The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-12-31
TREASURES OF MEXICO.
RARE RELIGIOUS PAINTINGS IN THE
OLD CHURCHES.

sent as Presents From the Pope.
A From the San Francisco Chronicle.
This month the twenty-thrd national
exhibition Of painting VIII be held in the
city of Mexico, under the direction of
Eduardo Luque Alcardy. by authority of
the government of Mexico. For in Mex
leo everything is done by authority, and
il is one of the pleasant things about this
wise but absolute dictatorship that it
chooses TO do so many good things. The
Mexicane art exhibitions have always been
successful, and this one will not be less
50 than the others, for Mexicans are edu-
Gated in artistic ways. Their cities are
40 much more beautiful than anything
mericans who have not strayed beyond
IN boundaries of their country have ever
dreamed of, their buildings are so much
more artistic and tremendously colored. so
much more beautiful in form and feeling
than anything American architecture has
ygt produced, that it is small wonder that
throughout the nation generally is 6iffus-
ed a very general love for and apprecia-
ton of good pictures.
} The finest pictures in Mexico repose in
the sacristies of old stone churches. Some
Of them are TOO precious to hang on the
outer walls, but at stated times the con-
gresation is admitted to a view of these
priceless treasures. Others not quite so
much coveted by the world at large are
allowed to hang in the church proper. The
finest pictures in all Mexico are the AIu-
rillos enc in The chapter-rOOm at Guadala-
lara. another in the Cathedral of Mexico,
the others in the National Gallery, and
Titan. somewhat inaccessible, hung in the
DELIGHTFUL tumble-doWn church of the
ruined village of Tzintzunzan, on Lake
Patzcuaro. The Murillo, at Guadalajara,
is an Assumpi ion, and an excellent exam
pie of the masters work, being fresh and
bright and beautiful as it was the day it
. was painted There are three Of these
Assumptions in the world, the other two
beng in European galleries, one in Paris
sand one in Madrid, l believe. The Eng
lish government, which wants the picture
for The Royal Academy, has made the
Bishop of Guadalajara a standing offer of
$4,000 for the picture but it has not been
accepted and never will be. The Nu-
rlo in the Cathedral Of Mexico is the
"Nrgln Of Bethlehem" a celebrated work,
and like the other Murillo, jealousy
guarded and carefully kept in the chapter
room of the Cathedral.
The Titan at Tzintzunzan is enshrined
in what was once the powerful establish
ment of San Francisco, closed and in
ruins since 1740, and now the parish
church. Everything about il is tumble
down. and the village is plunged in the
deepest poverty. There is one coffin for
n the entire village, each dead body being
carried in it in turn and then buried in
the bare earth, while the coffin is re-
served for the next. And yer in spite
of their extreme poverty, the Indians have
refused from the Archbishop of Mexico
price for the picture which divided among
the inhabitants of the village would make
every one'o them independently wealthy
according to their ideas.
4 The picture is an entombment, and there
Is no absolute certainty that it is a Titan.
TraditiOn-there is always a tradit IN in
MeXicO-asserts positively that it is
Titan, and all the internal evidence sup
ports it. Hundreds of artists have made
i the pilgrimage 20 see it and all pronounce
!. genuine. The story goes that the pic
ture was presented to Bishop Quiroga by
Philip II, and the figure at the extreme
right in the background is pointed out
that of the royal donor. The "Entomb-
i ment' is sixteen feet long by seven in
hight. The high lights fall from the arm
Of the dead Christ dropping from the
4 h3mmock-shaped sheet in which he is car
RED and on the headdress of the Virgin,
who bends over him. one end of the wind
ing sheet is held in the teeth of the dis
cpe. and surrounding the dead Christ is
/ the Virgin, the Magdalen, ST. John, and
nine other figures, all life-sze. A second
4 airy light is found in a bit of blue sky
4 IN the upper left-hand corner, agains,
which is relieved an italian villa the
4 painters own-a caprice of Titian's often
seen in his later works. The first thought
is Of the marvellous preservation of the
4 picture. 1t as more than 800 years since
Il the hand of the master touched it, and yet
4 its colors are as clear and bright and
4 fresh as though it were but yesterday. Be
sides the extraordinarily fine color, the
COMPOSITION the pose of individual fig
Tres the quality of the bit of landscape
a. he back, the intense shadows relieving
4 Fhe rich tones of the blue and brown drap-
4 cries, and the flesh tones for which Titan
4 Was famous, the relief and modelling of
The Christ, the low but luminous tones in
D which the whole picture is painted-all
proc aim it to be Ttian's work. HOpkin-
Som smith especially points out that Ii
Jams characteristic was a peculiar golden
~ low tone, divided into innumerable
sn3U but significant shades which pro
n ooee most complete ilusion of life. This
hty is peculiarly remarka bic in the
holy of the Christ, the flesh Of which
appears to glow with hidden fire.
70 much for the great foreign master
n I''t9 IN the churches. Ihere are also
come admirable things by Mexican artists,
lW most Of al the churches they have
i os'2utd and the interiors they have dec
Il grated make them famous. The insp,ra-
i uph OF Mexican painters have been mainly
4 4lous, perhaps because there
a was sale and living
4 h religious pictures. and also be
cause Mexican life is singuarly bound up
"'u religion. AT any rate one of the love
TEST landscapes in the world has been neg
Il '''td One of the best examples of what
i nHl.7 Mexican artists can do-among
4 .''m men of Indian eXtraction-s in the
4 beautiful Cathedral of Puebla. which is,
IL is' estimation of many, the most beau
4 N.1' 'hurch in Mexico-certaiuly much
more beautiful than the Cathedral in the
D.}, which is too garish and comes too
4 mgr 10 being gold-plated.
4 'ne of the pilgrimages that all visitors
4 " Mexico make il 10 the Escuela Ma
y'..' dc Bellas Artes (Natoral School Of
4 .Ae arts, which is usually spoken of as
tIH Al