Evening star., 1924-12-07

asnlnBlon ana IN the plans TOT a
more comprehensive schem of Chris
tian symbolism than exists in any Eu-
ropean cathedral
The finished product will be the
work Of many hands and minds.
Clergy. architects, builders, modelers
and scu'ptors will contribute their
ideas and technique. 1t will be diff
ficult to segregate individual glory. to
Identify the Christopher Wrens. but
that is not essential, for in the ca
thedral tradition the aim is always to
build to the glory of God.
AS an initiative force In art, re-
ligion was stronger in the past than
now. The time has passed when all
education, all artistic Interpretation,
centered around the cathedral, with
which they began. Americans are not,
perhaps, willing to consider seriously
the influence upon art Of cathedrals.
because there have been no outstand-
ing cathedrals in the United States.
The center OF artistic appreciation in
the United States probably will be
the home.
Yet as an agency for expressing in
lasting and monumental form the Ma
tion's religious faith the cathedral
has no substitute, and to do this in
the most artistic manner possible is the
aim of the Washington Cathedral
The philosopher projects his re-
ligious ideals in contemplation and
translates them in word symbols. The
artist communicates his ideas by pic
torial symbols in sculpture. painting
and architecture. In cathedral figure
sculpture the tradition of centuries of
religious experience has developed an
art unique in it's modes of expression.
Physical beauty. the ideal OF the
iC ha ~ 10,
lfgious art. The spiritual message is
of primary Importance; spiritual
grace and beauty the ideal.
To understand what part symbolism
plays in modern religious expression
one must go to the Old Testament
The symbolism of the Jews was one
of the most striking features OF their
religion. A mystical significance was
given even to the stones in the breast
plates The food, the ark. the mamma
and the stricken rock became sym
bols. The principal doctrines of Chris
tianity set forth by Jewish leaders
became n mine of symbolism. which
the Christian fathers adapted. The
New Testament is richer in symbolic
values. ending in the revelations in
one continued symbolic poem.
= X
A RCHITECTURE also has its fgu-
rative adaptations The founda-
ton is the rock of ages. Lime is fervent
charity. Water is an emblem of the
spirit. The four walls are the evangel-
lists or the four cardinal virtues. The
towers are the preachers. The glass
windows are the Holy Scriptures The
lattice work represents the prophets.
The door OF the church is Christ The
piers are bishops and doctors.
found in every religion.
Certain symbolic expressions belong
to all peoples. The language of flowers
illustrates this point The possibilities
Of symbolic representation in stone are
infinite. It's study is essential to the
background Of the artist who would
work for cathedrals and churches.
Gothic lavishes exquisite sculptural
deSail in places where the eye must be
raised to look for it. The general effect
OF the design is not lost by ornate and
superficial adornment. Its subtleties are
a decided contrast to much of our mod
ern architecture in which every element
of merit Is made as conspicuous as
false mantelpiece. But, of course,
cathedral is designed as place in
which to linger, to observe and TO at
tune oneself to the infinite The longer
one fingers the greater the delight in
fresh details. A finished cathedral
teaches by it's art that the beauty of
glance. and the vaulting bosses are a
vital part of this lesson
Sculptured ceilings 500 feet long east
and west and ais feet across at the
transepts will greet the visitor to Wash
ington Cathedral fve years hence. One
thousand vaulting bosses will tell the
story of Christianity. Even the heroic
figures on seven-ton stones will not re-
veal all their detail when viewed from
the main floor Of the nave. 90 feet be-
low. To tell message at that distance
there must at times be exaggeraticns OF
face and figure. A saint may drape him
self around a boss in a miraculous man.
ner in order that the person looking
from far below may see all of him in
one glance. Even such liberties toward
saints may be excused in the cause of
art
The Nicene Creed will be the pri-
mary theme for the principal bosses
In the nave vaulting. Each boss will
represent an individual thought, end
ing in the apse in the east with a
symbol OF the gates of heaven to
represent "the life of the world to
come"
SUBSIDIARY bosses will be ornamented
with the emblems of the apostles,
the symbols of the fathers of the
early church, the nine orders of an
gels from seraphim and cherubim to
archangels, and other groups of SYM
bols.
Volumes have been written on
Christian symbolism, but now vol
umes will be carved in stone. Carved
bosses have been a part of churches
in the United States heretofore, but
they have been purely decorative the
themes consisting mainly of plant
forms based upon fourteenth and fif-
teenth century examples. This will
be the first time in American church
architecture that a scheme of SYM
bolizing, utilizing human figures, has
been used in vaulting bosses. The
plan accepted by the Chapter of
Washington Cathedral represents
much research work by the cathedral
clergy, by Frohman. Robb & Little,
architects, and by Cram & Fergu-
son, consulting architects.
r Z x =
T Asst Summer a group of sculptors
- and carvers, under Lualdi, Incor-
porated, of Cambridge, transformed d
to the limestone vaults of the COM
pleted choir aisles the first of the de-
signs for the bosses. Now for the
first time can be seen the sculptured
stones. Drawing ana plaster models
have beenSuntil now the sole means
of illustrating the cathedral scheme.
The finished product is always more
convincing than the model
Among the symbolic figures of the
choir aisles are the sacraments of the
church and the seven gifts of the
Holy Spirit. Symbolizing the sacra-
ments there is in the first bay of the
north aisle a central boss showing
the chalice and paten of the holy
communion, surrounded by other