The gazette and Democrat. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1860-1860, 1860-08-16
THE SISTINE CHAPEL.
BY MRS. HARRIET BEEcHER STOWE.

This afternoon being bright anu sun y
ny one, we gave it to the study OF the q
Slstine Chapel. The majestic architec W
ture of St. Peters had already predis- Ell
posed one toward Michael Angelo, and al cl
though the last view we had in the Sis- 81
tine Chapel awakened no response Of sym
pathy, still we came TO look again. D
This time the view Of the Last Judge /,
ment only confirmed the aversion OF the o
former times. "
In its moral aspects merely, this pic II
ture can only be considered as one of t.
those shocking expression OF human a
grossness and ferocity which projects its =
own imagine over things called divine. In Q
the representations Of that great scene in c
which il 10 be revealed the highest maj
esty and wisdom Of the Creator and Ru- G
le, of the Universe, we look for gravity {
and majestic composure. We seek, to {
say the least, some of the serene majesty ,
of the ancient heads of Joye. But we
have instead great, brawny, muscular
man iu passion. dealing dsmnaton with
coars energy that appalls the delicate,
covering woman by his side. Thus low {
in those days had the idea Of divinejustice
fallen; and when we think that this coarse
brutal figure represents the benign Savior
OF the world, every Christian heart must
repel the blasphemy OF the representation
1t shows how completely tho Paganism
of the so.called Christian Church OF the
day had succeeded in reversing the idea
of TIE Good Shepherd-under which
Christ always appears in early art-the
High Priest and brother, touched with
the fseling of our in6rmites- -and how
: Nhey had in its place an avenglng despot.
Martain Luthern tells US that in his youth
: when he walked in the procession Of the
| Host, his heart was ready to sink with
' fear of Christ, and no wonder. Christ in
4 fact seemed to be regarded as habltually
8 in such state of indignation and ven
= geance as to require d constant course OF
i soothing appliances from his mother to al
;, low the human race to live; but now ac-
If cording toMichael Anglo, the hehourhas come
o when vindictiveness may have free course
= and the mother hides her sighd-as if
n God had created creature with greater
Y tenderness and love than be had hlms IT,
is There Is not a single trait of this picture
that expresses anything Of the divine
g scarcely anything that rises to the dig
d r,ity of the human. II is mere exhibit
s, ton Of the brute element Of wrath in
Q. man-lhe brute element Of fear and des'
ID pair in the lost, of brute exultation in the
m saints and angles. The covering figure
of the Madonna is the only human thing
lg in it. She looks like delicate woman
We among knot Of enraged gladiators
ly Such brawny, gigantic saints, men an(
er women, as are there exhibited look a
they might have been quite independen
ed of Providence--they needed nothing bet
id ter than their own fists and heels to deliv
We err them from any difficulty whatever. 81
int Catherine, with her wheel, is represent
ad ed bya listed virsgo, who could hav
ol- broken her own wheel and knocked dow
her executoners St. Bartholomew shake
to his skin in the face of the universe, an
his exhibits his naked bulk in truly Feje
lad aud canuibal style; and one thinks ger
as eraly, in regarding this enormously mu
my cular breed Of saints and angels, tha: hea'
md en- must be the particular land of priz
ad fghts--and no place for such lovely W.
ced men as she who sits shrinkiug,' cowerln
me, and abased in the center Of the uniVers
was brute couvulsion.
i of "Thou thoughtest that was altoget
er such an one as thyself," might tru
be written under this picture by the d
still vine hand. Even the heathen thou:
i'd more worthily of the godhead.
ich In the Apollo Belvidere we see t
rom Greek. Conception ola Divine Being W
xilo had Just launched the shaft of vensean
hat against monster evil, But how ir
ling how high, how calm the expression. li'
his clear and majestic the serenity OF
her brow-how graceful and harmonious
His attitude We feel that the vengeance
asst. god is beautiful! Thus easily; said
lad- Greek artist doth the divine malet
af- overcome evil--thus without convulsio
uth- without one reflected shadow of the m
rue ster, doth it send the arrow Of celest
had justice
axes Force is the great attitude of divin
dis according to Michae! Angelo and e'
then hs does not discriminate botw'
ouId the grosser and the finer forms Of force
How the force of wedge and beetle and
ly G. force Of electricity. He studied the
hout Testament in its rougher and storm
IS re. phases, but forgot the significant st
leath Which tells how God was not in the t.
nous pest; not in the earthquake, but In
seate "still. small voice
9 fire Comparing the Judgement OF Micl
/, she Angelo with the same subject as tres
ctim. by Orcagna on the walls of the Car
4 Santo, tits easyto feel that religious
r; not in his person had fallen into vigor
when hands, which were destined to run it
0 en-. idly down bill into materialism and gr
Q try ness. In that ruined fresco--with all
n this faults of an imperfect development! Of
have material forces of srl-there is G
could posed and majestic strength, moral
nifty, worthy the subject. The severe
me mournful gravity of Christ and the
.tion? donna speaks nothing of human W
ire at, or passion--the calm, solemn stateI
Wished of the apostles and prophets. the gra
of their decorous robes, which one
on all cies might be heard falling in swa
exist. folds in the awful hush and sllllnes
yn the that decisive momemt--the grand, m
rious figures of warrior angels, who
lesson, brows solemnly sad, sever the vi
hat we from the Just without passion, wit
f upon yindictiveness, but on the grounds