The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-04-12
CHRIST / The
MODERN World
Present Generation Too IRE
Iigious to be BACKGROUND.
UNLIKE CENTURIES AGO
When Christ Was Placed in
Group of Peasants.
UNLIKE CENTURIES AGO


subject and in his manner of presentin;
/ it.
This was but a single chapter in tn,
/ general tendency Of the times, for paint
ing like literature, IN the aggregate, a
! any rate, must express the spirit of it
age. And to an age of loose thinking
and Of weak hearted adherence to im'
worn traditions had succeeded one Of
eager searching after facts; analytical
penetrating, exact; empiricism had pass
ed away, the pursuit of scientific investi-
cation took its place. Correspondingly
the painter discovered nature and sci
himself to represent humanity in actual
relation TO its environment.
What this means in the case of pic
ture may be illustrated by popular ex-
ample. You are familiar with the photo
graphs which represent a scene from q
play. They are often taken by fashlight,
under the sharp glare of which the seen
cry is apt to lose its illusion and to APP
pear a mere background. The actors
and actresses, moreover, summoned spec
tally to undergo the ordeal, put them
selves into positions TO reproduce the in
cident of the scene, but as they are not
really absorbed in the progress of the
play, they succeed only in appearing TO
have posed as indeed they have. and are
obviously conscious of the camera. Well,
thousands of pictures have been concocted
in the same nanner-historical subjects,
religious and those embodylng incidents
of domestic life. The painter has posed
q model for each figure, and then assem-
bled all his figures into one group IN a
more rless theatrical manner, and there
they remain attitudinizing, gesturing and
grimacing, as if conscious all the while
of the spectators watching them, where
as in real life people are absorbed in what
they are doing. Such pictures may be
very striking, quite beautiful and interest
ing. but their effectiveness will be that of
a stage representation rather than that
of actual life. Perhaps for that very
reason you will prefer them. If so, 1 will
not attempt to convert you; my only OBJ
ject in raising the issue is to lead up to
what certain painters have done in their
attempts to make the representation of
religious subjects more real to modern
minds.
This reality has been understood in two
ways. Rembrandt, for example, peopled
his scenes of the "Crucifxion'' or the
Sermon of the Mount" and indeed, all
his sacred incidents, with figures drawn
from such persons as he would meet any
day during his walks in the streets and
along the canals of Amsterdam. In the
way of historical accuracy this was mani
testify not real, yet he made them all so
naturally and unconsciously a part of
the impression produced By his etchings
is one of very sincere and moving reality.
1t was the same with the early German
and Flemish artists and to considerable
extent with the Italian. The sacred story
was an intimate part of the life of their
times; people accepted it with the entire
simplicity of unquestioning faith; it was
in every sense a Tive issue" and when
representing it the painters introduced
in the most natural manner the living men
and women of their day.
On the other hand, when the childlike
interest in the sacred story had passed
away, and the painters used the incidents
merely as effective subjects for a picture,
they localized their models and clothed
them in more or less classic draperies. as
pictorial effects which they desired. Ra-
phael set the fashion, and every one.
but without his spirituality of motive
followed suit. so that time went on
the religious pictures not only lost all
religious significance, but became intoler-
ably pretentous, vapid and tiresome. 1t
was from this that the newly awakened
sense of truth of the nineteenth century
revolted.
The movement began in Germany and
seems to have occupied mems minds be-
fore any painter actually took part in It.
since as early as 1890 the following pass
age occurs in 4. a. Hoffman's ''Leben-
sansichten des Katers Nun" -
% Tell me yourself, reverend sir. could
You imagine sacred story with modern
costume, q st. Joseph in a coat of pilot
cloth. a virgin in dress with Turkish
shall thrown over her shoulders? Would
it not seem to you an undignified. nay.
horrible proclamation of the Hottest
theme? And yet old painters. more es-
pecially the Germans, represented all
Biblical and sacred stories with the cos
tune of their own time. and 1t would be
quite false to maintain that those cos
tunes were better adapted to pictorial
representation than the present Many
Of the fashions Of the old times were ex-
aggerated. I might say monstrous. Just
fancy those pointed shoes bent upward
an ell in height, those bulging trunks.
those slashed jenkins and sleeves. Well
replied the Abbot. well. my dear Johan-
mes, in a few words I can put before you
thoroughly the difference between the old
pious age and the more corrupt era OF the
present Consider this:-In olden times
the sacred stories had 50 entered into hu-
man life. I might even say they were SO
much condition OF life. that every one
believed the miraculous TO have taken
place before his very eyes and that ever
lasting ouanipotence might allow i 70 hap
pen any day. And 10 the devout painter
sacred history. 70 which he Turned his
attention. was identified with the present:
among men surrounding him in life he
saw the grace OF God accomplished. and
because he perceived 1t 50 vividly il was
what he represented in his pictures. But.
ny dear Johannes. Just because the pres
ent age is too profsae not 10 stand in
hI5eous contrast with those pIous legends.
Just because no one Is in = condition 70
imagine those miracles taking place
among Us. the representation q them with
our modern costume m1st necessarily sp-
pear preposteTous. absurd and even II
revereat- II the Eternal Power were 20
permit 4 miracle actually 10 take place
before our eyes We night then tolerate
the costume Of our age IN the picture:
but so lang as this IS not the case young
painters II they would have a sure stand
point must take care 70 note with &C