As works of art, all these frescoes and bass-reliefs are wholly unsatisfactory. In style they belong to the degraded decadence of the Roman empire-rude in execution, low in type, and coarse in sentiment. The Christian sarcophagi and the copies of mural paintings, collected by the present Pope in the Christian Museum of the Lateran, do not afford, with the exception of the noble statue of St. Hippolytus, a single example pure in art. We have visited the various catacombs in search of the earliest heads of Christ, hoping that in proportion as the work approached the era of his life, it might bear some evidence of authentic likeness. We were, however, disappointed. The head, for example, in the catacomb of St. Calixtus, a sketch of which is given in Sir Charles Eastlake's edition of Kugler's Handbook, bears, in its type and style, evidence of a Roman, rather than of a Christian origin. In the lapse of four centuries, indeed, the tradition of the Saviour's aspect, well-nigh, if not wholly forgotten, it is evident the artist found himself left to the free expression of his own low ideal.

But the blood of the martyrs was like- | upon the ground in profound sleep, or wise, as we have said, the seed of Christ- disconsolate after the gourd had withered. ian art. To the earliest believer these From the New Testament we find the catacombs were as holes and caves of the Nativity, the adoration of the Magi, our earth-his refuge in life, his tomb in death Saviour turning the water into wine, his -at once his house, his church, his sepul- healing the sick, opening the eyes of the cher. But the place of trouble became a blind, the raising of Lazarus, and the triscene of triumph. The martyrs' suffer- umphant entry into Jerusalem. ings were at length the believers' glory, and the Church, which was at first a mere grave, grew at length into a temple decorated by art, with the symbols of the Christian's faith. Christianity may thus, in these early symbols and pictures, be said to lie buried and embalmed. The subjects of these first works are simple, and their meaning, though often vailed, for the most part direct and evident. The dove stands for the soul, and, combined with the olive branch, signifies that the soul of the believer rests in peace. If the fish be added, which is the symbol of Christ, the figure reads, the soul dwells in the peace of Christ. Again, a painting of a wicker-basket containing bread, a flask of blood in the center, all resting on a fish, symbolizes the connection between Christ and the sacraments. The fish likewise has occasional reference to the words, "fishers of men ;" and accordingly, we find a fisherman on a bank, with a large anglingline in hand, drawing a fish out of the water, which is supposed forthwith to turn into a disciple. That there may be no doubt about the fact, the fish has been actually found half transmuted into the human form. For the most part, however, the subject is made scarcely less explicit by placing the figure of a man close by, standing out from the water, and ready to receive the rite of baptism! The anchor is, of course, the symbol of hope, and the top seen above the water, in the form of a cross, shows the foundation of that hope. Then, passing from symbolism to pictorial and bass-relief representation, we find paintings of the Good Shepherd bearing the lost sheep upon his shoulders; Daniel in the lions' den; the three Children in the fiery furnace; the sacrifice of Isaac; and Moses receiving the tables of the law, or striking the rock. On sarcophagi, the history of Jonah is a subject also frequently repeated. We find, for example, in one continuous bassrelief, Jonah cast overboard from the ship, then swallowed by the sea-monster, then again thrown out upon the shore, and, lastly, the prophet, as seen stretched

By an apparent anomaly, which, however, admits of easy explanation, those centuries in which Christianity is presumed to have been most pure, are characterized by a Christian art the most corrupt. Christian art came not by revelation, claims no immediate descent from heaven, but cradled, as we have seen, in suffering and helplessness, it grew into the strength and beauty of manhood by the slow process of earthly development. In examin ing the early works already described, this want of beauty has come upon us with pain and surprise. We look in vain for the beauty of holiness, for that calm and placid beauty which comes through patient suffering, or trustful resignation. We seek in vain for those beauties which adorn the Christian virtues, or for the sublimity of the truths which Christianity first revealed. These high attributes of Christian art, in some respects the highest which art has ever attained, were

