beacon lights of history-iii-2-第28节

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again　at　Florence。　　He　had　also　painted　some；　and　with　such

immediate　success　that　he　had　been　invited　to　assist　Da　Vinci　in

decorating　a　hall　in　the　ducal　palace　at　Florence。　　But　sculpture

was　his　chosen　art；　and　when　called　to　paint　the　Sistine　Chapel；　he

implored　the　Pope　that　he　might　be　allowed　to　finish　the　mausoleum

which　he　had　begun；　and　that　Raphael；　then　dazzling　the　whole　city

by　his　unprecedented　talents；　might　be　substituted　for　him　in　that

great　work。　　But　the　Pope　was　inflexible；　and　the　great　artist

began　his　task；　assisted　by　other　painters；　however；　he　soon　got

disgusted　with　them　and　sent　them　away；　and　worked　alone。　　For

twenty　months　he　toiled；　rarely　seen；　living　abstemiously；　absorbed

utterly　in　his　work　of　creation；　and　the　greater　portion　of　the

compartments　in　the　vast　ceiling　was　finished　before　any　other

voice　than　his；　except　the　admiring　voice　of　the　Pope；　pronounced

it　good。



It　would　be　useless　to　attempt　to　describe　those　celebrated

frescos。　　Their　subjects　were　taken　from　the　Book　of　Genesis；　with

great　figures　of　sibyls　and　prophets。　　They　are　now　half…concealed

by　the　accumulated　dust　and　smoke　of　three　hundred　years；　and　can

be　surveyed　only　by　reclining　at　full　length　on　the　back。　　We　see

enough；　however；　to　be　impressed　with　the　boldness；　the　majesty；

and　the　originality　of　the　figures；their　fidelity　to　nature；　the

knowledge　of　anatomy　displayed；　and　the　disdain　of　inferior　arts；

especially　the　noble　disdain　of　appealing　to　false　and　perverted

taste；　as　if　he　painted　from　an　exalted　ideal　in　his　own　mind；

which　ideal　is　ever　associated　with　creative　power。



It　is　this　creative　power　which　places　Michael　Angelo　at　the　head

of　the　artists　of　his　great　age；　and　not　merely　the　power　to　create

but　the　power　of　realizing　the　most　exalted　conceptions。　　Raphael

was　doubtless　superior　to　him　in　grace　and　beauty；　even　as　Titian

afterwards　surpassed　him　in　coloring。　　He　delighted；　like　Dante；　in

the　awful　and　the　terrible。　　This　grandeur　of　conception　was

especially　seen　in　his　Last　Judgment；　executed　thirty　years

afterwards；　in　completion　of　the　Sistine　Chapel；　the　work　on　which

had　been　suspended　at　the　death　of　Julius。　　This　vast　fresco　is

nearly　seventy　feet　in　height；　painted　upon　the　wall　at　the　end　of

the　chapel；　as　an　altar…piece。　　No　subject　could　have　been　better

adapted　to　his　genius　than　thisthe　day　of　supernal　terrors　（dies

irae；　dies　illa）；　when；　according　to　the　sentiments　of　the　Middle

Ages；　the　doomed　were　subjected　to　every　variety　of　physical

suffering；　and　when　this　agony　of　pain；　rather　than　agony　of

remorse；　was　expressed　in　tortured　limbs　and　in　faces　writhing　with

demoniacal　despair。　　Such　was　the　variety　of　tortures　which　he

expressed；　showing　an　unexampled　richness　in　imaginative　powers；

that　people　came　to　see　it　from　the　remotest　parts　of　Italy。　　It

made　a　great　sensation；　like　the　appearance　of　an　immortal　poem；

and　was　magnificently　rewarded；　for　the　painter　received　a　pension

of　twelve　hundred　golden　crowns　a　year；a　great　sum　in　that　age。



But　Michael　Angelo　did　not　paint　many　pieces；　he　confined　himself

chiefly　to　cartoons　and　designs；　which；　scattered　far　and　wide；

were　reproduced　by　other　artists。　　His　most　famous　cartoon　was　the

Battle　of　Pisa；　the　one　executed　for　the　ducal　palace　of　Florence；

as　pendant　to　one　by　Leonardo　da　Vinci；　then　in　the　height　of　his

fame。　　This　picture　was　so　remarkable　for　the　accuracy　of　drawing；

and　the　variety　and　form　of　expression；　that　Raphael　came　to

Florence　on　purpose　to　study　it；　and　it　was　the　power　of　giving

boldness　and　dignity　and　variety　to　the　human　figure；　as　shown　in

this　painting；　which　constitutes　his　great　originality　and

transcendent　excellence。　　The　great　creations　of　the　painters；　in

modern　times　as　well　as　in　the　ancient；　are　those　which　represent

the　human　figure　in　its　ideal　excellence；which　of　course　implies

what　is　most　perfect；　not　in　any　one　man　or　woman；　but　in　men　and

women　collectively。　　Hence　the　greatest　of　painters　rarely　have

stooped　to　landscape　painting；　since　no　imaginary　landscape　can

surpass　what　everybody　has　seen　in　nature。　　You　cannot　improve　on

the　colors　of　the　rainbow；　or　the　gilded　clouds　of　sunset；　or　the

shadows　of　the　mountain；　or　the　graceful　form　of　trees；　or　the

varied　tints　of　leaves　and　flowers；　but　you　can　represent　the

figure　of　a　man　or　woman　more　beautiful　than　any　one　man　or　woman

