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18 FIRST PERIOD.
§ vin. Let us consider a little each of these characters in
succession; and first (for of the shafts enough has been said
already), what is very peculiar to this church, its luminousness.
This perhaps strikes the traveller more from its contrast with
the excessive gloom of the Church of St. Mark's; but it is-
remarkable when we compare the Cathedral of Torcello with
any of the contemporary basilicas in South Italy or Lombardic
churches in the North. St. Ambrogio at Milan, St. Michele
at Pavia, St. Zeno at Verona, St. Frediano at Lucca, St. Miniato
at Florence, are all like sepulchral caverns compared with Torcello, where the slightest details of the sculptures and mosaics
are visible, even when twilight is deepening. And there is
something especially touching in our finding the sunshine thus
freely admitted into a church built by men in sorrow. They
did not need the darkness; they could not perhaps bear it.
'~f. here was fear and depression upon them enough, without a
material gloom. They sought for comfort in their religion, for
tangible hopes and promises, not for threatenings or mysteries;
and though the subjects chosen for the mosaics on the walls
are of the most solemn character, there are no artificial shadows
cast upon them, nor dark colors used in them: all is fair and
bright, and intended evidently to be regarded in hopefulness,
and not with terror.
§ ix. For observe this choice of subjects. It is indeed possible that the walls of the nave and aisles, which are now
whitewashed, may have been covered with fresco or mosaic,
and thus have supplied a series of subjects, on the choice of
which we cannot speculate. I do not, however, find record of
the destruction of any such works; and I am rather inclined
to believe that at any rate the central division of the building
was originally decorated, as it is now, simply by mosaics representing Christ, the Virgin, and the apostles, at one extremity,
and Christ coming to judgment at the other. And if so, I repeat, observe the significance of this choice. Most other early
churches are covered with imagery sufficiently suggestive of
the vivid interest of the builders in the history and occupations of the world. Symbols or representations of political
| Title | The stones of Venice - 2 |
| Creator | Ruskin, John |
| Publisher | J. Wiley |
| Place of Publication | New York |
| Date | 1889 |
| Language | eng |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Title | 00000031 |
| Type | Books/Pamphlets |
| Transcript | 18 FIRST PERIOD. § vin. Let us consider a little each of these characters in succession; and first (for of the shafts enough has been said already), what is very peculiar to this church, its luminousness. This perhaps strikes the traveller more from its contrast with the excessive gloom of the Church of St. Mark's; but it is- remarkable when we compare the Cathedral of Torcello with any of the contemporary basilicas in South Italy or Lombardic churches in the North. St. Ambrogio at Milan, St. Michele at Pavia, St. Zeno at Verona, St. Frediano at Lucca, St. Miniato at Florence, are all like sepulchral caverns compared with Torcello, where the slightest details of the sculptures and mosaics are visible, even when twilight is deepening. And there is something especially touching in our finding the sunshine thus freely admitted into a church built by men in sorrow. They did not need the darkness; they could not perhaps bear it. '~f. here was fear and depression upon them enough, without a material gloom. They sought for comfort in their religion, for tangible hopes and promises, not for threatenings or mysteries; and though the subjects chosen for the mosaics on the walls are of the most solemn character, there are no artificial shadows cast upon them, nor dark colors used in them: all is fair and bright, and intended evidently to be regarded in hopefulness, and not with terror. § ix. For observe this choice of subjects. It is indeed possible that the walls of the nave and aisles, which are now whitewashed, may have been covered with fresco or mosaic, and thus have supplied a series of subjects, on the choice of which we cannot speculate. I do not, however, find record of the destruction of any such works; and I am rather inclined to believe that at any rate the central division of the building was originally decorated, as it is now, simply by mosaics representing Christ, the Virgin, and the apostles, at one extremity, and Christ coming to judgment at the other. And if so, I repeat, observe the significance of this choice. Most other early churches are covered with imagery sufficiently suggestive of the vivid interest of the builders in the history and occupations of the world. Symbols or representations of political |
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