The Savannah morning news., 1900-10-29
PAINTING is FADING AWAY.
DECAY on LEONARDO IA VINCrs
"rHE LAST SUPPER"
It's Restoration Proposcd-Onc of the
Highest Enorts. OF Human Mind.
The Three Other ChicG Master-
naInl.rn IN Ila..anrA.n

The Three Other Chtcf Mister
pieces IA Pictorial Art.
From the Baltimore sun.
Milan. oct Among the grandest
works OF the grand period Of painting In
Italy, the Last supper" OF Leonardo IA
Nlnci 10 20 be rcckoned.
There can be no two opinions on this
point
u IL Is not the greatest Of all pictures
as many assert IL to be. it must certainly
De- ranked as one Of the ,hres OF four
creations o. ART which are universally ac-
Ccpted a. the highest enorts OF the hui
man mind and hand-tAe ceiling Of the
sistinc Chapel hy Michael Angelo. the
"Transhguraucn. by Raphael and Do
neulrhino's Last Communion or n. Je-
rcmc
These three are masterpieces that have
won the admiration " an men whoss opln-
ions ATE entitled 20 Consideration for near
ly three centuries. but the appeal made in
ia Nlucfs work to the heart and che svrn
pathes ~ mankind is more Immediately
responded 20 than in the case Of the 9th
crs
Perhaps there Is no existing work az
art better ana more widely known to the
world than this masterpiece ~ Leonardo.
Magnificent line enErsyings. copied from
q and wrought with an accuracy ana a
power o. expression worthy of the best
days ~ the engraNcra art. have msde this
work familiar On hundreds o. thousands
OF homes If the wealthy 90 an lands
Even more humble dwellings are made
glad hy more or less crude memorial Of
% IN a ACKNOWLEDGMENT or a woodcut or
a photograph from an engraving
lis subject - easily understood by all;
the sorrow and solcmnty Of the event
represented IN Sc appeal to oil minds. the
simplest as we'll a. the most intellectual
This accounts for he general popularity.
The Original at Milan.
Tho original work. which was painted on
the end wall OF che rcfcctory Of the Dom
inican Friars OF Santa Maria delle Ora
zie at Milan. has well nigh faded out
4 quarfe- OF a century ago an obscrv-
ant writer said that al that time the
painted surface was scaling on. not very
rapidly hut necessarily. and he added. IN
sadly prophetic tone. that "this is.
perhaps the last generation whose eyes
will behold its beauties even yet 30 trans
cendant in their irreparahie decay"
Three year Sage I saw IL. and. after long
looking at H. thought that these fears
were exaggerated After heightened
visit 10 81 now ! fear that tho gloomy pre-
diction 10 becoming rapidly fulnlled. II
seems in a more ruined condition than be
fore.
You feel . pity AZ seeing THE incompar-
able masterpiece fading away. a. q were,
before your eyes
As sat 81 one % tbe high-hacked
chairs with which the ancient Rcfectory
% Santa Maria dclie Grazie r. now pro
vIded and looked upon that wall on which
Leonardo On Vinci had expended the tabor
Of seven OF the bal years Of hts ne I
could not help reneSing while I regretted
the loss that me world will suner when
Oh his work viii have passed into masses
Of more or less unmeaning coaors. that he
himself was much to blame. lie expert
mented with a new method and ground
Of painting He forsook the sure and
safe and long -cetah lishcd mode Of frcseo
painting and committed his labor 20 "a We
hicie 81 which he had not AZ any rate
sufficient experience.
And ns I regarded che great picture tho
central ngure. the Christ. naturally at
tracted my first attention. both from It's
position and from its Importance in the
work
sad 10 say. the face Of the Christ IL
blurred over with sort Of mist which
seems 10 have rendered the features In
distinct and vague; the eyes and the OUT
lines or the nose aud mouth and The form
OF the face around the chin are no longer
clear and defined You see them as
through g rather Thick veil. and though
yOu recognize the parsonage represented.
you cannot distinguish the lines and shad-
ows Of the face
You feel that this hgure is but the ghost
OF what IL wus originally. ana that il Is
fading gnoat-like from The eyes of men.
The Head OF Christ.
II sou wouI contemplate what II may
have been like a. one time YOU must 80 TO
the Bera Picture Gallery. aud, shutting
your eyes o. the glorious color and beauty
Of Raphae's Specialize" or Marriage
Of the virgin look az the worm-eaten
sheet of paper or which Leonardo made
charcoal drawing 81 the head Of Christ
that ne thought Of putting IN Lbs pic
ture
a. FIRST sight this head appears uncer-
tain In the outlines. as " the artist were
but trying what idea would best suit him
The longer you look however. the more
the beauty and expression and fitness 81
this marvellous work 20 the subject viii
impress YOU.
Ia all the range Of art drawings there
Is. perhaps. no one equal 10 this
The black charcoal lines are washed
with - pink color. which removes their
hardness. ana a. the distance Of few
steps you might imagine Il nne though
family tinted water-color drawing
The eyes are fu.l. the lids lowered and
Just the fainteet glimpse of the eve is
Visible a. Il locks down There a. q sense
o. sadness expressed IN tho lines ~ the
beautiful mouth which is infinitely touch
Ing. You feel that the moment which
the painter has chosen for his picture -
well denoted IN this siicni-spenking coun-
tenance. 50 rapidly and exqutsitely drawn
on this simple sheet ~ white PAPER.
In the great work IN the Refoc'ory OF
Santa Marie dele Grazic the whole scene
fun of action ana the expression a. tho
NOSE intense and most absorbing Of feel
inRs IL depicted 10 the full In this draw
inR % the Brera you read IN the face un-
told depths OF SORROW over the Gins ~ men
and infinite Kindness and tenderness to-
ward all
The Nan Of sorrow.
Bearing a vivid image of this drawing IN
mind and proceeding 10 the fading picture
Ia Santa Maria dele Grazie. you may thus
supply what Is lacking IN the great work
with this in mind you may disregard
mo blofchea % white wall which the seal
ing az the surface Of the picture reveals
beneath You may thus shut out from
sight the spots % raised surface here ana
there throughout The picture. which are
forming in Tiny roughnesB preparatory 10
dropping away.
Then. with a sort Of Informed vision.
you may see something of what the great