that　has　ever　appeared。　　What　mortal　woman　ever　expressed　the

ethereal　beauty　depicted　in　a　Madonna　of　Raphael　or　Murillo？　　And

what　man　ever　had　such　a　sublimity　of　aspect　and　figure　as　the

creations　of　Michael　Angelo？　　Why；　〃a　beggar；〃　says　one　of　his

greatest　critics；　〃arose　from　his　hand　the　patriarch　of　poverty；

the　hump　of　his　dwarf　is　impressed　with　dignity；　his　infants　are

men；　and　his　men　are　giants。〃　　And；　says　another　critic；　〃he　is　the

inventor　of　epic　painting；　in　that　sublime　circle　of　the　Sistine

Chapel　which　exhibits　the　origin；　progress；　and　final　dispensation

of　the　theocracy。　　He　has　personified　motion　in　the　cartoon　of

Pisa；　portrayed　meditation　in　the　prophets　and　sibyls　of　the

Sistine　Chapel　and　in　the　Last　Judgment；　traced　every　attitude

which　varies　the　human　body；　with　every　passion　which　sways　the

human　soul。〃　　His　supremacy　is　in　the　mighty　soaring　of　his

intellectual　conceptions。　　Marvellous　as　a　creator；　like

Shakspeare；　profound　and　solemn；　like　Dante；　representing　power

even　in　repose；　and　giving　to　the　Cyclopean　forms　which　he　has

called　into　being　a　charm　of　moral　excellence　which　secures　our

sympathy；　a　firm　believer　in　a　supreme　and　personal　God；

disciplined　in　worldly　trials；　and　glowing　in　lofty　conceptions　of

justice；he　delights　in　portraying　the　stern　prophets　of　Israel；

surrounded　with　an　atmosphere　of　holiness；　yet　breathing　compassion

on　those　whom　they　denounce；　august　in　dignity；　yet　melting　with

tenderness；　solemn；　sad；　profound。　　Thus　was　his　influence　pure　and

exalted　in　an　art　which　has　too　often　been　prostituted　to　please

the　perverted　taste　of　a　sensual　age。　　The　most　refined　and

expressive　of　all　the　arts；as　it　sometimes　is；　and　always　should

be；is　the　one　which　oftenest　appeals　to　that　which　Christianity

teaches　us　to　shun。　　You　may　say；　〃Evil　to　him　who　evil　thinks；〃

especially　ye　pure　and　immaculate　persons　who　have　walked

uncorrupted　amid　the　galleries　of　Paris；　Dresden；　Florence；　and

Rome；　but　I　fancy　that　pictures；　like　books；　are　what　we　choose　to

make　them；　and　that　the　more　exquisite　the　art　by　which　vice　is

divested　of　its　grossness；　but　not　of　its　subtle　poisons；like　the

New　Heloise　of　Rousseau　or　the　Wilhelm　Meister　of　Goethe；the　more

fatally　will　it　lead　astray　by　the　insidious　entrance　of　an　evil

spirit　in　the　guise　of　an　angel　of　light。　　Art；　like　literature；　is

neither　good　nor　evil　abstractly；　but　may　become　a　savor　of　death

unto　death；　as　well　as　of　life　unto　life。　　You　cannot　extinguish　it

without　destroying　one　of　the　noblest　developments　of　civilization；

but　you　cannot　have　civilization　without　multiplying　the

temptations　of　human　society；　and　hence　must　be　guarded　from　those

destructive　cankers　which；　as　in　old　Rome；　eat　out　the　virtues　on

which　the　strength　of　man　is　based。　　The　old　apostles；　and　other

great　benefactors　of　the　world；　attached　more　value　to　the　truths

which　elevate　than　to　the　arts　which　soften。　　It　was　the　noble

direction　which　Michael　Angelo　gave　to　art　which　made　him　a　great

benefactor　not　only　of　civilization；　but　also　of　art；　by　linking

with　it　the　eternal　ideas　of　majesty　and　dignity；　as　well　as　the

truths　which　are　taught　by　divine　inspiration；another

illustration　of　the　profound　reverence　which　the　great　master　minds

of　the　world；　like　Augustine；　Pascal；　and　Bacon；　have　ever

expressed　for　the　ideas　which　were　revealed　by　Christianity　and　the

old　prophets　of　Jehovah；　ideas　which　many　bright　but　inferior

intellects；　in　their　egotistical　arrogance；　have　sought　to　subvert。



Yet　it　was　neither　as　sculptor　nor　painter　that　Michael　Angelo　left

the　most　enduring　influence；　but　as　architect。　　Painting　and

sculpture　are　the　exclusive　ornaments　and　possession　of　the　rich

and　favored。　　But　architecture　concerns　all　men；　and　most　men　have

something　to　do　with　it　in　the　course　of　their　lives。　　What　boots

it　that　a　man　pays　two　thousand　pounds　for　a　picture　to　be　shut　up

in　his　library；　and　probably　more　valued　for　its　rarity；　or　from

the　caprices　of　fashion；　than　for　its　real　merits？　　But　it　is

something　when　a　nation　pays　a　million　for　a　ridiculous　building；

without　regard　to　the　object　for　which　it　is　intended；to　be

observed　and　criticised　by　everybody　and　for　succeeding

generations。　　A　good　picture　is　the　admiration　of　a　few；　a

magnificent　edifice　is　the　pride　of　thousands。　　A　picture

necessarily　cultivates　the　taste　of　a　family　circle；　a　public

edifice　educates　the　minds　of　millions。　　Even　the　Moses　of