Art Treasures of Medieval Finland [antikvár]

ART TREASURES OF MEDIEVAL FINLAND Though medieval ecclesiastical art of both Finnish and non-Finnish origin can be seen in Finland to some extent in museums, the bulk of it is still to be found in churches. The medieval churches are in themselves important monuments and have over the centuries been built, repaired, decorated, and ornamented in the particular taste of the hour. Most churches are decorated with frescoes, sometimes in two or even three layers. These paintings have, it is true, suffered the ravages of time: repairs, new plastering, fires, and surface deterioration have left their mark. In spite of all the damage, however, so much has been preserved that even today, Finnish churches give a true impression of the art—paintings, religious figures, and liturgical articles—that the medieval Catholic church employed to add solemnity to its rituals and provide spiritual uplift to its congregations. The leaders of the church in Finland strove to beautify their places of worship with valuable works of art from other countries as well. Although these works were not part of Finnish art proper, they influenced the spiritual life and religious devotions of the Finns of their day and provided models and inspiration for local artists, thus becoming part of the spiritual heritage of the nation. They therefore form part of the over-all picture of Finnish medieval art. In addition to Turku Cathedral, the mother church of the nation, Finland still has almost eighty medieval gray-stone churches and about a dozen small stone sacristies. These churches —built in rough natural stone, with high pointed gables, sometimes covered in decorative brickwork, and great shingled saddleback roofs—stand out with a sturdy dignity in the countryside of Aland, southwestern Finland, Uusimaa, Háme, Satakunta, and the coastal regions of southern Ostrobothnia. Structurally simple, these churches dominated their surroundings in the Middle Ages much more than they do today. Now the churches are almost hidden in summer by the lush greenery of surrounding trees and bushes. However, most of these church parks were not planted until the nineteenth century. The medieval church was surrounded by a sheer high stone or timber wall like a parapet, the purpose of which was to provide refuge for the local people should danger threaten. The churchyard, lying inside the wall, was usually small and bare. The medieval walls around the Hattula church, as well as its lich gate, give one some idea of how the church looked without this softening greenery— a massive, rugged construction in stone. At first glance the gray-stone churches of the mainland would seem to be all made to the same mold. Usually, the main body of the church is built on a rectangular plan, lying east to west, and the building has a saddleback roof. On the north side, near the east end, there is a practically square saddleback-roofed sacristy, and on the south side, near the west end, stands a similarly shaped armory, where members of the congregation left their weapons during the service. The latter emphasizes the importance of the south door as the main entrance to the church. There is another door in the west end and often, too, a small »priest's