Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-10-04
Influence Of the Franciscan Monk
ON Art.

To the Franciscan monks, who exer-
cised popular influence on italian lit
erature before Dante, We must also give
the glory of having, in the bassilica of
Assist dedicated to the founder), begun
the first and most important change in
Italian art, that of its emancipation
from the conventionalities of Greek or
Byzantine artists in church painting.
Byzantine church painting had its day /;
excellent specimens of its merits are
numerous all over Italy, more especially
at Rome, Ravenna and Venice. But its
types are no longer suited to an age
whose appreciations of beauty increased
with wealth, luxury and intercourse
with other countries-an age in fact,
which marked the first manhood of the
Italian people and the Italian mind.
the Byzantine figures breathe vigor and
simplicity, and sometimes certain ma
jesty of design; but the disposition of
the group is evtravagant; the details
are incorrect, the outlines dry, and no
knowledge of perspective is evinced.
Profusion of gold everywhere, especial
ly in the ground on which stand forth
the figures of the Redeemer or of the
Creator. On some crucifixes yon would
see supposed mummies had been sus-
pended with feet disjointed, while
wounds pour out large rivulets of
greenish blood; black, stern madonna,
with long, stiff fingers, round eyes, and
rough child; in general long figures,
vulgar heads, and want of expression
are the characteristics of Byzantine art.
1t has Imagination without grace; rich
ness, but no purity of design; rigidity,
but no power; talent but no genius, it
is, in fact, a style of translation, which
soon became one of decline, when, hav-
ing adopted certain immutable laws,
art was reduced to mere mechanism,
which any monk could copy and repro
duce with little trouble or expense. 1t
is in the bassilica of Assist that Guido
de Siena and Giunta da Pisa emancipa-
ted themselves by degrees from their
Greek masters. The golden ground we
see first substituted by azure besprin-
kled with golden stars. The figures be-
come more animated, the expression
more ideal, the dryness of the outline
and grouping is softened, the immobility
of the attitudes give place to natural
disposition, in fact art makes the first
steps in its new life.
Guido de Siena and Giunta da Pisa
are followed by Bonamico, Parabuvi,
Diotisalvi, and by that Duccio who is
placed by some above Cimabue and
Giotto, who completed the revolution.
Among the many paintings inspired
for the new style of art by the founder
of the Franciscan order, every one who
has been in Assist must have seen Giot-
to's fresco representing the wedding Of
st. Francis with Poverty, in her ragged
clothes, with a slender form and thin
face, but still preserving the features
of beautiful woman. A dog barks at
her, two children throw stones at her
and place thorns in her path, she, calm,
happy, and radiant, stretches out her
hand to st. Francis. While Christ him
self joins their hands, the Eternal Faith
er, accompanied by angels. appears in
the midst of clouds, as if heaven and
the universe assisted at the happy we'd
ming. There is nothing here which
.eI ..
Greek manner. All is new, and free
from school conventionality. And If
you read the hymn from Dante to St.
Francis, and the songs of ST. Francis
himself, and of Jaccopone in praise of
poverty, and then look at the fresco of
Assist, you will see in the Franciscan
order the same course of inspiration,
the same sign of popularity.-Macml-
Inns Nd1Dziue