,,legends ,,of ,,the ,,madonna1 ,,as ,,represented ,,in ,,the ,,fine ,,arts4 ,,by ,,mrs4 ,,jameson4 ,,corrected ,,and ,,enlarged ,,edition4 ,,boston3 ,,houghton1 ,,mifflin ,,and ,,company4 ,the ,riverside ,press1 ,cambridge4 #ahha4 ,,note ,,by ,,the ,,publishers4 ,some months since ,mrs4 ,jameson kindly consented to prepare for this ,edition of her writings the series of ,sacred and ,legendary ,art1 but dying before she had time to fulfil her promise1 the arrangement has been intrusted to other hands4 ,the text of the whole series will be an exact reprint of the last ,english ,edition4 ,,ticknor ,,fields4 ,,boston1 ,oct4 #ast1 #ahfj4 ,,contents4 ,,preface ,,introduction-- ,origin of the ,worship of the ,madonna4 ,earliest artistic ,representations4 ,origin of the ,group of the ,virgin and ,child in the ,fifth ,century4 ,the ,first ,council at ,ephesus4 ,the ,iconoclasts4 ,first ,appearance of the ,effigy of the ,virgin on ,coins4 ,period of ,charlemagne4 ,period of the ,crusades4 ,revival of ,art in the ,thirteenth ,century4 ,the ,fourteenth ,century4 ,influence of ,dante4 ,the ,fifteenth ,century4 ,the ,council of ,constance and the ,hussite ,wars4 ,the ,sixteenth ,century4 ,the ,luxury of ,church ,pictures4 ,the ,influence of ,classical ,literature on the ,representations of the ,virgin4 ,the ,seventeenth ,century4 ,theological ,art4 ,spanish ,art4 ,influence of ,jesuitism on ,art4 ,authorities followed by ,painters in the earliest ,times4 ,legend of ,st4 ,luke4 ,character of the ,virgin ,mary as drawn in the ,gospels4 ,early ,descriptions of her ,person2 how far attended to by the ,painters4 ,poetical ,extracts descriptive of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,,symbols ,,and ,,attributes ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,proper ,costume and ,colours4 ,,devotional ,,subjects ,,and ,,historical ,,subjects4 ,altar-pieces4 ,the ,life of the ,virgin ,mary as treated in a ,series4 ,the ,seven ,joys and ,seven ,sorrows as a ,series4 ,titles of the ,virgin1 as expressed in ,pictures and ,effigies4 ,churches dedicated to her4 ,conclusion4 ,,supplementary ,,notes ,,devotional ,,subjects4 ,,part ,i4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,without ,,the ,,child4 ,,la ,,vergine ,,gloriosa4 ,earliest ,figures4 ,the ,mosaics4 ,the ,virgin of ,san ,venanzio4 ,the ,virgin of ,spoleto4 ,the ,enthroned ,virgin without the ,child1 as type of heavenly ,wisdom4 ,various ,examples4 ,l',,incoronata1 the ,type of the ,church triumphant4 ,the ,virgin crowned by her ,son4 ,examples from the old ,mosaics4 ,examples of the ,coronation of the ,virgin from various ,painters4 ,the ,,virgin ,,of ,,mercy1 as she is represented in the ,last ,judgment4 ,the ,virgin1 as ,dispenser of ,mercy on ,earth4 ,various ,examples4 ,the ,,mater ,,dolorosa seated and standing1 with the ,seven ,swords4 ,the ,stabat ,mater1 the ,ideal ,piet4 ,the ,votive ,pieta by ,guido4 ,,our ,,lady ,,of ,,the ,,immaculate ,,conception ,origin of the ,subject4 ,history of the ,theological ,dispute4 ,the ,first ,papal ,decree touching the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,the ,bull of ,paul ,v4 ,the ,popularity of the ,subject in ,spain4 ,pictures by ,guido1 by ,roelas1 ,velasquez1 ,murillo4 ,the ,predestination of the ,virgin4 ,curious ,picture by ,cotignola4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,and ,,child4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,and ,,child ,,enthroned4 ,virgo ,deipara4 ,the ,virgin in her ,maternal ,character4 ,origin of the ,group of the ,mother and ,child4 ,nestorian ,controversy4 ,the ,enthroned ,virgin in the old ,mosaics4 ,in early ,italian ,art ,the ,virgin standing as ,regina ,coeli4 ,la ,madre ,pia enthroned4 ,mater ,sapienti with the ,book4 ,the ,virgin and ,child enthroned with attendant ,figures2 with ,angels2 with ,prophets2 with ,apostles4 ,with ,saints3 ,john the ,baptist2 ,st4 ,anna2 ,st4 ,joachim2 ,st4 ,joseph4 ,with ,martyrs and ,patron ,saints4 ,various ,examples of ,arrangement4 ,with the ,fathers of the ,church2 with ,st4 ,jerome and ,st4 ,catherine2 with the ,marriage of ,st4 ,catherine4 ,the ,virgin and ,child between ,st4 ,catherine and ,st4 ,barbara2 with ,mary ,magdalene2 with ,st4 ,lucia4 ,the ,virgin and ,child between ,st4 ,george and ,st4 ,nicholas2 with ,st4 ,christopher2 with ,st4 ,leonard4 ,the ,virgin of ,charity4 ,the ,madonnas of ,florence2 of ,siena2 of ,venice and ,lombardy4 ,how attended4 ,the ,virgin attended by the ,monastic ,saints4 ,examples from various ,painters4 ,votive ,madonnas4 ,for ,mercies accorded2 for ,victory2 for ,deliverance from ,pestilence2 against ,flood and ,fire4 ,family ,votive ,madonnas1 ,examples4 ,the ,madonna of the ,bentivoglio ,family4 ,the ,madonna of the ,sforza ,family4 ,the ,madonna of the ,moyer ,family1 ,the ,madonna di ,foligno4 ,german ,votive ,madonna at ,rouen4 ,madonna of ,rn1 ,duke of ,anjou2 of the ,pesaro ,family at ,venice4 ,half-length ,enthroned ,madonnas2 first introduced by the ,venetians4 ,various ,examples4 ,the ,,mater ,,amabilis1 ,early ,greek ,examples4 ,the infinite ,variety given to this ,subject4 ,virgin and ,child with ,st4 ,john4 ,he takes the ,cross ,the ,,madre ,,pia2 the ,virgin adores her ,son4 ,pastoral ,madonnas of the ,venetian ,school4 ,conclusion of the ,devotional ,subjects4 ,,historical ,,subjects4 ,,part ,i4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,from ,,her ,,birth ,,to ,,her ,,marriage ,,with ,,joseph4 ,,the ,,legend ,,of ,,joachim ,,and ,,anna4 ,joachim rejected from the ,temple4 ,joachim herding his ,sheep on the ,mountain4 ,the ,altercation between ,anna and her ,maid ,judith4 ,the ,meeting at the ,golden ,gate4 ,,the ,,nativity ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,the ,importance and ,beauty of the ,subject4 ,how treated4 ,,the ,,presentation ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,a ,subject of great ,importance4 ,general ,arrangement and ,treatment4 ,various ,examples from celebrated ,painters4 ,the ,virgin in the ,temple4 ,,the ,,marriage ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,the ,legend as followed by the ,painters4 ,various ,examples of the ,marriage of the ,virgin1 as treated by ,perugino1 ,raphael1 and others4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,mary ,,from ,,the ,,annunciation ,,to ,,the ,,return ,,from ,,egypt4 ,,the ,,annunciation1 ,its ,beauty as a ,subject4 ,treated as a ,mystery and as an ,event4 ,as a ,mystery2 not earlier than the ,eleventh ,century4 ,its proper ,place in architectural ,decoration4 ,on ,altar-pieces4 ,as an ,allegory4 ,the ,annunciation as expressing the ,incarnation4 ,ideally treated with ,saints and ,votaries4 ,examples by ,simone ,memmi1 ,fra ,bartolomeo1 ,angelico1 and others4 ,the ,annunciation as an ,event4 ,the appropriate ,circumstances4 ,the ,time1 the ,locality1 the ,accessories4 ,the ,descent of the ,angel2 proper ,costume2 with the ,lily1 the ,palm1 the ,olive4 ,proper ,attitude and ,occupation of ,mary2 ,expression and ,deportment4 ,the ,dove4 ,mistakes4 ,examples from various ,painters4 ,,the ,,visitation4 ,character of ,elizabeth4 ,the ,locality and ,circumstances4 ,proper ,accessories4 ,examples from various ,painters4 ,,the ,,dream ,,of ,,joseph4 ,he entreats ,forgiveness of ,mary4 ,,the ,,nativity4 ,the ,prophecy of the ,sibyl4 ,la ,madonna del ,parto4 ,the ,nativity as a ,mystery2 with poetical ,accessories2 with ,saints and ,votaries4 ,the ,nativity as an ,event4 ,the ,time2 the ,places2 the proper ,accessories and ,circumstances2 the angelic ,choristers2 ,signification of the ,ox and the ,ass4 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,shepherds4 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,magi2 they are supposed to have been ,kings4 ,prophecy of ,balaam4 ,the ,appearance of the ,star4 ,the ,legend of the three ,kings of ,cologne4 ,proper ,accessories4 ,examples from various ,painters4 ,the ,land ,surveyors1 by ,giorgione4 ,,the ,,purification ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,the ,prophecy of ,simeon4 ,greek ,legend of the ,nunc ,dimittis4 ,various ,examples4 ,,the ,,flight ,,into ,,egypt4 ,the ,massacre of the ,innocents4 ,the ,preparation for the ,journey4 ,the ,circumstances4 ,the ,legend of the ,robbers2 of the ,palm4 ,,the ,,repose ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,family4 ,the ,subject often mistaken4 ,proper ,treatment of the ,group4 ,the ,repose at ,matarea4 ,the ,ministry of ,angels4 ,,the ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,gypsy4 ,,the ,,return ,,from ,,egypt4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,from ,,the ,,sojourn ,,in ,,egypt ,,to ,,the ,,crucifixion ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 ,,the ,,holy ,,family4 ,proper ,treatment of the ,domestic ,group as distinguished from the ,devotional4 ,the simplest ,form that of the ,mother and ,child4 ,the ,child fed from his ,mother's ,bosom4 ,the ,infant sleeps4 ,holy ,family of three ,figures2 with the little ,st4 ,john2 with ,st4 ,joseph2 with ,st4 ,anna4 ,holy ,family of four ,figures2 with ,st4 ,elizabeth and others4 ,the ,holy ,family of ,five and ,six ,figures4 ,the ,family of the ,virgin grouped together4 ,examples of ,holy ,family as treated by various ,artists4 ,the ,carpenter's ,shop4 ,the ,infant ,christ learning to read4 ,,the ,,dispute ,,in ,,the ,,temple4 ,the ,virgin seeks her ,son4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,joseph4 ,,the ,,marriage ,,at ,,cana4 ,proper ,treatment of the ,virgin in this ,subject2 as treated by ,luini and by ,paul ,veronese4 ,the ,virgin attends on the ,ministry of ,christ4 ,mystical ,treatment by ,fra ,angelico4 ,,lo ,,spasimo4 ,christ takes leave of his ,mother4 ,women who are introduced into ,scenes of the ,passion of our ,lord4 ,the ,procession to ,calvary1 ,lo ,spasimo di ,sicilia4 ,,the ,,crucifixion4 ,proper ,treatment of the ,virgin in this ,subject4 ,the impropriety of placing her upon the ground4 ,her ,fortitude4 ,christ recommends his ,mother to ,st4 ,john4 ,,the ,,descent ,,from ,,the ,,cross4 ,proper ,place and ,action of the ,virgin in this ,subject4 ,,the ,,deposition4 ,proper ,treatment of this ,form of the ,mater ,dolorosa4 ,persons introduced4 ,various ,examples4 ,,the ,,entombment4 ,treated as an historical ,scene4 ,as one of the ,sorrows of the ,rosary2 attended by ,saints4 ,the ,mater ,dolorosa attended by ,st4 ,peter4 ,attended by ,st4 ,john and ,mary ,magdalene4 ,,part ,,iv4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,mary ,,from ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,the ,,lord ,,to ,,the ,,assumption4 ,,the ,,apparition ,,of ,,christ ,,to ,,his ,,mother4 ,beauty and ,sentiment of the old ,legend2 how represented by the ,artists4 ,,the ,,ascension ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 ,the proper ,place of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,,the ,,descent ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost2 ,mary being one of the principal persons4 ,,the ,,apostles ,,take ,,leave ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,,the ,,death ,,and ,,assumption ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,the old ,greek ,legend4 ,the ,angel announces to ,mary her approaching ,death4 ,the ,death of the ,virgin1 an ancient and important ,subject4 ,as treated in the ,greek ,school2 in early ,german ,art2 in ,italian ,art4 ,various ,examples4 ,the ,apostles carry the ,body of the ,virgin to the ,tomb4 ,the ,entombment4 ,,the ,,assumption4 ,distinction between the ,assumption of the ,body and the ,assumption of the ,soul of the ,virgin4 ,the ,assumption as a ,mystery2 as an ,event4 ,,la ,,madonna ,,bella ,,cintola4 ,the ,legend of the ,girdle2 as painted in the ,cathedral at ,prato4 ,examples of the ,assumption as represented by various ,artists4 ,,the ,,coronation as distinguished from the ,incoronata2 how treated as an historical ,subject4 ,conclusion4 ,,note4 ,the decease of ,mrs4 ,jameson1 the accomplished woman and popular writer1 at an advanced period of life1 took place in ,march1 #ahfj1 after a brief illness4 ,but the frame had long been worn out by past years of anxiety1 and the fatigues of laborious literary occupation conscientiously undertaken and carried out4 ,having entered certain fields of research and enterprise1 perhaps at first accidentally1 ,mrs4 ,jameson could not satisfy herself by anything less than the utmost that minute collection and progressive study could do to sustain her popularity4 ,distant and exhausting journeys1 diligent examination of far-scattered examples of ,art1 voluminous and various reading1 became seemingly more and more necessary to her2 and at the very time of life when rest and slackened effort would have been natural1--not merely because her labours were in aid of others1 but to satisfy her own high sense of what is demanded by ,art and ,literature1--did her hand and brain work more and more perseveringly and thoughtfully1 till at last she sank under her weariness2 and passed away4 ,the father of ,miss ,murphy was a miniature-painter of repute1 attached1 we believe1 to the household of the ,princess ,charlotte4 ,his daughter ,anna was naturally taught by him the principles of his own art2 but she had instincts for all1--taste for music1--a feeling for poetry1--and a delicate appreciation of the drama4 ,these gifts--in her youth rarer in combination than they are now 7when the connection of the arts is becoming understood1 and the love of all increasingly diffused7--were1 during part of ,mrs4 ,jameson's life1 turned to the service of education4--,it was not till after her marriage1 that a foreign tour led her into authorship1 by the publication of ,the ,diary of an ,ennuye1 somewhere about the year #ahbf4--;,it was impossible to avoid detecting in that record the presence of taste1 thought1 and feeling1 brought in an original fashion to bear on ,art1 ,society1 ,morals4--,the reception of the book was decisive4--,it was followed1 at intervals1 by ,the ,loves of the ,poets1 ,memoirs of ,italian ,painters1 ,the ,lives of ,female ,sovereigns1 ,characteristics of ,women 7a series of ,shakspeare studies2 possibly its writer's most popular book74 ,after this1 the ,germanism so prevalent five-and-twenty years ago1 and now somewhat gone by1 possessed itself of the authoress1 and she published her reminiscences of ,munich1 the imitative art of which was new1 and esteemed as almost a revelation4 ,to the list of ,mrs4 ,jameson's books may be added her translation of the easy1 if not vigorous ,dramas by the ,princess ,amelia of ,saxony1 and her ,winter ,studies and ,summer ,rambles--recollections of a visit to ,canada4 ,this included the account of her strange and solitary canoe voyage1 and her residence among a tribe of ,indians4 ,from this time forward1 social questions--especially those concerning the position of women in life and action--engrossed a large share of ,mrs4 ,jameson's attention2 and she wrote on them occasionally1 always in a large and enlightened spirit1 rarely without touches of delicacy and sentiment4--,even when we are unable to accept all ,mrs4 ,jameson's conclusions1 or to join her in the hero or heroine worship of this or the other favourite example1 we have seldom a complaint to make of the manner of the authoress4 ,it was always earnest1 eloquent1 and poetical4 ,besides a volume or two of collected essays1 thoughts1 notes on books1 and on subjects of ,art1 we have left to mention the elaborate volumes on ,sacred and ,legendary ,art1 as the greatest literary labour of a busy life4 ,mrs4 ,jameson was putting the last finish to the concluding portion of her work1 when she was bidden to cease forever4 ,there is little more to be told1--save that1 in the course of her indefatigable literary career1 ,mrs4 ,jameson drew round herself a large circle of steady friends--these among the highest illustrators of ,literature and ,art in ,france1 ,germany1 and ,italy2 and that1 latterly1 a pension from ,government was added to her slender earnings4 ,these1 it may be said without indelicacy1 were liberally apportioned to the aid of others1--,mrs4 ,jameson being1 for herself1 simple1 self-relying1 and self-denying2--holding that high view of the duties belonging to pursuits of imagination which rendered meanness1 or servility1 or dishonourable dealing1 or license glossed over with some convenient name1 impossible to her4--,she was a faithful friend1 a devoted relative1 a gracefully-cultivated1 and honest literary worker1 whose mind was set on the best and honourablest things4 99 99 99 99 99 ,some months since ,mrs4 ,jameson kindly consented to prepare for this edition of her writings the ,legends of the ,madonna1 ,sacred and ,legendary ,art1 and ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders2 but1 dying before she had time to fulfil her promise1 the arrangement has been intrusted to other hands4 ,the text of this whole series will be an exact reprint of the last ,english ,edition4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the portrait annexed to this volume is from a photograph taken in ,london only a short time before ,mrs4 ,jameson's death4 ,,boston1 ,september1 #ahfj4 ,,author',s ,,preface ,,to ,,the ,,first ,,edition4 ,in presenting to my friends and to the public this ,series of the ,sacred and ,legendary ,art1 few preparatory words will be required4 ,if in the former volumes ,i felt diffident of my own powers to do any justice to my subject1 ,i have yet been encouraged by the sympathy and approbation of those who nave kindly accepted of what has been done1 and yet more kindly excused deficiencies1 errors1 and oversights1 which the wide range of subjects rendered almost unavoidable4 ,with far more of doubt and diffidence1 yet not less trust in the benevolence and candour of my critics1 do ,i present this volume to the public4 ,i hope it will be distinctly understood1 that the general plan of the work is merely artistic2 that it really aims at nothing more than to render the various subjects intelligible4 ,for this reason it has been thought advisable to set aside1 in a great measure1 individual preferences1 and all predilections for particular schools and particular periods of ,art1--to take1 in short1 the widest possible range as regards examples1--and then to leave the reader1 when thus guided to the meaning of what he sees1 to select1 compare1 admire1 according to his own discrimination1 taste1 and requirements4 ,the great difficulty has been to keep within reasonable limits4 ,though the subject has a unity not found in the other volumes1 it is really boundless as regards variety and complexity4 ,i may have been superficial from mere superabundance of materials2 sometimes mistaken as to facts and dates2 the tastes1 the feelings1 and the faith of my readers may not always go along with me2 but if attention and interest have been exited--if the sphere of enjoyment in works of ,art have been enlarged and enlightened1 ,i have done all ,i ever wished--all ,i ever hoped1 to do4 ,with regard to a point of infinitely greater importance1 ,i may be allowed to plead1--that it has been impossible to treat of the representations of the ,blessed ,virgin without touching on doctrines such as constitute the principal differences between the creeds of ,christendom4 ,i have had to ascend most perilous heights1 to dive into terribly obscure depths4 ,not for worlds would ,i be guilty of a scoffing allusion to any belief or any object held sacred by sincere and earnest hearts2 but neither has it been possible for me to write in a tone of acquiescence1 where ,i altogether differ in feeling and opinion4 ,on this point ,i shall need1 and feel sure that ,i shall obtain1 the generous construction of readers of all persuasions4 ,,introduction ,i4 ,,origin ,,and ,,history ,,of ,,the ,,effigies ,,of ,,the ,,madonna4 ,through all the most beautiful and precious productions of human genius and human skill which the middle ages and the renaissance have bequeathed to us1 we trace1 more or less developed1 more or less apparent1 present in shape before us1 or suggested through inevitable associations1 one prevailing idea3 it is that of an impersonation in the feminine character of beneficence1 purity1 and power1 standing between an offended ,deity and poor1 sinning1 suffering humanity1 and clothed in the visible form of ,mary1 the ,mother of our ,lord4 ,to the ,roman ,catholics this idea remains an indisputable religious truth of the highest import4 ,those of a different creed may think fit to dispose of the whole subject of the ,madonna either as a form of superstition or a form of ,art4 ,but merely as a form of ,art1 we cannot in these days confine ourselves to empty conventional criticism4 ,we are obliged to look further and deeper2 and in this department of ,legendary ,art1 as in the others1 we must take the higher ground1 perilous though it be4 ,we must seek to comprehend the dominant idea lying behind and beyond the mere representation4 ,for1 after all1 some consideration is due to facts which we must necessarily accept1 whether we deal with antiquarian theology or artistic criticism2 namely1 that the worship of the ,madonna did prevail through all the ,christian and civilized world for nearly a thousand years2 that1 in spite of errors1 exaggerations1 abuses1 this worship did comprehend certain great elemental truths interwoven with our human nature1 and to be evolved perhaps with our future destinies4 ,therefore did it work itself into the life and soul of man2 therefore has it been worked out in the manifestations of his genius2 and therefore the multiform imagery in which it has been clothed1 from the rudest imitations of life1 to the most exquisite creations of mind1 may be resolved1 as a whole1 into one subject1 and become one great monument in the history of progressive thought and faith1 as well as in the history of progressive art4 ,of the pictures in our galleries1 public or private1--of the architectural adornments of those majestic edifices which sprung up in the middle ages 7where they have not been despoiled or desecrated by a zeal as fervent as that which reared them71 the largest and most beautiful portion have reference to the ,madonna1--her character1 her person1 her history4 ,it was a theme which never tired her votaries1--whether1 as in the hands of great and sincere artists1 it became one of the noblest and loveliest1 or1 as in the hands of superficial1 unbelieving1 time-serving artists1 one of the most degraded4 ,all that human genius1 inspired by faith1 could achieve of best1 all that fanaticism1 sensualism1 atheism1 could perpetrate of worst1 do we find in the cycle of those representations which have been dedicated to the glory of the ,virgin4 ,and indeed the ethics of the ,madonna worship1 as evolved in art1 might be not unaptly likened to the ethics of human love3 so long as the object of sense remained in subjection to the moral idea--so long as the appeal was to the best of our faculties and affections--so long was the image grand or refined1 and the influences to be ranked with those which have helped to humanize and civilize our race2 but so soon as the object became a mere idol1 then worship and worshippers1 art and artists1 were together degraded4 ,it is not my intention to enter here on that disputed point1 the origin of the worship of the ,madonna4 ,our present theme lies within prescribed limits1--wide enough1 however1 to embrace an immense field of thought3 it seeks to trace the progressive influence of that worship on the fine arts for a thousand years or more1 and to interpret the forms in which it has been clothed4 ,that the veneration paid to ,mary in the early ,church was a very natural feeling in those who advocated the divinity of her ,son1 would be granted1 ,i suppose1 by all but the most bigoted reformers2 that it led to unwise and wild extremes1 confounding the creature with the ,creator1 would be admitted1 ,i suppose1 by all but the most bigoted ,roman ,catholics4 ,how it extended from the ,east over the nations of the ,west1 how it grew and spread1 may be read in ecclesiastical histories4 ,everywhere it seems to have found in the human heart some deep sympathy--deeper far than mere theological doctrine could reach--ready to accept it2 and in every land the ground prepared for it in some already dominant idea of a mother-,goddess1 chaste1 beautiful1 and benign4 ,as1 in the oldest ,hebrew rites and ,pagan superstitions1 men traced the promise of a coming ,messiah1--as the deliverers and kings of the ,old ,testament1 and even the demigods of heathendom1 became accepted types of the person of ,christ1--so the ,eve of the ,mosaic history1 the ,astarte of the ,assyrians-- ,the mooned ,ashtaroth1 queen and mother both1-- the ,isis nursing ,horus of the ,egyptians1 the ,demeter and the ,aphrodite of the ,greeks1 the ,scythian ,freya1 have been considered by some writers as types of a divine maternity1 foreshadowing the ,virgin-mother of ,christ4 ,others will have it that these scattered1 dim1 mistaken--often gross and perverted--ideas which were afterwards gathered into the pure1 dignified1 tender image of the ,madonna1 were but as the voice of a mighty prophecy1 sounded through all the generations of men1 even from the beginning of time1 of the coming moral regeneration1 and complete and harmonious development of the whole human race1 by the establishment1 on a higher basis1 of what has been called the feminine element in society4 ,and let me at least speak for myself4 ,in the perpetual iteration of that beautiful image of ,,the ,,woman highly blessed--there1 where others saw only pictures or statues1 ,i have seen this great hope standing like a spirit beside the visible form2 in the fervent worship once universally given to that gracious presence1 ,i have beheld an acknowledgment of a higher as well as gentler power than that of the strong hand and the might that makes the right1--and in every earnest votary one who1 as he knelt1 was in this sense pious beyond the reach of his own thought1 and devout beyond the meaning of his will4 ,it is curious to observe1 as the worship of the ,virgin-mother expanded and gathered to itself the relics of many an ancient faith1 how the new and the old elements1 some of them apparently the most heterogeneous1 became amalgamated1 and were combined into the early forms of art2--how the ,madonna1 when she assumed the characteristics of the great ,diana of ,ephesus1 at once the type of ,fertility1 and the ,goddess of ,chastity1 became1 as the impersonation of motherhood1 all beauty1 bounty and graciousness2 and at the same time1 by virtue of her perpetual virginity1 the patroness of single and ascetic life--the example and the excuse for many of the wildest of the early monkish theories4 ,with ,christianity1 new ideas of the moral and religious responsibility of woman entered the world2 and while these ideas were yet struggling with the ,hebrew and classical prejudices concerning the whole sex1 they seem to have produced some curious perplexity in the minds of the greatest doctors of the faith4 ,christ1 as they assure us1 was born of a woman only1 and had no earthly father1 that neither sex might despair2 for had he been born a man 7which was necessary71 yet not born of woman1 the women might have despaired of themselves1 recollecting the first offence1 the first man having been deceived by a woman4 ,therefore we are to suppose that1 for the exaltation of the male sex1 ,christ appeared on earth as a man2 and1 for the consolation of womankind1 he was born of a woman only2 as if it had been said1 ',from henceforth no creature shall be base before ,god1 unless perverted by depravity4' 7,augustine1 ,opera ,supt4 #bch1 ,serm4 #fc47 ,such is the reasoning of ,st4 ,augustine1 who1 ,i must observe1 had an especial veneration for his mother ,monica2 and it is perhaps for her sake that he seems here desirous to prove that through the ,virgin ,mary all womankind were henceforth elevated in the scale of being4 ,and this was the idea entertained of her subsequently3 ,ennobler of thy nature6 says ,dante apostrophizing her1 as if her perfections had ennobled not merely her own sex1 but the whole human race4#a ,footnote #a3 ,tu se' colei che l'umana natura ,nobilitasti4 ,but also with ,christianity came the want of a new type of womanly perfection1 combining all the attributes of the ancient female divinities with others altogether new4 ,christ1 as the model-man1 united the virtues of the two sexes1 till the idea that there are essentially masculine and feminine virtues intruded itself on the higher ,christian conception1 and seems to have necessitated the female type4 ,the first historical mention of a direct worship paid to the ,virgin ,mary1 occurs in a passage in the works of ,st4 ,epiphanius1 who died in #djc4 ,in enumerating the heresies 7eighty-four in number7 which had sprung up in the early ,church1 he mentions a sect of women1 who had emigrated from ,thrace into ,arabia1 with whom it was customary to offer cakes of meal and honey to the ,virgin ,mary1 as if she had been a divinity1 transferring to her1 in fact1 the worship paid to ,ceres4 ,the very first instance which occurs in written history of an invocation to ,mary1 is in the life of ,st4 ,justina1 as related by ,gregory ,nazianzen4 ,justina calls on the ,virgin-mother to protect her against the seducer and sorcerer1 ,cyprian2 and does not call in vain4 7,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 ,these passages1 however1 do not prove that previously to the fourth century there had been no worship or invocation of the ,virgin1 but rather the contrary4 ,however this may be1 it is to the same period--the fourth century--we refer the most ancient representations of the ,virgin in art4 ,the earliest figures extant are those on the ,christian sarcophagi2 but neither in the early sculpture nor in the mosaics of ,st4 ,maria ,maggiore do we find any figure of the ,virgin standing alone2 she forms part of a group of the ,nativity or the ,adoration of the ,magi4 ,there is no attempt at individuality or portraiture4 ,st4 ,augustine says expressly1 that there existed in his time no authentic portrait of the ,virgin2 but it is inferred from his account that1 authentic or not1 such pictures did then exist1 since there were already disputes concerning their authenticity4 ,there were at this period received symbols of the person and character of ,christ1 as the lamb1 the vine1 the fish1 c41 but not1 as far as ,i can learn1 any such accepted symbols of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,further1 it is the opinion of the learned in ecclesiastical antiquities that1 previous to the first ,council of ,ephesus1 it was the custom to represent the figure of the ,virgin alone without the ,child2 but that none of these original effigies remain to us1 only supposed copies of a later date4#a ,and this is all ,i have been able to discover relative to her in connection with the sacred imagery of the first four centuries of our era4 ,footnote #a3 ,vide ,memorie dell' ,immagine di ,m4,v4 dell' ,imprunela4 ,florence1 #agad4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the condemnation of ,nestorius by the ,council of ,ephesus1 in the year #dca1 forms a most important epoch in the history of religious art4 ,i have given further on a sketch of this celebrated schism1 and its immediate and progressive results4 ,it may be thus summed up here4 ,the ,nestorians maintained1 that in ,christ the two natures of ,god and man remained separate1 and that ,mary1 his human mother1 was parent of the man1 but not of the ,god2 consequently the title which1 during the previous century1 had been popularly applied to her1 ,theotokos 7,mother of ,god71 was improper and profane4 ,the party opposed to ,nestorius1 the ,monophysite1 maintained that in ,christ the divine and human were blended in one incarnate nature1 and that consequently ,mary was indeed the ,mother of ,god4 ,by the decree of the first ,council of ,ephesus1 ,nestorius and his party were condemned as heretics2 and henceforth the representation of that beautiful group1 since popularly known as the ,madonna and ,child1 became the expression of the orthodox faith4 ,every one who wished to prove his hatred of the arch-heretic exhibited the image of the maternal ,virgin holding in her arms the ,infant ,godhead1 either in his house as a picture1 or embroidered on his garments1 or on his furniture1 on his personal ornaments--in short1 wherever it could be introduced4 ,it is worth remarking1 that ,cyril1 who was so influential in fixing the orthodox group1 had passed the greater part of his life in ,egypt1 and must nave been familiar with the ,egyptian type of ,isis nursing ,horus4 ,nor1 as ,i conceive1 is there any irreverence in supposing that a time-honoured intelligible symbol should be chosen to embody and formalize a creed4 ,for it must be remembered that the group of the ,mother and ,child was not at first a representation1 but merely a theological symbol set up in the orthodox churches1 and adopted by the orthodox ,christians4 ,it is just after the ,council of ,ephesus that history first makes mention of a supposed authentic portrait of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,the ,empress ,eudocia1 when travelling in the ,holy ,land1 sent home such a picture of the ,virgin holding the ,child to her sister-in-law ,pulcheria1 who placed it in a church at ,constantinople4 ,it was at that time regarded1 as of very high antiquity1 and supposed to have been painted from the life4 ,it is certain that a picture1 traditionally said to be the same which ,eudocia had sent to ,pulcheria1 did exist at ,constantinople1 and was so much venerated by the people as to be regarded as a sort of palladium1 and borne in a superb litter or car in the midst of the imperial host1 when the emperor led the army in person4 ,the fate of this relic is not certainly known4 ,it is said to have been taken by the ,turks in #adec1 and dragged through the mire2 but others deny this as utterly derogatory to the majesty of the ,queen of ,heaven1 who never would have suffered such an indignity to have been put on her sacred image4 ,according to the ,venetian legend1 it was this identical effigy which was taken by the blind old ,dandolo1 when he besieged and took ,constantinople in #abjd1 and brought in triumph to ,venice1 where it has ever since been preserved in the church of ,st4 ,mark1 and held in somma venerazione4 ,no mention is made of ,st4 ,luke in the earliest account of this picture1 though like all the antique effigies of uncertain origin1 it was in after times attributed to him4 ,the history of the next three hundred years testifies to the triumph of orthodoxy1 the extension and popularity of the worship of the ,virgin1 and the consequent multiplication of her image in every form and material1 through the whole of ,christendom4 ,then followed the schism of the ,iconoclasts1 which distracted the ,church for more than one hundred years1 under ,leo ,,iii41 the ,isaurian1 and his immediate successors4 ,such were the extravagances of superstition to which the image-worship had led the excitable ,orientals1 that1 if ,leo had been a wise and temperate reformer1 he might have done much good in checking its excesses2 but he was himself an ignorant1 merciless barbarian4 ,the persecution by which he sought to exterminate the sacred pictures of the ,madonna1 and the cruelties exercised on her unhappy votaries1 produced a general destruction of the most curious and precious remains of antique art4 ,in other respects1 the immediate result was naturally enough a reaction1 which not only reinstated pictures in the veneration of the people1 but greatly increased their influence over the imagination2 for it is at this time that we first hear of a miraculous picture4 ,among those who most strongly defended the use of sacred images in the churches1 was ,st4 ,john ,damascene1 one of the great lights of the ,oriental ,church4 ,according to the ,greek legend1 he was condemned to lose his right hand1 which was accordingly cut off2 but he1 full of faith1 prostrating himself before a picture of the ,virgin1 stretched out the bleeding stump1 and with it touched her lips1 and immediately a new hand sprung forth like a branch from a tree4 ,hence1 among the ,greek effigies of the ,virgin1 there is one peculiarly commemorative of this miracle1 styled the ,virgin with three hands4 7,didron1 ,manuel1 p4 #dfb47 ,in the west of ,europe1 where the abuses of the image-worship had never yet reached the wild superstition of the ,oriental ,christians1 the fury of the ,iconoclasts excited horror and consternation4 ,the temperate and eloquent apology for sacred pictures1 addressed by ,gregory ,,ii4 to the ,emperor ,leo1 had the effect of mitigating the persecution in ,italy1 where the work of destruction could not be carried out to the same extent as in the ,byzantine provinces4 ,hence it is in ,italy only that any important remains of sacred art anterior to the ,iconoclast dynasty have been preserved4#a ,footnote #a3 ,it appears1 from one of these letters from ,gregory ,,ii1 that it was the custom at that time 7#gbe7 to employ religious pictures as a means of instruction in the schools4 ,he says1 that if ,lee were to enter a school in ,italy1 and to say that he prohibited pictures1 the children would infallibly throw their hornbooks 7,ta volexxe del alfabeto7 at his head4--v4 ,bosio1 p4 #efg4 ,the second ,council of ,nice1 under the ,empress ,irene in #ghg1 condemned the ,iconoclasts1 and restored the use of the sacred pictures in the churches4 ,nevertheless1 the controversy still raged till after the death of ,theophilus1 the last and the most cruel of the ,iconoclasts1 in #hdb4 ,his widow ,theodora achieved the final triumph of the orthodox party1 and restored the ,virgin to her throne4 ,we must observe1 however1 that only pictures were allowed2 all sculptured imagery was still prohibited1 and has never since been allowed in the ,greek ,church1 except in very low relief4 ,the flatter the surface1 the more orthodox4 ,it is1 ,i think1 about #hhf1 that we first find the effigy of the ,virgin on the coins of the ,greek empire4 ,on a gold coin of ,leo ,,vi41 the ,philosopher1 she stands veiled1 and draped1 with a noble head1 no glory1 and the arms outspread1 just as she appears in the old mosaics4 ,on a coin of ,romanus the ,younger1 she crowns the emperor1 having herself the nimbus2 she is draped and veiled4 ,on a coin of ,nicephorus ,phocus 7who had great pretensions to piety71 the ,virgin stands1 presenting a cross to the emperor1 with the inscription1 ,theotokos1 be propitious4 ,on a gold coin of ,john ,zimisces1 #ige1 we first find the ,virgin and ,child1--the symbol merely3 she holds against her bosom a circular glory1 within which is the head of the ,infant ,christ4 ,in the successive reigns of the next two centuries1 she almost constantly appears as crowning the emperor4 ,returning to the ,west1 we find that in the succeeding period1 from ,charlemagne to the first crusade1 the popular devotion to the ,virgin1 and the multiplication of sacred pictures1 continued steadily to increase2 yet in the tenth and eleventh centuries art was at its lowest ebb4 ,at this time1 the subjects relative to the ,virgin were principally the ,madonna and ,child1 represented according to the ,greek form2 and those scenes from the ,gospel in which she is introduced1 as the ,annunciation1 the ,nativity1 and the ,worship of the ,magi4 ,towards the end of the tenth century the custom of adding the angelic salutation1 the ,ave ,maria1 to the ,lord's prayer1 was first introduced2 and by the end of the following century1 it had been adopted in the offices of the ,church4 ,this was1 at first1 intended as a perpetual reminder of the mystery of the ,incarnation1 as announced by the angel4 ,it must have had the effect of keeping the idea of ,mary as united with that of her ,son1 and as the instrument of the ,incarnation1 continually in the minds of the people4 ,the pilgrimages to the ,holy ,land1 and the crusades in the eleventh and the twelfth centuries1 had a most striking effect on religious art1 though this effect was not fully evolved till a century later4 ,more particularly did this returning wave of ,oriental influences modify the representations of the ,virgin4 ,fragments of the apocryphal gospels and legends of ,palestine and ,egypt were now introduced1 worked up into ballads1 stories1 and dramas1 and gradually incorporated with the teaching of the ,church4 ,a great variety of subjects derived from the ,greek artists1 and from particular localities and traditions of the ,east1 became naturalized in ,western ,europe1 ,among these were the legends of ,joachim and ,anna2 and the death1 the assumption1 and the coronation of the ,virgin4 ,then came the thirteenth century1 an era notable in the history of mind1 more especially notable in the history of art4 ,the seed scattered hither and thither1 during the stormy and warlike period of the crusades1 now sprung up and flourished1 bearing diverse fruit4 ,a more contemplative enthusiasm1 a superstition tinged with a morbid melancholy1 fermented into life and form4 ,in that general fit of compunction1 which we are told seized all ,italy at this time1 the passionate devotion for the benign ,madonna mingled the poetry of pity with that of pain2 and assuredly this state of feeling1 with its mental and moral requirements1 must have assisted in emancipating art from the rigid formalism of the degenerate ,greek school4 ,men's hearts1 throbbing with a more feeling1 more pensive life1 demanded something more like life1--and produced it4 ,it is curious to trace in the ,madonnas of contemporary1 but far distant and unconnected schools of painting1 the simultaneous dawning of a sympathetic sentiment--for the first time something in the faces of the divine beings responsive to the feeling of the worshippers4 ,it was this1 perhaps1 which caused the enthusiasm excited by ,cimabue's great ,madonna1 and made the people shout and dance for joy when it was uncovered before them4 ,compared with the spectral rigidity1 the hard monotony1 of the conventional ,byzantines1 the more animated eyes1 the little touch of sweetness in the still1 mild face1 must have been like a smile out of heaven4 ,as we trace the same softer influence in the earliest ,siena and ,cologne pictures of about the same period1 we may fairly regard it as an impress of the spirit of the time1 rather than that of an individual mind4 ,in the succeeding century these elements of poetic art1 expanded and animated by an awakened observation of nature1 and a sympathy with her external manifestations1 were most especially directed by the increasing influence of the worship of the ,virgin1 a worship at once religious and chivalrous4 ,the title of ,our ,lady#a came first into general use in the days of chivalry1 for she was the lady of all hearts1 whose colours all were proud to wear4 ,never had her votaries so abounded4 ,hundreds upon hundreds had enrolled themselves in brotherhoods1 vowed to her especial service2#b or devoted to acts of charity1 to be performed in her name4#c ,already the great religious communities1 which at this time comprehended all the enthusiasm1 learning1 and influence of the ,church1 had placed themselves solemnly and especially under her protection4 ,the ,cistercians wore white in honour of her purity2 the ,servi wore black in respect to her sorrows2 the ,franciscans had enrolled themselves as champions of the ,immaculate ,conception2 and the ,dominicans introduced the rosary4 ,all these richly endowed communities vied with each other in multiplying churches1 chapels1 and pictures1 in honour of their patroness1 and expressive of her several attributes4 ,the devout painter1 kneeling before his easel1 addressed himself to the task of portraying those heavenly lineaments which had visited him perhaps in dreams4 ,many of the professed monks and friars became themselves accomplished artists4#d ,footnote #a3 ,fr4 ,notre ,dame4 ,ital4 ,la ,madonna4 ,ger4 ,unser liebe ,frau4 ,footnote #b3 ,as the ,serviti1 who were called in ,france1 les esclaves de ,marie4 ,footnote #c3 ,as the order of ,our ,lady of ,mercy1 for the deliverance of captives4--,vide ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders4 ,footnote #d3 ,a very curious and startling example of the theological character of the ,virgin in the thirteenth century is figured in ,miss ,twining's work1 ,the ,symbols of early ,christian ,art2 certainly the most complete and useful book of the kind which ,i know of4 ,here the ,madonna and ,child are seated side by side with the ,trinity2 the ,holy ,spirit resting on her crowned head4 ,at this time1 ,jacopo di ,voragine compiled the ,golden ,legend1 a collection of sacred stories1 some already current1 some new1 or in a new form4 ,this famous book added many themes to those already admitted1 and became the authority and storehouse for the early painters in their groups and dramatic compositions4 ,the increasing enthusiasm for the ,virgin naturally caused an increasing demand for the subjects taken from her personal history1 and led1 consequently1 to a more exact study of those natural objects and effects which were required as accessories1 to greater skill in grouping the figures1 and to a higher development of historic art4 ,but of all the influences on ,italian art in that wonderful fourteenth century1 ,dante was the greatest4 ,he was the intimate friend of ,giotto4 ,through the communion of mind1 not less than through his writings1 he infused into religious art that mingled theology1 poetry1 and mysticism1 which ruled in the ,giottesque school during the following century1 and went hand in hand with the development of the power and practice of imitation4 ,now1 the theology of ,dante was the theology of his age4 ,his ideas respecting the ,virgin ,mary were precisely those to which the writings of ,st4 ,bernard1 ,st4 ,bonaventura1 and ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas had already lent all the persuasive power of eloquence1 and the ,church all the weight of her authority4 ,dante rendered these doctrines into poetry1 and ,giotto and his followers rendered them into form4 ,in the ,paradise of ,dante1 the glorification of ,mary1 as the ,mystic ,rose 7,roxa ,mystica7 and ,queen of ,heaven1--with the attendant angels1 circle within circle1 floating round her in adoration1 and singing the ,regina ,coeli1 and saints and patriarchs stretching forth their hands towards her1--is all a splendid1 but still indefinite vision of dazzling light crossed by shadowy forms4 ,the painters of the fourteenth century1 in translating these glories into a definite shape1 had to deal with imperfect knowledge and imperfect means2 they failed in the power to realize either their own or the poet's conception2 and yet--thanks to the divine poet6--that early conception of some of the most beautiful of the ,madonna subjects--for instance1 the ,coronation and the ,sposalizio--has never1 as a religious and poetical conception1 been surpassed by later artists1 in spite of all the appliances of colour1 and mastery of light and shade1 and marvellous efficiency of hand since attained4 ,every reader of ,dante will remember the sublime hymn towards the close of the ,paradiso3-- ,vergine ,madre1 figlia del tuo figlio6 ,umile ed alta pi che creatura1 ,terrains fisso d'eterno consiglio2 ,tu se' colei che l'umana natura ,nobilitasti si1 che 'l suo fattore ,non disdegno di farsi sua fattura2 ,nel ventre tuo si raccese l'amore ,per lo cui caldo nell' eterna pace ,cosi germinato questo fiore2 ,qui se' a noi meridiana face ,di caritade1 e giuso intra mortali ,se' di speranza fontana vivace3 ,donna1 se' tanto grande e tanto vali1 ,che qual vuol grazia e a te non ricorre ,sua disianza vuol volar senz' ali2 ,la tua benignita noa pur soccorre ,a chi dimanda1 ma molte fiate ,liberamente al dimandar precorre2 ,in te misericordia1 in te pietate1 ,in te magnificenza1 in te s' aduna ,quantunque in creatura di bontate6 ,to render the splendour1 the terseness1 the harmony1 of this magnificent hymn seems impossible4 ,cary's translation has1 however1 the merit of fidelity to the sense3-- ,oh1 ,virgin-,mother1 daughter of thy ,son6 ,created beings all in lowliness ,surpassing1 as in height above them all2 ,term by the eternal counsel preordain'd2 ,ennobler of thy nature1 so advanc'd ,in thee1 that its great ,maker did not scorn ,to make himself his own creation2 ,for in thy womb1 rekindling1 shone the love ,reveal'd1 whose genial influence makes now ,this flower to germin in eternal peace3 ,here thou1 to us1 of charity and love ,art as the noon-day torch2 and art beneath1 ,to mortal men1 of hope a living spring4 ,so mighty art thou1 ,lady1 and so great1 ,that he who grace desireth1 and comes not ,to thee for aidance1 fain would have desire ,fly without wings4 ,not only him who asks1 ,thy bounty succours2 but doth freely oft ,forerun the asking4 ,whatsoe'er may be ,of excellence in creature1 pity mild1 ,relenting mercy1 large munificence1 ,are all combin'd in thee6 ,it is interesting to turn to the corresponding stanzas in ,chaucer4 ,the invocation to the ,virgin with which he commences the story of ,st4 ,cecilia is rendered almost word for word from ,dante3-- ,thou ,maid and ,mother1 daughter of thy ,son6 ,thou wel of mercy1 sinful soules cure6 ,the last stanza of the invocation is his own1 and as characteristic of the practical ,chaucer1 as it would have been contrary to the genius of ,dante3-- ,and for that faith is dead withouten workis1 ,so for to worken give me wit and grace6 ,that ,i be quit from thence that most dark is2 ,o thou that art so fair and full of grace1 ,be thou mine advocate in that high place1 ,there1 as withouten end is sung ,hozanne1 ,thou ,christes mother1 daughter dear of ,anne6 ,still more beautiful and more his own is the invocation in the ,prioress's ,tale4 ,i give the stanzas as modernized by ,wordsworth3-- ,o ,mother ,maid6 ,o ,maid and ,mother free6 ,o bush unburnt1 burning in ,moses' sight6 ,that down didst ravish from the ,deity1 ,through humbleness1 the ,spirit that that did alight ,upon thy heart1 whence1 through that glory's might ,conceived was the ,father's sapience1 ,help me to tell it in thy reverence6 ,lady1 thy goodness1 thy magnificence1 ,thy virtue1 and thy great humility1 ,surpass all science and all utterance2 ,for sometimes1 ,lady6 ere men pray to thee1 ,thou go'st before in thy benignity1 ,the light to us vouchsafing of thy prayer1 ,to be our guide unto thy ,son so dear4 ,my knowledge is so weak1 ,o blissful ,queen1 ,to tell abroad thy mighty worthiness1 ,that ,i the weight of it may not sustain2 ,but as a child of twelve months old1 or less1 ,that laboureth his language to express1 ,even so fare ,i2 and therefore1 ,i thee pray1 ,guide thou my song1 which ,i of thee shall say4 ,and again1 we may turn to ,petrarch's hymn to the ,virgin1 wherein he prays to be delivered from his love and everlasting regrets for ,laura3-- ,vergine bella1 che di sol vestita1 ,coronata di stelle1 al sommo ,sole ,piacesti s1 che'n te sua luce ascose4 ,vergine pura1 d'ogni parte intera1 ,del tuo parto gentil figliuola e madre6 ,vergine sola al mondo senza esempio1 ,che 'l ciel di tue bellezze innamorasti4 ,the fancy of the theologians of the middle ages played rather dangerously1 as it appears to me1 for the uninitiated and uninstructed1 with the perplexity of these divine relationships4 ,it is impossible not to feel that in their admiration for the divine beauty of ,mary1 in borrowing the amatory language and luxuriant allegories of the ,canticles1 which represent her as an object of delight to the ,supreme ,being1 theologians1 poets1 and artists had wrought themselves up to a wild pitch of enthusiasm4 ,in such passages as those ,i have quoted above1 and in the grand old ,church hymns1 we find the best commentary and interpretation of the sacred pictures of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries4 ,yet during the thirteenth century there was a purity in the spirit of the worship which at once inspired and regulated the forms in which it was manifested4 ,the ,annunciations and ,nativities were still distinguished by a chaste and sacred simplicity4 ,the features of the ,madonna herself1 even where they were not what we call beautiful1 had yet a touch of that divine and contemplative grace which the theologians and the poets had associated with the queenly1 maternal1 and bridal character of ,mary4 ,thus the impulses given in the early part of the fourteenth century continued in progressive development through the fifteenth2 the spiritual for some time in advance of the material influences2 the moral idea emanating as it were from the soul1 and the influences of external nature flowing into it2 the comprehensive power of fancy using more and more the apprehensive power of imitation1 and both working together till their blended might achieved its full fruition in the works of ,raphael4 99 99 99 99 99 ,early in the fifteenth century1 the ,council of ,constance 7,a4,d4 #adad71 and the condemnation of ,huss1 gave a new impulse to the worship of the ,virgin4 ,the ,hussite wars1 and the sacrilegious indignity with which her sacred images had been treated in the north1 filled her orthodox votaries of the south1 of ,europe with a consternation and horror like that excited by the ,iconoclasts of the eighth century1 and were followed by a similar reaction4 ,the ,church was called upon to assert more strongly than ever its orthodox veneration for her1 and1 as a natural consequence1 votive pictures multiplied1 the works of the excelling artists of the fifteenth century testify to the zeal of the votaries1 and the kindred spirit in which the painters worked4 ,gerson1 a celebrated ,french priest1 and chancellor of the university of ,paris1 distinguished himself in the ,council of ,constance by the eloquence with which he pleaded for the ,immaculate ,conception1 and the enthusiasm with which he preached in favour of instituting a festival in honour of this mystery1 as well as another in honour of ,joseph1 the husband of the ,virgin4 ,in both he was unsuccessful during his lifetime2 but for both eventually his writings prepared the way4 ,he also composed a ,latin poem of three thousand lines in praise of ,joseph1 which was among the first works published after the invention of printing4 ,together with ,st4 ,joseph1 the parents of the ,virgin1 ,st4 ,anna more particularly1 became objects1 of popular veneration1 and all were at length exalted to the rank of patron saints1 by having festivals instituted in their honour4 ,it is towards the end of the fifteenth century1 or rather a little later1 that we first meet with that charming domestic group1 called the ,holy ,family1 afterwards so popular1 so widely diffused1 and treated with such an infinite variety4 99 99 99 99 99 ,towards the end of this century sprung up a new influence1--the revival of classical learning1 a passionate enthusiasm for the poetry and mythology of the ,greeks1 and a taste for the remains of antique art4 ,this influence on the representations of the ,virgin1 as far as it was merely external1 was good4 ,an added dignity and grace1 a more free and correct drawing1 a truer feeling for harmony of proportion and all that constitutes elegance1 were gradually infused into the forms and attitudes4 ,but dangerous became the craving for mere beauty1--dangerous the study of the classical and heathen literature4 ,this was the commencement of that thoroughly pagan taste which in the following century demoralized ,christian art4 ,there was now an attempt at varying the arrangement of the sacred groups which led to irreverence1 or at best to a sort of superficial mannered grandeur2 and from this period we date the first introduction of the portrait ,virgins4 ,an early1 and most scandalous example remains to us in one of the frescoes in the ,vatican1 which represents ,giulia ,farnese in the character of the ,madonna1 and ,pope ,alexander ,,vi4 7the infamous ,borgia7 kneeling at her feet in the character of a votary4 ,under the influence of the ,medici the churches of ,florence were filled with pictures of the ,virgin1 in which the only thing aimed at was an alluring and even meretricious beauty4 ,savonarola thundered from his pulpit in the garden of ,san ,marco against these impieties4 ,he exclaimed against the profaneness of those who represented the meek mother of ,christ in gorgeous apparel1 with head unveiled1 and under the features of women too well and publicly known4 ,he emphatically declared that if the painters knew as well as he did the influence of such pictures in perverting simple minds1 they would hold their own works in horror and detestation4 ,savonarola yielded to none in orthodox reverence for the ,madonna2 but he desired that she should be represented in an orthodox manner4 ,he perished at the stake1 but not till after he had made a bonfire in the ,piazza at ,florence of the offensive effigies2 he perished--persecuted to death by the ,borgia family4 ,but his influence on the greatest ,florentine artists of his time is apparent in the ,virgins of ,botticelli1 ,lorenzo di ,credi1 and ,fra ,bartolomeo1 all of whom had been his friends1 admirers1 and disciples3 and all1 differing from each other1 were alike in this1 that1 whether it be the dignified severity of ,botticelli1 or the chaste simplicity of ,lorenzo di ,credi1 or the noble tenderness of ,fra ,bartolomeo1 we feel that each of them had aimed to portray worthily the sacred character of the ,mother of the ,redeemer4 ,and to these1 as ,i think1 we might add ,raphael himself1 who visited ,florence but a short time after the horrible execution of ,savonarola1 and must have learned through his friend ,bartolomeo to mourn the fate and revere the memory of that remarkable man1 whom he placed afterwards in the grand fresco of the ,theologia1 among the doctors and teachers of the ,church4 7,rome1 ,vatican47 ,of the numerous ,virgins painted by ,raphael in after times1 not one is supposed to have been a portrait3 he says himself1 in a letter to ,count ,castiglione1 that he painted from an idea in his own mind1 mi servo d' una certa idea che mi viene in mente2 while in the contemporary works of ,andrea del ,sarto1 we have the features of his handsome but vulgar wife in every ,madonna he painted4#a ,footnote #a3 ,the tendency to portraiture1 in early ,florentine and ,german art1 is observable from an early period4 ,the historical sacred subjects of ,masaccio1 ,ghirlandajo1 and ,van ,eyck1 are crowded with portraits of living personages4 ,their introduction into devotional subjects1 in the character of sacred persons1 is far less excusable4 ,in the beginning of the sixteenth century1 the constellation of living genius in every department of art1 the riches of the ,church1 the luxurious habits and classical studies of the churchmen1 the decline of religious conviction1 and the ascendency of religious controversy1 had combined to multiply church pictures1 particularly those of a large and decorative character4 ,but1 instead of the reign of faith1 we had now the reign of taste4 ,there was an absolute passion for picturesque grouping2 and1 as the assembled figures were to be as varied as possible in action and attitude1 the artistic treatment1 in order to prevent the lines of form and the colours of the draperies from interfering with each other1 required great skill and profound study3 some of these scenic groups have become1 in the hands of great painters1 such as ,titian1 ,paul ,veronese1 and ,annibale ,caracci1 so magnificent1 that we are inclined to forgive their splendid errors4 ,the influence of ,sanazzaro1 and of his famous ,latin poem on the ,nativity 7,de ,partu ,virginis71 on the artists of the middle of the sixteenth century1 and on the choice and treatment of the subjects pertaining to the ,madonna1 can hardly be calculated2 it was like that of ,dante in the fourteenth century1 but in its nature and result how different6 ,the grand materialism of ,michael ,angelo is supposed to have been allied to the genius of ,dante2 but would ,dante have acknowledged the group of the ,holy ,family in the ,florentine ,gallery1 to my feeling1 one of the most profane and offensive of the so-called religious pictures1 in conception and execution1 which ever proceeded from the mind or hand of a great painter8 ,no doubt some of the sculptural ,virgins of ,michael ,angelo are magnificent and stately in attitude and expression1 but too austere and mannered as religious conceptions3 nor can we wonder if the predilection for the treatment of mere form led his followers and imitators into every species of exaggeration and affectation4 ,in the middle of the sixteenth century1 the same artist who painted a ,leda1 or a ,psyche1 or a ,venus one day1 painted for the same patron a ,virgin of ,mercy1 or a ,mater ,purissima on the morrow4 ,here1 the votary told his beads1 and recited his ,aves1 before the blessed ,mother of the ,redeemer2 there1 she was invoked in the purest ,latin by titles which the classical mythology had far otherwise consecrated4 ,i know nothing more disgusting in art than the long-limbed1 studied1 inflated ,madonnas1 looking grand with all their might1 of this period2 luckily they have fallen into such disrepute that we seldom see them4 ,the ,madonna dell' lungo ,collo of ,parmigiano might be cited as a favourable example of this mistaken and wholly artificial grace4 7,florence1 ,pitti ,pal47 ,but in the midst of these paganized and degenerate influences1 the reform in the discipline of the ,roman ,catholic ,church was preparing a revolution in religious art4 ,the ,council of ,trent had severely denounced the impropriety of certain pictures admitted into churches3 at the same time1 in the conflict of creed which now divided ,christendom1 the agencies of art could not safely be neglected by that ,church which had used them with such signal success4 ,spiritual art was indeed no more4 ,it was dead3 it could never be revived without a return to those modes of thought and belief which had at first inspired it4 ,instead of religious art1 appeared what ,i must call theological art4 ,among the events of this age1 which had great influence on the worship and the representations of the ,madonna1 ,i must place the battle of ,lepanto1 in #aega1 in which the combined fleets of ,christendom1 led by ,don ,juan of ,austria1 achieved a memorable victory over the ,turks4 ,this victory was attributed by ,pope ,pius ,v4 to the especial interposition of the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,a new invocation was now added to her ,litany1 under the title of ,auxilium ,christianorum2 a new festival1 that of the ,rosary1 was now added to those already held in her honour2 and all the artistic genius which existed in ,italy1 and all the piety of orthodox ,christendom1 were now laid under contribution to incase in marble sculpture1 to enrich with countless offerings1 that miraculous house1 which the angels had borne over land and sea1 and set down at ,loretto2 and that miraculous1 bejewelled1 and brocaded ,madonna1 enshrined within it4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the beginning of the seventeenth century1 the ,caracci school gave a new impetus to religious1 or rather1 as it has been styled in contradistinction1 sacerdotal or theological art4 ,if these great painters had been remarkable merely for the application of new artistic methods1 for the success with which they combined the aims of various schools-- ,di ,michel ,angiol la terribil via ,e 'l vero natural di ,tiziano1 the study of the antique with the observation of real life1--their works undoubtedly would never have taken such a hold on the minds of their contemporaries1 nor kept it so long4 ,everything to live must have an infusion of truth within it1 and this patchwork ideal1 as it has been well styled1 was held together by such a principle4 ,the founders of the ,caracci school1 and their immediate followers1 felt the influences of the time1 and worked them out4 ,they were devout believers in their ,church1 and most sincere worshippers of the ,madonna4 ,guido1 in particular1 was so distinguished by his passionate enthusiasm for her1 that he was supposed to have been favoured by a particular vision1 which enabled him more worthily to represent her divine beauty4 ,it is curious that1 hand in hand with this development of taste and feeling in the appreciation of natural sentiment and beauty1 and this tendency to realism1 we find the associations of a peculiar and specific sanctity remaining with the old ,byzantine type4 ,this arose from the fact1 always to be borne in mind1 that the most ancient artistic figure of the ,madonna was a purely theological symbol2 apparently the moral type was too nearly allied to the human and the real to satisfy faith4 ,it is the ugly1 dark-coloured1 ancient ,greek ,madonnas1 such as this1 which had all along the credit of being miraculous2 and to this day1 says ,kugler1 the ,neapolitan lemonade-seller will allow no other than a formal ,greek ,madonna1 with olive-green complexion and veiled head1 to be set up in his booth4 ,it is the same in ,russia4 ,such pictures1 in which there is no attempt at representation1 real or ideal1 and which merely have a sort of imaginary sanctity and power1 are not so much idols as they are mere ,fetishes4 ,the most lovely ,madonna by ,raphael or ,titian would not have the same effect4 ,guido1 who himself painted lovely ,virgins1 went every ,saturday to pray before the little black ,madonna della ,guardia1 and1 as we are assured1 held this old ,eastern relic in devout veneration4 ,in the pictures of the ,madonna1 produced by the most eminent painters of the seventeenth century1 is embodied the theology of the time4 ,the ,virgin ,mary is not1 like the ,madonna di ,san ,sisto1 a single projection of the artist's mind1 but1 as far as he could put his studies together1 she is a compound of every creature's best1 sometimes majestic1 sometimes graceful1 often full of sentiment1 elegance1 and refinement1 but wanting wholly in the spiritual element4 ,if the ,madonna did really sit to ,guido in person1 7see ,malvasia1 ,felsina ,pittrice17 we fancy she must have revealed her loveliness1 but veiled her divinity4 ,without doubt the finest ,madonnas of the seventeenth century are those produced by the ,spanish school2 not because they more realize our spiritual conception of the ,virgin--quite the contrary3 for here the expression of life through sensation and emotion prevails over abstract mind1 grandeur1 and grace2--but because the intensely human and sympathetic character given to the ,madonna appeals most strongly to our human nature4 ,the appeal is to the faith through the feelings1 rather than through the imagination4 ,morales and ,ribera excelled in the ,mater ,dolorosa2 and who has surpassed ,murilio in the tender exultation of maternity8#a ,there is a freshness and a depth of feeling in the best ,madonnas of the late ,spanish school1 which puts to shame the mannerism of the ,italians1 and the naturalism of the ,flemish painters of the same period3 and this because the ,spaniards were intense and enthusiastic believers1 not mere thinkers1 in art as in religion4 ,footnote #a3 ,see in the ,handbook to the ,private ,galleries of ,art some remarks on the tendencies of the ,spanish ,school1 p1 #agb4 ,as in the sixth century1 the favourite dogma of the time 7the union of the divine and human nature in ,christ1 and the dignity of ,mary as parent of both7 had been embodied in the group of the ,virgin and ,child1 so now1 in the seventeenth1 the doctrine of the eternal sanctification and predestination of ,mary was1 after a long controversy1 triumphant1 and took form in the ,immaculate ,conception2 that beautiful subject in which ,guido and ,murilio excelled1 and which became the darling theme of the later schools of art4 ,it is worthy of remark1 that while in the sixth century1 and for a thousand years afterwards1 the ,virgin1 in all devotional subjects1 was associated in some visible manner with her divine ,son1 in this she appears without the ,infant in her arms4 ,the maternal character is set aside1 and she stands alone1 absolute in herself1 and complete in her own perfections4 ,this is a very significant characteristic of the prevalent theology of the time4 ,i forbear to say much of the productions of a school of art which sprung up simultaneously with that of the ,caracci1 and in the end overpowered its higher aspirations4 ,the ,naturalisti1 as they were called1 imitated nature without selection1 and produced some charming painters4 ,but their religious pictures are almost all intolerable1 and their ,madonnas are almost all portraits4 ,rubens and ,albano painted their wives2 ,allori and ,vandyck their mistresses2 ,domenichino his daughter4 ,salvator ,rosa1 in his ,satires1 exclaims against this general profaneness in terms not less strong than those of ,savonarola in his ,sermons2 but the corruption was by this time beyond the reach of cure2 the sin could neither be preached nor chided away4 ,striking effects of light and shade1 peculiar attitudes1 scenic groups1 the perpetual and dramatic introduction of legendary scenes and personages1 of visions and miracles of the ,madonna vouchsafed to her votaries1 characterize the productions of the seventeenth century4 ,as they who are whole need not a physician1 but they who are sick1 so in proportion to the decline of faith were the excitements to faith1 or rather to credulity3 just in proportion as men were less inclined to believe were the wonders multiplied which they were called on to believe4 ,i have not spoken of the influence of ,jesuitism on art4 ,this ,order kept alive that devotion for the ,madonna which their great founder ,loyola had so ardently professed when he chose for the ,lady of his thoughts1 no princess1 no duchess1 but one far greater1 more peerless4 ,the learning of the ,jesuits supplied some themes not hitherto in use1 principally of a fanciful and allegorical kind1 and never had the meek ,mary been so decked out with earthly ornament as in their church pictures4 ,if the sanctification of simplicity1 gentleness1 maternal love1 and heroic fortitude1 were calculated to elevate the popular mind1 the sanctification of mere glitter and ornament1 embroidered robes1 and jewelled crowns1 must have tended to degrade it4 ,it is surely an unworthy and a foolish excuse that1 in thus desecrating with the vainest and most vulgar finery the beautiful ideal of the ,virgin1 an appeal was made to the awe and admiration of vulgar and ignorant minds2 for this is precisely what1 in all religious imagery1 should be avoided4 ,as1 however1 this sacrilegious millinery does not come within the province of the fine arts1 ,i may pass it over here4 ,among the ,jesuit prints of the seventeenth century1 ,i remember one which represents the ,virgin and ,child in the centre1 and around are the most famous heretics of all ages1 lying prostrate1 or hanging by the neck4 ,julian the ,apostate2 ,leo the ,isaurian2 his son1 ,constantine ,capronymus2 ,arius2 ,nestorius2 ,manicheus2 ,luther2 ,calvin3--very characteristic of the age of controversy which had succeeded to the age of faith1 when1 instead of solemn saints and grateful votaries1 we have dead or dying heretics surrounding the ,mother of ,mercy6 99 99 99 99 99 ,after this rapid sketch of the influences which modified in a general way the pictures of the ,madonna1 we may array before us1 and learn to compare1 the types which distinguished in a more particular manner the separate schools1 caught from some more local or individual impulses4 ,thus we have the stern1 awful quietude of the old ,mosaics2 the hard lifelessness of the degenerate ,greek2 the pensive sentiment of the ,siena1 and stately elegance of the ,florentine ,madonnas2 the intellectual ,milanese1 with their large foreheads and thoughtful eyes2 the tender1 refined mysticism of the ,umbrian2 the sumptuous loveliness of the ,venetian2 the quaint1 characteristic simplicity of the early ,german1 so stamped with their nationality1 that ,i never looked round me in a room full of ,german girls without thinking of ,albert ,durer's ,virgins2 the intense life-like feeling of the ,spanish2 the prosaic1 portrait-like nature of the ,flemish schools1 and so on4 ,but here an obvious question suggests itself4 ,in the midst of all this diversity1 these ever-changing influences1 was there no characteristic type universally accepted1 suggested by common religious associations1 if not defined by ecclesiastical authority1 to which the artist was bound to conform8 ,how is it that the impersonation of the ,virgin fluctuated1 not only with the fluctuating tendencies of successive ages1 but even with the caprices of the individual artist8 ,this leads us back to reconsider the sources from which the artist drew his inspiration4 ,the legend which represents ,st4 ,luke the ,evangelist as a painter appears to be of ,eastern origin1 and quite unknown in ,western ,europe before the first crusade4 ,it crept in then1 and was accepted with many other oriental superstitions and traditions4 ,it may have originated in the real existence of a ,greek painter named ,luca--a saint1 too1 he may have been2 for the ,greeks have a whole calendar of canonized artists1--painters1 poets1 and musicians2 and this ,greek ,san ,luca may have been a painter of those ,madonnas imported from the ateliers of ,mount ,athos into the ,west by merchants and pilgrims2 and the ,west1 which knew but of one ,st4 ,luke1 may have easily confounded the painter and the evangelist4 ,but we must also remember1 that ,st4 ,luke the ,evangelist was early regarded as the great authority with respect to the few ,scripture particulars relating to the character and life of ,mary2 so that1 in the figurative sense1 he may be said to have painted that portrait of her which has been since received as the perfect type of womanhood3--#a4 ,her noble1 trustful humility1 when she receives the salutation of the angel 7,luke i4 #ch72 the complete and feminine surrender of her whole being to the higher1 holier will--,be it unto me according to thy word4 #b4 ,then1 the decision and prudence of character1 shown in her visit to ,elizabeth1 her older relative2 her journey in haste over the hills to consult with her cousin1 which journey it is otherwise difficult to accord with the oriental customs of the time1 unless ,mary1 young as she was1 had possessed unusual promptitude and energy of disposition4 7,luke i4 #ci1 #dj47 #c4 ,the proof of her intellectual power in the beautiful hymn she has left us1 ,my soul doth magnify the ,lord4 7,luke i4 #df47 ,the commentators are not agreed as to whether this effusion was poured forth by immediate inspiration1 or composed and written down1 because the same words1 and ,mary said1 may be interpreted in either sense2 but we can no more doubt her being the authoress1 than we can doubt of any other particulars recorded in the same ,gospel3 it proves that she must have