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tomed to connect it, even in thought-was, perhaps, of all the mute utterances conveyed, in the general effect, the most promi nent and irresistible. Throughout every material, throughout every stage in the continuance of the medieval spirit, so long as it existed at all, however transmuted, we found the same unmistakeable impress of art; of devotion of studious human thought and patient human labour, to this one end the imparting a harmonizing, æsthetic significance to every work of man's hand; of an outward speech to the dumb utility. The objects exhibited were, for the most part, costly examples of this system; the more elaborate illustrations of principles, in substance, equally demonstrable through simpler work. The ability for the aesthetic transmutation of utilitarian objects, is equally manifest throughout those times which we may call the Artistic; and even though the article were a novel one, as a time-piece, the very introduction of which did not take place till late in the period under review. Whether it be golden chalice or iron-lock, embroidered cope or earthenware dish, the prized reliquary preserved with religious care in the sanctuary, or the armour to be shivered on the morrow by the hostile spear, nay, the very swordblade itself; all speak conclusively, to the same spirit-to the lavish clothing with art of every production of man's ingenuity; the earnest endeavour towards harmonizing his works, even as God's works are harmonized; the emulation of nature; the union of use and beauty; of the eloquent spiritual speech with the material result of mechanical power. The medieval artist, too, had often more difficult problems to solve than the Grecian; and just in those cases where the utmost cost was lavished. The Greek had never to convert to the purposes of art, an object intrinsically so little adapted to that end, as a reliquary: a severed hand or foot in metal, or a heart, representing the supposed sacred treasure within. Yet this we see effected in the mediaval workman's hands; and not alone by the expenditure of mere wealth of material, of which there was truly sufficient outlay, but of art also, through the agency of ornamentation, of studied, and often exquisite character. after

One of the most remarkable facts witnessed by the exhibition, was the comparatively recent period down to which refined artistic feeling and execution survived in European ornamental art. In goldsmith's work, the old traditions scem especially to have dingered, until a very late epoch Of Charles II's time, the English works in gold, though of questionable merit in form, are executed with truest artistic skill, and on right principles; with freedom from incongruousness and excessive pretence. One of the fairest glories of the collection, for artistic conception, and for the beauty of its workmanship, was a work in ivory and gold, of the Norwegian

artist-Magnus Berger, of the end of the seventeenth century. The same state of art is illustrated in other materials. There was an embroidered coverlid of the beginning of the eighteenth century, as harmonious in colour, good in effect, and true in principle, as though it had belonged to the golden time. The early European porcelain again, of the same date, manifests a feeling for form and colour, it would be vain to look for in the perfected manufacture of the concluding part of the same century. And testimony, we well know, might have been supplied to a similar effect, by classes of production of that time, wholly unrepresented on the late occasion: wrought-iron work, wood-carving, handworked plaster, &c. The fact is, far more of the old life then survived in ornamental art, than in the higher art. More of the old culture in workmanship was still traditionally carried down in the work-shop. And the less the pseudo-classic, architectural forms of the day were introduced in the system of decoration, in other words, the more it was purely ornamental, the greater the success. The period, moreover, of which we speak-the close of the seventeenth, and beginning of the eighteenth centuries—was immediately precedent to one of Transition; of transition to a new system from education of the art-workman in the workshop, to education in the school, or-as in England-to none at all; and from handwork to machine-work: that system, not as some would have, necessarily too strong for art; too strong, only because our art has hitherto been too weak.

Still more notable than the comparatively late date of good ornamental art, is the earliness of it; in its strictly individual character, as distinguished from capability for correct design of the human form. In the exhibition, there were not many examples of Byzantine workmanship, such as would most conclusively have manifested this. But among the costly remnants of the luxury and pomp of the medieval Church, were Romanesque (or ante-Gothic) and early Gothic examples: enamelled croziers, crosses, reliquaries, &c.; wherein, though the representation of the human form is a mere distortion, yet true principles, of duly coventionalized natural type, harmonized blending of colour, strict subordination and congruity of ornament, legitimate flatness of ornament, and others, are all, to the full obeyed; far more consistently, in fact, than in the later Gothic time still more than in the cinquecento. And, as purely orna'mental art is considered, a justness and beauty of effect are realized, not to be surpassed.

To take the exhibition in detail, the majority of the examples may be divided into two classes. First, are those, just as characteristic of the mediaval period, as of the sixteenth and ⠀⠀seventeenth centuries namely, goldsmith's work; works in

enamel, in niello; iron-work; sculpture in wood, ivory, &c.; armour, and embroidery. Secondly, come those classes of production of which the beginning is due to the earlier, but which attained their full development in the later, period: ornamental domestic glass, decorated pottery, clock-work, bronzes. These arts take a wholly different aspect, accordingly, as viewed or not, in these their legitimate relations. The last-named classes are, in substance, characteristic of the era of Revival,' and more especially of Italy. The former are equally, and, in some cases still more, characteristic of the medieval time; and indigenous to Europe generally.

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The distinguishing artistic feature separating the period of 'Revival' from earlier time, and Italy from the rest of Europe, is the extreme refinement developed at that time and in that country, in executive skill, and in all wherein superiority of higher design had play. We see this, in the modelling of the figure in goldsmith's work, in the delicacy of workmanship in the jewellery of that palmy era; as much as in the exquisite cameo, and the general perfection, technic and aesthetic, of the bronzes.

