News Release: December 2015

 

 

One Hundred Years of Art and History at St. Michael’s Church

 

Everyone is invited to a FREE presentation on Sunday, December 13, 2015 at 2:00 PM in St Michael’s Church, located at 10 North Mississippi Avenue in Atlantic City, NJ. Local native Dr. John Calabrese will discuss the art works contained in St. Michael’s Church and their historical significance. St. Michael’s Church was built and supported by Italian-Americans since 1912 and is well known as the “best example of Italian Renaissance Art in Southern New Jersey.” Dr. John Calabrese is an accomplished Artist in detailed graphite pencil drawings and is currently the Professor of Art History at Texas Woman’s University. As a young boy, he attended St Michael’s Elementary School and later Holy Spirit High School in Absecon, NJ. He received his BA in Art from The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC, his MFA in painting from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn and his PhD in Comparative Arts from Ohio University in Athens. Professor Calabrese particularly enjoys sharing the experience of Art in person and regularly leads art history classes to the great museums, churches, palaces and ancient sites in Europe. Dr. Calabrese will combine his professional experiences with personal recollections about the people, the neighborhood, and the City that inspired the construction of St. Michael’s Church and the $4 million renovation completed for its centennial celebration. The talk will focus on the Church’s irreplaceable artworks that include the stained glass windows, marble statuaries, and the wall and the ceiling frescos. The St. Michael’s Church Preservation Society is a non-profit organization dedicated to preserving this more than a century year old Catholic Church as a spiritual, social, cultural and historical presence in Atlantic City. Additional information about the Society’s work is available at SAVESTMIKES on Facebook.

 

NOTES on TALK

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The Art and Architecture of St. Michael’s Church, Atlantic City, NJ
 