been1 for her time and country1 most rarely gifted in mind1 and deeply read in the ,scriptures4 #d4 ,she was of a contemplative1 reflecting1 rather silent disposition4 ,she kept all these sayings1 and pondered them in her heart4 7,luke ii4 #ea47 ,she made no boast of that wondrous and most blessed destiny to which she was called2 she thought upon it in silence4 ,it is inferred that as many of these sayings and events could be known to herself alone1 ,st4 ,luke the ,evangelist could have learned them only from her own lips4 #e4 ,next her truly maternal devotion to her divine ,son1 whom she attended humbly through his whole ministry2#a #f4 and lastly1 the sublime fortitude and faith with which she followed her ,son to the death scene1 stood beside the cross till all was finished1 and then went home1 and lived 7,luke xxiii472 for she was to be to us an example of all that a woman could endure1 as well as all that a woman could be and act out in her earthly life4 7,john xix4 #be47 ,such was the character of ,mary2 such the portrait really painted by ,st4 ,luke2 and1 as it seems to me1 these scattered1 artless1 unintentional notices of conduct and character converge into the most perfect moral type of the intellectual1 tender1 simple1 and heroic woman that ever was placed before us for our edification and example4 ,footnote #a3 ,milton places in the mouth of our ,saviour an allusion to the influence of his ,mother in early life3-- ,these growing thoughts my mother soon perceiving ,by words at times cast forth1 duly rejoiced1 ,and said to me apart1 ',high are thy thoughts1 ,o ,son2 but nourish them1 and let them soar ,to what height sacred virtue and true worth ,can raise them1 though above example high4' ,but in the ,church traditions and enactments1 another character was1 from the fifth century1 assigned to her1 out of which grew the theological type1 very beautiful and exalted1 but absorbing to a great degree the scriptural and moral type1 and substituting for the merely human attributes others borrowed from her relation to the great scheme of redemption2 for it was contended that1 as the mother of the ,divine1 she could not be herself less than divine2 consequently above the angels1 and first of all created beings4 ,according to the doctrine of the ,immaculate ,conception1 her tender woman's wisdom became supernatural gifts2 the beautiful humility was changed into a knowledge of her own predestined glory2 and1 being raised bodily into immortality1 and placed beside her ,son1 in all the sacred splendour of beneficence1 she came to be regarded as our intercessor before that divine ,son1 who could refuse nothing to his mother4 ,the relative position of the ,mother and ,son being spiritual and indestructible was continued in heaven2 and thus step by step the woman was transmuted into the divinity4 ,but1 like her ,son1 ,mary had walked in human form upon earth1 and in form must have resembled her ,son2 for1 as it is argued1 ,christ had no earthly father1 therefore could only have derived his human lineaments from his mother4 ,all the old legends assume that the resemblance between the ,son and the ,mother must have been perfect4 ,dante alludes to this belief3 ,riguarda ormai nella faccia ch' a ,christo ,piu s' assomiglia4 ,now raise thy view ,unto the visage most resembling ,christ4 ,the accepted type of the head of ,christ was to be taken as a model in its mild1 intellectual majesty1 for that of the ,virgin-mother1 as far as difference of sex would allow4 ,in the ecclesiastical history of ,nicephorus ,gallixtus1 he has inserted a description of the person of ,mary1 which he declares to have been given by ,epiphanius1 who lived in the fourth century1 and by him derived from a more ancient source4 ,it must be confessed1 that the type of person here assigned to the ,virgin is more energetic for a woman than that which has been assigned to our ,saviour as a man4 ,she was of middle stature2 her face oval2 her eyes brilliant1 and of an olive tint2 her eyebrows arched and black2 her hair was of a pale brown2 her complexion fair as wheat4 ,she spoke little1 but she spoke freely and affably2 she was not troubled in her speech1 but grave1 courteous1 tranquil4 ,her dress was without ornament1 and in her deportment was nothing lax or feeble4 ,to this ancient description of her person and manners1 we are to add the scriptural and popular portrait of her mind2 the gentleness1 the purity1 the intellect1 power1 and fortitude2 the gifts of the poetess and prophetess2 the humility in which she exceeded all womankind4 ,lastly1 we are to engraft on these personal and moral qualities1 the theological attributes which the ,church1 from early times1 had assigned to her1 the supernatural endowments which lifted her above angels and men3--all these were to be combined into one glorious type of perfection4 ,where shall we seek this highest1 holiest impersonation6 ,where has it been attained1 or even approached8 ,not1 certainly1 in the mere woman1 nor yet in the mere idol2 not in those lovely creations which awaken a sympathetic throb of tenderness2 nor in those stern1 motionless types1--which embody a dogma2 not in the classic features of marble goddesses1 borrowed as models2 nor in the painted images which stare upon us from tawdry altars in flaxen wigs and embroidered petticoats4 ,but where8 ,of course we each form to ourselves some notion of what we require2 and these requirements will be as diverse as our natures and our habits of thought4 ,for myself1 ,i have seen my own ideal once1 and only once1 attained3 there1 where ,raphael--inspired if ever painter was inspired--projected on the space before him that wonderful creation which we style the ,madonna di ,san ,sisto 7,dresden ,gal472 for there she stands--the transfigured woman1 at once completely human and completely divine1 an abstraction of power1 purity1 and love1 poised on the empurpled air1 and requiring no other support2 looking out1 with her melancholy1 loving mouth1 her slightly dilated1 sibylline eyes1 quite through the universe1 to the end and consummation of all things2--sad1 as if she beheld afar off the visionary sword that was to reach her heart through ,,him1 now resting as enthroned on that heart2 yet already exalted through the homage of the redeemed generations who were to salute her as ,blessed4 ,six times have ,i visited the city made glorious by the possession of this treasure1 and as often1 when again at a distance1 with recollections disturbed by feeble copies and prints1 ,i have begun to think1 ,is it so indeed8 is she indeed so divine8 or does not rather the imagination encircle her with a halo of religion and poetry1 and lend a grace which is not really there8 and as often1 when returned1 ,i have stood before it and confessed that there is more in that form and face than ,i had ever yet conceived4 ,i cannot here talk the language of critics1 and speak of this picture merely as a picture1 for to me it was a revelation4 ,in the same gallery is the lovely ,madonna of the ,meyer family3 inexpressibly touching and perfect in its way1 but conveying only one of the attributes of ,mary1 her benign pity2 while the ,madonna di ,san ,sisto is an abstract of all4#a ,footnote #a3 ,expression is the great and characteristic excellence of ,raphael more especially in his ,madonnas4 ,it is precisely this which all copies and engravings render at best most imperfectly2 and in point of expression the most successful engraving of the ,madonna di ,san ,sisto is certainly that of ,steinla4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the poets are ever the best commentators on the painters4 ,i have already given from the great singers of high poems in the fourteenth century their exposition of the theological type of the ,madonna4 ,now1 in some striking passages of our modern poets1 we may find a most beautiful commentary on what ,i have termed the moral type4 ,the first is from ,wordsworth1 and may be recited before the ,madonna di ,san ,sisto3-- ,mother6 whose virgin bosom was uncrost ,with the least shade of thought to sin allied6 ,woman6 above all women glorified2 ,out tainted nature's solitary boast2 ,purer than foam on central ocean tost2 ,brighter than eastern skies at daybreak strewn ,with fancied roses1 than the unblemish'd moon ,before her wane begins on heaven's blue coast1 ,thy ,image falls to earth4 ,yet some ,i ween1 ,not unforgiven1 the suppliant knee might bend1 ,as to a visible ,power1 in which did blend ,all that was mix'd and reconcil'd in thee1 ,of mother's love with maiden purity1 ,of high with low1 celestial with terrene4 ,the next1 from ,shelley1 reads like a hymn in honour of the ,immaculate ,conception3-- ,seraph of ,heaven6 too gentle to be human1 ,veiling beneath that radiant form of woman ,all that is insupportable in thee ,of light1 and love1 and immortality6 ,sweet ,benediction in the eternal curse6 ,veil'd ,glory of this lampless ,universe6 ,thou ,moon beyond the clouds6 ,thou living ,form ,among the ,dead6 ,thou ,star above the storm6 ,thou ,wonder1 and thou ,beauty1 and thou ,terror6 ,thou ,harmony of ,nature's art6 ,thou ,mirror ,in whom1 as in the splendour of the ,sun1 ,all shapes look glorious which thou gazest on6 ,see where she stands6 a mortal shape endued ,with love1 and life1 and light1 and deity2 ,the motion which may change but cannot die1 ,an image of some bright eternity2 ,a shadow of some golden dream2 a splendour ,leaving the third sphere pilotless4 ,i do not know whether intentionally or not1 but we have here assembled some of the favourite symbols of the ,virgin--the moon1 the star1 the terribilis ut castrorum acies 7,cant4 vi4 #aj71 and the mirror4 ,the third is a passage from ,robert ,browning1 which appears to me to sum up the moral ideal3-- ,there is a vision in the heart of each1 ,of justice1 mercy1 wisdom1 tenderness ,to wrong and pain1 and knowledge of their cure2 ,and these embodied in a woman's form ,that best transmits them pure as first received ,from ,god above her to mankind below6 ,,ii4 ,,symbols ,,and ,,attributes ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,that which the genius of the greatest of painters only once expressed1 we must not look to find in his predecessors1 who saw only partial glimpses of the union of the divine and human in the feminine form2 still less in his degenerate successors1 who never beheld it at all4 ,the difficulty of fully expressing this complex ideal1 and the allegorical spirit of the time1 first suggested the expedient of placing round the figure of the glorified ,virgin certain accessory symbols1 which should assist the artist to express1 and the observer to comprehend1 what seemed beyond the power of art to portray2--a language of metaphor then understood1 and which we also must understand if we would seize the complete theological idea intended to be conveyed4 ,i shall begin with those symbols which are borrowed from the ,litanies of the ,virgin1 and from certain texts of the ,canticles1 in all ages of the ,church applied to her2 symbols which1 in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries1 frequently accompany those representations which set forth her ,glorification or ,predestination2 and1 in the seventeenth1 are introduced into the ,immaculate ,conception4 #a4 ,the ,sun and the ,moon4--,electa ut ,sol1 pulchra ut ,luna1 is one of the texts of the ,canticles applied to ,mary2 and also in a passage of the ,revelation1 ,a woman clothed with the sun1 having the moon under her feet1 and on her head a crown of twelve stars4 ,hence the radiance of the sun above her head1 and the crescent moon beneath her feet4 ,from inevitable association the crescent moon suggests the idea of her perpetual chastity2 but in this sense it would be a pagan rather than a ,christian attribute4 #b4 ,the ,,star4--,this attribute1 often embroidered in front of the veil of the ,virgin or on the right shoulder of her blue mantle1 has become almost as a badge from which several well-known pictures derive their title1 ,la ,madonna della ,stella4 ,it is in the first place an attribute alluding to the most beautiful and expressive of her many titles3--,stella ,maris ,star of the ,sea1#a which is one interpretation of her ,jewish name1 ,miriam3 but she is also ,stella ,jacobi1 the ,star of ,jacob2 ,stella ,matutina1 the ,morning ,star2 ,stella non ,erratica1 the ,fixed ,star4 ,when1 instead of the single star on her veil or mantle1 she has the crown of twelve stars1 the allusion is to the text of the ,apocalypse already quoted1 and the number of stars is in allusion to the number of the ,apostles4#b ,footnote #a3 ,ave ,maris ,stella ,dei ,mater alma6 c4 ,footnote #b3 ,in capite inquit ejus corona stellarum duodecim2 quidni coronent sidera quam sol vestit8--,st4 ,bernard4 #c4 ,the ,,lily4--,i am the rose of ,sharon1 and lily of the valleys4 7,cant4 ii4 #a1 #b47 ,as the general emblem of purity1 the lily is introduced into the ,annunciation1 where it ought to be without stamens3 and in the enthroned ,madonnas it is frequently placed in the hands of attendant angels1 more particularly in the ,florentine ,madonnas2 the lily1 as the emblem of their patroness1 being chosen by the citizens as the device of the city4 ,for the same reason it became that of the ,french monarchy4 ,thorns are sometimes interlaced with the lily1 to express the ,lilium inter ,spinas4 7,cant4 ii4 #b47 #d4 ,the ,,rose4--,she is the rose of ,sharon1 as well as the lily of the valley2 and as an emblem of love and beauty1 the rose is especially dedicated to her4 ,the plantation or garden of roses#a is often introduced2 sometimes it forms the background of the picture4 ,there is a most beautiful example in a ,madonna by ,cesare di ,sesto 7,milan1 ,brera72 and another1 the ,madonna of the ,rose ,bush1 by ,martin ,schoen4 7,cathedral1 ,colmar47 ,footnote #a3 ,quasi plantatio ros in ,jericho4 #e4 ,the ,,enclosed ,,garden 7,hortus conclusus7 is an image borrowed1 like many others1 from the ,song of ,solomon4 7,cant4 iv4 #ab47 ,i have seen this enclosed garden very significantly placed in the background of the ,annunciation1 and in pictures of the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,sometimes the enclosure is formed of a treillage or hedge of roses1 as in a beautiful ,virgin by ,francia4#a ,sometimes it is merely formed of stakes or palisades1 as ,in some of the prints by ,albert ,durer4 ,footnote #a3 ,munich ,gal42 another by ,antonio da ,negroponte in the ,san ,francesco della ,vigna at ,venice1 is also an instance of this significant background4 ,the ,,well always full2 the ,,fountain forever sealed2 the ,,tower of ,david2 the ,,temple of ,solomon2 the ,,city of ,david 7,civitas sancti71 7,cant iv4 #d4 #ab1 #ae72 all these are attributes borrowed from the ,canticles1 and are introduced into pictures and stained glass4 #f4 ,the ,,porta ,,claitsa1 the ,closed ,gate1 is another metaphor1 taken from the prophecy of ,ezekiel 7xliv4 #d74 #g4 ,the ,,cedar of ,lebanon 7,cedrus exaliata1 exalted as a cedar in ,lebanon71 because of its height1 its incorruptible substance1 its perfume1 and the healing virtues attributed to it in the ,east1 expresses the greatness1 the beauty1 the goodness of ,mary4 ,the victorious ,,palm1 the ,plantain far spreading1 and the ,cypress pointing to heaven1 are also emblems of the ,virgin4 ,the ,,olive1 as a sign of peace1 hope1 and abundance1 is also a fitting emblem of the graces of ,mary4#a ,footnote #a3 ,quasi oliva speciosa in campis4 #h4 ,the ,stem of ,jesse 7,isa4 xi4 #a71 figured as a green branch entwined with flowers1 is also very significant4 #i4 ,the ,,mirror 7,specula sine macula7 is a metaphor borrowed from the ,book of ,wisdom 7vii1 #be74 ,we meet with it in some of the late pictures of the ,immaculate ,conception4 #aj4 ,the ,,sealed ,,book is also a symbol often placed in the hands of the ,virgin in a mystical ,annunciation1 and sufficiently significant4 ,the allusion is to the text1 ,in that book were all my members written2 and also to the text in ,isaiah 7xxix4 #aa1 #ab71 in which he describes the vision of the book that was sealed1 and could be read neither by the learned nor the unlearned4 #aa4 ,the ,bush which burned and was not consumed1 is introduced1 with a mystical significance1 into an ,annunciation by ,titian4 99 99 99 99 99 ,besides these symbols1 which have a mystic and sacred significance1 and are applicable to the ,virgin only1 certain attributes and accessories are introduced into pictures of the ,madonna and ,child1 which are capable of a more general interpretation4 #a4 ,the ,,globe1 as the emblem of sovereignty1 was very early placed in the hand of the divine ,child4 ,when the globe is under the feet of the ,madonna and encircled by a serpent1 as in some later pictures1 it figures our ,redemption2 her triumph over a fallen world--fallen through sin4 #b4 ,the ,,serpent is the general emblem of ,sin or ,satan2 but under the feet of the ,virgin it has a peculiar significance4 ,she has generally her foot on the head of the reptile4 ,,she shall bruise thy head1 as it is interpreted in the ,roman ,catholic ,church4#a ,footnote #a3 ,ipsa conteret caput tuum4 #c4 ,the ,,apple1 which of all the attributes is the most common1 signifies the fall of man1 which made ,redemption necessary4 ,it is sometimes placed in the hands of the ,child2 but when in the hand of the ,mother1 she is then designated as the second ,eve4#a ,footnote #a3 ,mors per ,evam3 vita per ,mariam4 #d4 ,the ,,pomegranate1 with the seeds displayed1 was the ancient emblem of hope1 and more particularly of religious hope4 ,it is often placed in the hands of the ,child1 who sometimes presents it to his ,mother4 ,other fruits and flowers1 always beautiful accessories1 are frequently introduced according to the taste of the artist4 ,but fruits in a general sense signified the fruits of the ,spirit--joy1 peace1 love2 and flowers were consecrated to the ,virgin3 hence we yet see them placed before her as offerings4 #e4 ,,ears ,,of ,,wheat in the hand of the ,infant 7as in a lovely little ,madonna by ,ludovico ,caracci7#a figured the bread in the ,eucharist1 and ,,grapes the wine4 ,footnote #a3 ,lansdowne ,collection4 ,there was another exactly similar in the collection of ,mr4 ,rogers4 #f4 ,the ,,book4--,in the hand of the ,infant ,christ1 the book is the ,gospel in a general sense1 or it is the ,book of ,wisdom4 ,in the hand of the ,madonna1 it may have one of two meanings4 ,when open1 or when she has her finger between the leaves1 or when the ,child is turning over the pages1 then it is the ,book of ,wisdom1 and is always supposed to be open at the seventh chapter4 ,when the book is clasped or sealed1 it is a mystical symbol of the ,virgin herself1 as ,i have already explained4 #g4 ,the ,,dove1 as the received emblem of the ,holy ,spirit1 is properly placed above1 as hovering over the ,virgin4 ,there is an exception to this rule in a very interesting picture in the ,louvre1 where the ,holy ,dove 7with the nimbus7 is placed at the feet of the ,child4#a ,this is so unusual1 and so contrary to all the received proprieties of religious art1 that ,i think the nimbus may have been added afterwards4 ,footnote #a3 ,the ,virgin has the air of a gipsy4 7,louvre1 #eae47 ,the seven doves round the head of the ,virgin signify the seven gifts of the ,spirit4 ,these characterize her as personified ,wisdom--the ,mater ,sapienti4 ,doves placed near ,mary when she is reading1 or at work in the temple1 are expressive of her gentleness and tenderness4 #h4 ,,birds4--,the bird in the ,egyptian hieroglyphics signified the soul of man4 ,in the very ancient pictures there can be no doubt1 ,i think1 that the bird in the hand of ,christ figured the soul1 or the spiritual as opposed to the material4 ,but1 in the later pictures1 the original meaning being lost1 birds became mere ornamental accessories1 or playthings4 ,sometimes it is a parrot from the ,east1 sometimes a partridge 7the partridge is frequent in the ,venetian pictures73 sometimes a goldfinch1 as in ,raphael's ,madonna del ,cardellino4 ,in a ,madonna by ,guercino1 the ,mother holds a bird perched on her hand1 and the ,child1 with a most nave infantine expression1 shrinks back from it4#a ,in a picture by ,baroccio1 he holds it up before a cat 7,nat4 ,gal4 #bi71 so completely were the original symbolism and all the religious proprieties of art at this time set aside4 ,footnote #a3 ,it was in the collection of ,mr4 ,rogers4 ,other animals are occasionally introduced4 ,extremely offensive are the apes when admitted into devotional pictures4 ,we have associations with the animal as a mockery of the human1 which render it a very disagreeable accessory4 ,it appears that1 in the sixteenth century1 it became the fashion to keep apes as pets1 and every reader of ,vasari will remember the frequent mention of these animals as pets and favourites of the artists4 ,thus only can ,i account for the introduction of the ape1 particularly in the ,ferrarese pictures4 ,bassano's dog1 ,baroccio's cat1 are often introduced4 ,in a famous picture by ,titian1 ,la ,vierge au ,lapin1 we have the rabbit4 7,louvre47 ,the introduction of these and other animals marks the decline of religious art4 ,certain women of the ,old ,testament are regarded as especial types of the ,virgin4 ,,eve4 ,mary is regarded as the second ,eve1 because1 through her1 came the promised ,redemption4 ,she bruised the head of the ,serpent4 ,the ,tree of ,life1 the ,fall1 or ,eve holding the ,apple1 are constantly introduced allusively in the ,madonna pictures1 as ornaments of her throne1 or on the predella of an altar-piece1 representing the ,annunciation1 the ,nativity1 or the ,coronation4 ,,rachel figures as the ideal of contemplative life4 ,,ruth1 as the ancestress of ,david4 ,,abishag1 as the ,virgin who was brought to the ,king4 7,i ,kings i4 #a47 ,,bathsheba1 because she sat upon a throne on the right hand of her ,son4 ,,judith and ,,esther1 as having redeemed their people1 and brought deliverance to ,israel4 ,it is because of their typical character1 as emblems of the ,virgin1 that these ,jewish heroines so often figure in the religious pictures4#a ,footnote #a3 ,the artistic treatment of these characters as types of the ,virgin1 will be found in the fourth series of ,legendary ,art4 ,in his ,paradiso 7c4 xxxii471 ,dante represents ,eve1 ,rachel1 ,sara1 ,ruth1 ,judith1 as seated at the feet of the ,virgin ,mary1 beneath her throne in heaven2 and next to ,rachel1 by a refinement of spiritual and poetical gallantry1 he has placed his ,beatrice4 ,in the beautiful frescoes of the church of ,st4 ,apollinaris at ,remagen1 these ,hebrew women stand together in a group below the throne of the ,virgin4 ,of the ,prophets and the ,sibyls who attend on ,christ in his character of the ,messiah or ,redeemer1 ,i shall have much to say1 when describing the artistic treatment of the history and character of ,our ,lord4 ,those of the prophets who are supposed to refer more particularly to the ,incarnation1 properly attend on the ,virgin and ,child2 but in the ancient altar-pieces1 they are not placed within the same frame1 nor are they grouped immediately round her throne1 but form the outer accessories1 or are treated separately as symbolical4 ,first1 ,,moses1 because he beheld the burning bush1 which burned and was not consumed4 ,he is generally in the act of removing his sandals4 ,,aaron1 because his rod blossomed miraculously4 ,,gideon1 on whose fleece descended the dew of heaven1 while all was dry around4 ,,daniel1 who beheld the stone which was cut out without hands1 and became a great mountain1 filling the earth4 7ch4 ii4 #de47 ,,david1 as prophet and ancestor4 ,listen1 ,o daughter1 and incline thine ear4 ,,isaiah1 ,behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son4 ,,ezekiel1 ,this gate shall be shut4 7ch4 xliv4 #b47 ,certain of these personages1 ,moses1 ,aaron1 ,gideon1 ,daniel1 ,ezekiel1 are not merely accessories and attendant figures1 but in a manner attributes1 as expressing the character of the ,virgin4 ,thus in many instances1 we find the prophetical personages altogether omitted1 and we have simply the attribute figuring the prophecy itself1 the burning bush1 the rod1 the dewy fleece1 c4 ,the ,sibyls are sometimes introduced alternately with the ,prophets4 ,in general1 if there be only two1 they are the ,tiburtina1 who showed the vision to ,augustus1 and the ,cumean ,sibyl who foretold the birth of our ,saviour4 ,the ,sibyls were much the fashion in the classic times of the sixteenth century2 ,michael ,angelo and ,raphael have left us consummate examples4 ,but ,i must repeat that the full consideration of the ,prophets and ,sibyls as accessories belongs to another department of sacred art1 and they will find their place there4 ,the ,evangelists frequently1 and sometimes one or more of the ,twelve ,apostles1 appear as accessories which assist the theological conception4 ,when other figures are introduced1 they are generally either the protecting saints of the country or locality1 or the saints of the ,religious ,order to whom the edifice belongs3 or1 where the picture or window is an ex-voto1 we find the patron saints of the confraternity1 or of the donor or votary who has dedicated it4 ,angels seated at the feet of the ,madonna and playing on musical instruments1 are most lovely and appropriate accessories1 for the choral angels are always around her in heaven1 and on earth she is the especial patroness of music and minstrelsy4#a ,her delegate ,cecilia patronized sacred music2 but all music and musicians1 all minstrels1 and all who plied the gaye science1 were under the protection of ,mary4 ,when the angels are singing from their music books1 and others are accompanying them with lutes and viols1 the song is not always supposed to be the same4 ,in a ,nativity they sing the ,gloria in excelsis ,deo2 in a ,coronation1 the ,regina ,coeli2 in an enthroned ,madonna with votaries1 the ,salve ,regina1 ,mater ,misericordi6 in a pastoral ,madonna and ,child it may be the ,alma ,mater ,redemptoris4 ,footnote #a3 ,the picture by ,lo ,spagna1 lately added to our ,national ,gallery1 is a beautiful example4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in all the most ancient devotional effigies 7those in the catacombs and the old mosaics71 the ,virgin appears as a majestic woman of mature age4 ,in those subjects taken from her history which precede her return from ,egypt1 and in the ,holy ,families1 she should appear as a young maiden from fifteen to seventeen years old4 ,in the subjects taken from her history which follow the baptism of our ,lord1 she should appear as a matron between forty and fifty1 but still of a sweet and gracious aspect4 ,when ,michael ,angelo was reproached with representing his ,mater ,dolorosa much too young1 he replied that the perfect virtue and serenity of the character of ,mary would have preserved her beauty and youthful appearance long beyond the usual period4#a ,footnote #a3 ,the group in ,st4 ,peter's1 ,rome4 ,because some of the ,greek pictures and carved images had become black through extreme age1 it was argued by certain devout writers1 that the ,virgin herself must have been of a very dark complexion2 and in favour of this idea they quoted this text from the ,canticles1 ,i am black1 but comely1 ,o ye daughters of ,jerusalem4 ,but others say that her complexion had become black only during her sojourn in ,egypt4 ,at all events1 though the blackness of these antique images was supposed to enhance their sanctity1 it has never been imitated in the fine arts1 and it is quite contrary to the description of ,nicephorus1 which is the most ancient authority1 and that which is followed in the ,greek school4 ,the proper dress of the ,virgin is a close red tunic1 with long sleeves2#a and over this a blue robe or mantle4 ,in the early pictures1 the colours are pale and delicate4 ,her head ought to be veiled4 ,the fathers of the primeval ,church1 particularly ,tertullian1 attach great importance to the decent veil worn by ,christian maidens2 and in all the early pictures the ,virgin is veiled4 ,the enthroned ,virgin1 unveiled1 with long tresses falling down on either side1 was an innovation introduced about the end of the fifteenth century2 commencing1 ,i think1 with the ,milanese1 and thence adopted in the ,german schools and those of ,northern ,italy4 ,the ,german ,madonnas of ,albert ,durer's time have often magnificent and luxuriant hair1 curling in ringlets1 or descending to the waist in rich waves1 and always fair4 ,dark-haired ,madonnas appear first in the ,spanish and later ,italian schools4 ,footnote #a3 ,in a famous ,piet by ,raphael1 engraved by ,marc ,antonio1 the ,virgin1 standing by the dead form of her ,son1 has the right arm apparently bare2 in the repetition of the subject it is clothed with a full sleeve1 the impropriety being corrected4 ,the first is1 however1 the most perfect and most precious as a work of art4--,bartsch1 xiv4 #cd1 #ce4 ,in the historical pictures1 her dress is very simple2 but in those devotional figures which represent her as queen of heaven1 she wears a splendid crown1 sometimes of jewels interwoven with lilies and roses4 ,the crown is often the sovereign crown of the country in which the picture is placed3 thus1 in the ,papal ,states1 she often wears the triple tiara3 in ,austria1 the imperial diadem4 ,her blue tunic is richly embroidered with gold and gems1 or lined with ermine1 or stuff of various colours1 in accordance with a text of ,scripture3 ,the ,king's daughter is all glorious within2 her clothing is of wrought gold4 ,she shall be brought unto the ,king in a vesture of needlework4 7,ps4 xlv4 #ac47 ,in the ,immaculate ,conception1 and in the ,assumption1 her tunic should be plain white1 or white spangled with golden stars4 ,in the subjects relating to the ,passion1 and after the ,crucifixion1 the dress of the ,virgin should be violet or gray4 ,these proprieties1 however1 are not always attended to4 ,in the early pictures which represent her as nursing the divine ,infant 7the subject called the ,vergine ,lattante71 the utmost care is taken to veil the bust as much as possible4 ,in the ,spanish school the most vigilant censorship was exercised over all sacred pictures1 and1 with regard to the figures of the ,virgin1 the utmost decorum was required4 ,what1 says ,pacheco1 can be more foreign to the respect which we owe to our ,lady the ,virgin1 than to paint her sitting down with one of her knees placed over the other1 and often with her sacred feet uncovered and naked8 ,let thanks be given to the ,holy ,inquisition1 which commands that this liberty should be corrected4 ,for this reason1 perhaps1 we seldom see the feet of the ,virgin in ,spanish pictures4#a ,carducho speaks more particularly on the impropriety of painting the ,virgin unshod1 since it is manifest that1 our ,lady was in the habit of wearing shoes1 as is proved by the much venerated relic of one of them from her divine feet at ,burgos4 ,footnote #a3 ,or in any of the old pictures till the seventeenth century ,tandis que ,dieu est toujours montr pieds nus1 lui qui est descendu terre et a pris notre humanit1 ,marie au contraire est constamment reprsente les pieds perdus dans les plis trainants1 nombreux et lgers de sa robe virginale2 elle1 qui est eleve au dessus de la terre et rapproche de ,dieu par sa puret4 ,dieu montre par ses pieds nus qu'il a pris le corps de l'homme2 ,marie fait comprendre en les cachant qu'elle participe de la spiritualit de ,dieu4 ,the ,child in her arms is always1 in the ,greek and early pictures1 clothed in a little tunic1 generally white4 ,in the fifteenth century he first appears partly1 and then wholly1 undraped4 ,joseph1 as the earthly sposo1 wears the saffron-coloured mantle over a gray tunic4 ,in the later schools of art these significant colours are often varied1 and sometimes wholly dispensed with4 ,,iii4 ,,devotional ,,and ,,historical ,,representations4 ,in this volume1 as in the former ones1 ,i have adhered to the distinction between the devotional and the historical representations4 ,i class as devotional1 all those which express a dogma merely2 all the enthroned ,madonnas1 alone or surrounded by significant accessories or attendant saints2 all the ,mystical ,coronations and ,immaculate ,conceptions2 all the ,holy ,families with saints1 and those completely ideal and votive groups1 in which the appeal is made to the faith and piety of the observer4 ,i shall give the characteristic details1 in particular instances1 further on4 ,the altar-pieces in a ,roman ,catholic church are always either strictly devotional objects1 or it may be1 historical subjects 7such as the ,nativity7 treated in a devotional sense4 ,they are sometimes in several pieces or compartments4 ,a ,diptych is an altar-piece composed of two divisions or leaves which are united by hinges1 and close like a book4 ,portable altar-pieces of a small size are generally in this form2 and among the most valuable and curious remains of early religious art are the ,greek and ,byzantine ,diptychs1 sometimes painted1 sometimes carved in ivory#a4 ,a ,triptych is an altar-piece in three parts2 the two outer divisions or wings often closing as shutters over the central compartment4 ,footnote #a3 ,among the ,casts from ,ancient ,ivory ,carvings1 published by the ,arundel ,society1 will be found some interesting and illustrative examples1 particularly ,class ,,iii4 ,diptych b1 ,class ,,vii ,diptych c and ,triptych f1 ,class ,,ix4 ,triptych k4 ,on the outside of the shutters or doors the ,annunciation was generally painted1 as the mystery which opened the gates of salvation2 occasionally1 also1 the portraits of the votaries or donors4 ,complete examples of devotional representation occur in the complex and elaborate altar-pieces and windows of stained glass1 which often comprehend a very significant scheme of theology4#a4 ,i give here plans of two of these old altar-pieces1 which will assist the reader in elucidating the meaning of others4 ,footnote #a3 ,still more important examples occur in the porches and exterior decoration of the old cathedrals1 ,french and ,english which have escaped mutilation4 ,these will be found explained at length in the ,fourth ,series of ,sacred and ,legendary ,art4 ,the first is the altar-piece in the ,rinuccini ,chapel in the church of the ,santa ,croco of ,florence4 ,it is necessary to premise that the chapel was founded in honour of the ,virgin and ,mary ,magdalene2 while the church is dedicated to the ,holy ,cross1 and belongs to the ,franciscans4 ,illustration3 ,altar-piece ,the compartments are separated by wood-work most richly carved and gilt in the ,gothic style1 with twisted columns1 pinnacles1 and scrolls4 ,the subjects are thus distributed4 ,a4 ,the ,virgin and ,child enthroned4 ,she has the sun on her breast1 the moon under her feet1 the twelve stars over her head1 and is attended by angels bearing the attributes of the cardinal virtues4 ,b4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,c4 ,st4 ,francis4 ,d4 ,st4 ,john ,evangelist4 ,e4 ,mary ,magdalene4 #a4 ,the ,crucifixion1 with the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john4 #b1 #c1 #d1 #e4 ,the four ,evangelists with their books3 half length4 #f1 #g4 ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul3 half length4 #h1 #i1 #aj1 #aa4 ,st4 ,thomas1 ,st4 ,philip1 ,st4 ,james1 and ,st4 ,andrew3 half length4 ,,pp4 ,the ,predella4 #ab4 ,the ,nativity and ,adoration of ,magi4 #ac4 ,st4 ,francis receives the ,stigmata4 #ad4 ,baptism of ,christ4 #ae4 ,the ,vision of ,st4 ,john in ,patmos4 #af4 ,mary ,magdalene borne up by angels4 ,between the altar-piece and the predella runs the inscription in ,gothic letters1 ,,ave ,,delicissimis ,,virgo ,,maria1 ,,succurre ,,nobis ,,mater ,,pia4 ,,mccclxxviii4 ,the second example is sketched from an altar-piece painted for the suppressed convent of ,santa ,chiara1 at ,venice4 ,it is six feet high1 and eight feet wide1 and the ornamental caning in which the subjects are enclosed particularly splendid and elaborate4 ,illustration3 ,altar-piece ,a4 ,the ,coronation of the ,virgin1 treated as a religious mystery1 with choral angels4 ,b4 ,the ,nativity of our ,lord4 ,c4 ,the ,baptism4 ,d4 ,the ,last ,supper4 ,e4 ,the ,betrayal of ,christ4 ,f4 ,the ,procession to ,calvary1 in which the ,virgin is rudely pushed aside by the soldiers4 ,g4 ,the ,crucifixion1 as an event3 ,john sustains the ,virgin at the foot of the cross4 ,h4 ,the ,resurrection and the ,noli me tangere4 ,i4 ,ascension4 #a4 ,half-figure of ,christ1 with the hand extended in benediction2 in the other hand the ,gospel4 #b4 ,david4 #c4 ,isaiah4 #d1 #e1 #f1 #g4 ,the four ,evangelists standing4 #h4 #i1 #aa1 #ab4 ,scenes from the ,life of ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,clara4 #aj4 ,the ,descent of the ,holy ,ghost4 #ac4 ,the ,last ,judgment4 ,it is to be regretted that so many of these altar-pieces have been broken up1 and the detached parts sold as separate pictures3 so that we may find one compartment of an altar in a church at ,rome1 and another hanging in a drawing-room in ,london2 the upper part at ,ghent1 the lower half at ,paris2 one wing at ,berlin1 another at ,florence4 ,but where they exist as a whole1 how solemn1 significant1 and instructive the arrangement6 ,it may be read as we read a poem4 ,compare these with the groups round the enthroned ,virgin in the later altar-pieces1 where the saints elbow each other in attitudes1 where mortal men sit with unseemly familiarity close to personages recognized as divine4 ,as ,i have remarked further on1 it is one of the most interesting speculations connected with the study of art1 to trace this decline from reverence to irreverence1 from the most rigid formula to the most fantastic caprice4 ,the gradual disappearance of the personages of the ,old ,testament1 the increasing importance given to the family of the ,blessed ,virgin1 the multiplication of legendary subjects1 and all the variety of adventitious1 unmeaning1 or merely ornamental accessories1 strike us just in proportion as a learned theology replaced the unreflecting1 undoubting piety of an earlier age4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the historical subjects comprise the events from the ,life of the ,virgin1 when treated in a dramatic form2 and all those groups which exhibit her in her merely domestic relations1 occupied by cares for her divine ,child1 and surrounded by her parents and kindred1 subjects which assume a pastoral and poetical rather than an historical form4 ,all these may be divided into ,scriptural and ,legendary representations4 ,the ,scriptural scenes in which the ,virgin ,mary is a chief or important personage1 are the ,annunciation1 the ,visitation1 the ,nativity1 the ,purification1 the ,adoration of the ,magi1 the ,flight into ,egypt1 the ,marriage at ,cana1 the ,procession to ,calvary1 the ,crucifixion 7as related by ,st4 ,john71 and the ,descent of the ,holy ,ghost4 ,the ,traditional and ,legendary scenes are those taken from the apocryphal ,scriptures1 some of which have existed from the third century4 ,the ,legend of ,joachim and ,anna1 the parents of the ,virgin1 with the account of her early life1 and her ,marriage with ,joseph1 down to the ,massacre of the ,innocents1 are taken from the ,gospel of ,mary and the ,protevangelion4 ,the scenes of the ,flight into ,egypt1 the ,repose on the ,journey1 and the ,sojourn of the ,holy ,family at ,hieropolis or ,matarea1 are taken from the ,gospel of ,infancy4 ,the various scenes attending the ,death and ,assumption of the ,virgin are derived from a ,greek legendary poem1 once attributed to ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 but the work1 as it is supposed1 of a certain ,greek1 named ,meliton1 who lived in the ninth century1 and who has merely dressed up in a more fanciful form ancient traditions of the ,church4 ,many of these historical scenes have been treated in a devotional style1 expressing not the action1 but the event1 taken in the light of a religious mystery2 a distinction which ,i have fully explained in the following pages1 where ,i have given in detail the legends on which these scenes are founded1 and the religious significance conveyed by the treatment4 ,a complete series of the ,history of the ,virgin begins with the rejection of her father ,joachim from the temple1 and ends with the assumption and coronation1 including most of the events in the ,history of our ,lord 7as for example1 the series painted by ,giotto1 in the chapel of the ,arena1 at ,padua72 but there are many instances in which certain important evens relating to the ,virgin only1 as the principal person1 are treated as a devotional series2 and such are generally found in the chapels and oratories especially dedicated to her4 ,a beautiful instance is that of the ,death of the ,virgin1 treated in a succession of scenes1 as an event apart1 and painted by ,taddeo ,barrolo1 in the ,chapel of the ,palazzo ,publico1 at ,siena4 ,this small chapel was dedicated to the ,virgin soon after the terrible plague of #ahdh had ceased1 as it was believed1 by her intercession2 so that this municipal chapel was at once an expression of thanksgiving1 and a memorial of death1 of suffering1 of bereavement1 and of hope in the resurrection4 ,the frescoes cover one wall of the chapel1 and are arranged in four scenes4 #a4 ,mary is reclining in her last sickness1 and around her are the ,apostles1 who1 according to the beautiful legend1 were miraculously assembled to witness her departure4 ,to express this1 one of them is floating in as if borne on the air4 ,st4 ,john kneels at her feet1 and she takes1 with an expression exquisitely tender and maternal1 his two hands in hers4 ,this action is peculiar to the ,siena school4#a ,footnote #a3 ,on each side of the principal door of the ,cathedral at ,siena1 which is dedicated to ,beata ,virgine ,assunta1 and just within the entrance1 is a magnificent pilaster1 of white marble1 completely covered from the base to the capital with the most luxuriant carving1 arabesques1 foliage1 c41 in an admirable and finished style4 ,on the bases of these two pilasters are subjects from the ,life of the ,virgin1 three on each side1 and arranged1 each subject on one side having its pendant on the other4 #a4 ,the meeting of ,joachim and ,anna4 #b4 ,the ,nativity of ,mary4 #c4 ,her sickness and last farewell to the ,apostles2 bending towards ,st4 ,john1 she takes his hands in hers with the same tender expression as in the fresco by ,taddeo ,bartola4 #d4 ,she lies dead on her couch4 #e4 ,the ,assumption4 #f4 ,the ,coronation4 ,the figures are about a foot in height1 delicately carved1 full of that sentiment which is especially ,sienese1 and treated with a truly sculptural simplicity4 #b4 ,she lies extended on her couch1 surrounded by the weeping ,apostles1 and ,christ behind receives the parting soul1--the usual representation1 but treated with the utmost sentiment4 #c4 ,she is borne to the grave by the ,apostles2 in the background1 the walls of the city of ,jerusalem4 ,here the ,greek legend of ,st4 ,michael protecting her remains from the sacrilegious ,jew is omitted1 and a peculiar sentiment of solemnity pervades the whole scene4 #d4 ,the resurrection of the ,virgin1 when she rises from the tomb sustained by hovering angels1 and is received by ,christ4 ,when ,i first saw these beautiful frescoes1 in #ahdg1 they were in a very ruined state2 they have since been restored in a very good style1 and with a reverent attention to the details and expression4 ,in general1 however1 the cycle commences either with the legend of ,joachim and ,anna1 or with the ,nativity of the ,virgin1 and ends with the assumption and coronation4 ,a most interesting early example is the series painted in fresco by ,taddeo ,gaddi1 in the ,baroncelli ,chapel at ,florence4 ,the subjects are arranged on two walls4 ,the first on the right hand1 and the second1 opposite to us as we enter4 #a4 ,joachim is rejected from the ,temple4 #b4 ,he is consoled by the ,angel4 #c4 ,the meeting of ,joachim and ,anna4 #d4 ,the ,birth of the ,virgin4 #e4 ,the ,presentation of the ,virgin4 ,she is here a child of about five years old2 and having ascended five steps 7of the fifteen7 she turns as if to bid farewell to her parents and companions1 who stand below2 while on the summit the ,high ,priest1 ,anna the prophetess1 and the maidens of the ,temple come forward to receive her4 #f4 ,the ,marriage to ,joseph1 and the rage and disappointment of the other suitors4 ,the second wall is divided by a large window of the richest stained glass1 on each side of which the subjects are arranged4 #g4 ,the ,annunciation4 ,this is peculiar4 ,mary1 not throned or standing1 but seated on the ground1 with her hands clasped1 and an expression beautiful for devotion and humility1 looks upwards to the descending angel4 #h4 ,the ,meeting of ,mary and ,elizabeth4 #i4 ,the ,annunciation to the ,shepherds4 #aj4 ,the ,nativity4 #aa4 ,the ,wise ,men behold the ,star in the ,form of a ,child4 #ab4 ,they approach to ,worship4 ,under the window is the altar1 no longer used as such2 and behind it a small but beautiful triptych of the ,coronation of the ,virgin1 by ,giotto1 containing at least a hundred heads of saints1 angels1 c42 and on the wall opposite is the large fresco of the ,assumption1 by ,mainardi1 in which ,st4 ,thomas receives the girdle1 the other ,apostles being omitted4 ,this is of much later date1 being painted about #adie4 ,the series of five subjects in the ,rinuccini ,chapel 7in the sacristy of the same church7 has been generally attributed to ,taddeo ,gaddi1 but ,i agree with those who gave it to a different painter of the same period4 ,the subjects are thus arranged3--#a4 ,the ,rejection of ,joachim1 which fills the whole arch at the top1 and is rather peculiarly treated4 ,on the right of the altar advances a company of grave-looking ,elders1 each with his offering4 ,on the left1 a procession of the matrons and widows who had been fruitful in ,israel1 each with her lamb4 ,in the centre1 ,joachim1 with his lamb in his arms and an affrighted look1 is hurrying down the steps4 #b4 ,the ,lamentation of ,joachim on the ,mountain1 and the ,meeting of ,joachim and ,anna4 #c4 ,the ,birth of the ,virgin4 #d4 ,the ,presentation in the ,temple4 #e4 ,the ,sposalizio of the ,virgin1 with which the series concludes2 every event referring to her divine ,son1 even the ,annunciation1 being omitted4 ,on comparing these frescoes with those in the neighbouring chapel of the ,baroncelli1 the difference in feeling will be immediately felt2 but they are very nave and elegant4 ,about a hundred years later than these two examples we have the celebrated series painted by ,ghirlandajo1 in the choir of ,s4 ,maria ,novella at ,florence4 ,there are three walls4 ,on the principal wall1 facing us as we enter1 is the window2 and around it the ,annunciation 7as a mystery71 then the principal saints of the ,order to whom the church belongs1--,st4 ,dominic and ,st4 ,peter ,martyr1 and the protecting saints of ,florence4 ,on the left hand 7i4e4 the right as we face the high altar7 is the ,history of the ,virgin2 on the opposite side1 the ,history of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,the various cycles relating to ,st4 ,john as patron of ,florence will be fully treated in the last volume of ,legendary ,art2 at present ,i shall confine myself to the beautiful set of subjects which relate the history of the ,virgin1 and which the engravings of ,lasinio 7see the ,ancient ,florentine ,masters7 have rendered well known to the lovers of art4 ,they cover the whole wall and are thus arranged1 beginning from the lowest on the left hand4 #a4 ,joachim is driven from the ,temple4 #b4 ,the ,birth of the ,virgin4 #c4 ,the ,presentation of the ,virgin in the ,temple4 #d4 ,the ,marriage of ,joseph and ,mary4 #e4 ,the ,adoration of the ,magi 7this is very much ruined74 #f4 ,the ,massacre of the ,innocents4 7,this also is much ruined47 ,vasari says it was the finest of all4 ,it is very unusual to make this terrible and pathetic scene part of the life of the ,virgin4 #g4 ,in the highest and largest compartment1 the ,death and ,assumption of the ,virgin4 ,nearly contemporary with this fine series is that by ,pinturicchio in the ,church of ,s4 ,maria del ,popolo1 at ,rome 7in the third chapel on the right74 ,it is comprised in five lunettes round the ceiling1 beginning with the ,birth of the ,virgin1 and is remarkable for its elegance4 ,about forty years after this series was completed the people of ,siena1 who had always bees remarkable for their devotion to the ,virgin1 dedicated to ,her honour the beautiful little chapel called the ,oratory of ,san ,bernardino 7v4 ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders71 near the church of ,san ,francesco1 and belonging to the same ,order1 the ,franciscans4 ,this chapel is an exact parallelogram and the frescoes which cover the four walls are thus arranged above the wainscot1 which rises about eight feet from the ground4 #a4 ,opposite the door as we enter1 the ,birth of the ,virgin4 ,the usual visitor to ,st4 ,anna is here a grand female figure1 in voluminous drapery4 ,the delight and exultation of those who minister to the new-born infant are expressed with the most graceful navet4 ,this beautiful composition should be compared with those of ,ghirlandajo and ,andrea del ,sarto in the ,annunziata at ,florence2#a it yields to neither as a conception and is wholly different4 ,it is the work of a ,sienese painter little known--,girolamo del ,pacchio4 ,footnote #a3 ,this series1 painted by ,andrea and his scholars and companions1 ,franciabigio and ,pontormo1 is very remarkable as a work of art1 but presents nothing new in regard to the choice and treatment of the subjects4 #b4 ,the ,presentation in the ,temple1 by ,g4,a4 ,razzi4 ,the principal scene is placed in the background1 and the little ,madonna1 as she ascends the steps1 is received by the ,high ,priest and ,anna the prophetess4 ,her father and mother and groups of spectators fill the foreground2 here1 too1 is a very noble female figure on the right2 but the whole composition is mannered1 and wants repose and religious feeling4 #c4 ,the ,sposalizio1 by ,beccafumi4 ,the ceremony takes place after the manner of the ,jews1 outside the ,temple4 ,in a mannered1 artificial style4 #d1 #e4 ,on one side of the altar1 the ,angel ,gabriel floating in--very majestic and angelic2 on the other side the ,virgin ,annunziata1 with that attitude and expression so characteristic of the ,siena ,school1 as if shrinking from the apparition4 ,these also are by ,girolamo del ,pacchio1 and extremely fine4 #f4 ,the enthroned ,virgin and ,child1 by ,beccafumi4 ,the ,virgin is very fine and majestic2 around her throne stand and kneel the guardian saints of ,siena and the ,franciscan ,order2 ,st4 ,francis1 ,st4 ,antony of ,padua1 ,st4 ,bernardino1 ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena1 ,st4 ,ansano1 ,st4 ,john ,b41 ,st4 ,louis4 7,st4 ,catherine1 as patroness of ,siena1 takes here the place usually given to ,st4 ,clara in the ,franciscan pictures47 #g4 ,the ,visitation4 ,very fine and rather peculiar2 for here ,elizabeth bends over ,mary as welcoming her1 while the other inclines her head as accepting hospitality4 ,by ,razzi4 #h4 ,the ,death of the ,virgin4 ,fourteen figures1 among which are four females lamenting1 and ,st4 ,john bearing the palm4 ,the attitude and expression of ,mary1 composed in death1 are very fine2 and ,christ1 instead of standing1 as usual1 by the couch1 with her parting soul in his arms1 comes rushing down from above with arms outspread to receive it4 #i4 ,the ,assumption4 ,mary1 attired all in white1 rises majestically4 ,the tomb is seen beneath1 out of which grow two tall lilies amid white roses2 the ,apostles surround it1 and ,st4 ,thomas receives the girdle4 ,this is one of the finest works of ,razzi1 and one of the purest in point of sentiment4 #aj4 ,the ,coronation1 covering the whole wall which faces the altar1 is by ,razzi2 it is very peculiar and characteristic4 ,the ,virgin1 all in white1 and extremely fine1 bending gracefully1 receives her crown2 the other figures have that vulgarity of expression which belonged to the artist1 and is often so oddly mingled with the sentiment and grandeur of his school and time4 ,on the right of the principal group stands ,st4 ,john ,b42 on the left1 ,adam and ,eve2 and behind the ,virgin1 her mother1 ,st4 ,anna1 which is quite peculiar1 and the only instance ,i can remember4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it appears therefore that the ,life of the ,virgin ,mary1 whether treated as a devotional or historical series1 forms a kind of pictured drama in successive scenes2 sometimes comprising only six or eight of the principal events of her individual life1 as her birth1 dedication1 marriage1 death1 and assumption3 sometimes extending to forty or fifty subjects1 and combining her history with that of her divine ,son4 ,i may now direct the attention of the reader to a few other instances remarkable for their beauty and celebrity4 ,giotto1 #acbj4 ,in the chapel at ,padua styled la ,capella dell' ,arena4 ,one of the finest and most complete examples extant1 combining the ,life of the ,virgin with that of her ,son4 ,this series is of the highest value1 a number of scenes and situations suggested by the ,scriptures being here either expressed for the first time1 or in a form unknown in the ,greek school4#a ,footnote #a3 ,vide ,kugler's ,handbook1 p4 #abi4 ,he observes1 that the introduction of the maid-servant spinning1 in the story of ,st4 ,anna1 oversteps the limits of the higher ecclesiastical style4 ,for an explanation ,i must refer to the story as ,i have given it at p #bdi4 ,see1 for the distribution of the subjects in this chapel1 ,lord ,lindsay's ,christian ,art1 vol4 ii4 ,a set of the subjects has since been published by the ,arundel ,society4 ,angiolo ,gaddi1 #achj4 ,the series in the cathedral at ,prato4 ,these comprise the history of the ,holy ,girdle4 ,andrea ,orcagna1 #acgc4 ,the beautiful series of bas-reliefs on the shrine in ,or-,san-,michele1 at ,florence4 ,nicol da ,modena1 #adej4 ,perhaps the earliest engraved example3 very remarkable for the elegance of the motifs and the imperfect execution1 engraving on copper being then a new art4 ,albert ,durer4 ,the beautiful and well-known set of twenty-five wood-cuts1 published in #aeaj4 ,a perfect example of the ,german treatment4 ,bernardino ,luini1 #aeae4 ,a series of frescoes of the highest beauty1 painted for the monastery ,della ,pace4 ,unhappily we have only the fragments which are preserved in the ,brera4 ,the series of bas-reliefs on the outer shrine of the ,casa di ,loretto1 by ,sansovino1 and others of the greatest sculptors of the beginning of the sixteenth century4 ,the series of bas-reliefs round the choir at ,milan3 seventeen subjects4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we often find the ,seven ,joys and the ,seven ,sorrows of the ,virgin treated as a series4 ,the ,seven ,joys are1 the ,annunciation1 the ,visitation1 the ,nativity1 the ,adoration of the ,magi1 the ,presentation in the ,temple1 ,christ found by his ,mother1 the ,assumption and ,coronation4 ,the ,seven ,sorrows are1 the ,prophecy of ,simeon1 the ,flight into ,egypt1 ,christ lost by his ,mother1 the ,betrayal of ,christ1 the ,crucifixion 7with ,st4 ,john and the ,virgin only present71 the ,deposition from the ,cross1 the ,ascension when the ,virgin is left on earth4 ,the ,seven ,joys and ,sorrows are frequently found in altar-pieces and religions prints1 arranged in separate compartments1 round the ,madonna in the centre4 ,or they are combined in various groups into one large composition1 as in a famous picture by ,hans ,hemling1 wonderful for the poetry1 expression1 and finished execution4#a ,footnote #a3 ,altogether1 on a careful consideration of this picture1 ,i do not consider the title by which it is generally known as appropriate4 ,it contains man groups which would not enter into the mystic joys or sorrows2 for instance1 the ,massacre of the ,innocents1 ,christ at ,emmaus1 the ,noli me tangere1 and others4 ,another cycle of subjects consists of the fifteen ,mysteries of the ,rosary4 ,the five ,joyful ,mysteries1 are the ,annunciation1 the ,visitation1 the ,nativity1 the ,purification1 and ,christ found in the ,temple4 ,the five ,dolorous or ,sorrowful ,mysteries are1 our ,lord in the ,garden of ,olives1 the ,flagellation1 ,christ crowned with ,thorns1 the ,procession to ,calvary1 the ,crucifixion4 ,the five ,glorious ,mysteries are1 the ,resurrection1 the ,ascension1 the ,descent of the ,holy ,ghost1 the ,assumption1 the ,coronation4 ,a series of subjects thus arranged cannot be called strictly historical1 but partakes of the mystical and devotional character4 ,the purpose being to excite devout meditation1 requires a particular sentiment1 frequently distinguished from the merely dramatic and historical treatment in being accompanied by saints1 votaries1 and circumstances purely ideal2 as where the ,wise ,men bring their offerings1 while ,st4 ,luke sits in a corner painting the portrait of the ,virgin1 and ,st4 ,dominick kneels in adoration of the ,mystery 7,mabuse1 ,munich ,gal472--and in a hundred other examples4 ,,iv4 ,,titles ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,mary4 ,of the various titles given to the ,virgin ,mary1 and thence to certain effigies and pictures of her1 some appear to me very touching1 as expressive of the wants1 the aspirations1 the infirmities and sorrows1 which are common to poor suffering humanity1 or of those divine attributes from which they hoped to find aid and consolation4 ,thus we have-- ,santa ,maria del buon ,consilio4 ,our ,lady of good ,counsel4 ,s4,m4 del ,soccorso4 ,our ,lady of ,succour4 ,our ,lady of the ,forsaken4 ,s4,m4 del buon ,core4 ,our ,lady of good ,heart4 ,s4,m4 della ,grazia4 ,our ,lady of ,grace4 ,s4,m4 di ,misericordia4 ,our ,lady of ,mercy4 ,s4,m4 ,auxilium ,afflictorum4 ,help of the ,afflicted4 ,s4,m4 ,refugium ,peccatorum4 ,refuge of ,sinners4 ,s4,m4 del ,pianto1 del ,dolore4 ,our ,lady of ,lamentation1 or ,sorrow4 ,s4,m4 ,consolatrice1 della ,consolazione1 or del ,conforte4 ,our ,lady of ,consolation4 ,s4,m4 della ,speranza4 ,our ,lady of ,hope4 ,under these and similar titles she is invoked by the afflicted1 and often represented with her ample robe outspread and upheld by angels1 with votaries and suppliants congregated beneath its folds4 ,in ,spain1 ,nuestra ,seora de la ,merced is the patroness of the ,order of ,mercy2 and in this character she often holds in her hand small tablets bearing the badge of the ,order4 7,legends of the ,monastic ,orders1 #b;d edit47 ,s4,m4 della ,liberta1 or ,liberatrice1 ,our ,lady of ,liberty2 and ,s4,m4 della ,catena1 ,our ,lady of ,fetters4 ,in this character she is invoked by prisoners and captives4 ,s4,m4 del ,parto1 ,our ,lady of ,good ,delivery1 invoked by women in travail4#a ,footnote #a3 ,dante alludes to her in this character3-- ,e per ventura udi ',dolce ,maria6' ,dinanzi a noi chiamar cosi nel pianto ,come fa donna che 'n partorir sia4--,purg4 c4 #bj4 ,s4,m4 del ,popolo4 ,our ,lady of the ,people4 ,s4,m4 della ,vittoria4 ,our ,lady of ,victory4 ,s4,m4 della ,pace4 ,our ,lady of ,peace4 ,s4,m4 della ,sapienza1 ,our ,lady of ,wisdom2 and ,s4,m4 della ,perseveranza1 ,our ,lady of ,perseverance4 7,sometimes placed in colleges1 with a book in her hand1 as patroness of students47 ,s4,m4 della ,salute4 ,our ,lady of ,health or ,salvation4 ,under this title pictures and churches have been dedicated after the cessation of a plague1 or any other public calamity4#a ,footnote #a3 ,there is also somewhere in ,france a chapel dedicated to ,notre ,dame de la ,haine4 ,other titles are derived from particular circumstances and accessories1 as-- ,s4,m4 del ,presepio1 ,our ,lady of the ,cradle2 generally a ,nativity1 or when she is adoring her ,child4 ,s4,m4 della ,scodella--with the cup or porringer1 where she is taking water from a fountain2 generally a ,riposo4 ,s4,m4 dell' ,libro1 where she holds the ,book of ,wisdom4 ,s4,m4 della ,cintola1 ,our ,lady of the ,girdle1 where she is either giving the ,girdle to ,st4 ,thomas1 or where the ,child holds it in his hand4 ,s4,m4 della ,lettera4 ,our ,lady of the ,letter4 ,this is the title given to ,our ,lady as protectress of the city of ,messina4 ,according to the ,sicilian legend1 she honoured the people of ,messina by writing a letter to them1 dated from ,jerusalem1 in the year of her ,son1 #db4 ,in the effigies of the ,madonna della ,lettera1 she holds this letter in her hand4 ,s4,m4 della ,rosa4 ,our ,lady of the ,rose4 ,a title given to several pictures1 in which the rose1 which is consecrated to her1 is placed either in her hand1 or in that of the ,child4 ,s4,m4 della ,stella4 ,our ,lady of the ,star4 ,she wears the star as one of her attributes embroidered on her mantle4 ,s4,m4 del ,fiore4 ,our ,lady of the ,flower4 ,she has this title especially as protectress of ,florence4 ,s4,m4 della ,spina4 ,she holds in her hand the crown of thorns1 and under this title is the protectress of ,pisa4 ,s4,m4 del ,rosario4 ,our ,lady of the ,rosary1 with the mystic string of beads4 ,i do not remember any instance of the ,rosary placed in the hand of the ,virgin or the ,child till after the battle of ,lepanto 7#aega71 and the institution of the ,festival of the ,rosary1 as an act of thanksgiving4 ,after this time pictures of the ,madonna del ,rosario abound1 and may generally be found in the ,dominican churches4 ,there is a famous example by ,guido in the ,bologna ,gallery1 and a very beautiful one by ,murillo in the ,dulwich ,gallery4 ,s4,m4 del ,carmine4 ,our ,lady of ,mount ,carmel4 ,she is protectress of the ,order of the ,carmelites1 and is often represented holding in her hand small tablets1 on which is the effigy of herself with the ,child4 ,s4,m4 de ,belem4 ,our ,lady of ,bethlehem4 ,under this title she is the patroness of the ,jeronymites1 principally in ,spain and ,portugal4 ,s4,m4 della ,neve4 ,our ,lady of the ,snow4 ,in ,spain1 ,s4 ,maria la ,blanca4 ,to this legend of the snow the magnificent church of ,s4,m4 ,maggiore at ,rome is said to owe its origin4 ,a certain ,roman patrician1 whose name was ,john 7,giovanni ,patricie71 being childless1 prayed of the ,virgin to direct him how best to bestow his worldly wealth4 ,she appeared to him in a dream on the night of the fifth of ,august1 #ceb1 and commanded him to build a church in her honour1 on a spot where snow would be found the next morning4 ,the same vision having appeared to his wife and the reigning pope1 ,liberius1 they repaired in procession the next morning to the summit of ,mount ,esquiline1 where1 notwithstanding the heat of the weather1 a large patch of ground was miraculously covered with snow1 and on it ,liberius traced out with his crosier the plan of the church4 ,this story has been often represented in art1 and is easily recognized2 but it is curious that the two most beautiful pictures consecrated to the honour of the ,madonna della ,neve are ,spanish and not ,roman1 and were painted by ,murillo about the time that ,philip ,,iv4 of ,spain sent rich offerings to the church of ,s4,m4 ,maggiore1 thus giving a kind of popularity to the legend4 ,the picture represents the patrician ,john and his wife asleep1 and the ,vision of the ,virgin 7one of the loveliest ever painted by ,murillo7 breaking upon them in splendour through the darkness of the night2 while in the dim distance is seen the ,esquiline 7or what is meant for it7 covered with snow4 ,in the second picture1 ,john and his wife are kneeling before the pope1 a grand old ecclesiastic1 like one of ,titian's pontiffs4 ,these pictures1 after being carried off by the ,french from the little church of ,s4,m4 la ,blanca at ,seville1 are now in the royal gallery at ,madrid4 ,s4 ,maria di ,loretto4 ,our ,lady of ,loretto4 ,the origin of this title is the famous legend of the ,santa ,casa1 the house at ,nazareth1 which was the birthplace of the ,virgin1 and the scene of the ,annunciation4 ,during the incursions of the ,saracens1 the ,santa ,casa being threatened with profanation1 if not destruction1 was taken up by the angels and conveyed over land and sea till it was set down on the coast of ,dalmatia2 but not being safe there1 the angels again took it up1 and1 bearing it over the ,adriatic1 set it down in a grove near ,loretto4 ,but certain wicked brigands having disturbed its sacred quietude by strife and murder1 the house again changed its place1 and was at length set down on the spot where it now stands4 ,the date of this miracle is placed in #abie4 ,the ,madonna di ,loretto is usually represented as seated with the divine ,child on the roof of a house1 which is sustained at the corners by four angels1 and thus borne over sea and land4 ,from the celebrity of ,loretto as a place of pilgrimage this representation became popular1 and is often found in chapels dedicated to our ,lady of ,loretto4 ,another effigy of our ,lady of ,loretto is merely a copy of a very old ,greek ,virgin and ,child1 which is enshrined in the ,santa ,casa4 ,s4,m4 del ,pillar1 ,our ,lady of the ,pillar1 is protectress of ,saragossa4 ,according to the ,legend1 she descended from heaven standing on an alabaster pillar1 and thus appeared to ,st4 ,james 7,santiago7 when he was preaching the gospel in ,spain4 ,the miraculous pillar is preserved in the cathedral of ,saragossa1 and the legend appears frequently in ,spanish art4 ,also in a very interior picture by ,nicolo ,poussin1 now in the ,louvre4 99 99 99 99 99 ,some celebrated pictures are individually distinguished by titles derived from some particular object in the composition1 as ,raphael's ,madonna de ,impannata1 so called from the window in the back ground being partly shaded with a piece of linen 7in the ,pitti ,pal41 ,florence72 ,correggio's ,vierge au ,panier1 so called from the work-basket which stands beside her 7in our ,nat ,gal472 ,murillo's ,virgen de la ,servilleta1 the ,virgin of the ,napkin1 in allusion to the dinner napkin on which it was painted4#a ,others are denominated from certain localities1 as the ,madonna di ,foligno 7now in the ,vatican72 others from the names of families to whom they have belonged1 as ,la ,madonna della ,famiglia ,staffa1 at ,perugia4 ,footnote #a3 ,there is a beautiful engraving in ,stirling's ,annals of the ,artists of ,spain4 99 99 99 99 99 ,those visions and miracles with which the ,virgin ,mary favoured many of the saints1 as ,st4 ,luke 7who was her secretary and painter71 ,st4 ,catherine1 ,st4 ,francis1 ,st4 ,herman1 and others1 have already been related in the former volumes1 and need not be repeated here4 ,with regard to the churches dedicated to the ,virgin1 ,i shall not attempt to enumerate even the most remarkable1 as almost every town in ,christian ,europe contains one or more bearing her name4 ,the most ancient of which tradition speaks1 was a chapel beyond the ,tiber1 at ,rome1 which is said to have been founded in #bag1 on the site where ,s4 ,maria in ,trastevere now stands4 ,but there are one or two which carry their pretensions much higher2 for the cathedral at ,toledo and the cathedral at ,chartres both claim the honour of having been dedicated to the ,virgin while she was yet alive4#a ,footnote #a3 ,in ,england we have #b1abj churches dedicated in her honour2 and one of the largest and most important of the ,london parishes bears her name--,st4 ,marie-la-bonne 99 99 99 99 99 ,brief and inadequate as are these introductory notices1 they will1 ,i hope1 facilitate the comprehension of the critical details into which it has been necessary to enter in the following pages1 and lend some new interest to the subjects described4 ,i have heard the artistic treatment of the ,madonna styled a monotonous theme2 and to those who see only the perpetual iteration of the same groups on the walls of churches and galleries1 varied as they may suppose only by the fancy of the painter1 it may seem so4 ,but beyond the visible forms1 there lies much that is suggestive to a thinking mind--to the lover of ,art a higher significance1 a deeper beauty1 a more various interest1 than could at first be imagined4 ,in fact1 the greatest mistakes in point of taste arise in general from not knowing what we ought to demand of the artist1 not only in regard to the subject expressed1 but with reference to the times in which he lived1 and his own individuality4 ,an axiom which ,i have heard confidently set forth1 that a picture is worth nothing unless he who runs may read1 has inundated the world with frivolous and pedantic criticism4 ,a picture or any other work of ,art1 is worth nothing except in so far as it has emanated from mind1 and is addressed to mind4 ,it should1 indeed1 be read like a book4 ,pictures1 as it has been well said1 are the books of the unlettered1 but then we must at least understand the language in which they are written4 ,and further1--if1 in the old times1 it was a species of idolatry to regard these beautiful representations as endued with a specific sanctity and power2 so1 in these days1 it is a sort of atheism to look upon them reckless of their significance1 regardless of the influences through which they were produced1 without acknowledgment of the mind which called them into being1 without reference to the intention of the artist in his own creation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,supplementary ,,notes ,,to ,,the ,,second ,,edition4 ,i4 ,in the first edition of this work1 only a passing allusion was made to those female effigies1 by some styled la donna orante 7the ,praying ,woman7 and by others supposed to represent ,mary the ,mother of our ,lord1 of which so many examples exist in the ,catacombs and in the sculptured groups on the ancient ,christian sarcophagi4 ,i know it has long been a disputed1 or at least an unsettled and doubtful point1 as to whether certain female figures existing on the earliest ,christian monuments were or were not intended to represent the ,virgin ,mary4 ,the ,protestants1 on the one hand1 as if still inspired by that superstition against superstition which led to the violent and vulgar destruction of so many beautiful works of art1 and the ,catholics on the other1 jealous to maintain the authenticity of these figures as a testimony to the ancient worship of the ,virgin1 both appear to me to have taken an exaggerated and prejudiced view of a subject which ought to be considered dispassionately on purely antiquarian and critical grounds4 ,having had the opportunity1 during a late residence in ,italy1 of reconsidering and comparing a great number of these antique representations1 and having heard the opinions of antiquarians1 theologians1 and artists1 who had given their attention to the subject1 and who occasionally differed from each other as to the weight of evidence1 ,i have arrived at the conviction1 that some of these effigies represent the ,virgin ,mary1 and others do not4 ,i confess ,i do not believe in any authentic representation of the ,virgin holding the ,divine ,child older than the sixth century1 except when introduced into the groups of the ,nativity and the ,worship of the ,magi4 ,previous to the ,nestorian controversy1 these maternal effigies1 as objects of devotion1 were1 ,i still believe1 unknown1 but ,i cannot understand why there should exist among ,protestants1 so strong a disposition to discredit every representation of ,mary the ,mother of our ,lord to which a high antiquity had been assigned by the ,roman ,catholics4 ,we know that as early as the second century1 not only symbolical figures of our ,lord1 but figures of certain personages of holy life1 as ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul1 ,agnes the ,roman1 and ,euphemia the ,greek1 martyr1 did certainly exist4 ,the critical and historical testimony ,i have given elsewhere4 7,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 ,why therefore should there not have existed effigies of the ,mother of ,christ1 of the ,woman highly blessed1 the subject of so many prophecies1 and naturally the object of a tender and just veneration among the early ,christians8 ,it seams to me that nothing could be more likely1 and that such representations ought to have a deep interest for all ,christians1 no matter of what denomination--for all1 in truth1 who believe that the ,saviour of the world had a good ,mother1 ,his only earthly parent1 who brought ,him forth1 nurtured and loved ,him4 ,that it should be considered a point of faith with ,protestants to treat such memorials with incredulity and even derision1 appears to me most inconsistent and unaccountable1 though ,i confess that between these simple primitive memorials and the sumptuous tasteless column and image recently erected at ,rome there is a very wide margin of disputable ground1 of which ,i shall say no more in this place4 ,but to return to the antique conception of the ,donna orante or so-called ,virgin ,mother1 ,i will mention here only the moat remarkable examples2 for to enter fully into the subject would occupy a volume in itself4 ,there is a figure often met with in the ,catacombs and on the sarcophagi of a majestic woman standing with outspread arms 7the ancient attitude of prayer71 or holding a book or scroll in her hand4 ,when this figure stands alone and unaccompanied by any attribute1 ,i think the signification doubtful3 but in the ,catacomb of ,st4 ,ciriaco there is a painted figure of a woman1 with arms outspread and sustained on each aide by figures1 evidently ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul2 on the sarcophagi the same figure frequently occurs2 and there are other examples certainly not later than the third and fourth century4 ,that these represent ,mary the ,mother of ,christ ,i have not the least doubt2 ,i think it has been fully demonstrated that no other ,christian woman could have been so represented1 considering the manners and habits of the ,christian community at that period4 ,then the attitude and type are precisely similar to those of the ancient ,byzantine ,madonnas and the ,italian mosaics of ,eastern workmanship1 proving1 as ,i think1 that there existed a common traditional original for this figure1 the idea of which has been preserved and transmitted in these early copies4 ,further3--there exist in the ,roman museums many fragments of ancient glass found in the ,christian tombs1 on which are rudely pictured in colours figures exactly similar1 and having the name ,,maria inscribed above them4 ,on one of these fragments ,i found the same female figure between two male figures1 with the names inscribed over them1 ,,maria4 ,,petrvs4 ,,pavlvs41 generally in the rudest and most imperfect style1 as if issuing from some coarse manufacture2 but showing that they have had a common origin with those far superior figures in the ,catacombs and on the sarcophagi1 while the inscribed names leave no doubt as to the significance4 ,on the other hand1 there are similar fragments of coarse glass found in the ,catacombs--either lamps or small vases1 bearing the same female in the attitude of prayer1 and superscribed in rude letters1 ,,dulcis ,,anima ,,pie ,,zeses ,,vivas4 7,,zeses instead of ,,jesus47 ,such may1 possibly1 represent1 not the ,virgin ,mary1 but the ,christian matron or martyr buried in the tomb2 at least1 ,i consider them as doubtful4 ,the ,cavaliere ,rossi1 whose celebrity as an antiquarian is not merely ,italian1 but ,european1 and whose impartiality can hardly be doubted1 told me that a ,christian sarcophagus had lately been discovered at ,saint-,maxime1 in the south of ,france1 on which there is the same group of the female figure praying1 and over it the name ,,maria4 ,i ought to add1 that on one of these sarcophagi1 bearing the oft repeated subject of the good ,shepherd feeding ,his sheep1 ,i found1 as the companion group1 a female figure in the act of feeding birds which are fluttering to her feet4 ,it is not doubted that the good ,shepherd is the symbol of the beneficent ,christ2 whether the female figure represent the ,virgin-mother1 or is to be regarded merely as a general symbol of female beneficence1 placed on a par with that of ,christ 7in ,his human character71 ,i will not pretend to decide4 ,it is equally touching and beautiful in either significance4 ,three examples of these figures occur to me4 ,the first is from a ,christian sarcophagus of early date1 and in a good style of art1 probably of the third century--it is a noble figure1 in the attitude of prayer1 and separated from the other groups by a palm-tree on each side--at her feet is a bird 7perhaps a dove1 the ancient symbol of the released soul71 and scrolls which represent the gospel4 ,i regard this figure as doubtful2 it may possibly be the effigy of a ,christian matron1 who was interred in the sarcophagus4 ,the second example is also from a sarcophagus4 ,it is a figure holding a scroll of the gospel1 and standing between ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul2 on each side 7in the original7 there are groups expressing the beneficent miracles of our ,lord4 ,this figure1 ,i believe1 represents the ,virgin ,mary4 ,in the third example1 the conspicuous female figure is combined with the series of groups on each side4 ,she stands with hands outspread1 in the attitude of prayer1 between the two apostles1 who seem to sustain her arms4 ,on one side is the miracle of the water changed into wine2 on the other side1 ,christ healing the woman who touched ,his garment2 both of perpetual recurrence in these sculptures4 ,of these groups of the miracles and actions of ,christ on the early ,christian sarcophagi1 ,i shall give a full account in the ,history of our ,lord1 as illustrated in the fine arts2 at present ,i confine myself to the female figure which takes this conspicuous place1 while other female figures are prostrate1 or of a diminutive size1 to express their humility or inferiority2 and ,i have no doubt that thus situated it is intended to represent the woman who was highly honoured as well as highly blessed--the ,mother of our ,saviour4 ,i have come therefore to the conclusion1 that while many of these figures have a certain significance1 others are uncertain4 ,where the figure is isolated1 or placed within a frame or border1 like the memorial busts and effigies on the ,pagan sarcophagi1 ,i think it may be regarded as probably commemorating the ,christian martyr or matron entombed in the sarcophagus2 but when there is no division1 where the figure forms part of a continuous series of groups1 expressing the character and miracles of ,christ1 ,i believe that it represents ,his mother4 ,,ii4 ,the ,,borghese ,,chapel1 in the church1 of ,st4 ,maria ,maggiore at ,rome1 was dedicated to the honour of the ,virgin ,mary by ,paul ,v4 7,borghese71 in #afaa--the same ,pope who in #afae promulgated the famous ,bull relative to the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,the scheme of decoration in this gorgeous chapel is very remarkable1 as testifying to the development which the theological idea of the ,virgin1 as the ,sposa or personified ,church1 had attained at this period1 and because it is not1 as in other examples1 either historical or devotional1 but purely doctrinal4 ,as we enter1 the profusion of ornament1 the splendour of colour1 marbles1 gilding1 from the pavement under our feet to the summit of the lofty dome1 are really dazzling4 ,first1 and elevated above all1 we have the ,madonna della ,concezione1 ,our ,lady of the ,immaculate ,conception1 in a glory of light1 sustained and surrounded by angels1 having the crescent under her feet1 according to the approved treatment4 ,beneath1 round the dome1 we read in conspicuous letters the text from the ,revelations3--,,signum4 ,,magnum4 ,a,p,p,a,r,a,vl,t4 ,,in ,,coelo4 ,,mulier4 ,,amicta4 ,,sole4 ,,et4 ,,luna4 ,,sub4 ,,pedibus4 ,,ejus4 ,,et4 ,,in ,,capite4 ,,ejus1 ,,corona4 ,,stellarum4 ,,duodecim4 7,rev4 xii4 #a47 ,lower down is a second inscription1 expressing the dedication4 ,,mari4 ,,christi4 ,,matri4 ,,semper4 ,,virgini4 ,,paulus4 ,,quintus4,p4,m4 ,the decorations beneath the cornice consist of eighteen large frescoes1 and six statues in marble1 above life size4 ,beginning with the frescoes1 we have the subjects arranged in the following order3-- #a4 ,the four great prophets1 ,isaiah1 ,jeremiah1 ,ezekiel1 and ,daniel1 in their usual place in the four pendentives of the dome4 7v4 ,the ,introduction47 #b4 ,two large frescoes4 ,in the first1 the ,vision of ,st4 ,gregory ,thaumaturgus1#a and ,heretics bitten by ,serpents4 ,in the second1 ,st4 ,john ,damascene and ,st4 ,ildefonso miraculously rewarded for defending the ,majesty of the ,virgin4 7,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 ,footnote #a3 ,st4 ,gregory ,thaumaturgus1 ,bishop of ,pontus in the third century1 was favoured by a vision of the ,trinity1 which enabled him to confute and utterly subdue the ,sabellian heretics--the ,unitarians of his time4 #c4 ,a large fresco1 representing the four ,doctors of the ,church who had especially written in honour of the ,virgin3 viz4 ,ireneus and ,cyprian1 ,ignatius and ,theophilus1 grouped two and two4 #d4 ,st4 ,luke1 who painted the ,virgin1 and whose gospel contains the best account of her4 #e4 ,as spiritual conquerors in the name of the ,virgin1 ,st4 ,dominic and ,st4 ,francis1 each attended by two companions of his ,order4 #f4 ,as military conquerors in the name of the ,virgin1 the ,emperor ,heraclius1 and ,narses1 the general against the ,arians4 #g4 ,a group of three female figures1 representing the three famous saintly princesses who in marriage preserved their virginity1 ,pulcheria1 ,edeltruda 7our famous queen ,ethelreda71 and ,cunegunda4 7,for the legends of ,cunegunda and ,ethelreda1 see ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders47 #h4 ,a group of three learned ,bishops1 who had especially defended the immaculate purity of the ,virgin1 ,st4 ,cyril1 ,st4 ,anselm1 and ,st4 ,denis 7874 #i4 ,the miserable ends of those who were opposed to the honour of the ,virgin4 #a4 ,the death of ,julian the ,apostate1 very oddly represented2 he lies on an altar1 transfixed by an arrow1 as a victim2 ,st4 ,mercurius in the air4 7,for this legend see ,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 #b4 ,the death of ,leo ,,iv41 who destroyed the effigies of the ,virgin4 #c4 ,the death of ,constantine ,,iv41 also a famous iconoclast4 ,the statues which are placed in niches are-- #a1 #b4 ,st4 ,joseph1 as the nominal husband1 and ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 as the nominal son of the ,virgin2 the latter1 also1 as prophet and poet1 with reference to the passage in the ,revelation1 c4 xii4 #a4 #c1 #d4 ,aaron1 as priestly ancestor 7because his wand blossomed71 and ,david1 as kingly ancestor of the ,virgin4 #e1 #f4 ,st4 ,dionysius the ,areopagite1 who was present at the death of the ,virgin1 and ,st4 ,bernard1 who composed the famous ,salve ,regina in her honour4 ,such is this grand systematic scheme of decoration1 which1 to those who regard it cursorily1 is merely a sumptuous confusion of colours and forms1 or at best1 a fine example of the ,guido school and ,bernino4 ,it is altogether a very complete and magnificent specimen of the prevalent style of art1 and a very comprehensive and suggestive expression of the prevalent tendency of thought1 in the ,roman ,catholic ,church from the beginning of the seventeenth century4 ,in no description of this chapel have ,i ever seen the names and subjects accurately given3 the style of art belongs to the decadence1 and the taste being worse than1 questionable1 the pervading doctrinal idea has been neglected1 or never understood4 ,,iii4 ,those pictures which represent the ,virgin ,mary kneeling before the celestial throne1 while the ,,padre ,,eterno or the ,,messiah extends his hand or his sceptre towards her1 are generally misunderstood4 ,they do not represent1 the ,assumption1 nor yet the reception of ,mary in ,heaven1 as is usually supposed2 but the election or predestination of ,mary as the immaculate vehicle or tabernacle of human redemption--the earthly parent of the divine ,saviour4 ,i have described such a picture by ,dosso ,dossi1 and another by ,cottignola4 ,a third example may be cited in a yet more beautiful and celebrated picture by ,francia1 now in the ,church at ,san ,frediano at ,lucca4 ,above1 in the glory of ,heaven1 the ,virgin kneels before the throne of the ,creator2 she is clad in regal attire of purple and crimson and gold2 and she bends her fair crowned head1 and folds her hands upon her bosom with an expression of meek yet dignified resignation--,behold the handmaid of the ,lord6--accepting1 as woman1 that highest glory1 as mother1 that extremest grief1 to which the ,divine will1 as spoken by the prophets of old1 had called her4 ,below1 on the earth and to the right hand1 stand ,david and ,solomon1 as prophets and kingly ancestors3 on the left hand1 ,st4 ,augustine and ,st4 ,anselm in their episcopal robes4 7,i have mentioned1 with regard to the office in honour of the ,immaculate ,conception1 that the idea is said to have originated in ,england4 ,i should also have added1 that ,anselm1 ,archbishop of ,canterbury1 was its strenuous advocate47 ,each of these personages holds a scroll4 ,on that of ,david the reference is to the #dth and #eth verses of ,psalm xxvii4--,in the secret of his tabernacle he shall hide me4 ,on that of ,solomon is the text from his ,song1 ch4 iv4 #g4 ,on that of ,st4 ,augustine1 a quotation1 ,i presume1 from his works1 but difficult to make out2 it seems to be1 ,in coelo qualis est ,pater1 talis est ,films2 qualis est ,filius1 talis est ,mater4 ,on that of ,st4 ,anselm the same inscription which is on the picture of ,cottignola quoted before1 non puto vere esse4 c41 which is1 ,i suppose1 taken from his works4 ,in the centre1 ,st4 ,anthony of ,padua kneels beside the sepulchre full of lilies and roses2 showing the picture to have been painted for1 or under the influence of1 the ,franciscan ,order2 and1 like other pictures of the same class1 an attempt to express in a visible form the idea or promise of the redemption of the human race1 as existing in the ,sovereign ,eternal ,mind before the beginning of the world4 ,this altar-piece has no date1 but appears to have been painted about the same time as the picture in our ,national ,gallery 7,no4 #agi471 which came from the same church4 ,as a work of art it is most wonderfully beautiful4 ,the editors of the last excellent edition of ,vasari speak of it with just enthusiasm as ,opera veramente stupenda in ogni parte6 ,the predella beneath1 painted in chiaro-oscuro1 is also of exquisite beauty2 and let us hope that we shall never see it separated from the great subject1 like a page or a paragraph torn out of a book by ignorant and childish collectors4 ,,iv4 ,although the ,nativity of the ,virgin ,mary is one of the great festivals of the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 ,i have seldom seen it treated as a separate subject and an altar-piece4 ,there is1 however1 a very remarkable example in the ,belle ,arti at ,siena4 ,it is a triptych enclosed in a framework elaborately carved and gilt1 in the ,gothic style4 ,in the centre compartment1 ,st4 ,anna lies on a rich couch covered with crimson drapery2 a graceful female presents an embroidered napkin1 others enter1 bringing refreshments1 as usual4 ,in front1 three attendants minister to the ,infant3 one of them is in an attitude of admiration2 on the right1 ,joachim seated1 with white hair and beard1 receives the congratulations of a young man who seems to envy his paternity4 ,in the compartment on the right stand ,st4 ,james ,major and ,st4 ,catherine2 on the left1 ,st4 ,bartholomew and ,st4 ,elizabeth of ,hungary 7874 ,this picture is in the hard primitive style of the fourteenth century1 by an unknown painter1 who must have lived1 before ,giovanni di ,paolo1 but vividly coloured1 exquisitely finished1 and full of sentiment and dramatic feeling4 ,,devotional ,,subjects4 ,,part ,i4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,without ,,the ,,child4 #a4 ,,la ,,vergine ,,gloriosa4 #b4 ,l',,incoronata4 #c4 ,,la ,,madonna ,,di ,,misericordia4 #d4 ,,la ,,madre ,,dolorosa4 #e4 ,,la ,,concezione4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,mary4 ,lat4 #a4 ,virgo ,gloriosa4 #b4 ,virgo ,sponsa ,dei4 #c4 ,virgo ,potens #d4 ,virgo ,veneranda4 #e4 ,virgo ,prdicanda4 #f4 ,virgo ,clemens4 #g4 ,virgo ,sapientissima4 #h4 ,sancta ,virgo ,virginum4 ,ital4 ,la ,vergine ,gloriosa4 ,la ,gran ,vergine delle ,vergini4 ,fr4 ,la ,grande ,vierge4 ,there are representations of the ,virgin1 and among them some of the earliest in existence1 which place her before us as an object of religious veneration1 but in which the predominant idea is not that of her maternity4 ,no doubt it was as the mother of the ,saviour ,christ that she was originally venerated2 but in the most ancient monuments of the ,christian faith1 the sarcophagi1 the rude paintings in the catacombs1 and the mosaics executed before the seventh century1 she appears simply as a veiled female figure1 not in any respect characterized4 ,she stands1 in a subordinate position1 on one side of ,christ2 ,st4 ,peter or ,st4 ,john the ,baptist on the other4 ,when the worship of the ,virgin came to us from the ,east1 with it came the ,greek type--and for ages we had no other--the ,greek classical type1 with something of the ,oriental or ,egyptian character4 ,when thus she stands before us without her ,son1 and the apostles or saints on each side taking the subordinate position1 then we are to regard her not only as the mother of ,christ1 but as the second ,eve1 the mother of all suffering humanity2 ,,the ,,woman of the primeval prophecy whose issue was to bruise the head of the ,serpent2 the ,virgin predestined from the beginning of the world who was to bring forth the ,redeemer of the world2 the mystical ,spouse of the ,canticles2 the glorified ,bride of a celestial ,bridegroom2 the received ,type of the ,church of ,christ1 afflicted on earth1 triumphant and crowned in heaven2 the most glorious1 most pure1 most pious1 most clement1 most sacred ,queen and ,mother1 ,virgin of ,virgins4 ,the form under which we find this grand and mysterious idea of glorified womanhood originally embodied1 is wonderfully majestic and simple4 ,a female figure of colossal dimensions1 far exceeding in proportion all the attendant personages and accessories1 stands immediately beneath some figure or emblem representing almighty power3 either it is the omnipotent hand stretched out above her1 holding the crown of immortality2 or it is the mystic dove which hovers over her2 or it is the half-form of ,christ1 in the act of benediction4 ,she stands with arms raised and extended wide1 the ancient attitude of prayer2 or with hands merely stretched forth1 expressing admiration1 humility1 and devout love4 ,she is attired in an ample tunic of blue or white1 with a white veil over her head1 thrown a little back1 and displaying an oval face with regular features1 mild1 dignified--sometimes1 in the figures of the ruder ages1 rather stern and melancholy1 from the inability of the artist to express beauty2 but when least beautiful1 and most formal and motionless1 always retaining something of the original conception1 and often expressibly striking and majestic4 ,the earliest figure of this character to which ,i can refer is the mosaic in the oratory of ,san ,venanzio1 in the ,lateran1 the work of ,greek artists under the popes ,john ,,iv4 and ,theodorus1 both ,greeks by birth1 and who presided over the ,church from #fdj to #fdi4 ,in the vault of the tribune1 over the altar1 we have first1 at the summit1 a figure of ,christ half-length1 with his hand extended in benediction2 on each side1 a worshipping angel2 below1 in the centre1 the figure of the ,virgin according to the ancient type1 standing with extended arms1 in a violet or rather dark-blue tunic and white veil1 with a small cross pendant on her bosom4 ,on her right hand stands ,st4 ,paul1 on her left ,st4 ,peter2 beyond ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist holding a cross1 and ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist holding a book2 and beyond these again1 ,st4 ,domino and ,st4 ,venantius1 two martyred saints1 who perished in ,dalmatia1 and whose relics were brought out of that country by the founder of the chapel1 ,john ,,iv41 himself a ,dalmatian by birth4 ,at the extremities of this group1 or rather line of figures1 stand the two popes1 ,john ,,iv4 and ,theodorus1 under whom the chapel was founded and dedicated4 ,although this ancient mosaic has been many times restored1 the original composition remains4 ,similar1 but of later date1 is the effigy of the ,virgin over the altar of the archiepiscopal chapel at ,ravenna4 ,this mosaic1 with others of ,greek work1 was brought from the old tribune of the cathedral1 when it was altered and repaired1 and the ancient decorations removed or destroyed4 ,another instance1 also1 at ,ravenna1 is the basso-relievo in ,greek marble1 and evidently of ,greek workmanship1 which is said to have existed from the earliest ages1 in the church of ,s4 ,maria-in-,porto-,fuori1 and is now preserved in the ,s4 ,maria-in-,porto1 where ,i saw it in #ahdg4 ,it is probably as old as the sixth or seventh century4 ,in ,st4 ,mark's at ,venice1 in the grand old basilica at ,torcello1 in ,san ,donate at ,murano1 at ,monreale1 near ,palermo1 and in most of the old churches in the ,east of ,europe1 we find similar figures1 either ,byzantine in origin1 or in imitation of the ,byzantine style4 ,but about the middle of the thirteenth century1 and contemporary with ,cimabue1 we find the first indication of a departure1 even in the mosaics1 from the lifeless1 formal type of ,byzantine art4 ,the earliest example of a more animated treatment is1 perhaps1 the figure in the apsis of ,st4 ,john ,lateran4 7,rome47 ,in the centre is an immense cross1 emblem of salvation2 the four rivers of ,paradise 7the four ,gospels7 flow from its base2 and the faithful1 figured by the hart and the sheep1 drink from these streams4 ,below the cross is represented1 of a small size1 the ,new ,jerusalem guarded by an archangel4 ,on the right stands the ,virgin1 of colossal dimensions4 ,she places one hand on the head of a diminutive kneeling figure1 ,pope ,nicholas ,,iv41#a by whom the mosaic was dedicated about #abij2 the other hand1 stretched forth1 seems to recommend the votary to the mercy of ,christ4 ,footnote #a3 ,for a minute reduction of the whole composition1 see ,kugler's ,handbook1 p4 #aac4 ,full-length effigies of the ,virgin seated on a throne1 or glorified as queen of heaven1 or queen of angels1 without her divine ,infant in her arms1 are exceedingly rare in every age2 now and then to be met with in the early pictures and illuminations1 but never1 that ,i know of1 in the later schools of art4 ,a signal example is the fine enthroned ,madonna in the ,campo ,santo1 who receives ,st4 ,ranieri when presented by ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul4 ,on the ,dalmatica 7or ,deacon's robe7 preserved in the sacristy of ,st4 ,peter's at ,rome 7which ,lord ,lindsay well describes as a perfect example of the highest style of ,byzantine art7 7,christian ,art1 i4 #acf71 the embroidery on the front represents ,christ in a golden circle or glory1 robed in white1 with the youthful and beardless face1 his eyes looking into yours4 ,he sits on the rainbow2 his left hand holds an open book1 inscribed1 ,come1 ye blessed of my ,father6 while the right is raised in benediction4 ,the ,virgin stands on the right entirely within the glory2 she is sweet in feature and graceful in attitude1 in her long white robe4 ,the ,baptist stands on the left outside the glory4 ,in pictures representing the glory of heaven1 ,paradise1 or the ,last ,judgment1 we have this idea constantly repeated--of the ,virgin on the right hand of her ,son1 but not on the same throne with him1 unless it be a ,coronation1 which is a subject apart4 ,in the great altar-piece of the brothers ,van ,eyck1 the upper part contains three compartments2#a in the centre is ,christ1 wearing the triple tiara1 and carrying the globe1 as ,king1 as ,priest1 as ,judge--on each side1 as usual1 but in separate compartments1 the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,the ,virgin1 a noble queenly figure1 full of serene dignity and grace1 is seated on a throne1 and wears a superb crown1 formed of lilies1 roses1 and gems1 over her long fair hair4 ,she is reading intently in a book--,the ,book of ,wisdom4 ,she is here the ,sponsa ,dei1 and the ,virgo ,sapientissima1 the most wise ,virgin4 ,this is the only example ,i can recollect of the ,virgin seated on the right hand of her ,son in glory1 and holding a book4 ,in every other instance she is standing or seated with her hands joined or crossed over her bosom1 and her eyes turned towards him4 ,footnote #a3 ,it is well known that the different parts of this great work have been dispersed4 ,the three compartments mentioned here are at ,berlin4 ,among innumerable examples1 ,i will cite only one1 perhaps the most celebrated of all1 and familiar1 it may be presumed1 to most of my readers1 though perhaps they may not have regarded it with reference to the character and position given to the ,virgin4 ,it is one of the four great frescoes of the ,camera della ,segnatura1 in the ,vatican1 exhibiting the four highest objects of mental culture--,theology1 ,poetry1 ,philosophy1 and ,jurisprudence4 ,in the first of these1 commonly1 but erroneously1 called ,la ,disputa dell' ,sacramento1 ,raphael has combined into one great scene the whole system of theology1 as set forth by the ,catholic ,church2 it is a sort of concordance between heaven and earth--between the celestial and terrestrial witnesses of the truth4 ,the central group above shows us the ,redeemer of the world1 seated with extended arms1 having on the right the ,virgin in her usual place1 and on the left1 also in his accustomed place1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist2 both seated1 and nearly on a level with ,christ4 ,the ,baptist is here in his character of the ,precursor sent to bear witness to the light1 that through him all men might believe4 7,john i4 #g47 ,the ,virgin is exhibited1 not merely as the ,mother1 the ,sposa1 the ,church1 but as ,,heavenly ,,wisdom1 for in this character the ,catholic ,church has applied to her the magnificent passage in ,proverbs3 ,the ,lord possessed me in the beginning of ,his way1 before ,his works of old4 ,i was set up from everlasting1 from the beginning1 or ever the earth was4 ,then ,i was by ,him as one brought up with ,him1 and ,i was daily ,his delight1 rejoicing alway before ,him4 7,prov4 viii1 #ab-cf1 and ,eccles4 xxiv4 #ae1 #af47 ,nothing can be more beautiful than the serene grace and the mingled majesty and humility in the figure of the ,virgin1 and in her countenance1 as she looks up adoring to the ,fountain of all light1 all wisdom1 and all goodness4 ,above the principal group1 is the emblematical image of the ,,father2 below is the holy ,dove1 in the act of descending to the earth4#a ,footnote #a3 ,for a detailed description of this fresco1 see ,passavant's ,raphael1 i4 #adj1 and ,kugler's ,handbook1 #b;d edit41 where a minute and beautiful reduction of the whole composition will give and idea of the general design4 ,the ,virgin alone1 separate from her ,son1 standing or enthroned before us1 simply as the ,virgine ,dea or ,regina ,coeli1 is rarely met with in modern art1 either in sculpture or painting4 ,i will give1 however1 one signal example4 ,in an altar-piece painted by ,cosimo ,rosselli1 for the ,serviti at ,florence1 she stands alone1 and in a majestic attitude1 on a raised pedestal4 ,she holds a book1 and looks upward1 to the ,holy ,dove1 hovering over her head2 she is here again the ,virgo ,sapienti4 7,fl4 ,gal47 ,on one side is ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist and ,st4 ,antonino of ,florence 7see ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders72 on the other1 ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,philip ,benozzi2 in front kneel ,st4 ,margaret and ,st4 ,catherine3 all appear to contemplate with rapturous devotion the vision of the ,madonna4 ,the heads and attitudes in this picture have that character of elegance which distinguished the ,florentine school at this period1 without any of those extravagances and peculiarities into which ,piero often fell2 for the man had evidently a touch of madness1 and was as eccentric in his works as in his life and conversation4 ,the order of the ,serviti1 for whom he painted this picture1 was instituted in honour of the ,virgin1 and for her particular service1 which will account for the unusual treatment4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the numerous--often most beautiful--heads and half-length figures which represent the ,virgin alone1 looking up with a devout or tender expression1 or with the head declined1 and the hands joined in prayer1 or crossed over the bosom with virginal humility and modesty1 belong to this class of representations4 ,in the ancient heads1 most of which are imitations of the old ,greek effigies ascribed to ,st4 ,luke1 there is often great simplicity and beauty4 ,when she wears the crown over her veil1 or bears a sceptre in her hand1 she figures as the queen of heaven 7,regina ,coeli74 ,when such effigies are attended by adoring angels1 she is the queen of angels 7,regina ,angelorum74 ,when she is weeping or holding the crown of thorns1 she is ,our ,lady of ,sorrow1 the ,mater ,dolorosa4 ,when she is merely veiled1 with folded hands1 and in her features all the beauty1 maiden purity1 and sweetness which the artist could render1 she is simply the ,blessed ,virgin1 the ,madonna1 the ,santa ,maria ,vergine4 ,such heads are very rare in the earlier schools of art1 which seldom represented the ,virgin without her ,child1 but became favourite studies of the later painters1 and were multiplied and varied to infinitude from the beginning of the seventeenth century4 ,from these every trace of the mystical and solemn conception of antiquity gradually disappeared2 till1 for the majestic ideal of womanhood1 we have merely inane prettiness1 or rustic1 or even meretricious grace1 the borrowed charms of some earthly model4 ,l',,incoronata4 ,the ,coronation of the ,virgin4 ,lat4 ,coronatio ,beat ,mari ,virginis4 ,ital4 ,maria coronata dal divin suo ,figlio4 ,fr4 ,le ,couronnement de la ,sainte ,vierge4 ,ger4 ,die ,krnung ,mari4 ,the usual type of the ,church triumphant is the ,,coronation ,,of ,,the ,,virgin properly so called1 ,christ in the act of crowning his ,mother2 one of the most popular1 significant1 and beautiful subjects in the whole range of medival art4 ,when in a series of subjects from the life of the ,virgin1 so often met with in religious prints and in the ,roman ,catholic churches1 we find her death and her assumption followed by her coronation2 when the bier or sarcophagus and the twelve apostles appear below1 while heaven opens upon us above2 then the representation assumes a kind of dramatic character3 it is the last and most glorious event of her history4 ,the ,mother1 dying on earth1 is received into glory by her ,son who had gone before her1 and who thus celebrates the consummation of his victory and hers4 ,but when the scene is treated apart as a single subject2 when1 instead of the apostles gazing up to heaven1 or looking with amazement into the tomb from which she had risen1 we find the lower part of the composition occupied by votaries1 patron saints1 or choral angels2 then the subject must be regarded as absolutely devotional and typical4 ,it is not a scene or an action2 it is a great mystery4 ,it is consecrated to the honour of the ,virgin as a type of the spiritual ,church4 ,the ,espoused is received into glory and crowned with the crown of everlasting life1 exalted above angels1 spirits1 and men4 ,in this sense we must understand the subject when we find it in ecclesiastical sculpture1 over the doors of places of worship1 in the decorative carving of church utensils1 in stained glass4 ,in many of the ,italian churches there is a chapel especially dedicated to the ,virgin in this character1 called la ,capella dell' ,incoronata2 and both in ,germany and ,italy it is a frequent subject as an altar-piece4 ,in all the most ancient examples1 it is ,christ only who places the crown on the head of his ,mother1 seated on the same throne1 and placed at his right hand4 ,sometimes we have the two figures only2 sometimes the ,padre ,eterno looks down1 and the ,holy ,spirit in the form of the dove hovers above or between them4 ,in some later examples the ,virgin is seated between the ,father and the ,son1 both in human form3 they place the crown on her head each holding it with one hand1 the ,holy ,spirit hovering above4 ,in other representations the ,virgin kneels at the feet of ,christ2 and he places the crown on her head1 while two or more rejoicing and adoring angels make heavenly music1 or all ,paradise opens to the view2 and there are examples where not only the choir of attendant angels1 but a vast assembly of patriarchs1 saints1 martyrs1 fathers of the ,church--the whole company of the blessed spirits--assist at this great ceremony4 ,i will now give some celebrated examples of the various styles of treatment4 ,there is a group in mosaic1 which ,i believe to be singular in its kind1 where the ,virgin is enthroned1 with ,christ4 ,she is seated at his right hand1 at the same elevation1 and altogether as his equal4 ,his right arm embraces her1 and his hand rests on her shoulder4 ,she wears a gorgeous crown1 which her ,son has placed on her brow ,christ has only the cruciform nimbus2 in his left hand is an open book1 on which is inscribed1 ,veni1 ,electa mea c4 ,come1 my chosen one1 and ,i will place thee upon my throne4 ,the ,virgin holds a tablet1 on which are the words ,his right hand should be under my head1 and his left hand should embrace me4 7,cant4 viii4 #c47 ,the omnipotent ,hand is stretched forth in benediction above4 ,here the ,virgin is the type of the ,church triumphant and glorified1 having overcome the world2 and the solemn significance of the whole representation is to be found in the ,book of ,revelations3 ,to him that overcometh will ,i grant to sit with me in my throne1 even as ,i also overcame and am set down with my ,father in his throne4 7,rev4 iii4 #ba47 ,this mosaic1 in which1 be it observed1 the ,virgin is enthroned with ,christ1 and embraced1 not crowned1 by him1 is1 ,i believe1 unique either as a picture or a church decoration4 ,it is not older than the twelfth century1 is very ill executed1 but is curious from the peculiarity of the treatment4 7,rome4 ,s4 ,maria in ,trastevere47 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the mosaic in the tribune of ,s4 ,maria-,maggiore at ,rome1 perhaps the earliest example extant of the ,coronation1 properly so called1 the subject is treated with a grand and solemn simplicity4 ,christ and the ,virgin1 colossal figures1 are seated on the same regal throne within a circular glory4 ,the background is blue studded with golden stars4 ,he places the crown on her head with his right hand2 in the left he holds an open book1 with the usual text1 ,veni1 ,electa mea1 et ponam te in thronum meum1 c4 ,she bends slightly forward1 and her hands are lifted in adoration4 ,above and around the circular glory the emblematical vine twines in arabesque form2 among the branches and leaves sit peacocks and other birds2 the peacock being the old emblem of immortality1 as birds in general are emblems of spirituality4 ,on each side of the glory are nine adoring angels1 representing the nine choirs of the heavenly hierarchy2 beyond these on the right stand ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,paul1 ,st4 ,francis2 on the left1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 and ,st4 ,antony of ,padua2 all these figures being very small in proportion to those of ,christ and the ,virgin4 ,smaller still1 and quite diminutive in comparison1 are the kneeling figures of ,pope ,nicholas ,,iv4 and ,cardinal ,giacomo ,colonna1 under whose auspices the mosaic was executed by ,jacopo della ,turrita1 a ,franciscan friar1 about #abhh4 ,in front flows the river ,jordan1 symbol of baptism and regeneration2 on its shore stands the hart1 the emblem of religions aspiration4 ,underneath the central group is the inscription1-- ,,maria ,,virgo ,,assumpta ,,ad ,,etherium ,,thalamum ,,in ,,quo ,,rex ,,regum ,,stellato ,,sedet ,,solio4 ,the whole of this vast and poetical composition is admirably executed1 and it is the more curious as being1 perhaps1 one of the earliest examples of the glorification of ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,antony of ,padua 7,monastic ,orders71 who were canonized about thirty or forty years before4 ,the mosaic1 by ,gaddo ,gaddi 7,florence1 ,a4,d4 #accj71 over the great door in the cathedral at ,florence1 is somewhat different4 ,christ1 while placing the crown on the head of his ,mother with his left hand1 blesses her with his right hand1 and he appears to have laid aside his own crown1 which lies near him4 ,the attitude of the ,virgin is also peculiar4#a ,footnote #a3 ,in the same cathedral 7which is dedicated to the ,virgin ,mary7 the circular window of the choir opposite to the mosaic exhibits the ,coronation4 ,the design1 by ,donatello1 is eminently fine and classical4 ,in a small altar-piece by ,giotto 7,florence1 ,s4 ,croce71 ,christ and the ,virgin are seated together on a throne4 ,he places the jewelled crown on her head with both hands1 while she bends forward with her hands crossed in her lap1 and the softest expression in her beautiful face1 as if she as meekly resigned herself to this honour1 as heretofore to the angelic salutation which pronounced her ,blessed3 angels kneel before the throne with censers and offerings4 ,in another1 by ,giotto1 ,christ wearing a coronet of gems is seated on a throne3 the ,virgin kneels before him with hands joined3 twenty angels with musical instruments attend around4 ,in a ,coronation1 by ,piero ,laurati1 the figures of ,christ and the ,virgin1 seated together1 resemble in sentiment and expression those of ,giotto4 ,the angels are arranged in a glory around1 and the treatment is wholly typical4 ,one of the most beautiful and celebrated of the pictures of ,angelico da ,fiesole is the ,coronation now in the ,louvre2 formerly it stood over the high altar of the ,church of ,st4 ,dominick at ,fiesole1 where ,angelico had been nurtured1 and made his profession as monk4 ,the composition is conceived as a grand regal ceremony1 but the beings who figure in it are touched with a truly celestial grace4 ,the ,redeemer1 crowned himself1 and wearing the ermine mantle of an earthly monarch1 is seated on a magnificent throne1 under a ,gothic canopy1 to which there is an ascent of nine steps4 ,he holds the crown1 which he is in the act of placing1 with both hands1 on the head of the ,virgin1 who kneels before him1 with features of the softest and most delicate beauty1 and an expression of divine humility4 ,her face1 seen in profile1 is partly shaded by a long transparent veil1 flowing over her ample robe of a delicate crimson1 beneath which is a blue tunic4 ,on each side a choir of lovely angels1 clothed from head to foot in spangled tunics of azure and rose-colour1 with shining wings1 make celestial music1 while they gaze with looks of joy and adoration towards the principal group4 ,lower down on the right of the throne are eighteen1 and on the left twenty-two1 of the principal patriarchs1 apostles1 saints1 and martyrs1 among whom the worthies of ,angelico's own community1 ,st4 ,dominick and ,st4 ,peter ,martyr1 are of course conspicuous4 ,at the foot of the throne kneel on one side ,st4 ,augustine1 ,st4 ,benedict1 ,st4 ,charlemagne1 the royal saint2 ,st4 ,nicholas2 and ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas holding a pen 7the great literary saint of the ,dominican order1 and author of the ,office of the ,virgin72 on the left we have a group of virgins1 ,st4 ,agnes1 ,st4 ,catherine with her wheel1 ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena1 her habit spangled with stars2 ,st4 ,cecilia crowned with her roses1 and ,mary ,magdalene1 with her long golden hair4#a ,beneath this great composition runs a border or predella1 in seven compartments1 containing in the centre a ,piet1 and on each side three small subjects from the history of ,st4 ,dominick1 to whom the church1 whence it was taken1 is dedicated4 ,the spiritual beauty of the heads1 the delicate tints of the colouring1 an ineffable charm of mingled brightness and repose shed over the whole1 give to this lovely picture an effect like that of a church hymn1 sung at some high festival by voices tuned in harmony--blest voices1 uttering joy6 ,footnote #a3 ,see ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders1 and ,sacred and ,legendary ,art1 for an account of all these personages4 ,in strong contrast with the graceful ,italian conception1 is the ,german ,coronation1 now in the ,wallerstein collection4 7,kensington ,pal47 ,it is supposed to have been painted for ,philip the ,good1 ,duke of ,burgundy1 either by ,hans ,hemling1 or a painter not inferior to him4 ,here the ,virgin is crowned by the ,trinity4 ,she kneels1 with an air of majestic humility1 and hands meekly folded on her bosom1 attired in simple blue drapery1 before a semicircular throne1 on which are seated the ,father and the ,son1 between them1 with outspread wings1 touching their mouths1 the ,holy ,dove4 ,the ,father a venerable figure1 wears the triple tiara1 and holds the sceptre2 ,christ1 with an expression of suffering1 holds in his left hand a crystal cross2 and they sustain between them a crown which they are about to place on the head of the ,virgin4 ,their golden throne is adorned with gems1 and over it is a glory of seraphim1 with hair1 faces1 and plumage1 all of a glowing red4 ,the lower part of this picture and the compartments on each side are filled with a vast assemblage of saints1 and martyrs1 and holy confessors3 conspicuous among them we find the saints most popular in ,flanders and ,burgundy--,st4 ,adrian1 ,st4 ,george1 ,st4 ,sebastian1 ,st4 ,maurice1 clad in coats of mail and crowned with laurel1 with other kingly and warlike personages2 ,st4 ,philip1 the patron of ,philip the ,good2 ,st4 ,andrew1 in whose honour he instituted the order of the ,golden ,fleece3 and a figure in a blue mantle with a ducal crown1 one of the three kings of ,cologne1 is supposed to represent ,duke ,philip himself4 ,it is1 impossible by any description to do justice to this wonderful picture1 as remarkable for its elaborate workmanship1 the mysticism of the conception1 the quaint elegance of the details1 and portrait-like reality of the faces1 as that of ,angelico for its spiritual1 tender1 imaginative grace4 ,there is a ,coronation by ,vivarini 7,acad4 ,venice71 which may be said to comprise in itself a whole system of theology4 ,it is one vast composition1 not divided by compartments4 ,in the centre is a magnificent carved throne sustained by six pillars1 which stand on a lofty richly ornamented pedestal4 ,on the throne are seated ,christ and the ,virgin2 he is crowned1 and places with both hands a crown on her head4 ,between them hovers the celestial ,dove1 and above them is seen the ,heavenly ,father in likeness of the ,ancient of ,days1 who paternally lays a hand on the shoulder of each4 ,around his head and over the throne1 are the nine choirs of angels1 in separate groups4 ,first and nearest1 hover the glowing seraphim and cherubim1 winged1 but otherwise formless4 ,above these1 the ,thrones1 holding the globe of sovereignty2 to the right1 the ,dominations1 ,virtues1 and ,powers2 to the left1 the ,princedoms1 ,archangels1 and ,angels4 ,below these1 on each side of the throne1 the prophets and patriarchs of the ,old ,testament1 holding each a scroll4 ,below these the apostles on twelve thrones1 six on each side1 each holding the ,gospel4 ,below these1 on each side1 the saints and martyrs4 ,below these1 again1 the virgins and holy women4 ,under the throne1 in the space formed by the pillars1 is seen a group of beautiful children 7not angels71 representing1 ,i think1 the martyred ,innocents4 ,they bear the instruments of ,christ's passion--the cross1 nails1 spear1 crown of thorns1 c4 ,on the step below the pedestal1 and immediately in front1 are seated the ,evangelists and doctors of the ,church2 on the right ,st4 ,matthew and ,st4 ,luke1 and behind them ,st4 ,ambrose and ,st4 ,augustine2 on the left ,st4 ,mark and ,st4 ,john1 and behind them ,st4 ,jerome and ,st4 ,gregory4 7,see ,sacred and ,legendary ,art7 ,every part of this curious picture is painted with the utmost care and delicacy3 the children are exquisite1 and the heads1 of which there are at least seventy without counting the angels1 are finished like miniatures4 ,this simple1 and altogether typical representation of the ,virgin crowned by the ,trinity in human form1 is in a ,french carving of the fifteenth century1 and though ill drawn1 there is considerable navet in the treatment4 ,the ,eternal ,father wears1 as is usual1 the triple tiara1 the ,son has the cross and the crown of thorns1 and the ,holy ,ghost is distinguished by the dove on his hand4 ,all three sustain the crown over the head of the kneeling ,virgin1 whose train is supported by two angels4 ,in a bas-relief over a door of the cathedral at ,treves1 the subject is very simply treated2 both ,christ and the ,virgin are standing1 which is unusual1 and behind each is an angel1 also standing and holding a crown4 ,where not more than five or six saints are introduced as attendants and accessories1 they are usually the patron saints of the locality or community1 which may be readily distinguished4 ,thus1 #a4 ,in a ,coronation by ,sandro ,botticelli1 we find below1 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 ,st4 ,augustine1 ,st4 ,john ,gualberto1 ,st4 ,bernardo ,cardinale4 ,it was painted for the ,vallombrosian monks4 7,fl4 ,gal47 #b4 ,in a very fine example by ,ghirlandajo1 ,st4 ,dominick and ,st4 ,peter ,martyr are conspicuous3 painted1 of course1 for the ,dominicans4 7,paris1 ,louvre47 #c4 ,in another1 by ,pinturicchio1 ,st4 ,francis is a principal figure1 with ,st4 ,bonaventura and ,st4 ,louis of ,toulouse2 painted for the ,franciscans1 or at least for a ,franciscan pope1 ,sixtus ,,iv4 7,rome1 ,vatican47 #d4 ,in another1 by ,guido1 the treatment differs from the early style4 ,the coronation above is small and seen as a vision2 the saints below1 ,st4 ,bernard and ,st4 ,catherine1 are life-size4 ,it was painted for a community of ,bernardines1 the monks of ,monte ,oliveto4 7,bologna1 ,gal47 #e4 ,in a beautiful little altar-piece by ,lorenzo di ,credi#a1 the ,virgin is kneeling above1 while ,christ1 seated1 places the crown on her head4 ,a glory of red seraphim surround the two figures4 ,below are the famous patron saints of ,central ,italy1 ,st4 ,nicholas of ,bari and ,st4 ,julian of ,rimini1 ,st4 ,barbara and ,st4 ,christina4 ,the ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,antony1 in the predella1 show it to have been painted for a ,franciscan church or chapel1 probably for the same church at ,cestello for which ,lorenzo painted the ,st4 ,julian and ,st4 ,nicholas now in the ,louvre4 ,footnote #a3 ,once in the collection of ,mr4 ,rogers2 v4 ,sacred and ,legendary ,art4 ,the ,coronation of the ,virgin by ,annibale ,carracci is in a spirit altogether different1 magnificently studied4#a ,on high1 upon a lofty throne which extends across the whole picture from side to side1 the ,virgin1 a noble majestic creature1 in the true ,carracci style1 is seated in the midst as the principal figure1 her hands folded on her bosom4 ,on the right hand sits the ,father1 on the left the ,son2 they hold a heavenly crown surmounted by stars above her head4 ,the locality is the ,empyreum4 ,the audience consists of angels only1 who circle within circle1 filling the whole space1 and melting into an abyss of light1 chant hymns of rejoicing and touch celestial instruments of music4 ,this picture shows how deeply ,annibale ,carracci had studied ,correggio1 in the magical chiaro-oscuro1 and the lofty but somewhat mannered grace of the figures4 ,footnote #a3 ,this was also in the collection of ,mr4 ,rogers4 ,one of the latest examples ,i can point to is also one of the most simple and grand in conception4 7,madrid ,gal47 ,it is that by ,velasquez1 the finest perhaps of the very few devotional subjects painted by him4 ,we have here the three figures only1 as large as life1 filling the region of glory1 without angels1 witnesses1 or accessories of any kind1 except the small cherubim beneath2 and the symmetrical treatment gives to the whole a sort of sublime effect4 ,but the heads have the air of portraits3 ,christ has a dark1 earnest1 altogether ,spanish physiognomy2 the ,virgin has dark hair2 and the ,padre ,eterno1 with a long beard1 has a bald head1--a gross fault in taste and propriety2 because1 though the loose beard and flowing white hair may serve to typify the ,ancient of ,days1 baldness expresses not merely age1 but the infirmity of age4 ,rubens1 also1 painted a ,coronation with all his own lavish magnificence of style for the ,jesuits at ,brussels4 ,after the time of ,velasquez and ,rubens1 the ,immaculate ,conception superseded the ,coronation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to enter further into the endless variations of this charming and complex subject would lead us through all the schools of art from ,giotto to ,guido4 ,i have said enough to render it intelligible and interesting1 and must content myself with one or two closing memoranda4 #a4 ,the dress of the ,virgin in a ,coronation is generally splendid1 too like the coronation robes of an earthly queen1--it is a raiment of needlework1--a vesture of gold wrought about with divers colours--generally blue1 crimson1 and white1 adorned with gold1 gems1 and even ermine4 ,in the ,coronation by ,filippo ,lippi1 at ,spoleto1 she wears a white robe embroidered with golden suns4 ,in a beautiful little ,coronation in the ,wallerstein collection 7,kensington ,pal47 she wears a white robe embroidered with suns and moons1 the former red with golden rays1 the latter blue with coloured rays1--perhaps in allusion to the text so often applied in reference to her1 a woman clothed with the sun1 c4 7,rev4 xii4 #a1 or ,cant4 vi4 #aj47 #b4 ,in the set of cartoons for the tapestries of the ,sistine ,chapel 7,kugler's ,handbook1 ii4 #cid71 as originally prepared by ,raphael1 we have the foundation1 the heaven-bestowed powers1 the trials and sufferings of the early ,church1 exhibited in the calling of ,st4 ,peter1 the conversion of ,st4 ,paul1 the acts and miracles of the apostles1 the martyrdom of ,st4 ,stephen2 and the series closed with the ,coronation of the ,virgin1 placed over the altar1 as typical of the final triumph of the ,church1 the completion and fulfilment of all the promises made to man1 set forth in the exaltation and union of the mortal with the immortal1 when the human ,mother and her divine ,son are reunited and seated on the same throne4 ,raphael placed on one side of the celestial group1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 representing sanctification through the rite of baptism2 and on the other1 ,st4 ,jerome1 the general symbol of sanctification through faith and repentance4 ,the cartoon of this grand symbolical composition1 in which all the figures were colossal1 is unhappily lost2 the tapestry is missing from the ,vatican collection2 two old engravings1 however1 exist1 from which some idea may be formed of the original group4 7,passavant's ,rafael1 ii4 #beh47 #c4 ,it will be interesting to remember that the earliest existing impression taken from an engraved metal plate1 is a ,coronation of the ,virgin4 ,maso ,finiguerra1 a skilful goldsmith and worker in niello1 living at ,florence in #adcd1 was employed to execute a pix 7the small casket in which the consecrated wafer of the sacrament is deposited71 and he decorated it with a representation of the ,coronation in presence of saints and angels1 in all about thirty figures1 minutely and exquisitely engraved on the silver face4 ,whether ,finiguerra was the first worker in niello to whom it occurred to fill up the lines cut in the silver with a black fluid1 and then by laying on it a piece of damp paper1 and forcibly rubbing it1 take off the fac-simile of his design and try its effect before the final process1--this we can not ascertain2 we only know that the impression of his ,coronation is the earliest specimen known to exist1 and gave rise to the practice of cutting designs on plates of copper 7instead of silver71 for the purpose of multiplying impressions of them4 ,the pix finished by ,maso in #adeb is now in the ,florence ,gallery in the ,salle des ,bronzes4 ,the invaluable print1 first of its species1 exists in the ,national ,library at ,paris4 ,there is a very exact fac-simile of it in ,otley's ,history of ,engraving1 ,christ and the ,virgin are here seated together on a lofty architectural throne3 her hands are crossed on her bosom1 and she bends her meek veiled head to receive the crown1 which her ,son1 who wears a triple tiara1 places on her brow4 ,the saints most conspicuous are ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 patron of ,florence and of the church for which the pix was executed1 and a female saint1 ,i believe ,st4 ,reparata1 both standing2 kneeling in front are ,st4 ,cosmo and ,st4 ,damian1 the patrons of the ,medici family1 then paramount at ,florence4 7,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 #d4 ,in an illuminated ,office of the ,virgin1 ,i found a version of this subject which must be rare1 and probably confined to miniatures4 ,christ is seated on a throne and the ,virgin kneels before him2 he bends forwards1 and tenderly takes her clasped hands in both his own4 ,an empty throne is at the right hand of ,christ1 over which hovers an angel bearing a crown4 ,this is the moment which precedes the ,coronation1 as the group already described in the ,s4 ,maria-in-,trastevere exhibits the moment which follows the ,coronation4 #e4 ,finally1 we must bear in mind that those effigies in which the ,madonna is holding her ,child1 while angels place a crown upon her head1 do not represent ,,the ,,coronation properly so called1 but merely the ,virgin honoured as ,mother of ,christ and ,queen of ,heaven 7,mater ,christi1 ,regina ,coeli72 and that those representations of the ,coronation which conclude a series of the life of the ,virgin1 and surmount her death-bed or her tomb1 are historical and dramatic rather than devotional and typical4 ,of this historical treatment there are beautiful examples from ,cimabue down to ,raphael1 which will be noticed hereafter in their proper place4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,of ,,mercy4 ,our ,lady of ,succour4 ,ital4 ,la ,madonna di ,misericordia4 ,fr4 ,ntre ,dame de ,misricorde4 ,ger4 ,maria ,mutter des ,erbarmens4 ,sp4 ,nuestra ,seora de ,grazia4 ,when once the ,virgin had been exalted and glorified in the celestial paradise1 the next and the most natural result was1 that she should be regarded as being in heaven the most powerful of intercessors1 and on earth a most benign and ever-present protectress4 ,in the medival idea of ,christ1 there was often something stern2 the ,lamb of ,god who died for the sins of the world1 is also the inexorable ,judge of the quick and the dead4 ,when he shows his wounds1 it is as if a vindictive feeling was supposed to exist2 as if he were called upon to remember in judgment the agonies and the degradation to which he had been exposed below for the sake of wicked ungrateful men4 ,in a ,greek ,day of ,judgment1 cited by ,didron1 ,moses holds up a scroll1 on which is written1 ,behold ,him whom ye crucified1 while the ,jews are dragged into everlasting fire4 ,everywhere is the sentiment of vengeance2 ,christ himself is less a judge than an avenger4 ,not so the ,virgin2 she is represented as all mercy1 sympathy1 and benignity4 ,in some of the old pictures of the ,day of ,judgment1 she is seated by the side of ,christ1 on an equality with him1 and often in an attitude of deprecation1 as if adjuring him1 to relent3 or her eyes are turned on the redeemed souls1 and she looks away from the condemned as if unable to endure the sight of their doom4 ,in other pictures she is lower than ,christ1 but always on his right hand1 and generally seated2 while ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 who is usually placed opposite to her on the left of ,christ1 invariably stands or kneels4 ,instead of the ,baptist1 it is sometimes1 but rarely1 ,john the ,evangelist1 who is the pendant of the ,virgin4 ,in the ,greek representations of the ,last ,judgment1 a river of fire flows from under the throne of ,christ to devour and burn up the wicked4#a ,in western art the idea is less formidable1--,christ is not at once judge and executioner2 but the sentiment is always sufficiently terrible2 the angels and all the powers of heaven tremble before him4 ,in the midst of these terrors1 the ,virgin1 whether kneeling1 or seated1 or standing1 always appears as a gentle mediator1 a1 supplicant for mercy4 ,in the ,day of ,judgment1 as represented in the ,hortus ,deliciarum1 #b we read inscribed under her figure the words ,maria1 ,filio suo pro ,ecclesia supplicat4 ,in a very fine picture by ,martin ,schoen 7,schleissheim ,gal471 it is the ,father1 who1 with a sword and three javelins in his hand1 sits as the avenging judge2 near him ,christ2 while the ,virgin stands in the foreground1 looking up to her ,son with an expression of tender supplication1 and interceding1 as it appears1 for the sinners kneeling round her1 and whose imploring looks are directed to her4 ,in the well-known fresco by ,andrea ,ortagna 7,pisa1 ,campo ,santo71 ,christ and the ,virgin sit throned above1 each in a separate aureole1 but equally glorified4 ,christ1 pointing with one hand to the wound in his side1 raises the other in a threatening attitude1 and his attention is directed to the wicked1 whom he hurls into perdition4 ,the ,virgin1 with one hand pressed to her bosom1 looks to him with an air of supplication4 ,both figures are regally attired1 and wear radiant crowns2 and the twelve apostles attend them1 seated on each side4 ,footnote #a3 ,didron1 ,iconographie ,chrtienne2 and in the mosaic of the ,last ,judgment1 executed by ,byzantine artists1 in the cathedral at ,torcello4 ,footnote #b3 ,a celebrated illuminated ,,ms4 7date about #aaei to #aage71 preserved in the ,library at ,strasburg4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the centre group of ,michael ,angelo's ,last ,judgment1 we have the same leading motif1 but treated in a very different feeling4 ,christ stands before us in figure and mien like a half-naked athlete2 his left hand rejects1 his right hand threatens1 and his whole attitude is as utterly devoid of dignity as of grace4 ,i have often wondered as ,i have looked at this grand and celebrated work1 what could be ,michael ,angelo's idea of ,christ4 ,he who was so good1 so religious1 so pure-minded1 and so high-minded1 was deficient in humility and sympathy2 if his morals escaped1 his imagination was corrupted by the profane and pagan influences of his time4 ,his conception of ,christ is here most unchristian1 and his conception of the ,virgin is not much better4 ,she is grand in form1 but the expression is too passive4 ,she looks down and seems to shrink2 but the significance of the attitude1--the hand pressed to the maternal bosom1--given to her by the old painters1 is lost4 ,in a ,last ,judgment by ,rubens1 painted for the ,jesuits of ,brussels 7,brussels2 ,muse71 the ,virgin extends her robe over the world1 as if to shield mankind from the wrath of her ,son2 pointing1 at the same time1 significantly to her bosom1 whence ,he derived his earthly life4 ,the daring bad taste1 and the dramatic power of this representation1 are characteristic alike of the painter1 the time1 and the community for which the picture was painted4 99 99 99 99 99 ,more beautiful and more acceptable to our feelings are those graceful representations of the ,virgin as dispenser of mercy on earth2 as protectress and patroness either of all ,christendom1 or of some particular locality1 country1 or community4 ,in such pictures she stands with outstretched arms1 crowned with a diadem1 or in some instances simply veiled1 her ample robe1 extended on each side1 is held up by angels1 while under its protecting folds are gathered worshippers and votaries of all ranks and ages--men1 women1 children1--kings1 nobles1 ecclesiastics1--the poor1 the lame1 the sick4 ,or if the picture be less universal in its significance1 dedicated perhaps by some religious order or charitable brotherhood1 we see beneath her robe an assemblage of monks and nuns1 or a troop of young orphans or redeemed prisoners4 ,such a representation is styled a ,misericordia4 ,in a picture by ,fra ,filippo ,lippi 7,berlin ,gal471 the ,madonna of ,mercy extends her protecting mantle over thirty-five kneeling figures1 the faces like portraits1 none elevated or beautiful1 but the whole picture as an example of the subject most striking4 ,a very beautiful and singular representation of the ,virgin of ,mercy without the ,child1 ,i found in the collection of ,herr v4 ,quandt1 of ,dresden4 ,she stands with hands folded over her bosom1 and wrapped in ample white drapery1 without ornament of any kind2 over her head1 a veil of transparent gauze of a brown colour1 such as1 from various portraits of the time1 appears to have been then a fashion4 ,the expression of the face is tender and contemplative1 almost sad2 and the whole figure1 which is life-size1 is inexpressibly refined and dignified4 ,the following inscription is on the dark background to the right of the ,virgin3-- ,,imago ,,beat ,,mari ,,virginis ,,qu ,,mens4 ,,august4 ,,mdxxxiii4 ,,apparuit ,,miraculor4 ,,operatione ,,concursu ,,pop4 ,,celeberrim4 ,this beautiful picture was brought from ,brescia to ,vienna by a picture-dealer1 and purchased by ,herr v4 ,quandt4 ,it was painted by ,moretto of ,brescia1 of whom ,lanzi truly says that his sacred subjects express la compunzione1 la piet1 la carit istessa2 and this picture is an instance4 ,but by whom dedicated1 for what especial mercy1 or in what church1 ,i could not ascertain4#a ,footnote #a3 ,i possess a charming drawing of the head by ,fraulein ,louise ,seidler of ,weimar1 whose feeling for early religious art is shown in her own works1 as well as in the beautiful copies she has made of others4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is seldom that the ,madonna di ,misericordia appears without the ,child in her arms2 her maternity is supposed to be one element in her sympathy with suffering humanity4 ,i will add1 however1 to the examples already given1 one very celebrated instance4 ,the picture entitled the ,misericordia di ,lucca is famous in the history of art4 7,lucca4 ,s4 ,romano47 ,it is the most important work of ,fra ,bartolomeo1 and is dated #aeae1 two years before his death4 ,the ,virgin1 a grand and beautiful figure1 stands alone on a raised platform1 with her arms extended1 and looking up to heaven4 ,the ample folds of her robe are held open by two angels4 ,beneath and round her feet are various groups in attitudes of supplication1 who look up to her1 as she looks up to heaven4 ,on one side the donor of the picture is presented by ,st4 ,dominick4 ,above1 in a glory1 is the figure of ,christ surrounded by angels1 and seeming to bend towards his mother4 ,the expression in the heads1 the dignified beneficence of the ,virgin1 the dramatic feeling in the groups1 particularly the women and children1 justify the fame of this picture as one of the greatest of the productions of mind4#a ,footnote #a3 ,according to the account in ,murray's ,handbook1 this picture was dedicated by the noble family of ,montecanini1 and represents the ,virgin interceding for the ,lucchesi during the wars with ,florence4 ,but ,i confess ,i am doubtful of this interpretation1 and rather think it refers to the pestilence1 which1 about #aeab1 desolated the whole of the north of ,italy4 ,wilkie1 who saw this picture in #ahbe1 speaks of the workmanship with the enthusiasm of a workman4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is yet another version of this subject1 which deserves notice from the fantastic grace of the conception4 ,as in early ,christian ,art1 our ,saviour was frequently portrayed as the ,good ,shepherd1 so1 among the later ,spanish fancies1 we find his ,mother represented as the ,divine ,shepherdess4 ,in a picture painted by ,alonzo ,miguel de ,tobar 7,madrid ,gal4 #bbf71 about the beginning of the eighteenth century1 we find the ,virgin ,mary seated under a tree1 in guise of an ,arcadian pastorella1 wearing a broad-brimmed hat1 encircled by a glory1 a crook in her hand1 while she feeds her flock with the mystical roses4 ,the beauty of expression in the head of the ,virgin is such as almost to redeem the quaintness of the religious conceit2 the whole picture is described as worthy of ,murillo4 ,it was painted for a ,franciscan church at ,madrid1 and the idea became so popular1 that we find it multiplied and varied in ,french and ,german prints of the last century2 the original picture remains unequalled for its pensive poetical grace2 but it must be allowed that the idea1 which at first view strikes from its singularity1 is worse than questionable in point of taste1 and will hardly bear repetition4 ,there are some ex-voto pictures of the ,madonna of ,mercy1 which record individual acts of gratitude4 ,one1 for instance1 by ,nicol ,alunno 7,rome1 ,pal4 ,colonna71 in which the ,virgin1 a benign and dignified creature1 stretches forth her sceptre from above1 and rebukes the ugly fiend of ,sin1 about to seize a boy4 ,the mother kneels on one side1 with eyes uplifted1 in faith and trembling supplication4 ,the same idea ,i have seen repeated in a picture by ,lanfranco4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the innumerable votive pictures which represent the ,madonna di ,misericordia with the ,child in her arms1 ,i shall notice hereafter4 ,they are in ,catholic countries the usual ornaments of charitable ,institutions and convents of the ,order of ,mercy2 and have1 as ,i cannot but think1 a very touching significance4 ,,the ,,mater ,,dolorosa4 ,ital4 ,la ,madre di ,dolore4 ,l' ,addolorata4 ,fr4 ,ntre ,dame da ,piti4 ,la ,vierge de ,douleur4 ,sp4 ,nuestra ,seora de ,dolores ,ger4 ,die ,schmerzhafte ,mutter4 ,one of the most important of these devotional subjects proper to the ,madonna is the ,mourning ,mother1 the ,mater ,dolorosa1 in which her character is that of the mother of the crucified ,redeemer2 the mother of the atoning ,sacrifice2 the queen of martyrs2 the woman whose bosom was pierced with a sharp sword2 through whose sorrow the world was saved1 whose anguish was our joy1 and to whom the ,roman ,catholic ,christians address their prayers as consoler of the afflicted1 because she had herself tasted of the bitterest of all earthly sorrow1 the pang of the agonized mother for the loss of her child4 ,in this character we have three distinct representations of the ,madonna4 ,,mater ,,dolorosa4 ,in the first she appears alone1 a seated or standing figure1 often the head or half length only2 the hands clasped1 the head bowed in sorrow1 tears streaming from the heavy eyes1 and the whole expression intensely mournful4 ,the features are properly those of a woman in middle age2 but in later times the sentiment of beauty predominated over that of the mother's agony2 and ,i have seen the sublime ,mater ,dolorosa transformed into a merely beautiful and youthful maiden1 with such an air of sentimental grief as might serve for the loss of a sparrow4 ,not so with the older heads2 even those of the ,carracci and the ,spanish school have often a wonderful depth of feeling4 ,it is common in such representations to represent the ,virgin with a sword in her bosom1 and even with seven swords in allusion to the seven sorrows4 ,this very material and palpable version of the allegorical prophecy 7,luke ii1 #ce7 has been found extremely effective as an appeal to the popular feelings1 so that there are few ,roman ,catholic churches without such a painful and literal interpretation of the text4 ,it occurs perpetually in prints1 and there is a fine example after ,vandyck2 sometimes the swords are placed round her head2 but there is no instance of such a figure from the best period of religious art1 and it must be considered as anything but artistic3 in this case1 the more materialized and the more matter of fact1 the more unreal4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,stabat ,,mater4 ,a second representation of the ,madre di ,dolore is that figure of the ,virgin which1 from the very earliest times1 was placed on the right of the ,crucifix1 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist being invariably on the left4 ,i am speaking here of the crucifix as a wholly ideal and mystical emblem of our faith in a crucified ,saviour2 not of the crucifixion as an event1 in which the ,virgin is an actor and spectator1 and is usually fainting in the arms of her attendants4 ,in the ideal subject she is merely an ideal figure1 at once the mother of ,christ1 and the personified ,church4 ,this1 ,i think1 is evident from those very ancient carvings1 and examples in stained glass1 in which the ,virgin1 as the ,church1 stands on one side of the cross1 trampling on a female figure which personifies ,judaism or the synagogue4 ,even when the allegory is less palpable1 we feel that the treatment is wholly religious and poetical4 ,the usual attitude of the ,mater ,dolorosa by the crucifix is that of intense but resigned sorrow2 the hands clasped1 the head declined and shaded by a veil1 the figure closely wrapped in a dark blue or violet mantle4 ,in some instances a more generally religious and ideal cast is given to the figure2 she stands with outspread arms1 and looking up2 not weeping1 but in her still beautiful face a mingled expression of faith and anguish4 ,this is the true conception of the sublime hymn1 ,stabat ,mater ,dolorosa ,juxta crucem lachrymosa ,dum pendebat filius4 ,,la ,,piet4 ,the third1 and it is the most important and most beautiful of all as far as the ,virgin is concerned1 is the group called the ,,piet1 which1 when strictly devotional1 consists only of the ,virgin with her dead ,son in her arms1 or on her lap1 or lying at her feet2 in some instances with lamenting angels1 but no other personages4 ,this group has been varied in a thousand ways2 no doubt the two most perfect conceptions are those of ,michael ,angelo and ,raphael2 the first excelling in sublimity1 the latter in pathos4 ,the celebrated marble group by ,michael ,angelo stands in the ,vatican in a chapel to the right as we enter4 ,the ,virgin is seated2 the dead ,saviour lies across the knees of his mother2 she looks down on him in mingled sorrow and resignation1 but the majestic resignation predominates4 ,the composition of ,raphael exists only as a print2 but the flimsy paper1 consecrated through its unspeakable beauty1 is likely to be as lasting as the marble4 ,it represents the ,virgin1 standing with outstretched arms1 and looking up with an appealing agonized expression towards heaven2 before her1 on the earth1 lies extended the form of the ,saviour4 ,in tenderness1 dignity1 simplicity1 and tragic pathos1 nothing can exceed this production2 the head of the ,virgin in particular is regarded as a masterpiece1 so far exceeding in delicacy of execution every other work of ,marc ,antonio1 that some have thought that ,raphael himself took the burin from his hand1 and touched himself that face of quiet woe4 ,another example of wonderful beauty is the ,piet by ,francia1 in our ,national ,gallery4 ,the form of ,christ lies extended before his mother2 a lamenting angel sustains the head1 another is at the feet3 the ,virgin1 with eyes red and heavy with weeping1 looks out of the picture4 ,there needs no visible sword in her bosom to tell what anguish has pierced that maternal heart4 ,there is another ,piet1 by ,michael ,angelo1 quite a different conception4 ,the ,virgin sits at the foot of the cross2 before her1 and half-sustained by her knees1 lies the form of the dead ,saviour1 seen in front2 his arms are held up by two angels 7unwinged1 as is usual with ,michael ,angelo74 ,the ,virgin looks up to heaven with an appealing expression2 and in one engraving of this composition the cross is inscribed with the words1 ,tu non pensi quanta sangue costa4 ,there is no painting by ,michael ,angelo himself1 but many copies and engravings of the drawing4 ,a beautiful small copy1 by ,marcello ,venusti1 is in the ,queen's ,gallery4 ,there is yet another version of the ,piet1 quite mystical and devotional in its significance1--but1 to my feeling1 more painful and material than poetical4 ,it is variously treated2 for example3--#a4 ,the dead ,redeemer is seen half-length within the tomb2 his hands are extended to show his wounds2 his eyes are closed1 his head declined1 his bleeding brow encircled by thorns4 ,on one side is the ,virgin1 on the other ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 in attitudes of profound grief and commiseration4 #b4 ,the dead form1 half emerging from the tomb1 is sustained in the arms of the ,mater ,dolorosa4 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist on the other side4 ,there are sometimes angels4 ,the ,piet thus conceived as a purely religious and ideal impersonation of the atoning ,sacrifice1 is commonly placed over the altar of the sacrament1 and in many altar-pieces it forms the centre of the predella1 just in front where the mass is celebrated1 or on the door of the tabernacle1 where the ,host is deposited4 ,when1 with the ,mater ,dolorosa and ,st4 ,john1 ,mary ,magdalene is introduced with her dishevelled hair1 the group ceases to be properly a ,piet1 and becomes a representation rather than a symbol4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there are also examples of a yet more complex but still perfectly ideal and devotional treatment1 in which the ,mourning ,mother is attended by saints4 ,a most celebrated instance of this treatment is the ,piet by ,guido4 7,bologna ,gal47 ,in the upper part of the composition1 the figure of the dead ,redeemer lies extended on a white shroud2 behind him stands the ,virgin-mother1 with her eyes raised to heaven1 and sad appealing face1 touched with so divine a sorrow--so much of dignity in the midst of infinite anguish1 that ,i know nothing finer in its way4 ,her hands are resignedly folded in each other1 not raised1 not clasped1 but languidly drooping4 ,an angel stands at the feet of ,christ looking on with a tender adoring commiseration2 another1 at his head1 turns away weeping4 ,a kind of curtain divides this group from the lower part of the picture1 where1 assembled on a platform1 stand or kneel the guardian saints of ,bologna3 in the centre1 the benevolent ,st4 ,charles ,borromeo1 who just about that time had been canonized and added to the list of the patrons of ,bologna by a decree of the senate2 on the right1 ,st4 ,dominick and ,st4 ,petronius2 on the left1 ,st4 ,proculus and ,st4 ,francis4 ,these sainted personages look up as if adjuring the ,virgin1 even by her own deep anguish1 to intercede for the city2 she is here at once our ,lady of ,pity1 of ,succour1 and of ,sorrow4 ,this wonderful picture was dedicated1 as an act of penance and piety1 by the magistrates of ,bologna1 in #afaf1 and placed in their chapel in the church of the ,mendicanti1 otherwise ,s4 ,maria-della-,piet4 ,it hung there for two centuries1 for the consolation of the afflicted2 it is now placed in the ,academy of ,bologna for the admiration of connoisseurs4 ,,our ,,lady ,,of ,,the ,,immaculate ,,conception4 ,ital4 ,la ,madonna ,purissima4 ,lat4 ,regina sine labe originali concepta4 ,spa4 ,nuestra ,seora sin peccado concepida4 ,la ,concepcion4 ,fr4 ,la ,conception de la ,vierge ,marie4 ,ger4 ,das ,geheimniss der unbefleckten ,empfngniss ,mari4 ,dec4 #h4 ,the last and the latest subject in which the ,virgin appears alone without the ,child1 is that entitled the ,immaculate ,conception of the ,blessed ,virgin2 and sometimes merely ,,the ,,conception4 ,there is no instance of its treatment in the earlier schools of art2 but as one of the most popular subjects of the ,italian and ,spanish painters of the seventeenth century1 and one very frequently misunderstood1 it is necessary to go into the history of its origin4 ,in the early ages of ,christianity1 it was usual to celebrate1 as festivals of the ,church1 the ,conception of ,jesus ,christ1 and the ,conception of his kinsman and precursor ,john the ,baptist2 the latter as miraculous1 the former as being at once divine and miraculous4 ,in the eleventh century it was proposed to celebrate the ,conception of the ,virgin ,mother of the ,redeemer4 ,from the time that the heresy of ,nestorius had been condemned1 and that the dignity of the ,virgin as mother of the ,divinity had become a point of doctrine1 it was not enough to advocate her excelling virtue and stainless purity as a mere human being4 ,it was contended1 that having been predestined from the beginning as the ,woman1 through whom the divine nature was made manifest on earth1 she must be presumed to be exempt from all sin1 even from that original taint inherited from ,adam4 ,through the first ,eve1 we had all died2 through the second ,eve1 we had all been made alive4 ,it was argued that ,god had never suffered his earthly temple to be profaned2 had even promulgated in person severe ordinances to preserve its sanctuary inviolate4 ,how much more to him was that temple1 that