I908.1 IN THE GERMANIC MUSEUM OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY. 641 



what younger, is the Naumburg' Rood Screen separating the west 

 choir of the Cathedral from the nave. The sculptures of this rood 

 screen form an interesting contrast to the sculptures of the Freiberg 

 Golden Gate, analyzed before. While the Freiberg sculptures pre- 

 sent a plastic counterpart to the mediaeval Christmas plays, we have 

 in the Naumburg rood screen a plastic counterpart to the Passion 

 plays. On the middle beam of the door leading through the screen, 

 which has the shape of a cross, the figure of the dying Saviour is 

 suspended, while on each side of the door there stand in niches the 

 over life-size figures of Mary and John. The other scenes of the 

 Passion, from the Last Supper to the Bearing of the Cross, are 

 brought to view in high reliefs which as a continuous frieze, crowned 

 by a Gothic canopy, give to the whole structure a most impressive 

 attic-like top. These sculptures seem to mark a stage of develop- 

 ment somewhat beyond that reached by the Naumburg portrait 

 statues. They are signalized by intense dramatic power. Some of 

 the scenes of the frieze in particular impress one as direct transpo- 

 sitions into stone of scenes from the Passion Play stage. They 

 excel even the portrait statues in freedom and sweep of movement 

 and in keenness of realistic characterization. On the other hand, 

 they show a tendency toward exaggeration, which occasionally (as 

 in John and Mary) leads to a strained and distorted expression of 

 feeling ; and, in the portrayal of the vulgar and the commonplace, 

 they occasionally (as in the representatives of the Jewish rabble) 

 diverge into caricature. They are, then, clear anticipations of the 

 ultra-naturalistic, and therefore unnatural tendency of later Gothic 

 sculpture. 



We may properly close our review by selecting at least one 

 group of South German sculptures afifording a striking example of 

 the strong influence exerted by French Gothic art upon this part of 

 Germany : I mean the " Death of Mary " and the " Ecclesia and 

 Synagoga " from the Romanesque portal of Strassburg Cathedral. 

 The Death of Mary is one of the noblest creations in the whole 

 history of art. The Virgin is represented reclining on a couch, 

 wrapped in a garment which reveals with rare delicacy the lines of 

 her body. Her face is majestic, Juno-like. Although the moment 

 represented is after her death, her eyes are still open and have a 



