Rocky Ford enterprise., 1896-06-04

~ published In Tours,
N France. in tho mos,
expensive form, $1,000 each for
the nrst twenty-one copies. and
$500 each for tbs remainder Of the
edition Of 1000 copies. The Century
hos acquired tho right Of reproducing
q dozen of the finest OF Tissot's pic
lures. and these accompany Aisa
Coues' article. The writer says: In
the Paris Of to-day . great religious
work has been slowly accomplished. I'M
touched by the tnsidtous influences
about II. In the production OF this
work. which externaltzes his full d.
velopment as man and artist, n. Ts-
sot has been impolied by q desire to use
hts art for the purpose Of presenting q
truthful idea Of the figure Of Christ and
the personages Of his time-to olson
gage the whole. as far as possible. from
the mass of conventional legend and
inaecuracy which surrounds that De-
riod. and through which We are accus-
idea he made. in 1885. the flrst Of two
journeys to Palestine. beginning 4
serious study Of its topography. and a
the various races which have from tina
to time taken root these-ths4r mani
ners. customs. dress: gestures. aruhi:
lecture. government-endsav 10
sift through ths overeyinS m1ss Il
foreign influences (ArAh, TurkikA. Pss-
sian and Latin) tho trre elements q ths
old Jewish civilization, and Oeay1n6. -
far as possible. to enter into the menta1
and moral attitudes OF that raes d
Judsa, so unique In its design and des-
tiny. With this end in mind It was
necessary to reproduce with somc de-
gree Of exactitude the external sotsing
Of the events recorded in de GospelA
and he has thus reconstructed the
architecture OF that period with great
minuteness, proportioned af1er dixnsn-
sions and descriptions given In old his.
toric and religious works. He reb0ilds
Tor US tho ornate temples and houses Of
the Herods. and the simpler and more
harmonious lines OF older structures.
We see. too. the littls Syrian villages,
with thoir narrow. winding streets and
sQuaro, low dwellings, lighted through
tho door; md faithfully pictured ars
the varying types Of the Syrian land
the severe beauty Of Samaria, and thu
barren and melancholy wastes Of Judea
A devoat Catholic, n. Tissot had,
among other opportunities for study.
the privilege Of entering old monas-
terios and churches. generally inacces-
sible. where, jaalously guarded from
profane eyes. are to be found ancient
and curious manuscripts, carvings, and
relics which throw new light on the
history Of that time and tho early CEN
turtles Of the Christian era Apart from
what would seem almost special powers
OF intuition where his work Ia con-
ecrned, N. Tissos has boen greatly
aided by q study Of the Talmpd, Joscph.
"a. the early fathers Of tho church,
and the works Of the celebrated 60
states. among the last those marvellous
volumes Of Katrine Emmerich, almost
unknown and now out Of print, which
arc among the most curious revelations
Of the human mind. In connection with
his work M. Tissot has made q new
translation Of the Latin text of the
Vuigate. To those occupying them
selves With the history Of that period.
and specially to the student OF mystic
lore. the detailed catalogue of the pic
lures, accompanied by explanatory
notea. will prove Of the highest inter-
est. as NJ. Tissot is deeply versed in that
symbolism which made tho smallest Of
the jewish rites and customs pregnant
with meaning. He has thus q siguid-
canoe for everything. from the Jewel on
the broast of the high priest to The
color and shape Of the garments of the
participant at feast. It would be
difficult to overeshmate the docu-
mentary value OF III. Tissot's great work
apart from its high esthetic merit.
Scene after scene is restored with what
would seem almost the power Of q seer.
Each act Ia set in Its peculiar and
hitting environment Of place and con-
dition. end tho great drama unrolls
itself before us with a strange reality.
In the minute exactitude of the nor.
trayal one may follow the events with
something OF the intensity of an eve
witness. Tho diversity Of types ropre-
sented is most interesting IN its afhno.
logical and historic fidelity. being
drawn directly after those found there
to-day, and which are presumably the
e0AA'S AS" 90 LAiSAB cuuurlnH through
The inevitable changes Of governments
and customs the centuries have brought
In their train. One sees the Jew. the
Pharise>. tho, scribe, the Greek, the
Egyptian. the Arab. tho Roman, tho
aristocrat. the slave, each typo made
familiar by the Gospels, standing out
distinct unnistakable even to the
casual observer. The Syrian woman,
too. hns been faithfully pictured in her
iark-ese ed loveliness and languid grace.
reaching her highest perfection in tho
beauty Of Mary the Mother and Mary
Magdasen. Specially interesting from
this point Of view Is the picture Of the
.anhedrim, where every possible modi-
dcatiou Of the Jewish type is repre-
tented in that famous assembly which
10 lightly pronounced the sentence that
has brought down on It the maledic-
tion OF all succeeding ages.
A kAare cheats others: q fool him.
helf