re

served for the development of a later epoch, and the dawn of a revived civilization. The decay of the Roman empire, and the dying-out of the Pagan civilization, are in truth the explanation of the debased aspect of Christian art in this its earliest rise. Christianity, a heaven-born spirit, sought upon earth a habitation, and demanded from art a human form to dwell in. She found in the Roman empire art fallen, and in each succeeding century still further debased. The types of humanity, fashioned by the artist, were even to Paganism a degradation. And the new religion in the first centuries of its growth, still unable in its feebleness to enter on original creation, compelled, indeed, to take art as she found it, necessarily employed such painters and sculptors as the times afforded, and thus was condemned to the humiliation of stamping upon the earliest Christian works the mark and the stigma of a Pagan style and origin.

though through a series of failures, to the goal of an ultimate success.

But the arts had yet long to slumber during the night of the human intellect. We have seen that as life ebbed out of the Roman empire, and darkness blotted out the light of civilization, the new-born Christian art became in each succeeding century less vital and beauteous. Thus have we the strange anomaly of an infant art marked from the hour of its birth with all the decrepitude of age; and thus, likewise, we find that the growing years which should have added maturity and vigor, did but accelerate decay. The earliest works are the best. The Mosaics of the fifth century, in the Baptistery of the Cathedral at Ravenna, have still some remaining vigor, some recollection of nature. In the Baptism of Christ, which occupies the center of this ornate cupola, the action and bearing of St. John, with upraised arm of baptism, are especially What good purpose these catacomb noble, the heads both of the Baptist and pictures and sculptures could have an- of the Saviour showing almost the dawn swered it is difficult to understand. For of the Christian rather than the dying-out us, however, in the present day, they are of the Pagan type. The figures of the of the utmost interest. It may indeed be twelve Apostles have likewise some gransaid that the creed of the early Church deur with, however, an increase of debilhas not only been written by the Fathers, ity. The draperies, though retaining a but in these sepulchers and churches was reminiscence of former dignity, fall into actually delineated by the painters. The incoherent confusion; and the onward excavators set to work by the Papal Gov-step of the figures, while good in intenernment may be said to be now exhuming tion, halts in lameness. Other portions of what is in that land, if not an extinct, at this great and important work, still deeper least a buried Christianity. Whatever in corruption, scarcely admit of art-critibattles the priests of various churches cism. In like manner, in Rome, the earlimay fight over these old bones in defense est Christian mosaics are for the most of essential creeds, it is fortunately not part the best. They are remarkable as our province to decide between them. possessing the rude vigor of Roman art For us, as art critics, these works are links rather than the more refined debility of in a great and universal system of art-de- Byzantine. Thus the head of Christ in velopment and decay. They are the first the mosaics of the sixth century in the beginnings of that Christian art which, in Church of SS. Cosmo and Damiano possubsequent centuries, rose to so great a sesses much nobility, mingled, however, glory. Even in their very degradation with stern savage grandeur - something, they are a marked example of the univer- if we may be allowed the comparison, besal craving in the human mind for expres- tween St. John wild from the desert, and sion through the language of art. A Pluto vengeful from Hades. religion may be as yet weak in infancy; an empire may be tottering in decay; yet the experience of the entire world shows us that a people not content to express itself merely through words must likewise speak through the language of forms. This struggling to obtain for the invisible an outward expression, was, as we have said, at first futile; but the faculties and laws which led to the attempt urged on,