Equally characteristic is the choice of subject. During the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, subjects taken from Scripture, or from ecclesiastic tradition,-Christ, the Trinity, or other dominant symbol,-adorned the warrior's armour as the priest's vestment; the early decorated earthenware dish as the sacred chalice. The sculptures in ivory, in wood, in stone, all-with an occasional exception in favour of popular Romance, the literary lever of the time-are occupied with sacred, or traditionally sacred, story; with Virgin, Saint, and Babe.' In the sixteenth century, on the other hand, shield or breastplate, each precious vessel not for the immediate service of the Church, each costly luxury-the ivory, the bronze, the rich enamel-all bear witness to the same great change in feeling, in the reigning artistic religion. Classic myth and classic history rule supreme. For Guardian Saint, we have 'Scenes from the Life of Julius Cæsar;' for Virgin and Magdalen, Diana and nymphs; for Christian symbol, bacchanal and satyr.

In form, we see in mediæval decorative art an artistic tendency, wholly distinct from the classic; as distinct as was that of its architecture and its sculpture, and in like manner characteristic, The leading lines in the form of a Gothic cup or other vessel, are as individual as those of a Gothic building. Perfection of purely aesthetic refinement is exchanged for the predominance of character and suggestiveness. It was the most. fatal loss in the mixed styles of the fifteenth (trans-Alpine) and sixteenth centuries, that, in forsaking the settled Gothic

forms, and the margin of their ordered freedom, they fell into mere uncertainty and confusion. Missing the purity of the classic models on the one hand, and unguided by Gothic feeling on the other, they could realize but a jumble of their own, untrue to any system of æsthetic lines; though, as we have said, the ornamentists of that time made up for such shortcomings, by previously unrivalled finish and executive power, and also by the fullest luxuriance of 'motive'-of thought, within their range of pseudo-classic subject. And the memorable men, Cellini, Albert Durer, Holbein, &c., who have lent such lustre to that period, and earned for themselves so high and individual a renown widely different in their fate from their unrecognised predecessors were men who would have occupied the foremost place at any era.

In the precious metals, many of the exhibited examples of late Italian work, such as the glorious series representing the Triumphs of the Dorias, were of surpassing beauty; for the art and skill lavished upon them, the truth and delicacy of the modelling, the nicety of the execution. We trace, however, in these very aspects an aberration from the true principles of decoration of art subservient, that is, as distinct from art dominant. The system which has run such great lengths in our own day, of confounding these two, of converting ornament into the overlaying of independent, incoherent design, is due in its origin, to that time; with this difference: then, the utmost artistic skill was employed, and the artist and workman followed one style, and that one their own; now, there is the dearth of such skill, and the glut of' styles.' Decoration began to be not ministrant, but the main feature. This is incidentally manifested, in the turning enamels into pictures: the change from encrusted and translucid, to painted enamel. Not only, as we have just seen, in their characteristic forms, but in obedience to the natural conditions of decorative design, from which the earlier artists had not learned to wander, traditionally and half instinctively adhering to them, do the works of preceding time, in gold and silver, enamel, &c., occupy the highest place. As an example of the utmost splendour, combined with due subservience of decoration, we would refer to the elaborate and consummately beautiful King John (of France) cup, of the fourteenth century-the palmy time with Gothic art.

In wrought iron-work, a few specimens, of perforated panels, of locks, keys, coffers, &c., were exhibited; very valuable as illustrative of the art and character developed in this material, in the medieval period, for the most utilitarian purposes. Some means, also, of comparing earlier simple work, with the florid detail of later Gothic and cinquecento, were afforded. A much

fuller series could alone properly illustrate the resources and progressive changes of medieval iron-work.

Among sixteenth-century works, the exhibition was eminently rich in those, wherein the advanced design of the time enabled the artist to realize before-unapproached excellence, of its kind. The assemblage of ivories, wood-carvings, bronzes, and Damascene work, it was, in which that time was represented, with peculiar emphasis, and irresistible effect. The ivories of Fiamingo, the shield of Cellini, the elaborate rosary of Holbein these are productions commanding unqualified homage. Never was art carried further in such matters. " VCGH 19

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The series of sixteenth and seventeenth century Italian and German pottery was of high interest; though in value marred, by mal-arrangement. In the earlier examples of the German wares, we had adherence to sacred illustrations. In the Italian, by some brilliantly enamelled majolica ware, with its elaborate classic designs, ample testimony was borne to the reigning classic dynasty of the time. One or two early specimens there were, however, wherein sacred types, or arabesque' designof a class, to our mind the most appropriate, most purely ornamental,-witnessed the lingering influence of religion on the one hand, and of the original moresque models on the other. The variance of excellence from the high-class drawing and colour of the sixteenth, to the far lower art of the seventeenth century, was also illustrated; to those taking the trouble to single the one from the other, amid the general medley of the Society's arrangement. In Colour, the peculiar richness for which this ware is famed, had a most striking and beautiful effect; not only in each of the separate examples, but in the general mass, as they were grouped together; the whole forming at a distance, a true painter's bit.' The few specimens of the Palissy and Henry II. (of France) wares, exhibited that questionable mixture and grotesqueness of form, combined with genuine origi-t nality, the aesthetic characteristics of those styles.

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The series of Venetian and German glass offered much interest ing suggestion. The high species of art employed in the engraving of the Venetian ornamental glass, was well illustrated by many small articles; and, above all, by some mirrors, bearing engraved central figures, as well as engraved decorations around the rim. Of the enamel-painting of the German glass there were specimens, interesting both for their technical success, and for their prevailing character of subject allegorical or homelyly manifesting a nationality very distinct from that of the Venes tian manufacture. The same thing is obvious in the German types of form; these being individual and characteristic. The prevailing spirit of the Venetian forms is, in like manner, widely baza jeta mitto a If

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