The Gospel in Art
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This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com I THE GOSPEL IN ART -- The Gospel in Art ALBERT E. BAILEY DIRECTOR OF RELIGIOUS EDUCATION WORCESTER ACADEMY, MASS. LECTURER IN RELIGIOUS EDUCATION NEWTON THEOLOGICAL INSTITUTION Author of "On Nazareth Hill," "The Wise Man's Story" "Art Studies in the Life of Christ" PILGRIM PRESS BOSTON CHICAGO O 2>. IO JUN 19 1919"" 6 '.: .- of at) AAtUQg 1384 Collection Copyright 1916 By ALBERT E. BAILEY THE PILGRIM PRESS BOSTON CONTENTS INTRODUCTION: The Point of View. How to Study a Picture 3 LIST OF PICTURES ON THE LIFE OF CHRIST. Arranged topically and alphabetically by artists 21 Chap. 1. THE ANNUNCIATION 37 Fra Angelico: Upper corridor, S. Marco, Florence; Crivelli: Church of the Annunciation, Ascoli; Rossetti: " Ecce Ancilla Domini," Tate gal., London; Murillo: Immaculate Conception, Louvre, Paris. Chap. 2. THE NATIVITY 57 Merson: Arrival in Bethlehem; Correggio: Holy Night, Zwinger gal., Dresden; Van der Goes: Adoration of the Shepherds, Acad., Florence; Lerolie: Arrival of the Shepherds. Chap. 3. INCIDENTS OF THE CHILDHOOD . 73 Gentile da Fabriano: Adoration of the Kings, Acad., Florence; Burnt- Jones: Star of Bethlehem, Birmingham gal., England; Hunt: Triumph of the Innocents, Walker gal., Liverpool; Merson: Repose in Egypt, Dr. Geo. Kennedy, Hyde Park, Mass.; Edwin Long: "Anno Domini." Chap. 4. THE YEARS OF GROWTH .... 99 Millais: Christ in the House of His Parents; Hofmann: Christ and the Doctors, Zwinger gal., Dresden; Hunt: Finding of Christ in the Temple, Birmingham gal.; Hunt: Shadow of Death, Manchester gal. vii Contents Chap. 5. THE KINDLING OF THE FIRES . .115 Andrea del Sarlo: John the Baptist, Pitti gal., Florence; Rodin: John the Precursor, Luxembourg, Paris; Giotto: Baptism, Arena Chapel, Padua; Verrocchio: Baptism, Acad., Florence; Hofmann: Temptation; Cornicelius: Christ Tempted by Satan, Berlin. Nat. gal. Chap. 6. THE MINISTRY OF TEACHING . .135 Chirlandajo: Calling the Disciples, Sistine Chapel, Rome; Raphael: The Miraculous Draught, Vatican, Rome; Zimmermann: Christ and the Fishermen, Berlin Nat. gal.; Tissot: Jesus in the Synagogue, Brooklyn Institute; Tissot: Sermon on the Mount, Brooklyn Institute; Bloch: " Come unto Me," Castle Frederiks- berg, Copenhagen. Chap. 7. THE PARABLES 159 Millet: The Sower, Vanderbilt's, New York; Millais: The Evil One Sowing Tares; Puvis de Chavannes: Prodi gal Son; Direr: Prodigal Son; Rodin: Prodigal Son, Paris; Tissot: The Prodigal's Return, Brooklyn Inst., N.Y. ; Soord: The Lost Sheep; Bonifatio: Parable of the Rich Man, Academy, Venice; Burnand: The Great Sup per, Winterthur mus.; Hunt: Light of the World, Keble College, Oxford. Chap. 8. THE MINISTRY OF HEALING . .187 Hofmann: Christ Healing the Sick; Keller: The Awaken ing; Keller: Raising Jairus' Daughter, Neue Pinakothek, Munich; Zimmermann: Christ the Consoler, Leipsic, mus. Chap. 9. THE CURE OF SINNERS . .205 Rossetti: Mary Magdalene at the Door of Simon; Rubens: Christ in the House of Simon, Vienna gal.; Murillo: Mary Magdalene, Berlin gal.; Viii: Magdalene in the Desert, Bologna gal.; Hofmann: Christ and the Adulteress, Zwinger gal., Dresden. Chap. 10. THE MARTYRDOM OF JOHN . .227 Masolino: Feast of Herod, Castiglione d' Olona; Puvis de Chavannes: Beheading of John, Metropolitan mus. N.Y.; Moreau: The Apparition, Luxembourg, Paris. viii Contents Chap. 11. THE TRANSFIGURATION . .235 Fra Angelico: Fresco, S. Marco, Florence; Raphael: Vatican gallery, Rome. Chap. 12. LESSONS IN THE SPIRITUAL LIFE . 247 School of Rembrandt: Christ Blessing Little Children, Nat. gal., London; Von Uhde: Suffer the Little Children, Leipsic mus.; Hofmann: Christ and the Rich Young Man; Von Gebhardt: Christ and the Rich Young Man; Watts: "For He Had Great Possessions," Tate gal., London. Chap. 13. THE BETHANY HOME 263 Siemiradski: Christ with Mary and Martha; Rubens: Raising of Lazarus, Berlin mus.; Von Gebhardt: Rais ing of Lazarus. Chap. 14. THE APPROACH TO JERUSALEM . 273 Flandrin: Christ Mourns Over the City; Giotto: Triumphal Entry, Arena Chapel, Padua; Dori: Christ Entering Jerusalem, Dore gal., London. Chap. 15. FINAL LABORS FOR JERUSALEM . 