The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-07-14
PORTRAITS OF CHRIST.

! IUhIhAIlS Uf CHk1SE.
There can be no reasonable doubt
in the minds of those who intelli-
gently and impartially examine the
interesting subject, that the familiar
portraitures of the Savior of man
kind are not the mere creations ofre-
ligious fancy, but in their essential
feature have been transmitted by
faithful and loving hands from the
earliest days of the Christian Church.
That the mission of Christ on earth,
the peculiar circumstances attending
his birth and death, the manner aud
matter ofhis teachings, and the effect
which those teachings produced even
during his lifetime, did awaken a
profound and lasting interest, at least
in Judea, none, we presume, will
deny. That very many ofthose who,
through conviction of their truth or
idle curiosity, attended Oh his min
istrations, should carry away with
them not only distinct recollection
of the principles inculcated, but a
vivid memory of the face and form of
Him "who spake as never man
spake," is too seft-evident to need sr-
| gnment. And if strangers and
scofiers remembered me ngure nd
countenance ofthe despised Nazarene
how could the twelve apostles, Mar
tha and Mary and the little company
who believed Jesus to be the yerita-
bic Messiah, the incarnate God, for
get his looks when he had passed
from Calvary to the Throne, And
if his outward seeming did stamp it.
| self indelibly upon their souls, would
they not cherish it as a fond tradi-
ton, convey it from father to son,
generation to generation, until the
divine lineaments of their risen Lord
were caught By some sympathetic
artist and placed upon canvas or CHS
eled in marble? Nothing could be
more natural than this, and we there
fore hold that all of the portraits of
Jesus Christ are based upon some |
original: done, no one knows when, |
where or by whom, but certainly |
done in accordance with the legend |
derived from apostolic times. That |
any of them are exactly correct VIC |
are not sufficiently credulOus as to |
believe, but we do believe that the
world has better and more truth |
ful idea of the person ofthe Redeem
er than can be obtained of any other
Individual who lived and died eigh-
teen centuries ago.
We propose in this sketch to give
soQe of the descriptions of Christ
which are TO be found in the writings
of the fathers, and follow them with
a brief mention of what arc cOnsid-
cred the most authentic portraits.
st. jerome SAYS that in the face and |
eyes of Jesus there "was something
heavenly, so that from their glory |
and majesty the hidden Godhead
flashed forth" Origen believed that
Christ had no fixed appearance, but
was manifested TO every person in
accordance with that persons idea of
personal beauty. Theophanes says
that some historians described him
as having curled and scanty hair.
st. John of Damascus, writing to the
Emperor Theophilus, declares that
Christ was tall and stately, had
brOws uniting over the nose, which
was large; beautiful eyes, hair Of a
golden brown shade inclined to curl
like his mothers, and black beard.
Ills head was always somewhat bow
TO have lived while the Savior was
on earth, and to have held a position
among the retaincrs ofPilatc--though
both statements are probably 1icti-
ciOus-wrote letter which is quoted
by St. Anselm of Canterbury in llOT.
We extract single passage: '1Ic
Christ is man of tall stature,
comely, having venerable coUnte-
nance, which those beholding must |
love or fear. Ills hair is waving and
curled, rolling to his shoulders, hay-
ing parting in the middle of the
head, after the manner of the Naza-
renes. His brow is smooth and Sc
rene, his face without wrinkle or
blemish of any kind, and rendered
beautiful by a moderate color. There
is no fault TO be found with the nose
or mouth his hair is the color of the
hazel nut; his beard the same shade
as his hair; not long but bifurcated,
and his eyes grayish blue and full of
light. His hands and arms are
beautiful"
Nicephorus Callistus Zanthepolus,
who lived at Constantinoplo between
1925 and 1850, and wrote a volumi-
nous ecclesiastical history, sums up
the ancient descriptions i'll the fol-
lowing words:
"Christ was beautiful in body; his
height seven complete spans; his
hair yelIowish, but not thick, and at
the ends somewhat curled. His eye
brows were black, only little arch
ed and without break; his eyes were
hazel, and of that description known
as bright-eyed-not dim, and i'll no :
way misiormcd nor wandering. His
nose was prominent, his beard red
dish, not profuse, but the hair of the
head was abundant, for never had
razor or hand Of man shorn it. His
neck was somewhat bent so that he
he did not walk perfectly upright
the color of his face was not round
nor pointed, but, like his mothers,
a little dropping, and slightly blush
ing. His very countenancc indicat-
ed man of intelligence, with man
ners grave, calm, and removed from
anger. In all things he was like his
most pure mother"
Nicephorus gives this sketch of the
Virgin Mary:
"Nary was in everything modest |
and earnest she spake little, and
then only about necessities; she was
very courteous, and rendered TO all
honor aud respect. She spake to ali
with an engaging frankness, with
out laughing, without embarrass-
mcnt, and especially without rancor.
Finally, she was without pride, sim
pie. and without guile; she had no
insipidity about her, was unassum-
ing. She was OF middle stature,
though some assert her TO have been
taller. She had pale
tint, light hair, piocing eyes NAh ;
yellowish olive-colorcd pupils. Her !
brows were archcd and moderately
black; her nose moderately long F.;
her lips fresh and full of amiab;lity
when speaking; her face not round
or pointed, but longish, and her
hands and fingers fairly long. In
her dress she wa; fond of the natural
color"
We now turn to the most ancient
portraits of Christ which painters ,
have left us and the veneratiOn of the ,
church preserved. The history con-
nected with these, hC wever interest
ing, must, in the great major
ity of cases, be received with many
grains for allowance. The Greek {
monk, Michael, Simon Metaphysics,
st. Thomas Aquinas, and Nicepho- !
rns all assert that St Luke nainicl q |