essays on life, art and science-第15章

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can　reach　the　many　who　must　stand　outside。　　The　walls　of　the　inner
chapel　are　hung　with　votive　pictures；　some　of　them　very　quaint　and
pleasing；　and　not　overweighted　by　those　qualities　that　are　usually
dubbed　by　the　name　of　artistic　merit。　　Innumerable　wooden　and　waxen
representations　of　arms；　legs；　eyes；　ears　and　babies　tell　of　the
cures　that　have　been　effected　during　two　centuries　of　devotion；　and
can　hardly　fail　to　awaken　a　kindly　sympathy　with　the　long　dead　and
forgotten　folks　who　placed　them　where　they　are。

The　main　interest；　however；　despite　the　extreme　loveliness　of　the
St。　Mary's　Chapel；　centres　rather　in　the　small　and　outwardly
unimportant　oratories　（if　they　should　be　so　called）　that　lead　up　to
it。　　These　begin　immediately　with　the　ascent　from　the　level　ground
on　which　the　village　of　Saas…im…Grund　is　placed；　and　contain　scenes
in　the　history　of　the　Redemption；　represented　by　rude　but　spirited
wooden　figures；　each　about　two　feet　high；　painted；　gilt；　and
rendered　as　life…like　in　all　respects　as　circumstances　would　permit。
The　figures　have　suffered　a　good　deal　from　neglect；　and　are　still
not　a　little　misplaced。　　With　the　assistance；　however；　of　the　Rev。
E。　J。　Selwyn；　English　Chaplain　at　Saas…im…Grund；　I　have　been　able　to
replace　many　of　them　in　their　original　positions；　as　indicated　by
the　parts　of　the　figures　that　are　left　rough…hewn　and　unpainted。
They　vary　a　good　deal　in　interest；　and　can　be　easily　sneered　at　by
those　who　make　a　trade　of　sneering。　　Those；　on　the　other　hand；　who
remain　unsophisticated　by　overmuch　art…culture　will　find　them　full
of　character　in　spite　of　not　a　little　rudeness　of　execution；　and
will　be　surprised　at　coming　across　such　works　in　a　place　so　remote
from　any　art…centre　as　Saas　must　have　been　at　the　time　these　chapels
were　made。　　It　will　be　my　business　therefore　to　throw　what　light　I
can　upon　the　questions　how　they　came　to　be　made　at　all；　and　who　was
the　artist　who　designed　them。

The　only　documentary　evidence　consists　in　a　chronicle　of　the　valley
of　Saas　written　in　the　early　years　of　this　century　by　the　Rev。　Peter
Jos。　Ruppen；　and　published　at　Sion　in　1851。　　This　work　makes
frequent　reference　to　a　manuscript　by　the　Rev。　Peter　Joseph　Clemens
Lommatter；　cure　of　Saas…Fee　from　1738　to　1751；　which　has
unfortunately　been　lost；　so　that　we　have　no　means　of　knowing　how
closely　it　was　adhered　to。　　The　Rev。　Jos。　Ant。　Ruppen；　the　present
excellent　cure　of　Saas…im…Grund；　assures　me　that　there　is　no
reference　to　the　Saas…Fee　oratories　in　the　〃Actes　de　l'Eglise〃　at
Saas；　which　I　understand　go　a　long　way　back；　but　I　have　not　seen
these　myself。　　Practically；　then；　we　have　no　more　documentary
evidence　than　is　to　be　found　in　the　published　chronicle　above
referred　to。

We　there　find　it　stated　that　the　large　chapel；　commonly；　but　as
above　explained；　wrongly　called　St。　Joseph's；　was　built　in　1687；　and
enlarged　by　subscription　in　1747。　　These　dates　appear　on　the
building　itself；　and　are　no　doubt　accurate。　　The　writer　adds　that
there　was　no　actual　edifice　on　this　site　before　the　one　now　existing
was　built；　but　there　was　a　miraculous　picture　of　the　Virgin　placed
in　a　mural　niche；　before　which　the　pious　herdsmen　and　devout
inhabitants　of　the　valley　worshipped　under　the　vault　of　heaven。　｛13｝
A　miraculous　（or　miracle…working）　picture　was　always　more　or　less
rare　and　important；　the　present　site；　therefore；　seems　to　have　been
long　one　of　peculiar　sanctity。　　Possibly　the　name　Fee　may　point　to
still　earlier　Pagan　mysteries　on　the　same　site。