283 Hofmann: Christ Driving Out the Money-changers; Kirchbach: Cleansing the Temple; Titian: The Tribute Money,' Zwinger gal., Dresden. Chap. 16. THE APPROACHING DOOM . .295 Justus of Ghent: Last Supper, Municipal gal., Urbino; Da Vinci: Last Supper, Monastery, Milan; Von Uhde: " Tischgebet," Luxembourg, Paris; Brown: Christ Wash ing Peter's Feet, Tate gal., London; Hofmann: Christ in Gethsemane; Bacon: Christ in Gethsemane; Van Dyck: The Arrest of Jesus, Prado, Madrid; Geiger: The Kiss of Betrayal. Chap. 17. TWO FAITHLESS ONES 323 Prell: The Corruption of Judas, Zwinger gal., Dres den; Harrach: Peter's Denial, Breslau mus.; Armitage: Remorse of Judas, Tate gal., London. ix Contents Chap. 18. THE LAW'S INJUSTICE . .335 Munkacsy: Christ before Pilate, Philadelphia; Guido Reni: " Ecce Homo," Nat. gal., London; Ciseri: " Ecce Homo," Nat. gal., Rome; Tiepolo: Christ Bearing His Cross, S. Alvise, Venice; Max: Jesus Christ. Chap. 19. THE DEATH OF THE CROSS . .351 Rubens: Christ Between Two Thieves, Museum, Antwerp; Fra Angelico: The Crucifixion, S. Marco, Florence; Munkacsy: Christ on Calvary, Philadelphia; Garriire: Christ on the Cross, Luxembourg, Paris. Chap. 20. THE DEAD CHRIST 369 Rubens: Descent from the Cross, Cathedral, Antwerp; Titian' The Pieta, Acad., Venice; Ciseri: Entombment, Locarno; Piglhein: Entombment, Munich; Fra Angelico: Descent into Limbo, S. Marco, Florence. Chap. 21. EASTER MORNING 387 Unknown: Resurrection, Florence; Ender: Holy Women at the Tomb, church at Molde, Norway; Burnand: Peter and John, Luxembourg, Paris; Fra Angelico: "Noli me tangere," S. Marco, Florence; Burne-Jones: Morning of the Resurrection; Von Uhde: Easter Morning. Chap. 22. Girardet:THE TRANSCENDENT The Walk to Emmaus; CHRIST Rembrandt' . The . Sup 403 per at Emmaus, Louvre, Paris; Raphael: Charge to Peter, Vatican, Rome: Von Uhde: The Ascension. Chap. 23. THE LAST JUDGMENT 415 Fra Angelico: Acad., Florence; Michelangelo: Sistine Chapel, Rome. Chap. 24. THE FACE OF CHRIST 435 Hofmann: Detail of Christ and the Rich Young Man; Raphael: Detail of the Transfiguration; Fra Angelico: Detail of Dominicans Receiving Christ. LIVES OF THE ARTISTS 443 INDEX 481 X THE POINT OF VIEW INTRODUCTION The Point of View andThoughHIS discusses book it is is based not some an upon of art the certain course matters masterpiecesin thatthe usual are usually of sense. art, treated in art books, with many aspects of art it has nothing whatever to do. It is not concerned, for example, with the historic development of painting; it has little to say about technique; biography plays small part in it. These are all matters worth while, but aside from the purpose of this study. But the book is an art course in the sense that it studies a number of paintings to discover their spiri tual values. It takes the finished product of the studio and asks of it, " What excuse have you for being? What qualities have made you live these decades, these centuries; have caused the eyes of men to turn toward you and their hearts to burn as they think of you?" Or perhaps one should say more accurately that the book sets the reader down before these trea sures, one by one, and demands of him, " What do you see, what do you feel? Do you discover clearly what the artist has tried to say? Does your heart respond to its beauty? Does the great theme with which it concerns itself shine down on you from the canvas with a new significance, transfigured by the insight, the skill, the emotional coloring of this crea tive personality?" If you can give a positive answer to these questions, the painting has significance for 3 The Point of View you; but if your answer is negative, no matter how much you may know about the history or the tech nique of art, you have failed to grasp the essential picture, either because the picture has no essential worth or because you have not yet learned how to find it. The pictures of this book have been selected be cause in some measure they speak of religion. They hint at some "connection between this world of fact in which we move and the infinite spiritual world that penetrates it and gives it meaning. Jesus lived so continuously and so fully in both worlds that no artist can depict an incident in his life without remind ing us to some extent of both. Both elements are present in varying degrees in the story of his birth, his growth and ripening, of his call to a specific task, of his friendships and his labors, his successes and dis appointments, his tragic end. Take out from these human happenings the spiritual element, the element that speaks of joy and peace, of love and sacrifice, of consciousness of a mission, of pity for suffering, hatred of sin, intolerance of selfishness in high places, devo tion to the truth; take out faith and the ever-present consciousness of God in which these elements are rooted, and what have we left? Surely nothing that is worth an artist's time to depict. But if the painter has given us a glimpse of these unseen realities, he has not only illuminated for us the life of Jesus, but he has revealed to us something of eternal truth, which is as much truth for us and for all men as it was for Jesus. He has shown us what Harnack calls " Eter nal life in the midst of time, under the eyes and by the strength of God." It is these spiritual values that 4 How to Study a Picture give significance to a great work of art; indeed, with out the presence of such values a work of art can hardly be called great. It is the purpose of this book to help you discover and appreciate the religious element in art; to study art not for art's sake but for your sake; to strengthen your grasp upon the things that are unseen and eternal.