Throughout the wide world of Christian mosaics, it is melancholy to find efforts so stupendous, labors so vast, with art-results comparatively so worthless. Within, or immediately without, the walls of Rome are ten to twelve churches still in part decorated by these works, and yet, we must confess, that for us, at least, there is not a single example in which the spirit, the beauty, or the purity, of the Christian

tired in the late Roman dress: violet mantles in

barbaric effect.""*

religion has found expression. Such works "In the apsis itself, upon a dark-blue ground are doubtless of the utmost importance to with golden-edged clouds, is seen the colossal the antiquary, and even to the art-student, figure of Christ: the right hand raised either in establishing the universal laws of devel-written scroll; above is the hand which we benediction or in teaching, the left holding a opment or decay; but for the lover of have already noticed as the emblem of the First art in its beauty and its poetry, to the Person of the Trinity. Below on each side, the disciple of Christianity, zealous for the apostles Peter and Paul are SS. Cosmo and Dahonor of his religion, these mosaics are miano, each with crowns in their hands, towards too low in the human and divine type, the Saviour, followed by St. Theodore on the too debased in art, to give pleasure or right, and by Pope Felix IV., the founder of satisfaction. But, doubtless to the stu- the church, on the left. . . . Two palm-trees, dent, as we have said, they afford much sparkling with gold, above one of which appears the emblem of eternity-the phoenix-with staroccasion for conjecture and speculation. shaped nimbus, close the composition on each In the wreck or resurrection of empires, side. Further below, indicated by water-plants, in the conflux of civilization and barbarism, sparkling also with gold, is the river Jordan. in the intermingling of races, and the con- The figure of Christ may be regarded as one of flict of religions, these grand expressions the most marvelous specimens of the art of the of a people's faith have surely a deep im- middle ages. Countenance, attitude, and draport. Mr. Ruskin has finely said, that the pery, combine to give him an expression of quiet art of Venice is the meeting of the glacier found again in equal beauty and freedom. The majesty, which, for many centuries after, is not stream of the north with the lava-flood of drapery especially is disposed in noble folds, and the south. Truly the conflux and the only in its somewhat too ornate details, is a furconflict of the early Christian arts in Italy ther departure from the antique observable.... are as the meeting of hostile forces in na- The apostles Peter and Paul wear the usual ture, and in that country the confusion of ideal costume. SS. Cosmo and Damiano are ata divided people led to a corresponding gold stuff, with red embroideries of Oriental anarchy in art. It was an anarchy and yet a servitude. An anarchy, because no legitimate authority was paramount: In justice, however, we will add these Nature no longer held the sway; the succeeding words: "In spite of the high classic types had been abandoned; Christ- excellence of this work, it is precisely here ianity, as we have seen, had as yet failed that we can clearly discern in what reto obtain expression; and the genius to spects the degeneracy and impoverishment create seemed annihilated. In this mosaic of art first showed itself." It showed art there was likewise, as we have said, itself just as "degeneracy and impovera servitude; servitude in the servile sub-ishment " manifest themselves in national serviency to tradition when life had be- civilization, want of vigor in action and come extinct-the lifeless repetition, year thought, want of elevation in the characafter year, for seven centuries in succes-ter and type of the people, and want of sion, of types in which there was no nature, truth to the simplicity of nature. On vaand attitudes in which there was no rious visits to Italy we have spent many action. In an art thus lost in anarchy and hours, and indeed days, in the examinadegraded by servitude, the choice between tion of these early works, with, we must Roman Christian, Byzantine Christian, and confess, little accruing pleasure, and with Lombardic Christian, can offer no wide but doubtful advantage. Our love of art scope or variety. Praise of such works in its periods of perfection, whether classic is comparative, a kind of mitigated cen- or Christian, is too intense to permit us sure, an adaptation of the judgment, in any actual enjoyment in antiquity without charity for the times, to the prevailing excellence, and art without beauty. Nevstandard. Thus we can understand that ertheless we have gone studiously through the antiquary, after passing some weeks all these works, in order that we might underground in the catacombs, not once know what was the origin of the arts of rectifying or refreshing his eye by feasting the revival, what were the difficulties on the classic or the Christian art of the with which they contended, and by what Vatican, should on coming to the above-means and agencies they rose from the mentioned mosaic in the church of SS. Cosmo and Damiano, burst out in the following rhapsody:

* See Kugler's "Schools of Painting in Italy," 2d edit., p. 32.