tabernacle built by no human hands1 in which he had condescended to dwell4 ,nothing was impossible to ,god2 it lay1 therefore1 in his power to cause his ,mother to come absolutely pure and immaculate into the world3 being in his power1 could any earnest worshipper of the ,virgin doubt for a moment that for one so favoured it would not be done8 ,such was the reasoning of our forefathers2 and the premises granted1 who shall call it illogical or irreverent8 ,for three or four centuries1 from the seventh to the eleventh1 these ideas had been gaining ground4 ,st4 ,ildefonso of ,seville distinguished himself by his writings on this subject2 and how the ,virgin recompensed his zeal1 ,murillo has shown us1 and ,i have related in the life of that saint4 7,legends of the ,monastic ,orders47 ,but the first mention of a festival1 or solemn celebration of the ,mystery of the ,immaculate ,conception1 may be traced to an ,english monk of the eleventh century1 whose name is not recorded1 7v4 ,baillet1 vol4 xii47 ,when1 however1 it was proposed to give the papal sanction to this doctrine as an article of belief1 and to institute a church office for the purpose of celebrating the ,conception of ,mary1 there arose strong opposition4 ,what is singular1 ,st4 ,bernard1 so celebrated for his enthusiastic devotion to the ,virgin1 was most strenuous and eloquent in his disapprobation4 ,he pronounced no judgment against those who received the doctrine of the ,immaculate ,conception1 he rather leaned towards it2 but he opposed the institution of the festival as an innovation not countenanced by the early fathers of the ,church4 ,after the death of ,st4 ,bernard1 for about a hundred years1 the dispute slept2 but the doctrine gained ground4 ,the thirteenth century1 so remarkable for the manifestation of religious enthusiasm in all its forms1 beheld the revival of this celebrated controversy4 ,a certain ,franciscan friar1 ,duns ,scotus 7,john ,scott of ,dunse71 entered the lists as champion for the ,virgin4 ,he was opposed by the ,dominicans and their celebrated polemic ,thomas ,aquinas1 who1 like ,st4 ,bernard1 was known for his enthusiastic reverence for the ,virgin2 but1 like him1 and on the same grounds1 objected to the introduction of new forms4 ,thus the theological schools were divided4 ,during the next two hundred years the belief became more and more general1 the doctrine more and more popular2 still the ,church1 while it tolerated both1 refused to ratify either4 ,all this time we find no particular representation of the favourite dogma in art1 for until ratified by the authority of the ,church1 it could not properly enter into ecclesiastical decoration4 ,we find1 however1 that the growing belief in the pure ,conception and miraculous sanctification of the ,virgin multiplied the representations of her coronation and glorification1 as the only permitted expression of the popular enthusiasm on this point4 ,for the powerful ,order of the ,franciscans1 who were at this time and for a century afterwards the most ardent champions of the ,immaculate ,conception1 were painted most of the pictures of the ,coronation produced during the fourteenth century4 ,the first papal decree touching the ,immaculate ,conception as an article of faith1 was promulgated in the reign of ,sixtus ,,iv41 who had been a ,franciscan friar1 and he took the earliest opportunity of giving the solemn sanction of the ,church to what had ever been the favourite dogma of his ,order2 but the celebration of the festival1 never actually forbidden1 had by this time become so usual1 that the papal ordinance merely sanctioned without however rendering it obligatory4 ,an office was composed for the festival1 and in #adif the ,sorbonne declared in favour of it ,still it remained a point of dispute2 still there were dissentient voices1 principally among the ,dominican theologians2 and from #aejj to #afjj we find this controversy occupying the pens of the ecclesiastics1 and exciting the interest and the imagination of the people4 ,in ,spain the ,immaculate ,conception of the ,virgin1 owing perhaps to the popularity and power of the ,franciscans in that country1 had long been the darling dogma of the ,spanish ,church4 ,villegas1 in the ,flos ,sanctorum1 while admitting the modern origin of the opinion1 and the silence of the ,church1 contended that1 had this great fact been made manifest earlier and in less enlightened times1 it might possibly have led to the error of worshipping the ,virgin as an actual goddess4 7,stirling's ,artists of ,spain1 p4 #ije47 ,to those who are conversant with ,spanish theology and art1 it may seem that the distinction drawn in theory is not very definite or perceptible in practice4 ,at length1 in ,july1 #afae1 ,paul ,v4 formally instituted the office commemorating the ,immaculate ,conception1 and in #afag issued a bull forbidding any one to teach or preach a contrary opinion4 ,on the publication of this bull1 ,seville flew into a frenzy of religious joy4 ,the archbishop performed a solemn service in the ,cathedral4 ,cannon roared1 and bull fights1 tournaments1 and banquets celebrated this triumph of the votaries of the ,virgin4 ,spain and its dependencies were solemnly placed under the protection of the ,immaculate ,conception1 thus personifying an abstract idea2 and to this day1 a ,spaniard salutes his neighbour with the angelic ,ave ,maria purissima6 and he responds ,sin peccado concepida6#a ,footnote #a3 ,in our own days we have seen this curious controversy revived4 ,one of the latest1 if not the last1 writer on the subject was ,cardinal ,lambruschini2 and the last papal ordinance was promulgated by ,pio ,mono1 and dated from ,gaeta1 #ahdi4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i cannot find the date of the earliest picture of the ,immaculate ,conception2 but the first writer on the art who makes allusion to the subject1 and lays down specific rules from ecclesiastical authority for its proper treatment1 is the ,spaniard ,pacheco1 who must have been about forty years of age when the bull was published at ,seville in #afah4 ,it is soon after this time that we first hear of pictures of the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,pacheco subsequently became a familiar of the ,inquisition1 and wielded the authority of the holy office as inspector of sacred pictures2 and in his ,arte de la ,pintura1 published in #afdi1 he laid down those rules for the representation which had been generally1 though not always1 exactly followed4 ,it is evident that the idea is taken from the woman in the ,apocalypse1 clothed with the sun1 having the moon under her feet1 and on her head a crown of twelve stars4 ,the ,virgin is to be portrayed in the first spring and bloom of youth as a maiden of about twelve or thirteen years of age2 with grave sweet eyes2 her hair golden2 her features with all the beauty painting can express2 her hands are to be folded on her bosom or joined in prayer4 ,the sun is to be expressed by a flood of light around her4 ,the moon under her feet is to have the horns pointing downwards1 because illuminated from above1 and the twelve stars are to form a crown over her head4 ,the robe must be of spotless white2 the mantle or scarf blue4 ,round her are to hover cherubim bearing roses1 palms1 and lilies2 the head of the bruised and vanquished dragon is to be under her feet4 ,she ought to have the cord of ,st4 ,francis as a girdle1 because in this guise she appeared to ,beatriz de ,silva1 a noble ,franciscan nun1 who was favoured by a celestial vision of the ,madonna in her beatitude4 ,perhaps the good services of the ,franciscans as champions of the ,immaculate ,conception procured them the honour of being thus commemorated4 ,all these accessories are not absolutely and rigidly required2 and ,murillo1 who is entitled par excellence the painter of the ,conception1 sometimes departed from the letter of the law without being considered as less orthodox4 ,with him the crescent moon1 is sometimes the full moon1 or when a crescent the horns point upwards instead of downwards4 ,he usually omits the starry crown1 and1 in spite of his predilection for the ,capuchin ,order1 the cord of ,st4 ,francis is in most instances dispensed with4 ,he is exact with regard to the colours of the drapery1 but not always in the colour of the hair4 ,on the other hand1 the beauty and expression of the face and attitude1 the mingled loveliness1 dignity1 and purity1 are given with exquisite feeling2 and we are never1 as in his other representations of the ,madonna1 reminded of commonplace homely1 often peasant1 portraiture2 here all is spotless grace1 ethereal delicacy1 benignity1 refinement1 repose1--the very apotheosis of womanhood4 ,i must go back to observe1 that previous to the promulgation of the famous bull of ,pope ,paul ,v41 the popular ideas concerning the ,immaculate ,conception had left their impress on art4 ,before the subject had taken an express and authorized form1 we find pictures which1 if they do not represent it1 relate to it1 ,i remember two which cannot be otherwise interpreted1 and there are probably others4 ,the first ,is a curious picture of the early ,florentine ,school4 7,berlin ,gal47 ,in the centre is original sin1 represented by ,eve and the ,serpent2 on the right stand ,st4 ,ambrose1 ,st4 ,hilarius1 ,st4 ,anselm1 and ,st4 ,bernard2 on the left ,st4 ,cyril1 ,origen1 ,st4 ,augustine1 and ,st4 ,cyprian2 and below are inscribed passages from the writings of these fathers relating to the immaculate ,conception of the ,virgin3 all of them had given to her in their works the title of ,immaculate1 most pure2 but they differed as to the period of her sanctification1 as to whether it was in the moment of conception or at the moment of birth4 ,the other picture is in the ,dresden ,gallery1 and one of the finest productions of that extraordinary ,ferrarese painter ,dosso ,dossi4 ,in the lower part of the picture are the four ,latin ,fathers1 turning over their great books1 or in deep meditation2 behind them1 the ,franciscan ,bernardino of ,siena4 ,above1 in a glory of light1 the ,virgin1 clothed1 not in spotless white1 but a richly embroidered regal mantle1 wrought about with divers colours1 kneels at the feet of the ,almighty1 who extends his hand in benediction4 ,i find no account in the catalogue whence this picture was taken1 but it was evidently painted for the ,franciscans4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in #afag1 when the ,bull of ,paul ,v4 was formally expedited1 ,guido was attached to the papal court in quality of painter and an especial favourite with his ,holiness4 ,among the earliest accredited pictures of the ,immaculate ,conception1 are four of his finest works4 #a4 ,the cupola of the private chapel of the ,quirinal represents the ,almighty meditating the great miracle of the ,immaculate ,conception1 and near him1 within the same glory of light1 is the ,virgin in her white tunic1 and in an attitude of adoration4 ,this was painted about #afaj or #afaa1 when ,pope ,paul ,v4 was meditating the promulgation of his famous ordinance4 #b4 ,the great picture1 also painted for ,paul ,v41 represents the doctors of the ,church arguing and consulting their great books for the authorities on the subject of the ,conception4#a ,above1 the ,virgin is seated in glory1 arrayed in spotless white1 her hands crossed over her bosom1 and her eyes turned towards the celestial fountain of light4 ,below are six doctors1 consulting their books2 they are not well characterized1 being merely so many ideal heads in a mannered style2 but ,i believe they represent the four ,latin ,fathers1 with ,st4 ,john ,damascene and ,st4 ,ildefonso1 who were especial defenders of the doctrine4 ,footnote #a3 ,petersburg ,imp4 ,gal4 ,there is a fine engraving4 #c4 ,the next in point of date was painted for the ,infanta of ,spain1 which ,i believe to be the same now in the possession of ,lord ,ellesmere4 ,the figure of the ,virgin1 crowned with the twelve stars1 and relieved from a background of golden light1 is standing on a crescent sustained by three cherubs beneath2 she seems to float between heaven and earth2 on either side is a seraph1 with hands folded and looks upraised in adoration4 ,the whole painted in his silvery tone1 with such an extreme delicacy and transparency of effect1 that it might be styled a vision of the ,immaculate ,conception4 #d4 ,the fourth was painted for the chapel of the ,immaculate ,conception1 in the church of ,san ,biagio1 at ,forli1 and is there still4 99 99 99 99 99 ,just as the ,italian schools of painting were on the decline1 the ,spanish school of art arose in all its glory1 and the ,conception became1 from the popularity of the dogma1 not merely an ecclesiastical1 but a popular subject4 ,not only every church1 but almost every private house1 contained the effigy either painted or carved1 or both1 of our ,lady sin peccado concepida2 and when the academy of painting was founded at ,seville1 in #affj1 every candidate for admission had to declare his orthodox belief in the most pure ,conception of our ,lady4 ,the finest ,spanish ,conception before the time of ,murillo1 is by ,roelas1 who died in #afbe2 it is in the academy at ,seville1 and is mentioned by ,mr4 ,ford as equal to ,guido4#a ,footnote #a3 ,handbook of ,spain4 ,a very fine picture of this subject1 by ,roelas1 was sold out of the ,soult ,collection4 ,one of the most beautiful and characteristic1 as well as earliest1 examples of this subject ,i have seen1 is a picture in the ,esterhazy ,gallery at ,vienna4 ,the ,virgin is in the first bloom of girlhood2 she looks not more than nine or ten years old1 with dark hair1 ,spanish features1 and a charming expression of childlike simplicity and devotion4 ,she stands amid clouds1 with her hands joined1 and the proper white and blue drapery3 there are no accessories4 ,this picture is attributed to an obscure painter1 ,lazaro ,tavarone1 of whom ,i can learn nothing more than that he was employed in the ,escurial about #aeij4 ,the beautiful small ,conception by ,velasquez1 in the possession of ,mr4 ,frere1 is a departure from the rules laid down by ,pacheco in regard to costume2 therefore1 as ,i presume1 painted before he entered the studio of the artist-inquisitor1 whose son-in-law he became before he was three and twenty4 ,here the ,virgin is arrayed in a pale violet robe1 with a dark blue mantle4 ,her hands are joined1 and she looks down4 ,the solemnity and depth of expression in the sweet girlish face is very striking2 the more so1 that it is not a beautiful face1 and has the air of a portrait4 ,her long hair flows over her shoulders4 ,the figure is relieved against a bright sun1 with fleecy clouds around2 and the twelve stars are over her head4 ,she stands on the round moon1 of which the upper half is illumined4 ,below1 on earth1 and through the deep shadow1 are seen several of the emblems of the ,virgin--the fountain1 the temple1 the olive1 the cypress1 and the garden enclosed in a treillage of roses4#a ,this picture is very remarkable2 it is in the earliest manner of ,velasquez1 painted in the bold free style of his first master1 ,herrara1 whose school he quitted when he was about seventeen or eighteen1 just at the period when the ,pope's ordinance was proclaimed at ,seville4 ,footnote #a3 v4 ,introduction3 ,the ,symbols and ,attributes of the ,virgin4 99 99 99 99 99 ,of twenty-five pictures of this subject1 painted by ,murillo1 there are not two exactly alike2 and they are of all sizes1 from the colossal figure called the ,great ,conception of ,seville1 to the exquisite miniature representation in the possession of ,lord ,overston1 not more than fifteen inches in height4 ,lord ,lansdowne has also a beautiful small ,conception1 very simply treated4 ,in those which have dark hair1 ,murillo is said to have taken his daughter ,francisca as a model4 ,the number of attendant angels varies from one or two1 to thirty4 ,they bear the palm1 the olive1 the rose1 the lily1 the mirror2 sometimes a sceptre and crown4 ,i remember but few instances in which he has introduced the dragon-fiend1 an omission which ,pacheco is willing to forgive2 for1 as he observes1 no man ever painted the devil with good-will4 ,in the ,louvre picture 7,no4 #aabd71 the ,virgin is adored by three ecclesiastics4 ,in another example1 quoted by ,mr4 ,stirling 7,artists of ,spain1 p4 #hci71 a friar is seen writing at her feet3 this figure probably represents her champion1 the friar ,duns ,scotus4 ,there is at ,hampton ,court a picture1 by ,spagnoletto1 of this same ,duns ,scotus writing his defence of the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,spagnoletto was painting at ,naples1 when1 in #afah1 the ,viceroy solemnly swore1 in presence of the assembled multitude1 to defend with his life the doctrine of the ,immaculate ,conception2 and this picture1 curious and striking in its way1 was painted about the same time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,italy1 the decline of ,art in the seventeenth century is nowhere more apparent1 nor more offensive1 than in this subject4 ,a finished example of the most execrable taste is the mosaic in ,st4 ,peter's1 after ,pietro ,bianchi4 ,there exists1 somewhere1 a picture of the ,conception1 by ,le ,brun1 in which the ,virgin has no other drapery than a thin1 transparent gauze1 and has the air of a ,venus ,meretrix4 ,in some old ,french prints1 the ,virgin is surrounded by a number of angels1 defending her with shield and buckler against demons who are taking aim at her with fiery arrows4 ,such1 and even worse1 vagaries and perversities1 are to be found in the innumerable pictures of this favourite subject1 which inundated the churches between #afdj and #agbj4 ,of these ,i shall say no more4 ,the pictures of ,guido and ,murillo1 and the carved figures of ,alonzo ,cano1 ,montanez1 and ,hernandez1 may be regarded as authorized effigies of ,our ,lady of the most pure ,conception2 in other words1 as embodying1 in the most attractive1 decorous1 and intelligible form1 an abstract theological dogma1 which is in itself one of the most curious1 and1 in its results1 one of the most important of the religions phenomena connected with the artistic representations of the ,virgin4#a ,footnote #a3 ,we often find on pictures and prints of the ,immaculate ,conception1 certain scriptural texts which the theologians of the ,roman ,church have applied to the ,blessed ,virgin2 for instance1 from ,ps4 xliv4 ,omnis gloria ejus fili regis ab intus--,the king's daughter is all glorious within2 or from the ,canticles1 iv4 #g1 ,tota pulchra es amica mea1 et macula non est in te1--,thou art all fair1 my love1 there is no spot in thee4 ,i have also seen the texts1 ,ps4 xxii4 #aj1 and ,prov4 viii4 #bb1 #bh1 xxxi4 #bi1 thus applied1 as well as other passages from the very poetical office of the ,virgin ,in ,festo ,immaculat ,conceptionis4 ,we must be careful to discriminate between the ,conception1 so styled by ecclesiastical authority1 and that singular and mystical representation which is sometimes called the ,predestination of ,mary1 and sometimes the ,litanies of the ,virgin4 ,collectors and writers on art must bear in mind1 that the former1 as a subject1 dates only from the beginning of the seventeenth century1 the latter from the beginning of the sixteenth4 ,although1 as representations1 so very similar1 yet the intention and meaning are different4 ,in the ,conception it is the sinless ,virgin in her personal character1 who is held up to reverence1 as the purest1 wisest1 holiest1 of created beings4 ,the earlier theme involves a yet more recondite signification4 ,it is1 undoubtedly1 to be regarded as an attempt on the part of the artist to express1 in a visible form1 the idea or promise of the redemption of the human race1 as existing in the ,sovereign ,mind before the beginning of things4 ,they do not personify this idea under the image of ,christ1--for they conceived that1 as the second person of the ,trinity1 he could not be his own instrument1--but by the image of ,mary surrounded by those attributes which were afterwards introduced into the pictures of the ,conception3 or setting her foot1 as second ,eve1 on the head of the prostrate serpent4 ,not seldom1 in a series of subjects from the ,old ,testament1 the pendant to ,eve holding the apple is ,mary crushing the head of the fiend2 and thus the bane and antidote are both before us4 ,this is the proper interpretation of those effigies1 so prevalent in every form of art during the sixteenth century1 and which are often1 but erroneously1 styled the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,the numerous heads of the ,virgin which proceeded from the later schools of ,italy and ,spain1 wherein she appears neither veiled nor crowned1 but very young1 and with flowing hair and white vesture1 are intended to embody the popular idea of the ,madonna purissima1 of the ,virgin most pure1 conceived without sin1 in an abridged form4 ,there is one by ,murillo1 in the collection of ,mr4 ,holford2 and another by ,guido1 which will give an idea of the treatment4 ,before quitting the subject of the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,i must refer to a very curious picture#a called an ,assumption1 but certainly painted at least one hundred years before the ,immaculate ,conception was authorized as a ,church subject4 ,footnote #a3 ,once in the collection of ,mr4 ,solly1 and now in the possession of ,mr4 ,bromley of ,wootten4 ,from the year #adif1 when ,sixtus ,,iv4 promulgated his ,bull1 and the ,sorbonne put forth their famous decree1--at a time when there was less of faith and religious feeling in ,italy than ever before1--this abstract dogma became a sort of watchword with theological disputants2 not ecclesiastics only1 the literati and the reigning powers took an interest in the controversy1 and were arrayed on one side or the other4 ,the ,borgias1 for instance1 were opposed to it4 ,just at this period1 the singular picture ,i allude to was painted by ,girolamo da ,cotignola4 ,it is mentioned by ,lanzi1 but his account of it is not quite correct4 ,above1 in glory1 is seen the ,padre ,eterno1 surrounded by cherubim bearing a scroll1 on which is inscribed1 ,non enim pro te sed pro omnibus hec lex constitutura est4#a ,lower down the ,virgin stands on clouds1 with hands joined1 and attired in a white tunic embroidered with gold1 a blue mantle lined with red1 and1 which is quite singular and unorthodox1 black shoes4 ,below1 on the earth1 and to the right1 stands a bishop without a glory1 holding a scroll1 on which is inscribed1 ,non puto ver esse amatorem ,virginis qui respuit celebrare ,festum su ,conceptionis2 on the left is ,st4 ,jerome4 ,in the centre are three kneeling figures3 on one side ,st4 ,catherine 7or perhaps ,caterina ,sforza in the character of ,st4 ,catherine1 for the head looks like a portrait72 on the other an elderly woman1 ,ginevra ,tiepolo1 widow of ,giovanni ,sforza1 last prince of ,pesaro2 #b between them the little ,costanzo ,sforza1 looking up with a charming devout expression4 #c ,underneath is ,inscribed1 ,,junipera ,,sfostia ,,patria ,a ,,marito ,,recepta4 ,,exvoto ,,mcccccxii4 ,giovanni ,sforza had been dispossessed of his dominions by the ,borgias1 after his divorce from ,lucrezia1 and died in #aeja4 ,the ,borgias ceased to reign in #aeab2 and ,ginevra1 apparently restored to her country1 dedicated this picture1 at once a memorial of her gratitude and of her faith4 ,it remained over the high-altar of the ,church of the ,serviti1 at ,pesaro1 till acquired by ,mr4 ,solly1 from whom it was purchased by ,mr4 ,bromley4 #d ,footnote #a3 ,from the ,office of the ,blessed ,virgin4 ,footnote #b3 ,this ,giovanni was the first husband of ,lucrezia ,borgia4 ,footnote #c3 ,lanzi calls this child ,costanzo ,,ii41 prince of ,pesaro4 ,very interesting memoirs of all the personages here referred to may be found in ,mr4 ,dennistoun's ,dukes of ,urbino4 ,footnote #d3 ,girolamo ,marchesi da ,cotignola1 was a painter of the ,francia school1 whose works date from about #aejh to #aeej4 ,those of his pictures which ,i have seen are of very unequal merit1 and1 with much feeling and expression in the heads1 are often mannered and fantastic as compositions4 ,this agrees with what ,vasari says1 that his excellence lay in portraiture1 for which reason he was summoned1 after the battle of ,ravenna1 to paint the portrait of ,caston de ,foix1 as he lay dead4 7,see ,vasari1 ,vita di ,bagnacavallo2 and in the ,english trans41 vol4 iii4 #cca47 ,the picture above described1 which has a sort of historical interest1 is perhaps the same mentioned in ,murray's ,handbook 7,central ,italy1 p4 #aaj47 as an enthroned ,madonna1 dated #aeac1 and as being in #ahdc in its original place over the altar in the ,serviti at ,pesaro2 if so1 it is there no longer4 ,,devotional ,,subjects4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,and ,,child4 #a4 ,,la ,,vergine ,,madre ,,di ,,dio4 #b4 ,,la ,,ma ,,dre ,,amabile4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,and ,,child ,,enthroned4 ,lat4 ,sancta ,dei ,genitrix4 ,virgo ,deipara4 ,ital4 ,la ,santissima ,vergine1 ,madre di ,dio4 ,fr4 ,la ,sainte ,vierge1 ,mre de ,dieu4 ,ger4 ,die ,heilige ,mutter ,gottes4 ,the ,virgin in her maternal character opens upon us so wide a field of illustration1 that ,i scarce know where to begin or how to find my way1 amid the crowd of associations which press upon me4 ,a mother holding her child in her arms is no very complex subject2 but like a very simple air constructed on a few expressive notes1 which1 when harmonized1 is susceptible of a thousand modulations1 and variations1 and accompaniments1 while the original motif never loses its power to speak to the heart2 so it is with the ,,madonna ,,and ,,child2--a subject so consecrated by its antiquity1 so hallowed by its profound significance1 so endeared by its associations with the softest and deepest of our human sympathies1 that the mind has never wearied of its repetition1 nor the eye become satiated with its beauty4 ,those who refuse to give it the honour due to a religious representation1 yet regard it with a tender half-unwilling homage2 and when the glorified type of what is purest1 loftiest1 holiest in womanhood1 stands before us1 arrayed in all the majesty and beauty that accomplished ,art1 inspired by faith and love1 could lend her1 and bearing her divine ,son1 rather enthroned than sustained on her maternal bosom1 we look1 and the heart is in heaven6 and it is difficult1 very difficult1 to refrain from an ,ora pro ,nobis4 ,but before we attempt to classify these lovely and popular effigies1 in all their infinite variety1 from the enthroned grandeur of the ,queen of ,heaven1 the ,,sancta ,,dei ,,genitrix1 down to the peasant mother1 swaddling or suckling her infant2 or to interpret the innumerable shades of significance conveyed by the attendant accessories1 we must endeavour to trace the representation itself to its origin4 ,this is difficult4 ,there exists no proof1 ,i believe1 that the effigies of the ,virgin with the infant ,christ in her arms1 which existed before the end of the fifth century1 were placed before ,christian worshippers as objects of veneration4 ,they appear to have been merely groups representing a particular incident of the ,new ,testament1 namely1 the adoration of the ,magi2 for ,i find no other in which the mother is seated with the infant ,christ1 and this is an historical subject of which we shall have to speak hereafter4 ,from the beginning of the fourth century1 that is1 from the time of ,constantine and the condemnation of ,arius1 the popular reverence for the ,virgin1 the ,mother of ,christ1 had been gaining ground2 and at the same time the introduction of images and pictures into the places of worship and into the houses of ,christians1 as ornaments on glass vessels and even embroidered on garments and curtains1 became more and more diffused1 7v4 ,neander's ,church ,history47 ,the earliest effigies of the ,virgin and ,child may be traced to ,alexandria1 and to ,egyptian influences2 and it is as easily conceivable that the time-consecrated ,egyptian myth of ,isis and ,horus may have suggested the original type1 the outward form and the arrangement of the maternal group1 as that the classical ,greek types of the ,orpheus and ,apollo should have furnished the early symbols of the ,redeemer as the ,good ,shepherd2 a fact which does not rest upon supposition1 but of which the proofs remain to us in the antique ,christian sculptures and the paintings in the catacombs4 ,the most ancient ,greek figures of the ,virgin and ,child have perished2 but1 as far as ,i can learn1 there is no evidence that these effigies were recognized by the ,church as sacred before the beginning of the sixth century4 ,it was the ,nestorian schism which first gave to the group of the ,mother bearing her divine ,son that religious importance and significance which it has ever since retained in ,catholic countries4 ,the divinity of ,christ and his miraculous conception1 once established as articles of belief1 naturally imparted to ,mary1 his mother1 a dignity beyond that of other mothers her ,son was ,god2 therefore the title of ,,mother ,,of ,,god was assigned to her4 ,when or by whom first brought into use1 does not appear2 but about the year #djj it became a popular designation4 ,nestorias1 patriarch of ,constantinople in #dbh1 had begun by persecuting the ,arians2 but while he insisted that in ,jesus were combined two persons and two natures1 he insisted that the ,virgin ,mary was the mother of ,christ considered as man1 but not the mother of ,christ considered as ,god2 and that1 consequently1 all those who gave her the title of ,dei ,genitrix1 ,deipara1#a were in error4 ,there were many who adopted these opinions1 but by a large portion of the ,church they were repudiated with horror1 as utterly subverting the doctrine of the mystery of the ,incarnation4 ,cyril of ,alexandria opposed ,nestorius and his followers1 and defended with zealous enthusiasm the claims of the ,virgin to all the reverence and worship due to her2 for1 as he argued1 the two natures being one and indivisible from the moment of the miraculous conception1 it followed that ,mary did indeed bring forth ,god1--was1 in fact1 the mother of ,god2 and1 all who took away from her this dignity and title were in error1 and to be condemned as heretics4 ,footnote #a3 ,the inscription on the ,greek and ,byzantine pictures is actually ,greek3 ,m,ae,r ,th,u 7,greek3 ,mhaetaer ,theos74 ,i hope ,i shall not be considered irreverent in thus plainly and simply stating the grounds of this celebrated schism1 with reference to its influence on ,art2 an influence incalculable1 not only at the time1 but ever since that time2 of which the manifold results1 traced from century to century down to the present hour1 would remain quite unintelligible1 unless we clearly understood the origin and the issue of the controversy4 ,cyril1 who was as enthusiastic and indomitable as ,nestorius1 and had the advantage of taking the positive against the negative side of the question1 anathematized the doctrines of his opponent1 in a synod held at ,alexandria in #dcj1 to which ,pope ,celestine ,,ii gave the sanction of his authority4 ,the emperor ,theodosius ,,ii then called a general council at ,ephesus in #dca1 before which ,nestorius refused to appear1 and was deposed from his dignity of patriarch by the suffrages of #bjj bishops4 ,but this did not put an end to the controversy2 the streets of ,ephesus were disturbed by the brawls and the pavement of the cathedral was literally stained with the blood of the contending parties ,theodosius arrested both the patriarchs2 but after the lapse of only a few days1 ,cyril triumphed over his adversary3 with him triumphed the cause of the ,virgin4 ,nestorius was deposed and exiled2 his writings condemned to the flames2 but still the opinions he had advocated were adopted by numbers1 who were regarded as heretics by those who called themselves the ,catholic ,church4 ,the long continuance of this controversy1 the obstinacy of the ,nestorians1 the passionate zeal of those who held the opposite doctrines1 and their ultimate triumph when the ,western ,churches of ,rome and ,carthage declared in their favour1 all tended to multiply and disseminate far and wide throughout ,christendom those images of the ,virgin which exhibited her as ,mother of the ,godhead4 ,at length the ecclesiastical authorities1 headed by ,pope ,gregory the ,great1 stamped them as orthodox3 and as the cross had been the primeval symbol which distinguished the ,christian from the ,pagan1 so the image of the ,virgin ,mother with her ,child now became the symbol which distinguished the ,catholic ,christian from the ,nestorian ,dissenter4 ,thus it appears that if the first religious representations of the ,virgin and ,child were not a consequence of the ,nestorian schism1 yet the consecration of such effigies as the visible form of a theological dogma to the purposes of worship and ecclesiastical decoration must date from the ,council of ,ephesus in #dca2 and their popularity and general diffusion throughout the western ,churches1 from the pontificate of ,gregory in the beginning of the seventh century4 ,in the most ancient of these effigies which remain1 we have clearly only a symbol2 a half figure1 veiled1 with hands outspread1 and the half figure of a child placed against her bosom1 without any sentiment1 without even the action of sustaining him4 ,such was the formal but quite intelligible sign2 but it soon became more1 it became a representation4 ,as it was in the ,east that the cause of the ,virgin first triumphed1 we might naturally expect to find the earliest examples in the old ,greek churches2 but these must have perished in the furious onslaught made by the ,iconoclasts on all the sacred images4 ,the controversy between the image-worshippers and the image-breakers1 which distracted the ,east for more than a century 7that is1 from #gbf to #hdj71 did not1 however1 extend to the west of ,europe4 ,we find the primeval ,byzantine type1 or at least the exact reproduction of it1 in the most ancient western churches1 and preserved to us in the mosaics of ,rome1 ,ravenna1 and ,capua4 ,these remains are nearly all of the same date1 much later than the single figures of ,christ as ,redeemer1 and belonging unfortunately to a lower period and style of art4 ,the true significance of the representation is not1 however1 left doubtful2 for all the earliest traditions and inscriptions are in this agreed1 that such effigies were intended as a confession of faith2 an acknowledgment of the dignity of the ,virgin ,mary1 as the ,,sancta ,,dei ,,genitrix2 as a visible refutation of the infamous1 iniquitous1 and sacrilegious doctrines of ,nestorius the ,heresiarch4#a ,footnote #a3 ,mostrando quod ipsa ,deipara esset contra impiam ,nestorii ,heresium quam talem esse iste ,heresiareo negabat ,vide ,ciampini1 and ,munter's ,sinnbilder4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as these ancient mosaic figures of the ,virgin1 enthroned with her infant ,son1 were the precursors and models of all that was afterwards conceived and executed in art1 we must examine them in detail before proceeding further4 ,the mosaic of the cathedral of ,capua represents in the highest place the half figure of ,christ in the act of benediction4 ,in one of the spandrels1 to the right1 is the prophet ,isaiah1 bearing a scroll1 on which is inscribed1 ,ecce ,dominus in fortitudine veniet1 et brachium ejus dominibatur1--,the ,lord ,god will come with strong hand1 and his arm shall rule for him4 7,isaiah1 ch4 xl4 v4 #aj47 ,on the left stands ,jeremiah1 also with a scroll and the words1 ,fortissime1 magne1 et patens ,dominus exercituum nomen tibi1--,the great1 the mighty ,god1 the ,lord of hosts is his name4 7,jeremiah1 ch4 xxxii4 v4 #ah47 ,in the centre of the vault beneath1 the ,virgin is seated on a rich throne1 a footstool under her feet2 she wears a crown over her veil4 ,christ1 seated on her knee1 and clothed1 holds a cross in his left hand2 the right is raised is benediction4 ,on one side of the throne stand ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,stephen2 on the other ,st4 ,paul and ,st4 ,agatha1 to whom the church is dedicated4 ,the ,greek monogram of the ,virgin is inscribed below the throne4 ,the next in date which remains visible1 is the group in the apsis of ,s4 ,maria-della-,navicella 7,rome71 executed about #hbj1 in the time of ,paschal ,i1 a pontiff who was very remarkable for the zeal with which he rebuilt and adorned the then half-ruined churches of ,rome4 ,the ,virgin1 of colossal size1 is seated on a throne2 her robe and veil are blue2 the infant ,christ1 in a gold-coloured vest1 is seated in her lap1 and raises his hand to bless the worshippers4 ,on each side of the ,virgin is a group of adoring angels2 at her feet kneels the diminutive figure of ,pope ,paschal4 ,in the ,santa ,maria-,nova 7called also1 ,santa ,francesca1 ,rome71 the ,virgin is seated on a throne wearing a rich crown1 as queen of heaven4 ,the infant ,christ stands upon her knee2 she has one hand on her bosom and sustains him with the other4 ,on the faade of the portico of the ,s4 ,maria-in-,trastevere at ,rome1 the ,virgin is enthroned1 and crowned1 and giving her breast to the ,child4 ,this mosaic is of later date than that in the apsis1 but is one of the oldest examples of a representation which was evidently directed against the heretical doubts of the ,nestorians3 ,how1 said they1 pleading before the council of ,ephesus1 can we call him ,god who is only two or three months old2 or suppose the ,logos to have been suckled and to increase in wisdom8 ,the ,virgin in the act of suckling her ,child1 is a motif often since repeated when the original significance was forgotten4 ,in the chapel of ,san ,zeno 7,rome71 the ,virgin is enthroned2 the ,child is seated on her knee4 ,he holds a scroll1 on which are the words ,ego sum lux mundi1 ,i am the light of the world2 the right hand is raised in benediction4 ,above is the monogram ,greek3 ,m-,r ,th,u1 ,,maria ,,mater ,,dei4 ,in the mosaics1 from the eighth to the eleventh century1 we find ,art at a very low ebb4 ,the background is flat gold1 not a blue heaves with its golden stars1 as in the early mosaics of the fifth and sixth centuries4 ,the figures are ill-proportioned2 the faces consist of lines without any attempt at form or expression4 ,the draperies1 however1 have a certain amplitude2 and the character of a few accessories1 for example1 the crown on the ,virgin's heads instead of the invariable ,byzantine veil1 betrays1 says ,kugler1 a northern and probably a ,frankish influence4 ,the attendant saints1 generally ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul1 stand1 stiff and upright on each side4 ,but with all their faults1 these grand1 formal1 significant groups--or rather not groups1 for there was as yet no attempt either at grouping or variety of action1 for that would have been considered irreverent--but these rows of figures1 were the models of the early ,italian painters and mosaic-workers in their large architectural mosaics and altar-pieces set up in the churches during the revival of ,art1 from the period of ,cimabue and ,andrea ,tafi down to the latter half of the thirteenth century3 all partook of this lifeless1 motionless character1 and were1 at the same time1 touched with the same solemn religious feeling4 ,and long afterwards1 when the arrangement became less formal and conventional1 their influence may still be traced in those noble enthroned ,madonnas1 which represent the ,virgin as queen of heaven and of angels1 either alone1 or with attendant saints1 and martyrs1 and venerable confessors waiting round her state4 ,the general disposition of the two figures varies but little in the earliest examples which exist for us in painting1 and which are1 in fact1 very much alike4 ,the ,madonna seated on a throne1 wearing a red tunic and a blue mantle1 part of which is drawn as a veil over her head1 holds the infant ,christ1 clothed in a red or blue tunic4 ,she looks straight out of the picture with her head a little declined to one side4 ,christ has the right hand raised in benediction1 and the other extended4 ,such were the simple1 majestic1 and decorous effigies1 the legitimate successors of the old architectural mosaics1 and usually placed over the high altar of a church or chapel4 ,the earliest examples which have been preserved are for that reason celebrated in the history of ,art4 ,the first is the enthroned ,virgin of ,guido da ,siena1 who preceded ,cimabue by twenty or thirty years4 ,in this picture1 the ,byzantine conception and style of execution are adhered to1 yet with a softened sentiment1 a touch of more natural1 life-like feeling1 particularly in the head of the ,child4 ,the expression in the face of the ,virgin struck me as very gentle and attractive2 but it has been1 ,i am afraid1 retouched1 so that we cannot be quite sure that we have the original features4 ,fortunately ,guido has placed a date on his work1 ,,mccxxi41 and also inscribed on it a distich1 which shows that he felt1 with some consciousness and self-complacency1 his superiority to his ,byzantine models2-- ,me ,guido de ,senis diebus depinxit amoenis ,quem ,christus lenis nullis velit angere poenis4#a ,next we may refer to the two colossal ,madonnas by ,cimabue1 preserved at ,florence4 ,the first1 which was painted for the ,vallombrosian monks of the ,s4 ,trinit1 is now in the gallery of the academy4 ,it has all the stiffness and coldness of the ,byzantine manner4 ,there are three adoring angels on each side1 disposed one above another1 and four prophets are placed below in separate niches1 half figures1 holding in their hands their prophetic scrolls1 as in the old mosaic at ,capua1 already described4 ,the second is preserved in the ,ruccellai chapel1 in the ,s4 ,maria ,novella1 in its original place4 ,in spite of its colossal size1 and formal attitude1 and severe style1 the face of this ,madonna is very striking1 and has been well described as sweet and unearthly1 reminding you of a sibyl4 ,the infant ,christ is also very fine4 ,there are three angels on each side1 who seem to sustain the carved chair or throne on which the ,madonna is seated2 and the prophets1 instead1 of being below1 are painted in small circular medallions down each side of the frame4 ,the throne and the background are covered with gold4 ,vasari gives a very graphic and animated account of the estimation in which this picture was held when first executed4 ,its colossal dimensions1 though familiar in the great mosaics1 were hitherto unknown in painting2 and not less astonishing appeared the deviation1 though slight1 from ugliness and lifelessness into grace and nature4 ,and thus1 he says1 it happened that this work was an object of so much admiration to the people of that day1 they having never seen anything better1 that it was carried in solemn procession1 with the sound of trumpets and other festal demonstrations1 from the house of ,cimabue to the church1 he himself being highly rewarded and honoured for it4 ,it is further reported1 and may be read in certain records of old painters1 that1 whilst ,cimabue was painting this picture1 in a garden near the gate of ,san ,pietro1 ,king ,charles the ,elder1 of ,anjou1 passed through ,florence1 and the authorities of the city1 among other marks of respect1 conducted him to see the picture of ,cimabue4 ,when this work was thus shown to the ,king it had not before been seen by any one2 wherefore all the men and women of ,florence hastened in crowds to admire it1 making all possible demonstrations of delight4 ,the inhabitants of the neighbourhood1 rejoicing in this occurrence1 ever afterwards called that place ,borgo ,allegri2 and this name it has ever since retained1 although in process of time it became enclosed within the walls of the city4 ,footnote #a3 ,the meaning1 for it is not easy to translate literally1 is ,me1 hath painted1 in pleasant days1 ,guido of ,siena1 ,upon whose soul may ,christ deign to have mercy6 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the strictly devotional representations of the ,virgin and ,child1 she is invariably seated1 till the end of the thirteenth century3 and for the next hundred years the innovation of a standing figure was confined to sculpture4 ,an early example is the beautiful statue by ,niccol ,pisano1 in the ,capella della ,spina at ,pisa2 and others will be found in ,cicognara'a work 7,storia della ,scultura ,moderna74 ,the ,gothic cathedrals1 of the thirteenth century1 also exhibit some most graceful examples of the ,madonna in sculpture1 standing on a pedestal1 crowned or veiled1 sustaining on her left arm the divine ,child1 while in her right she holds a sceptre or perhaps a flower4 ,such crowned or sceptred effigies of the ,virgin were placed on the central pillar which usually divided the great door of a church into two equal parts2 in reference to the text1 ,i am the ,,door2 by me if any man enter in1 he shall be saved4 ,in ,roman ,catholic countries we find such effigies set up at the corners of streets1 over the doors of houses1 and the gates of gardens1 sometimes rude and coarse1 sometimes exceedingly graceful1 according to the period of art and skill of the local artist4 ,here the ,virgin appears in her character of ,protectress--our ,lady of ,grace1 or our ,lady of ,succour4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in pictures1 we rarely find the ,virgin standing1 before the end of the fourteenth century4 ,an almost singular example is to be found in an old ,greek ,madonna1 venerated as miraculous1 in the ,cathedral of ,orvieto1 under the title of ,la ,madonna di ,san ,brizio1 and to which is attributed a fabulous antiquity4 ,i may be mistaken1 but my impression1 on seeing it1 was1 that it could not be older than the end of the thirteenth century4 ,the crowns worn by the ,virgin and ,christ are even more modern1 and out of character with the rest of the painting4 ,in ,italy the pupils of ,giotto first began to represent the ,virgin standing on a raised dais4 ,there is an example by ,puccio ,capanna1 engraved in d',agincourt's work2 but such figures are very uncommon4 ,in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries they occur more frequently in the northern than in the ,italian schools4 ,in the simple enthroned ,madonna1 variations of attitude and sentiment were gradually introduced4 ,the ,virgin1 instead of supporting her ,son with both hands1 embraces him with one hand1 and with the other points to him2 or raises her right hand to bless the worshipper4 ,then the ,child caresses his mother1--a charming and natural idea1 but a deviation from the solemnity of the purely religious significance2 better imagined1 however1 to convey the relation between the mother and child1 than the ,virgin suckling her infant1 to which ,i have already alluded in its early religious1 or rather controversial meaning4 ,it is not often that the enthroned ,virgin is thus occupied4 ,mr4 ,rogers had in his collection an exquisite example where the ,virgin1 seated in state on a magnificent throne under a ,gothic canopy and crowned as queen of heaven1 offers her breast to the divine ,infant ,then the ,mother adores her ,child4 ,this is properly the ,madre ,pia afterwards so beautifully varied4 ,he lies extended on her knee1 and she looks down upon him with hands folded in prayer3 or she places her hand under his foot1 an attitude which originally implied her acknowledgment of his sovereignty and superiority1 but was continued as a natural motif when the figurative and religious meaning was no longer considered4 ,sometimes the ,child looks up in his mother's face with his finger on his lip1 expressing the ,verbum sum1 ,i am the ,word4 ,sometimes the ,child1 bending forwards from his mother's knee1 looks down benignly on the worshippers1 who are supposed to be kneeling at the foot of the altar4 ,sometimes1 but very rarely he sleeps2 never in the earliest examples2 for to exhibit the young ,redeemer asleep1 where he is an object of worship1 was then a species of solecism4 ,when the enthroned ,virgin is represented holding a book1 or reading1 while the infant ,christ1 perhaps1 lays his hand upon it--a variation in the first simple treatment not earlier than the end of the fourteenth century1 and very significant--she is then the ,virgo ,sapientissima1 the most ,wise ,virgin2 or the ,mother of ,wisdom1 ,mater ,sapienti2 and the book she holds is the ,book of ,wisdom4#a ,this is the proper interpretation1 where the ,virgin is seated on her throne4 ,in a most beautiful picture by ,granacci 7,berlin ,gal471 she is thus enthroned1 and reading intently2 while ,john the ,baptist and ,st4 ,michael stand on each side4 ,footnote #a3 ,l',abb ,crosnier1 ,iconographie ,chrtienne2 but the book as an attribute had another meaning1 for which1 see the ,introduction4 99 99 99 99 99 ,with regard to costume1 the colours in which the enthroned ,virgin-,mother was arrayed scarcely ever varied from the established rule3 her tunic was to be red1 her mantle blue2 red1 the colour of love1 and religious aspiration2 blue1 the colour of constancy and heavenly purity4 ,in the pictures of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries1 and down to the early part of the fifteenth1 these colours are of a soft and delicate tint1--rose and pale azure2 but afterwards1 when powerful effects of colour became a study1 we have the intense crimson1 and the dark blue verging on purple4 ,sometimes the blue mantle is brought over her head1 sometimes she wears a white veil1 in other instances the queenly crown4 ,sometimes 7but very rarely when she is throned as the ,regina ,coeli7 she has no covering or ornament on her head2 and her fair hair parted on her brow1 flows down on either side in long luxuriant tresses4 ,in the ,venetian and ,german pictures1 she is often most gorgeously arrayed2 her crown studded with jewels1 her robe covered with embroidery1 or bordered with gold and pearls4 ,the ornamental parts of her dress and throne were sometimes1 to increase the magnificence of the effect1 raised in relief and gilt4 ,to the early ,german painters1 we might too often apply the sarcasm of ,apelles1 who said of his rival1 that1 not being able to make ,venus beautiful he had made her fine2 but some of the ,venetian ,madonnas are lovely as well as splendid4 ,gold was often used1 and in great profusion1 in some of the ,lombard pictures even of a late date2 for instance1 by ,carlo ,crivelli3 before the middle of the sixteenth century1 this was considered barbaric4 ,the best ,italian painters gave the ,virgin ample1 well disposed drapery1 but dispensed with ornament4 ,the star embroidered on her shoulder1 so often retained when all other ornament was banished1 expresses her title ,stella ,maris4 ,i have seen some old pictures1 in which she wears a ring on the third finger4 ,this expresses her dignity as the ,sposa as well as the ,mother4 ,with regard to the divine ,infant1 he is1 in the early pictures1 invariably draped1 and it is not till the beginning of the fifteenth century that we find him first partially and then wholly undraped4 ,in the old representations1 he wears a long tunic with full sleeves1 fastened with a girdle4 ,it is sometimes of gold stuff embroidered1 sometimes white1 crimson1 or blue4 ,this almost regal robe was afterwards exchanged for a little semi-transparent shirt without sleeves4 ,in pictures of the throned ,madonna painted expressly for nunneries1 the ,child is1 ,i believe1 always clothed1 or the ,mother partly infolds him in her own drapery4 ,in the ,umbrian pictures of the fifteenth century1 the ,infant often wears a coral necklace1 then and now worn by children in that district1 as a charm against the evil eye4 ,in the ,venetian pictures he has sometimes a coronal of pearls4 ,in the carved and painted images set up in churches1 he wears1 like his mother1 a rich crown over a curled wig1 and is hung round with jewels2 but such images must be considered as out of the pale of legitimate art4 99 99 99 99 99 ,of the various objects placed in the hand of the ,child as emblems ,i have already spoken1 and of their sacred significance as such1--the globe1 the book1 the bird1 the flower1 c4 ,in the works of the ignorant secular artists of later times1 these symbols of power1 or divinity1 or wisdom1 became mere playthings2 and when they had become familiar1 and required by custom1 and the old sacred associations utterly forgotten1 we find them most profanely applied and misused4 ,to give one example3--the bird was originally placed in the hand of ,christ as the emblem of the soul1 or of the spiritual as opposed to the earthly nature2 in a picture by ,baroccio1 he holds it up before a cat1 to be frightened and tormented4#a ,but to proceed4 ,footnote #a3 ,in the ,history of ,our ,lord1 as illustrated in the ,fine ,arts1 the devotional and characteristic effigies of the infant ,christ1 and the accompanying attributes1 will be treated at length4 ,the throne on which the ,virgin is seated1 is1 in very early pictures1 merely an embroidered cushion on a sort of stool1 or a carved ,gothic chair1 such as we see in the thrones and stalls of cathedrals4 ,it is afterwards converted into a rich architectural throne1 most elaborately adorned1 according to the taste and skill of the artist4 ,sometimes1 as in the early ,venetian pictures1 it is hung with garlands of fruits and flowers1 most fancifully disposed4 ,sometimes the arabesque ornaments are raised in relief and gilt4 ,sometimes the throne is curiously painted to imitate various marbles1 and adorned with medallions and bas-reliefs from those subjects of the ,old ,testament which have a reference to the character of the ,virgin and the mission of her divine ,child2 the commonest of all being the ,fall1 which rendered a ,redeemer necessary4 ,moses striking the rock 7the waters of life7--the elevation of the brazen serpent--the gathering of the manna--or ,moses holding the broken tablets of the old law1--all types of redemption1 are often thus introduced as ornaments4 ,in the sixteenth century1 when the purely religious sentiment had declined1 and a classical and profane taste had infected every department of art and literature1 we find the throne of the ,virgin adorned with classical ornaments and bas-reliefs from the antique remains2 as1 for instance1 the hunt of ,theseus and ,hippolyta4 ,we must then suppose her throned on the ruins of paganism1 an idea suggested by the old legends1 which represent the temples and statues of the heathen gods as falling into ruin on the approach of the ,virgin and her ,child2 and a more picturesque application of this idea afterwards became common in other subjects4 ,in ,garofalo's picture the throne is adorned with ,sphinxes-- l'antique4 ,andrea del ,sarto has placed harpies at the corner of the pedestal of the throne1 in his famous ,madonna di ,san ,francesco 7,florence ,gal471--a gross fault in that otherwise grand and faultless picture2 one of those desecrations of a religious theme which ,andrea1 as devoid of religious feeling as he was weak and dishonest1 was in the habit of committing4 ,but whatever the material or style of the throne1 whether simple or gorgeous1 it is supposed to be a heavenly throne4 ,it is not of the earth1 nor on the earth2 and at first it was alone and unapproachable4 ,the ,virgin-mother1 thus seated in her majesty1 apart from all human beings1 and in communion only with the ,infant ,godhead on her knee1 or the living worshippers who come to lay down their cares and sorrows at the foot of her throne and breathe a devout ,salve ,regina6--is1 through its very simplicity and concentrated interest1 a sublime conception4 ,the effect of these figures1 in their divine quietude and loveliness1 can never be appreciated when hung in a gallery or room with other pictures1 for admiration1 or criticism1 or comparison4 ,i remember well suddenly discovering such a ,madonna1 in a retired chapel in ,s4 ,francesco della ,vigna at ,venice1--a picture ,i had never heard of1 by a painter then quite unknown to me1 ,fra ,antonio da ,negroponte1 a ,franciscan friar who lived in the fifteenth century4 ,the calm dignity of the attitude1 the sweetness1 the adoring love in the face of the queenly mother as with folded hands she looked down on the divine ,infant reclining on her knee1 so struck upon my heart1 that ,i remained for minutes quite motionless4 ,in this picture1 nothing can exceed the gorgeous splendor of the ,virgin's throne and apparel3 she wears a jewelled crown2 the ,child a coronal of pearls2 while the background is composed entirely of the mystical roses twined in a sort of treillage4 ,i remember1 too1 a picture by ,carlo ,crivelli1 in which the ,virgin is seated on a throne1 adorned1 in the artist's usual style1 with rich festoons of fruit and flowers4 ,she is most sumptuously crowned and apparelled2 and the beautiful ,child on her knee1 grasping her hand as if to support himself1 with the most nave and graceful action bends forward and looks dawn benignly on the worshippers supposed to be kneeling below4 ,when human personages were admitted within the same compartment1 the throne was generally raised by several steps1 or placed on a lofty pedestal1 and till the middle of the fifteenth century it was always in the centre of the composition fronting the spectator4 ,it was a ,venetian innovation to place the throne at one side of the picture1 and show the ,virgin in profile or in the act of turning round4 ,this more scenic disposition became afterwards1 in the passion for variety and effect1 too palpably artificial1 and at length forced and theatrical4 ,the ,italians distinguish between the ,madonna in ,trono and the ,madonna in ,gloria4 ,when human beings1 however sainted and exalted were admitted within the margin of the picture1 the divine dignity of the ,virgin as ,madre di ,dio1 was often expressed by elevating her wholly above the earth1 and placing her in regions mild of calm and serene air1 with the crescent or the rainbow under her feet4 ,this is styled a ,madonna in ,gloria4 ,it is1 in fact1 a return to the antique conception of the enthroned ,redeemer1 seated on a rainbow1 sustained by the curled clouds1 and encircled by a glory of cherubim4 ,the aureole of light1 within which the glorified ,madonna and her ,child when in a standing position are often placed1 is of an oblong form1 called from its shape the mandorla1 the almond2#a but in general she is seated above in a sort of ethereal exaltation1 while the attendant saints stand on the earth below4 ,this beautiful arrangement1 though often very sublimely treated1 has not the simple austere dignity of the throne of state1 and when the ,virgin and ,child1 as in the works of the late ,spanish and ,flemish painters1 are formed out of earth's most coarse and commonplace materials1 the arial throne of floating fantastic clouds suggests a disagreeable discord1 a fear lest the occupants of heaven should fall on the heads of their worshippers below4 ,not so the ,virgins of the old ,italians2 for they look so divinely ethereal that they seem uplifted by their own spirituality3 not even the air-borne clouds are needed to sustain them4 ,they have no touch of earth or earth's material beyond the human form2 their proper place is the seventh heaven2 and there they repose1 a presence and a power--a personification of infinite mercy sublimated by innocence and purity2 and thence they look down on their worshippers and attendants1 while these gaze upwards with looks commercing with the skies4 ,footnote #a3 ,or the ,vescica ,pisces1 by ,lord ,lindsay and others4 99 99 99 99 99 ,and now of these angelic and sainted accessories1 however placed1 we must speak at length2 for much of the sentiment and majesty of the ,madonna effigies depend on the proper treatment of the attendant figures1 and on the meaning they convey to the observer4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,virgin is entitled1 by authority of the ,church1 queen of angels1 of prophets1 of apostles1 of martyrs1 of virgins1 and of confessors2 and from among these her attendants are selected4 ,,angels were first admitted1 waiting ,immediately round her chair of state4 ,a signal instance is the group of the enthroned ,madonna1 attended by the four archangels1 as we find it in the very ancient mosaic in ,sant-,apollinare-,novo1 at ,ravenna4 ,as the belief in the superior power and sanctity of the ,blessed ,virgin grew and spread1 the angels no longer attended her as princes of the heavenly host1 guardians1 or councillors2 they became1 in the early pictures1 adoring angels1 sustaining her throne on each side1 or holding up the embroidered curtain which forms the background4 ,in the ,madonna by ,cimabue1 which1 if it be not the earliest after the revival of art1 was one of the first in which the ,byzantine manner was softened and ,italianized1 we have six grand1 solemn-looking angels1 three on each side of the throne1 arranged perpendicularly one above another4 ,the ,virgin herself is of colossal proportions1 far exceeding them in size1 and looking out of her frame1 large as a goddess of the antique world4 ,in the other ,madonna in the gallery of the academy1 we have the same arrangement of the angels4 ,giotto diversified this arrangement4 ,he placed the angels kneeling at the foot of the throne1 making music1 and waiting on their divine ,mistress as her celestial choristers1--a service the more fitting because she was not only queen of angels1 but patroness of music and minstrelsy1 in which character she has ,st4 ,cecilia as her deputy and delegate4 ,this accompaniment of the choral angels was one of the earliest of the accessories1 and continued down to the latest times4 ,they are most particularly lovely in the pictures of the fifteenth century4 ,they kneel and strike their golden lutes1 or stand and sound their silver clarions1 or sit like beautiful winged children on the steps of the throne1 and pipe and sing as if their spirits were overflowing with harmony as well as love and adoration4#a ,in a curious picture of the enthroned ,madonna and ,child 7,berlin ,gal471 by ,gentil ,fabriano1 a tree rises on each side of the throne1 on which little red seraphim are perched like birds1 singing and playing on musical instruments4 ,in later times1 they play and sing for the solace of the divine ,infant1 not merely adoring1 but ministering3 but these angels ministrant belong to another class of pictures4 ,adoration1 not service1 was required by the divine ,child and his mother1 when they were represented simply in their divine character1 and placed far beyond earthly wants and earthly associations4 ,footnote #a3 ,as in the picture by ,lo ,spagna in our ,national ,gallery1 ,no4 #bhb4 ,there are examples where the angels in attendance bear1 not harps or lutes1 but the attributes of the ,cardinal ,virtues1 as in an altar-piece by ,taddeo ,gaddi at ,florence4 7,santa ,croce1 ,rinuccini ,chapel47 ,the patriarchs1 prophets1 and sibyls1 all the personages1 in fact1 who lived under the old law1 when forming1 in a picture or altar-piece1 part1 of the cortge of the throned ,virgin1 as types1 or prophets1 or harbingers of the ,incarnation1 are on the outside of that sacred compartment wherein she is seated with her ,child4 ,this was the case with all the human personages down to the end of the thirteenth century2 and after that time1 ,i find the characters of the ,old ,testament still excluded from the groups immediately round her throne4 ,their place was elsewhere allotted1 at a more respectful distance4 ,the only exceptions ,i can remember1 are ,king ,david and the patriarch ,job2 and these only in late pictures1 where ,david does not appear as prophet1 but as the ancestor of the ,redeemer2 and ,job1 only at ,venice1 where he is a patron saint4 ,the four evangelists and the twelve apostles are1 in their collective character in relation to the ,virgin1 treated like the prophets1 and placed around the altar-piece4 ,where we find one or more of the evangelists introduced into the group of attendant ,sanctities on each side of her throne1 it is not in their character of evangelists1 but rather as patron saints4 ,thus ,st4 ,mark appears constantly in the ,venetian pictures2 but it is as the patron and protector of ,venice4 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 a favourite attendant on the ,virgin1 is near her in virtue of his peculiar relation to her and to ,christ2 and he is also a popular patron saint4 ,st4 ,luke and ,st4 ,matthew1 unless they be patrons of the particular locality1 or of the votary who presents the picture1 never appear4 ,it is the same with the apostles in their collective character as such2 we find them constantly1 as statues1 ranged on each side of the ,virgin1 or as separate figures4 ,thus they stand over the screen of ,st4 ,mark's1 at ,venice1 and also on the carved frames of the altar-pieces2 but either from their number1 or some other cause1 they are seldom grouped round the enthroned ,virgin4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is ,,st4 ,,john ,,the ,,baptist who1 next to the angels1 seems to have been the first admitted to a propinquity with the divine persons4 ,in ,greek art1 he is himself an angel1 a messenger1 and often represented with wings4 ,he was especially venerated in the ,greek ,church in his character of precursor of the ,redeemer1 and1 as such1 almost indispensable in every sacred group2 and it is1 perhaps1 to the early influence of ,greek art on the selection and arrangement of the accessory personages1 that we owe the preminence of ,john the ,baptist4 ,one of the most graceful1 and appropriate1 and familiar of all the accessory figures grouped with the ,virgin and ,child1 is that of the young ,st4 ,john 7called in ,italian ,san ,giovannino1 and in ,spanish ,san ,juanito47 ,when first introduced1 we find him taking the place of the singing or piping angels in front of the throne4 ,he generally stands1 clad in his raiment of camel's hair1 having a girdle round his loins1 and in his hand a reed cross1 round which is bound a scroll with the words ,ecce ,agnus ,dei 7,behold the ,lamb of ,god71 while with his finger he points up to the enthroned group above him1 expressing the text from ,st4 ,luke 7c4 ii471 ,and thou1 ,,child shalt be called the ,prophet of the ,highest1 as in ,francia's picture in our ,national ,gallery4 ,sometimes he bears a lamb in his arms1 the ,ecce ,agnus ,dei in form instead of words4 ,the introduction of the young ,st4 ,john becomes more and more usual from the beginning of the sixteenth century4 ,in later pictures1 a touch of the dramatic is thrown into the arrangement3 instead of being at the foot of the throne1 he is placed beside it2 as where the ,virgin is throned on a lofty pedestal1 and she lays one hand on the head of the little ,st4 ,john1 while with the other she strains her ,child to her bosom2 or where the infant ,christ and ,st4 ,john1 standing at her knee1 embrace each other--a graceful incident in a ,holy ,family1 but in the enthroned ,madonna it impairs the religious conception2 it places ,st4 ,john too much on a level with the ,saviour1 who is here in that divine character to which ,st4 ,john bore witness1 but which he did not share4 ,it is very unusual to see ,john the ,baptist in his childish character glorified in heaven among the celestial beings3 ,i remember but one instance1 in a beautiful picture by ,bonifazio4 7,acad4 ,venice47 ,the ,virgin is seated in glory1 with her ,infant on her knee1 and encircled by cherubim2 on one side an angel approaches with a basket of flowers on his head1 and she is in act to take these flowers and scatter them on the saints below1--a new and graceful motif3 on the other side sits ,john the ,baptist as a boy about twelve years of age4 ,the attendant saints below are ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,andrew1 ,st4 ,thomas holding the girdle1#a ,st4 ,francis1 and ,st4 ,clara1 all looking up with ecstatic devotion1 except ,st4 ,clara1 who looks down with a charming modesty4 ,footnote #a3 ,st4 ,thomas is called in the catalogue1 ,james1 king of ,arragon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in early pictures1 ,,st4 ,,anna1 the mother of the ,virgin1 is very seldom introduced1 because in such sublime and mystical representations of the ,vergine ,dea1 whatever connected her with realities1 or with her earthly genealogy1 is suppressed4 ,but from the middle of the fifteenth century1 ,st4 ,anna became1 from the current legends of the history of the ,virgin1 an important saint1 and when introduced into the devotional groups1 which1 however1 is seldom1 it seems to have embarrassed the painters how to dispose of her4 ,she could not well be placed below her daughter2 she could not be placed above her4 ,it is a curious proof of the predominance of the feminine element throughout these representations1 that while ,,st4 ,,joachim the father and ,,st4 ,,joseph the husband of the ,virgin1 are either omitted altogether1 or are admitted only in a subordinate and inferior position1 ,st4 ,anna1 when she does appear1 is on an equality with her daughter4 ,there is a beautiful example1 and apt for illustration1 in the picture by ,francia1 in our ,national ,gallery1 where ,st4 ,anna and the ,virgin are seated together on the same throne1 and the former presents the apple to her divine ,grandson4 ,i remember1 too1 a most graceful instance where ,st4 ,anna stands behind and a little above the throne1 with her hands placed affectionately on the shoulders of the ,virgin1 and raises her eyes to heaven as if in thanksgiving to ,god1 who through her had brought salvation into the world4 ,where the ,virgin is seated on the knees of ,st4 ,anna1 it is a still later innovation4 ,there is such a group in a picture in the ,louvre1 after a famous cartoon by ,leonardo da ,vinci1 which1 in spite of its celebrity1 has always appeared to me very fantastic and irreverent in treatment4 ,there is also a fine print by ,carraglio1 in which the ,virgin and ,child are sustained on the knees of ,st4 ,anna3 under her feet lies the dragon4 ,st4 ,roch and ,st4 ,sebastian on each side1 and the dead dragon1 show that this is a votive subject1 an expression of thanksgiving after the cessation of a plague4 ,the ,germans1 who were fond of this group1 imparted1 even to the most religious treatment1 a domestic sentiment4 ,the earliest instance ,i can point to of the enthroned ,virgin attended by both her parents1 is by ,vivarini 7,acad4 ,venice73 ,st4 ,anna is on the right of the throne2 ,st4 ,joachim1 in the act of reverently removing his cap1 stands on the left2 more in front is a group of ,franciscan saints4 ,the introduction of ,st4 ,anna into a ,holy ,family1 as part of the domestic group1 is very appropriate and graceful2 but this of course admits1 and indeed requires1 a wholly different sentiment4 ,the same remark applies to ,st4 ,joseph1 who1 in the earlier representations of the enthroned ,virgin1 is carefully excluded2 he appears1 ,i think1 first in the ,venetian pictures4 ,there is an example in a splendid composition by ,paul ,veronese4 7,acad4 ,venice47 ,the ,virgin1 on a lofty throne1 holds the ,child2 both look down on the worshippers2 ,st4 ,joseph is partly seen behind leaning on his crutch4 ,round the throne stand ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 ,st4 ,justina1 as patroness of ,venice1 and ,st4 ,george2 ,st4 ,jerome is on the other side in deep meditation4 ,a magnificent picture1 quite sumptuous in colour and arrangement1 and yet so solemn and so calm6#a ,footnote #a3 ,there is another example by ,paul ,veronese1 similar in character and treatment1 in which ,st4 ,john and ,st4 ,joseph are on the throne with the ,virgin and child1 and ,st4 ,catherine and ,st4 ,antony below4 ,the composition by ,michael ,angelo1 styled a ,holy ,family1 is1 though singular in treatment1 certainly devotional in character1 and an enthroned ,virgin4 ,she is seated in the centre1 on a raised architectural seat1 holding a book2 the infant ,christ slumbers1--books can teach him nothing1 and to make him reading is unorthodox4 ,in the background on one side1 ,st4 ,joseph leans over a balustrade1 as if in devout contemplation2 a young ,st4 ,john the ,baptist leans on the other side4 ,the grand1 mannered1 symmetrical treatment is very remarkable and characteristic4 ,there are many engravings of this celebrated composition4 ,in one of them1 the book held by the ,virgin bears on one side the text in ,latin1 ,blessed art thou among women1 and blessed is the fruit of thy womb4 ,on the opposite page1 ,blessed be ,god1 who has regarded the low estate of his hand-maiden4 ,for1 behold1 from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed4 ,while the young ,st4 ,john is admitted into' such close companionship with the enthroned ,madonna1 his mother ,elizabeth1 so commonly and beautifully introduced into the ,holy ,families1 is almost uniformly excluded4 ,next in order1 as accessory figures1 appear some one or two or more of the martyrs1 confessors1 and virgin patronesses1 with their respective attributes1 either placed in separate niches and compartments on each side1 or1 when admitted within the sacred precincts where sits the ,queenly ,virgin ,mother and her divine ,son1 standing1 in the manner of councillors and officers of state on solemn occasions1 round an earthly sovereign1 all reverently calm and still2 till gradually this solemn formality1 this isolation of the principal characters1 gave way to some sentiment which placed them in nearer relation to each other1 and to the divine personages4 ,occasional variations of attitude and action were introduced--at first1 a rare innovation2 ere long1 a custom1 a fashion4 ,for instance2--the doctors turn over the leaves of their great books as if seeking for the written testimonies to the truth of the mysterious ,incarnation made visible in the persons of the ,mother and ,child2 the confessors contemplate the radiant group with rapture1 and seem ready to burst forth in hymns of praise2 the martyrs kneel in adoration2 the virgins gracefully offer their victorious palms3 and thus the painters of the best periods of art contrived to animate their sacred groups without rendering them too dramatic and too secular4 ,such1 then1 was the general arrangement of that religious subject which is technically styled ,the ,madonna enthroned and attended by ,saints4 ,the selection and the relative position of these angelic and saintly accessories were not1 as ,i have already observed1 matters of mere taste or caprice2 and an attentive observation of the choice and disposition of the attendant figures will often throw light on the original significance of such pictures1 and the circumstances under which they wore painted4 ,shall ,i attempt a rapid classification and interpretation of these infinitely varied groups8 ,it is a theme which might well occupy volumes rather than pages1 and which requires far more