As　regards　the　fifteen　small　chapels；　the　writer　says　they
illustrate　the　fifteen　mysteries　of　the　Psalter；　and　were　built　in
1709；　each　householder　of　the　Saas…Fee　contributing　one　chapel。　　He
adds　that　Heinrich　Andenmatten；　afterwards　a　brother　of　the　Society
of　Jesus；　was　an　especial　benefactor　or　promoter　of　the　undertaking。
One　of　the　chapels；　the　Ascension　（No。　12　of　the　series）；　has　the
date　1709　painted　on　it；　but　there　is　no　date　on　any　other　chapel；
and　there　seems　no　reason　why　this　should　be　taken　as　governing　the
whole　series。

Over　and　above　this；　there　exists　in　Saas　a　tradition；　as　I　was　told
immediately　on　my　arrival；　by　an　English　visitor；　that　the　chapels
were　built　in　consequence　of　a　flood；　but　I　have　vainly　endeavoured
to　trace　this　story　to　an　indigenous　source。

The　internal　evidence　of　the　wooden　figures　themselvesnothing
analogous　to　which；　it　should　be　remembered；　can　be　found　in　the
chapel　of　1687points　to　a　much　earlier　date。　　I　have　met　with　no
school　of　sculpture　belonging　to　the　early　part　of　the　eighteenth
century　to　which　they　can　be　plausibly　assigned；　and　the　supposition
that　they　are　the　work　of　some　unknown　local　genius　who　was　not　led
up　to　and　left　no　successors　may　be　dismissed；　for　the　work　is　too
scholarly　to　have　come　from　any　one　but　a　trained　sculptor。　　I　refer
of　course　to　those　figures　which　the　artist　must　be　supposed　to　have
executed　with　his　own　hand；　as；　for　example；　the　central　figure　of
the　Crucifixion　group　and　those　of　the　Magdalene　and　St。　John。　　The
greater　number　of　the　figures　were　probably；　as　was　suggested　to　me
by　Mr。　Ranshaw；　of　Lowth；　executed　by　a　local　woodcarver　from　models
in　clay　and　wax　furnished　by　the　artist　himself。　　Those　who　examine
the　play　of　line　in　the　hair；　mantle；　and　sleeve　of　the　Magdalene　in
the　Crucifixion　group；　and　contrast　it　with　the　greater　part　of　the
remaining　draperies；　will　find　little　hesitation　in　concluding　that
this　was　the　case；　and　will　ere　long　readily　distinguish　the　two
hands　from　which　the　figures　have　mainly　come。　　I　say　〃mainly；〃
because　there　is　at　least　one　other　sculptor　who　may　well　have
belonged　to　the　year　1709；　but　who　fortunately　has　left　us　little。
Examples　of　his　work　may　perhaps　be　seen　in　the　nearest　villain　with
a　big　hat　in　the　Flagellation　chapel；　and　in　two　cherubs　in　the
Assumption　of　the　Virgin。

We　may　say；　then；　with　some　certainty；　that　the　designer　was　a
cultivated　and　practised　artist。　　We　may　also　not　less　certainly
conclude　that　he　was　of　Flemish　origin；　for　the　horses　in　the
Journey　to　Calvary　and　Crucifixion　chapels；　where　alone　there　are
any　horses　at　all；　are　of　Flemish　breed；　with　no　trace　of　the　Arab
blood　adopted　by　Gaudenzio　at　Varallo。　　The　character；　moreover；　of
the　villains　is　Northernof　the　Quentin　Matsys；　Martin　Schongauer
type；　rather　than　Italian；　the　same　sub…Rubensesque　feeling　which　is
apparent　in　more　than　one　chapel　at　Varallo　is　not　less　evident
hereespecially　in　the　Journey　to　Calvary　and　Crucifixion　chapels。
There　can　hardly；　therefore；　be　a　doubt　that　the　artist　was　a
Fleming　who　had　worked　for　several　years　in　Italy。

It　is　also　evident　that　he　had　Tabachetti's　work　at　Varallo　well　in
his　mind。　　For　not　only　does　he　adopt　certain　details　of　costume　（I
refer　particularly　to　the　treatment　of　soldiers'　tunics）　which　are
peculiar　to　Tabachetti　at　Varallo；　but　whenever　he　treats　a　subject
which　Tabachetti　had　treated　at　Varallo；　as　in　the　Flagellation；
Crowning　with　Thorns；　and　Journey　to　Calvary　chapels；　the　work　at
Saas　is　evidently　nothing　but　a　somewhat　modified　abridgement　of
that　at　Varallo。　　When；　however；　as　in　the　Annunciation；　the
Nativity；　the　Crucifixion；　and　other　chapels；　the　work　at　Varallo　is
by　another　than　Tabachetti；　no　allusion　is　made　to　it。　　The　Saas
artist　has　Tabachetti's　Varallo　work　at　his　finger…ends；　but　betrays
no　acquaintance　whatever　with　Gaudenzio　Ferrari；　Gio。　Ant。　Paracca；
or　Giovanni　D'Enrico。

