Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1876-02-25

IIl CATtoYNls of EovE.-ihe new Italian
people, the new civilization, the new Italian
art, the new Italian literature, begin in the
catac1mts OF Rome Ilsr- i the origin
Of all that afterward became great. Ii is
ttas that the new people, the poor. the
weak, children and wome n. the aged and
the suffering, all whom the Roman patrician
and the ancient historians deSpised in then
pride a. flagl, and p'as. are assembled.
Il Is there that the stranger, the oppressed,
the per.ecutei, the converts, the threatened
victims Of the circus, OF the torturcs of the
EmVer0rs, found a shelter and home.
There Is whole cycle Of art and poetry in
these catacomhs Ii Is not poetry as yet
perfect in form, precise in languago. elegant
IN style but there i in everything an cf-
fort TO convey sentiment under an image,
to show the ideal in the reality, to give
symbol to toarchitcctare, to painting, to sculp-
ture, and to the Inscriptions. The way in
which these innumerab.e galleries have been
cut under the old cGmpagnd Romano, these
intricate and confusing passages, diyerging
in every direction-the work Of terror and
necessity, and yet eloquent in their mystcr
i0us teachings, cnipining separation from
the world and the world : pleasure, speak
ing OF hope in an immortal life, which alone
could make such aa abode endurahle, From
this mystery, from this ideality, arose the
architecture Of the new religion. The paint
incs which cover these walls often show the
inexperience Of the artist and the ignorance
of the PEOPLE sometimes the traditions of
antiquity reveal themselves in the images
yet through those traditions you perceive
the new idea, the faith, destined TO animate
and transform art faith Is in the face, in
the look, in the attitude Of those figures,
which With eyes upturned and hands point
inE to heaven arc types Of the new Christians,
and no other than the Christian. You
recognize the novelty OF the Christian paint
ing at every stcp by the intensity of feeling,
by the inspiration which animates these
rude figures, and which determines their
arrangement, and suggests their forms No
picture OF distress, despair, or desolation is
there, where des0lation must have assumed
its most fearful aspects. In those dark
vaults you may see now the Good Shepherd
gently bearing the young lamb in His arms,
showing His protection To the weak and in
nocent now four compartments in which are
drawn subjects from the Old and New
Testamcn;s, surrounded by garlands Of
flowers and fruit now it Is Noah in his
ark now Moses striking the rock, or Job
on the dung-hill, or the miracle Of Cana,
the multiplication Of loaves, or Lazarus rising
from the tomb. More frequently it Is Dan
el in the Lions den, symbol of martyrdom
by wild beasts or Jonas elected by the
whale, symbol of martyrdom by water /;
OF the three children in the furnace, SYM
bol OF martyrdom by fire. These scenes Of
triumphant martyrdom were evidently paint
ed TO give courage and consolation. But
no traces Of contemporary prosecutions, no
representations Of Christian slaughters do
We find nor scenes of blooodshed to awake
hatred and revenge, while images Of pardon,
love, and hope are predominant. This is
Christian painting in the catacombs. This
is Christian symbolism. We pass to seulp-
ture. The resting place of their dear ones
would not be left without trace of affection
and of regret Sculpture begins with hero
glyphics, with figures void Of proportion or
grace, of no implrtrnce except from the idea
they represent. Thus Leaf expressed the
fragility of life boat with a sail the rap
dity of lie ; the dove bearing branch the
approach OF better life. Here the easel,
unable to represent the secret idea Of the
artist, called in the assistance Of language
Every word in the inscription betrays want
CT knowledge; everything proves that it
was the poor, the ignorant classes of the
people, which the new religion was about
to regenerate. Latin inscriptions in Greek
letters. faults OF language, errors of con-
structiou, incorrect orthography, all reveal
the mother, the slaye-father, furtirely cut
ting the expressions of their grief and OF
their hopes in the stone, before which they
fall on their knees and weep and groan.
Here is Florentius, happy little lamb of
God" says one. "Iou tell to early, Con
stance, miracle of beauty and goodness, y
said another, and so on. This was early
Christian art and poetry. But from those
miserable dens, which the prosecutors per
haps heard of with contempt, new civillza-
ton was about 10 arise. Rome was mined
by subterranean city, and that city had
mined the foundation of the Roman power
NacmTlan's Magazine.