antiquarian learning and historical research than ,i can pretend to2 still by giving the result of my own observations in some few instances1 it may be possible so to excite the attention and fancy of the reader1 as to lead him further on the same path than ,i have myself been able to venture4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we can trace1 in a large class of these pictures1 a general religious significance1 common to all periods1 all localities1 all circumstances2 while in another class1 the interest is not only particular and local1 but sometimes even personal4 ,to the first class belongs the antique and beautiful group of the ,virgin and ,child1 enthroned between the two great archangels1 ,st4 ,michael and ,st4 ,gabriel4 ,it is probably the most ancient of these combinations3 we find it in the earliest ,greek art1 in the carved ivory diptychs of the eighth and ninth centuries1 in the old ,greco-,italian pictures1 in the ecclesiastical sculpture and stained glass of from the twelfth to the fifteenth century4 ,in the most ancient examples1 the two angels are seen standing on each side of the ,madonna1 not worshipping1 but with their sceptres and attributes1 as princes of the heavenly host1 attending on her who is queen of angels2 ,st4 ,gabriel as the angel of birth and life1 ,st4 ,michael as the angel of ,death1 that is1 in the ,christian sense1 of deliverance and immortality4 ,there is an instance of this antique treatment in a small ,greek picture in the ,wallerstein collection4 7,now at ,kensington ,palace47 ,in later pictures1 ,st4 ,gabriel seldom appears except as the ,angela ,annunziatore2 but ,st4 ,michael very frequently4 ,sometimes1 as conqueror over sin and representative of the ,church militant1 he stands with his foot on the dragon with a triumphant air2 or1 kneeling1 he presents to the infant ,christ the scales of eternal justice1 as in a famous picture by ,leonardo da ,vinci4 ,it is not only because of his popularity as a patron saint1 and of the number of churches dedicated to him1 that he is so frequently introduced into the ,madonna pictures2 according to the legend1 he was by ,divine appointment the guardian of the ,virgin and her ,son while they sojourned on earth4 ,the angel ,raphael leading ,tobias always expresses protection1 and especially protection to the young4 ,tobias with his fish was an early type of baptism4 ,there are many beautiful examples4 ,in ,raphael's ,madonna dell' ,pesce 7,madrid ,gal47 he is introduced as the patron saint of the painter1 but not without a reference to more sacred meaning1 that of the guardian spirit of all humanity4 ,the warlike figure of ,st4 ,michael1 and the benign ,st4 ,raphael1 are thus represented as celestial guardians in the beautiful picture by ,perugino now in our ,national ,gallery4 7,no4 #bhh47 ,there are instances of the three archangels all standing together below the glorified ,virgin3 ,st4 ,michael in the centre with his foot on the prostrate fiend2 ,st4 ,gabriel on the right presents his lily2 and1 on the left1 the protecting angel presents his human charge1 and points up to the source of salvation4 7,in an engraving after ,giulio ,romano47 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,virgin between ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul is also an extremely ancient and significant group4 ,it appears in the old mosaics4 ,as chiefs of the apostles and joint founders of the ,church1 ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul are prominent figures in many groups and combinations1 particularly in the altar-pieces of the ,roman churches1 and those painted for the ,benedictine communities4 ,the ,virgin1 when supported on each side by ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,paul1 must be understood to represent the personified ,church between her two great founders and defenders2 and this relation is expressed1 in a very poetical manner1 when ,st4 ,peter1 kneeling1 receives the allegorical keys from the hand of the infant ,saviour4 ,there are some curious and beautiful instances of this combination of a significant action with the utmost solemnity of treatment2 for example1 in that very extraordinary ,franciscan altar-piece1 by ,carlo ,crivelli1 lately purchased by ,lord ,ward1 where ,st4 ,peter1 having deposited his papal tiara at the foot of the throne1 kneeling receives the great symbolical keys4 ,and again1 in a fine picture by ,andrea ,meldula1 where the ,virgin and ,child are enthroned1 and the infant ,christ delivers the keys to ,peter1 who stands1 but with a most reverential air2 on the other side of the throne is ,st4 ,paul with his book and the sword held upright4 ,there are also two attendant angels4 ,on the border of the mantle of the ,virgin is inscribed ,ave ,maria gratia plena4#a ,footnote #a3 ,in the collection of ,mr4 ,bromley1 of ,wootton4 ,this picture is otherwise remarkable as the only authenticated work of a very rare painter4 ,it bears his signature1 and the style indicates the end of the fifteenth century as the probable date4 ,i do not recollect any instance in which the four evangelists as such1 or the twelve apostles in their collective character1 wait round the throne of the ,virgin and ,child1 though one or more of the evangelists and one or more of the apostles perpetually occur4 ,the ,virgin between ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 is also a very significant and beautiful combination1 and one very frequently met with4 ,though both these saints were as children contemporary with the child ,christ1 and so represented in the ,holy ,families1 in these solemn ideal groups they are always men4 ,the first ,st4 ,john expresses regeneration by the rite of baptism the second ,st4 ,john1 distinguished as ,theologus1 the ,divine1 stands with his sacramental cup1 expressing regeneration by faith4 ,the former was the precursor of the ,saviour1 the first who proclaimed him to the world as such2 the latter beheld the vision in ,patmos1 of the ,woman in travail pursued by the dragon1 which is interpreted in reference to the ,virgin and her ,child4 ,the group thus brought into relation is full of meaning1 and1 from the variety and contrast of character1 full of poetical and artistic capabilities4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist is usually a man about thirty1 with wild shaggy hair and meagre form1 so draped that his vest of camel's hair is always visible2 he holds his reed cross4 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist is generally the young and graceful disciple2 but in some instances he is the venerable seer of ,patmos1 ,whose beard descending sweeps his aged breast4 ,there is an example in one of the finest pictures by ,perugino4 ,the ,virgin is throned above1 and surrounded by a glory of seraphim1 with many-coloured wings4 ,the ,child stands on her knee4 ,in the landscape below are ,st4 ,michael1 ,st4 ,catherine1 ,st4 ,apollonia1 and4 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist as the aged prophet with white flowing beard4 7,bologna ,acad47 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,fathers of the ,church1 as interpreters and defenders of the mystery of the ,incarnation1 are very significantly placed near the throne of the ,virgin and ,child4 ,in ,western art1 the ,latin doctors1 ,st4 ,jerome1 ,st4 ,ambrose1 ,st4 ,augustine1 and ,st4 ,gregory1 have of course the preminence4 7v ,sacred and ,legend4 ,art47 ,the effect produced by these aged1 venerable1 bearded dignitaries1 with their gorgeous robes and mitres and flowing beards1 in contrast with the soft simplicity of the divine ,mother and her ,infant1 is1 in the hands of really great artists1 wonderfully fine4 ,there is a splendid example1 by ,vivarini 7,venice ,acad472 the old doctors stand two on each side of the throne1 where1 under a canopy upborne by angels1 sits the ,virgin1 sumptuously crowned and attired1 and looking most serene and goddess-like2 while the divine ,child1 standing on her knee1 extends his little hand in the act of benediction4 ,of this picture ,i have already given a very detailed description4 7,sacred and ,legend4 ,art47 ,another example1 a grand picture by ,moretto1 now in the ,museum at ,frankfort1 ,i have also described4 ,there is here a touch of the dramatic sentiment2--the ,virgin is tenderly caressing her ,child1 while two of the old doctors1 ,st4 ,ambrose and ,st4 ,augustine1 stand reverently on each side of her lofty throne2 ,st4 ,gregory sits on the step below1 reading1 and ,st4 ,jerome bends over and points to a page in his book4 ,the ,virgin is not sufficiently dignified2 she has too much the air of a portrait2 and the action of the ,child is1 also1 though tender1 rather unsuited to the significance of the rest of the group2 but the picture is1 on the whole1 magnificent4 ,there is another fine example of the four doctors attending on the ,virgin1 in the ,milan ,gallery4#a ,footnote #a3 ,in a native picture of the ,milanese ,school1 dedicated by ,ludovico ,sforza ,il ,moro4 ,sometimes not four1 but two only of these ,fathers1 appear in combination with other figures1 and the choice would depend on the locality and other circumstances4 ,but1 on the whole1 we rarely find a group of personages assembled round the throne of the ,virgin which does not include one or more of these venerable pillars of the ,church4 ,st4 ,ambrose appears most frequently in the ,milanese pictures3 ,st4 ,augustine and ,st4 ,jerome1 as patriarchs of monastic orders1 are very popular3 ,st4 ,gregory1 ,i think1 is more seldom met with than the others4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,virgin1 with ,st4 ,jerome and ,st4 ,catherine1 the patron saints of theological learning1 is a frequent group in all monasteries1 but particularly in the churches and houses of the ,jeronimites4 ,a beautiful example is the ,madonna1 by ,francia4 7,borghese ,palace4 ,rome47 ,st4 ,jerome1 with ,mary ,magdalene1 also a frequent combination1 expresses theological learning in union with religious penitence and humility4 ,correggio's famous picture is an example1 where ,st4 ,jerome on one side presents his works in defence of the ,church1 and his translation of the ,scriptures2 while1 on the other1 ,mary ,magdalene1 bending down devoutly1 kisses the feet of the infant ,christ4 7,parma47 ,of all the attendants on the ,virgin and ,child1 the most popular is1 perhaps1 ,st4 ,catherine2 and the ,marriage of ,st4 ,catherine1 as a religious mystery1 is made to combine with the most solemn and formal arrangement of the other attendant figures4 ,the enthroned ,virgin presides over the mystical rite4 ,this was1 for intelligible reasons1 a favourite subject in nunneries4#a ,footnote #a3 ,for a detailed account of the legendary marriage of ,st4 ,catherine and examples of treatment1 see ,sacred and ,legendary ,art4 ,in a picture by ,garofalo1 the ,child1 bending from his mother's knee1 places a golden crown on the head of ,st4 ,catherine as ,sposa2 on each side stand ,st4 ,agnes and ,st4 ,jerome4 ,in a picture by ,carlo ,maratti1 the nuptials take place in heaven1 the ,virgin and ,child being throned in clouds4 ,if the kneeling ,sposa be ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena1 the nun1 and not ,st4 ,catherine of ,alexandria1 or if the two are introduced1 then we may be sure that the picture was painted for a nunnery of the ,dominican order4#a ,footnote #a3 ,see ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders4 ,a fine example of this group the ,spozulizio of ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena1 has lately been added to our ,national ,gallery2 7,lorenzo di ,san ,severino1 ,no4 #bdi47 ,the great ,madonna in ,trono by the ,dominican ,fra ,bartolomeo1 wherein the queenly ,st4 ,catherine of ,alexandria witnesses the mystical marriage of her sister saint1 the nun of ,siena1 will occur to every one who has been at ,florence2 and there is a smaller picture by the same painter in the ,louvre2--a different version of the same subject4 ,i must content myself with merely referring to these well-known pictures which have been often engraved1 and dwell more in detail on another1 not so well known1 and1 to my feeling1 as preminently beautiful and poetical1 but in the early ,flemish1 not the ,italian style--a poem in a language less smooth and sonorous1 but still a poem4 ,this is the altar-piece painted by ,hemmelinck for the charitable sisterhood of ,st4 ,john's ,hospital at ,bruges4 ,the ,virgin is seated under a porch1 and her throne decorated with rich tapestry2 two graceful angels hold a crown over her head4 ,on the right1 ,st4 ,catherine1 superbly arrayed as a princess1 kneels at her side1 and the beautiful infant ,christ bends forward and places the bridal ring on her finger4 ,behind her a charming angel1 playing on the organ1 celebrates the espousals with hymns of joy2 beyond him stands ,st4 ,john the ,baptist with his lamb4 ,on the left of the ,virgin kneels ,st4 ,barbara1 reading intently2 behind her an angel with a book2 beyond him stands ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 youthful1 mild1 and pensive4 ,through the arcades of the porch is seen a landscape background1 with incidents picturesquely treated from the lives of the ,baptist and the ,evangelist4 ,such is the central composition4 ,the two wings represent--on one side1 the beheading of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist2 on the other1 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 in ,patmos1 and the vision of the ,apocalypse4 ,in this great work there is a unity and harmony of design which blends the whole into an impressive poem4 ,the object was to do honour to the patrons of the hospital1 the two ,st4 ,johns1 and1 at the same time1 to express the piety of the ,charitable ,sisters1 who1 like ,st4 ,catherine 7the type of contemplative studious piety71 were consecrated and espoused to ,christ1 and1 like ,st4 ,barbara 7the type of active piety71 were dedicated to good works4 ,it is a tradition1 that ,hemmelinck painted this altar-piece as a votive offering in gratitude to the good ,sisters1 who had taken him in and nursed him when dangerously wounded3 and surely if this tradition be true1 never was charity more magnificently recompensed4 ,in a very beautiful picture by ,ambrogio ,borgognone 7,dresden1 collection of ,m4 ,grahl7 the ,virgin is seated on a splendid throne2 on the right kneels ,st4 ,catherine of ,alexandria1 on the left ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena3 the ,virgin holds a hand of each1 which she presents to the divine ,child seated on her knee1 and to each he presents a ring4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,virgin and ,child between ,st4 ,catherine and ,st4 ,barbara is one of the most popular1 as well as one of the most beautiful and expressive1 of these combinations2 signifying active and contemplative life1 or the two powers between which the social state was divided in the middle ages1 namely1 the ecclesiastical and the military1 learning and arms 7,sacred and ,legend4 ,art72 ,st4 ,catherine being the patron of the first1 and ,st4 ,barbara of the last4 ,when the original significance had ceased to be understood or appreciated1 the group continued to be a favourite one1 particularly in ,germany2 and examples are infinite4 ,the ,virgin between ,st4 ,mary ,magdalene and ,st4 ,barbara1 the former as the type of penance1 humility1 and meditative piety1 the latter as the type of fortitude and courage1 is also very common4 ,when between ,st4 ,mary ,magdalene and ,st4 ,catherine1 the idea suggested is learning1 with penitence and humility2 this is a most popular group4 ,so is ,st4 ,lucia with one of these or both3 ,st4 ,lucia with her lamp or her eyes1 is always expressive of light1 the light of divine wisdom4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,virgin between ,st4 ,nicholas and ,st4 ,george is a very expressive group2 the former as the patron saint of merchants1 tradesmen1 and seamen1 the popular saint of the bourgeoisie2 the latter as the patron of soldiers1 the chosen saint of the aristocracy4 ,these two saints with ,st4 ,catherine are pre-eminent in the ,venetian pictures2 for all three1 in addition to their poetical significance1 were venerated as especial protectors of ,venice4 99 99 99 99 99 ,st4 ,george and ,st4 ,christopher both stand by the throne of the ,virgin of ,succour as protectors and deliverers in danger4 ,the attribute of ,st4 ,christopher is the little ,christ on his shoulder2 and there are instances in which ,christ appears on the lap of his mother1 and also on the shoulder of the attendant ,st4 ,christopher4 ,this blunder1 if it may be so called1 has been avoided1 very cleverly ,i should think in his own opinion1 by a painter who makes ,st4 ,christopher kneel1 while the ,virgin places the little ,christ on his shoulders2 a concetto quite inadmissible in a really religious group4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in pictures dedicated by charitable communities1 we often find ,st4 ,nicholas and ,st4 ,leonard as the patron saints of prisoners and captives4 ,wherever ,st4 ,leonard appears he expresses deliverance from captivity4 ,st4 ,omobuono1 ,st4 ,martin1 ,st4 ,elizabeth of ,hungary1 ,st4 ,roch1 or other beneficent saints1 waiting round the ,virgin with kneeling beggars1 or the blind1 the lame1 the sick1 at their feet1 always expressed the ,virgin as the mother of mercy1 the ,consolatrix afflictorum4 ,such pictures were commonly found in hospitals1 and the chapels and churches of the ,order of ,mercy1 and other charitable institutions4 ,the examples are numerous4 ,i remember one1 a striking picture1 by ,bartolomeo ,montagna1 where the ,virgin and ,child are enthroned in the centre as usual4 ,on her right the good ,st4 ,omobuono1 dressed as a burgher1 in a red gown and fur cap1 gives alms to a poor beggar2 on the left1 ,st4 ,francis presents a celebrated friar of his ,order1 ,bernardino da ,feltri1 the first founder of a mont-de-pit1 who kneels1 holding the emblem of his institution1 a little green mountain with a cross at the top4 99 99 99 99 99 ,besides these saints1 who have a general religious character and significance1 we have the national and local saints1 whose presence very often marks the country or school of art which produced the picture4 ,a genuine ,florentine ,madonna is distinguished by a certain elegance and stateliness1 and well becomes her throne4 ,as patroness of ,florence1 in her own right1 the ,virgin bears the title of ,santa ,maria del ,fiore1 and in this character she holds a flower1 generally a rose1 or is in the act of presenting it to the ,child4 ,she is often attended by ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 as patron of ,florence2 but he is everywhere a saint of such power and importance as an attendant on the divine personages1 that his appearance in a picture does not stamp it as ,florentine4 ,st4 ,cosmo and ,st4 ,damian are ,florentine1 as the protectors of the ,medici family2 but as patrons of the healing art1 they have a significance which renders them common in the ,venetian and other pictures4 ,it may1 however1 be determined1 that if ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 ,st4 ,cosmo and ,st4 ,damian1 with ,st4 ,laurence 7the patron of ,lorenzo the ,magnificent71 appear together in attendance on the ,virgin1 that picture is of the ,florentine school4 ,the presence of ,st4 ,zenobio1 or of ,st4 ,antonino1 the patron archbishops of ,florence1 will set the matter at rest1 for these are exclusively ,florentine4 ,in a picture by ,giotto1 angels attend on the ,virgin bearing vases of lilies in their hands4 7,lilies are at once the emblem of the ,virgin and the device of ,florence47 ,on each side kneel ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and ,st4 ,zenobio4#a ,footnote #a3 ,we now possess in our ,national ,gallery a very interesting example of a ,florentine enthroned ,madonna1 attended by ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and ,st4 ,zenobio as patrons of ,florence4 ,a ,siena ,madonna would naturally be attended by ,st4 ,bernardino and ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena2 if they seldom appear together1 it is because they belong to different religious orders4 ,in the ,venetian pictures we find a crowd of guardian saints2 first among them1 ,st4 ,mark1 then ,st4 ,catherine1 ,st4 ,george1 ,st4 ,nicholas1 and ,st4 ,justina3 wherever these appear together1 that picture is surely from the ,venetian school4 ,all through ,lombardy and ,piedmont1 ,st4 ,ambrose of ,milan and ,st4 ,maurice of ,savoy are favourite attendants on the ,virgin4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in ,spanish and ,flemish art1 the usual attendants on the queenly ,madonna are monks and nuns1 which brings us to the consideration of a large and interesting class of pictures1 those dedicated by the various religious orders4 ,when we remember that the institution of some of the most influential of these communities was coeval with the revival of art2 that for three or four centuries1 art in all its forms had no more powerful or more munificent patrons2 that they counted among their various brotherhoods some of the greatest artists the world has seen2 we can easily imagine how the beatified members of these orders have become so conspicuous as attendants on the celestial personages4 ,to those who are accustomed to read the significance of a work of art1 a single glance is often sufficient to decide for what order it has been executed4 ,st4 ,paul is a favourite saint of the ,benedictine communities2 and there are few great pictures painted for them in which he does not appear4 ,when in companionship with ,st4 ,benedict1 either in the original black habit or the white habit of the reformed orders1 with ,st4 ,scholastica bearing her dove1 with ,st4 ,bernard1 ,st4 ,romualdo1 or other worthies of this venerable community1 the interpretation is easy4 ,here are some examples by ,domenico ,puligo4 ,the ,virgin not seated1 but standing on a lofty pedestal1 looks down on her worshippers2 the ,child in her arms extends the right hand in benediction2 with his left he points to himself1 ,i am the ,resurrection and the ,life4 ,around are six saints1 ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,paul1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist as protector of ,florence1 ,st4 ,matthew1 ,st4 ,catherine2 and ,st4 ,bernard1 in his ample white habit1 with his keen intellectual face1 is about to write in a great book1 and looking up to the ,virgin for inspiration4 ,the picture was originally painted for the ,cistercians4#a ,footnote #a3 ,it is now in the ,s4 ,maria-,maddalena de' ,pazzi at ,florence4 ,engraved in the ,etruria ,pittrice1 xxxv4 ,the ,virgin and ,child enthroned between ,st4 ,augustine and his mother ,st4 ,monica1 as in a fine picture by ,florigerio 7,venice ,acad471 would show the picture to be painted for one of the numerous branches of the ,augustine ,order4 ,st4 ,antony the abbot is a favourite saint in pictures painted for the ,augustine hermits4 ,in the ,madonna del ,baldachino of ,raphael1 the beardless saint who stands in a white habit on one side of the throne is usually styled ,st4 ,bruno2 an evident mistake4 ,it is not a ,carthusian1 but a ,cistercian monk1 and ,i think ,st4 ,bernard1 the general patron of monastic learning4 ,the other attendant saints are ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,james1 and ,st4 ,augustine4 ,the picture was originally painted for the church of ,san ,spirito at ,florence1 belonging to the ,augustines4 ,but ,st4 ,augustine is also the patriarch of the ,franciscans and ,dominicans1 and frequently takes an influential place in their pictures1 as the companion either of ,st4 ,francis or of ,st4 ,dominick1 as in a picture by ,fra ,angelico4 7,florence ,gal47 ,among the votive ,madonnas of the mendicant orders1 ,i will mention a few conspicuous for beauty and interest1 which will serve as a key to others4 #a4 ,the ,virgin and ,child enthroned between ,antony of ,padua and ,st4 ,clara of ,assisi1 as in a small elegant picture by ,pellegrino1 must have been dedicated in a church of the ,franciscans4 7,sutherland ,gal47 #b4 ,the ,virgin blesses ,st4 ,francis1 who looks up adoring3 behind him ,st4 ,antony of ,padua2 on the other side1 ,john the ,baptist as a man1 and ,st4 ,catherine4 ,a celebrated but not an agreeable picture1 painted by ,correggio for the ,franciscan church at ,parma4 7,dresden ,gal47 #c4 ,the ,virgin is seated in glory2 on one side ,st4 ,francis1 on the other ,st4 ,antony of ,padua1 both placed in heaven1 and almost on an equality with the celestial personages4 ,around are seven female figures1 representing the seven cardinal virtues1 bearing their respective attributes4 ,below are seen the worthies of the ,franciscan ,order2 to the right of the ,virgin1 ,st4 ,elizabeth of ,hungary1 ,st4 ,louis of ,france1 ,st4 ,bonaventura2 to the left1 ,st4 ,ives of ,bretagne1 ,st4 ,eleazar1 and ,st4 ,louis of ,toulouse4#a ,painted for the ,franciscans by ,morone and ,paolo ,cavazzolo of ,verona4 ,this is a picture of wonderful beauty1 and quite poetical in the sentiment and arrangement1 and the mingling of the celestial1 the allegorical1 and the real personages1 with a certain solemnity and gracefulness quite indescribable4 ,the virtues1 for instance1 are not so much allegorical persons as spiritual appearances1 and the whole of the ripper part of the picture is like a vision4 ,footnote #a3 ,for these ,franciscan saints1 v4 ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders4 #d4 ,the ,virgin1 standing on the tree of ,site1 holds the ,infant3 rays of glory proceed from them on every side4 ,st4 ,francis1 kneeling at the foot of the tree1 looks up in an ecstasy of devotion1 while a snake with a wounded and bleeding head is crawling away4 ,this strange picture1 painted for the ,franciscans1 by ,carducho1 about #afbe1 is a representation of an abstract dogma 7redemption from original sin71 in the most real1 most animated form--all over life1 earthly breathing life--and made me start back3 in the mingling of mysticism and materialism1 it is quite ,spanish4#a ,footnote #a3 ,esterhazy ,gal41 ,vienna4 ,mr4 ,stirling tells us that the ,franciscan friars of ,valladolid possessed two pictures of the ,virgin by ,mateo de ,cerezo in one of which she was represented sitting in a cherry-tree and adored by ,st4 ,francis4 ,this unusual throne may perhaps have been introduced by ,cerezo as a symbol of his own devout feelings1 his patronymic being the ,castilian word for cherry-tree4--,stirling's ,artists of ,spain1 p4 #ajcc4 ,there are1 however1 many prints and pictures of the ,virgin and ,child seated in a tree4 ,it was one of the fantastic conceptions of an unhealthy period of religion and art4 #e4 ,the ,virgin and ,child enthroned4 ,on the right of the ,virgin1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and ,st4 ,zenobio1 the two protectors of ,florence4 ,the latter wears his episcopal cope richly embroidered with figures4 ,on the left stand ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,dominick1 protectors of the company for whom the picture was painted4 ,in front kneel ,st4 ,jerome and ,st4 ,francis4 ,this picture was originally placed in ,san ,marco1 a church belonging to the ,dominicans4#a ,footnote #a3 ,i saw and admired this fine and valuable picture in the ,rinuccini ,palace at ,florence in #ahdg2 it was purchased for our ,national ,gallery in #ahee4 #f4 ,when the ,virgin or the ,child holds the ,rosary1 it is then a ,madonna del ,rosario1 and painted for the ,dominicans4 ,the ,madonna by ,murillo1 in the ,dulwich ,gallery1 is an example4 ,there is an instance in which the ,madonna and ,child enthroned are distributing rosaries to the worshippers1 and attended by ,st4 ,dominick and ,st4 ,peter ,martyr1 the two great saints of the ,order4 7,caravaggio1 ,belvedere ,gal41 ,vienna47 99 99 99 99 99 #g4 ,very important in pictures is the ,madonna as more particularly the patroness of the ,carmelites1 under her well-known title of ,our ,lady of ,mount ,carmel1 or ,la ,madonna del ,carmine4 ,the members of this ,order received from ,pope ,honorius ,,iii4 the privilege of styling themselves the ,family of the ,blessed ,virgin1 and their churches are all dedicated to her under the title of ,s4 ,maria del ,carmine4 ,she is generally represented holding the infant ,christ1 with her robe outspread1 and beneath its folds the ,carmelite brethren and their chief saints4#a ,there is an example in a picture by ,pordenone which once belonged to ,canova4 7,acad4 ,venice47 ,the ,madonna del ,carmine is also portrayed as distributing to her votaries small tablets on which is a picture of herself4 ,footnote #a3 v4 ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders1 ,the ,carmelites4 #h4 ,the ,virgin1 as patroness of the ,order of ,mercy1 also distributes tablets1 but they bear the badge of the ,order1 and this distinguishes ,our ,lady of ,mercy1 so popular in ,spanish1 art1 from ,our ,lady of ,mount ,carmel4 7v4 ,monastic ,orders47 ,a large class of these ,madonna pictures are votive offerings for public or private mercies4 ,they present some most interesting varieties of character and arrangement4 ,a votive ,mater ,misericordi1 with the ,child1 in her arms1 is often standing with her wide ample robe extended1 and held up on each side by angels4 ,kneeling at her feet are the votaries who have consecrated the picture1 generally some community or brotherhood instituted for charitable purposes1 who1 as they kneel1 present the objects of their charity--widows1 orphans1 prisoners1 or the sick and infirm4 ,the ,child1 in her arms1 bends forward1 with the hand raised in benediction4 ,i have already spoken of the ,mater ,misericordi without the ,child4 ,the sentiment is yet more beautiful and complete where the ,mother of ,mercy holds the infant ,redeemer1 the representative and pledge of ,god's infinite mercy1 in her arms4 ,there is a ,virgin of ,mercy1 by ,salvator ,rosa1 which is singular and rather poetical in the conception4 ,she is seated in heavenly glory2 the infant ,christ1 on her knee1 bends benignly forward4 ,tutelary angels are represented as pleading for mercy1 with eager outstretched arms2 other angels1 lower down1 are liberating the souls of repentant sinners from torment4 ,the expression in some of the heads1 the contrast between the angelic pitying spirits and the anxious haggard features of the ,anime del ,purgatorio are very fine and animated4 ,here the ,virgin is the ,refuge of ,sinners1 ,refugium ,peccatorum4 ,such pictures are commonly met with in chapels dedicated to services for the dead4 99 99 99 99 99 ,another class of votive pictures are especial acts of thanksgiving3--#ast4 ,for victory1 as ,la ,madonna della ,vittoria1 ,notre ,dame des ,victoires4 ,the ,virgin1 on her throne1 is then attended by one or more of the warrior saints1 together with the patron or patroness of the victors4 ,she is then our ,lady of ,victory4 ,a very perfect example of these victorious ,madonnas exists in a celebrated picture by ,andrea ,mantegna4 ,the ,virgin is seated on a lofty throne1 embowered by garlands of fruit1 leaves1 and flowers1 and branches of coral1 fancifully disposed as a sort of canopy over her head4 ,the ,child stands on her knee1 and raises his hand in the act of benediction4 ,on the right of the ,virgin appear the warlike saints1 ,st4 ,michael and ,st4 ,maurice2 they recommend to her protection the ,marquis of ,mantua1 ,giovan ,francesco ,gonzaga1 who kneels in complete armour4#a ,on the left stand ,st4 ,andrew and ,st4 ,longinus1 the guardian saints of ,mantua2 on the step of the throne1 the young ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 patron of the ,marquis2 and more in front1 a female figure1 seen half-length1 which some have supposed to be ,st4 ,elizabeth1 the mother of the ,baptist1 and others1 with more reason1 the wife of the ,marquis1 the accomplished ,isabella d',este4#b ,this picture was dedicated in celebration of the victory gained by ,gonzaga over the ,french1 near ,fornone1 in #adie4c ,there is something exceedingly grand1 and1 at the same time1 exceedingly fantastic and poetical1 in the whole arrangement2 and besides its beauty and historical importance1 it is the most important work of ,andrea ,mantegna4 ,gonzaga1 who is the hero of the picture1 was a poet as well as a soldier4 ,isabella d',este shines conspicuously1 both for virtue and talent1 in the history of the revival of art during the fifteenth century4 ,she was one of the first who collected gems1 antiques1 pictures1 and made them available for the study and improvement of the learned4 ,altogether1 the picture is most interesting in every point of view4 ,it was carried off by the ,french from ,milan in #agig2 and considering the occasion on which it was painted1 they must have had a special pleasure in placing it in their ,louvre1 where it still remains4 ,footnote #a3 ,qui rend grces du prtendu succs obtenu sur ,charles ,,viii4 la bataille de ,fornone1 as the ,french catalogue expresses it4 ,footnote #b3 ,both1 however1 may be right2 for ,st4 ,elizabeth was the patron saint of the ,marchesana3 the head has quite the air of a portrait1 and may be ,isabella in likeness of a saint4 ,footnote #c3 ,si les soldats avaient mieux second la bravoure de leur chef1 l'armie de ,charles ,,viii4 tait perdue sans ressource--,ils se disperserent pour piller et laissrent aux ,franais le temps de continuer leur route4 ,there is a very curious and much more ancient ,madonna of this class preserved at ,siena1 and styled the ,madonna del ,voto4 ,the ,sienese being at war with ,florence1 placed their city under the protection of the ,virgin1 and made a solemn vow that1 if victorious1 they would make over their whole territory to her as a perpetual possession1 and hold it from her as her loyal vassals4 ,after the victory of ,arbia1 which placed ,florence itself for a time in such imminent danger1 a picture was dedicated by ,siena to the ,virgin della ,vittoria4 ,she is enthroned and crowned1 and the infant ,christ1 standing on her knee1 holds in his hand the deed of gift4 99 99 99 99 99 #b;dly4 ,for deliverance from plague and pestilence1 those scourges of the middle ages4 ,in such pictures the ,virgin is generally attended by ,st4 ,sebastian1 with ,st4 ,roch or ,st4 ,george2 sometimes1 also1 by ,st4 ,cosmo and ,st4 ,damian1 all of them protectors and healers in time of sickness and calamity4 ,these intercessors are often accompanied by the patrons of the church or locality4 ,there is a remarkable picture of this class by ,matteo di ,giovanni 7,siena ,acad471 in which the ,virgin and ,child are throned between ,st4 ,sebastian and ,st4 ,george1 while ,st4 ,cosmo and ,st4 ,damian1 dressed as physicians1 and holding their palms1 kneel before the throne4 ,in a very famous picture by ,titian4 7,rome1 ,vatican71 the ,virgin and ,child are seated in heavenly glory4 ,she has a smiling and gracious expression1 and the ,child holds a garland1 while angels scatter flowers4 ,below stand ,st4 ,sebastian1 ,st4 ,nicholas1 ,st4 ,catherine1 ,st4 ,peter1 and ,st4 ,francis4 ,the picture was an offering to the ,virgin1 after the cessation of a pestilence at ,venice1 and consecrated in a church of the ,franciscans dedicated to ,st4 ,nicholas4#a ,footnote #a3 ,san ,nicolo de' ,frari1 since destroyed1 and the picture has been transferred to the ,vatican4 ,another celebrated votive picture against pestilence is ,correggio's ,madonna di ,san ,sebastiano4 7,dresden ,gal47 ,she is seated in heavenly glory1 with little angels1 not so much adoring as sporting and hovering round her2 below are ,st4 ,sebastian and ,st4 ,roch1 the latter asleep4 7,there would be an impropriety in exhibiting ,st4 ,roch sleeping but for the reference to the legend1 that1 while he slept1 an angel healed him1 which lends the circumstance a kind of poetical beauty47 ,st4 ,sebastian1 bound1 looks up on the other side4 ,the introduction of ,st4 ,geminiano1 the patron of ,modena1 shows the picture to have been painted for that city1 which had been desolated by pestilence in #aeab4 ,the date of the picture is #aeae4 ,we may then take it for granted1 that wherever the ,virgin and ,child appear attended by ,st4 ,sebastian and ,st4 ,roch1 the picture has been a votive offering against the plague2 and there is something touching in the number of such memorials which exist in the ,italian churches4 7v4 ,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 ,the brotherhoods instituted in most of the towns of ,italy and ,germany1 for attending the sick and plague-stricken in times of public calamity1 were placed under the protection of the ,virgin of ,mercy1 ,st4 ,sebastian1 and ,st4 ,roch2 and many of these pictures were dedicated by such communities1 or by the municipal authorities of the city or locality4 ,there is a memorable example in a picture by ,guido1 painted1 by command of the ,senate of ,bologna1 after the cessation of the plague1 which desolated the city in #ahcj4 7,acad4 ,bologna47 ,the benign ,virgin1 with her ,child1 is seated in the skies3 the rainbow1 symbol of peace and reconciliation1 is under her feet4 ,the infant ,christ1 lovely and gracious1 raises his right hand in the act of blessing2 in the other he holds a branch of olive3 angels scatter flowers around4 ,below stand the guardian saints1 the ,santi ,protettori of ,bologna2--,st4 ,petronius1 ,st4 ,francis1 ,st4 ,dominick2 the warrior-martyrs1 ,st4 ,proculus and ,st4 ,florian1 in complete armour2 with ,st4 ,ignatius and ,st4 ,francis ,xavier4 ,below these is seen1 as if through a dark cloud and diminished1 the city of ,bologna1 where the dead are borne away in carts and on biers4 ,the upper part of this famous picture is most charming for the gracious beauty of the expression1 the freshness and delicacy of the colour4 ,the lower part is less happy1 though the head of ,st4 ,francis1 which is the portrait of ,guido's intimate friend and executor1 ,saulo ,guidotti1 can hardly be exceeded for intense and life-like truth4 ,the other figures are deficient in expression and the execution hurried1 so that on the whole it is inferior to the votive ,piet already described4 ,guido1 it is said1 had no time to prepare a canvas or cartoons1 and painted the whole on a piece of white silk4 ,it was carried in grand procession1 and solemnly dedicated by the ,senate1 whence it obtained the title by which it is celebrated in the history of art1 ,il ,pallione del ,voto4 #c;dly4 ,against inundations1 flood1 and fire1 ,st4 ,george is the great protector4 ,this saint and ,st4 ,barbara1 who is patroness against thunder and tempest1 express deliverance from such calamities1 when in companionship4 ,the ,madonna di ,san ,giorgio of ,correggio 7,dresden ,gal47 is a votive altar-piece dedicated on the occasion of a great inundation of the river ,secchia4 ,she is seated on her throne1 and the ,child looks down on the worshippers and votaries4 ,st4 ,george stands in front victorious1 his foot on the head of the dragon4 ,the introduction of ,st4 ,geminiano tells us that the picture was painted for the city of ,modena2 the presence of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and ,st4 ,peter ,martyr show that it was dedicated by the ,dominicans1 in their church of ,st4 ,john4 7,see ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders47 99 99 99 99 99 ,not less interesting are those votive ,madonnas dedicated by the piety of families and individuals4 ,in the family altar-pieces1 the votary is often presented on one side by his patron saint1 and his wife by her patron on the other4 ,not seldom a troop of hopeful sons attend the father1 and a train of gentle1 demure-looking daughters kneel behind the mother4 ,such memorials of domestic affection and grateful piety are often very charming2 they are pieces of family biography3#a we have celebrated examples both in ,german and ,italian art4 ,footnote #a3 ,several are engraved1 as illustrations1 in ,litta's great ,history of the ,italian ,families4 #a4 ,the ,madonna della ,famiglia ,bentivoglio was painted by ,lorenzo ,costa1 for ,giovanni ,,ii41 lord or tyrant of ,bologna from #adfb to #aejf1 ,the history of this ,giovanni is mixed up in an interesting manner with the revival of art and letters2 he was a great patron of both1 and among the painters in his service were ,francesco ,francia and ,lorenzo ,costa4 ,the latter painted for him his family chapel in the church of ,san ,giacomo at ,bologna2 and1 while the ,bentivogli have long since been chased from their native territory1 their family altar still remains untouched1 unviolated4 ,the ,virgin1 as usual1 is seated on a lofty throne bearing her divine ,child2 she is veiled1 no hair seen1 and simply draped2 she bends forward with mild benignity4 ,to the right of the throne kneels ,giovanni with his four sons2 on the left his wife1 attended by six daughters3 all are portraits1 admirable studies for character and costume4 ,behind the daughters1 the head of an old woman is just visible1--according to tradition the old nurse of the family4 #b4 ,another most interesting family ,madonna is that of ,ludovico ,sforza il ,moro1 painted for the church of ,sant' ,ambrogio at ,milan4#a ,the ,virgin sits enthroned1 richly dressed1 with long fair hair hanging down1 and no veil or ornament2 two angels hold a crown over her head4 ,the ,child lies extended on her knee4 ,round her throne are the four fathers1 ,st4 ,ambrose1 ,st4 ,gregory1 ,st4 ,jerome1 and ,st4 ,augustine4 ,in front of the throne kneels ,ludovico il ,moro1 ,duke of ,milan1 in a rich dress and unarmed2 ,ambrose1 as protector of ,milan1 lays his hand upon his shoulder4 ,at his side kneels a boy about five years old4 ,opposite to him is the duchess1 ,beatrice d',este1 also kneeling2 and near her a little baby in swaddling clothes1 holding up its tiny hands in supplication1 kneels on a cushion4 ,the age of the children shows the picture to have been painted about #adif4 ,the fate of ,ludovico il ,moro is well known3 perhaps the blessed ,virgin deemed a traitor and an assassin unworthy of her protection4 ,he died in the frightful prison of ,loches after twelve years of captivity2 and both his sons1 ,maximilian and ,francesco1 were unfortunate4 ,with them the family of ,sforza and the independence of ,milan were extinguished together in #aece4 ,footnote #a3 ,by an unknown painter of the school of ,lionardo1 and now in the gallery1 of the ,brera4 #c4 ,another celebrated and most precious picture of this class is the ,virgin of the ,meyer family1 painted by ,holbein for the burgomaster ,jacob ,meyer of ,basle4#a ,according to a family tradition1 the youngest son of the burgomaster was sick even to death1 and1 through the merciful intercession of the ,virgin1 was restored to his parents1 who1 in gratitude1 dedicated this offering4 ,she stands on a pedestal in a richly ornamented niche2 over her long fair hair1 which falls down her shoulders to her waist1 she wears a superb crown2 and her robe of a dark greenish blue is confined by a crimson girdle4 ,in purity1 dignity1 humility1 and intellectual grace1 this exquisite ,madonna has never been surpassed2 not even by ,raphael2 the face1 once seen1 haunts the memory4 ,the ,child in her arms is generally supposed to be the infant ,christ4 ,i have fancied1 as ,i look on the picture1 that it may be the poor sick child recommended to her mercy1 for the face is very pathetic1 the limbs not merely delicate but attenuated1 while1 on comparing it with the robust child who stands below1 the resemblance and the contrast are both striking4 ,to the right of the ,virgin kneels the burgomaster ,meyer with two of his sons1 one of whom holds the little brother who is restored to health1 and seems to present him to the people4 ,on the left kneel four females--the mother1 the grandmother1 and two daughters4 ,all these are portraits1 touched with that homely1 vigorous truth1 and finished with that consummate delicacy1 which characterized ,holbein in his happiest efforts2 and1 with their earnest but rather ugly and earthly faces1 contrasting with the divinely compassionate and refined being who looks down on them with an air so human1 so maternal1 and yet so unearthly4 ,footnote #a3 ,dresden ,gal4 ,the engraving by ,steinle is justly celebrated4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sometimes it is a single votary who kneels before the ,madonna4 ,in the old times he expressed his humility by placing himself in a corner and making himself so diminutive as to be scarce visible afterwards1 the head of the votary or donor is seen life-size1 with hands joined in prayer1 just above the margin at the foot of the throne2 care being taken to remove him from all juxtaposition with the attendant saints4 ,but1 as the religious feeling in art declined1 the living votaries are mingled with the spiritual patrons--the human mortals with the human immortals1--with a disregard to time and place1 which1 if it be not so lowly in spirit1 can be rendered by a great artist strikingly poetical and significant4 #a4 ,the renowned ,madonna di ,foligno1 one of ,raphael's masterpieces1 is a votive picture of this class4 ,it was dedicated by ,sigismund ,conti of ,foligno2 private secretary to ,pope ,julius ,,ii41 and a distinguished man in other respects1 a writer and a patron of learning4 ,it appears that ,sigismund having been in great danger from a meteor or thunderbolt1 vowed an offering to the blessed ,virgin1 to whom he attributed his safety1 and in fulfilment of his vow consecrated this precious picture4 ,in the upper part of the composition sits the ,virgin in heavenly glory2 by her side the infant ,christ1 partly sustained by his mother's veil1 which is drawn round his body3 both look down benignly on the votary ,sigismund ,conti1 who1 kneeling below1 gazes up with an expression of the most intense gratitude and devotion4 ,it is a portrait from the life1 and certainly one of the finest and most life-like that exists in painting4 ,behind him stands ,st4 ,jerome1 who1 placing his hand upon the head of the votary1 seems to present him to his celestial protectress4 ,on the opposite side ,john the ,baptist1 the meagre wild-looking prophet of the desert1 points upward to the ,redeemer4 ,more in front kneels ,st4 ,francis1 who1 while he looks up to heaven with trusting and imploring love1 extends his right hand towards the worshippers1 supposed to be assembled in the church1 recommending them also to the protecting grace of the ,virgin4 ,in the centre of the picture1 dividing these two groups1 stands a lovely angel-boy holding in his hand a tablet1 one of the most charming figures of this kind ,raphael ever painted2 the head1 looking up1 has that sublime1 yet perfectly childish grace1 which strikes us in those awful angel-boys in the ,madonna di ,san ,sisto4 ,the background is a landscape1 in which appears the city of ,foligno at a distance2 it is overshadowed by a storm-cloud1 and a meteor is seen falling2 but above these bends a rainbow1 pledge of peace and safety4 ,the whole picture glows throughout with life and beauty1 hallowed by that profound religious sentiment which suggested the offering1 and which the sympathetic artist seems to have caught from the grateful donor4 ,it was dedicated in the church of the ,ara-,coeli at ,rome1 which belongs to the ,franciscans2 hence ,st4 ,francis is one of the principal figures4 ,when ,i was asked1 at ,rome1 why ,st4 ,jerome had been introduced into the picture1 ,i thought it might be thus accounted for3--,the patron saint of the donor1 ,st4 ,sigismund1 was a king and a warrior1 and ,conti might possibly think that it did not accord with his profession1 as an humble ecclesiastic1 to introduce him here4 ,the most celebrated convent of the ,jeronimites in ,italy is that of ,st4 ,sigismund near ,cremona1 placed under the special protection of ,st4 ,jerome1 who is also in a general sense the patron of all ecclesiastics2 hence1 perhaps1 he figures here as the protector of ,sigismund ,conti4 ,the picture was painted1 and placed over the high altar of the ,ara-,coeli in #aeaa1 when ,raphael was in his twenty-eighth year4 ,conti died in #aeab1 and in #aefe his grandniece1 ,suora ,anna ,conti1 obtained permission to remove it to her convent at ,foligno1 whence it was carried off by the ,french in #agib4 ,since the restoration of the works of art in ,italy1 in #ahae1 it has been placed among the treasures of the ,vatican4 99 99 99 99 99 #b4 ,another perfect specimen of a votive picture of this kind1 in a very different style1 ,i saw in the museum at ,rouen1 attributed there to ,van ,eyck4 ,it is1 probably1 a fine work by a later master of the school1 perhaps ,hemmelinck4 ,in the centre1 the ,virgin is enthroned2 the ,child1 seated on her knee1 holds a bunch of grapes1 symbol of the eucharist4 ,on the right of the ,virgin is ,st4 ,apollonia2 then two lovely angels in white raiment1 with lutes in their hands2 and then a female head1 seen looking from behind1 evidently a family portrait4 ,more in front1 ,st4 ,agnes1 splendidly dressed in green and sable1 her lamb at her feet1 turns with a questioning air to ,st4 ,catherine1 who1 in queenly garb of crimson and ermine seems to consult her book4 ,behind her another member of the family1 a man with a very fine face2 and more in front ,st4 ,dorothea1 with a charming expression of modesty1 looks down on her basket of roses4 ,on the left of the ,virgin is ,st4 ,agatha2 then two angels in white with viols2 then ,st4 ,cecilia2 and near her a female head1 another family portrait2 next ,st4 ,barbara wearing a beautiful head-dress1 in front of which is worked her tower1 framed like an ornamental jewel in gold and pearls2 she has a missal in her lap4 ,st4 ,lucia next appears2 then another female portrait4 ,all the heads are about one fourth of the size of life4 ,i stood in admiration before this picture--such miraculous finish in all the details1 such life1 such spirit1 such delicacy in the heads and hands1 such brilliant colour in the draperies6 ,of its history ,i could learn nothing1 nor what family had thus introduced themselves into celestial companionship4 ,the portraits seemed to me to represent a father1 a mother1 and two daughters4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i must mention some other instances of votive ,madonnas1 interesting either from their beauty or their singularity4 #c4 ,rn1 ,duke of ,anjou1 and ,king of ,sicily and ,jerusalem1 the father of our ,amazonian queen1 ,margaret of ,anjou1 dedicated1 in the church of the ,carmelites1 at ,aix1 the capital of his dominions1 a votive picture1 which is still to be seen there4 ,it is not only a monument of his piety1 but of his skill2 for1 according to the tradition of the country1 he painted it himself4 ,the good ,king ,rn was no contemptible artist2 but though he may have suggested the subject1 the hand of a practised and accomplished painter is too apparent for us to suppose it his own work4 ,this altar-piece in a triptychon1 and when the doors are closed it measures twelve feet in height1 and seven feet in width4 ,on the outside of the doors is the ,annunciation3 to the left1 the angel standing on a pedestal1 under a ,gothic canopy2 to the right1 the ,virgin standing with her book1 under a similar canopy3 both graceful figures4 ,on opening the doors1 the central compartment exhibits the ,virgin and her ,child enthroned in a burning bush2 the bush which burned with fire1 and was not consumed1 being a favourite type of the immaculate purity of the ,virgin4 ,lower down1 in front1 ,moses appears surrounded by his flocks1 and at the command of an angel is about to take off his sandals4 ,the angel is most richly dressed1 and on the clasp of his mantle is painted in miniature ,adam and ,eve tempted by the serpent4 ,underneath this compartment1 is the inscription1 ,rubum quem viderat ,moyses1 incombustum1 conservatam agnovimus tuam laudabilem ,virginitatem1 ,sancta ,dei ,genitrix#a4 ,on the door to the right of the ,virgin kneels ,king ,rn himself before an altar1 on which lies an open book and his kingly crown4 ,he is dressed in a robe trimmed with ermine1 and wears a black velvet cap4 ,behind him1 ,mary ,magdalene 7the patroness of ,provence71 ,st4 ,antony1 and ,st4 ,maurice4 ,on the other door1 ,jeanne de ,laval1 the second wife of ,rn1 kneels before an open book2 she is young and beautiful1 and richly attired2 and behind her stand ,st4 ,john 7her patron saint71 ,st4 ,catherine 7very noble and elegant71 and ,st4 ,nicholas4 ,i saw this curious and interesting picture in #ahdf4 ,it is very well preserved1 and painted with great finish and delicacy in the manner of the early ,flemish school4 ,footnote #a3 ,for the relation of ,moses to the ,virgin 7as attribute7 v4 the ,introduction4 #d4 ,in a beautiful little picture by ,van ,eyck 7,louvre1 ,no4 #afb4 ,ecole ,allemande71 the ,virgin is seated on a throne1 holding in her arms the infant ,christ1 who has a globe in his left hand1 and extends the right in the act of benediction4 ,the ,virgin is attired as a queen1 in a magnificent robe falling in ample folds around her1 and trimmed with jewels2 an angel1 hovering with outspread wings1 holds a crown over her head4 ,on the left of the picture1 a votary1 in the dress of a ,flemish burgomaster1 kneels before a ,prie-,dieu1 on which is an open book1 and with clasped hands adores the ,mother and her ,child4 ,the locality represents a gallery or portico paved with marble1 and sustained by pillars in a fantastic ,moorish style4 ,the whole picture is quite exquisite for the delicacy of colour and execution4 ,in the catalogue of the ,louvre1 this picture1 is entitled ,st4 ,joseph adoring the ,infant ,christ1--an obvious mistake1 if we consider the style of the treatment and the customs of the time4 #e4 ,all who have visited the church of the ,frari at ,venice will remember--for once seen1 they never can forget--the ex-voto altar-piece which adorns the chapel of the ,pesaro family4 ,the beautiful ,virgin is seated on a lofty throne to the right of the picture1 and presses to her bosom the ,dio ,bambinetto1 who turns from her to bless the votary presented by ,st4 ,peter4 ,the saint stands on the steps of the throne1 one hand on a book2 and behind him kneels one of the ,pesaro family1 who was at once bishop of ,paphos and commander of the ,pope's galleys3 he approaches to consecrate to the ,madonna the standards taken from the ,turks1 which are borne by ,st4 ,george1 as patron of ,venice4 ,on the other side appear ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,antony of ,padua1 as patrons of the church in which the picture is dedicated4 ,lower down1 kneeling on one side of the throne1 is a group of various members of the ,pesaro family1 three of whom are habited in crimson robes1 as ,cavalieri di ,san ,marco2 the other1 a youth about fifteen1 looks out of the picture1 astonishingly alive1 and yet sufficiently idealized to harmonize with the rest4 ,this picture is very remarkable for several reasons4 ,it is a piece of family history1 curiously illustrative of the manners of the time4 ,the ,pesaro here commemorated was an ecclesiastic1 but appointed by ,alexander ,,vi4 to command the galleys with which he joined the ,venetian forces against the ,turks in #aejc4 ,it is for this reason that ,st4 ,peter--as representative here of the ,roman pontiff--introduces him to the ,madonna1 while ,st4 ,george1 as patron of ,venice1 attends him4 ,the picture is a monument of the victory gained by ,pesaro1 and the gratitude and pride of his family4 ,it is also one of the finest works of ,titian2 one of the earliest instances in which a really grand religious composition assumes almost a dramatic and scenic form1 yet retains a certain dignity and symmetry worthy of its solemn destination4#a ,footnote #a3 ,we find in the catalogue of pictures which belonged to our ,charles ,i4 one which represented a pope preferring a general of his navy to ,st4 ,peter4 ,it is ,pope ,alexander ,,vi4 presenting this very ,pesaro to ,st4 ,peter2 that is1 in plain unpictorial prose1 giving him the appointment of admiral of the galleys of the ,roman states4 ,this interesting picture1 after many vicissitudes1 is now in the ,museum at ,antwerp4 7,see the ,handbook to the ,royal ,galleries1 p4 #bja47 #f4 ,i will give one more instance4 ,there is in our ,national ,gallery a ,venetian picture which is striking from its peculiar and characteristic treatment4 ,on one side1 the ,virgin with her ,infant is seated on a throne2 a cavalier1 wearing armour and a turban1 who looks as if he had just returned from the eastern wars1 prostrates himself before her3 in the background1 a page 7said to be the portrait of the painter7 holds the horse of the votary4 ,the figures are life-size1 or nearly so1 as well as ,i can remember1 and the sentimental dramatic treatment is quite ,venetian4 ,it is supposed to represent a certain ,duccio ,constanzo of ,treviso1 and was once attributed to ,giorgione3 it is certainly of the school of ,bellini4 7,nat4 ,gal4 ,catalogue1 #bcd47 99 99 99 99 99 ,as these enthroned and votive ,virgins multiplied1 as it became more and more a fashion to dedicate them as offerings in churches1 want of space1 and perhaps1 also1 regard to expense1 suggested the idea of representing the figures half-length4 ,the ,venetians1 from early time the best face painters in the world1 appear to have been the first to cut off the lower part of the figure1 leaving the arrangement otherwise much the same4 ,the ,virgin is still a queenly and majestic creature1 sitting there to be adored4 ,a curtain or part of a carved chair represents her throne4 ,the attendant saints are placed to the right and to the left2 or sometimes the throne occupies one side of the picture1 and the saints are ranged on the other4 ,from the shape and diminished size of these votive pictures the personages1 seen half-length1 are necessarily placed very near to each other1 and the heads nearly on a level with that of the ,virgin1 who is generally seen to the knees1 while the ,child is always full-length4 ,in such compositions we miss the grandeur of the entire forms1 and the consequent diversity of character and attitude2 but sometimes the beauty and individuality of the heads atone for all other deficiencies4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the earlier ,venetian examples1 those of ,gian ,bellini particularly1 there is a solemn quiet elevation which renders them little inferior1 in religious sentiment1 to the most majestic of the enthroned and enskied ,madonnas4 99 99 99 99 99 ,there is a sacred group by ,bellini1 in the possession of ,sir ,charles ,eastlake1 which has always appeared to me a very perfect specimen of this class of pictures4 ,it is also the earliest ,i know of4 ,the ,virgin1 pensive1 sedate1 and sweet1 like all ,bellini's ,virgins1 is seated in the centre1 and seen in front4 ,the ,child1 on her knee1 blesses with his right hand1 and the ,virgin places hers on the head of a votary1 who just appears above the edge of the picture1 with hands joined in prayer2 he is a fine young man with an elevated and elegant profile4 ,on the right are ,st4 ,john the ,baptist pointing to the ,saviour1 and ,st4 ,catherine2 on the left1 ,st4 ,george with his banner1 and ,st4 ,peter holding his book4 ,a similar picture1 with ,mary ,magdalene and ,st4 ,jerome on the right1 ,st4 ,peter and ,st4 ,martha on the left1 is in the ,leuchtenberg ,gallery at ,munich4 ,another of exquisite beauty is in the ,venice ,academy1 in which the lovely ,st4 ,catherine wears a crown of myrtle4 ,once introduced1 these half-length enthroned ,madonnas became very common1 spreading from the ,venetian states through the north of ,italy2 and we find innumerable examples from the best schools of art in ,italy and ,germany1 from the middle of the fifteenth to the middle of the sixteenth century4 ,i shall particularize a few of these1 which will be sufficient to guide the attention of the observer2 and we must carefully discriminate between the sentiment proper to these half-length enthroned ,madonnas1 and the pastoral or domestic sacred groups and ,holy ,families1 of which ,i shall have to treat hereafter4 ,raphael's well-known ,madonna della ,seggiola and ,madonna della ,candelabra1 are both enthroned ,virgins in the grand style1 though seen half-length4 ,in fact1 the air of the head ought1 in the higher schools of art1 at once to distinguish a ,madonna1 in trono1 even where only the head is visible4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in a ,milanese picture1 the ,virgin and ,child appear between ,st4 ,laurence and ,st4 ,john4 ,the mannered and somewhat affected treatment is contrasted with the quiet1 solemn simplicity of a group by ,francia1 where the ,virgin and ,child appear as objects of worship between ,st4 ,dominick and ,st4 ,barbara4 ,the ,child1 standing or seated on a table or balustrade in front1 enabled the painter to vary the attitude1 to take the infant ,christ out of the arms of the ,mother1 and to render his figure more prominent4 ,it was a favourite arrangement with the ,venetians2 and there is an instance in a pretty picture in our ,national ,gallery1 attributed to ,perugino4 ,sometimes1 even where the throne and the attendant saints and angels show the group to be wholly devotional and exalted1 we find the sentiment varied by a touch of the dramatic1--by the introduction of an action2 but it must be one of a wholly religious significance1 suggestive of a religious feeling1 or the subject ceases to be properly devotional in character4 ,there is a picture by ,botticelli1 before which1 in walking up the corridor of the ,florence ,gallery1 ,i used1 day after day1 to make an involuntary pause of admiration4 ,the ,virgin1 seated in a chair of state1 but seen only to the knees1 sustains her divine ,son with one arm2 four angels are in attendance1 one of whom presents an inkhorn1 another holds before her an open book1 and she is in the act of writing the ,magnificat1 ,my soul doth magnify the ,lord6 ,the head of the figure behind the ,virgin is the portrait of ,lorenzo de' ,medici when a boy4 ,there is absolutely no beauty of feature1 either in the ,madonna1 or the ,child1 or the angels1 yet every face is full of dignity and character4 ,in a beautiful picture by ,titian 7,bel4 ,gal41 ,vienna4 ,louvre1 ,no4 #deh71 the ,virgin is enthroned on the left1 and on the right appear ,st4 ,george and ,st4 ,laurence as listening1 while ,st4 ,jerome reads from his great book4 ,a small copy of this picture is at ,windsor4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the old ,german and ,flemish painters1 in treating the enthroned ,madonna1 sometimes introduced accessories which no painter of the early ,italian school would have descended to2 and which tinge with a homely sentiment their most exalted conceptions4 ,thus1 ,i have seen a ,german ,madonna seated on a superb throne1 and most elaborately and gorgeously arrayed1 pressing her ,child to her bosom with a truly maternal air2 while beside her1 on a table1 is a honeycomb1 some butter1 a dish of fruit1 and a glass of water4 7,bel4 ,gal41 ,vienna47 ,it is possible that in this case1 as in the ,virgin suckling her ,child1 there may be a religious allusion3--,butter and honey shall he eat1 c4 ,,the ,,mater ,,amabilis4 ,ital4 ,la ,madonna col ,bambino4 ,la ,madonna col celeste suo figlio4 ,fr4 ,la ,vierge et l'enfant ,jesus4 ,ger4 ,maria mit dem ,kind4 ,there is yet another treatment of the ,madonna and ,child1 in which the ,virgin no longer retains the lofty goddess-like exaltation given to her in the old time4 ,she is brought nearer to our sympathies4 ,she is not seated in a chair of state with the accompaniments of earthly power2 she is not enthroned on clouds1 nor glorified and star-crowned in heaven2 she is no longer so exclusively the ,,vergine ,,dea1 nor the ,,virgo ,,dei ,,genitrix2 but she is still the ,,alma ,,mater ,,redemptoris1 the young1 and lovely1 and most pure mother of a divine ,christ4 ,she is not sustained in mid-air by angels2 she dwells lowly on earth2 but the angels leave their celestial home to wait upon her4 ,such effigies1 when conceived in a strictly ideal and devotional sense1 ,i shall designate as the ,,mater ,,amabilis4 ,the first and simplest form of this beautiful and familiar subject1 we find in those innumerable half-length figures of the ,madonna1 holding her ,child in her arms1 painted chiefly for oratories1 private or way-side chapels1 and for the studies1 libraries1 and retired chambers of the devout1 as an excitement to religious feeling1 and a memorial of the mystery of the ,incarnation1 where large or grander subjects1 or more expensive pictures1 would be misplaced4 ,though unimportant in comparison with the comprehensive and magnificent church altar-pieces already described1 there is no class of pictures so popular and so attractive1 none on which the character of the time and the painter is stamped more clearly and intelligibly1 than on these simple representations4 ,the ,virgin is not here the dispenser of mercy2 she is simply the mother of the ,redeemer4 ,she is occupied only by her divine ,son4 ,she caresses him1 or she gazes on him fondly4 ,she presents him to the worshipper4 ,she holds him forth with a pensive joy as the predestined offering4 ,if the profound religious sentiment of the early masters was afterwards obliterated by the unbelief and conventionalism of later art1 still this favourite subject could not be so wholly profaned by degrading sentiments and associations1 as the mere portrait heads of the ,virgin alone4 ,no matter what the model for the ,madonna1 might have been1--a wife1 a mistress1 a contadina of ,frascati1 a ,venetian ,zitella1 a ,madchen of ,nuremberg1 a buxom ,flemish ,frau1--for the ,child was there2 the baby innocence in her arms consecrated her into that holiest thing alive1 a mother4 ,the theme1 however inadequately treated as regarded its religious significance1 was sanctified in itself beyond the reach of a profane thought4 ,miserable beyond the reach of hope1 dark below despair1 that moral atmosphere which the presence of sinless unconscious infancy cannot for a moment purify or hallow6 ,among the most ancient and most venerable of the effigies of the ,madonna1 we find the old ,greek pictures of the ,mater ,amabilis1 if that epithet can be properly applied to the dark-coloured1 sad-visaged ,madonnas generally attributed to ,st4 ,luke1 or transcripts of those said to be painted by him1 which exist in so many churches1 and are1 or were1 supposed by the people to possess a peculiar sanctity4 ,these are almost all of oriental origin1 or painted to imitate the pictures brought from the ,east in the tenth or twelfth century4 ,there are a few striking and genuine examples of these ancient ,greek ,madonnas in the ,florentine ,gallery1 and1 nearer at hand1 in the ,wallerstein collection at ,kensington ,palace4 ,they much resemble each other in the general treatment4 ,the infinite variety which painters have given to this most simple motif1 the ,mother and the ,child only1 without accessories or accompaniments of any kind1 exceeds all possibility of classification1 either as to attitude or sentiment4 ,here ,raphael shone supreme3 the simplicity1 the tenderness1 the halo of purity and virginal dignity1 which he threw round the ,mater ,amabilis have1 never been surpassed--in his best pictures1 never equalled4 ,the ,madonna del ,gran-,duca1 where the ,virgin holds the ,child seated on her arm2 the ,madonna ,tempi1 where she so fondly presses her check to his1--are perhaps the most remarkable for simplicity4 ,the ,madonna of the ,bridgewater ,gallery1 where the ,infant lies on her knees1 and the ,mother and ,son look into each other's eyes2 the little ,madonna ,conestabile1 where she holds the book1 and the infant ,christ1 with a serious yet perfectly childish grace1 bends to turn over the leaf1--are the most remarkable for sentiment4 ,other ,madonnas by ,raphael1 containing three or more figures1 do not belong to this class of pictures4 ,they are not strictly devotional1 but are properly ,holy ,families1 groups and scenes from the domestic life of the ,virgin4 ,with regard1 to other painters before or since his time1 the examples of the ,mater ,amabilis so abound la public and private galleries1 and have been so multiplied in prints1 that comparison is within the reach of every observer4 ,i will content myself with noticing a few of the most remarkable for beauty or characteristic treatment4 ,two painters1 who eminently excelled in simplicity and purity of sentiment1 are ,gian ,bellini of ,venice1 and ,bernardino ,luini of ,milan4 ,squarcione1 though often fantastic1 has painted one or two of these ,madonnas1 remarkable for simplicity and dignity1 as also his pupil ,mantegna2 though in both the style of execution is somewhat hard and cold4 ,in the one by ,fra ,bartolomeo1 there is such a depth of maternal tenderness in the expression and attitude1 we wonder where the good monk found his model4 ,in his own heart8 in his dreams8 ,a ,mater ,amabilis by one of the ,caracci or by ,vandyck is generally more elegant and dignified than tender4 ,the ,madonna1 for instance1 by ,annibal1 has something of the majestic sentiment of an enthroned ,madonna4 ,murillo excelled in this subject2 although most of his ,virgins have a portrait air of common life1 they are redeemed by the expression4 ,in one of these1 the ,child1 looking out of the picture with extended arms and eyes full of divinity1 seems about to spring forth to fulfil his mission4 ,in another he folds his little hands1 and looks up to ,heaven1 as if devoting himself to his appointed suffering1 while the ,mother looks down upon him with a tender resignation4 7,leuchtenberg ,gal47 ,in a noble ,madonna by ,vandyck 7,bridgewater ,gal471 it is she herself who devotes him to do his ,father's will2 and ,i still remember a picture of this class1 by ,carlo ,cignani 7,belvedere ,gal41 ,vienna71 which made me start1 with the intense expression3 the ,mother presses to her the ,child1 who holds a cross in his baby hand2 she looks up to heaven with an appealing look of love and anguish1--almost of reproach4 ,guido did not excel so much in children1 as in the ,virgin alone4 ,poussin1 ,carlo ,dolce1 ,sasso ,ferrato1 and1 in general1 all the painters of the seventeenth century1 give us pretty women and pretty children4 ,we may pass them over4 ,a second version of the ,mater ,amabilis1 representing the ,virgin and ,child full-length1 but without accessories1 has been also very beautifully treated4 ,she is usually seated in a landscape1 and frequently within the mystical enclosure 7,hortus clausus71 which is sometimes in the ,german pictures a mere palisade of stakes or boughs4 ,andrea ,mantegna1 though a fantastic painter1 had generally some meaning in his fancies4 ,there is a fine picture of his in which the ,virgin and ,child are seated in a landscape1 and in the background is a stone-quarry1 where a number of figures are seen busily at work2 perhaps hewing the stone to build the new temple of which our ,saviour was the corner-stone4 7,florence ,gal47 ,in a group by ,cristofano ,allori1 the ,child places a wreath of flowers on the brow of his ,mother1 holding in his other hand his own crown of thorns3 one of the fancies of the later schools of art4 ,the introduction of the little ,st4 ,john into the group of the ,virgin and ,child lends it a charming significance and variety1 and is very popular2 we must1 however1 discriminate between the familiarity of the domestic subject and the purely religious treatment4 ,when the ,giovannino adores with folded hands1 as acknowledging in ,christ a superior power1 or kisses his feet humbly1 or points to him exulting1 then it is evident that we have the two ,children in their spiritual character1 the ,child1 ,priest and ,king1 and the ,child1 ,prophet4 ,in a picture by ,lionardo da ,vinci 7,coll4 of the ,earl of ,suffolk71 the ,madonna1 serious and beautiful1 without either crown or veil1 and adorned only by her long fair hair1 is seated on a rock4 ,on one side1 the little ,christ1 supported in the arms of an angel1 raises his hand in benediction2 on the other side1 the young ,st4 ,john1 presented by the ,virgin1 kneels in adoration4 ,where the ,children are merely embracing each other1 or sporting at the feet of the ,virgin1 or playing with the cross1 or with a bird1 or with the lamb1 or with flowers1 we might call the treatment domestic or poetical2 but where ,st4 ,john is taking the cross from the hand of ,christ1 it is clear1 from the perpetual repetition of the theme1 that it is intended to express a religious allegory4 ,it is the mission of ,st4 ,john as ,baptist and ,prophet4 ,he receives the symbol of faith ere he goes forth to preach and to convert1 or as it has been interpreted1 he1 in the sense used by our ,lord1 takes up the cross of our ,lord4 ,the first is1 ,i think1 the meaning when the cross is enwreathed with the ,ecce ,agnus ,dei2 the latter1 when it is a simple cross4 ,in ,raphael's ,madonna della ,famiglia ,alva1 7now in the ,imp4 ,gal41 ,st4 ,petersburg71 and in his ,madonna of the ,vienna ,gallery1 ,christ gives the cross to ,st4 ,john4 ,in a picture of the ,lionardo school in the ,louvre we have the same action2 and again in a graceful group by ,guido1 which1 in the engraving1 bears this inscription1 ,qui non accipit crucem suam non est me dignus4 7,matt4 x4 #ch47 ,this1 of course1 fixes the signification4 ,another1 and1 as ,i think1 a wholly fanciful interpretation1 has been given to this favourite group by ,treck and by ,monckton ,milnes4 ,the ,children contend for the cross4 ,the little ,st4 ,john begs to have it4 ,give me the cross1 ,i pray you1 dearest ,jesus4 ,o if you knew how much ,i wish to have it1 ,you would not hold it in your hand so tightly4 ,something has told me1 something in my breast here1 ,which ,i am sure is true1 that if you keep it1 ,if you will let no other take it from you1 ,terrible things ,i cannot bear to think of ,must fall upon you4 ,show me that you love me3 ,am ,i not here to be your little servant1 ,follow your steps1 and wait upon your wishes8 ,but ,christ refuses to yield the terrible plaything1 and claims his privilege to be the elder in the heritage of pain4 ,in a picture by ,carlo ,maratti1 ,i think this action is evident--,christ takes the cross1 and ,st4 ,john yields it with reluctance4 ,a beautiful version of the ,mater ,amabilis is the ,,madre ,,pia1 where the ,virgin in her divine ,infant acknowledges and adores the ,godhead4 ,we must be careful to distinguish this subject from the ,nativity1 for it is common1 in the scene of the birth of the ,saviour at ,bethlehem1 to represent the ,virgin adoring her new-born ,child4 ,the presence of ,joseph--the ruined shed or manger--the ox and ass1--these express the event4 ,but in the ,,madre ,,pia properly so called1 the locality1 and the accessories1 if any1 are purely ideal and poetical1 and have no reference to time or place4 ,the early ,florentines1 particularly ,lorenzo di ,credi1 