I should wish to modify in some respects the conclusion arrived at on pp. 148, 149, about Michael Angelo Rossetti’s having been the principal sculptor of the Massacre of the Innocents chapel. There can be no doubt that Rossetti did the figure which he has signed, and several others in the chapel. One of those which are probably by him (the soldier with outstretched arm to the left of the composition) appears in the view of the chapel that I have given to face page 144, but on consideration I incline against the supposition of my text, i.e., that the signature should be taken as governing the whole work, or at any rate the greater part of it, and lean towards accepting the external authority, which, quantum valeat, is all in favour of Paracca. I have changed my mind through an increasing inability to resist the opinion of those who hold that the figures fall into two main groups, one by the man who did the signed figure, i.e., Michael Angelo Rossetti; and another, comprising all the most vigorous, interesting, and best placed figures, that certainly appears to be by a much more powerful hand. Probably, then, Rossetti finished Paracca’s work and signed one figure as he did, without any idea of claiming the whole, and believing that Paracca’s predominant share was too well known to make mistake about the authorship of the work possible. I have therefore in the title to the illustration given the work to Paracca, but it must be admitted that the question is one of great difficulty, and I can only hope that some other work of Paracca’s may be found which will tend to settle it. I will thankfully receive information about any other such work.
May 1, 1888.
CONTENTS.
| CHAP. | PAGE | |
| I. | Introduction | [1] |
| II. | The Rev. S. W. King—Lanzi and Lomazzo | [10] |
| III. | Varallo, Past and Present | [24] |
| IV. | Bernardino Caimi, and Fassola | [38] |
| V. | Early History of the Sacro Monte | [49] |
| VI. | Preliminary Considerations | [69] |
| VII. | Aim and Scope of the Sacro Monte | [80] |
| VIII. | Gaudenzio Ferrari, Tabachetti, and Giovanni D’Enrico | [90] |
| IX. | The Ascent of the Sacro Montre, and Chapel No. 1, Adam and Eve; No. 2, The Annunciation; No. 3, The Salutation of Mary by Elizabeth; No. 4, First Vision of St. Joseph | [114] |
| X. | Chapel No. 5, Visit of the Magi; No. 6, Il Presepio; No. 7, Visit of the Shepherds; No. 8, Circumcision; No. 9, Joseph Warned to Fly; No. 10, Flight into Egypt; No. 11, Massacre of the Innocents | [132] |
| XI. | Chapel No. 12, Baptism; No. 13, Temptation; No. 14, Woman of Samaria; No. 15, The Paralytic; No. 16, Widow’s Son at Nain; No. 17, Transfiguration; No. 18, Raising of Lazarus; No. 19, Entry into Jerusalem; No. 20, Last Supper; No. 21, Agony in the Garden; No. 22, Sleeping Apostles | [153] |
| XII. | The Palace of Pilate; Chapel No. 23, The Capture of Christ; No. 24, Christ taken to Annas; No. 25, Christ before Caiaphas; No. 26, Repentance of St. Peter; No. 27, Christ before Pilate; No. 28, Christ before Herod; No. 29, Christ taken back to Pilate; No. 30, Flagellation; No. 31, Crowning with Thorns; No. 32, Christ at the Steps of the Pretorium; No. 33, Ecce Homo; No. 34, Pilate Washing his Hands; No. 35, Christ Condemned to Death | [166] |
| XIII. | Mysteries of the Passion and Death; Chapel No. 36, The Journey to Calvary; No. 37, Nailing of Christ to the Cross; No. 38, The Crucifixion | [195] |
| XIV. | Chapel No. 39, The Descent from the Cross | [214] |
| XV. | The Pietà and Remaining Chapels. Chapel No. 40, The Pietà; No. 41, The Entombment; Remaining Chapels and Chiesa Maggiore | [225] |
| XVI. | Tabachetti’s Work at Crea | [239] |
| XVII. | Conclusion | [259] |
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.
For explanation of the Asterisk see Advertisement of Photographs at the end of the book.
“IIVecchietto,” from the Descent from the Cross (Chapel No. 39) | Frontispiece | |
PLATE | ||
I. | Plan of the Sacro Monte in1671 | |
II. | The Old Adam and Eve | |
III. | Tabachetti’s Adam andEve | |
IV. | First Vision of St. Joseph | |
V. | The Massacre of theInnocents | |
VI. | The Temptation in theWilderness | |
VII. | Caiaphas | |
VIII. | Herod | |
IX. | Two Laughing Boys | |
X. | Man in Background of the FlagellationChapel | |
XI. | Stefano Scotto, and Mr. S.Butler | |
XII. | Tabachetti’s Journey toCalvary General View to the Right. | |
XIII. | Tabachetti’s Journey toCalvary St. John and the Madonna with the otherMaries. | |
XIV. | Tabachetti’s Journey toCalvary Sta. Veronica and Man withGoitre. | |
XV. | Tabachetti’s Journey toCalvary The Two Thieves and theirDriver. | |
XVI. | Gaudenzio Ferrari’sCrucifixion General View Looking towards the BadThief. | |
XVII. | Gaudenzio Ferrari’sCrucifixion General View Looking towards the GoodThief. | |
XVIII. | Gaudenzio Ferrari’s Portraits ofStefano Scotto and Leonardo da Vinci | |
XIX. | Bernardino de Conti’s Drawing ofStefano Scotto, and Profile of Leonardo da Vinci by himself(reversed) | |
XX. | Gaudenzio Ferrari’sCrucifixion The Bad Thief. | |
ADDITIONS AND CORRECTIONS.
Unable to go to Dinant before I published “Ex Voto,” I have since been there, and have found out a good deal about Tabachetti’s family. His real name was de Wespin, and he tame of a family who had been Copper-beaters, and hence sculptors—for the Flemish copper-beaters made their own models—for many generations. The family seems to have been the most numerous and important in Dinant.
The sculptor’s grandfather, Perpète de Wespin, was the first to take the sobriquet of Tabaguet, and though in the deeds which I have seen at Namur the name is always given as “de Wespin,” yet the addition of “dit Tabaguet” shows that this last was the name in current use. His father and mother, and a sister Jacquelinne, under age, appear to have all died in 1587. Jean de Wespin, the sculptor, is mentioned in a deed of that date as “expatrié,” and he has a “gardien” or “tuteur,” who is to take charge of his inheritance, appointed by the Court, as though he were for some reason unable to appoint one for himself. This lends colour to Fassola’s and Torrotti’s statement that he lost his reason about 1586 or 1587. I think it more likely, however, considering that he was alive and doing admirable work some fifty years after 1590, that he was the victim of some intrigue than that he was ever really mad. At any rate, about 1587 he appears to have been unable to act for himself.