Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-04-14
IDEAL FACES
OF CHRIST

Il
son in history is there SO much o |
lecture and doubt. ''Thou are the most
beautiful among men," Thus wrote the
Prophet Josiah of Christ.
The Oldest portrait known to exist, if
it is q portrait, is up to this day in a |
vault of the CatacOmb Ia PrOtestantO. |
on the Via Appia. Rome: 1t is a fresco.
painted on the wall. dating from the
first half Of the second century, and
represents the . Biblical story of Christ
and the Jewish woman. who, by touch
ing his garment, was healed of an af-
lection of the blood. Christ is pictured
in the dress of q Roman youth, with
short hair and tOga.
Some years ago a marble head was
unearthed in Athens. which is supposed
to be a part of q statue of Christ. The
type is not Greek, but suggests Jewish
lines. The eyes are raised to heaven,
and the face is dignified and full of de-
yotional feeling.
The Christian artists of the third CEN
fury created a type of the Savior less
youthful and more serious than those
Of the period preceding theirs.
The halo is first noticed. s~urrounding
the head of Christ, in a painting In the
Catacombs. dating from the sixth CEN
tury. 1t is, however, not a Christian
invention, but an attribute generally
conceded to h gods and the roman
emperOrs.
About the same time artists began to
further adorn pictures of Christ by holy
svmhol and, landscapes of the country
in which He lived and preached. we
often find the Savior represented as
the good shepherd carrying q lamb on
His shoulder. while others surround
Him. The fish symbol was first useo ny
the artists of the middle ages.
The Oldest beardless type OF Christ
we fnd revived in a Bible Of the time
Of Charlemagne, dating. probably, from
the end Of the eighth century. ~ Goes
not seem to have pleased the Chris-
tians, however, and the artlsLs y Is
middle ages again accepted the Dearu-
"a Christ as the ideal representation
though they did not follow a stipulated
liLeness. All represent the race 81
Christ as that of al earnest a VIII
long semi-straight hair surrounding .le
face, with a mustacne anu ~ I'D
The Inns are sharply cut, the eyes Wlue
onen. About that time an alleged true
description'' of the face and inquire OF
the Savior became generally known
II was said to nave been written py q
Roman officer or governor or Jerusa-
lem, named Lentulus, Piiates preueoe@-
Ientulus wrote: "Christ has an open
forehead on which never a cloud set
tied. a face without WNnkles or Spots,
beautihed by a suspicion OF req. ms
nose and mouth are correctly anu ~
hlV drawn the Utdiu AS y
short and divided at the chin. 49,.
eft has the color of the hair. DARK
and glossy, The hair is divided IN the
middle and falls down on the shouiaers
as is the fashion in Nazareth. Inc
eyes are of blush gray color, clear anu
beautiful"
This description ntteo the lyPc
ready generally accepted. Its genuine
ness is doubted, however. Nevertne-
less. it appears to AVE inspired Al
brecht Duerer in his celebrated draw
ing known as the "Cloth of st. Veron-
ica."
The Greek church did not permit art
lists as much license in selecting types,
nor did It permit them to picture Christ
otherwise than in His GOdlike majesty
and dignity. A very interesting pict-
Dschami in Constantinople, which was
formerly a Catholic church belonging
to the Convent Chora. 1t is a mosaic
The Turk sitting at h feet of Christ
is supposed to be The founder OF the
mosque.
While the artists Of the middle ages
generally speaking, laid. perhaps toe
much stress in their pictorial represen-
tations on Christ's qualities as ruler OF
the universe, the painters of the Rem.
aissance period represent Him as the
ideal of love and devotion. The Christ
pictures of Leonardo da Vinci and Ra
phael picture Christ as the ideal man.
Artists of today who attempt tt
paint the Savior are clever in re.
source. Fearing to attempt the Divine
Face, they conceal 1t without appearing
to do so. In one Of the recent paint
ings the light falls full upon the facs
Of the Savior with such brilliancy tina
"a M@ -