By Dr. John A. Calabrese December 13, 2015
 
 Welcome everyone to our beautiful church of St. Michael’s.  I hope to convey to you the historical and artistic significance of this building by examining major aspects of its architecture, stained glass windows, painting, and sculpture. So take good notes. There will be a test at the end. (Just kidding!)  Please hold any questions until after my presentation.  I would like to address the following in some detail: 1. The overall theme of the interior decoration; 2. Basic architectural stylistic influences and some architectural principles. 3. The style and nature of the stained glass and the paintings, and 4. Ending with a formal analysis of the statue of St. Michael.  Theme. As you know the church is dedicated to St. Michael the Archangel.  However, the theme of angels dominates the interior decoration.  Images of angels appear on walls, in windows, on the ceiling and as statues.  Some background information is necessary to help make sense of the elaborate and overwhelming references to angels throughout the church.  The Celestial Hierarchy. Angels are, of course, celestial (heavenly) beings between God, the creator, and us humans.  Since early in the Church’s history, Catholic philosophers and scholars have contributed to the construction of the Celestial Hierarchy of angels which consists of nine choirs in three ranked hierarchies.  Noteworthy among these scholars are, St. Jerome, St. Ambrose, Pope St. Gregory the Great, Isidore of Seville, St. John of Damascus and the lesser known but highly significant Dionysus the Areopagiate (late 5th-early 6th C.).  In the High Middle Ages Dionysus’s speculative doctrine was further developed by St. Albert the Great, St. Bonaventure, Duns Scotus, and a fellow by the name of St. Thomas Aquinas.  The scheme of nine choirs of three hierarchies, each with three choirs, was first worked out by Dionysus in c. 500.  The First Hierarchy consists of the following three choirs of angels:  1. Seraphim. According to Isaiah 6:27 each in this highest category has six wings: “With two they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they flew.”  As the Seraphs surround the throne of God they call to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of their glory.”  These lines are incorporated into the liturgy at the beginning of the Eucharistic Prayer.  These are represented on the ceiling in the first three circles above both side aisles and in all four corners surrounding the circular base of the light above the main altar.  2. Cherubim. According to Genesis 3:24 and Ezekial 28:14 they function as attendants of God, guarding, for example, The Garden of Eden after the expulsion of Adam and Eve.  Representations of two of them in gold were placed in Solomon’s Temple at Jerusalem facing one another at either end of the cover of the Ark of the Covenant as stated in Exodus 25:18-22.  I suspect they are depicted floating over the statues on either side altar.  3. Thrones. Note on the ceiling that this choir is labeled as Troni in Italian  and is depicted in the third circle from the altar over the center aisle.  They are mention in Colossians 1:16 as part of God’s creation in Christ.  According to Jewish legend there were seventy of them.  Some are numbered among the fallen angels.  Their dominant trait is steadfastness.  According to Dionysus it is through the Thrones that God brings justice to bear upon us.  The Second Hierarchy consists of the following three choirs of angels:  4. Dominations or Dominions. They are labeled Dominazioni in the fourth circle from the altar on the ceiling. Mentioned in Colossians 1:16, they regulate angels’ duties and through them the majesty of God is manifested.  Their usual emblems of authority are scepter and orb.
 5. Virtues. According to Hebrew lore their principle duty is to work miracles on earth.  The two men in “white robes” (Acts 1:10) standing by the Apostles at Jesus’ Ascension are traditionally regarded as Virtues.  I suspect that they are represented by the two angels over the doors at the ends of the side aisles carrying the banners one with the word FIDES (faith) and the other CARITAS (charity.)  6. Powers.  These are labeled Poteri in the last circle from the altar over the center aisle.  Mentioned in Colossians 1:16, according to Dionysus they thwart the efforts of demons to overthrow the world.  For Gregory the Great they preside over the demons.  They are also listed among those who cannot “separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus, Our Lord” as stated in Romans 8:38-39.  However, in Ephesians 6:12 many are regarded as evil and under the control of the devil: “the cosmic powers of this present darkness.”   The Third Hierarchy consists of the last three choirs of angels:  7. Principalities.   They are depicted on the ceiling in the fifth circle from the altar and are labeled as Principi.  According to tradition they function to protect religion.  According to Dionysus they watch over leaders and inspire them to make the right decision.  They like the Powers are linked to include evil as well as good spirits in Ephesians 6:12.  8. Archangels. They are labeled Arcangeli and depicted in the first circle closest to the altar. These are the chief angels, messengers who bear divine decrees. 1Enoch names seven archangels: Uriel, Raguel, Seraqael, Haniel, Raphael (which means “God Heals”), Gabriel (“God Is My Strength”) and Michael (“Who Is Like God?” or “Who Stands in the Presence of God?”).  Gabriel assists Daniel in the understanding of his visions in Daniel 8:58 and 9: 21 and announces the Conception of Jesus in Mary’s womb (Luke 1:11 and 1:26).  In the book of Tobit 12:12 and 15 Raphael stands in the presence of God.  The word archangel occurs twice in the New Testament: In Jude 9 where Michael is referred to as the archangel who “contended with the devil” and in Thessalonians 4:16 where there is a reference to “the archangel’s call “that will come on the day the Lord returns from heaven.”  9. Angels. These are labeled Angeli and depicted in the second circle from the altar over the center aisle. Few are actually named, such as Satan, whose original name was Lucifer, “Light Bearer”.  They perform many functions such as acting as divine agents that execute judgment, they lead, protect and intercede for us on God’s behalf. Guardian angels are included here.  To recap note the six circles in the ceiling over the center aisle where six are actually named from rear to front: Powers, Principalities, Dominations, Thrones, angels, and Archangels who are listed first since we honor St Michael, the archangel.  When you include the Seraphs near the light and in the six circles closest to the altar over the side aisles, the floating angels as Cherubim on both side altars, and the two over each side door as Virtues we have all nine choirs represented.
 
 The Architectural Scheme.  Early Christian churches were designed with a long central axis and a wide central aisle or nave that leads us to and directly focuses on the main altar.  They usually had two side aisles that lead to two side altars as we see echoed here.  Incidentally churches were not limited to the number of altars. Observe that there are three more at the rear of St. Michael’s.  St. Peter’s in the Vatican has over sixty consecrated altars. Note the prominent recess for the main altar behind the sanctuary.  The rectangular plan of the church is known as a hall church but actually derives its shape from the ancient Roman public building known as the basilica, which has a rectangular format that emphasizes the long axis with a recess at the end.  This was utilized in the construction of Old Saint Peter’s in 333 since it was ideally suited to the ritual of the new faith.  The vast interior space was broken up by segments called bays.  Note here the flat columns or pilasters on the walls between the windows that run up the walls, across the ceiling to their counterparts on the opposite walls. Each unit between the columns including one window is one bay. St. Michael’s has six bays.  The conspicuously wide central aisle leads us to the recess where the main altar is, our major concern because this is where the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass takes place.  Note the use of three-part divisions throughout; one center and two side aisles; three altars, three clear and distinct recesses in the
altarpiece above the main altar; there are also three doors at the entrance to the church.  Hence symmetry can be observed throughout.  In early churches Baptisteries were separate smaller buildings situated in front of the entrance to the church.  You were baptized first then you entered the church in your pure white garments.  This is why the baptismal font is in the rear.
 