Even；　moreover；　when　Tabachetti's　work　at　Varallo　is　being　most
obviously　drawn　from；　as　in　the　Journey　to　Calvary　chapel；　the　Saas
version　differs　materially　from　that　at　Varallo；　and　is　in　some
respects　an　improvement　on　it。　　The　idea　of　showing　other　horsemen
and　followers　coming　up　from　behind；　whose　heads　can　be　seen　over
the　crown　of　the　interposing　hill；　is　singularly　effective　as
suggesting　a　number　of　others　that　are　unseen；　nor　can　I　conceive
that　any　one　but　the　original　designer　would　follow　Tabachetti's
Varallo　design　with　as　much　closeness　as　it　has　been　followed　here；
and　yet　make　such　a　brilliantly　successful　modification。　　The
stumbling；　again；　of　one　horse　（a　detail　almost　hidden；　according　to
Tabachetti's　wont）　is　a　touch　which　Tabachetti　himself　might　add；
but　which　no　Saas　woodcarver　who　was　merely　adapting　from　a
reminiscence　of　Tabachetti's　Varallo　chapel　would　be　likely　to
introduce。　　These　considerations　have　convinced　me　that　the　designer
of　the　chapels　at　Saas　is　none　other　than　Tabachetti　himself；　who；
as　has　been　now　conclusively　shown；　was　a　native　of　Dinant；　in
Belgium。

The　Saas　chronicler；　indeed；　avers　that　the　chapels　were　not　built
till　1709a　statement　apparently　corroborated　by　a　date　now　visible
on　one　chapel；　but　we　must　remember　that　the　chronicler　did　not
write　until　a　century　or　so　later　than　1709；　and　though；　indeed；　his
statement　may　have　been　taken　from　the　lost　earlier　manuscript　of
1738；　we　know　nothing　about　this　either　one　way　or　the　other。　　The
writer　may　have　gone　by　the　still　existing　1709　on　the　Ascension
chapel；　whereas　this　date　may　in　fact　have　referred　to　a
restoration；　and　not　to　an　original　construction。　　There　is　nothing；
as　I　have　said；　in　the　choice　of　the　chapel　on　which　the　date
appears；　to　suggest　that　it　was　intended　to　govern　the　others。　　I
have　explained　that　the　work　is　isolated　and　exotic。　　It　is　by　one
in　whom　Flemish　and　Italian　influences　are　alike　equally
predominant；　by　one　who　was　saturated　with　Tabachetti's　Varallo
work；　and　who　can　improve　upon　it；　but　over　whom　the　other　Varallo
sculptors　have　no　power。　　The　style　of　the　work　is　of　the　sixteenth
and　not　of　the　eighteenth　centurywith　a　few　obvious　exceptions
that　suit　the　year　1709　exceedingly　well。　　Against　such
considerations　as　these；　a　statement　made　at　the　beginning　of　this
century　referring　to　a　century　earlier；　and　a　promiscuous　date　upon
one　chapel；　can　carry　but　little　weight。　　I　shall　assume；　therefore；
henceforward；　that　we　have　here　groups　designed　in　a　plastic
material　by　Tabachetti；　and　reproduced　in　wood　by　the　best　local
wood…sculptor　available；　with　the　exception　of　a　few　figures　cut　by
the　artist　himself。

We　ask；　then；　at　what　period　in　his　life　did　Tabachetti　design　these
chapels；　and　what　led　to　his　coming　to　such　an　out…of…the…way　place
as　Saas　at　all？　　We　should　remember　that；　according　both　to　Fassola
and　Torrotti　（writing　in　1671　and　1686　respectively）；　Tabachetti
｛14｝　became　insane　about　the　year　1586　or　early　in　1587；　after
having　just　begun　the　Salutation　chapel。　　I　have　explained　in　〃Ex
Voto〃　that　I　do　not　believe　this　story。　　I　have　no　doubt　that
Tabachetti　was　declared　to　be　mad；　but　I　believe　this　to　have　been
due　to　an　intrigue；　set　on　foot　in　order　to　get　a　foreign　artist　out
of　the　way；　and　to　secure　the　Massacre　of　the　Innocents　chapel；　at
that　precise　time　undertaken；　for　Gio。　Ant。　Paracca；　who　was　an
Italian。

Or　he　may　have　been　sacrificed　in　order　to　facilitate　the　return　of
the　workers　in　stucco　whom　he　had　superseded　on　the　Sacro　Monte。　　He
may　have　been　goaded　into　some　imprudence　which　was　seized　upon　as　a
pretext　for　shutting　him　up；　at　any　rate；　the　fact　that　when　in　1587
he　in