Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1962-12-23
ARTS AND ARTISTS
Late Medieval Art
In Baltimore Show

This is all to the good be-
cause 1t gives us, looking
back at the past, a healthy
feeling of inferiority, with
out which we'd be unbear-
able.
If you care to refresh your
inferiority feelings, or if you
simply want to see a beau
tiful exhibition of late med
ieval art objects, you'd bet
ter get over to Baltimore in
the next seven days to see
the Walters Art Gallery show,
1.-THE International Style:
The Arts in Europe Around
l400."
AS the subtitle suggests,
the Renaissance was already
in second gear and gather
ing speed when most of the
material on view was created.
In 1400. Giotto had been
dead over so years, Duccio
over 80. Ghiberti, Donatello
and Fra Angelica were in
their teens or early twen-
ties. MaSaccio was about to
be born. In short, the Rem
aiSsance was we'll under way
when this enchanting pic
ture of life in the Middle
Ages was actually painted,
cast, carved. woven and
enamelled in the l6l objects
at the Walters.
Medieval art was i'm
mensely decorative, like ma
ture, the manuscript illumi-
nator abhorred an empty
space and rushed to fill it
with the endless, turning,
twisting line of his gold en-
bellished vegetation. Sur
rounding a few sentences Of
text, also beautifully and in
tricately drawn, the fantas-
tic Towering of line prolif-
crates in all directions,
sprouting leaves and blossoms
and glowing with rich reds
and blues and spots Of gold.
With Devotion
At times this urge to keep
going seems to work against
what we would take to be
the emotional intent of the
artist. On the crucifixion
page of a Paris missal Of
about 400, the scene is
richly bordered in leafy vines.
They grow out of the painted
image of a carved wood
frame. Within that frame is
the crucifixion scene, Christ
on the cross, the Virgin
and st. John on either side.
all placed on a highly styled
bit Of rock which. small as
1t is. has its own ravines
and plateaus. as we'll as flow
ers. The background is COM
pletely filled with an intri-
cate checkerboard pattern.
Against this no less than
eight tiny angels hover in
varied expression Of grief,
three of them engaged in
catching the blood flowing
from the hands and the side
Of Christ.
Now, all Of this is so
excessive that 1t ought to
make us smile. But 1t doesn't.
quite. Instead. what comes
through is the intense de-
votion Of the illuminator.
who working on a subject Of
profound personal signifi-
canoe, felt impelled to elab-
crate, to vary. TO fill up ev-
cry inch Of available space.
His deep feeling for the sub
ject makes itself felt even in
the inappropriate delicacy
and proliferation Of his line.
VIII Live Forever
This happens again and
again with the religious sub
jectS In the show and. nat
urally, the vast majority Of
the pieces are religious sub
Jects. There is always exqui-
site workmanship, giYeb
without stint and lavished
even upon objects or parts
OF objects which would not,
in the ordinary course OF
things, be seen by very many
people II by any. In tapes
tries. In tiny carved worries
in manuscripts, in swords.
chalices and lecternS, In al
tar paintings. in enamelS, the
show has the power 10 be-
witch the eye and convince
the heart.
The world so pictured not
only never existed but was
already In the process Of
dissolution when the picture
was made. Yet in these pre-
cious objects at the Walters