 Classical Motifs.  These derive from ancient Greek and Roman prototypes. The word “classical”, derived from the Latin, means first, top shelf.  The concept incorporates the following ideas: clear pure geometrical shapes such as the circle, square, and octagon; use of clear vertical and horizontal members; symmetry; rational planning; calm, ordered ideal proportions based on mathematics; perfection – the embodiment of an idea; depiction of nature as if it were perfect.  Classical things are timeless.  They never go out of style; they are used as standards of excellence.  Can you think of an example when the word “classical” is used in a negative sense?   I can’t.  There is none.   Classical tendencies first appear in architecture and sculpture in around 450 B.C. in Greece and were adapted and refined by the Romans and revived in the 15th Century, Italian Renaissance, which means a rebirth, a rebirth of classical ideas in art and literature.     Let us recall the great Renaissance architect Leone Battista Alberti who had a profound effect on the Renaissance spirit.  He made careful measurements of ancient Roman buildings and he discovered that the Romans always used an even number of supports and an odd number of openings.   This scheme is apparent in the elements of the walls here in St. Michael’s; each bay has two supports and one opening.  In his extensive studies of architecture in Rome he discovered the only surviving book on architecture written by the Roman Vitruvius in the First Century.   He agreed with Vitruvius’ dictum “each part must relate to every other part and all parts relate to the whole.”  This becomes the foundation for any classical structure.  Once worked out nothing can be further added nor subtracted.  The Sonata Allegro form of Mozart’s symphonies are excellent examples.  You are perhaps familiar with the famous drawing by Leonardo da Vinci of a man with legs together and arms stretched out so that his feet and finger tips touch a square.  A second set of arms and legs are superimposed at angles and they touch the circumference of a circle overlaid on the square.  Well this famous illustration is actually the Vitruvian man that Leonardo discovered in his study of both Alberti and Vitruvius!  We see clear order in man and nature, hence order in the universe. Classical indeed.
 
 The Round Arch. The Circle. The round or Roman arch, whose top is made of a half of a circle, was perfected by the Romans as an efficient structural means to create a vault in order to enclose a vast interior space without all the clutter of interior columns.  Here in St. Michael’s the round arches are used as openings.  They proliferate in windows, doorways, and niches.  Also note the circular motifs on the ceiling and most significantly in the skylight over the sanctuary, the major source of light over the  main altar.  In Renaissance churches there would be a dome here to let in the light.  A dome is a half of a sphere.  The dome is a symbol of the order of the cosmos and the mother of all domes is the Pantheon in Rome, the Church of Our Lady of the Angels.   The base of a dome is of course the circle which symbolizes perfection.  Plato believed the soul must be in the form of a circle.
 
 Notes on the Façade.  At the very top of the exterior façade of St. Michael’s directly above the central or main doorway is a superimposed Roman temple front that consists of the wide triangular pediment and below this spread across from left to right four flat columns.  The three-part division is present in the large rounded windows above and the three rounded doorways below.  Directly above the central doorway is another triangular pediment which serves to emphasize the central vertical axis.  If you stand far enough from the façade you will see what appears to be this superimposed temple front.  The three-part division works horizontally as well.  The entrance doors occupy the lowest level.  Then there is a small mezzanine level reading from left to right with two small square windows above the left door, two circular windows above the central door on either side of the lower pediment, and two
square windows over the right door.  Above this is the largest level with the superimposed temple front consisting of the four flat columns, three windows the center one capped by the highest pediment.  As a result we see a clear use of horizontal and vertical elements that result in balanced symmetry.   The ground level with the distinct horizontal layers of deeply cut stonework acts as a base for the larger upper level temple front.  Alberti’s Renaissance masterpiece, the church of Sant’Andrea in Mantova utilized the superimposed temple front in a similar manner.
 