excelled in this charming subject4 ,there is a picture by ,filippino ,lippi1 which appears to me eminently beautiful and poetical4 ,here the mystical garden is formed of a balustrade1 beyond which is seen a hedge all in a blush with roses4 ,the ,virgin kneels in the midst1 and adores her ,infant1 who has his finger on his lip 7,verbum sum672 an angel scatters rose-leaves over him1 while the little ,st4 ,john also kneels1 and four angels1 in attitudes of adoration1 complete the group4 ,but a more perfect example is the ,madonna by ,francia in the ,munich ,gallery1 where the divine ,infant lies on the flowery turf2 and the mother1 standing before him and looking down on him1 seems on the point of sinking on her knees in a transport of tenderness and devotion4 ,this1 to my feeling1 is one of the most perfect pictures in the world2 it leaves nothing to be desired4 ,with all the simplicity of the treatment it is strictly devotional4 ,the ,mother and her ,child are placed within the mystical garden enclosed in a treillage of roses1 alone with each other1 and apart from all earthly associations1 all earthly communion4 ,the beautiful altar-piece by ,perugino in our ,national ,gallery is properly a ,madre ,pia2 the child seated on a cushion is sustained by an angel1 the mother kneels before him4 ,the famous ,correggio in the ,florentine ,gallery is also a ,madre ,pia4 ,it is very tender1 sweet1 and maternal4 ,the ,child lying on part of his mother's blue mantle1 so arranged that while she kneels and bends over him1 she cannot change her attitude without disturbing him1 is a concetto admired by critics in sentiment and ,art2 but it appears to me very inferior and commonplace in comparison to the ,francia at ,munich4 ,in a group by ,botticelli1 angels sustain the ,infant1 while the mother1 seated1 with folded hands1 adores him3 and in a favourite composition by ,guido he sleeps4 ,and1 lastly1 we have the ,mater ,amabilis in a more complex1 and picturesque1 though still devotional1 form4 ,the ,virgin1 seen at full length1 reclines on a verdant bank1 or is seated under a tree4 ,she is not alone with her ,child4 ,holy personages1 admitted to a communion with her1 attend around her1 rather sympathizing than adoring4 ,the love of varied nature1 the love of life under all its aspects1 became mingled with the religious conception4 ,instead of carefully avoiding whatever may remind us of her earthly relationship1 the members of her family always form a part of her cortge4 ,this pastoral and dramatic treatment began with the ,venetian and ,paduan schools1 and extended to the early ,german schools1 which were allied to them in feeling1 though contrasted with them in form and execution4 ,the perpetual introduction of ,st4 ,joseph1 ,st4 ,elizabeth1 and other relatives of the ,virgin 7always avoided in a ,madonna dell ,trono71 would compose what is called a ,holy ,family1 but that the presence of sainted personages whose existence and history belong to a wholly different era--,st4 ,catherine1 ,st4 ,george1 ,st4 ,francis1 or ,st4 ,dominick--takes the composition out of the merely domestic and historical1 and lifts it at once into the ideal and devotional line of art4 ,such a group cannot well be styled a ,sacra ,famiglia2 it is a ,sacra ,conversazione treated in the pastoral and lyrical rather than the lofty epic style4 ,in this subject the ,venetians1 who first introduced it1 excel all other painters4 ,there is no example by ,raphael4 ,the ,german and ,flemish painters who adopted this treatment were often coarse and familiar2 the later ,italians became flippant and fantastic4 ,the ,venetians alone knew how to combine the truest feeling for nature with a sort of ,elysian grace4 ,i shall give a few examples4 #a4 ,in a picture by ,titian 7,dresden ,gal471 the ,virgin is seated on a green bank enamelled with flowers4 ,she is simply dressed like a contadina1 in a crimson tunic1 and a white veil half shading her fair hair4 ,she holds in her arms her lovely ,infant1 who raises his little hand in benediction4 ,st4 ,catherine kneels before him on one side2 on the other1 ,st4 ,barbara4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 not as a child1 and the contemporary of our ,saviour1 but in likeness of an ,arcadian shepherd1 kneels with his cross and his lamb--the ,ecce ,agnus ,dei1 expressed1 not in words1 but in form4 ,st4 ,george stands by as a guardian warrior4 ,and ,st4 ,joseph1 leaning on his stick behind1 contemplates the group with an air of dignified complacency4 #b4 ,there is another instance also from ,titian4 ,in a most luxuriant landscape thick with embowering trees1 and the mountains of ,cadore in the background1 the ,virgin is seated on a verdant bank2 ,st4 ,catherine has thrown herself on her knees1 and stretches out her arms to the divine ,child in an ecstasy of adoration1 in which there is nothing unseemly or familiar4 ,at a distance ,st4 ,john the ,baptist approaches with his ,lamb4 #c4 ,in another very similar group1 the action of ,st4 ,catherine is rather too familiar1--it is that of an eider sister or a nurse3 the young ,st4 ,john kneels in worship4 #d4 ,wonderfully fine is a picture of this class by ,palma1 now in the ,dresden ,gallery4 ,the noble1 serious1 sumptuous loveliness of the ,virgin2 the exquisite ,child1 so thoughtful1 yet so infantine2 the manly beauty of the ,st4 ,john2 the charming humility of the ,st4 ,catherine as she presents her palm1 form one of the most perfect groups in the world4 ,childhood1 motherhood1 maidenhood1 manhood1 were never1 ,i think1 combined in so sweet a spirit of humanity4#a ,footnote #a3 ,when ,i was at ,dresden1 in #ahfj1 ,i found ,steinle1 so celebrated for his engravings of the ,madonna di ,san ,sisto and the ,holbein ,madonna1 employed on this picture2 and1 as far as his art could go1 transferring to his copper all the fervour and the morbidezza of the original4 #e4 ,in another picture by ,palma1 in the same gallery1 we have the same picturesque arrangement of the ,virgin and ,child1 while the little ,st4 ,john adores with folded hands1 and ,st4 ,catherine sits by in tender contemplation4 ,this ,arcadian sentiment is carried as far as could well be allowed in a picture by ,titian 7,louvre1 #dei71 known as the ,vierge au ,lapin4 ,the ,virgin holds a white rabbit1 towards which the infant ,christ1 in the arms of ,st4 ,catherine1 eagerly stretches his hand4 ,in a picture by ,paris ,bordone it is carried1 ,i think1 too far4 ,the ,virgin reclines under a tree with a book in her hand2 opposite to her sits ,st4 ,joseph holding an apple2 between them1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 as a bearded man1 holds in his arms the infant ,christ1 who caressingly puts one arm round his neck1 and with the other clings to the rough hairy raiment of his friend4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it will be observed1 that in these ,venetian examples ,st4 ,catherine1 the beloved protectress of ,venice1 is seldom omitted4 ,she is not here the learned princess who confounded tyrants and converted philosophers1 but a bright-haired1 full-formed ,venetian maiden1 glowing with love and life1 yet touched with a serious grace1 inexpressibly charming4 ,st4 ,dorothea is also a favourite saint in these sacred pastorals4 ,there is an instance in which she is seated by the ,virgin with her basket of fruits and flowers2 and ,st4 ,jerome1 no longer beating his breast in penance1 but in likeness of a fond old grandfather1 stretches out his arms to the ,child4 ,much finer is a picture now in the possession of ,sir ,charles ,eastlake4 ,the lovely ,virgin is seated under a tree3 on one side appears the angel ,raphael1 presenting ,tobit2 on the other1 ,st4 ,dorothea1 kneeling1 holds up her basket of celestial fruit1 gathered for her in paradise4#a ,footnote #a3 ,see ,sacred and legendary ,art1 for the beautiful ,legend of ,st4 ,dorothea ,when ,st4 ,ursula1 with her standard1 appears in these ,venetian pastorals1 we may suppose the picture to have been painted for the famous brotherhood 7,scuola di ,sant' ,orsola7 which bears her name4 ,thus1 in a charming picture by ,palma1 she appears before the ,virgin1 accompanied by ,st4 ,mark a protector of ,venice4 7,vienna1 ,belvedere ,gal47 ,ex-voto pictures in this style are very interesting1 and the votary1 without any striking impropriety1 makes one of the ,arcadian group4 ,very appropriate1 too1 is the marriage of ,st4 ,catherine1 often treated in this poetical style4 ,in a picture by ,titian1 the family of the ,virgin attend the mystical rite1 and ,st4 ,anna places the hand of ,st4 ,catherine in that of the ,child4 ,in a group by ,signorelli1 ,christ appears as if teaching ,st4 ,catherine2 he dictates1 and she1 the patroness of divine philosophy1 writes down his words4 ,when the later painters in their great altar-pieces imitated this idyllic treatment1 the graceful ,venetian conception became in their hands heavy1 mannered1 tasteless1--and sometimes worse4 ,the monastic saints or mitred dignitaries1 introduced into familiar and irreverent communion with the sacred and ideal personages1 in spite of the grand scenery1 strike us as at once prosaic and fantastic we marvel how they got there4 ,parmigiano1 when he fled from the sack of ,rome in #aebg1 painted at ,bologna1 for the nuns of ,santa ,margherita1 an altar-piece which has been greatly celebrated4 ,the ,madonna1 holding her ,child1 is seated in a landscape under a tree1 and turns her head to the ,bishop ,st4 ,petronius1 protector of ,bologna4 ,st4 ,margaret1 kneeling and attended by her great dragon1 places one hand1 with a free and easy air1 on the knee of the ,virgin1 and with the other seems to be about to chuck the infant ,christ under the chin4 ,in a large picture by ,giacomo ,francia1 the ,virgin1 walking in a flowery meadow with the infant ,christ and ,st4 ,john1 and attended by ,st4 ,agnes and ,mary ,magdalene1 meets ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,dominick1 also1 apparently1 taking a walk4 7,berlin ,gal4 ,no4 #bha47 ,and again2--the ,madonna and ,st4 ,elizabeth meet with their children in a landscape1 while ,st4 ,peter1 ,st4 ,paul1 and ,st4 ,benedict stand behind in attitudes of attention and admiration4 ,now1 such pictures may be excellently well painted1 greatly praised by connoisseurs1 and held in somma venerazione1 but they are offensive as regards the religious feeling1 and1 are1 in point of taste1 mannered1 fantastic1 and secular4 99 99 99 99 99 ,here we must end our discourse concerning the ,virgin and ,child as a devotional subject4 ,very easily and delightfully to the writer1 perhaps not painfully to the reader1 we might have gone on to the end of the volume2 but my object was not to exhaust the subject1 to point out every interesting variety of treatment1 but to lead the lover of art1 wandering through a church or gallery1 to new sources of pleasure2 to show him what infinite shades of feeling and character may still be traced in a subject which1 with all its beauty and attractiveness1 might seem to have lost its significant interest1 and become trite from endless repetition2 to lead the mind to some perception of the intention of the artist in his work1--under what aspect he had himself contemplated and placed before the worshipper the image of the mother of ,christ1--whether crowned and enthroned as the sovereign lady of ,christendom2 or exalted as the glorious empress of heaven and all the spiritual world2 or bending benignly over us1 the impersonation of sympathizing womanhood1 the emblem of relenting love1 the solace of suffering humanity1 the maid and mother1 dear and undefiled-- ,created beings all in lowliness ,surpassing1 as in height above them all4 ,it is time to change the scene1--to contemplate the ,virgin1 as she has been exhibited to us in the relations of earthly life1 as the mere woman1 acting and suffering1 loving1 living1 dying1 fulfilling the highest destinies in the humblest state1 in the meekest spirit4 ,so we begin her history as the ancient artists have placed it before us1 with that mingled navet and reverence1 that vivid dramatic power1 which only faith1 and love1 and genius united1 could impart4 ,,historical ,,subjects ,,part ,i4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,mary ,,from ,,her ,,birth ,,to ,,her ,,marriage ,,with ,,joseph4 #a4 ,,the ,,legend ,,of ,,joachim ,,and ,,anna4 #b4 ,,the ,,nativity ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,virgin4 #c4 ,,the ,,dedication ,,in ,,the ,,temple4 #d4 ,,the ,,marriage ,,with ,,joseph4 ,,the ,,legend ,,of ,,joachim ,,and ,,anna4 ,ital4 ,la ,leggenda di ,sant' ,anna ,madre della ,gloriosa ,vergine ,maria1 e di ,san ,gioacchino4 ,of the sources whence are derived the popular legends of the life of the ,virgin ,mary1 which1 mixed up with the few notices in ,scripture1 formed one continuous narrative1 authorized by the priesthood1 and accepted and believed in by the people1 ,i have spoken at length in the ,introduction4 ,we have now to consider more particularly the scenes and characters associated with her history2 to show how the artists of the ,middle ,ages1 under the guidance and by the authority of the ,church1 treated in detail these favourite themes in ecclesiastical decoration4 ,in early art1 that is1 up to the end of the fifteenth century1 ,joachim and ,anna1 the parents of the ,virgin1 never appear except in the series of subjects from her life4 ,in the devotional groups and altar-pieces1 they are omitted4 ,st4 ,bernard1 the great theological authority of those times1 objects to the invocation of any saints who had lived before the birth of ,christ1 consequently to their introduction into ecclesiastical edifices in any other light than as historical personages4 ,hence1 perhaps1 there were scruples relative to the representations of ,st4 ,anna1 which1 from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century1 placed the artists under certain restrictions4 ,under the name of ,anna1 the ,church has honoured1 from remote times1 the memory of the mother of the ,virgin4 ,the ,hebrew name1 signifying ,grace1 or the ,gracious1 and all the traditions concerning her1 came to us from the ,east1 where she was so early venerated as a saint1 that a church was dedicated to her by the ,emperor ,justinian1 in #eej4 ,several other churches were subsequently dedicated to her in ,constantinople during the sixth and seventh centuries1 and her remains are said to have been deposited there in #gaj4 ,in the ,west1 she first became known in the reign of ,charlemagne2 and the ,greek apocryphal gospels1 or at least stories and extracts from them1 began to be circulated about the same period4 ,from these are derived the historic scenes and legendary subjects relating to ,joachim and ,anna which appear in early art4 ,it was about #aejj1 in the beginning of the sixteenth century1 that the increasing veneration for the ,virgin ,mary gave to her parents1 more especially to ,st4 ,anna1 increased celebrity as patron saints2 and they became1 thenceforward1 more frequent characters in the sacred groups4 ,the feast of ,st4 ,anna was already general and popular throughout ,europe long before it was rendered obligatory in #aehd4a ,the growing enthusiasm for the doctrine of the ,immaculate ,conception gave1 of course1 additional splendour and importance to her character4 ,still1 it is only in later times that we find the effigy of ,st4 ,anna separated from that of the ,virgin4 ,there is a curious picture by ,cesi 7,bologna ,gal471 in which ,st4 ,anna kneels before a vision of her daughter before she is born--the ,virgin of the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,a fine model of a bearded man was now sometimes converted into a ,st4 ,joachim reading or meditating1 instead of a ,st4 ,peter or a ,st4 ,jerome1 as heretofore4 ,in the ,munich ,gallery are two fine ancient-looking figures of ,st4 ,joachim the father1 and ,st4 ,joseph the husband1 of the ,virgin1 standing together2 but all these as separate representations1 are very uncommon2 and1 of those which exhibit ,st4 ,anna devotionally1 as enthroned with the ,virgin and ,child1 ,i have already spoken4 ,like ,st4 ,elizabeth1 she should be an elderly1 but not a very old woman4 ,joachim1 in such pictures1 never appears but as an attendant saint1 and then very rarely2 always very old1 and sometimes in the dress of a priest1 which however1 is a mistake on the part of the artist4 ,footnote #a3 ,in ,england we have twenty-eight churches dedicated in the name of ,st4 ,anna4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a complete series of the history of the ,blessed ,virgin1 as imaged forth by the early artists1 always begins with the legend of ,joachim and ,anna1 which is thus related4 ,there was a man of ,nazareth1 whose name was ,joachim1 and he had for his wife a woman of ,bethlehem1 whose name was ,anna1 and both were of the royal race of ,david4 ,their lives were pure and righteous1 and they served the ,lord with singleness of heart4 ,and being rich1 they divided their substance into three portions1 one for the service of the temple1 one for the poor and the strangers1 and the third for their household4 ,on a certain feast day1 ,joachim brought double offerings to the ,lord according to his custom1 for he said1 ',out of my superfluity will ,i give for the whole people1 that ,i may find favour in the sight of the ,lord1 and forgiveness for my sins4' ,and when the children of ,israel brought their gifts1 ,joachim also brought his2 but the high priest ,issachar stood over against him and opposed him1 saying1 ',it is not lawful for thee to bring thine offering1 seeing that thou hast not begot issue in ,israel4' ,and ,joachim was exceeding sorrowful1 and went down to his house2 and he searched through all the registers of the twelve tribes to discover if he alone had been childless in ,israel4 ,and he found that all the righteous men1 and the patriarchs who had lived before him1 had been the fathers of sons and daughters4 ,and he called to mind his father ,abraham1 to whom in his old age had been granted a son1 even ,isaac4 ,and ,joachim was more and more sorrowful2 and he would not be seen by his wife1 but avoided her1 and went away into the pastures where were the shepherds and the sheep-cotes4 ,and he built himself a hut1 and fasted forty days and forty nights2 for he said ',until the ,lord ,god look upon me mercifully1 prayer shall be my meat and my drink4' ,but his wife ,anna remained lonely in her house1 and mourned with a twofold sorrow1 for her widowhood and for her barrenness4 ,then drew near the last day of the feast of the ,lord2 and ,judith her handmaid said to ,anna1 ',how long wilt thou thus afflict thy soul8 ,behold the feast of the ,lord is come1 and it is not lawful for thee thus to mourn4 ,take this silken fillet1 which was bestowed on me by one of high degree whom ,i formerly served1 and bind it round thy head1 for it is not fit that ,i who am thy handmaid should wear it1 but it is fitting for thee1 whose brow is as the brow of a crowned queen4' ,and ,anna replied1 ',begone6 such things are not for me1 for the ,lord hath humbled me4 ,as for this fillet1 some wicked person hath given it to thee2 and art thou come to make me a partaker in thy sin8' ,and ,judith her maid answered1 ',what evil shall ,i wish thee since thou wilt not hearken to my voice8 for worse ,i cannot wish thee than that with which the ,lord hath afflicted thee1 seeing that he hath shut up thy womb1 that thou shouldst not be a mother in ,israel4' ,and ,anna hearing these words was sorely troubled4 ,and she laid aside her mourning garments1 and she adorned her head1 and put on her bridal attire2 and at the ninth hour she went forth into her garden1 and sat down under a laurel tree and prayed earnestly4 ,and looking up to heaven1 she saw within the laurel bush a sparrow's nest2 and mourning within herself she said1 ',alas6 and woe is me6 who hath begotten me8 who hath brought me forth8 that ,i should be accursed in the sight of ,israel1 and scorned and shamed before my people1 and cast out of the temple of the ,lord6 ,woe is me6 to what shall ,i be likened8 ,i cannot be likened to the fowls of heaven1 for the fowls of heaven are fruitful in thy sight1 ,o ,lord6 ,woe is me6 to what shall ,i be likened8 ,not to the unreasoning beasts of the earth1 for they are fruitful in thy sight1 ,o ,lord6 ,woe is me6 to what shall ,i be likened8 ,not to these waters1 for they are fruitful in thy sight1 ,o ,lord6 ,woe is me6 to what shall ,i be likened8 ,not unto the earth1 for the earth bringeth forth her fruit in due season1 and praiseth thee1 ,o ,lord6' ,and behold an angel of the ,lord stood by her and said1 ',anna1 thy prayer is heard1 thou shalt bring forth1 and thy child shall be blessed throughout the whole world4' ,and ,anna said1 ',as the ,lord liveth1 whatever ,i shall bring forth1 be it a man-child or a maid1 ,i will present it an offering to the ,lord4' ,and behold another angel came and said to her1 ',see1 thy husband ,joachim is coming with his shepherds2' for an angel had spoken to him also1 and had comforted him with promises4 ,and ,anna went forth to meet her husband1 and ,joachim came from the pasture with his herds1 and they met at the golden gate2 and ,anna ran and embraced her husband1 and hung upon his neck1 saying1 ',now know ,i that the ,lord hath blessed me4 ,i who was a widow am no longer a widow2 ,i who was barren shall become a joyful mother4' ,and they returned home together4 ,and when her time was come1 ,anna brought forth a daughter2 and she said1 ',this day my soul magnifieth the ,lord4' ,and she laid herself down in her bed2 and she called1 the name of her child ,mary1 which in the ,hebrew is ,miriam4 99 99 99 99 99 ,with the scenes of this beautiful pastoral begins the life of the ,virgin4 #a4 ,we have first ,joachim rejected from the temple4 ,he stands on the steps before the altar holding a lamb2 and the high priest opposite to him1 with arm upraised1 appears to refuse his offering4 ,such is the usual motif2 but the incident has been variously treated--in the earlier and ruder examples1 with a ludicrous want of dignity2 for ,joachim is almost tumbling down the steps of the temple to avoid the box on the ear which ,issachar the priest is in the act of bestowing in a most energetic fashion4 ,on the other hand1 the group by ,taddeo ,gaddi 7,florence1 ,baroncelli ,chapel1 ,s4 ,croce71 though so early in date1 has not since been excelled either in the grace or the dramatic significance of the treatment4 ,joachim turns away1 with his lamb in his arms1 repulsed1 but gently1 by the priest4 ,to the right are three personages who bring offerings1 one of whom1 prostrate on his knees1 yet looks up at ,joachim with a sneering expression--a fine representation of the pharisaical piety of one of the elect1 rejoicing in the humiliation of a brother4 ,on the other side are three persons who appear to be commenting on the scene4 ,in the more elaborate composition by ,ghirlandajo 7,florence1 ,s4 ,maria ,novella71 there is a grand view into the interior of the temple1 with arches richly sculptured4 ,joachim is thrust forth by one of the attendants1 while in the background the high priest accepts the offering of a more favoured votary4 ,on each side are groups looking on1 who express the contempt and hatred they feel for one1 who1 not having children1 presumes to approach the altar4 ,all these1 according to the custom of ,ghirlandajo1 are portraits of distinguished persons4 ,the first figure on the right represents the painter ,baldovinetti2 next to him1 with his hand on his side1 ,ghirlandajo himself2 the third1 with long black hair1 is ,bastiano ,mainardi1 who painted the ,assumption in the ,baroncelli ,chapel1 in the ,santa ,croce2 and the fourth1 turning his back1 is ,david ,ghirlandajo4 ,these real personages are so managed1 that1 while they are not themselves actors1 they do not interfere with the main action1 but rather embellish and illustrate it1 like the chorus in a ,greek tragedy4 ,every single figure in this fine fresco is a study for manly character1 dignified attitude1 and easy grand drapery4 ,in the same scene by ,albert ,durer1#a the high priest1 standing behind a table1 rejects the offering of the lamb1 and his attendant pushes away the doves4 ,joachim makes a gesture of despair1 and several persons who bring offerings look at him with disdain or with sympathy4 ,footnote #a3 ,in the set of wood-cuts of the ,life of the ,virgin4 ,the same scene by ,luini 7,milan1 ,brera7 is conceived with much pathetic as well as dramatic effect4 ,but as ,i have said enough to reader the subject easily recognized1 we proceed4 99 99 99 99 99 #b4 ,joachim herding his sheep on the mountain1 and surrounded by his shepherds1 receives the message of the angel4 ,this subject may so nearly resemble the ,annunciation to the ,shepherds in ,st4 ,luke's ,gospel1 that we must be careful to distinguish them1 as1 indeed1 the best of the old painters have done with great taste and feeling4 ,is the fresco by ,taddeo ,gaddi 7in the ,baroncelli ,chapel71 ,joachim is seated on a rocky mountain1 at the base of which his sheep are feeding1 and turns round to listen to the voice of the angel4 ,in the fresco by ,giotto in the ,arena at ,padua1 the treatment is nearly the same4#a ,in the series by ,luini1 a stream runs down the centre of the picture3 on one side is ,joachim listening to the angel1 on the other1 ,anna is walking in her garden4 ,this incident is omitted by ,ghirlandajo4 ,in ,albert ,durer's composition1 ,joachim is seen in the foreground kneeling1 and looking up at an angel1 who holds out in both hands a sort of parchment roll looking like a diploma with seals appended1 and which we may suppose to contain the message from on high 7if it be not rather the emblem of the sealed book1 so often introduced1 particularly by the ,german masters74 ,a companion of ,joachim also looks up with amazement1 and farther in the distance are sheep and shepherds4 ,footnote #a3 ,the subject will be found in the set of wood-cuts published by the ,arundel ,society4 ,the ,annunciation to ,st4 ,anna may be easily mistaken for the ,annunciation to the ,virgin ,mary2--we must therefore be careful to discriminate1 by an attention to the accessories4 ,didron observes that in ,western art the annunciation to ,st4 ,anna usually takes place in a chamber4 ,in the ,east it takes place in a garden1 because there on vit feu dans les maisons et beaucoup en plein air2 but1 according to the legend1 the locality ought to be a garden1 and under a laurel tree1 which is not always attended to4 #c4 ,the altercation between ,st4 ,anna and her maid ,judith ,i have never met with but once1 in the series by ,luini1 where the disconsolate figure and expression of ,st4 ,anna are given with infinite grace and sentiment4 7,milan1 ,brera47 99 99 99 99 99 #d4 ,the meeting of ,joachim and ,anna before the golden gate4 ,this is one of the most important subjects4 ,it has been treated by the very early artists with much navet1 and in the later examples with infinite beauty and sentiment2 and1 which is curious1 it has been idealized into a devotional subject1 and treated apart4 ,the action is in itself extremely simple4 ,the husband and wife affectionately and joyfully embrace each other4 ,in the background is seen a gate1 richly ornamented4 ,groups of spectators and attendants are sometimes1 not always1 introduced4 ,in the composition of ,albert ,durer nothing can be more homely1 hearty1 and conjugal4 ,a burly fat man1 who looks on with a sort of wondering amusement in his face1 appears to be a true and animated transcript from nature1 as true as ,ghirlandajo's attendant figures--but how different6 what a contrast between the ,florentine citizen and the ,german burgher6 ,in the simpler composition by ,taddeo ,gaddi1 ,st4 ,anna is attended by three women1 among whom the maid ,judith is conspicuous1 and behind ,joachim is one of his shepherds#a4 ,footnote #a3 ,in two compartments of a small altar-piece 7which probably represented in the centre the ,nativity of the ,virgin71 ,i found on one side the story of ,st4 ,joachim1 on the other the story of ,st4 ,anna4--,collection of ,lord ,northwick1 ,no4 #eac1 in his ,catalogue4 ,the ,franciscans1 those enthusiastic defenders of the ,immaculate ,conception1 were the authors of a fantastic idea1 that the birth of the ,virgin was not only immaculate1 but altogether miraculous1 and that she owed her being to the joyful kiss which ,joachim gave his wife when they met at the gate4 ,of course the ,church gave no countenance to this strange poetical fiction1 but it certainly modified some of the representations2 for example1 there is a picture by ,vittore ,carpaccio1 wherein ,st4 ,joachim and ,anna tenderly embrace4 ,on one side stands ,st4 ,louis of ,toulouse as bishop2 on the other ,st4 ,ursula with her standard1 whose presence turns the incident into a religious mystery4 ,in another picture1 painted by ,ridolfo ,ghirlandajo1 we have a still more singular and altogether mystical treatment4 ,in the centre ,st4 ,joachim and ,st4 ,anna embrace2 behind ,st4 ,joachim stands ,st4 ,joseph with his lily wand and a book2 behind ,st4 ,anna1 the ,virgin ,mary 7thus represented as existing before she was born#a71 and beyond her ,st4 ,laurence2 in the corner is seen the head of the votary1 a ,servite monk2 above all1 the ,padre ,eterno holds an open book with the ,alpha and ,omega4 ,this singular picture was dedicated and placed over the high altar of the ,conception in the church of the ,servi1 who1 under the title of ,serviti di ,maria1 were dedicated to the especial service of the ,virgin ,mary4 7v4 ,legends of the ,monastic ,orders47 ,footnote #a3 ,prov4 viii #bb1 #bc4 ,these texts are applied to the ,madonna4 ,,the ,,nativity ,,of ,,the ,,blessed ,,virgin4 ,ital4 ,la ,nascit della ,b4 ,vergine4 ,fr4 ,la ,naissance de la ,s4 ,vierge4 ,ger4 ,die ,geburt ,maria4 ,this is1 of course1 a very important subject4 ,it is sometimes treated apart as a separate scene2 and a series of pictures dedicated to the honour of the ,virgin1 and comprising only a few of the most eventful scenes in her history1 generally begins with her ,nativity4 ,the primitive treatment is ,greek1 and1 though varied in the details and the sentiment1 it has never deviated much from the original motif4 ,st4 ,anna reclines on a couch covered with drapery1 and a pillow under her head2 two handmaids sustain her2 a third fans her1 or presents refreshments2 more in front a group of women are busied about the new-born child4 ,it has been the custom1 ,i know not on what authority1 to introduce neighbours and friends1 who come to congratulate the parents4 ,the whole scene thus treated is sure to come home to the bosom of the observer4 ,the most important event in the life of a woman1 her most common and yet most awful experience1 is here so treated as to be at once ennobled by its significance and endeared by its thoroughly domestic character4 ,i will give some examples4 #a4 ,the first is by an unknown master of the ,greco-,italian school1 and referred by d',agincourt to the thirteenth century1 but it is evidently later1 and quite in the style of the ,gaddi4 #b4 ,there is both dignity and simplicity in the fresco by ,taddeo ,gaddi4 7,florence1 ,baroncelli ,chapel47 ,st4 ,anna is sitting up in bed2 an attendant pours water over her hands4 ,in front1 two women are affectionately occupied with the child a lovely infant with a glory round its head4 ,three other attendants are at the foot of the bed4 #c4 ,we have next in date1 the elegant composition by ,ghirlandajo4 ,as ,joachim and ,anna were exceedingly rich1 he has surrounded them with all the luxuries of life4 ,the scene is a chamber richly decorated2 a frieze of angelic boys ornaments the alcove2 ,st4 ,anna lies on a couch4 ,vasari says certain women are ministering to her4 but in ,lasinio's engraving they are not to be found4 ,in front a female attendant pours water into a vase2 two others seated hold the infant4 ,a noble lady1 habited in the elegant ,florentine costume of the fifteenth century1 enters with four others--all portraits1 and1 as is usual with ,ghirlandajo1 looking on without taking any part in the action4 ,the lady in front is traditionally said to be ,ginevra ,benci1 celebrated for her beauty4 #d4 ,the composition by ,albert ,durer#a gives us an exact transcript of antique ,german life1 quite wonderful for the homely truth of the delineation1 but equally without the simplicity of a scriptural or the dignity of an historical scene4 ,in an old-fashioned ,german chamber lies ,st4 ,anna in an old-fashioned canopied bedstead4 ,two women bring her a soup and something to drink1 while the midwife1 tired with her exertions1 leans her head on the bedside and has sank to sleep4 ,a crowd of women fill up the foreground1 one of whom attends to the new-born child3 others1 who appear to have watched through the night1 as we may suppose from the nearly extinguished candles1 are intent on good cheer2 they congratulate each other2 they eat1 drink1 and repose themselves4 ,it would be merely a scene of ,german commrage1 full of nature and reality1 if an angel hovering above1 and swinging a censer1 did not remind us of the sacred importance of the incident represented4 ,footnote #a3 ,in the set of wood-cuts of the ,life of the ,virgin ,mary4 #e4 ,in the strongest possible contrast to the homely but animated conception of ,albert ,durer1 is the grand fresco by ,andrea del ,sarto1 in the church of the ,nunziata at ,florence4 ,the incidents are nearly the same3 we have ,st4 ,anna reclining in her bed and attended by her women2 the nurses waiting on the lovely new-born child2 the visitors who enter to congratulate2 but all1 down to the handmaidens who bring refreshments1 are noble and dignified1 and draped in that magnificent taste which distinguished ,andrea1 ,angels scatter flowers from above and1 which is very uncommon1 ,joachim is seen1 after the anxious night reposing on a couch4 ,nothing in fresco can exceed the harmony and brilliancy of the colouring1 and the softness of the execution4 ,it appeared to me a masterpiece as a picture4 ,like ,ghirlandajo1 ,andrea has introduced portraits2 and in the ,florentine lady who stands in the foreground we recognize the features of his worthless wife ,lucrezia1 the original model of so many of his female figures that the ignoble beauty of her face has become quite familiar4 ,,the ,,presentation ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,ital4 ,la ,presentazione1 ove nostra ,signora piccioletta sale i gradi del ,tempio4 ,ger4 ,joachim und ,anna weihen ihre ,tochter ,maria im ,tempel4 ,die ,vorstellung der ,jungfrau im ,tempel4 ,nov4 #ba4 ,in the interval between the birth of ,mary and her consecration in the temple1 there is no incident which ,i can remember as being important or popular as a subject of art4 ,it is recorded with what tenderness her mother ,anna watched over her1 how she made of her bedchamber a holy place1 allowing nothing that was common or unclean to enter in2 and called to her certain daughters of ,israel1 pure and gentle1 whom she appointed to attend on her4 ,in some of the early miniature illustrations of the ,offices of the ,virgin1 ,st4 ,anna thus ministers to her child2 for instance1 in a beautiful ,greek ,,ms4 in the ,vatican1 she is tenderly putting her into a little bed or cradle and covering her up4 7,it is engraved in d',agincourt47 ,it is not said anywhere that ,st4 ,anna instructed her daughter4 ,it has even been regarded as unorthodox to suppose that the ,virgin1 enriched from her birth1 and before her birth1 with all the gifts of the ,holy ,spirit1 required instruction from any one4 ,nevertheless1 the subject of the ,education of the ,virgin has been often represented in later times4 ,there is a beautiful example by ,murillo2 while ,anna teaches her child to read1 angels hover over them with wreaths of roses4 7,madrid ,gal47 ,another by ,rubens1 in which1 as it is said1 he represented his young wife1 ,helena ,forman4 7,muse1 ,antwerp47 ,there is also a picture in which ,st4 ,anna ministers to her daughter1 and is intent on braiding and adorning her long golden hair1 while the angels look on with devout admiration4 7,vienna1 ,lichtenstein ,gal47 ,in all these examples ,mary is represented as a girl of ten or twelve years old4 ,now1 as the legend expressly relates that she was three years old when she became an inmate of the temple1 such representations must be considered as incorrect4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the narrative thus proceeds3-- ,and when the child was three years old1 ,joachim said1 ',let us invite the daughters of ,israel1 and they shall take each a taper or a lamp1 and attend on her1 that the child may not turn back from the temple of the ,lord4' ,and being come to the temple1 they placed her on the first step1 and she ascended alone all the steps to the altar3 and the high priest received her there1 kissed her1 and blessed her1 saying1 ',mary1 the ,lord hath magnified thy name to all generations1 and in thee shall be made known the redemption of the children of ,israel4' ,and being placed before the altar1 she danced with her feet1 so that all the house of ,israel rejoiced with her1 and loved her4 ,then her parents returned home1 blessing ,god because the maiden had not turned back from the temple4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such is the incident1 which1 in artistic representation1 is sometimes styled the ,dedication1 but more generally ,,the ,,presentation ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,it is a subject of great importance1 not only as a principal incident in a series of the ,life of the ,virgin1 but because this consecration of ,mary to the service of the temple being taken in a general sense1 it has often been given in a separate form1 particularly for the nunneries4 ,hence it has happened that we find ,the ,presentation of the ,virgin among some of the most precious examples of ancient and modern art4 ,the motif does not vary4 ,the child ,mary1 sometimes in a blue1 but oftener in a white vesture1 with long golden hair1 ascends the steps which lead to the porch of the temple1 which steps are always fifteen in number4 ,she ought to be an infant of three years of age2 but in many pictures she is represented older1 veiled1 and with a taper in her hand instead of a lamp1 like a young nun2 but this is a fault4 ,the fifteen steps rest on a passage in ,josephus1 who says1 between the wall which separated the men from the women1 and the great porch of the temple1 were fifteen steps2 and these are the steps which ,mary is supposed to ascend4 #a4 ,it is sometimes treated with great simplicity2 for instance1 in the bas-relief by ,andrea ,orcagna1 there are only three principal figures--the ,virgin in the centre 7too old1 however71 and ,joachim and ,anna stand on each side4 7,florence1 ,or ,san ,michele47 #b4 ,in the fresco by ,taddeo ,gaddi we have the same artless grace1 the same dramatic grouping1 and the same faults of drawing and perspective as in the other compartments of the series4 7,florence1 ,baroncelli ,chapel47 #c4 ,the scene is represented by ,ghirlandajo with his usual luxury of accessories and accompaniments4 7,florence1 ,s4 ,maria ,novella47 ,the locality is the court of the temple2 on the right a magnificent porch2 the ,virgin1 a young girl of about nine or ten years old1 is seen ascending the steps with a book in her hand2 the priest stretches out his arms to receive her2 behind him is another priest2 and the young virgins who were to be her companions are advancing joyously to receive her4 7,adducentur ,regi ,virgines post eam4 ,ps4 xlv47 ,at the foot of the steps are ,st4 ,anna and ,st4 ,joachim1 and farther off a group of women and spectators1 who watch the event in attitudes of thanksgiving and joyful sympathy4 ,two venerable1 grand-looking ,jews1 and two beautiful boys fill the foreground2 and the figure of the pilgrim resting on the steps is memorable in art as one of the earliest examples of an undraped figure1 accurately and gracefully drawn4 ,the whole composition is full of life and character1 and that sort of elegance peculiar to ,ghirlandajo4 #d4 ,in the composition of ,albert ,durer we see the entrance of the temple on the left1 and the child ,mary with flowing hair ascending the steps2 behind her stand her parents and other personages1 and in front are venders of provisions1 doves1 c41 which are brought as offerings4 #e4 ,the scene1 as given by ,carpaccio1 appears to me exceedingly graceful4 ,the perfectly childish figure of ,mary with her light flowing tresses1 the grace with which she kneels on the steps1 and the disposition of the attendant figures1 are all beautifully conceived4 ,conspicuous in front is a page holding a unicorn1 the ancient emblem of chastity1 and often introduced significantly into pictures of the ,virgin4 7,venice ,academy47 #f4 ,but the most celebrated example is the ,presentation by ,titian1 in the academy at ,venice1 originally painted for the church of the brotherhood of charity 7,scuola della ,carit71 and still to be seen there--the ,carit being now the academy of art4 ,in the general arrangement1 ,titian seems to have been indebted to ,carpaccio2 but all that is simple and poetical in the latter becomes in ,titian's version sumptuous and dramatic4 ,here ,mary does not kneel1 but1 holding up her light-blue drapery1 ascends the steps with childish grace and alacrity4 ,the number of portrait-heads adds to the value and interest of the picture4 ,titian himself is looking up1 and near him stands his friend1 ,andrea de' ,franceschi1 grand-chancellor of ,venice1#a robed as a ,cavaliero di ,san ,marco4 ,in the fine bearded head of the priest1 who stands behind the high-priest1 we may recognize1 ,i think1 the likeness of ,cardinal ,bembo4 ,in the foreground1 instead of the poetical symbol of the unicorn1 we have an old woman selling eggs and fowls1 as in ,albert ,durer's print1 which must have been well known to ,titian4 ,albert ,durer published his ,life of the ,virgin in #aebj1 and ,titian painted his picture about #aeej4 7,venice ,academy47 ,footnote #a3 ,amorevolissime del ,pittare1 says ,ridolfi4 ,it is the same person whom ,titian introduced1 with himself1 in the picture at ,windsor2 there1 by a truly unpardonable mistake1 called ,titian and ,aretino4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from the life of the ,virgin in the temple1 we have several beautiful pictures4 ,as she was to be placed before women as an example of every virtue1 so she was skilled in all feminine accomplishments2 she was as studious1 as learned1 as wise1 as she was industrious1 chaste1 and temperate4 ,she is seen surrounded by her young companions1 the maidens who were brought up in the temple with her1 in a picture by ,agnolo ,gaddi4 7,florence1 ,carmine47 ,she is instructing her companions1 in a charming picture by ,luini3 here she appears as a girl of seven or eight years old1 seated on a sort of throne1 dressed in a simple light-blue tunic1 with long golden hair2 while the children around her look up and listen with devout faces4 7,milan1 ,brera47 99 99 99 99 99 ,some other scenes of her early life1 which1 in the ,protevangelion1 are placed after her marriage with ,joseph1 in pictures usually precede it4 ,thus1 she is chosen by lot to spin the fine purple for the temple1 to weave and embroider it4 ,didron mentions a fine antique tapestry at ,rheims1 in which ,mary is seated at her embroidery1 while two unicorns crouching on each side look up in her face4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i remember a fine drawing1 in which the ,virgin is seated at a large tapestry frame4 ,behind her are two maidens1 one of whom is reading2 the other1 holding a distaff1 lays her hand on the shoulder of the ,virgin1 as if about to speak4 ,the scene represents the interior of the temple with rich architecture4 7,vienna1 ,col4 of ,archduke ,charles47 ,in a small but very pretty picture by ,guido1 the ,virgin1 as a young girl1 sits embroidering a yellow robe4 7,lord ,ellesmere's ,gal47 ,she is attended by four angels1 one of whom draws aside a curtain ,it is also related that among the companions of ,mary in the temple was ,anna the prophetess2 and that this aged and holy woman1 knowing by inspiration of the ,holy ,spirit the peculiar grace vouchsafed to ,mary1 and her high destiny1 beheld her with equal love and veneration2 and1 notwithstanding the disparity of age1 they become true and dear friends4 ,in an old illumination1 the ,virgin is seated spinning1 with an angel by her side4 7,office of the ,virgin1 #adjh4 ,oxford1 ,bodleian47 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is recorded that the angels daily ministered to her1 and fed her with celestial food4 ,hence in some early specimens of art an angel brings her a loaf of bread and a pitcher of water1--the bread of life and the water of life from ,paradise4 ,in this subject1 as we find it carved on the stalls of the cathedral of ,amiens1 ,mary holds a book1 and several books are ranged on a shelf in the background3 there is1 besides1 a clock1 such as was in use in the fifteenth century1 to indicate the studious and regular life led by ,mary in the temple4 99 99 99 99 99 ,st4 ,evode1 patriarch of ,antioch1 and ,st4 ,germanus1 assert as an indubitable tradition of the ,greek ,church1 that ,mary had the privilege--never granted to one of her sex before or since--of entering the ,holy of ,holies1 and praying before the ark of the covenant4 ,hence1 in some of the scenes from her early life1 the ark is placed in the background4 ,we must also bear in mind that the ark was one of the received types of her who bore the ,logos within her bosom4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in her fourteenth year1 ,mary was informed by the high priest that it was proper that she should be married2 but she modestly replied that her parents had dedicated her to the service of the ,lord1 and that1 therefore1 she could not comply4 ,but the high-priest1 who had received a revelation from an angel concerning the destiny of ,mary1 informed her thereof1 and she with all humility submitted herself to the divine will4 ,this scene between ,mary and the high-priest has been painted by ,luini1 and it is the only example with which ,i am acquainted4 ,pictures of the ,virgin in her girlhood1 reading intently the ,book of ,wisdom1 while angels watch over her1 are often of great beauty4 ,,the ,,marriage ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,ital4 ,il ,sposalizio4 ,fr4 ,le ,mariage de la ,vierge4 ,ger4 ,die ,trauung ,mari4 ,jan4 #bc4 ,this1 as an artistic subject1 is of great consequence1 from the beauty and celebrity of some of the representations1 which1 however1 are unintelligible without the accompanying legends4 ,and it is worth remarking1 that while the incident is avoided in early ,greek art1 it became very popular with the ,italian and ,german painters from the fourteenth century4 ,in the ,east1 the prevalence of the monastic spirit1 from the fourth century1 had brought marriage into disrepute2 by many of the ascetic writers of the ,west it was considered almost in the light of a necessary evil4 ,this idea1 that the primal and most sacred ordinance of ,god and nature was incompatible with the sanctity and purity acceptable to ,god1 was the origin of the singular legends of the ,marriage of the ,virgin4 ,one sees very clearly that1 if possible1 it would have been denied that ,mary had ever been married at all2 but1 as the testimony of the ,gospel was too direct and absolute to be set aside1 it became necessary1 in the narrative1 to give to this distasteful marriage the most recondite motives1 and in art1 to surround it with the most poetical and even miraculous accessories4 ,but before we enter on the treatment of the subject1 it is necessary to say a few words on the character of ,joseph1 wonderfully selected to be the husband and guardian of the consecrated mother of ,christ1 and foster-father of the ,redeemer2 and so often introduced into all the pictures which refer to the childhood of our ,lord4 ,from the ,gospels we learn nothing of him but that he was of the tribe of ,judah and the lineage of ,david2 that he was a just man2 that he followed the trade of a carpenter1 and dwelt in the little city of ,nazareth4 ,we infer from his conduct towards ,mary1 that he was a mild1 and tender1 and pure-hearted1 as well as an upright man4 ,of his age and personal appearance nothing is said4 ,these are the points on which the ,church has not decided1 and on which artists1 left to their own devices1 and led by various opinions1 have differed considerably4 ,the very early painters deemed it right to represent ,joseph as very old1 almost decrepit with age1 and supported by a crutch4 ,according to some of the monkish authorities1 he was a widower1 and eighty-four years old when he was espoused to ,mary4 ,on the other hand1 it was argued1 that such a marriage would have been quite contrary to the custom of the ,jews2 and that to defend ,mary1 and to provide for her celestial ,offspring1 it was necessary that her husband should be a man of mature age1 but still strong and robust1 and able to work at his trade2 and thus1 with more propriety and better taste1 the later painters have represented him4 ,in the best ,italian and ,spanish pictures of the ,holy ,family1 he is a man of about forty or fifty1 with a mild1 benevolent countenance1 brown hair1 and a short1 curled beard3 the crutch1 or stick1 however1 is seldom omitted2 it became a conventional attribute4 ,in the ,german pictures1 ,joseph is not only old1 but appears almost in a state of dotage1 like a lean1 wrinkled mendicant1 with a bald head1 a white beard1 a feeble frame1 and a sleepy or stupid countenance4 ,then1 again1 the later ,italian painters have erred as much on the other side2 for ,i have seen pictures in which ,st4 ,joseph is not only a young man not more than thirty1 but bears a strong resemblance to the received heads of our ,saviour4 ,it is in the sixteenth century that we first find ,joseph advanced to the dignity of a saint in his own right2 and in the seventeenth he became very popular1 especially in ,spain1 where ,st4 ,theresa had chosen him for her patron saint1 and had placed her powerful order of the reformed ,carmelites under his protection4 ,hence the number of pictures of that time1 which represent ,joseph1 as the foster-father of ,christ1 carrying the ,infant on his arm and caressing him1 while in the other hand he bears a lily1 to express the sanctity and purity of his relations with the ,virgin4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the legend of the ,marriage of ,joseph and ,mary is thus given in the ,protevangelion and the ,history of ,joseph the ,carpenter3-- ,when ,mary was fourteen years old1 the priest ,zacharias 7or ,abiathar1 as he is elsewhere called7 inquired of the ,lord concerning her1 what was right to be done2 and an angel came to him and said1 ',go forth1 and call together all the widowers among the people1 and let each bring his rod 7or wand7 in his hand1 and he to whom the ,lord shall show a sign1 let him be the husband of ,mary4 ,and ,zacharias did as the angel commanded1 and made proclamation accordingly4 ,and ,joseph the carpenter1 a righteous man1 throwing down his axe1 and taking his staff in his hand1 ran out with the rest4 ,when he appeared before the priest1 and presented his rod1 lo6 a dove issued out of it--a dove dazzling white as the snow1--and after settling on his head1 flew towards heaven4 ,then the high priest said to him1 ',thou art the person chosen to take the ,virgin of the ,lord1 and to keep her for him4' ,and ,joseph was at first afraid1 and drew back1 but afterwards he took her home to his house1 and said to her1 ',behold1 ,i have taken thee from the temple of the ,lord1 and now ,i will leave thee in my house1 for ,i must go and follow my trade of building4 ,i will return to thee1 and meanwhile the ,lord be with thee and watch over thee4' ,so ,joseph left her1 and ,mary remained in her house4 ,there is nothing said of any marriage ceremony1 some have even affirmed that ,mary was only betrothed to ,joseph1 but for conclusive reasons it remains an article of faith that she was married to him4 ,i must mention here an old tradition cited by ,st4 ,jerome1 and which has been used as a text by the painters4 ,the various suitors who aspired to the honour of marrying the consecrated ,virgin of the ,lord1 among whom was the son of the high-priest1 deposited their wands in the temple over night1#a and next morning the rod of ,joseph was found1 like the rod of ,aaron1 to have budded forth into leaves and flowers4 ,the other suitors thereupon broke their wands in rage and despair2 and one among them1 a youth of noble lineage1 whose name was ,agabus1 fled to ,mount ,carmel1 and became an anchorite1 that is to say1 a ,carmelite friar4 ,footnote #a3 ,the suitors kneeling with their wands before the altar in the ,temple1 is one of the series by ,giotto in the ,arena at ,padua4 ,according to the ,abb ,orsini1 who gives a long description of the espousals of ,mary and ,joseph1 they returned after the marriage ceremony to ,nazareth1 and dwelt in the house of ,st4 ,anna4 99 99 99 99 99 ,now1 with regard to the representations1 we find that many of the early painters1 and particularly the ,italians1 have carefully attended to the fact1 that1 among the ,jews1 marriage was a civil contract1 not a religious rite4 ,the ceremony takes place in the open air1 in a garden1 or in a landscape1 or in front of the temple4 ,mary1 as a meek and beautiful maiden of about fifteen1 attended by a train of virgins1 stands on the right2 ,joseph1 behind whom are seen the disappointed suitors1 is on the left4 ,the priest joins their hands1 or ,joseph is in the act of placing the ring on the finger of the bride4 ,this is the traditional arrangement from ,giotto down to ,raphael4 ,in the series by ,giotto1 in the ,arena at ,padua1 we have three scenes from the marriage legend4 #a4 ,st4 ,joseph and the other suitors present their wands to the high-priest4 #b4 ,they kneel before the altar1 on which their wands are deposited1 waiting for the promised miracle4 #c4 ,the marriage ceremony4 ,it takes place before an altar1 in the interior of the temple4 ,the ,virgin1 a most graceful figure1 but rather too old1 stands attended by her maidens2 ,st4 ,joseph holds his wand with the flower and the holy ,dove resting on it3 one of the disappointed suitors is about to strike him2 another breaks his wand against his knee4 ,taddeo ,gaddi1 ,angelico1 ,ghirlandajo1 ,perugino1 all followed this traditional conception of the subject1 except that they omit the altar1 and place the locality in the open air1 or under a portico4 ,among the relics venerated in the ,cathedral of ,perugia1 is the nuptial ring of the blessed ,virgin2 and for the altar of the sacrament there1 ,perugino painted the appropriate subject of the ,marriage of the ,virgin4#a ,here the ceremony takes place under the portico of the temple1 and ,joseph of course puts the ring on her finger4 ,it is a beautiful composition1 which has been imitated more or less by the painters of the ,perugino school1 and often repeated in the general arrangement4 ,footnote #a3 ,it was carried off from the church by the ,french1 sold in ,france1 and is now to be seen in the ,muse at ,caen4 ,but in this subject1 ,raphael1 while yet a youth1 excelled his master and all who had gone before him4 ,every one knows the famous ,,sposalizio of the ,brera4#a ,it was painted by ,raphael in his twenty-first year1 for the church of ,s4 ,francesco1 in ,citt di ,castello2 and though he has closely followed the conception of his master1 it is modified by that ethereal grace which even then distinguished him4 ,here ,mary and ,joseph stand in front of the temple1 the high-priest joins their hands1 and ,joseph places the ring on the finger of the bride2 he is a man of about thirty1 and holds his wand1 which has blossomed into a lily1 but there is no ,dove upon it4 ,behind ,mary is a group of the virgins of the temple2 behind ,joseph the group of disappointed suitors2 one of whom1 in the act of breaking his wand against his knee1 a singularly graceful figure1 seen more in front and richly dressed1 is perhaps the despairing youth mentioned in the legend4#b ,with something of the formality of the elder schools1 the figures are noble and dignified2 the countenances of the principal personages have a characteristic refinement and beauty1 and a soft1 tender1 enthusiastic melancholy1 which lends a peculiar and appropriate charm to the subject4 ,in fact1 the whole scene is here idealized2 ,it is like a lyric poem1 7,kugler's ,handbook1 #b;d edit47 ,footnote #a3 ,at ,milan4 ,the fine engraving by ,longhi is well known4 ,footnote #b3 ,in the series by ,giotto at ,padua1 we have the youth breaking his wand across his knee4 ,in ,ghirlandajo's composition 7,florence1 ,s4 ,maria ,novella71 ,joseph is an old man with a bald head2 the architecture is splendid2 the accessory figures1 as is usual with ,ghirlandajo1 are numerous and full of grace4 ,in the background are musicians playing on the pipe and tabor1 an incident which ,i do not recollect to have seen in other pictures4 ,the ,sposalizio by ,girolamo da ,cotignola 7,bologna ,gal471 painted for the church of ,st4 ,joseph1 is treated quite in a mystical style4 ,mary and ,joseph stand before an altar1 on the steps of which are seated1 on one side a prophet1 on the other a sibyl4 99 99 99 99 99 ,by the ,german painters the scene is represented with a characteristic homely neglect of all historic propriety4 ,the temple is a ,gothic church2 the altar has a ,gothic altar-piece2 ,joseph looks like an old burgher arrayed in furs and an embroidered gown2 and the ,virgin is richly dressed in the costume of the fifteenth century4 ,the suitors are often knights and cavaliers with spurs and tight hose4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is not said anywhere that ,st4 ,anna and ,st4 ,joachim were present at the marriage of their daughter2 hence they are supposed to have been dead before it took place4 ,this has not prevented some of the old ,german artists from introducing them1 because1 according to their ideas of domestic propriety1 they ought to have been present4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i observe that the later painters who treated the subject1 ,rubens and ,poussin for instance1 omit the disappointed suitors4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after the marriage1 or betrothal1 ,joseph conducts his wife to his house4 ,the group of the returning procession has been beautifully treated in ,giotto's series at ,padua2#a still more beautifully by ,luigi in the fragment of fresco now in the ,brera at ,milan4 ,here ,joseph and ,mary walk together hand in hand4 ,he looks at her1 just touching her fingers with an air of tender veneration2 she looks down1 serenely modest4 ,thus they return together to their humble home2 and with this scene closes the first part of the life of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,footnote #a3 ,cappella dell' ,arena1 engraved for the ,arundel ,society4 ,,historical ,,subjects ,,part ,,ii ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,mary ,,from ,,the ,,annunciation ,,to ,,the ,,return ,,from ,,egypt4 #a4 ,,the ,,annunciation4 #b4 ,,the ,,salutation ,,of ,,elizabeth4 #c4 ,,the ,,joubney ,,to ,,bethlehem4 #d4 ,,the ,,nativity4 #f4 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,shepherds4 #f4 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,magi4 #g4 ,,the ,,presentation ,,in ,,the ,,temple4 #h4 ,,the ,,flight ,,into ,,egypt4 #i4 ,,the ,,riposo4 #aj4 ,,the ,,return ,,from ,,egypt4 ,,the ,,annunciation4 ,ital4 ,l' ,annunciazione4 ,la ,b4 ,vergine ,annunziata4 ,fr4 ,l',annonciation4 ,la ,salutation ,anglique4 ,ger4 ,die ,verkndi gung4 ,der ,englische ,gruss4 ,march #be4 ,the second part of the life of the ,virgin ,mary begins with the ,annunciation and ends with the ,crucifixion1 comprising all those scriptural incidents which connect her history with that of her divine ,son4 ,but to the scenes narrated in the ,gospels the painters did not confine themselves4 ,not only were the simple scripture histories coloured throughout by the predominant and enthusiastic veneration paid to the ,virgin--till the life of ,christ was absolutely merged in that of ,his mother1 and its various incidents became the seven joys and the seven sorrows of ,mary1--but we find the artistic representations of her life curiously embroidered and variegated by the introduction of traditional and apocryphal circumstances1 in most cases sanctioned by the ,church authorities of the time4 ,however doubtful or repulsive some of these scenes and incidents1 we cannot call them absolutely unmeaning or absurd2 on the contrary1 what was supposed grew up very naturally1 in the vivid and excited imaginations of the people1 out of what was recorded2 nor did they distinguish accurately between what they were allowed and what they were commanded to believe4 ,neither can it be denied that the traditional incidents--those at least which we find artistically treated--are often singularly beautiful1 poetical1 and instructive4 ,in the hands of the great religions artists1 who worked in their vocation with faith and simplicity1 objects and scenes the most familiar and commonplace became sanctified and glorified by association with what we deem most holy and most venerable4 ,in the hands of the later painters the result was just the reverse--what was most spiritual1 most hallowed1 most elevated1 became secularized1 materialized1 and shockingly degraded4 ,no subject has been more profoundly felt and more beautifully handled by the old painters1 nor more vilely mishandled by the moderns1 than the ,,annunciation1 of all the scenes in the life of ,mary the most important and the most commonly met with4 ,considered merely as an artistic subject1 it is surely eminently beautiful3 it places before us the two most graceful forms which the hand of man was ever called on to delineate2--the winged spirit fresh from paradise2 the woman not less pure1 and even more highly blessed--the chosen vessel of redemption1 and the personification of all female loveliness1 all female excellence1 all wisdom1 and all purity4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we find the ,annunciation1 like many other scriptural incidents1 treated in two ways--as a mystery1 and as an event4 ,taken in the former sense1 it became the expressive symbol of a momentous article of faith1 ,the ,incarnation of the ,deity4 ,taken in the latter sense1 it represented the announcement of salvation to mankind1 through the direct interposition of miraculous power4 ,in one sense or the other1 it enters into every scheme of ecclesiastical decoration2 but chiefly it is set before us as a great and awful mystery1 of which the two figures of ,gabriel1 the angel-messenger1 and ,mary the highly-favoured1 placed in relation to each other1 became the universally accepted symbol1 rather than the representation4 ,,the ,,annunciation ,,as ,a ,,mystery4 ,considering the importance given to the ,annunciation in its mystical sense1 it is strange that we do not find it among the very ancient symbolical subjects adopted in the first ages of ,christian art4 ,it does not appear on the sarcophagi1 nor in the early ,greek carvings and diptychs1 nor in the early mosaics--except once1 and then as a part of the history of ,christ1 not as a symbol2 nor can we trace the mystical treatment of this subject higher than the eleventh century1 when it first appears in the ,gothic sculpture and stained glass4 ,in the thirteenth1 and thenceforward1 the ,annunciation appears before us1 as the expression in form of a theological dogma1 everywhere conspicuous4 ,it became a primal element in every combination of sacred representations2 the corner-stone1 as it were1 of every architectural system of religious decoration4 ,it formed a part of every altar-piece1 either in sculpture or painting4 ,sometimes the ,virgin stands on one side of the altar1 the angel on the other1 carved in marble or alabaster1 or of wood richly painted and gilt2 or even1 as ,i have seen in some instances1 of solid silver4 ,not seldom1 we find the two figures placed in niches against the pillars1 or on pedestals at the entrance of the choir4 ,it was not necessary1 when thus symbolically treated1 to place the two figures in proximity to signify their relation to each other2 they are often divided by the whole breadth of the chancel4 ,whatever the subject of the altar-piece--whether the ,nativity1 or the ,enthroned ,madonna1 or the ,coronation1 or the ,crucifixion1 or the ,last ,supper1--the ,annunciation almost invariably formed part of the decoration1 inserted either into the spandrels of the arches above1 or in the predella below2 or1 which is very common1 painted or carved on the doors of a tabernacle or triptychon4 ,if the figures are full-length1 a certain symmetry being required1 they are either both standing or both kneeling2 it is only in later times that the ,virgin sits1 and the angel kneels4 ,when disposed in circles or semicircles1 they are often merely busts1 or half-length figures1 separated perhaps by a framework of tracery1 or set on each side of the principal subject1 whatever that may be4 ,hence it is that we so often find in galleries and collections1 pictures of the ,annunciation in two separate parts1 the angel in one frame1 the ,virgin in another2 and perhaps the two pictures1 thus disunited1 may have found their way into different countries and different collections1--the ,virgin being in ,italy and the angel in ,england4 ,sometimes the ,annunciation--still as a mystical subject--forms an altar-piece of itself4 ,in many ,roman ,catholic churches there is a chapel or an altar dedicated expressly to the mystery of the ,annunciation1 the subject forming of course the principal decoration4 ,at ,florence there is a church--one of the most splendid and interesting of its many beautiful edifices--dedicated to the ,annunciation1 or rather to the ,virgin in her especial character and dignity1 as the ,instrument of the ,incarnation1 and thence styled the church della ,santissima ,nunziata4 ,the fine mosaic of the ,annunciation by ,ghirlandajo is placed over the principal entrance4 ,of this church1 and of the order of the ,servi1 to whom it belongs1 ,i have already spoken at length4 ,here1 in the first chapel on the left1 as we enter1 is to be found the miraculous picture of the ,annunciation1 formerly held in such veneration1 not merely by all ,florence1 but all ,christendom3--found1 but not seen--for it is still concealed from profane eyes1 and exhibited to the devout only on great occasions4 ,the name of the painter is disputed2 but1 according to tradition1 it is the work of a certain ,bartolomeo2 who1 while he sat meditating on the various excellences and perfections of our ,lady1 and most especially on her divine beauty1 and thinking1 with humility1 how inadequate were his own powers to represent her worthily1 fell asleep2 and on awaking1 found the head of the ,virgin had been wondrously completed1 either by the hand of an angel1 or by that of ,st4 ,luke1 who had descended from heaven on purpose4 ,though this curious relic has been frequently restored1 no one has presumed to touch the features of the ,virgin1 which are1 ,i am told--for ,i have never been blessed with a sight of the original picture--marvellously sweet and beautiful4 ,it is concealed by a veil1 on which is painted a fine head of the ,redeemer1 by ,andrea del ,sarto2 and forty-two lamps of silver burn continually round it4 ,there is a copy in the ,pitti ,palace1 by ,carlo ,dolce4 ,it is evident that the ,annunciation1 as a mystery1 admits of a style of treatment which would not be allowable in the representation of an event4 ,in the former case1 the artist is emancipated from all considerations of locality or circumstance4 ,whether the background be of gold1 or of blue1 or star-bespangled sky1--a mere curtain1 or a temple of gorgeous architecture2 whether the accessories be the most simple or the most elaborate1 the most real or the most ideal2 all this is of little moment1 and might be left to the imagination of the artist1 or might be modified according to the conditions imposed by the purpose of the representation and the material employed1 so long as the chief object is fulfilled--the significant expression of an abstract dogma1 appealing to the faith1 not to the senses or the understanding1 of the observer4 ,to this class1 then1 belong all those church images and pictures of the ,annunciation1 either confined to the two personages1 with just sufficient of attitude and expression to place them in relation to each other1 or with such accompaniments as served to carry out the mystical idea1 still keeping it as far as possible removed from the region of earthly possibilities4 ,in the fifteenth century--that age of mysticism--we find the ,annunciation1 not merely treated as an abstract religious emblem1 but as a sort of divine allegory or poem1 which in old ,french and ,flemish art is clothed in the quaintest1 the most curious forms4 ,i recollect going into a church at ,breslau1 and finding over one of the altars a most elaborate carving in wood of the ,annunciation4 ,mary is seated within a ,gothic porch of open tracery work2 a unicorn takes refuge in her bosom3 outside1 a kneeling angel winds a hunting horn2 three or four dogs are crouching near him4 ,i looked and wondered4 ,at first ,i could make nothing of this singular allegory2 but afterwards found the explanation1 in a learned ,french work on the ,stalles d',amiens4 ,i give the original passage1 for it will assist the reader to the comprehension of many curious works of art2 but ,i do not venture to translate it4 ,on sait qu'an ,,xvi sicle1 le mystre de l',incarnation toit souvent reprsent par une allegorie ainsi conue3 ,une licorne se rfugiant au sein d'une vierge pure1 quatre lvriers la pressant d'une course rapide1 un veneur ail sonnant de la trompette4 ,la science de la zoologie mystique du temps aide en trouver l'explication2 le fabuleux animal dont l'unique corne ne blessait que pour purger de tout venin l'endroit du corps qu'elle avoit touch1 figuroit ,jsus ,christ1 mdecin et sauveur des mes2 on donnait aux lvriers agiles les noms de ,misericordia1 ,veritas1 ,justitia1 ,pax1 les quatre raisons qui ont press le ,verbe ternel de sortir de son repos mais comme c'toit par la ,vierge ,marie qu'il avoit voulu descendre parmi les hommes et se mettre en leur puissance1 on croyoit ne pouvoir mieux faire que de choisir dans la fable1 le fait d'une pucelle pouvant seule servir de pige la licorne1 en l'attirant par le charme et le parfum de son sein virginal qu'elle lui prsentoit2 enfin l'ange ,gabriel concourant au mystre toit bien reconnoissable sous les traits du venenr ail lanant les lvriers et embouchant la trompette4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it appears that this was an accepted religious allegory1 as familiar in the sixteenth century as those of ,spenser's ,fairy ,queen or the ,pilgrim's ,progress are to us4 ,i have since found it frequently reproduced in the old ,french and ,german prints3 there is a specimen in the ,british ,museum2 and there is a picture similarly treated in the ,muse at ,amiens4 ,i have never seen it in an ,italian picture or print2 unless a print after ,guido1 wherein a beautiful maiden is seated under a tree1 and a unicorn has sought refuge in her lap1 be intended to convey the same far-fetched allegory4 ,very common1 however1 in ,italian art1 is a less fantastic1 but still wholly poetical version of the ,annunciation1 representing1 in fact1 not the ,annunciation1 but the ,incarnation4 ,thus1 in a picture by ,giovanni ,sanzio 7the father of ,raphael7 7,brera1 ,milan71 ,mary stands under a splendid portico2 she appears as if just risen from her seat her hands are meekly folded over her bosom2 her head declined4 ,the angel kneels outside the portico1 holding forth his lily2 while above1 in the heavens1 the ,padre ,eterno sends forth the ,redeemer1 who1 in form of the infant ,christ bearing his cross1 floats downwards towards the earth1 preceded by the mystic ,dove4 ,this manner of representing the ,incarnation is strongly disapproved of by the ,abb ,mry 7v4 ,thologie des ,peintres71 as not only an error1 but a heresy3 yet it was frequently repeated in the sixteenth century4 ,the ,annunciation is also a mystery when certain emblems are introduced conveying a certain signification2 as when ,mary is seated on a throne1 wearing a radiant crown of mingled gems and flowers1 and receives the message of the angel with all the majesty that could be expressed by the painter2 or is seated1 in a garden enclosed by a hedge of roses 7the ,hortus clausus or conclusus of the ,canticles72 or where the angel holds in his hands the sealed book1 as in the famous altar-piece at ,cologne4 ,in a picture by ,simone ,memmi1 the ,virgin seated on a ,gothic throne receives1 as the higher and superior being1 yet with a shrinking timidity1 the salutation of the angel1 who comes as the messenger of peace1 olive-crowned1 and bearing a branch of olive in his hand4 7,florence ,gal47 ,this poetical version is very characteristic of the early ,siena school1 in which we often find a certain fanciful and original way of treating well known subjects4 ,taddeo ,bartoli1 another ,sienese1 and ,martin ,schoen1 the most poetical of the early ,germans1 also adopted the olive-symbol2 and we find it also in the tabernacle of ,king ,rn1 already described4 ,the treatment is clearly devotional and ideal where attendant saints and votaries stand or kneel around1 contemplating with devout gratitude or ecstatic wonder the divine mystery4 ,thus1 in a remarkable and most beautiful picture by ,fra ,bartolomeo1 the ,virgin is seated on her throne2 the angel descends from on high bearing his lily3 around the throne attend ,st4 ,john the ,baptist and ,st4 ,francis1 ,st4 ,jerome1 ,st4 ,paul1 and ,st4 ,margaret4 7,bologna ,gal47 ,again1 in a very beautiful picture by ,francia1 ,mary stands in the midst of an open landscape2 her hands1 folded over each other1 press to her bosom a book closed and clasped3 ,st4 ,jerome stands on the right1 ,john the ,baptist on the left2 both look up with a devout expression to the angel descending from above4 ,in both these examples ,mary is very nobly and expressively represented as the chosen and predestined vehicle of human redemption4 ,it is not here the ,annunciation1 but the ,sacratissima ,annunziata we see before us4 ,in a curious picture by ,francesco da ,cotignola1 ,mary stands on a sculptured pedestal1 in the midst of an architectural decoration of many-coloured marbles1 most elaborately painted3 through an opening is seen a distant landscape1 and the blue sky2 on her right stands ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 pointing upwards2 on her