Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1889-11-23

was "Nithout form or cOmennee'
ms and when we see Him there is N
nj beauty in Him that we should dc
az sire Him, 4" therefore He must havI
>. been uncomely, and thus the earl.
Greek artists painted Him. Thei
u SUCCESSORS, the Byzantine painters
j. as a school, and their mOderl
@ imitatOrs in the Greek Church, sill
preserve this ideal.
The Roman fathers, on the con
trary, on the authority Of the s5tf
IS Psalm, held that He ''was fairel
;, than the children of men," anC
= must have inherited more than the
royal beauty Of David. Accordingly
they desired to see Him as they
believed He was, 1.-THE chiefest
among ten thousand, " and the One
altogether lovely, rs in the poetic
rhapsody Of the clnticles.
AS Christianity prevailed and
conquered one nation after another,
the Christ-ideal in its pictural forms
went with the missionary and
church. One OF the Early fathers
mentions also that the different
bishops brought their favorite pic
lures, jewels and images TO the
great ecclesiastical councils.
At Rome, at Byzantium, and Mt
Ravenna (which was the italian
capital Of the Greek Empire) Chris
tian art, once free, preserved and
| gradually Improved the ancient
type, while creating those grand
works which We're to he the models
and inspiration Of all later art. The
council Of COnstantinOple in 692
! decreed that Christ might be directly
+ represented in art, and that such
presentation was preferable 10 The
symbollzing which had become
mystic and bewildering TO the
Ignorant.
Gregory II. in 735, says that
''men expended their estates TO have |
the sacred stories represented in |
paintings. They took strangers and |
pagaus 10 look at these, where they |
could point out with the finger and
so edify them rs 10 lift their hearts
and minds 10 God" The position
Of the Roman Church was that
images and pictures were ''liuks Of
that ideal chain 10y which art has
riveted the union between the
visible and the invisible life. All
the complex presentmcnts Of Chris
tianity TO the soul through the
senses are the divinely eloquent
appeals Of GENTS in the sanctuary"
Adrian /, recognizing Christ as the
new Adam and 4 model OF beauty |
and perfection Of form, decreed that
He should ''be represented with all
d.. I,a,,,fv. 81 ,rf -
As early rs the 9Th century, pic .
lures had become so universal that
PhOtius, the learned patriarch Of !
ConstantinDple, said that every q
nation portrayed Christ with its O
national features. But in 5
III these works there were some I'M I
carrying ideal elements: long, grave {
eatures, the unshOrn NaZarenc v
ocks, and the unshavcn beard. Il
Whatever variations the favOrite q
conceptions may have ex- i
libi.ed Ia particular works, the in n
'incible conservatism of the h
byzantine school, with its unde- 5,
iating formulas, has rigidly pre- h
srved and repeated continually the IA
ncient type, Their petrified art y
rs faithfully brought il down to Il
ar own day. While there have IN
cen infinite changes in features and ri
I subjects in different Christian III
nds, this steady adherence 10 the to
-chitype has also been maintained AZ
18th more or less fidelity in all b,
luntries. so
The free genius Of art has revealed d,
the ideal beauties OF the theme Of be
e divine man, but the sctefosand ht
lenln mission Of the Greek sacred ea
I has been 10 be faithful TO the old, 81
er protesting against the new. ID.
Al! nations have given their hest Fl
efforts TO the Christ-ideal. The an
me objects have inspired them all: W.
teach and 10 convert souls, rs well tn
10 embeliish houses OF worship. Il,
Dur ancestOrs We're probably ac- 10
ainted with the antiquities and wi
evalent art Of the countries they ter
d left. England, in the days Of tn,
e pilgrim fathers, had nothing TO
3st Of in native sacred art. Most ha
its work had been done by for see
,ners. Holland had known some m,
at painters, but they had brought hir
st Of their ideals AMI subjects '.H
m Italy. The same may be said on,
France in that age. German art ne
always been realistic, but not the las
; devOut and even mystical. Her I
.ional faces, home scenes and Wi
Unknown places have been asso- ten
ted with almost al the sacred had
mes. in our own time. such tina
sters rs Uhde and Zimmerman. non
picture Chris. rs min lish
Y in the humble peasant life OF moi
day. Uhde even pOrtrays@e vott
i Supper rs in familiar Ger be {
n cottage, with the characteristic tim
IS Of group Of his friends. re- trou
senling the disciples. They are min
the common people who heard Wit,
II sialIy' ihrir faces are in you
4 common, but they are noble idea
devOut. Il is not history. but II
; sentiment beautiful and in has
ing. The same realism il seen En-
recent italian art, and even Wa
ing the WORKS Of such French WA
tiers rs Bida, MorOt and Nfajg- sue,
B. English art is rather archaic Ter :
4 realistic. and
.
should be remembered, too. that the
N art was making its way i'm late
OI'ei Ior almost thousand years once
vas an element in teaching reli- Of a
TO people. While they learned Eur
ngerstand Christianity in such the
Give lessons, they learned also Am,
ppreciate the achievements Of Itis
n representing the objects they OF n
in reverence. III \
nerican sacred art began with out /
AMIN west well named the in n
eer Of the Western world In the scar,
ment OF Gospel themes. His m
Test original theme. and one nf vhir
,ranuest IN sacred art, is Christ wise
ted" had the privilege to rise
M admire II in the Academy will
inc Arts in New York. The 81. p
n, spurned Of men, and even are !
ed by His own people and de- from
ced by the high priest Of His Chu
er's House, stands bound and lishe
ned with thorns in the midst OF IL 81,
lu!tuous and wild throng. and Mari
e awful desOlation Of a cum n mn
and final rejection. MeekIv and
Tttas uS AtelSueQ even been
terrible accusation Of bias come
y charged by Jewish priest. simpl
opens not His mouth. boIdI,
fllate scOrns the alb again
accusation Of treason - IN
lking Himself n King-apd bisbo
TO wish to release Him; hut annoi
alton which He came 20 save I6ena
5 Him, and the Roman gov Italia
weakly hands Him over 10 thenc
will. The swagrer- wher,
lumPh OF the vehement priest arms
accuses and denies the very he his
e Of Israeli is in awful con- the m
sith the gentle submission of Chur,
lightly One who yields Him. not Io
save by the cross rather than infiue
pom the throne. can't,
type of face is rather classic. pleteI,
-, Si-.' anu sweeter than the Of pr
~ SieeA iueal. Even