 Stained Glass. This medieval art form achieved prominence from the first Gothic building, the Abbey of St. Denis, begun by Abbot Suger in the 1140s.  He envisioned a vast interior space with huge windows of muted colored glass that let in diffused light, “that most mystical of phenomena,” quoted from our old friend Dionysus’ treatise which was read by Suger and had tremendous influence in the Middle Ages.  Eventually High Gothic 13th Century masterpieces such as Notre Dame of Chartres, St. Etienne of Bourges, and the little gem, Le Sainte-Chappelle in Paris, consisted of more glass than walls.  These windows were made possible by the brilliant combination of rectangular bays, ribbed vaults, flying buttresses and pointed arches in the windows.  Glass was made in long hollow tubes with different minerals used to produce different colors.  Once the tubes were removed from their ovens they were split open and fractured into flattened pieces and assembled like great puzzles. The various pieces of colored glass were held together with lead strips called tracery.  The entire window was stabilized by iron rods inserted vertically and horizontally.  The preferred colors were blues, purples, mauves, and magentas.   Gold was occasionally used for trim as we see here in the full-length angels in the large windows.  Blue and gold symbolize heaven and eternity. Purple symbolizes royalty since it was very expensive to make and only kings could afford it, hence royal purple.
 
 Light.  Of all things physical, light is the least physical.  Many times in the Bible light is utilized to refer to God’s mystical presence.  Such examples include the Pillar of Fire, the Burning Bush, and Tongues of Fire.  The simple lit candle is a marvelous example of deep symbolism of light.  We start with a vertical solid object that when the wick is lit the solid transforms first to liquid and after the vertical flame we see black smoke rising.   This symbolizes the immortal soul leaving the physical body and progressing to heaven.  Light then penetrates, like the Holy Spirit, from outside the church through the transparent glass of the church windows producing muted colored lights in the vast dim spaces creating an atmosphere of mystery and silence fitting the House of God whose Son is present in the tabernacle.  Yet here in St. Michael’s the windows are rounded, not pointed as in the Gothic Cathedrals, to conform to the classic Renaissance format of the building.  Even the figures in the windows are more classically conceived than the highly abstracted and flattened forms of Gothic stained glass.  Actually late Gothic windows with figures from the 15th to the 17th Centuries in northern European churches show distinct influence from Italian Renaissance art and begin to appear more realistic.  Let us consider the large angels in the glass of St. Michael’s.  Many have musical instruments for heavenly praise.  The two facing the altar have hands in prayerful devotion.  All of their faces and postures are dignified, solemn, reflective, yet each one is individualized.  All are composed of blues, purples, magentas and with gold trim. Note the cloud banks beneath their feet that curve upward to meet their curving down wings indicating that they float in heaven.  Let us consider both walls separately.  The right wall of the church from back to front consists of three angels with various musical instruments and the fourth, closest to the altar, faces directly to the altar with arms folded upon its chest in solemn devotion. On the left wall from the rear again we see three angels in varying poses with different musical instruments and a fourth angel, closest to the altar facing the altar with hands clasped in reverent prayer. Their postures and placement indicate clear and balanced symmetry.
 
 Size and Placement.  The size and placement of the human figure within a specific context would inform the viewer of significance within that particular setting or composition, say, for example, one window or the altarpiece.  It is an old convention that figures within a specific work that are frontal, larger, taller, or seated have more prominence than surrounding figures.  Note the sculpture of the main altar: St. Michael’s size when compared to the two angels that flank him.  However, the figures of Christ and Mary on the side altars are much larger than St. Michael.  Originally the statue of Mary was not colored to conform to the gray-white of the statue of Christ.
 
