the　first　place；　the　work　at　Gliss
is　worthy　of　Holbein　himself：　　I　know　no　wood…carving　that　can　so
rivet　the　attention；　moreover　it　is　coloured　with　water…colour　and
not　oil；　so　that　it　is　tinted；　not　painted；　and；　in　the　second
place；　the　Gliss　triptych　belongs　to　a　date　（1519）　when　artists　held
neither　time　nor　impressionism　as　objects；　and　hence；　though　greatly
better　than　the　Saas…Fee　chapels　as　regards　a　certain　Japanese
curiousness　of　finish　and　naivete　of　literal　transcription；　it
cannot　even　enter　the　lists　with　the　Saas　work　as　regards　elan　and
dramatic　effectiveness。　　The　difference　between　the　two　classes　of
work　is　much　that　between；　say；　John　Van　Eyck　or　Memling　and　Rubens
or　Rembrandt；　or；　again；　between　Giovanni　Bellini　and　Tintoretto；
the　aims　of　the　one　class　of　work　are　incompatible　with　those　of　the
other。　　Moreover；　in　the　Gliss　triptych　the　intention　of　the
designer　is　carried　out　（whether　by　himself　or　no）　with　admirable
skill；　whereas　at　Saas　the　wisdom　of　the　workman　is　rather　of　Ober…
Ammergau　than　of　the　Egyptians；　and　the　voice　of　the　poet　is　not　a
little　drowned　in　that　of　his　mouthpiece。　　If；　however；　the　reader
will　bear　in　mind　these　somewhat　obvious　considerations；　and　will
also　remember　the　pathetic　circumstances　under　which　the　chapels
were　designedfor　Tabachetti　when　he　reached　Saas　was　no　doubt
shattered　in　body　and　mind　by　his　four　years'　imprisonmenthe　will
probably　be　not　less　attracted　to　them　than　I　observed　were　many　of
the　visitors　both　at　Saas…Grund　and　Saas…Fee　with　whom　I　had　the
pleasure　of　examining　them。

I　will　now　run　briefly　through　the　other　principal　works　in　the
neighbourhood　to　which　I　think　the　reader　would　be　glad　to　have　his
attention　directed。

At　Saas…Fee　itself　the　main　altar…piece　is　without　interest；　as　also
one　with　a　figure　of　St。　Sebastian。　　The　Virgin　and　Child　above　the
remaining　altar　are；　so　far　as　I　remember　them；　very　good；　and
greatly　superior　to　the　smaller　figures　of　the　same　altar…piece。

At　Almagel；　an　hour's　walk　or　so　above　Saas…Grunda　village；　the
name　of　which；　like　those　of　the　Alphubel；　the　Monte　Moro；　and　more
than　one　other　neighbouring　site；　is　supposed　to　be　of　Saracenic
originthe　main　altar…piece　represents　a　female　saint　with　folded
arms　being　beheaded　by　a　vigorous　man　to　the　left。　　These　two
figures　are　very　good。　　There　are　two　somewhat　inferior　elders　to
the　right；　and　the　composition　is　crowned　by　the　Assumption　of　the
Virgin。　　I　like　the　work；　but　have　no　idea　who　did　it。　　Two　bishops
flanking　the　composition　are　not　so　good。　　There　are　two　other
altars　in　the　church：　　the　right…hand　one　has　some　pleasing　figures；
not　so　the　left…hand。

In　St。　Joseph's　Chapel；　on　the　mule…road　between　Saas…Grund　and
Saas…Fee；　the　St。　Joseph　and　the　two　children　are　rather　nice。　　In
the　churches　and　chapels　which　I　looked　into　between　Saas　and
Stalden；　I　saw　many　florid　extravagant　altar…pieces；　but　nothing
that　impressed　me　favourably。

In　the　parish　church　at　Saas…Grund　there　are　two　altar…pieces　which
deserve　attention。　　In　the　one　over　the　main　altar　the　arrangement
of　the　Last　Supper　in　a　deep　recess　half…way　up　the　composition　is
very　pleasing　and　effective；　in　that　above　the　right…hand　altar　of
the　two　that　stand　in　the　body　of　the　church　there　are　a　number　of
round　lunettes；　about　eight　inches　in　diameter；　each　containing　a
small　but　spirited　group　of　wooden　figures。　　I　have　lost　my　notes　on
these　altar…pieces　and　can　only　remember　that　the　main　one　has　been
restored；　and　now　belongs　to　two　different　dates；　the　earlier　date
being；　I　should　imagine；　about　1670。　　A　similar　treatment　of　the
Last　Supper　may　be　found　near　Brieg　in　the　church　of　Naters；　and　no
doubt　the　two　altar…pieces　are　by　the　same　man。　　There　are；　by　the
way；　two　very　ambitious　altars　on　either　side　the　main　arch　leading
to　the　chance　in　the　church　at　Naters；　of　which　the　one　on　the　south
side　contains　obvious　reminiscences　of　Gaudenzio　Ferrari's　Sta。
Maria　frescoes　at　Varallo；　but　none　of　the　four　altar…pieces　in　the
two　transepts　tempted　me　to　give　them　much　attention。　　As　regards
the　smaller　altar…piece　at　Saas…Grund；　analogous　work　may　be　found
at　Cravagliana；　half…way　between　Varallo　and　Fobello；　but　this　last
has　suffered　through　the　inveterate　habit　which　Italians　have　of
showing　their　hatred　towards　the　enemies　of　Christ　by　mutilating　the
figures　that　represent　them。　　Whether　the　Saas　work　is　by　a
Valsesian　artist　who　came　over　to　Switzerland；　or　whether　the
Cravagliana　work　is　by　a　Swiss　who　had　come　to　Italy；　I　cannot　say
without　further　consideration　and　closer　examination　than　I　have
been　able　to　give。　　The　altar…pieces　of　Mairengo；　Chiggiogna；　and；　I
am　told；　Lavertezzo；　all　in　the　Canton　Ticino；　are　by　a　Swiss　or
German　artist　who　has　migrated　southward；　but　the　reverse　migration
was　equally　common。

