The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1910-12-23
HOW OLD PAINTERS VIEWED
CHRISTMAS.

A picture is ike a dlnner, says MI. |
Frederick Keppel, the well-known art |
connoisseur. A verbal description Of |
either is inadequate, and one must |
view the picture or eat the dinner,
as the case may be, if one desires to
form An opinion OF the quality or
the one or the other"
Such an apology is offered for the alb
sence of detailed description of the
pictures that represent the Christmas
idea, brought together by Mr.. Keppel
in recently published volume called
Christmas in Art" His apology
may be reechoed by us who reproduce
some of the charming things Of the
volume, letting the pictures for the
most part speak for themselves.
There is one important observation
made by the editor of the volume to
account for the character of the
choice here made The pictures
which represent variety in national
expression are entirely of day long
past I'm the case OF Biblical pie
lures observes Mr. Keppel, "as in
the case of ecclesiastical architecture
and sculpture, the finest are certainly
those produced in centuries past and
not those of our own too sophisticated
day" This is because the really
great works of Christian art were
made in the epochs of simple and I'M
: questioning faith. The writer
speaks thus of one or two masters
: here reproduced:
albert Durer, who was born at
Nuremberg in 1471, was full of sim
: pie credence in the Catholic Church
: Of four centuries ago, although he lived
to see his native city = center of the
Reformation, and although he en-
graved a fine portrait Of the reform
! er, Philip Melancth0n; nut from Dur
err we get some of the most heartfelt
and truly beautiful pictures of the
, Nativity Notice the original engrav-
ing done by him in the year 1874.
Here we see the Virgin Mother ador-
/ ing her Holy Child, while st. Joseph
is engaged in the prosaic domestic
employment Of drawing water from
! we'll
"The surrounding buildings are en-
tirely in the manner of Nuremberg,
and not at all like those of Palestine ;
but what does that matter?-the pic
ture as it stands is a beautiful one,
and full Of genuine inspiration
y Take again the original etching
by Rembrandt, the angel announcing
g the birth of Christ to the shepherds
c The picture was etched in the year
. 1884 1t is really a sublime compost
. ton, Notwithstanding it's close ap
proach, in parts. to the innocentb
ludicrous. The whole conception o.
:, the scene may Justly be called noble
70 and exalted; but such details as the
= heavy Dutch angel and the pin
wheel Of cherubs whrling above him
as we'll as the CONSERVATION Of tn,
q cattle and the shepherds belCw Nare
10 US, perilously near being ridicu
il lous- although the master neye
meant them to be so.
- In this old picture, repeat W
" have genuine feelings. The artist
made their pictures just as they fel
rs them, and genuine feeling is tn
h, source of all great art no matte
o. through what medium he artist ma
lg express himself.
d. The pictures of sacred subject
Xt produced in the early ages of the fat
in and simplicity, Mr.. Keppel reminds III
IS show that the chief intention of tn
n, artist was to stimulate the piety {
q, the spectator, and not to make
p pretty picture The literary D
". geSt.