 Painting. True frescoes are water based paint applied to damp plaster and when the plaster dries the paint is a permanent part of the wall.  These paintings on the side altars are called dry fresco since they are painted directly on the dry wall surface.  This ancient tradition was begun by the Greeks, refined by the Romans, of which Pompeii is a magnificent example, and truly perfected in stages throughout the history of the Italian Renaissance:  We begin with the revival of Giotto’s Scrovegni Chapel fresco cycle of 1310 in Padova, progress through Masaccio’s stunningly accurate figures in the frescoes of 1428 in the Brancacci Chapel of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence and culminate with Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel masterpiece of 1508-12 in the Vatican.    Note here in St. Michael’s the floating angels with complex twisted postures in intricate foreshortened space on either side of Christ and Mary on the side altars.  They seem three dimensional because of how the artist manipulated modeling and shading, that is, the use of lights and darks (chiaroscuro) to create convincing volume, mass, and movement.  The dark figures appear to emerge from the light background.  Incidentally the overall interior color scheme of creams, whites, pastel blues and gold trim make the interior space seem light flooded and larger than it actually is.  These particular floating angels appear to derive from similarly floating angels in Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling.  Okay, quiz time.  Now who was Michelangelo named after?  Yes, you are correct. (I aim the pointer to the statue of St. Michael.)  The floating angels contrast strongly with the more static stately figures on the ceiling and in the large windows.  Usually as you progress down the nave of a church the subjects become less earthly and more mystical or more significant as you approach the altar with the Blessed Sacrament.  Let us consider the two walls again in more complete detail.    We walk from rear to front and on both walls we pass three angels gazing upward praising with musical instruments led by one facing the altar in prayerful devotion. Then we see a marked break with  a smaller round window on either side each depicting a St. John. On the left wall is St. John the Baptist, the last of the Old Testament prophets and the first New Testament saints, preparing the way of the Lord.  Across from him is St. John the Evangelist whose gospel is later and soars above the other three hence his emblem of the eagle. Progressing down the aisle we come to the last two large windows of Marian subjects. On the left wall we see Mary, Gabriel, and St Anne in a unique depiction of the Immaculate Conception.  Across from this window we see Mary with Baby Jesus and Baby St. John traditionally garbed in animal skins foreshadowing his time in the desert.  Now we arrive at the sanctuary. On either wall flanking the main altar are the most recent paintings added in the early 1950s.  The figures in these are treated more realistically here than in other works indicating a sign of a later artist’s different style. These two paintings are actually oil on canvas applied to the walls.  On the right is the Wedding Feast of Cana when Christ began his ministry at the behest of his Blessed Mother.  On the left is the Last Supper where we see Christ frontally and relatively centered as he distributes the bread and wine which has now been transubstantiated into his Body and Blood, the Bloodless Sacrifice which prefigures the Bloody Sacrifice on Good Friday.  Note Judas in the upper left as he literally walks away from the meal and the altar!
 
 The Marble Statue of St. Michael.  Lastly and in conclusion let us examine St. Michael the patron saint honored here.  He is a free standing sculpture in the round as opposed to the flatter forms of sculpture known as relief which can be see in the rear altars of the church.  St. Michael stands in
contrapposto. This means that his body is shifting his weight as accurately as a person does in reality.  This can be traced back to a Classically Greek sculpture of a boy by Kritios in around 460 B. C. and revived by Donatello in the Renaissance in his version of David from the 1450s.  We also see the same pose in Verrocchio’s David of 1470s and Michelangelo’s David of 1503. By the way Verrocchio had a major studio in Florence and one of his pupil-assistants was none other than Leonardo da Vinci!   Usually the human figure was depicted nude or almost so in order to stress the inner working structure of the body and how weight and mass are distributed. This is far more significant than surface appearances. Michelangelo’s figures were almost always nude and he said: “The foot is nobler than the shoe, so why bother with the shoe.”  This is indicative of a classical sensibility of priorities, clarities and emphasis on formal structure.   We can see clearly the musculature of St. Michael’s torso beneath his thin layer of armor.  The figure appears three-dimensional and conveys convincing mass.  There is balance and symmetry to all figures in contrapposto.  We have one locked leg and one loose leg.  Here St. Michael has one raised arm in victory and one lowered arm holding his sword.  He exhibits quiet somber dignity similar to the expressions of the angels in the large windows.  He is calm and authoritative as he appears to reflect on his recent deed. He stands victoriously over the conquered fallen angel in dragon form as does David with his sword over the fallen Goliath in the Donatello and Verrocchio versions of David.    St. Michael, who is protector of soldiers, policemen, and guards, may he protect us all from evil.  In closing I would like to acknowledge Rich Negro and Bob Venafro for all of their tireless efforts in creating the St. Michael’s Preservation Society.  And also I would like to thank Father Jon Thomas for all his support and kindness.  Thank you for your attention.  Any questions?  

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