Being　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　wishing　to　assure　myself　whether　the
sculptor　of　the　Saas…Fee　chapels　had　or　had　not　come　lower　down　the
valley；　I　examined　every　church　and　village　which　I　could　hear　of　as
containing　anything　that　might　throw　light　on　this　point。　　I　was
thus　led　to　Vispertimenen；　a　village　some　three　hours　above　either
Visp　or　Stalden。　　It　stands　very　high；　and　is　an　almost　untouched
example　of　a　medieval　village。　　The　altar…piece　of　the　main　church
is　even　more　floridly　ambitious　in　its　abundance　of　carving　and
gilding　than　the　many　other　ambitious　altar…pieces　with　which　the
Canton　Valais　abounds。　　The　Apostles　are　receiving　the　Holy　Ghost　on
the　first　storey　of　the　composition；　and　they　certainly　are
receiving　it　with　an　overjoyed　alacrity　and　hilarious　ecstasy　of
allegria　spirituale　which　it　would　not　be　easy　to　surpass。　　Above
the　village；　reaching　almost　to　the　limits　beyond　which　there　is　no
cultivation；　there　stands　a　series　of　chapels　like　those　I　have　been
describing　at　Saas…Fee；　only　much　larger　and　more　ambitious。　　They
are　twelve　in　number；　including　the　church　that　crowns　the　series。
The　figures　they　contain　are　of　wood　（so　I　was　assured；　but　I　did
not　go　inside　the　chapels）：　　they　are　life…size；　and　in　some　chapels
there　are　as　many　as　a　dozen　figures。　　I　should　think　they　belonged
to　the　later　half　of　the　last　century；　and　here；　one　would　say；
sculpture　touches　the　ground；　at　least；　it　is　not　easy　to　see　how
cheap　exaggeration　can　sink　an　art　more　deeply。　　The　only　things
that　at　all　pleased　me　were　a　smiling　donkey　and　an　ecstatic　cow　in
the　Nativity　chapel。　　Those　who　are　not　allured　by　the　prospect　of
seeing　perhaps　the　very　worst　that　can　be　done　in　its　own　line；　need
not　be　at　the　pains　of　climbing　up　to　Vispertimenen。　　Those；　on　the
other　hand；　who　may　find　this　sufficient　inducement　will　not　be
disappointed；　and　they　will　enjoy　magnificent　views　of　the　Weisshorn
and　the　mountains　near　the　Dom。

I　have　already　referred　to　the　triptych　at　Gliss。　　This　is　figured
in　Wolf's　work　on　Chamonix　and　the　Canton　Valais；　but　a　larger　and
clearer　reproduction　of　such　an　extraordinary　work　is　greatly　to　be
desired。　　The　small　wooden　statues　above　the　triptych；　as　also　those
above　its　modern　companion　in　the　south　transept；　are　not　less
admirable　than　the　triptych　itself。　　I　know　of　no　other　like　work　in
wood；　and　have　no　clue　whatever　as　to　who　the　author　can　have　been
beyond　the　fact　that　the　work　is　purely　German　and　eminently
Holbeinesque　in　character。

I　was　told　of　some　chapels　at　Rarogne；　five　or　six　miles　lower　down
the　valley　than　Visp。　　I　examined　them；　and　found　they　had　been
stripped　of　their　figures。　　The　few　that　remained　satisfied　me　that
we　have　had　no　loss。　　Above　Brieg　there　are　two　other　like　series　of
chapels。　　I　examined　the　higher　and　more　promising　of　the　two；　but
found　not　one　single　figure　left。　　I　was　told　by　my　driver　that　the
other　series；　close　to　the　Pont　Napoleon　on　the　Simplon　road；　had
been　also　stripped　of　its　figures；　and；　there　being　a　heavy　storm　at
the　time；　have　taken　his　word　for　it　that　this　was　so。