Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 18.djvu/199

SIGN LANGUAGE. 159 SIGSBEE. forehead, i.e. 'rattle-brained;' song, singing, by the same motion next the side of tlie liead, to indicate the shaking of the rattle which usually aecompauies the song. As the sony and rattle are almost invariable accompaniments of re- ligious ceremonials and medical conjurations, the same sign may also mean sacred, religion, doctor, medicine, according to the context. ^'hite man is indicated by drawing the fingers across the forehead, typifying the wearing of a hat. and there is a special sign for Indian and for each tribe, as well as for particular rivers, mountains, etc. Two lingers extended at the side of the head indicate a ivolf, as represent- ing the erect ears; the same two extended lingers drawn across in front of the body indicate the dog, as the former carrier of the Indian travois; the same fingers brought down crossed over the extended index finger of the other hand indicate the horse, as the riding animal. The signs follow the regular order of the words in the Indian sentence, and in many cases may be made with one hand or both at the will of the user. The general system is so perfectly elaborated that there is a sign or combination for every idea in the Indian category, and so universally understood among the plains tribes that a dozen Sioux from Dakota may. and fre- quently do, make a long visit to the Cheyenne or Kiowa in Oklahoma, making themselves per- fectly at home with their hosts, leaniing all the news and telling their own. all through the medium of the sign language, without having so many as ten spoken words in common. There is also a system of long-distance signaling by means of smoke, riding in a circle, waving a blanket, etc., in certain ways, for particular occasions. Consult: Mallery, Collection of Ges- ture-Signs and Signals of the yorth American Indians, with Some Comparisons (Washington, 1880) ; Clark, Indian Sign Language (Phila- delphia, 18S4). .See Gestube Language. SIGNORELLI, se'nyS-rel'le, LuCA (1441- 1523). An Italian painter of the Kenaissance, usually classed with the Umlirian school, but his affinities are rather Florentine. He was born at Cortona, studying first imder Piero della Fran- cesca at Arezzo, and at an early period he came under the infliience of Pollajuolo at Florence. His life was chiefly spent in peregrinations among the hill towns of Tuscany and Umbria, where most of his work was done. His first recorded activity (1470) is in his native town, but at an early period he worked independently at Florence, ex- ecuting while there the "Pan." now in the Berlin Museum, for Lorenzo de' Jledici — a fine example of his treatment of the nude — and a Madonna, now in the Uffizi. Among other works in Florence belonging to this early period is the fine portrait of a man in the Torregiani Palace. Other well-known altar pieces are a grand Madon- na with Saints in the Cathedral of Perugia (1489). and the Bicci altar-piece in San Agos- tino. and Siena (1498). Slany of the small towns of L^mbria, like Arezzo, Citta di Castello, and Tuscany, possess fine examples of his worl* But Luca's principal works are his frescoes, which far transcend his panel paintings. He was one of the painters selected to decorate the Sistine Chapel with subjects from the "Life of Moses," and his fresco is esteemed by some the best of the entire series.' About the same time he received a commission for the decoration' of the sacristy of the Church of Loreto with sub- jects, from the New Testament, which show the influence of Melozzo da Forti. .Vt Siena he also painted in fresco a series of antitpie subjects in the Petrucci Palace, and in the neighboring Con- vent of Mont Oliveto (1497) eight large subjects from the "Life of Saint Benedict." His success in these commissions led to his great master- l)ieee. the frescoes of the (Jliapel of the Madonna in Orvieto Cathedral ( 1499-l.iOO) . The subject represented is the "End of the World;" in eight panels of the ceiling are Christ and the heavenly iiierarchv. while eight frescoes of the wall cul- minate in the "Last Judgment." Never, per- haps, in the history of art has the human figure been used to express such varied frenzy and emotion. Under the pontificate of .Tulius II. and again in 1513 he visited Rome, but was unable to make headway against the rising genius of Michel- angelo and Raphael. He retired to Cortona, where he was held in the highest honor, and continued at his craft, his work in no wise de- teriorating, until his death. .June 14, 1523. His last works are principally in Cortona and the vicinity, like the "Pieta" (1502) and the "Last Supper" (1512) in the Cathedral; an excellent example is the fine "Madonna" with the Trinity, two archangels, and saints in the Uffizi. Signorelli's great importance in Italian art consists in his having been the first to use the nude body as the chief means of expression. He e.xpresses emotion by means of muscular move- ment and construction, the faces being only typi- cal of general emotion. He also introduced the use of the human body as a purely decorative motive, foresliadowing Michelangelo, whom he undoubtedl.y influenced. In his work the draw- ing, composition, and action ai'e all excellent, and he shows also great strength of conception; but the effect of his painting is often marred by its crude color. Consult : Vischer, Liica Signo- rcUi und die italienische Renaissance (Leipzig, 1879) ; the same author'.s article in Dohme, Kiinst und Eiinstler (Engl, trans., London, 1880) ; and Ant well, Luea Signorelli (London, 1899). SIGOTIRNEY, slg'erni, Lydia [Huntley] (179I-18G5). An American poetess and philan- thropist, born in Norwich, Conn. She was one of the first women in America to plan for higher female education. She established a select school for young ladies at her birthplace in 1809, and in 1814 at Hartford, This .she kept until her marriage, in 1819, with Charles Sigourney, a Hartford merchant. Her first published book was Moral Pieces in Prose and Verse (1815). Altogether she published over fifty books. Her autobiographical Letters of Life appeared post- humously (1866). In addition to the long list of her separate works, JMrs. Sigourney edited numerous juvenile and religious publications, and contributed widely to periodicals. Some of her poems, such as Indian Names, are still read- able, but the mass of her poetry is characterized by a "fatal facility." SIGS'BEE, Charles Dwighi (1845—). An American naval officer, born at .Albany, N. Y. He graduated at the Naval Academy in 1863,