Ertensthn of the Roman School.—The influence of this Roman school was felt throughout an extensive territory, and perhaps the best examples are the numerous series that decorate the walls and vaults of the sub terranean church in the Cathedral of Anagni, those of the monastic churches at Subiaco, and the apse of the church at Nepi. The subjects were quite varied. At Anagni, for example, not only is the entire Old Testament history represented, but also many scenes from the New Testament, especially front the Apocalypse, as well as figures of saints, are given. The Apocalypse and the Last Judgment had become at this time favorite subjects. Beginning with the mosaics of the ninth century in Route and the earliest frescos of the churches of Lombardy, there is an uninterrupted series extending to the time of the revival under Giotto. It is probable that the influence of the East is to be recognized in this fact, as these scenes were perhaps most frequently depicted by Byzantine artists.
Other Italian Schools.—The magnificent churches erected by Greeks, Lombards, and Normans in the South of Italy and in Sicily afforded a broad field for the exercise of the art of painting in various phases. After the reintroduction of mosaic-painting- from Constantinople by the school of Monte Cassino, many churches had their apses and walls decorated with mosaics in which the Byzantine style is seen in its purest condition. The greater part, however, were adorned with frescos whose age is, unfortunately, still uncertain. At the same time, the churches of the North of Italy were decorated by a school more connected with the North of Europe and less with the Byzantine school; on the other hand, Venice was entirely I3yzantinized, and was a centre of mosaic-painting, as is proved by San Marco.
The By:antine Mosaic of San Paolo.—When, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, Pope Honorius III. wished to place a mosaic in the apse of the ancient Basilica of St. Paul outside-the-walls at Rome, he was obliged to send to the doge of Venice for mosaicists. The work which they executed is represented in the lower part of Figure 4 (pl. 27), which it is interesting to compare with the mosaic of the triumphal arch ( upper part of Figure 4) executed in the same church about eight hundred years before. Christ is enthroned, having on his right St. Paul and St. Luke
and on his left St. Peter and St. Andrew, all holding open scrolls bearing appropriate inscriptions. A miniature figure of the pope kneels at the Saviour's feet. Birds and plants of all sorts are represented with the most minute exactness in the flat landscape on which the figures stand, and at each extremity of which there is a large palm tree.
G,rman al Ih• Close of the rive/fill Celan Leaving France, as of minor importance, though it can still boast of a ill:1111•er of Romanesque frescos (for example, Saint-Savin), Germany claims our attention as sharing with Italy during this period the palm for activity in the field of painting. We have seen (p. 9.1) that the revival under the Saxon kings was ephemeral as ye 1 1 as artificial; it was during the second half of the twelfth century, when architecture took such strides, that painting entered upon a new phase. painting is even then the branch in which the changes in style from the barbarous art of the previous period can best be traced, both on account of the number of works still existing and also because many of them have exact dates—a fact which is rarely the case with larger works. Still, the wall-paintings of this period are interesting, and among the most noted are those at Schwarzrheindorf, Brauweiler, Brunswick, and Gurk.
Prinied Cc fling al extreme interest is the painted ceiling of the great Church of St. Michael at Hildesheim, in which the germs of Gothic art are evidently present, and which dates probably from the beginning of the thirteenth century. The subject of the entire series is the Genealogy of Christ, or the Tree of Jesse. In the compart ment reproduced in Figure 6 (6/. 27) we see King David seated, crowned and holding the sceptre in his left hand and the globe in his right; the branches of the Tree of Jesse, in which he is seated, are made to form a graceful scrollwork filling the background of the quatrefoil; at each of the four corners, in a circle, is a small figure with crown and sceptre. As a system of decoration the entire series is remarkable, and the general effect is heightened by the harmonious coloring.