essays on life, art and science-第20节

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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　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