The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-03-06
A NIGHT In REALMS OF ART
PROF.. VEIR,S LECTURE ON THE
GLORIES or aNGEEO'S WORK.


Evenlng-Ihe Next Lecture,
one of the most Interesting lectures
in it's line ever given in this city was
delivered at the Yale Art school last
evening by Professor John L. Weir,
who is at the head of the Fine Arts
school of Yale. The lecture was the
first in the series of six to be given by
Professor Weir. The subject last even
ing was "A Roman Itinerary in the
Time Of Michael Angelo" Professor
Weir began by describing the pic
turesque ruins OF the ancient glory of
Rome. He carried his audience along
as it We're on a journey this idea being
made more realistic from the fact that
fine stereopticon view was shown
of every ruin of the object described.
Among the views was one of the tenn
pie of Castor and Pollux, of which only
three columns now remain and of the
ancient capitol, Of which only the foun-
dationS are preserved. In connection
with the view of the ruins of the capt.
tol, a view of the tragic scene which
took place there was shown-Caesar lay
murdered at the foot of the statue of
Pompeii with the senators pressing close
around and Brutus standing in the
throng. Beautiful scenes of the Coils
scum We're shown, among others being
gladiatorial scene, representing cele-
bration of q triumph of Caesar. Around
the huge amphitheater were seated
thousands on thousands of eager spec
tators, while under broad, rich canopy
sits Caesar on his imperial throne. In
the arena the gladiators, perhaps pris-
oners taken in war, were bowling to
him, altogether making scene of gor-
geous semi barbaric splendor.
| When these ruins are seen at night
under the mellow light of the moon,
the Imagination easily re-creates the
scenes which centuries before were en-
acted within their walls. The Rome
under the Caesars and Rome under the
popes are so distinctly different that
| one can scarcely realize that it Is the
same city.
The broad plain of the Campagna
seen In the springtime is a scene of
rare beauty. There is now the same
landscape on which Cicero looked down
from his villa. Here was the villa OF
Lydia and nearby the statue of Angus
| tus was found. The Campagna with
its scattered ruins Is even more poetic
in it's beauty than the ruins of the city.
The modern Rome is built of the debris
of the ruins of the ancient city and is
medieval in the style Of it's architecture.
When Rome is first seen from a dis
/ lance the great dome of st. Peters at
/ tracts the gaze. This vast building is
on an enormous scale, but SO well are
| the proportions borne that it's magni-
tude is hardly realized. Although the
scale is SO vast everything Is so adj
| justed that the eye is deceived. In
| the semi circular colorado there are
2S6 columns, 81 pilasters and 1872 statues,
each IL feet high The builder of the
| age of the Renaissance was no less
bold than were those of the old Imperial
! Rome. AS one approaches the huge
| pile the vast dome seems to sink into
1 the structure. In the court in front is
an obelisk taken from Heliopolis. The
great columns before mentioned are
nine feet in diameter and 10 feet in
height. Here in the great piadzo the
pope blesses the multitude. In front
of him as he speaks lie On d cushion
| the three crowns.
Entering through the heavy leathern
curtains hung across the doorway one
does not at first realize the grandeur
Of the place, but gradually the magni-
| tude of his surrounding dawns upon
1 the beholder. The cherubs holding a
| ...- ~
sons walking on the other side Of the
corridor look like pigmies. The facades
with their priceless gems of painting,
the work of Michael Angelo, are grand.
Michael Angelo, the sculptor, was only
prevailed upon under great pressure to
undertake the work of decorating the
! facades. He continually told the pope
| that he was a sculptor not a painter,
but this did not avail and ne was finally
compelled to begin the great task. The
| picture of -"The Virgin Supporting the
Dead Christ was produced when An
| gelo was only twenty three years of
age.
/ On such vast scale are the halls of
st. Peters that ordinary sounds are
not heard; beneath that vaulted dome
40, 600 persons can stand without crowd
ing or inconvenience. One of the great
| ceremonies which take place here Is
| the publication of the virgin, SYM
bolic ceremony.
AS the pope passes out after the
entire audience of thousands kneel
down, and the Protestants present are
in doubtful state as to what to do,
but finally they are overcome with rev.
erence for the old man around whom
such associations cling, and bow them
selves
| The view of the dome from below is
/ beautiful. The top of the vaulting is
400 feet above the floor, and the dome
itself is 200 feet in diameter. The let
| tering around the dome, of which the
| letters are eight feet high,appears like
in book to the spectator far below The
fresco which Angelo executed. covers
| 1000 square feet He was unable to
make use Of the assistants, and so the
entire decoration IS his own work.
Contrary to his expectation his work
was a grand success, and the style
/ which he put into it was en-
tirely his own, and so grand was it that
even Raphael copied it. The power
which underlies the conception is
unique. Angelo was an Old Testament
Christian, and this characteristic is re-
produced in his work on the frescoes.
In the presence of such genius one may
| well ask what is the function of art.
The work cannot be INTERPRETED from