left ,st4 ,francis1 adoring2 the votary kneels in front4 7,berlin ,gal47 ,votive pictures of the ,annunciation were frequently expressive offerings from those who desired1 or those who had received1 the blessing of an heir2 and this ,i take to be an instance4 ,in the following example1 the picture is votive in another sense1 and altogether poetical4 ,the ,virgin ,mary receives the message of the angel1 as usual2 but before her1 at a little distance1 kneels the ,cardinal ,torrecremata1 who presents three young girls1 also kneeling1 to one of whom the ,virgin gives a purse of money4 ,this curious and beautiful picture becomes intelligible1 when we find that it was painted for a charitable community1 instituted by ,torrecremata1 for educating and endowing poor orphan girls1 and styled the ,confraternit dell' ,annunziat4#a ,footnote #a3 ,benozzo ,gozzoli1 in ,s4 ,maria sopra ,minerva1 ,rome4 ,in the charming ,annunciation by ,angelico1 the scene is in the cloister of his own convent of ,st4 ,mark4 ,a ,dominican 7,st4 ,peter ,martyr7 stands in the background with hands folded in prayer4 ,i might add many beautiful examples from ,fra ,bartolomeo1 and in sculpture from ,benedetto ,maiano1 ,luca della ,robbia1 and others1 but have said enough to enable the observer to judge of the intention of the artist4 ,the ,annunciation by ,sansovino among the bas-reliefs1 which cover the chapel at ,loretto is of great elegance4 ,i must1 however1 notice one more picture4 ,of six ,annunciations painted by ,rubens1 five represent the event2 the sixth is one of his magnificent and most palpable allegories1 all glowing with life and reality4 ,here ,mary kneels on the summit of a flight of steps2 a dove1 encompassed by cherubim1 hovers over her head4 ,before her kneels the celestial messenger2 behind him ,moses and ,aaron1 with ,david and other patriarchal ancestors of ,christ4 ,in the clouds above is seen the heavenly ,father2 on his right are two female figures1 ,peace and ,reconciliation2 on his left1 angels bear the ark of the covenant4 ,in the lower part of the picture1 stand ,isaiah and ,jeremiah1 with four sibyls3--thus connecting the prophecies of the ,old ,testament1 and the promises made to the ,gentile nations through the sibyls1 with the fulfilment of both in the message from on high4 ,,the ,,annunciation ,,as ,,an ,,event4 ,had the ,annunciation to ,mary been merely mentioned as an awful and incomprehensible vision1 it would have been better to have adhered to the mystical style of treatment1 or left it alone altogether2 but the ,scripture history1 by giving the whole narration as a simple fact1 a real event1 left it free for representation as such2 and1 as such1 the fancy of the artist was to be controlled and limited only by the words of ,scripture as commonly understood and interpreted1 and by those proprieties of time1 place1 and circumstance1 which would be required in the representation of any other historical incident or action4 ,when all the accompaniments show that nothing more was in the mind of the artist than the aim to exhibit an incident in the life of the ,virgin1 or an introduction to that of our ,lord1 the representation is no longer mystical and devotional1 but historical4 ,the story was to be told with all the fidelity1 or at least all the likelihood1 that was possible2 and it is clear that1 in this case1 the subject admitted1 and even required1 a more dramatic treatment1 with such accessories and accompaniments as might bring the scene within the sphere of the actual4 ,in this sense it is not to be mistaken4 ,although the action is of itself so very simple1 and the actors confined to two persons1 it is astonishing to note the infinite variations of which this favourite theme has been found susceptible4 ,whether all these be equally appropriate and laudable1 is quite another question2 and in how far the painters have truly interpreted the ,scriptural narration1 is now to be considered4 ,and first1 with regard to the time1 which is not especially mentioned4 ,it was presumed by the ,fathers and early commentators on ,scripture1 that the ,annunciation must have taken place in early spring-time1 at eventide1 soon after sunset1 the hour since consecrated as the ,ave ,maria1 as the bell which announces it is called the ,angelus2#a but other authorities say that it was rather at midnight1 because the nativity of our ,lord took place at the corresponding hour in the following ,december4 ,this we find exactly attended to by many of the old painters1 and indicated either by the moon and stars in the sky1 or by a taper or a lamp burning near4 ,footnote #a3 ,so ,lord ,byron3-- ,ave ,maria6 blessed be the hour6 ,the time1 the clime1 the spot1 where ,i so oft ,have felt that moment in its fullest power ,sink o'er the earth so beautiful and soft1 ,while swung the deep bell in the distant tower1 ,or the faint dying day-hymn stole aloft1 ,and not a breath crept through the rosy air1 ,and yet the forest leaves seem'd stirr'd with prayer 99 99 99 99 99 ,with regard to the locality1 we are told by ,st4 ,luke that the angel ,gabriel was sent from ,god1 and that he came in to ,mary 7,luke i4 #bh71 which seems to express that she was within her house4 ,in describing the actual scene of the interview between the angel and ,mary1 the legendary story of the ,virgin adheres very closely to the scriptural text4 ,but it also relates1 that ,mary went forth at evening to draw water from the fountain2 that she heard a voice which said1 ,hail thou that art full of grace6 and thereupon being troubled1 she looked to the right and to the left1 and seeing no one1 returned to her house1 and sat down to her work1 7,protevangelion1 ix4 #g47 ,had any exact attention been paid to oriental customs1 ,mary might have been working or reading or meditating on the roof of her house2 but this has not suggested itself in any instance that ,i can remember4 ,we have1 as the scene of the interview1 an interior which is sometimes like an oratory1 sometimes a portico with open arcades2 but more generally a bedroom4 ,the poverty of ,joseph and ,mary1 and their humble condition in life1 are sometimes attended to1 but not always2 for1 according to one tradition1 the house at ,nazareth was that which ,mary had inherited from her parents1 ,joachim and ,anna1 who were people of substance4 ,hence1 the painters had an excuse for making the chamber richly furnished1 the portico sustained by marble pillars1 or decorated with sculpture4 ,in the ,german and ,flemish pictures1 the artist1 true to the national characteristic of nave and literal illustration1 gives us a ,german or a ,gothic chamber1 with a lattice window of small panes of glass1 and a couch with pillows1 or a comfortable four-post bedstead1 furnished with draperies1 thus imparting to the whole scene an air of the most vivid homely reality4 ,as for the accessories1 the most usual1 almost indispensable1 is the pot of lilies1 the symbolical ,fleur de ,marie1 which ,i have already explained at length4 ,there is also a basket containing needle work and implements of female industry1 as scissors1 c42 not merely to express ,mary's habitual industry1 but because it is related that when she returned to her house1 she took the purple linen1 and sat down to work it4 ,the work-basket is therefore seldom omitted4 ,sometimes a distaff lies at her feet1 as in ,raphael's ,annunciation4 ,in old ,german pictures we have often a spinning-wheel4 ,to these emblems of industry is often added a basket1 or a dish1 containing fruit2 and near it a pitcher of water to express the temperance of the blessed ,virgin4 ,there is grace and meaning in the introduction of birds1 always emblems of the spiritual4 ,titian places a tame partridge at the feet of ,mary1 which expresses her tenderness2 but the introduction of a cat1 as in ,barroccio's picture1 is insufferable4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the archangel ,gabriel1 one of those who stand continually in the presence of ,god1 having received his mission1 descends to earth4 ,in the very earliest representation of the ,annunciation1 as an event 7,mosaic1 ,s4 ,maria ,maggiore71 we have this descent of the winged spirit from on high2 and ,i have seen other instances4 ,there is a small and beautiful sketch by ,garofalo 7,alton ,towers71 in which1 from amidst a flood of light1 and a choir of celestial spirits1 such as ,milton describes as adoring the divine sacrifice proclaimed for sinful man 7,par4 ,lost1 b4 iii471 the archangel spreads his lucid wings1 and seems just about to take his flight to ,nazareth4 ,he was accompanied1 says the ,italian legend1 by a train of lower angels1 anxious to behold and reverence their ,queen2 these remained1 however1 at the door1 or before the gate1 while ,gabriel entered4 ,the old ,german masters are fond of representing him as entering by a door in the background1 while the serene ,virgin1 seated in front1 seems aware of his presence without seeing him4 ,in some of the old pictures1 he comes in flying from above1 or he is upborne by an effulgent cloud1 and surrounded by a glory which lights the whole picture1--a really celestial messenger1 as in a fresco by ,spinello ,aretino4 ,in others1 he comes gliding in1 smooth sliding without step2 sometimes he enters like a heavenly ambassador1 and little angels hold up his train4 ,in a picture by ,tintoretto1 he comes rushing in as upon a whirlwind1 followed by a legion of lesser angels2 while on the outside of the building1 ,joseph the carpenter is seen quietly at his work4 7,venice1 ,school of ,s4 ,rocco47 ,but1 whether walking or flying1 ,gabriel bears1 of course1 the conventional angelic form1 that of the human creature1 winged1 beautiful1 and radiant with eternal youth1 yet with a grave and serious mien1 in the later pictures1 the drapery given to the angel is offensively scanty2 his sandals1 and bare arms1 and fluttering robe1 too much l'antique2 he comes in the attitude of a flying ,mercury1 or a dancer in a ballet4 ,but in the early ,italian pictures his dress is arranged with a kind of solemn propriety3 it is that of an acolyte1 white and full1 and falling in large folds over his arms1 and in general concealing his feet4 ,in the ,german pictures1 he often wears the priestly robe1 richly embroidered1 and clasped in front by a jewel4 ,his ambrosial curls fall over this cope in hyacinthine flow4 ,the wings are essential1 and never omitted4 ,they are white1 or many-coloured1 eyed like the peacock's train1 or bedropped with gold4 ,he usually bears the lily in his hand1 but not always4 ,sometimes it is the sceptre1 the ancient attribute of a herald2 and this has a scroll around it1 with the words1 ,ave ,maria gratia plena6 ,the sceptre or wand is1 occasionally surmounted by a cross4 ,in general1 the palm is given to the angel who announces the death of ,mary4 ,in one or two instances only ,i have seen the palm given to the angel ,gabriel1 as in a predella by ,angelico2 for which1 however1 the painter had the authority of ,dante1 or ,dante some authority earlier still4 ,he says of ,gabriel1 ,that he bore the palm ,down unto ,mary when the ,son of ,god ,vouchsafed to clothe him in terrestrial weeds4 ,the olive-bough has a mystical sense wherever adopted3 it is the symbol of peace on earth4 ,often the angel bears neither lily1 nor sceptre1 nor palm1 nor olive4 ,his hands are folded on his bosom2 or1 with one hand stretched forth1 and the other pointing upwards1 he declares his mission from on high4 ,in the old ,greek pictures1 and in the most ancient ,italian examples1 the angel stands2 as in the picture by ,cimabue1 wherein the ,greek model is very exactly followed4 ,according to the ,roman ,catholic belief1 ,mary is ,queen of heaven1 and of angels--the superior being2 consequently1 there is propriety in making the angel deliver his message kneeling3 but even according to the ,protestant belief the attitude would not be unbecoming1 for the angel1 having uttered his salutation1 might well prostrate himself as witness of the transcending miracle1 and beneath the overshadowing presence of the ,holy ,spirit4 ,now1 as to the attitude and occupation of ,mary at the moment the angel entered1 authorities are not agreed4 ,it is usual to exhibit her as kneeling in prayer1 or reading with a large book open on a desk before her4 ,st4 ,bernard says that she was studying the book of the prophet ,isaiah1 and as she recited the verse1 ,behold1 a ,virgin shall conceive1 and bear a son1 she thought within her heart1 in her great humility1 ,how blessed the woman of whom these words are written6 ,would ,i might be but her handmaid to serve her1 and allowed1 to kiss her feet6--when1 in the same instant1 the wondrous vision burst upon her1 and the holy prophecy was realized in herself4 7,il perfetto ,legendario47 ,i think it is a manifest fault to disturb the sublime tenor of the scene by representing ,mary as starting up in alarm2 for1 in the first place1 she was accustomed1 as we have seen1 to the perpetual ministry of angels1 who daily and hourly attended on her4 ,it is1 indeed1 said that ,mary was troubled2 but it was not the presence1 but the saying of the angel which troubled her--it was the question how this should be8 7,luke i4 #bi47 ,the attitude1 therefore1 which some painters have given to her1 as if she had started from her seat1 not only in terror1 but in indignation1 is altogether misplaced4 ,a signal instance is the statue of the ,virgin by ,mocchi in the choir of the cathedral at ,orvieto1 so grand in itself1 and yet so offensive as a devotional figure4 ,misplaced is also1 ,i think1 the sort of timid shrinking surprise which is the expression in some pictures4 ,the moment is much too awful1 the expectance much too sublime1 for any such human1 girlish emotions4 ,if the painter intend to express the moment in which the angel appears and utters the salutation1 ,hail6 then ,mary may be standing1 and her looks directed towards him1 as in a fine majestic ,annunciation of ,andrea del ,sarto4 ,standing was the antique attitude of prayer2 so that if we suppose her to have been interrupted in her devotions1 the attitude is still appropriate4 ,but if that moment be chosen in which she expressed her submission to the divine will1 ,behold the handmaid of the ,lord6 let it be unto me according to thy word6 then she might surely kneel with bowed bead1 and folded hands1 and downcast eyes beneath th' almighty ,dove4 ,no attitude could be too humble to express that response2 and ,dante has given us1 as the most perfect illustration of the virtue of humility1 the sentiment and attitude of ,mary when submitting herself to the divine will4 7,purg4 x41 ,cary's ,trans47 ,the angel 7who came down to earth ,with tidings of the peace to many years ,wept for in vain1 that op'd the heavenly gates ,from their long interdict7 before us seem'd ,in a sweet act so sculptur'd to the life1 ,he look'd no silent image4 ,one had sworn ,he had said ',hail6' for ,,she was imag'd there1 ,by whom the key did open to ,god's love2 ,and in her act as sensibly imprest ,that word1 ',behold the handmaid of the ,lord1' ,as figure seal'd on wax4 ,and very beautifully has ,flaxman transferred the sculpture divinely wrought upon the rock of marble white to earthly form4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the presence of the ,holy ,spirit in the historical ,annunciations is to be accounted for by the words of ,st4 ,luke1 and the visible form of the ,dove is conventional and authorized4 ,in many pictures1 the celestial ,dove enters by the open casement4 ,sometimes it seems to brood immediately over the head of the ,virgin2 sometimes it hovers towards her bosom4 ,as for the perpetual introduction of the emblem of the ,padre ,eterno1 seen above the sky1 under the usual half-figure of a kingly ancient man1 surrounded by a glory of cherubim1 and sending forth upon a beam of light the immaculate ,dove1 there is nothing to be said but the usual excuse for the medival artists1 that certainly there was no conscious irreverence4 ,the old painters1 great as they were in art1 lived in ignorant but zealous times--in times when faith was so fixed1 so much a part of the life and soul1 that it was not easily shocked or shaken2 as it was not founded in knowledge or reason1 so nothing that startled the reason could impair it4 ,religion1 which now speaks to us through words1 then spoke to the people through visible forms universally accepted2 and1 in the fine arts1 we accept such forms according to the feeling which then existed in men's minds1 and which1 in its sincerity1 demands our respect1 though now we might not1 could not1 tolerate the repetition4 ,we must also remember that it was not in the ages of ignorance and faith that we find the grossest materialism in art4 ,it was in the learned1 half-pagan sixteenth and the polished seventeenth century1 that this materialized theology became most offensive4 ,of all the artists who have sinned in the ,annunciation--and they are many--,nicol ,poussin is perhaps the worst4 ,yet he was a good1 a pious man1 as well as a learned and accomplished painter4 ,all through the history of the art1 the ,french show themselves as the most signal violators of good taste1 and what they have invented a word for--biensance4 ,they are worse than the old ,germans2 worse than the modern ,spaniards--and that is saying much4 ,in ,raphael's ,annunciation1 ,mary is seated in a reclining attitude1 leaning against the side of her couch1 and holding a book4 ,the angel1 whose attitude expresses a graceful empressement1 kneels at some distance1 holding the lily4 99 99 99 99 99 ,michael ,angelo gives us a most majestic ,virgin standing on the steps of a prie-,dieu1 and turning with hands upraised towards the angel1 who appears to have entered by the open door2 his figure is most clumsy and material1 and his attitude unmeaning and ungraceful4 ,it is1 ,i think1 the only instance in which ,michael ,angelo has given wings to an angelic being3 for here they could not be dispensed with4 ,in a beautiful ,annunciation by ,johan ,van ,eyck 7,munich ,gal41 ,cabinet iii4 #ce71 the ,virgin kneels at a desk with a book before her4 ,she has long fair hair1 and a noble intellectual brow4 ,gabriel1 holding his sceptre1 stands in the door-way4 ,the ,dove enters by the lattice4 ,a bed is in the background1 and in front a pot of lilies4 ,in another ,annunciation by ,van ,eyck1 painted on the ,ghent altar-piece1 we have the mystic1 not the historical1 representation1 and a very beautiful effect is produced by clothing both the angel and ,mary in robes of pure white4 7,berlin ,gal41 #ebj1 #eba47 ,in an engraving after ,rembrandt1 the ,virgin kneels by a fountain1 and the angel kneels on the opposite side4 ,this seems to express the legendary scene4 ,these few observations on the general arrangement of the theme1 whether mystical or historical1 will1 ,i hope1 assist the observer in discriminating for himself4 ,i must not venture further1 for we have a wide range of subjects before us4 ,,the ,,visitation4 ,ital4 ,la ,visitazione di ,maria4 ,fr4 ,la ,visitation de la ,vierge ,ger4 ,die ,heimsuchung ,mari4 ,july #b4 ,after the ,annunciation of the angel1 the ,scripture goes on to relate how ,mary arose and went up into the hill country with haste1 to the house of her cousin ,elizabeth1 and saluted her4 ,this meeting of the two kinswomen is the subject styled in art the ,visitation1 and sometimes the ,salutation of ,elizabeth4 ,it is of considerable importance1 in a series of the life of the ,virgin1 as an event2 and also1 when taken separately in its religious significance1 as being the first recognition of the character of the ,messiah4 ,whence is this to me1 exclaims ,elizabeth1 that the mother of my ,lord should come to me8 7,luke i4 #dc72 and as she spoke this through the influence of the ,holy ,spirit1 and not through knowledge1 she is considered in the light of a prophetess4 ,of ,elizabeth ,i must premise a few words1 because in many representations relating to the life of the ,virgin1 and particularly in those domestic groups1 the ,holy ,families properly so called1 she is a personage of great importance1 and we ought to be able1 by some preconceived idea of her bearing and character1 to test the propriety of that impersonation usually adopted by the artists4 ,we must remember that she was much older than her cousin1 a woman well stricken in years2 but it is a1 great mistake to represent her as old1 as wrinkled and decrepit1 as some painters have done4 ,we are told that she was righteous before the ,lord1 walking in all his commandments blameless3 the manner in which she received the visit of ,mary1 acknowledging with a glad humility the higher destinies of her young relative1 show her to have been free from all envy and jealousy4 ,therefore all pictures of ,elizabeth should exhibit her as an elderly1 but not an aged matron2 a dignified1 mild1 and gracious creature2 one selected to high honour by the ,searcher of hearts1 who1 looking down on hers1 had beheld it pure from any secret taint of selfishness1 even as her conduct had been blameless before man4#a ,footnote #a3 ,for a full account of the legends relating to ,elizabeth1 the mother of the ,baptist1 see the fourth series of ,sacred and ,legendary ,art4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such a woman as we believe ,mary to have been must have loved and honoured such a woman as ,elizabeth4 ,wherefore1 having heard that ,elizabeth had been exalted to a miraculous motherhood1 she made haste to visit her1 not to ask her advice1--for being graced with all good gifts of the ,holy ,spirit1 and herself the mother of ,wisdom1 she could not need advice1--but to sympathize with her cousin and reveal what had happened to herself4 ,thus then they met1 these two mothers of two great princes1 of whom one was pronounced the greatest born of woman1 and the other was his ,lord3 happiest and most exalted of all womankind before or since1 needs must they have discoursed like seraphim and the most ecstasied order of ,intelligences6 ,such was the blessed encounter represented in the ,visitation4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the number of the figures1 the locality and circumstances1 vary greatly4 ,sometimes we have only the two women1 without accessories of any kind1 and nothing interferes with the high solemnity of that moment in which ,elizabeth confesses the mother of her ,lord4 ,the better to express this willing homage1 this momentous prophecy1 she is often kneeling4 ,other figures are frequently introduced1 because it could not be supposed that ,mary made the journey from ,nazareth to the dwelling of ,zacharias near ,jerusalem1 a distance of fifty miles1 alone4 ,whether her husband ,joseph accompanied her1 is doubtful2 and while many artists have introduced him1 others have omitted him altogether4 ,according to the ancient ,greek formula laid down for the religious painters1 ,mary is accompanied by a servant or a boy1 who carries a stick across his shoulder1 and a basket slung to it4 ,the old ,italians who followed the ,byzantine models seldom omit this attendant1 but in some instances 7as in the magnificent composition of ,michael ,angelo1 in the possession of ,mr4 ,bromley1 of ,wootten7 a handmaid bearing a basket on her head is substituted for the boy4 ,in many instances ,joseph1 attired as a traveller1 appears behind the ,virgin1 and ,zacharias1 in his priestly turban and costume1 behind ,elizabeth4 ,the locality is often an open porch or a garden in front of a house2 and this garden of ,zacharias is celebrated in ,eastern tradition4 ,it is related that the blessed ,virgin1 during her residence with her cousin ,elizabeth1 frequently recreated herself by walking in the garden of ,zacharias1 while she meditated on the strange and lofty destiny to which she was appointed2 and farther1 that happening one day to touch a certain flower1 which grew there1 with her most blessed hand1 from being inodorous before1 it became from that moment deliciously fragrant4 ,the garden therefore was a fit place for the meeting4 99 99 99 99 99 #a4 ,the earliest representation of the ,visitation to which ,i can refer is a rude but not ungraceful drawing1 in the ,catacombs at ,rome1 of two women embracing4 ,it is not of very high antiquity1 perhaps the seventh or eighth century1 but there can be so doubt about the subject4 7,cemetery of ,julius1 v4 ,bosio1 ,roma sotterana47 #b4 ,cimabue has followed the ,greek formula1 and his simple group appears to me to have great feeling and simplicity4 #c4 ,more modern instances1 from the date of the revival of art1 abound in every form4 ,almost every painter who has treated subjects from the life of the ,virgin has treated the ,visitation4 ,in the composition by ,raphael 7,madrid ,gal47 there are the two figures only2 and ,i should object to this otherwise perfect picture1 the bashful conscious look of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,the heads are1 however1 eminently beautiful and dignified4 ,in the far background is seen the ,baptism of ,christ--very happily and significantly introduced1 not merely as expressing the name of the votary who dedicated the picture1 ,giovan-,battista ,branconio1 but also as expressing the relation between the two unborn ,children--the ,christ and his ,prophet4 #d4 ,the group by ,sebastian del ,piombo is singularly grand1 showing in every part the influence of ,michael ,angelo1 but richly coloured in ,sebastian's best manner4 ,the figures are seen only to the knees4 ,in the background1 ,zacharias is seen hurrying down some steps to receive the ,virgin4#a ,footnote #a3 ,louvre1 #abbd4 ,there is1 in the ,louvre1 another ,visitation of singular and characteristic beauty by ,d4 ,ghirlandajo4 #e4 ,the group by ,pinturicchio1 with the attendant angels1 is remarkable for its poetic grace2 and that by ,lucas v4 ,leyden is equally remarkable for affectionate sentiment4 #f4 ,still more beautiful1 and more dramatic and varied1 is another composition by ,pinturicchio in the ,sala ,borgia4 7,vatican1 ,rome47 ,the ,virgin and ,st4 ,elizabeth1 in the centre1 take each other's hands4 ,behind the ,virgin is ,st4 ,joseph1 a maiden with a basket on her head1 and other attendants4 ,behind ,st4 ,elizabeth1 we have a view into the interior of her house1 through arcades richly sculptured2 and within1 ,zacharias is reading1 and the handmaids of ,elizabeth1 are spinning and sewing4 ,this elegant fresco was painted for ,alexander ,,vi4 #g4 ,there is a fine picture of this subject1 by ,andrea ,sabattini of ,salerno1 the history of which is rather curious4 ,it was painted at the request of the ,sanseverini1 princes of ,salerno1 to be presented to a nunnery1 in which one of that noble family had taken the veil4 ,under the form of the blessed ,virgin1 ,andrea represented the last princess of ,salerno1 who was of the family of ,villa ,marina2 under that of ,st4 ,joseph1 the prince her husband2 an old servant of the family figures as ,st4 ,elizabeth2 and in the features of ,zacharias we recognize those of ,bernardo ,tasso1 the father of ,torquato ,tasso1 and then secretary to the prince of ,salerno4 ,after remaining for many years over the high altar of the church1 it was removed through the scruples of one of the ,neapolitan archbishops1 who was scandalized by the impropriety of placing the portraits of well-known personages in such a situation4 ,the picture1 once removed from its place1 disappeared1 and by some means found its way to the ,louvre4 ,andrea1 who was one of the most distinguished of the scholars of ,raphael1 died in #aede4a ,footnote #a3 ,this picture is thus described in the old catalogues of the ,louvre 7,no4 #abjg72 but is not to be found in that of ,villot4 #h4 ,the composition by ,rubens has all that scenic effect and dramatic movement which was characteristic of the painter4 ,the meeting takes place on a flight of steps leading to the house of ,zacharias4 ,the ,virgin wears a hat1 as one just arrived from a journey2 ,joseph and ,zacharias greet each other2 a maiden with a basket on her head follows2 and in the foreground a man unloads the ass4 ,i will mention two other example1 each perfect in its way1 in two most opposite styles of treatment4 #i4 ,the first is the simple majestic composition of ,albertinelli4 7,florence ,gal47 ,the two women1 standing alone under a richly sculptured arch1 and relieved against the bright azure sky1 embrace each other4 ,there are no accessories4 ,mary is attired in dark-blue drapery1 and ,elizabeth wears an ample robe of a saffron or rather amber colour4 ,the mingled grandeur1 power1 and grace1 and depth of expression in these two figures1 are quite extraordinary2 they look like what they are1 and worthy to be mothers of the greatest of kings and the greatest of prophets4 ,albertinelli has here emulated his friend ,bartolomeo--his friend1 whom he so loved1 that when1 after the horrible execution of ,savonarola1 ,bartolomeo1 broken-hearted1 threw himself into the convent of ,st4 ,mark1 ,albertinelli became almost distracted and desperate4 ,he would certainly1 says ,vasari1 have gone into the same convent1 but for the hatred be bore the monks1 of whom he was always saying the most injurious things4 ,through some hidden influence of intense sympathy1 ,albertinelli1 though in point of character the very antipodes of his friend1 often painted so like him1 that his pictures--and this noble picture more particularly--might be mistaken for the work of the ,frate4 99 99 99 99 99 #aj4 ,we will now turn to a conception altogether different1 and equally a masterpiece2 it is the small but exquisitely finished composition by ,rembrandt4 7,grosvenor ,gal47 ,the scene is the garden in front of the house of ,zacharias2 ,elizabeth is descending the steps in haste to receive and embrace with outstretched arms the ,virgin ,mary1 who appears to have just alighted from her journey4 ,the aged ,zacharias1 supported by a youth1 is seen following ,elizabeth to welcome their guest4 ,behind ,mary stands a black female attendant1 in the act of removing a mantle from her shoulders2 in the background a servant1 or 7as ,i think7 ,joseph1 holds the ass on which ,mary has journeyed2 a peacock with a gem-like train1 and a hen with a brood of chickens 7the latter the emblem of maternity71 are in the foreground4 ,though the representation thus conceived appears like a scene of every-day life1 nothing can be more poetical than the treatment1 more intensely true and noble than the expression of the diminutive figures1 more masterly and finished than the execution1 more magical and lustrous than the effect of the whole4 ,the work of ,albertinelli1 in its large and solemn beauty and religious significance1 is worthy of being placed over an altar1 on which we might offer up the work of ,rembrandt as men offer incense1 gems1 and gold4 ,as the ,visitation is not easily mistaken1 ,i have said enough of it here2 and we pass to the next subject1--,the ,dream of ,joseph4 99 99 99 99 99 ,although the feast of the ,visitation is fixed for the #b;d of ,july1 it was1 and is1 a received opinion1 that ,mary began her journey to the hill country but a short time1 even a few days1 after the ,annunciation of the angel4 ,it was the sixth month with ,elizabeth1 and ,mary sojourned with her three months4 ,hence it is supposed1 by many commentators1 that ,mary must have been present at the birth of ,john the ,baptist4 ,it may seem surprising that the early painters should not have made use of this supposition4 ,i am not aware that there exists among the numerous representations of the birth of ,st4 ,john1 any instance of the ,virgin being introduced2 it should seem that the lofty ideas entertained of the ,mater ,dei rendered it impossible to place her in a scene where she would necessarily take a subordinate position3 this ,i think sufficiently accounts for her absence4#a ,mary then returned to her own dwelling at ,nazareth2 and when ,joseph 7who in these legendary stories is constantly represented as a house-carpenter and builder1 and travelling about to exercise his trade in various places7 also came back to his home1 and beheld his wife1 the suspicion entered his mind that she was about to become a mother1 and very naturally his mind was troubled with sorrow and insecure apprehensions2 but being a just man1 that is1 according to the ,scriptures and other wise writers1 a good1 a charitable man1 he would not openly disgrace her1 for he found it more agreeable to justice to treat an offending person with the easiest sentence1 than to render her desperate1 and without remedy1 and provoked by the suffering of the worst of what she could fear4 ,no obligation to justice can force a man to be cruel2 pity1 and forbearance1 and long-suffering1 and fair interpretation1 and excusing our brother 7and our sister71 and taking things in the best sense1 and passing the gentlest sentence1 are as certainly our duty1 and owing to every person who does offend and can repent1 as calling men to account can be owing to the law4 7v4 ,bishop ,taylor's ,life of ,christ47 ,thus says the good ,bishop ,taylor1 praising ,joseph1 that he was too truly just to call furiously for justice1 and that1 waiving the killing letter of the law1 he was minded to dismiss his wife privily2 and in this he emulated the mercy of his divine foster-,son1 who did not cruelly condemn the woman whom he knew to be guilty1 but dismissed her to repent and sin no more4 ,but while ,joseph was pondering thus in his heart1 the angel of the ,lord1 the prince of angels1 even ,gabriel1 appeared to him in a dream1 saying1 ,joseph1 thou son of ,david1 fear not to take unto thee ,mary thy wife6 and he awoke and obeyed that divine voice4 ,footnote #a3 ,there is1 however1 in the ,liverpool ,museum1 a very exquisite miniature of the birth of ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 in which the female figure standing near represents1 ,i think1 the ,virgin ,mary4 ,it was cut out of a choral book of the ,siena school4 ,this first vision of the angel is not in works of art easily distinguished from the second vision but there is a charming fresco by ,luini1 which can bear no other interpretation4 ,joseph is seated by the carpenter's bench1 and leans his head on his hand slumbering4 7,milan1 ,brera47 ,an angel stands by him pointing to ,mary who is seen at a window above1 busied with needlework4 ,on waking from this vision1 ,joseph1 says the legend1 entreated forgiveness of ,mary for having wronged her even in thought4 ,this is a subject quite unknown1 ,i believe1 before the fifteenth century1 and not commonly met with since1 but there are some instances4 ,on one of the carved stalls of the ,cathedral of ,amiens it is very poetically treated4 7,stalles d',amiens1 p4 #bje47 ,mary is seated on a throne under a magnificent canopy2 ,joseph1 kneeling before her and presented by two angels1 pleads for pardon4 ,she extends one hand to him2 in the other is the volume of the ,holy ,scriptures4 ,there is a similar version of the text in sculpture over one of the doors of ,notre-,dame at ,paris4 ,there is also a picture by ,alessandro ,tiarini 7,le repentir de ,saint ,joseph1 ,louvre1 #daf71 and reckoned by ,malvasia1 his finest work1 wherein ,joseph kneels before the ,virgin1 who stands with a dignified air1 and1 while she raises him with one hand1 points with the other up to heaven4 ,behind is seen the angel ,gabriel with his finger on his lip1 as commanding silence1 and two other angels4 ,the figures are life-size1 the execution and colour very fine2 the whole conception in the grand but mannered style of the ,guido school4 ,,the ,,nativity4 ,ital4 ,il ,presepio4 ,il ,nascimento del ,nostro ,signore4 ,fr4 ,la ,nativit4 ,ger4 ,die ,geburt ,christi4 ,dec4 #be4 ,the birth of our ,saviour is related with characteristic simplicity and brevity in the ,gospels2 but in the early ,christian traditions this great event is preceded and accompanied by several circumstances which have assumed a certain importance and interest in the artistic representations4 ,according to an ancient legend1 the ,emperor ,augustus ,csar repaired to the sibyl ,tiburtina1 to inquire whether he should consent to allow himself to be worshipped with divine honours1 which the ,senate had decreed to him4 ,the sibyl1 after some days of meditation1 took the ,emperor apart1 and showed him an altar2 and above the altar1 in the opening heavens1 and in a glory of light1 he beheld a beautiful ,virgin holding an ,infant in her arms1 and at the same time a voice was heard saying1 ,this is the altar of the ,son of the living ,god2 whereupon ,augustus caused an altar to be erected on the ,capitoline ,hill1 with this inscription1 ,ara primogeniti ,dei2 and on the same spot1 in later times1 was built the church called the ,ara-,coeli1 well known1 with its flight of one hundred and twenty-four marble steps1 to all who have visited ,rome4 ,of the sibyls1 generally1 in their relation to sacred art1 ,i have already spoken4#a ,this particular prophecy of the ,tiburtine sibyl to ,augustus rests on some very antique traditions1 pagan as well as ,christian4 ,it is supposed to have suggested the ,pollio of ,virgil1 which suggested the ,messiah of ,pope4 ,it is mentioned by writers of the third and fourth centuries1 and our own divines have not wholly rejected it1 for ,bishop ,taylor mentions the sibyl's prophecy among the great and glorious accidents happening about the birth of ,jesus4 7,life of ,jesus ,christ1 sec4 #d47 ,footnote #a3 ,introduction4 ,the personal character and history of the ,sibyls will be treated in detail in the fourth series of ,sacred and ,legendary ,art4 ,a very rude but curious bas-relief preserved in the church of the ,ara-,coeli is perhaps the oldest representation extant4 ,the ,church legend assigns to it a fabulous antiquity2 but it must be older than the twelfth century1 as it is alluded to by writers of that period4 ,here the ,emperor ,augustus kneels before the ,madonna and ,child and at his side is the sibyl1 ,tiburtina1 pointing upwards4 ,since the revival of art1 the incident has been frequently treated4 ,it was painted by ,cavallini1 about #acdj1 on the vault of the choir of the ,ara-,coeli4 ,in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries1 it became a favourite subject4 ,it admitted of those classical forms1 and that mingling of the heathen and the ,christian in style and costume1 which were calculated to please the churchmen and artists of the time1 and the examples are innumerable4 ,the most celebrated1 ,i believe1 is the fresco by ,baldassare ,peruzzi1 in which the figure of the sibyl is certainly very majestic1 but the rest of the group utterly vulgar and commonplace4 7,siena1 ,fonte ,giusta47 ,less famous1 but on the whole preferable in point of taste1 is the group by ,garofalo1 in the palace of the ,quirinal2 and there is another by ,titian1 in which the scene is laid in a fine landscape after his manner4 ,vasari mentions a cartoon of this subject1 painted by ,rosso for ,francis ,i41 among the best things ,rosso ever produced1 and introducing the ,king and ,queen of ,france1 their guards1 and a concourse of people1 as spectators of the scene4 ,in some instances the locality is a temple1 with an altar1 before which kneels the ,emperor1 having laid upon it his sceptre and laurel crown3 the sibyl points to the vision seen through a window above4 ,i think it is so represented in a large picture at ,hampton ,court1 by ,pietro da ,cortona4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the sibylline prophecy is supposed to have occurred a short tune before the ,nativity1 about the same period when the decree went forth that all the world should be taxed4 ,joseph1 therefore1 arose and saddled his ass1 and set his wife upon it1 and went up from ,nazareth to ,bethlehem4 ,the way was long1 and steep1 and weary2 and when ,joseph looked back1 he saw the face of ,mary that it was sorrowful1 as of one in pain2 but when he looked back again1 she smiled4 ,and when they1 were come to ,bethlehem1 there was no room for them in the inn1 because of the great concourse of people4 ,and ,mary said to ,joseph1 ,take me down for ,i suffer4 7,protevangelion47 ,the journey to ,bethlehem1 and the grief and perplexity of ,joseph1 have been often represented4 #a4 ,there exists a very ancient ,greek carving in ivory1 wherein ,mary is seated on the ass1 with an expression of suffering1 and ,joseph tenderly sustains her2 she has one arm round his neck1 leaning on him3 an angel leads the ass1 lighting the way with a torch4 ,it is supposed that this curious relic formed part of the ornaments of the ivory throne of the ,exarch of ,ravenna1 and that it is at least as old as the sixth century4#a #b4 ,there is an instance more dramatic in an engraving after a master of the seventeenth century4 ,mary1 seated on the ass1 and holding the bridle1 raises her eyes to heaven with an expression of resignation2 ,joseph1 cap in hand1 humbly expostulates with the master of the inn1 who points towards the stable2 the innkeeper's wife looks up at the ,virgin with a strong expression of pity and sympathy4 #c4 ,i remember another print of the same subject1 where1 in the background1 angels are seen preparing the cradle in a cave4 ,footnote #a3 ,it is engraved in ,gori's ,thesaurus1 and described in ,mnter's ,sinnbilder4 ,i may as well add that the ,virgin1 in this character of mysterious1 and religious1 and most pure maternity1 is venerated under the title of ,la ,madonna del ,parto4#a ,footnote #a3 ,every one who has visited ,naples will remember the church on the ,mergellina1 dedicated to the ,madonna del ,parto1 where lies1 beneath his pagan tomb1 the poet ,sannazzaro4 ,mr4 ,hallam1 in a beautiful passage of his ,history of the ,literature of ,europe1 has pointed out the influence of the genius of ,tasso on the whole school of ,bolognese painters of that time4 ,not less striking was the influence of ,sannazzaro and his famous poem on the ,nativity 7,de ,part ,virginis71 on the contemporary productions of ,italian art1 and more particularly as regards the subject under consideration3 ,i can trace it through all the schools of art1 from ,milan to ,naples1 during the latter half of the sixteenth century4 ,of ,sannazzaro's poem1 ,mr4 ,hallam says1 that it would be difficult to find its equal for purity1 elegance1 and harmony of versification4 ,it is not the less true1 that even its greatest merits as a ,latin poem exercised the most perverse influence on the religious art of that period4 ,it was1 indeed1 only one of the many influences which may be said to have demoralized the artists of the sixteenth century1 but it was one of the greatest4 ,the ,nativity of our ,saviour1 like the ,annunciation1 has been treated in two ways1 as a mystery and as an event1 and we must be careful to discriminate between them4 ,,the ,,nativity ,,as ,a ,,mystery4 ,in the first sense the artist has intended simply to express the advent of the ,divinity on earth in the form of an ,infant1 and the motif is clearly taken from a text in the ,office of the ,virgin1 ,virgo quem genuit1 adoravit4 ,in the beautiful words of ,jeremy ,taylor1 ,she blessed him1 she worshipped him1 and she thanked him that he would be born of her2 as1 indeed1 many a young mother has done before and since1 when she has hung in adoration over the cradle of her first-born child2--but here the child was to be a descended ,god2 and nothing1 as it seems to me1 can be more graceful and more profoundly suggestive than the manner in which some of the early ,italian artists have expressed this idea4 ,when1 in such pictures1 the locality is marked by the poor stable1 or the rough rocky cave1 it becomes a temple full of religion1 full of glory1 where angels are the ministers1 the holy ,virgin the worshipper1 and ,christ the ,deity4 ,very few accessories are admitted1 merely such as serve to denote that the subject is a ,nativity1 properly so called1 and not the ,madre ,pia1 as already described4 ,the divine ,infant lies in the centre of the picture1 sometimes on a white napkin1 sometimes with no other bed than the flowery turf2 sometimes his head rests on a wheat-sheaf1 always here interpreted as the bread of life4 ,he places his finger on his lip1 which expresses the ,verbum sum 7or1 ,vere ,verbum hoc est abbreviatum71 ,i am the word1 or ,i am the bread of life 7,ego sum panis ille vit4 ,john vi4 #dh71 and fixes his eyes on the heavens above1 where the angels are singing the ,gloria in excelsis4 ,in one instance1 ,i remember1 an angel holds up the cross before him2 in another1 he grasps it in his hand2 or it is a nail1 or the crown of thorns1 anticipative of his earthly destiny4 ,the ,virgin kneels on one side2 ,st4 ,joseph1 when introduced1 kneels on the other2 and frequently angels unite with them in the act of adoration1 or sustain the new-born ,child4 ,in this poetical version of the subject1 ,lorenzo di ,credi1 ,perugino1 ,francia1 and ,bellini1 excelled all others#a4 ,lorenzo1 in particular1 became quite renowned for the manner in which he treated it1 and a number of beautiful compositions from his hand exist in the ,florentine and other galleries4 ,footnote #a3 ,there are also most charming examples in sculpture by ,luca della ,robbia1 ,donatello1 and other masters of the ,florentine school4 ,there are instances in which attendant saints and votaries are introduced as beholding and adoring this great mystery4 #a4 ,for instance1 in a picture by ,cima1 ,tobit and the angel are introduced on one side1 and ,st4 ,helena and ,st4 ,catherine on the other4 #b4 ,in a picture by ,francia 7,bologna ,gal471 the ,infant1 reclining upon a white napkin1 is adored by the kneeling ,virgin1 by ,st4 ,augustine1 and by two angels also kneeling4 ,the votary1 ,antonio ,galeazzo ,bentivoglio1 for whom the picture was painted1 kneels in the habit of a pilgrim4#a ,he had lately returned from a pilgrimage to ,jerusalem and ,bethlehem1 thus poetically expressed in the scene of the ,nativity1 and the picture was dedicated as an act of thanksgiving as well as of faith4 ,st4 ,joseph and ,st4 ,francis stand on one side2 on the other is a shepherd crowned with laurel4 ,francia1 according to tradition1 painted his own portrait as ,st4 ,francis2 and his friend the poet1 ,girolamo ,casio de' ,medici1 as the shepherd4 #c4 ,in a large and famous ,nativity by ,giulio ,romano 7,louvre1 #bic71 which once belonged to our ,charles ,i41 ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 and ,st4 ,longinus 7who pierced our ,saviour's side with his lance71 are standing on each side as two witnesses to the divinity of ,christ2--here strangely enough placed on a par3 but we are reminded that ,longinus had lately been inaugurated as patron of ,mantua1 7v4 ,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 ,footnote #a3 ,an excellent likeness1 says ,vasari4 ,it is engraved as such in ,litta's ,memorials of the ,bentivogli4 ,girolamo ,casio received the laurel crown from the hand of ,clement ,,vii4 in #aebc4 ,a beautiful votive ,madonna1 dedicated by ,girolamo ,casio and his son ,giacomo1 and painted by ,beltraffio1 is in the ,louvre4 ,in a triptych by ,hans ,hemling 7,berlin ,gal47 we have in the centre the ,child1 adored1 as usual1 by the ,virgin mother and attending angels1 the votary also kneeling3 in the compartment on the right1 we find the manifestation of the ,redeemer to the west exhibited in the prophecy of the sibyl to ,augustus2 on the left1 the manifestation of the ,redeemer to the east is expressed by the journey of the ,magi1 and the miraculous star--we have seen his star in the east4 ,but of all these ideal ,nativities1 the most striking is one by ,sandro ,botticelli1 which is indeed a comprehensive poem1 a kind of hymn on the ,nativity1 and might be set to music4 ,in the centre is a shed1 beneath which the ,virgin1 kneeling1 adores the ,child1 who has his finger on his lip4 ,joseph is seen a little behind1 as if in meditation4 ,on the right hand1 the angel presents three figures 7probably the shepherds7 crowned with olive2 on the left is a similar group4 ,on the roof of the shed1 three angels1 with olive-branches in their hands1 sing the ,gloria in excelsis4 ,above these are twelve angels dancing or floating round in a circle1 holding olive-branches between them4 ,in the foreground1 in the margin of the picture1 three figures rising out of the flames of purgatory are received and embraced by angels4 ,with all its quaint fantastic grace and dryness of execution1 the whole conception is full of meaning1 religious as well as poetical4 ,the introduction of the olive1 and the redeemed1 souls1 may express peace on earth1 good will towards men2 or the olive may likewise refer to that period of universal peace in which the ,prince of ,peace was born into the world4#a ,footnote #a3 ,this singular picture1 formerly in the ,ottley collection1 was1 when ,i saw it1 in the possession of ,mr4 ,fuller ,maitland1 of ,stensted ,park4 ,i must mention one more instance for its extreme beauty4 ,in a picture by ,lorenzo di ,credi 7,florence1 ,pal4 ,pitti7 the ,infant ,christ lies on the ground on a part of the veil of the ,virgin1 and holds in his hand a bird4 ,in the background1 the miraculous star sheds on the earth a perpendicular blaze of light1 and farther off are the shepherds4 ,on the other side1 ,st4 ,jerome1 introduced1 perhaps1 because he made his abode at ,bethlehem1 is seated beside his lion4 ,,the ,,nativity ,,as ,,an ,,event4 ,we now come to the ,nativity historically treated1 in which time1 place1 and circumstance1 have to be considered as in any other actual event4 ,the time was the depth of winter1 at midnight2 the place a poor stable4 ,according to some authorities1 this stable was the interior of a cavern1 still shown at ,bethlehem as the scene of the ,nativity1 in front of which was a ruined house1 once inhabited by ,jesse1 the father of ,david1 and near the spot where ,david pastured his sheep3 but the house was now a shed partly thatched1 and open at that bitter mason to all the winds of heaven4 ,here it was that the ,blessed ,virgin brought forth her first-born ,son1 wrapped him in swaddling clothes1 and laid him in a manger4 ,we find in the early ,greek representations1 and in the early ,italian painters who imitated the ,byzantine models1 that in the arrangement a certain pattern was followed3 the locality is a sort of cave--literally a hole in a rock2 the ,virgin ,mother reclines on a couch2 near her lies the new-born ,infant wrapped in swaddling clothes4 ,in one very ancient example 7a miniature of the ninth century in a ,greek ,menologium71 an attendant is washing the ,child4 ,but from the fourteenth century we find this treatment discontinued4 ,it gave just offence4 ,the greatest theologians insisted that the birth of the ,infant ,christ was as pure and miraculous as his conception2 and it was considered little less than heretical to portray ,mary reclining on a couch as one exhausted by the pangs of childbirth 7,isaiah lxvi4 #g71 or to exhibit assistants as washing the heavenly ,infant4 ,to her alone1 says ,st4 ,bernard1 did not the punishment of ,eve extend4 ,not in sorrow1 says ,bishop ,taylor1 not in pain1 but in the posture and guise of worshippers 7that is1 kneeling71 and in the midst of glorious thoughts and speculations1 did ,mary bring her ,son into the world4 ,we must seek for the accessories and circumstances usually introduced by the painters in the old legendary traditions then accepted and believed4 7,protevangelion1 xiv47 ,thus one legend relates that ,joseph went to seek a midwife1 and met a woman coming down from the mountains1 with whom he returned to the stable4 ,but when they entered it was filled with light greater than the sun at noonday2 and as the light decreased and they were able to open their eyes1 they beheld ,mary sitting there with her ,infant at her bosom4 ,and the ,hebrew woman being amazed said1 ,can this be true8 and ,mary answered1 ,it is true2 as there is no child like unto my son1 so there is no woman like unto his mother4 99 99 99 99 99 ,these circumstances we find in some of the early representations1 more or less modified by the taste of the artist4 ,i have seen1 for instance1 an old ,german print1 in which the ,virgin in the posture and guise of worshippers1 kneels before her ,child as usual2 while the background exhibits a hilly country1 and ,joseph with a lantern in his hand is helping a woman over a stile4 ,sometimes there are two women1 and then the second is always ,mary ,salome1 who1 according to a passage in the same popular authority1 visited the mother in her hour of travail4 ,the angelic choristers in the sky1 or upon the roof of the stable1 sing the ,gloria in excelsis ,deo2 they are never1 ,i believe1 omitted1 and in early pictures are always three in number2 but in later pictures1 the mystic three become a chorus of musicians ,joseph is generally sitting by1 leaning on his staff in profound meditation1 or asleep as one overcome by fatigue2 or with a taper or a lantern in his hand1 to express the night-time4 ,among the accessories1 the ox and the ass are indispensable4 ,the introduction of these animals rests on an antique tradition mentioned by ,st4 ,jerome1 and also on two texts of prophecy3 ,the ox knoweth his owner1 and the ass his master's crib 7,isaiah i4 #c72 and ,habakkuk iii4 #d1 is rendered1 in the ,vulgate1 ,he shall lie down between the ox and the ass4 ,from the sixth century1 which is the supposed date of the earliest extant1 to the sixteenth century1 there was never any representation of the ,nativity without these two animals2 thus in the old carol so often quoted-- ,agnovit bos et asinus ,quod ,puer erat ,dominus6 ,in some of the earliest pictures the animals kneel1 confessing the ,lord4 7,isaiah xliii4 #bj47 ,in some instances they stare into the manger with a most nave expression of amazement at what they find there4 ,one of the old ,latin hymns1 ,de ,nativitate ,domini1 describes them1 in that wintry night1 as warming the new-born ,infant with their breath2 and they have always been interpreted as symbols1 the ox as emblem of the ,jews1 the ass of the ,gentiles4 ,i wonder if it has ever occurred to those who have studied the inner life and meaning of these old representations1--owed to them1 perhaps1 homilies of wisdom1 as well as visions of poetry1--that the introduction of the ox and the ass1 those symbols of animal servitude and inferiority1 might be otherwise translated2--that their pathetic dumb recognition of the ,saviour of the world might be interpreted as extending to them also a participation in his mission of love and mercy2--that since to the lower creatures it was not denied to be present at that great manifestation1 they are thus brought nearer to the sympathies of our humanity1 as we are1 thereby1 lifted to a nearer communion with the universal spirit of love2--but this is considering too deeply1 perhaps1 for the occasion4 ,return we to our pictures4 ,certainly we are not in danger of being led into any profound or fanciful speculations by the ignorant painters of the later schools of art4 ,in their ,nativities1 the ox and ass are not1 indeed1 omitted2 they must be present by religious and prescriptive usage2 but they are to be made picturesque1 as if they were in the stable by right1 and as if it were only a stable1 not a temple hallowed to a diviner significance4 ,the ass1 instead of looking devoutly into the cradle1 stretches out his lazy length in the foreground2 the ox winks his eyes with a more than bovine stupidity4 ,in some of the old ,german pictures1 while the ,hebrew ox is quietly chewing the cud1 the ,gentile ass lifts up his voice and brays with open mouth1 as if in triumph4 ,one version of this subject1 by ,agnolo ,gaddi1 is conceived with much simplicity and originality4 ,the ,virgin and ,joseph are seen together within a rude and otherwise solitary building4 ,she points expressively to the manger where lies the divine ,infant1 while ,joseph leans on his staff and appears lost in thought4 ,correggio has been much admired for representing in his famous ,nativity the whole picture as lighted by the glory which proceeds from the divine ,infant1 as if the idea had been new and original4 7,la ,notte1 ,dresden ,gal47 ,it occurs frequently before and since his time1 and is founded on the legendary story quoted above1 which describes the cave or stable filled with a dazzling and supernatural light4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is not often we find the ,nativity represented as an historical event without the presence of the shepherds2 nor is the supernatural announcement to the shepherds often treated as a separate subject3 it generally forms part of the background of the ,nativity2 but there are some striking examples4 ,in a print by ,rembrandt1 he has emulated1 in picturesque and poetical treatment1 his famous ,vision of ,jacob1 in the ,dulwich ,gallery4 ,the angel 7always supposed to be ,gabriel7 appears in a burst of radiance through the black wintry midnight1 surrounded by a multitude of the heavenly host4 ,the shepherds fall prostrate1 as men amazed and sore afraid2 the cattle flee different ways in terror 7,luke ii4 #i47 ,i do not say that this is the most elevated way of expressing the scene2 but1 as an example of characteristic style1 it is perfect4 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,shepherds4 ,ital4 ,l' ,adorazione del ,pastori4 ,fr4 ,l',adoration des ,bergers4 ,ger4 ,die ,anbetung der ,hirten4 ,the story thus proceeds3--,when the angels were gone away into heaven1 the shepherds came with haste1 and found ,mary1 and ,joseph1 and the young ,child lying in a manger4 ,being come1 they present their pastoral offerings--a lamb1 or doves1 or fruits 7but these1 considering the season1 are misplaced72 they take off their hats with reverence1 and worship in rustic fashion4 ,in ,raphael's composition1 the shepherds1 as we might expect from him1 look as if they had lived in ,arcadia4 ,in some of the later ,italian pictures1 they pipe and sing4 ,it is the well-known custom in ,italy for the shepherds of the ,campagna1 and of ,calabria1 to pipe before the ,madonna and ,child at ,christmas time2 and these ,piffereri1 with their sheepskin jackets1 ragged hats1 bagpipes1 and tabors1 were evidently the models reproduced in some of the finest pictures of the ,bolognese school2 for instance1 in the famous ,nativity by ,annibale ,caracci1 where a picturesque figure in the corner is blowing into the bagpipes with might and main4 ,in the ,venetian pictures of the ,nativity1 the shepherds are accompanied by their women1 their sheep1 and even their dogs4 ,according to an old legend1 ,simon and ,jude1 afterwards apostles1 were among these shepherds4 ,when the angels scatter flowers1 as in compositions by ,raphael and ,ludovico ,caracci1 we must suppose that they were not gathered on earth1 but in heaven4 ,the ,infant is sometimes asleep3--so ,milton sings-- ,but see the ,virgin blest ,hath laid her ,babe to rest6 ,in a drawing by ,raphael1 the ,child slumbers1 and ,joseph raises the coverlid1 to show him to a shepherd4 ,we have the same idea in several other instances4 ,in a graceful composition by ,titian1 it is the ,virgin ,mother who raises the veil from the face of the sleeping ,child4 99 99 99 99 99 ,from the number of figures and accessories1 the ,nativity thus treated as an historical subject becomes capable of almost endless variety2 but as it is one not to be mistaken1 and has a universal meaning and interest1 ,i may now leave it to the fancy and discrimination of the observer4 ,,the ,,adoration ,,of ,,the ,,magi4 ,ital4 ,l' ,adorazione de' ,magi4 ,l' ,epifania4 ,fr4 ,l',adoration des ,rois ,mages4 ,ger4 ,die ,anbetung der ,weisen aus dem ,morgenland4 ,die heiligen drei ,knige4 ,jan4 #f4 ,this1 the most extraordinary incident in the early life of our ,saviour1 rests on the authority of one evangelist only4 ,it is related by ,st4 ,matthew so briefly1 as to present many historical and philosophical difficulties4 ,i must give some idea of the manner in which these difficulties were elucidated by the early commentators1 and of the notions which prevailed in the middle ages relative to the country of the ,three ,kings1 before it will be possible to understand or to appreciate the subject as it has been set before us in every style of art1 in every form1 in every material1 from the third century to the present time4 ,in the first place1 who were these ,magi1 or these kings1 as they are sometimes styled8 ,to suppose1 says the antique legend1 that they were called ,magi because they were addicted to magic1 or exercised unholy or forbidden arts1 would be1 heaven save us6 a rank heresy4 ,no6 ,magi1 in the ,persian tongue1 signifies wise men4 ,they were1 in their own country1 kings or princes1 as it is averred by all the ancient fathers2 and we are not to be offended at the assertion1 that they were at once princes and wise men1--,car l'usage de ce temps-l les princes et les rois etoient trs sages6#a ,footnote #a3 ,quoted literally from the legend in the old ,french version of the ,flos ,sanctorum4 ,they came from the eastern country1 but from what country is not said2 whether from the land of the ,arabians1 or the ,chaldeans1 or the ,persians1 or the ,parthians4 ,it is written in the ,book of ,numbers1 that when ,balaam1 the son of ,beor1 was called upon to curse the children of ,israel1 he1 by divine inspiration1 uttered a blessing instead of a curse4 ,and he took up this parable1 and said1 ,i shall see him1 but not now3 ,i shall behold him1 but not nigh3 there shall come a star out of ,jacob1 and a sceptre shall rise out of ,israel4 ,and the people of that country1 though they were ,gentiles1 kept this prophecy as a tradition among them1 and waited with faith and hope for its fulfilment4 ,when1 therefore1 their princes and wise men beheld a star different in its appearance and movement from those which they had been accustomed to study 7for they were great astronomers71 they at once knew its import1 and hastened to follow its guidance4 ,according to an ancient commentary on ,st4 ,matthew1 this star1 on its first appearance1 had the form of a radiant child bearing a sceptre or cross4 ,in a fresco by ,taddeo ,gaddi1 it is thus figured2 and this is the only instance ,i can remember4 ,but to proceed with our story4 ,when the eastern sages beheld this wondrous and long-expected star1 they rejoiced greatly2 and they arose1 and taking leave of their lands and their vassals1 their relations and their friends1 set forth on their long and perilous journey across vast deserts and mountains1 and broad rivers1 the star going before them1 and arrived at length at ,jerusalem1 with a great and splendid train of attendants4 ,being come there1 they asked at once1 ,where is he who is born king of the ,jews8 ,on hearing this question1 ,king ,herod was troubled1 and all the city with him2 and he inquired of the chief priests where ,christ should be born4 ,and they said to him1 in ,bethlehem of ,judea4 ,then ,herod privately called the wise men1 and desired they would go to ,bethlehem1 and search for the young child 7he was careful not to call him ,king71 saying1 ,when ye have found him1 bring me word1 that ,i may come and worship him also4 ,so the ,magi departed1 and the star which they had seen in the east went before them1 until it stood over the place where the young child was--he who was born ,king of kings4 ,they had travelled many a long and weary mile2 and what had they come for to see8 ,instead of a sumptuous palace1 a mean and lowly dwelling2 in place of a monarch surrounded by his guards and ministers and all the terrors of his state1 an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and laid upon his mother's knee1 between the ox and the ass4 ,they had come1 perhaps1 from some far-distant savage land1 or from some nation calling itself civilized1 where innocence had never been accounted sacred1 where society had as yet taken no heed of the defenceless woman1 no care for the helpless child2 where the one was enslaved1 and the other perverted3 and here1 under the form of womanhood and childhood1 they were called upon to worship the promise of that brighter future1 when peace should inherit the earth1 and righteousness prevail over deceit1 and gentleness with wisdom reign for ever and ever6 ,how must they have been amazed6 ,how must they have wondered in their souls at such a revelation6--yet such was the faith of these wise men and excellent kings1 that they at once prostrated themselves1 confessing in the glorious ,innocent who smiled upon them from his mother's knee1 a greater than themselves--the image of a truer divinity than they had ever yet acknowledged4 ,and having bowed themselves down--first1 as was most fit1 offering themselves1--they made offering of their treasure1 as it had been written in ancient times1 ,the kings of ,tarshish and the isles shall bring presents1 and the kings of ,sheba shall offer gifts4 ,and what were these gifts8 ,gold1 frankincense1 and myrrh2 by which symbolical oblation they protested a threefold faith2--by gold1 that he was king2 by incense1 that he was ,god2 by myrrh1 that he was man1 and doomed to death4 ,in return for their gifts1 the ,saviour bestowed upon them others of more matchless price4 ,for their gold he gave them charity and spiritual riches2 for their incense1 perfect faith2 and for their myrrh1 perfect truth and meekness3 and the ,virgin1 his mother1 also bestowed on them a precious gift and memorial1 namely1 one of those linen bands in which she had wrapped the ,saviour1 for which they thanked her with great humility1 and laid it up amongst their treasures4 ,when they had performed their devotions and made their offerings1 being warned in a dream to avoid ,herod1 they turned back again to their own dominions2 and the star which had formerly guided them to the west1 now went before them towards the east1 and led them safely home4 ,when they were arrived there1 they laid down their earthly state2 and in emulation of the poverty and humility in which they had found the ,lord of all power and might1 they distributed their goods and possessions to the poor1 and went about in mean attire1 preaching to their people the new king of heaven and earth1 the ,,child-,,king1 the ,prince of ,peace4 ,we are not told what was the success of their mission2 neither is it anywhere recorded1 that from that time forth1 every child1 as it sat on its mother's knee1 was1 even for the sake of that ,prince of ,peace1 regarded as sacred--as the heir of a divine nature--as one whose tiny limbs enfolded a spirit which was to expand into the man1 the king1 the ,god4 ,such a result was1 perhaps1 reserved for other times1 when the whole mission of that divine ,child should be better understood than it was then1 or is now4 ,but there is an ancient oriental tradition1 that about forty years later1 when ,st4 ,thomas the apostle travelled into the ,indies1 he found these ,wise ,men there1 and did administer to them the rite of baptism2 and that afterwards1 in carrying the light of truth into the far ,east1 they fell among barbarous ,gentiles1 and were put to death2 thus each of them receiving in return for the earthly crowns they had cast at the feet of the ,saviour1 the heavenly crown of martyrdom and of everlasting life4 ,their remains1 long afterwards discovered1 were brought to ,constantinople by the ,empress ,helena2 thence in the time of the first ,crusade they were transported to ,milan1 whence they were carried off by the ,emperor ,barbarossa1 and deposited in the cathedral at ,cologne1 where they remain to this day1 laid in a shrine of gold and gems2 and have performed divers great and glorious miracles4 99 99 99 99 99 ,such1 in few words1 is the church legend of the ,magi of the ,east1 the three ,kings of ,cologne1 as founded on the mysterious ,gospel incident4 ,statesmen and philosophers1 not less than ecclesiastics1 have1 as yet1 missed the whole sense and large interpretation of the mythic as well as the scriptural story2 but well have the artists availed themselves of its picturesque capabilities6 ,in their hands it has gradually expanded from a mere symbol into a scene of the most dramatic and varied effect and the most gorgeous splendour4 ,as a subject it is one of the most ancient in the whole range of ,christian art4 ,taken in the early religions sense1 it signified the calling of the ,gentiles2 and as such we find it carved in bas-relief on the ,christian sarcophagi of the third and fourth centuries1 and represented with extreme simplicity4 ,the ,virgin mother is seated on a chair1 and holds the ,infant upright on her knee4 ,the ,wise ,men1 always three in number1 and all alike1 approach in attitudes of adoration4 ,in some instances they wear ,phrygian caps1 and their camels' heads are seen behind them1 serving to express the land whence they came1 the land of the ,east1 as well as their long journey2 as on one of the sarcophagi in the ,christian ,museum of the ,vatican4 ,the star in these antique sculptures is generally omitted2 but in one or two instances it stands immediately over the chair of the ,virgin4 ,on a sarcophagus near the entrance of the tomb of ,galla ,placidia1 at ,ravenna1 they are thus represented4 ,the mosaic in the church of ,santa ,maria ,maggiore at ,rome1 is somewhat later in date than these sarcophagi 7,a4,d4 #ddj71 and the representation is very peculiar and interesting4 ,here the ,child is seated alone on a kind of square pedestal1 with his hand raised in benediction2 behind the throne stand two figures1 supposed to be the ,virgin and ,joseph2 on each side1 two angels4 ,the kings approach1 dressed as ,roman warriors1 with helmets on their heads4 ,in the mosaic in the church of ,sant' ,appollinare-,novo1 at ,ravenna 7,a4,d4 #ecd71 the ,virgin receives them seated on a throne1 attended by the archangels2 they approach1 wearing crowns on their heads1 and bending in attitudes of reverence3 all three figures are exactly alike1 and rather less in proportion than the divine group4 99 99 99 99 99 ,immediately on the revival of art we find the ,adoration of the ,kings treated in the ,byzantine style1 with few accessories4 ,very soon1 however1 in the early ,florentine school1 the artists began to avail themselves of that picturesque variety of groups of which the story admitted4 ,in the legends of the fourteenth century1 the kings had become distinct personages1 under the names of ,caspar 7or ,jasper71 ,melchior1 and ,balthasar3 the first being always a very aged man1 with a long white beard2 the second1 a middle-aged man2 the third is young1 and frequently he is a ,moor or ,negro1 to express the ,king of ,ethiopia or ,nubia1 and also to indicate that when the ,gentiles were called to salvation1 all the continents and races of the earth1 of whatever complexion1 were included4 ,the difference of ages is indicated in the ,greek formula2 but the difference of complexion is a modern innovation1 and more frequently found in the ,german than in the ,italian schools4 ,in the old legend of the ,three ,kings1 as inserted in ,wright's ,chester ,mysteries1 ,jasper1 or ,caspar1 is ,king of ,tarsus1 the land of merchants2 he makes the offering of gold4 ,melchior1 the ,king of ,arabia and ,nubia1 offers frankincense2 and ,balthasar1 ,king of ,saba1--the land of spices and all manner of precious gums1--offers myrrh4#a ,footnote #a3 ,the names of the ,three ,kings appear for the first time in a piece of rude sculpture over the door of ,sant' ,andrea at ,pistoia1 to which is assigned the date #aaff4 7,vide ,d',agincourt1 ,scultura1 pl4 xxvii47 ,it is very usual to find1 in the ,adoration of the ,magi1 the angelic announcement to the shepherds introduced into the background2 or1 more poetically1 the ,magi approaching on one side1 and the shepherds on the other4 ,the intention is then to express a double signification2 it is at once the manifestation to the ,jews1 and the manifestation to the ,gentiles4 ,the attitude of the ,child varies4 ,in the best pictures he raises his little hand in benediction4 ,the objection that he was then only an infant of a few days old is futile3 for he was from his birth the ,,christ4 ,it is also in accordance with the beautiful and significant legend which describes him as dispensing to the old wise men the spiritual blessings of love1 meekness1 and perfect faith1 in return for their gifts and their homage4 ,it appears to me bad taste1 verging on profanity1 to represent him plunging his little hand into the coffer of gold1 or eagerly grasping one of the gold pieces4 ,neither should he be wrapped up in swaddling clothes1 nor in any way a subordinate figure in the group2 for it is the ,epiphany1 the ,manifestation of a divine humanity to ,jews and ,gentiles1 which is to be expressed2 and there is meaning as well as beauty in those compositions which represent the ,virgin at lifting a veil and showing him to the ,wise ,man4 ,the kingly character of the adorers1 which became in the thirteenth century a point of faith1 is expressed by giving them all the paraphernalia and pomp of royalty according to the customs of the time in which the artist lived4 ,they are followed by a vast train of attendants1 guards1 pages1 grooms1 falconers with hawks2 and1 in a picture by ,gaudenzio ,ferrari1 we have the court-dwarf1 and1 in a picture by ,titian1 the court-fool1 both indispensable appendages of royal state in those times4 ,the ,kings themselves wear embroidered robes1 crowns1 and glittering weapons1 and are booted and spurred as if just alighted from a long journey2 even on one of the sarcophagi they are seen in spurs4 ,the early ,florentine and ,venetian painters profited by the commercial relations of their countries with the ,levant1 and introduced all kinds of outlandish and oriental accessories to express the far country from which the strangers had arrived2 thus we have among the presents1 apes1 peacocks1 pheasants1 and parrots4 ,the traditions of the crusades also came in aid1 and hence we have1 the plumed and jewelled turbans1 the armlets and the scymitars1 and1 in the later pictures1 even umbrellas and elephants4 ,i remember1 in an old ,italian print of this subject1 a pair of hunting leopards or chetas4 ,it is a question whether ,joseph was present--whether he ought to have been present3 in one of the early legends1 it is asserted that he hid himself and would not appear1 out of his great humility1 and because it should not be supposed that he arrogated any relationship to the divine ,child4 ,but this version of the scene is quite inconsistent with the extreme veneration afterwards paid to ,joseph2 and in later times1 that is1 from the fifteenth century1 he is seldom omitted4 ,sometimes he is seen behind the chair of the ,virgin1 leaning on his stick1 and contemplating the scene with a quiet admiration4 ,sometimes he receives the gifts offered to the ,child1 acting the part of a treasurer or chamberlain4 ,in a picture by ,angelico one of the ,magi grasps his hand as if in congratulation4 ,in a composition by ,parmigiano one of the ,magi embraces him4 ,it was not uncommon for