Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 1.djvu/190

172 notice in particular a few symbols, a knowledge of which may be of practical use in rendering more intelligible some of the productions of medieval art.

According to their view, the twelfth and thirteenth centuries were ages of grandeur, of earnestness, and of faith; the people, though illiterate, were not ignorant; and religious art, addressing itself rather to their well-instructed understandings, than to their senses, endeavoured to express something beyond mere historical events or sensible objects.

Painted windows were constructed conformably to this principle, and, except in some particular instances in which the subjects represented are in themselves sufficiently expressive, or do not admit of any ulterior meaning, every window is intended to convey to the spectator's mind some one abstract idea, some sentiment, or point of doctrine. The particular subjects which compose the work, when taken in connection with each other, express something beyond their individual, literal, or symbolical import.

Thus our authors designate the window before described, "the window of the New Covenant," the combination of subjects being such as to bring to mind the call of the Gentiles. Another window, in which is depicted, in a series of medallions, the parable of the Prodigal Son, is considered by them to be a symbolical representation of the admission of the Gentiles into the number of the children of God, and the abrogation of the Sabbath by the consummation of the law of Moses.

Subsequently to the thirteenth century, the kind of symbolism which has been mentioned fell into disuse, and artists were contented with bringing into juxtaposition events, of which one was the type, and the other the antitype, or which were parallel to each other. This latter method of treating Scripture is apparent in the ecclesiastical writers as well as in the artists of the fifteenth century. It was not altogether unknown in the thirteenth century.

The interpretation put by the authors on the windows described in this work, is of course mere conjecture; it is nothing more than their manner of reading a language, which, however it might formerly have existed, has long been a dead one; but they abound in authorities which justify the symbolical meaning they attach to individual subjects. Indeed they more than once insist on the principle that in endeavouring to discover the secret meaning of a work of art, the enquirer is not at liberty to indulge his own imagination, but must submit to be guided by the authority of contemporary or earlier writers. He must interpret figured monuments through the medium of written authorities. The profusion of quotations which are employed for the purpose just mentioned, are also brought forward with a view of shewing the prevalence of the figurative mode of biblical interpretation in the ages in question, and the consequent tone of thinking which was likely to be imparted to artists, and to the people at large.

We have already specified the subjects represented in the "window of the New Covenant." To do justice to our authors we ought to follow them through their commentary on this window, which occupies above one hundred pages; but this is impossible; we can merely state that in every one of the