The Free lance., May 01, 1891, Image 14

attributed an age of 400 years, and the colors and
designs are wonderfully preserved.
We may consider the paintings of the Roman
catacombs under three • heads, naturally suggested
by the positions in which they are found ; first
those on the slabs ; second, those on the walls;
and third, those on the ceilings.
The slabs generally bare only the inscription,
but frequently there was painted or carved upon
them, also, one or more christian symbols, such
as a dove, an anchor, an olive branch or the mono
gram of Christ. The figures were commonly con
ventionalized, making them purely symbolical. '
On the walls, the paintings were simply decora
tive frescos with flowing and geometrical lines,
and, frequently, repetitions of design.
A cubiculum is a chamber in which the mem
bers of a family were buried. The funeral feast
was carried on in these chambers, and, being a
custom that decended to the Christians from the
pagans, the custom was often profaned by heath
en license in gluttony and insobriety.
Some of the frescos represent these facts. Many
of these mural paintings of large design, depicted
on the walls at an early day, have been destroyed
by the desire of being buried near one's relations.
This desire caused new tombs to be cut in the walls,
regardless of the pictures. One of the most per
fect examples of early christian pictorial decora
tions, the so-called "Dispute with the Doctors,"
in the catacombs of Callistus, has thus suffered ir
reparable mutilation.
Another motive that incited the ancients to
destroy these paintings, is found in the fact that
when persecutions ceased and christianity became
the imperial faith, interment became a regular
trade, in the hands of grave diggers or fossores,
who quarried numerous new luculi in the walls
decorated with religious paintings.
In the baptistery of the catacombs of St. Pon
tinus, where immersions were undoubtedly made,
the wall at the back exhibits a well preserved fresco
of a jeweled cross, beneath an arched recess above
which is a fresco of the baptism of our Lord.
THE FREE LANCE.
This picture, as represented by Perret, is very
artistic. It shows Christ standing in water to his
elbows, his arms hanging, a dove descending over
his head, John the Baptist standing on the left
with his hand on Jesus and an angel on the right
of Him. The early christian representations are
to be distinguished from the mural decorations of
of the pagans, by the absence of all that was im
moral and idolatrous. Any symbols that were
strictly religious, were slowly brought into use and
these were meaningless to any but christian eyes,
As examples we note "the Vine," "The Good
Sheperd," "The Sheep."
The ceilings were covered with more elaborate
painting. The work of the Monk Bosio, in
searching the catacombs, has given faithful rep
resentation of the interiors. A description of one
of the frescoed ceilings will serve to illustrate the
character of these pictures. On the ceiling of
one of the chapels is painted the Good Sheperd
with a lamb over his shoulders and two others
lying at his side. This occupies a central circle
which is surrounded by a circle of birds. The
remaining space is marked off by twelve semi
circles. Eight of these surround respectively the
following pictures: first, the paralytic bearing his
bed; second, the seven baskets full of fragments;
third, the raising of Lazarus ; fourth, Daniel in
the lion's den ; fifth, Jonah swallowed by the fish;
sixth, Jonah vomited forth; seventh, Moses strik
ing the rock ; eighth, Noah and the dove. Such
illustrations are most frequently found in the
christian catacombs, but scenes as sacred as the
crucifixion and subjects from the passion, are never
represented.
Secretary Proctor is erecting a building for the
village library at Proctor, Vt, The nucleus of the
collection of books was originally given by him for
the benefit of the hands and employes of the mar
ble company there. In giving it he agreed that
for every book they would add to the library, and
for every dollar they would give to it, he would
add a book and give a dollar,
JOHN SMITH,