pious votaries to have themselves painted in likeness of one of the adoring ,kings4 ,in a picture by ,sandro ,botticelli1 ,cosmo de' ,medici is thus introduced2 and in a large and beautifully arranged composition by ,leonardo da ,vinci1 which unhappily remains as a sketch only1 the three ,medici of that time1 ,cosmo1 ,lorenzo1 and ,giuliano1 are figured as the three ,kings4 7,both these pictures are in the ,florence ,gal47 ,a very remarkable altar-piece1 by ,jean ,van ,eyck1 represents the worship of the ,magi4 ,in the centre1 ,mary and her ,child are seated within a ruined temple2 the eldest of the three ,kings kneeling1 does homage by kissing the hand of the ,child3 it is the portrait of ,philip the ,good1 ,duke of ,burgundy4 ,the second1 prostrate behind him with a golden beaker in his hand1 is supposed to be one of the great officers of his household4 ,the third ,king exhibits the characteristic portrait of ,charles the ,bold2 there is no expression of humility or devotion either in his countenance or attitude2 he stands upright1 with a lofty disdainful air1 as if he were yet unresolved whether he would kneel or not4 ,on the right of the ,virgin1 a little in the foreground1 stands ,joseph in a plain red dress1 holding his hat in his hand1 and looking with as air of simple astonishment at his magnificent guests4 ,all the accessories in this picture1 the gold and silver vessels1 the dresses of the three ,kings sparking with jewels and pearls1 the velvets1 silks1 and costly furs1 are painted with the most exquisite finish and delicacy1 and exhibit to us the riches of the court of ,burgundy1 in which ,van ,eyck then resided4 7,munich ,gal1 #de47 ,in ,raphael's composition1 the worshippers wear the classical1 not the oriental costume2 but an elephant with a monkey on his back is seen in the distance1 which at once reminds us of the far ,east4 7,rome1 ,vatican47 ,ghirlandajo frequently painted the ,adoration of the ,magi1 and shows in his management of the accessories much taste and symmetry4 ,in one of his compositions1 the shed forms a canopy in the centre2 two of the ,kings kneel in front4 ,the country of the ,ethiopian ,king is not expressed by making him of a black complexion1 but by giving him a ,negro page1 who is in the act of removing his master's crown4 7,florence1 ,pitti ,pal47 ,a very complete example of artificial and elaborate composition may be found in the drawing by ,baldassare ,peruzzi in our ,national ,gallery4 ,it contains at least fifty figures2 in the centre1 a magnificent architectural design2 and wonderful studies of perspective to the right and left1 in the long lines of receding groups4 ,on the whole1 it is a most skilful piece of work2 but to my taste much like a theatrical decoration1--pompous without being animated4 ,a beautiful composition by ,francia ,i must not pass over4#a ,here1 to the left of the picture1 the ,virgin is seated on the steps of a ruined temple1 against which grows a fig-tree1 which1 though it be ,december1 is in full leaf4 ,joseph kneels at her side1 and behind her are two ,arcadian shepherds1 with the ox and the ass4 ,the ,virgin1 who has a charming air of modesty and sweetness1 presents her ,child to the adoration of the ,wise ,men3 the first of these kneels with joined hands2 the second1 also kneeling1 is about to present a golden vase2 the ,negro ,king1 standing1 has taken off his cap1 and holds a censer in his hand2 and the divine infant raises his hand in benediction4 ,behind the ,kings are three figures on foot1 one a beautiful youth in an attitude of adoration4 ,beyond these are five or six figures on horseback1 and a long train upon horses and camels is seen approaching in the background4 ,the landscape is very beautiful and cheerful3 the whole picture much in the style of ,francia's master1 ,lorenzo ,costa4 ,i should at the first glance have supposed it to be his1 but the head of the ,virgin is unmistakably ,francia4 ,footnote #a3 ,dresden ,gal4 ,arnold1 the well-known print-seller at ,dresden1 has lately published a very beautiful and finished engraving of this fine picture2 the more valuable1 because engravings after ,francia are very rare4 ,there are instances of this subject idealized into a mystery2 for example1 in a picture by ,palma ,vecchio 7,milan1 ,brera71 ,st4 ,helena stands behind the ,virgin1 in allusion to the legend which connects her with the history of the ,kings4 ,in a picture by ,garofalo1 the star shining above is attended by angels bearing the instruments of the ,passion1 while ,st4 ,bartholomew1 holding his skin1 stands near the ,virgin and ,child3 it was painted for the abbey of ,st4 ,bartholomew1 at ,ferrara4 ,among the ,german examples1 the picture by ,albert ,durer1 in the tribune of the ,florence ,gallery2 and that of ,mabuse1 in the collection of ,lord ,carlisle1 are perhaps the most perfect of their kind4 ,in the last-named picture the ,virgin1 seated1 in a plain dark-blue mantle1 with the ,german physiognomy1 but large browed1 and with a very serious1 sweet expression1 holds the ,child4 ,the eldest of the ,kings1 as usual1 offers a vase of gold1 out of which ,christ has taken a piece1 which be holds in his hand4 ,the name of the ,king1 ,,jasper1 is inscribed on the vase2 a younger ,king behind holds a cup4 ,the black ,ethiopian king1 ,balthasar1 is conspicuous on the left2 he stands1 crowned and arrayed in gorgeous drapery1 and1 as if more fully to mark the equality of the races--at least in spiritual privileges--his train is borne by a white page4 ,an exquisite landscape is seen through the arch behind1 and the shepherds are approaching in the middle distance4 ,on the whole1 this is one of the most splendid pictures of the early ,flemish school ,i have ever seen2 for variety of character1 glow of colour1 and finished execution1 quite unsurpassed4 ,in a very rich composition by ,lucas van ,leyden1 ,herod is seen in the background1 standing in the balcony of his palace1 and pointing out the scene to his attendants4 ,as we might easily imagine1 the ornamental painters of the ,venetian and ,flemish schools delighted in this subject1 which allowed them full scope for their gorgeous colouring1 and all their scenic and dramatic power4 ,here ,paul ,veronese revelled unreproved in ,asiatic magnificence3 here his brocaded robes and jewelled diadems harmonized with his subject2 and his grand1 old1 bearded1 ,venetian senators figured1 not unsuitably1 as ,eastern ,kings4 ,here ,rubens lavished his ermine and crimson draperies1 his vases1 and ewers1 and censers of flaming gold2--here poured over his canvas the wealth of ,ormuz and of ,ind4 ,of fifteen pictures of this subject1 which he painted at different times1 the finest undoubtedly is that in the ,madrid ,gallery4 ,another1 also very fine1 is in the collection of the ,marquis of ,westminster4 ,in both these1 the ,virgin1 contrary to all former precedent1 is not seated1 but standing1 as she holds up her ,child for worship4 ,afterwards we find the same position of the ,virgin in pictures by ,vandyck1 ,poussin1 and other painters of the seventeenth century4 ,it is quite an innovation on the old religious arrangement2 but in the utter absence of all religious feeling1 the mere arrangement of the figures1 except in an artistic point of view1 is of little consequence4 ,as a scene of oriental pomp1 heightened by mysterious shadows and flashing lights1 ,i know nothing equal to the ,rembrandt in the ,queen's ,gallery2 the procession of attendants seen emerging from the background through the transparent gloom is quite awful2 but in this miraculous picture1 the lovely ,virgin ,mother is metamorphosed into a coarse ,dutch vrow1 and the divine ,child looks like a changeling imp4 ,in chapels dedicated to the ,nativity or the ,epiphany1 we frequently find the journey of the ,wise ,men painted round the walls4 ,they are seen mounted on horseback1 or on camels1 with a long train of attendants1 here ascending a mountain1 there crossing a river2 here winding through a defile1 there emerging from a forest2 while the miraculous star shines above1 pointing out the way4 ,sometimes we have the approach of the ,wise ,men on one side of the chapel1 and their return to their own country on the other4 ,on their homeward journey they are1 in some few instances1 embarking in a ship3 this occurs in a fresco by ,lorenzo ,costa1 and in a bas-relief in the cathedral of ,amiens4 ,the allusion is to a curious legend mentioned by ,arnobius the ,younger1 in his commentary on the ,psalms 7fifth century74 ,he says1 in reference to the #dhth ,psalm1 that when ,herod found that the three ,kings had escaped from him in ships of ,tarsus1 in his wrath he burned all the vessels in the port4 ,there is a beautiful fresco of the journey of the ,magi in the ,riccardi ,chapel at ,florence1 painted by ,benozzo ,gozzoli for the old ,cosmo de' ,medici4 ,the ,baptism of the ,magi by ,st4 ,thomas1 is one of the compartments of the ,life of the ,virgin1 painted by ,taddeo ,gaddi1 in the ,baroncelli ,chapel at ,florence1 and this is the only instance ,i can refer to4 99 99 99 99 99 ,before ,i quit this subject--one of the most interesting in the whole range of art--,i must mention a picture by ,giorgione in the ,belvedere ,gallery1 well known as one of the few undoubted productions of that rare and fascinating painter1 and often referred to because of its beauty4 ,its signification has hitherto escaped all writers on art1 as far as ,i am acquainted with them1 and has been dismissed as one of his enigmatical allegories4 ,it is called in ,german1 ,die ,feldmsser 7the ,land ,surveyors71 and sometimes styled in ,english the ,geometricians1 or the ,philosophers1 or the ,astrologers4 ,it represents a wild1 rocky landscape1 in which are three men4 ,the first1 very aged1 in as oriental costume1 with a long gray beard1 stands holding in his hand an astronomical table2 the next1 a man in the prime of life1 seems listening to him2 the third1 a youth1 seated and looking upwards1 holds a compass4 ,i have myself no doubt that this beautiful picture represents the three wise men of the ,east1 watching on the ,chaldean hills the appearance of the miraculous star1 and that the light breaking in the far horizon1 called in the ,german description the rising sun1 is intended to express the rising of the star of ,jacob4#a ,in the sumptuous landscape1 and colour1 and the picturesque rather than religious treatment1 this picture is quite ,venetian4 ,the interpretation here suggested ,i leave to the consideration of the observer2 and without allowing myself to be tempted on to further illustration1 will only add1 in conclusion1 that ,i do not remember any ,spanish picture of this subject remarkable either for beauty or originality4#b ,footnote #a3 ,there is also a print by ,giulio ,bonasoni1 which appears to represent the wise men watching for the star4 7,bartsch1 xv4 #aef47 ,footnote #b3 ,in the last edition of the ,vienna ,catalogue1 this picture has received its proper title4 ,,the ,,purification ,,of ,,the ,,virgin1 ,,the ,,presentation1 ,,and ,,the ,,circumcision ,,of ,,christ4 ,ital4 ,la ,purificazione della ,b4 ,vergine4 ,ger4 ,die ,darbringung im ,tempel4 ,die ,beschneidung ,christi4 ,after the birth of her ,son1 ,mary was careful to fulfil all the ceremonies of the ,mosaic law4 ,as a first-born son1 he was to be redeemed by the offering of five shekels1 or a pair of young pigeons 7in memory of the first-born of ,egypt74 ,but previously1 being born of the children of ,abraham1 the infant ,christ was submitted to the sanguinary rite which sealed the covenant of ,abraham1 and received the name of ,,jesus--that name before which every knee was to bow1 which was to be set above the powers of magic1 the mighty rites of sorcerers1 the secrets of ,memphis1 the drugs of ,thessaly1 the silent and mysterious murmurs of the wise ,chaldees1 and the spells of ,zoroaster2 that name which we should engrave on our hearts1 and pronounce with our most harmonious accents1 and rest our faith on1 and place our hopes in1 and love with the overflowing of charity1 joy1 and adoration4 7v4 ,bishop ,taylor's ,life of ,christ47 ,the circumcision and the naming of ,christ have many times been painted to express the first of the sorrows of the ,virgin1 being the first of the pangs which her ,son was to suffer on earth4 ,but the ,presentation in the ,temple has been selected with better taste for the same purpose2 and the prophecy of ,simeon1 ,yea1 a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also1 becomes the first of the ,seven ,sorrows4 ,it is an undecided point whether the ,adoration of the ,magi took place thirteen days1 or one year and thirteen days after the birth of ,christ4 ,in a series of subjects artistically arranged1 the ,epiphany always precedes1 in order of time1 that scene in the temple which is sometimes styled the ,purification1 sometimes the ,presentation and sometimes the ,nunc ,dimitis4 ,they are three distinct incidents2 but1 as far as ,i can judge1 neither the painters themselves1 nor those who have named pictures1 have been careful to discriminate between them4 ,on a careful examination of various compositions1 some of special celebrity1 which are styled1 in a general way1 the ,presentation in the ,temple1 it will appear1 ,i think1 that the idea uppermost in the painter's mind has been to represent the prophecy of ,simeon4 ,no doubt1 in later times1 the whole scene1 as a subject of art1 was considered in reference chiefly to the ,virgin1 and the intention was to express the first of her ,seven ,sorrows4 ,but in ancient art1 and especially in ,greek art1 the character of ,simeon assumed a singular significance and importance1 which so long as modern art was influenced by the traditional ,byzantine types1 modified1 in some degree1 the arrangement and sentiment of this favourite subject4 ,it is related that when ,ptolemy ,philadelphus about #bfj years before ,christ1 resolved to have the ,hebrew ,scriptures translated into ,greek1 for the purpose of placing them in his far-famed library1 he despatched messengers to ,eleazar1 the ,high ,priest of the ,jews1 requiring him to send scribes and interpreters learned in the ,jewish law to his court at ,alexandria4 ,thereupon ,eleazar selected six of the most learned ,rabbis from each of the twelve tribes of ,israel1 seventy-two persons in all1 and sent them to ,egypt1 in obedience to the commands of ,king ,ptolemy1 and among these was ,simeon1 a priest1 and a man full of learning4 ,and it fell to the lot of ,simeon to translate the book of the prophet ,isaiah4 ,and when he came to that verse where it is written1 ,behold a ,virgin shall conceive and bear a son1 he began to misdoubt1 in his own mind1 how this could be possible2 and1 after long meditation1 fearing to give scandal and offence to the ,greeks1 he rendered the ,hebrew word ,virgin by a ,greek word which signifies merely a young woman2 but when he had written it down1 behold an angel effaced it1 and substituted the right word4 ,thereupon he wrote it again and again2 and the same thing happened three times2 and he remained astonished and confounded4 ,and while he wondered what this should mean1 a ray of divine light penetrated his soul2 it was revealed to him that the miracle which1 in his human wisdom he had presumed to doubt1 was not only possible1 but that he1 ,simeon1 should not see death till he had seen the ,lord's ,christ4 ,therefore he tarried on earth1 by the divine will1 for nearly three centuries1 till that which he had disbelieved had come to pass4 ,he was led by the ,spirit to the temple on the very day when ,mary came there to present her ,son1 and to make her offering1 and immediately1 taking the ,child in his arms1 he exclaimed1 ,lord1 now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace1 according to thy word4 ,and of the ,virgin ,mother1 also1 he prophesied sad and glorious things4 ,anna the ,prophetess1 who was standing by1 also testified to the presence of the theocratic ,king3 but she did not take him in her arms1 as did ,simeon4 7,luke ii4 #hb47 ,hence1 she was early regarded as a type of the synagogue1 which prophesied great things of the ,messiah1 but1 nevertheless1 did not embrace him when he appeared1 as did the ,gentiles4 ,that these curious legends relative to ,simeon and ,anna1 and their symbolical interpretation1 were well known to the old painters1 there can be no doubt2 and both were perhaps in the mind of ,bishop ,taylor when he wrote his eloquent chapter on the ,presentation4 ,there be some1 he says1 who wear the name of ,christ on their heads1 to make a show to the world2 and there be some who have it always in their mouths2 and there be some who carry ,christ on their shoulders1 as if he were a burthen too heavy to bear2 and there be some--who is me6--who trample him under their feet1 but he is the true ,christian who1 like ,simeon1 embraces ,christ1 and takes him to his heart4 ,now1 it seems to me that it is distinctly the acknowledgment of ,christ by ,simeon1--that is1 ,christ received by the ,gentiles1--which is intended to be placed before us in the very early pictures of the ,presentation1 or the ,nunc dimittis1 as it is always styled in ,greek art4 ,the appearance of an attendant1 bearing the two turtle-doves1 shows it to be also the so-called ,purification of the ,virgin4 ,in an antique formal ,greek version we have the ,presentation exactly according to the pattern described by ,didron4 ,the great gold censer is there2 the cupola1 at top2 ,joseph carrying the two young pigeons1 and ,anna behind ,simeon4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in a celebrated composition by ,fra ,bartolomeo1 there is the same disposition of the personages1 but an additional female figure4 ,this is not ,anna1 the mother of the ,virgin 7as ,i have heard it said71 but probably ,mary ,salome1 who had always attended on the ,virgin ever since the ,nativity at ,bethlehem4 ,the subject is treated with exquisite simplicity by ,francia2 we have just the same personages as in the rude ,greek model1 but disposed with consummate grace4 ,still1 to represent the ,child as completely undraped has been considered as a solecism4 ,he ought to stretch out his hands to his mother and to look as if he understood the portentous words which foretold his destiny4 ,sometimes the imagination is assisted by the choice of the accessories2 thus ,fra ,bartolomeo has given us1 in the background of his group1 ,moses holding the broken table of the old law2 and ,francia represents in the same manner the sacrifice of ,abraham2 for thus did ,mary bring her ,son as an offering4 ,in many pictures ,simeon raises his eyes to heaven in gratitude2 but those painters who wished to express the presence of the ,divinity in the person of ,christ1 made ,simeon looking at the ,child1 and addressing him as ,lord4 ,,the ,,flight ,,into ,,egypt4 ,ital4 ,la ,fuga in ,egitto4 ,fr4 ,la ,fuite de la ,sainte ,famille en ,egypte4 ,ger4 ,die ,flucht nach gypten4 ,the wrath of ,herod against the ,magi of the ,east who had escaped from his power1 enhanced by his fears of the divine and kingly ,infant1 occasioned the massacre of the ,innocents1 which led to the flight of the ,holy ,family into ,egypt4 ,of the martyred children1 in their character of martyrs1 ,i have already spoken1 and of their proper place in a scheme of ecclesiastical decoration4 ,there is surely something very pathetic in that feeling which exalted these infant victims into objects of religious veneration1 making them the cherished companions in heavenly glory of the ,saviour for whose sake they were sacrificed on earth4 ,he had said1 ,suffer little children to come unto me2 and to these were granted the prerogatives of pain1 as well as the privileges of innocence4 ,if1 in the day of retribution1 they sit at the feet of the ,redeemer1 surely they will appeal against us1 then and there2--against us who1 in these days1 through our reckless neglect1 slay1 body and soul1 legions of innocents1--poor little unblest creatures1 martyrs by the pang without the palm1--yet dare to call ourselves ,christians4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,massacre of the ,innocents1 as an event1 belongs properly to the life of ,christ3 it is not included in a series of the life of the ,virgin1 perhaps from a feeling that the contrast between the most blessed of women and mothers1 and those who wept distracted for their children1 was too painful1 and did not harmonize with the general subject4 ,in pictures of the ,flight into ,egypt1 ,i have seen it introduced allusively into the background2 and in the architectural decoration of churches dedicated to the ,virgin ,mother1 as ,notre ,dame de ,chartres1 it finds a place1 but not often a conspicuous place2#a it is rather indicated than represented4 ,i should pass over the subject altogether1 best pleased to be spared the theme1 but that there are some circumstances connected with it which require elucidation1 because we find them introduced incidentally into pictures of the ,flight and the ,riposo4 ,footnote #a3 ,it is conspicuous and elegantly treated over the door of the ,lorenz ,kirche at ,nuremberg4 ,thus1 it is related that among the children whom ,herod was bent on destroying1 was ,st4 ,john the ,baptist2 but his mother ,elizabeth fled with him to a desert place1 and being pursued by the murderers1 the rock opened by a miracle1 and close upon ,elizabeth and her child2 which means1 as we may presume1 that they took refuge in a cavern1 and were concealed within it until the danger was over4 ,zacharias1 refusing to betray his son1 was slain between the temple and the altar1 7,matt1 xxiii4 #ce47 ,both these legends are to be met with in the ,greek pictures1 and in the miniatures of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries4#a ,footnote #a3 ,they will be found treated at length in the artistic subjects connected with ,st4 ,john the ,baptist4 ,from the butchery which made so many mothers childless1 the divine ,infant and his mother were miraculously saved2 for an angel spoke to ,joseph in a dream1 saying1 ,arise1 and take the young child and his mother1 and flee into ,egypt4 ,this is the second of the four angelic visions which are recorded of ,joseph4 ,it is not a frequent subject in early art1 but is often met with in pictures of the later schools4 ,joseph is asleep in his chair1 the angel stands before him1 and1 with a significant gesture1 points forward--arise and flee6 ,there is an exquisite little composition by ,titian1 called a ,riposo1 which may possibly represent the preparation for the ,flight4 ,here ,mary is seated under a tree nursing her ,infant1 while in the background is a sort of rude stable1 in which ,joseph is seen saddling the ass1 while the ox is on the outside4 ,in a composition by ,tiarini1 we see ,joseph holding the ,infant1 while ,mary1 leaning one hand on his shoulder1 is about to mount the ass4 ,in a composition by ,poussin1 ,mary1 who has just seated herself on the ass1 takes the ,child from the arms of ,joseph4 ,two angels lead the ass1 a third kneels in homage1 and two others are seen above with a curtain to pitch a tent4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i must notice here a tradition that both the ox and the ass who stood over the manger at ,bethlehem1 accompanied the ,holy ,family into ,egypt4 ,in ,albert ,durer's print1 the ox and the ass walk side by side4 ,it is also related that the ,virgin was accompanied by ,salome1 and ,joseph by three of his sons4 ,this version of the story is generally rejected by the painters2 but in the series by ,giotto in the ,arena at ,padua1 ,salome and the three youths attend on ,mary and ,joseph2 and ,i remember another instance1 a little picture by ,lorenzo ,monaco1 in which ,salome1 who had vowed to attend on ,christ and his mother as long as she lived1 is seen following the ass1 veiled1 and supporting her steps with a staff4 ,but this is a rare exception4 ,the general treatment confines the group to ,joseph1 the mother1 and the ,child4 ,to ,joseph was granted1 in those hours of distress and danger1 the high privilege of providing for the safety of the ,holy ,infant--a circumstance much enlarged upon in the old legends1 and to express this more vividly1 he is sometimes represented in early ,greek art as carrying the ,child in his arms1 or on his shoulder1 while ,mary follows on the ass4 ,he is so figured on the sculptured doors of the cathedral of ,beneventum1 and in the cathedral of ,monreale1 both executed by ,greek artists4#a ,but we are not to suppose that the ,holy ,family was left defenceless on the long journey4 ,the angels who had charge concerning them were sent to guide them by day1 to watch over them by night1 to pitch their tent before them1 and to refresh them with celestial fruit and flowers4 ,by the introduction of these heavenly ministers the group is beautifully varied4 ,footnote #a3 #aath century4 ,also at ,citt di ,castello2 same date4 ,joseph1 says the ,gospel story1 arose by night2 hence there is both meaning and propriety in those pictures which represent the ,flight as a night-scene1 illuminated by the moon and stars1 though ,i believe this has been done more to exhibit the painter's mastery over effects of dubious light1 than as a matter of biblical accuracy4 ,sometimes an angel goes before1 carrying a torch or lantern1 to light them on the way2 sometimes it is ,joseph who carries the lantern4 ,in a picture by ,nicolo ,poussin1 ,mary walks before1 carrying the ,infant2 ,joseph follows1 leading the ass2 and an angel guides them4 ,the journey did not1 however1 comprise one night only4 ,there is1 indeed1 an antique tradition1 that space and time were1 on this occasion1 miraculously shortened to secure a life of so much importance2 still1 we are allowed to believe that the journey extended over many days and nights2 consequently it lay within the choice of the artist to exhibit the scene of the ,flight either by night or by day4 ,in many representations of the ,flight into ,egypt1 we find in the background men sowing or cutting corn4 ,this is in allusion to the following legend3-- ,when it was discovered that the ,holy ,family had fled from ,bethlehem1 ,herod sent his officers in pursuit of them4 ,and it happened that when the ,holy ,family had travelled some distance1 they came to a field where a man was sowing wheat4 ,and the ,virgin said to the husbandman1 ,if any shall ask you whether we have passed this way1 ye shall answer1 ',such persons passed this way when ,i was sowing this corn4' ,for the holy ,virgin was too wise and too good to save her ,son by instructing the man to tell a falsehood4 ,but behold1 a miracle6 ,for by the power of the ,infant ,saviour1 in the space of a single night1 the seed sprung up into stalk1 blade1 and ear1 fit for the sickle4 ,and next morning the officers of ,herod came up1 and inquired of the husbandman1 saying1 ,have you seen an old man with a woman and a ,child travelling this way8 ,and the man1 who was reaping his wheat1 in great wonder and admiration1 replied ,yes4 ,and they asked again1 ,how long is it since8 ,and he answered4 ,when ,i was sowing this wheat4 ,then the officers of ,herod turned back1 and left off pursuing the ,holy ,family4 ,a very remarkable example of the introduction of this legend occurs in a celebrated picture by ,hans ,hemling 7,munich ,gal41 ,cabinet iv4 #fi71 known as ,die ,sieben ,freuden ,mari4 ,in the background1 on the left1 is the ,flight into ,egypt2 the men cutting and reaping corn1 and the officers of ,herod in pursuit of the ,holy ,family4 ,by those unacquainted with the old legend1 the introduction of the cornfield and reapers is supposed to be merely a decorative landscape1 without any peculiar significance4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in a very beautiful fresco by ,pinturicchio1 7,rome1 ,st4 ,onofrio71 the ,holy ,family are taking their departure from ,bethlehem4 ,the city1 with the massacre of the ,innocents1 is seen in the background4 ,in the middle distance1 the husbandman cutting corn2 and nearer1 the palm tree bending down4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is supposed by commentators that ,joseph travelled from ,bethlehem across the hilly country of ,judea1 taking the road to ,joppa1 and then pursuing the way along the coast4 ,nothing is said in the ,gospel of the events of this long and perilous journey of at least #djj miles1 which1 in the natural order of things1 must have occupied five or six weeks2 and the legendary traditions are very few4 ,such as they are1 however1 the painters have not failed to take advantage of them4 ,we are told that on descending from the mountains1 they came down upon a beautiful plain enamelled with flowers1 watered by murmuring streams1 and shaded by fruit trees4 ,in such a lovely landscape have the painters delighted to place some of the scenes of the ,flight into ,egypt4 ,on another occasion1 they entered a thick forest1 a wilderness of trees1 in which they must have lost their way1 had they not been guided by an angel4 ,here we encounter a legend which has hitherto escaped1 because1 indeed1 it defied1 the art of the painter4 ,as the ,holy ,family entered this forest1 all the trees bowed themselves down in reverence to the ,infant ,god2 only the aspen1 in her exceeding pride and arrogance1 refused to acknowledge him1 and stood upright4 ,then the ,infant ,christ pronounced a curse against her1 as he afterwards cursed the barren fig tree2 and at the sound of his words the aspen began to tremble through all her leaves1 and has not ceased to tremble even to this day4 ,we know from ,josephus the historian1 that about this time ,palestine was infested by bands of robbers4 ,there is an ancient tradition1 that when the ,holy ,family travelling through hidden paths and solitary defiles1 had passed ,jerusalem1 and were descending into the plains of ,syria1 they encountered certain thieves who fell upon them2 and one of them would have maltreated and plundered them1 but his comrade interfered1 and said1 ,suffer them1 ,i beseech thee1 to go in peace1 and ,i will give thee forty groats1 and likewise my girdle2 which offer being accepted1 the merciful robber led the ,holy ,travellers to his stronghold on the rock1 and gave them lodging for the night4 7,gospel of ,infancy1 ch4 viii47 ,and ,mary said to him1 ,the ,lord ,god will receive thee to his right hand1 and grant thee pardon of thy sins6 ,and it was so3 for in after times these two thieves were crucified with ,christ1 one on the right hand1 and one on the left2 and the merciful thief went with the ,saviour into ,paradise4 ,the scene of this encounter with the robbers1 near ,ramla1 is still pointed out to travellers1 and still in evil repute as the haunt of banditti4 ,the crusaders visited the spot as a place of pilgrimage2 and the ,abb ,orsini considers the first part of the story as authenticated2 but the legend concerning the good thief he admits to be doubtful4 7,vie de la ,ste4 ,vierge47 ,as an artistic subject this scene has been seldom treated4 ,i have seen two pictures which represent it4 ,one is a fresco by ,giovanni di ,san ,giovanni1 which1 having been cut from the wail of some suppressed convent1 is now in the academy at ,florence4 ,the other is a composition by ,zuccaro4 ,one of the most popular legends concerning the ,flight into ,egypt is that of the palm or date tree1 which at the command of ,jesus bowed down its branches to shade and refresh his mother2 hence1 in the scene of the ,flight1 a palm tree became a usual accessory4 ,in a picture by ,antonello ,mellone1 the ,child stretches out his little hand and lays hold of the branch3 sometimes the branch is bent down by angel hands4 ,sozomenes relates1 that when the ,holy ,family reached the term of their journey1 and approached the city of ,heliopolis in ,egypt1 a tree which grew before the gates of the city1 and was regarded with great veneration as the seat of a god1 bowed down its branches at the approach of the ,infant ,christ4 ,likewise it is related 7not in legends merely1 but by grave religious authorities7 that all the idols of the ,egyptians fell with their faces to the earth4 ,i have seen pictures of the ,flight into ,egypt1 in which broken idols lie by the wayside4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the course of the journey the ,holy ,travellers had to cross rivers and lakes2 hence the later painters1 to vary the subject1 represented them as embarking in a boat1 sometimes steered by an angel4 ,the first1 as ,i have reason to believe1 who ventured on this innovation1 was ,annibale ,caracci4 ,in a picture by ,poussin1 the ,holy ,family are about to embark4 ,in a picture by ,giordano1 an angel with one knee bent1 assists ,mary to enter the boat4 ,in a pretty little picture by ,teniers1 the ,holy ,family and the ass are seen in a boat crossing a ferry by moonlight2 sometimes they are crossing a bridge4 ,i must notice here a little picture by ,adrian ,vander ,werff1 in which the ,virgin1 carrying her ,child1 holds by the hand the old decrepit ,joseph1 who is helping her1 or rather is helped by her1 to pass a torrent on some stepping-stones4 ,this is quite contrary to the feeling of the old authorities1 which represent ,joseph as the vigilant and capable guardian of the ,mother and her ,child3 but it appears to have here a rather particular and touching significance2 it was painted by ,vander ,werff for his daughter in his old age1 and intended to express her filial duty and his paternal care4 ,the most beautiful ,flight into ,egypt ,i have ever seen1 is a composition by ,gaudenzio ,ferrari4 ,the ,virgin is seated and sustained on the ass with a quite peculiar elegance4 ,the ,infant1 standing on her knee1 seems to point out the way2 an angel leads the ass1 and ,joseph follows with the staff and wallet4 ,in the background the palm tree inclines its branches4 7,at ,varallo1 in the church of the ,minorites47 ,claude has introduced the ,flight of the ,holy ,family as a landscape group into nine different pictures4 ,,the ,,repose ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,family4 ,ital4 ,il ,riposo4 ,fr4 ,le ,repos de la ,sainte ,famille4 ,ger4 ,die ,ruhe in gypten4 ,the subject generally styled a ,riposo is one of the most graceful and most attractive in the whole range of ,christian art4 ,it is not1 however1 an ancient subject1 for ,i cannot recall an instance earlier than the sixteenth century2 it had in its accessories that romantic and pastoral character which recommended it to the ,venetians and to the landscape-painters of the seventeenth century1 and among these we must look for the most successful and beautiful examples4 ,i must begin by observing that it is a subject not only easily mistaken by those who have studied pictures2 but perpetually misconceived and misrepresented by the painters themselves4 ,some pictures which erroneously bear this title1 were never intended to do so4 ,others1 intended to represent the scene1 are disfigured and perplexed by mistakes arising either from the ignorance or the carelessness of the artist4 ,we must bear in mind that the ,riposo1 properly so called1 is not merely the ,holy ,family seated in a landscape2 it is an episode of the ,flight into ,egypt1 and is either the rest on the journey1 or at the close of the journey2 quite different scenes1 though all go by the same name4 ,it is not an ideal religious group1 but a reality1 a possible and actual scene2 and it is clear that the painter1 if he thought at all1 and did not merely set himself to fabricate a pretty composition1 was restricted within the limits of the actual and possible1 at least according to the histories and traditions of the time4 ,some of the accessories introduced would stamp the intention at once2 as the date tree1 and ,joseph gathering dates2 the ass feeding in the distance2 the wallet and pilgrim's staff laid beside ,joseph2 the fallen idols2 the ,virgin scooping water from a fountain2 for all these are incidents which properly belong to the ,riposo4 ,it is nowhere recorded2 either in ,scripture or in the legendary stories1 that ,mary and ,joseph in their flight were accompanied by ,elizabeth and the little ,st4 ,john2 therefore1 where either of these are introduced1 the subject is not properly a ,riposo1 whatever the intention of the painter may have been3 the personages ought to be restricted to the ,virgin1 her ,infant1 and ,st4 ,joseph1 with attendant angels4 ,an old woman is sometimes introduced1 the same who is traditionally supposed to have accompanied them in their flight4 ,if this old woman be manifestly ,st4 ,anna or ,st4 ,elizabeth1 then it is not a ,riposo1 but merely a ,holy ,family4 ,it is related that the ,holy ,family finally rested1 after their long journey1 in the village of ,matarea1 beyond the city of ,hermopolis 7or ,heliopolis71 and took up their residence in a grove of sycamores1 a circumstance which gave the sycamore tree a sort of religions interest in early ,christian times4 ,the crusaders imported it into ,europe2 and poor ,mary ,stuart may have had this idea1 or this feeling when she brought from ,france1 and planted in her garden1 the first sycamores which grew in ,scotland4 ,near to this village of ,matarea1 a fountain miraculously sprung up for the refreshment of the ,holy ,family4 ,it still exists1 as we are informed by travellers1 and is still styled by the ,arabs1 ,the ,fountain of ,mary4#a ,this fountain is frequently represented1 as in the well-known ,riposo by ,correggio1 where the ,virgin is dipping a bowl into the gushing stream1 hence called the ,madonna della ,scodella 7,parma73 in another by ,baroccio 7,grosvenor ,gal471 and another by ,domenichino 7,louvre1 #dia74 ,footnote #a3 ,the site of this fountain is about four miles ,n4,e4 of ,cairo4 ,in this fountain1 says another legend1 ,mary washed the linen of the ,child4 ,there are several pictures which represent the ,virgin washing linen in a fountain2 for example1 one by ,lucio ,massari1 where1 in a charming landscape1 the little ,christ takes the linen out of a basket1 and ,joseph hangs it on a line to dry4 7,florence ,gal47 ,the ministry of the angels is here not only allowable1 but beautifully appropriate2 and never has it been more felicitously and more gracefully expressed than in a little composition by ,lucas ,cranach1 where the ,virgin and her ,child repose under a tree1 while the angels dance in a circle round them4 ,the cause of the ,flight--the ,massacre of the ,innocents--is figuratively expressed by two winged boys1 who1 seated on a bough of the tree1 are seen robbing a nest1 and wringing the necks of the nestlings1 while the parent-birds scream and flutter over their heads3 in point of taste1 this significant allegory had been better omitted2 it spoils the harmony of composition4 ,there is another similar group1 quite as graceful1 by ,david ,hopfer4 ,vandyck seems to have had both in his memory when he designed the very beautiful ,riposo so often copied and engraved 7,coll4 of ,lord ,ashburton72 here the ,virgin is seated under a tree1 in an open landscape1 and holds her divine ,child2 ,joseph1 behind1 seems asleep2 in front of the ,virgin1 eight lovely angels dance in a round1 while others1 seated in the sky1 make heavenly music4 ,in another singular and charming ,riposo by ,lucas ,cranach1 the ,virgin and ,child are seated under a tree2 to the left of the group is a fountain1 where a number of little angels appear to be washing linen2 to the right1 ,joseph approaches leading the ass1 and in the act of reverently removing his cap4 ,there is a ,riposo by ,albert ,durer which ,i cannot pass over4 ,it is touched with all that homely domestic feeling1 and at the same time all that fertility of fancy1 which are so characteristic of that extraordinary man4 ,we are told that when ,joseph took up his residence at ,matarea in ,egypt1 he provided for his wife and ,child by exercising his trade as a carpenter4 ,in this composition he appears in the foreground dressed as an artisan with an apron on1 and with an axe in his hand is shaping a plank of wood4 ,mary sits on one side spinning with her distaff1 and watching her ,infant slumbering in its cradle4 ,around this domestic group we have a crowd of ministering angels2 some of these little winged spirits are assisting ,joseph1 sweeping up the chips and gathering them into baskets2 others are merely sporting at their own sweet will4 ,several more dignified-looking angels1 having the air of guardian spirits1 stand or kneel round the cradle1 bending over it with folded hands4#a ,footnote #a3 ,in the famous set of wood cuts of the ,life of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,in a ,riposo by ,titian1 the ,infant lies on a pillow on the ground1 and the ,virgin is kneeling before him1 while ,joseph leans on his pilgrim's staff1 to which is suspended a wallet4 ,in another1 two angels1 kneeling1 offer fruits in a basket2 in the distance1 a little angel waters the ass at a stream4 7,all these are engraved47 ,the angels1 according to the legend1 not only ministered to the ,holy ,family1 but pitched a tent nightly1 in which they were sheltered4 ,poussin1 in an exquisite picture1 has represented the ,virgin and ,child reposing under a curtain suspended from the branches of a tree and partly sustained by angels1 while others1 kneeling1 offer fruit4 7,grosvenor ,gal47 ,poussin is the only painter who has attempted to express the locality4 ,in one of his pictures the ,holy ,family reposes on the steps of an ,egyptian temple2 a sphinx and a pyramid are visible in the background4 ,in another ,riposo by the same master1 an ,ethiopian boy presents fruits to the ,infant ,christ4 ,joseph is frequently asleep1 which is hardly consonant with the spirit of the older legends4 ,it is1 however1 a beautiful idea to make the ,child and ,joseph both reposing1 while the ,virgin ,mother1 with eyes upraised to heaven1 wakes and watches1 as in a picture by ,mola 7,louvre1 #bfi72 but a yet more beautiful idea to represent the ,virgin and ,joseph sunk in sleep1 while the divine ,infant lying in his mother's arms wakes and watches for both1 with his little hands joined in prayer1 and his eyes fixed on the hovering angels or the opening skies above4 ,in a ,riposo by ,rembrandt1 the ,holy ,family rest by night1 and are illuminated only by a lantern suspended on the bough of a tree1 the whole group having much the air of a gypsy encampment4 ,but one of ,rembrandt's imitators has in his own way improved on this fancy2 the ,virgin sleeps on a bank with the ,child on her bosom2 ,joseph1 who looks extremely like an old tinker1 is doubling his fist at the ass1 which has opened its mouth to bray4 99 99 99 99 99 ,before quitting the subject of the ,riposo1 ,i must mention a very pretty and poetical legend1 which ,i have met with in one picture only2 a description of it may1 however1 lead to the recognition of others4 ,there is1 in the collection of ,lord ,shrewsbury1 at ,alton ,towers1 a ,riposo attributed to ,giorgione1 remarkable equally for the beauty and the singularity of the treatment4 ,the ,holy ,family are seated in the midst of a wild but rich landscape1 quite in the ,venetian style2 ,joseph is asleep2 the two children are playing with a lamb4 ,the ,virgin1 seated holds a book1 and turns round1 with an expression of surprise and alarm1 to a female figure who stands on the right4 ,this woman has a dark physiognomy1 ample flowing drapery of red and white1 a white turban twisted round her head1 and stretches out her hand with the air of a sibyl4 ,the explanation of this striking group ,i found in an old ballad-legend4 ,every one who has studied the moral as well as the technical character of the various schools of art1 must have remarked how often the ,venetians 7and ,giorgione more especially7 painted groups from the popular fictions and ballads of the time2 and it has often been regretted that many of these pictures are becoming unintelligible to us from our having lost the key to them1 in losing all trace of the fugitive poems or tales which suggested them4 ,the religious ballad ,i allude to must have been popular in the sixteenth century2 it exists in the ,provenal dialect1 in ,german1 and in ,italian2 and1 like the wild ballad of ,st4 ,john ,chrysostom1 it probably came in some form or other from the ,east4 ,the theme is1 in all these versions1 substantially the same4 ,the ,virgin1 on her arrival in ,egypt1 is encountered by a gypsy 7,zingara or ,zingarella71 who crosses the ,child's palm after the gypsy manner1 and foretells all the wonderful and terrible things which1 as the ,redeemer of mankind1 he was destined to perform and endure on earth4 ,an ,italian version which lies before me is entitled1 ,canzonetta nuova1 sopra la ,madonna1 quando si part in ,egitto col ,bambino ,ges e ,san ,giuseppe1 ,a new ,ballad of our ,lady1 when she fled into ,egypt with the ,child ,jesus and ,st4 ,joseph4 ,it begins with a conversation between the ,virgin1 who has just arrived from her long journey1 and the gypsy-woman1 who thus salutes her3-- ,,zingarella4 ,dio ti salvi1 bella ,signora1 ,e ti dia buona ventura4 ,ben venuto1 vecchiarello1 ,con questo bambino bello6 ,,madonna4 ,ben trovata1 sorella mia1 ,la sua grazia ,dio ti dia4 ,ti perdoni i tuoi peccati ,l' infinit sua bontade4 ,,zingarella4 ,siete stanchi e meschini1 ,credo1 poveri pellegrini ,che cercate d' alloggiare4 ,vuoi1 ,signora1 scavalcare8 ,,madonna4 ,voi che siete1 sorella mia1 ,tutta piena di cortesia1 ,dio vi renda la carit ,per l'infinit sua bont4 ,noi veniam da ,nazaretta1 ,siamo senza alcun ricetto1 ,arrivati all' strania ,stanchi e lassi dalla via6 ,,gypsy4 ,god save thee1 fair ,lady1 and give thee good luck ,welcome1 good old man1 with this thy fair ,child6 ,,mary4 ,well met1 sister mine6 ,god give thee grace1 and of his infinite mercy forgive thee thy sins6 ,,gypsy4 ,ye are tired and drooping1 poor pilgrims1 as ,i think1 seeking a night's lodging4 ,lady1 wilt thou choose to alight8 ,,mary4 ,o sister mine6 full of courtesy1 ,god of his infinite goodness reward thee for thy charity4 ,we are come from ,nazareth1 and we are without a place to lay our heads1 arrived in a strange land1 all tired and weary with the way6 ,the ,zingarella then offers them a resting-place1 and straw and fodder for the ass1 which being accepted1 she asks leave to tell their fortune1 but begins by recounting1 in about thirty stanzas1 all the past history of the ,virgin pilgrim2 she then asks to see the ,child-- ,ora tu1 ,signora mia4 ,che sei piena di cortesia1 ,mostramelo per favore ,lo tuo ,figlio ,redentore6 ,and now1 ,o ,lady mine1 that art full of courtesy1 grant me to look upon thy ,son1 the ,redeemer6 ,the ,virgin takes him from the arms of ,joseph-- ,datemi1 o caro sposo1 ,lo mio ,figlio grazioso6 ,quando il vide sta meschina ,zingarella1 che indovina6 ,give me1 dear husband1 my lovely boy1 that this poor gypsy1 who is a prophetess1 may look upon him4 ,the gypsy responds with becoming admiration and humility1 praises the beauty of the ,child1 and then proceeds to examine his palm3 which having done1 she breaks forth into a prophecy of all the awful future1 tells how he would be baptized1 and tempted1 scourged1 and finally hung upon a cross-- ,questo ,figlio accarezzato ,tu lo vedrai ammazzato ,sopra d'una dura croce1 ,figlio bello6 ,figlio dolce6 but consoles the disconsolate ,mother1 doomed to honour for the sake of us sinners-- ,sei arrivata a tanti onori ,per noi altri ,peccatori6 and ends by begging an alms-- ,non ti vo' pi infastidire1 ,bella ,signora2 so chi hai a fare4 ,dona la limosinella ,a sta povera ,zingarella true repentance and eternal life4 ,vo' una vera contrizione ,per la tua intercezione1 ,accio st' alma dopo morte ,tragga alle celesti porte6 ,and so the story ends4 ,there can be no doubt1 ,i think1 that we have here the original theme of ,giorgione's picture1 and perhaps of others4 ,in the ,provenal ballad1 there are three gypsies1 men1 not women1 introduced1 who tell the fortune of the ,virgin and ,joseph1 as well as that of the ,child1 and end by begging alms to wet their thirsty throats4 ,of this version there is a very spirited and characteristic translation by ,mr4 ,kenyon1 under the title of a ,gypsy ,carol4#a ,footnote #a3 ,a ,day at ,tivoli1 with other ,verses1 by ,john ,kenyon1 p4 #adi4 ,,the ,,return ,,from ,,egypt4 ,according to some authorities1 the ,holy ,family sojourned in ,egypt during a period of seven years1 but others assert that they returned to ,judea at the end of two years4 ,in general the painters have expressed the ,return from ,egypt by exhibiting ,jesus as no longer an infant sustained in his mother's arms1 but as a boy walking at her side4 ,in a picture by ,francesco ,vanni1 he is a boy about two or three years old1 and carries a little basket full of carpenter's tools4 ,the occasion of the ,flight and ,return is indicated by three or four of the martyred ,innocents1 who are lying on the ground4 ,in a picture by ,domenico ,feti two of the ,innocents are lying dead on the roadside4 ,in a very graceful1 animated picture by ,rubens1 ,mary and ,joseph lead the young ,christ between them1 and the ,virgin wears a large straw hat4 ,,historical ,,subjects4 ,,part ,,iii4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,mary ,,from ,,the ,,sojourn ,,in ,,egypt ,,to ,,the ,,crucifixion ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 #a4 ,,the ,,holy ,,family4 #b4 ,,the ,,virgin ,,seeks ,,her ,,son4 #c4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,joseph4 #d4 ,,the ,,marriage ,,at ,,cana4 #e4 ,,lo ,,spasimo4 #f4 ,,the ,,crucifixion4 #g4 ,,the ,,descent ,,from ,,the ,,cross4 #h4 ,,the ,,entombment4 ,,the ,,holy ,,family4 ,when the ,holy ,family under divine protection1 had returned safely from their sojourn in ,egypt1 they were about to repair to ,bethlehem2 but ,joseph hearing that ,archelaus did reign in ,judea in the room of his father ,herod1 he was afraid to go thither2 and being warned of ,god in a dream1 he turned aside into ,galilee1 and came to the city of ,nazareth1 which was the native place and home of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,here ,joseph dwelt1 following in peace his trade of a carpenter1 and bringing up his reputed ,son to the same craft3 and here ,mary nurtured her divine ,child2 and he grew and waxed strong in spirit1 and the grace of ,god was upon him4 ,no other event is recorded until ,jesus had reached his twelfth1 year4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this1 then1 is the proper place to introduce some notice of those representations of the domestic life of the ,virgin and the infancy of the ,saviour1 which1 in all their endless variety1 pass under the general title of ,,the ,,holy ,,family--the beautiful title of a beautiful subject1 addressed in the loveliest and most familiar form at once to the piety and the affections of the beholder4 ,these groups1 so numerous1 and of such perpetual recurrence1 that they alone form a large proportion of the contents of picture galleries and the ornaments of churches1 are1 after all1 a modern innovation in sacred art4 ,what may be called the domestic treatment of the history of the ,virgin cannot be traced farther back than the middle of the fifteenth century4 ,it is1 indeed1 common to class all those pictures as ,holy ,families which include any of the relatives of ,christ grouped with the ,mother and her ,child2 but ,i must here recapitulate and insist upon the distinction to be drawn between the domestic and the devotional treatment of the subject2 a distinction ,i have been careful to keep in view throughout the whole range of sacred art1 and which1 in this particular subject1 depends on a difference in sentiment and intention1 more easily felt than set down in words4 ,it is1 ,i must repeat1 a devotional group where the sacred personages are placed in direct relation to the worshippers1 and where their supernatural character is paramount to every other4 ,it is a domestic or an historical group1 a ,holy ,family properly so called1 when the personages are placed in direct relation to each other by some link of action or sentiment1 which expresses the family connection between them1 or by some action which has a dramatic rather than a religious significance4 ,the ,italians draw this distinction in the title ,sacra ,conversazione given to the first-named subject1 and that of ,sacra ,famiglia given to the last4 ,for instance1 if the ,virgin1 watching her sleeping ,child1 puts her finger on her lip to silence the little ,st4 ,john2 there is here no relation between the spectator and the persons represented1 except that of unbidden sympathy3 it is a family group2 a domestic scene4 ,but if ,st4 ,john1 looking out of the picture1 points to the ,infant1 ,behold the ,lamb of ,god6 then the whole representation changes its significance2 ,st4 ,john assumes the character of precursor1 and we1 the spectators1 are directly addressed and called upon to acknowledge the ,son of ,god1 the ,saviour of mankind4 ,if ,st4 ,joseph1 kneeling1 presents flowers to the ,infant ,christ1 while ,mary looks on tenderly 7as in a group by ,raphael71 it is an act of homage which expresses the mutual relation of the three personages2 it is a ,holy ,family3 whereas1 in the picture by ,murillo1 in our ,national ,gallery1 where ,joseph and ,mary present the young ,redeemer to the homage of the spectator1 while the form of the ,,padre ,,eterno1 and the ,holy ,spirit1 with attendant angels1 are floating above1 we have a devotional group1 a ,sacra ,conversazione3--it is1 in fact a material representation of the ,trinity2 and the introduction of ,joseph into such immediate propinquity with the personages acknowledged as divine is one of the characteristics of the later schools of theological art4 ,it could not possibly have occurred before the end of the sixteenth or the beginning of the seventeenth century4 ,the introduction of persons who could not have been contemporary1 as ,st4 ,francis or ,st4 ,catherine1 renders the group ideal and devotional4 ,on the other hand1 as ,i have already observed1 the introduction of attendant angels does not place the subject out of the domain of the actual2 for the painters literally rendered what in the ,scripture text is distinctly set down and literally interpreted1 ,he shall give his angels charge concerning thee4 ,wherever lived and moved the ,infant ,godhead1 angels were always supposed to be present2 therefore it lay within the province of an art addressed especially to our senses1 to place them bodily before us1 and to give to these heavenly attendants a visible shape and bearing worthy of their blessed ministry4 ,the devotional groups1 of which ,i have already treated most fully1 even while placed by the accessories quite beyond the range of actual life1 have been too often vulgarized and formalized by a trivial or merely conventional treatment4#a ,in these really domestic scenes1 where the painter sought unreproved his models in simple nature1 and trusted for his effect to what was holiest and most immutable in our common humanity1 he must have been a bungler indeed if he did not succeed in touching some responsive chord of sympathy in the bosom of the observer4 ,this is1 perhaps1 the secret of the universal1 and1 in general1 deserved popularity of these ,holy ,families4 ,footnote #a3 ,see the ,mater ,amabilis and the ,pastoral ,madonnas1 p4 #bbi1 #bci4 ,,two ,,figures4 ,the simplest form of the family group is confined to two figures1 and expresses merely the relation between the ,mother and the ,child4 ,the motif is precisely the same as in the formal1 goddess-like1 enthroned ,madonnas of the antique time2 but here quite otherwise worked out1 and appealing to other sympathies4 ,in the first instance1 the intention was to assert the contested pretensions of the human mother to divine honours2 here it was rather to assert the humanity of her divine ,son2 and we have before us1 in the simplest form1 the first and holiest of all the social relations4 ,the primal instinct1 as the first duty1 of the mother1 is the nourishment of the life she has given4 ,a very common subject1 therefore1 is ,mary in the act of feeding her ,child from her bosom4 ,i have already observed that1 when first adopted1 this was a theological theme2 an answer1 in form1 to the challenge of the ,nestorians1 ,shall we call him ,god1 who hath sucked his mother's breast8 ,then1 and for at least #ejj years afterwards1 the simple maternal action involved a religious dogma1 and was the visible exponent of a controverted article of faith4 ,all such controversy had long ceased1 and certainly there was no thought of insisting on a point of theology in the minds of those secular painters of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries1 who have set forth the representation with such an affectionate and delicate grace2 nor yet in the minds of those who converted the lovely group into a moral lesson4 ,for example1 we find in the works of ,jeremy ,taylor 7one of the lights of our ,protestant ,church7 a long homily ,of nursing children1 in imitation of the blessed ,virgin ,mother2 and prints and pictures of the ,virgin thus occupied often bear significant titles and inscriptions of the same import2 such as ,le prmier devoir d'une mre1 c4 ,i do not find this motif in any known picture by ,raphael3 but in one of his designs1 engraved by ,marc ,antonio1 it is represented with characteristic grace and delicacy4 ,goethe describes with delight a picture by ,correggio1 in which the attention of the ,child seems divided between the bosom of his mother1 and some fruit offered by an angel4 ,he calls this subject ,the ,weaning of the ,infant ,christ4 ,correggio1 if not the very first1 is certainly among the first of the ,italians who treated this motif in the simple domestic style4 ,others of the ,lombard school followed him2 and ,i know not a more exquisite example than the maternal group by ,solario1 now in the ,louvre1 styled ,la ,vierge l',oreiller verd1 from the colour of the pillow on which the ,child is lying4 ,the subject is frequent in the contemporary ,german and ,flemish schools of the sixteenth century4 ,in the next century1 there are charming examples by the ,bologna painters and the ,naturalisti1 ,spanish1 ,italian1 and ,flemish4 ,i would particularly point to one by ,agostino ,caracci 7,parma71 and to another by ,vandyck 7that engraved by ,bartolozzi71 as examples of elegance2 while in the numerous specimens by ,rubens we have merely his own wife and son1 painted with all that coarse vigorous life1 and homely affectionate expression1 which his own strong domestic feelings could lend them4 ,we have in other pictures the relation between the ,mother and ,child expressed and varied in a thousand ways2 as where she contemplates him fondly--kisses him1 pressing his cheeks to hers2 or they sport with a rose1 or an apple1 or a bird2 or he presents it to his mother2 these originally mystical emblems being converted into playthings4 ,in another sketch she is amusing him by tinkling a bell3--the bell1 which has a religious significance1 is here a plaything4 ,one or more attendant angels may vary the group1 without taking it out of the sphere of reality4 ,in a quaint but charming picture in the ,wallerstein ,collection1 an angel is sporting with the ,child at his mother's feet--is literally his playfellow2 and in a picture by ,cambiaso1 ,mary1 assisted by an angel1 is teaching her ,child to walk4 99 99 99 99 99 ,to represent in the great enthroned ,madonnas1 the ,infant ,saviour of the world asleep1 has always appeared to me a solecism3 whereas in the domestic subject the ,infant slumbering on his mother's knee1 or cradled in her arms1 or on her bosom1 or rocked by angels1 is a most charming subject4 ,sometimes angels are seen preparing his bed1 or looking on while he sleeps1 with folded hands and overshadowing wings4 ,sometimes ,marry hangs over his pillow2 pondering in her heart the wondrous destinies of her ,child4 ,a poetess of our own time has given us an interpretation worthy of the most beautiful of these representations1 in the address of the ,virgin ,mary to the ,child ,jesus1--,sleep1 sleep1 mine ,holy ,one6 ,and are thou come for saving1 baby-browed ,and speechless ,being8 art thou come for saving8 ,the palm that grows beside our door is bowed ,by treadings of the low wind from the south1 ,a restless shadow through the chamber waving1 ,upon its bough a bird sings in the sun4 ,but thou1 with that close slumber on thy mouth1 ,dost seem of wind and sun already weary1 ,art come for saving1 ,o my weary ,one8 ,perchance this sleep that shutteth out the dreary ,earth-sounds and motions1 opens on thy soul ,high dreams on fire with ,god2 ,high songs that make the pathways where they roll ,more bright than stars do theirs2 and visions new ,of thine eternal nature's old abode4 ,suffer this mother's kiss1 ,best thing that earthly is1 ,to glide the music and the glory through1 ,nor narrow in thy dream the broad upliftings ,of any seraph wing4 ,thus1 noiseless1 thus6--,sleep1 sleep1 my dreaming ,one4#a ,footnote #a3 ,poems by ,elizabeth ,barrett ,browning1 vol4 ii4 p4 #agd4 ,such high imaginings might be suggested by the group of ,michael ,angelo1--his famous ,silenzio3 but very different certainly are the thoughts and associations conveyed by some of the very lovely1 but at the same time familiar and commonplace1 groups of peasant-mothers and sleeping babies--the countless productions of the later schools--even while the simplicity and truth of the natural sentiment go straight to the heart4 ,i remember reading a little ,italian hymn composed for a choir of nuns1 and addressed to the sleeping ,christ1 in which he is prayed to awake or if he will not1 they threaten to pull him by his golden curls until they rouse him to listen6 99 99 99 99 99 ,i have seen a graceful print which represents ,jesus as a child standing at his mother's knee1 while she feeds him from a plate or cap held by an angel2 underneath is the text1 ,butter and honey shall he eat1 that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the good ,and in a print of the same period1 the mother suspends her needlework to contemplate the ,child1 who1 standing at her side1 looks down compassionately on two little birds1 which flutter their wings and open their beaks expectingly2 underneath is the test1 ,are not two sparrows sold for a farthing8 ,mary employed in needlework1 while her cradled ,infant slumbers at her side1 is a beautiful subject4 ,rossini1 in his ,storia della ,pittura1 publishes a group1 representing the ,virgin mending or making a little coat1 while ,jesus1 seated at her feet1 without his coat1 is playing with a bird2 two angels are hovering above4 ,it appears to me that there is here some uncertainty as regards both the subject and the master4 ,in the time of ,giottino1 to whom ,rossini attributes the picture1 the domestic treatment of the ,madonna and ,child was unknown4 ,if it be really by him1 ,i should suppose it to represent ,hannah and her son ,samuel4 99 99 99 99 99 ,all these1 and other varieties of action and sentiment connecting the ,mother and her ,child1 are frequently accompanied by accessory figures1 forming1 in their combination1 what is properly a ,holy ,family4 ,the personages introduced1 singly or together1 are the young ,st4 ,john1 ,joseph1 ,anna1 ,joachim1 ,elizabeth1 and ,zacharias4 ,,three ,,figures4 ,the group of three figures most commonly met with1 is that of the ,mother and ,child1 with ,st4 ,john4 ,one of the earliest examples of the domestic treatment of this group is a quaint picture by ,botticelli1 in which ,mary1 bending down1 holds forth the ,child to be caressed by ,st4 ,john1--very dry in colour and faulty in drawing1 but beautiful for the sentiment4 7,florence1 ,pitti ,pal47 ,perhaps the most perfect example which could be cited from the whole range of art1 is ,raphael's ,madonna del ,cardellino 7,florence ,gal472 another is his ,belle ,jardinire 7,louvre1 #cge72 another1 in which the figures are half-length1 is his ,madonna del ,giglio 7,lord ,garvagh's ,coll474 ,as ,i have already observed1 where the ,infant ,christ takes the cross from ,st4 ,john1 or presents it to him1 or where ,st4 ,john points to him as the ,redeemer1 or is represented1 not as a child1 but as a youth or a man1 the composition assumes a devotional significance4 ,the subject of the ,sleeping ,christ is beautifully varied by the introduction of ,st4 ,john2 as where ,mary lifts the veil and shows her ,child to the little ,st4 ,john1 kneeling with folded hands3 ,raphael's well-known ,vierge la ,diademe is an instance replete with grace and expression4#a ,sometimes ,mary1 putting her finger to her lip1 exhorts ,st4 ,john to silence1 as in a famous and oft-repeated subject by ,annibale ,caracci1 of which there is a lovely example at ,windsor4 ,such a group is called in ,italian1 ,il ,silenzio1 and in ,french le ,sommeil de ,jsus4 ,footnote #a3 ,louvre1 #cgf4 ,it is also styled la ,vierge au ,linge 99 99 99 99 99 ,another group of three figures consists of the ,mother1 the ,child1 and ,st4 ,joseph as foster-father4 ,this group1 so commonly met with in the later schools of art1 dates from the end of the fifteenth century4 ,gerson1 an ecclesiastic distinguished at the ,council of ,constance for his learning and eloquence1 had written a poem of three thousand lines in praise of ,st4 ,joseph1 setting him up as the ,christian1 example of every virtue2 and this poem1 after the invention of printing1 was published and widely disseminated4 ,sixtus ,,iv4 instituted a festival in honour of the ,husband of the ,virgin1 which1 as a novelty and harmonizing with the tone of popular feeling1 was everywhere acceptable4 ,as a natural consequence1 the churches and chapels were filled with pictures1 which represented the ,mother and her ,child1 with ,joseph standing or seated by1 in an attitude of religious contemplation or affectionate sympathy2 sometimes leaning on his stick1 or with his tools lying beside him2 and always in the old pictures habited in his appropriate colours1 the saffron-coloured robe over the gray or green tunic4 ,in the ,madonna and ,child1 as a strictly devotional subject1 the introduction of ,joseph rather complicates the idea2 but in the domestic ,holy ,family his presence is natural and necessary4 ,it is seldom that he is associated with the action1 where there is one2 but of this also there are some beautiful examples4 99 99 99 99 99 #a4 ,in a well-known composition by ,raphael 7,grosvenor ,gal471 the mother withdraws the covering from the ,child1 who seems to have that moment awaked1 and1 stretching out his little arms1 smiles in her face3 ,joseph looks on tenderly and thoughtfully4 #b4 ,in another group by ,raphael 7,bridgewater ,gal471 the ,infant is seated on the mother's knee1 and sustained by part of her veil2 ,joseph1 kneeling1 offers flowers to his divine foster-,son1 who eagerly stretches out his little hand to take them4 ,in many pictures1 ,joseph is seen presenting cherries2 as in the celebrated ,vierge aux ,cerises of ,annibale ,caracci4 7,louvre47 ,the allusion is to a quaint old legend1 often introduced in the religious ballads and dramatic mysteries of the time4 ,it is related1 that before the birth of our ,saviour1 the ,virgin ,mary wished to taste of certain cherries which hung upon a tree high above her head2 she requested ,joseph to procure them for her1 and he reaching to pluck them1 the branch bowed down to his hand4 #c4 ,there is a lovely pastoral composition by ,titian1 in which ,mary is seated under some trees1 with ,joseph leaning on his staff1 and the ,infant ,christ standing between them3 the little ,st4 ,john approaches with his lap full of cherries2 and in the background a woman is seen gathering cherries4 ,this picture is called a ,ripose2 but the presence of ,st4 ,john1 and the cherry tree instead of the date tree1 point out a different signification4 ,angels presenting cherries on a plate is also a frequent circumstance1 derived from the same legend4 #d4 ,in a charming picture by ,garofalo1 ,joseph is caressing the ,child1 while ,mary--a rather full figure1 calm1 matronly1 and dignified1 as is usual with ,garofalo--sits by1 holding a book in her hand1 from which she has just raised her eyes4 7,windsor ,gal47 #e4 ,in a family group by ,murillo1 ,joseph1 standing1 holds the ,infant pressed to his bosom2 while ,mary1 seated near a cradle1 holds out her arms to take it from him3 a carpenter's bench is seen behind4 #f4 ,a celebrated picture by ,rembrandt1 known as le ,mnage du ,menuisier1 exhibits a rustic interior2 the ,virgin is seated with the volume of the ,scriptures open on her knees--she turns1 and lifting the coverlid of the cradle1 contemplates the ,infant asleep3 in the background ,joseph is seen at his work2 while angels hover above1 keeping watch over the ,holy ,family4 ,exquisite for the homely natural sentiment1 and the depth of the colour and chiaro-oscuro4 7,petersburg47 #g4 ,many who read these pages will remember the pretty little picture by ,annibale ,caracci1 known as le ,raboteur4#a ,it represents ,joseph planing a board1 while ,jesus1 a lovely boy about six or seven years old1 stands by1 watching the progress of his work4 ,mary is seated on one side plying her needle4 ,the great fault of this picture is the subordinate and utterly commonplace character given to the ,virgin ,mother3 otherwise it is a very suggestive and dramatic subject1 and one which might be usefully engraved in a cheap form for distribution4 ,footnote #a3 ,in the ,coll4 of the ,earl of ,suffolk1 at ,charlton4 99 99 99 99 99 ,sometimes1 in a ,holy ,family of three figures1 the third figure is neither ,st4 ,john nor ,st4 ,joseph1 but ,st4 ,anna4 ,now1 according to some early authorities1 both ,joachim and ,anna died either before the marriage of ,mary and ,joseph1 or at least before the return from ,egypt4 ,such1 however1 was the popularity of these family groups1 and the desire to give them all possible variety1 that the ancient version of the story was overruled by the prevailing taste1 and ,st4 ,anna became an important personage4 ,one of the earliest groups in which the mother of the ,virgin is introduced as a third personage1 is a celebrated1 but to my taste not a pleasing1 composition1 by ,lionardo da ,vinci1 in which ,st4 ,anna is seated on a sort of chair1 and the ,virgin on her knees bends down towards the ,infant ,christ1 who is sporting with a lamb4 7,louvre1 #dha47 ,,four ,,figures4 ,in a ,holy ,family of four figures1 we have frequently the ,virgin1 the ,child1 and the infant ,st4 ,john1 with ,st4 ,joseph standing by4 ,raphael's ,madonna del ,passeggio is an example4 ,in a picture by ,palma ,vecchio1 ,st4 ,john presents a lamb1 while ,st4 ,joseph kneels before the ,infant ,christ1 who1 seated on his mother's knee1 extends his arms to his foster-father4 ,nicole ,poussin was fond of this group1 and has repeated it at least ten times with variations4 ,but the most frequent group of four figures consists of the ,virgin and ,child1 with ,st4 ,john and his mother1 ,st4 ,elizabeth--the two mothers and the two sons4 ,sometimes the children are sporting together1 or embracing each other1 while ,mary and ,elizabeth look on with a contemplative tenderness1 or seem to converse on the future destinies of their sons4 ,a very favourite and appropriate action is that of ,st4 ,elizabeth presenting ,st4 ,john1 and teaching him to kneel and fold his hands1 as acknowledging in his little cousin the ,infant ,saviour4 ,we have then1 in beautiful contrast1 the aged coifed head of ,elizabeth1 with its matronly and earnest expression2 the youthful bloom and soft virginal dignity of ,mary2 and the different character of the boys1 the fair complexion and delicate proportions of the ,infant ,christ1 and the more robust and brown-complexioned ,john4 ,a great painter will be careful to express these distinctions1 not by the exterior character only1 but will so combine the personages1 that the action represented shall display the superior dignity of ,christ and his mother4 ,,five ,,or ,,six ,,figures4 ,the addition of ,joseph as a fifth figure1 completes the domestic group4 ,the introduction of the aged ,zacharias renders1 however1 yet more full and complete1 the circle of human life and human affection4 ,we have then1 infancy1 youth1 maturity1 and age1--difference of sex and various degrees of relationship1 combined into one harmonious whole2 and in the midst1 the divinity of innocence1 the ,child-,god1 the brightness of a spiritual power1 connecting our softest earthly affections with our highest heavenward aspirations4#a ,footnote #a3 ,the inscription under a ,holy ,family in which the children are caressing each other is sometimes ,delic me esse cum filiis hominum 7,prov4 viii4 #ca1 ,my delights were with the sons of men74 99 99 99 99 99 ,a ,holy ,family of more than six figures 7the angels not included7 is very unusual4 ,but there are examples of groups combining all those personages mentioned in the ,gospels as being related to ,christ1 though the nature and the degree of this supposed relationship has embarrassed critics and commentators1 and is not yet settled4 ,according to an ancient tradition1 ,anna1 the mother of the ,virgin ,mary1 was three times married1 ,joachim being her third husband3 the two others were ,cleophas and ,salom4 ,by ,cleophas she had a daughter1 also called ,mary1 who was the wife of ,alpheus1 and the mother of ,thaddeus1 ,james ,minor1 and ,joseph ,justus4 ,by ,salom she had a daughter1 also ,mary1 married to ,zebedee1 and the mother of ,james ,major and ,john the ,evangelist4 ,this idea that ,st4 ,anna was successively the wife of three husbands1 and the mother of three daughters1 all of the name of ,mary1 has been rejected by later authorities2 but in the beginning of the sixteenth century it was accepted1 and to that period may be referred the pictures1 ,italian and ,german1 representing a peculiar version of the ,holy ,family more properly styled the ,family of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,a picture by ,lorenzo di ,pavia1 painted about #aeac1 exhibits a very complete example of this family group4 ,mary is seated in the centre1 holding in her lap the ,infant ,christ2 near her is ,st4 ,joseph4 ,behind the ,virgin stand ,st4 ,anna1 and three men1 with their names inscribed1 ,joachim1 ,cleophas1 and ,salom4 ,on the right of the ,virgin is ,mary the daughter of ,cleophas1 ,alpheus her husband1 and her children ,thaddeus1 ,james ,minor1 and ,joseph ,justus4 ,on the left of the ,virgin is ,mary the daughter of ,salome1 her husband ,zebedee1 and her children ,james ,major and ,john the ,evangelist4#a ,footnote #a3 ,this picture ,i saw in the ,louvre some years ago1 but it is not in the ,new ,catalogue by ,m4 ,villot4 ,a yet more beautiful example is a picture by ,perugino in the ,muse at ,marseilles1 which ,i have already cited and described 7,sacred and ,legendary ,art73 here also the relatives of ,christ1 destined to be afterwards his apostles and the ministers of his word1 are grouped around him in his infancy4 ,in the centre ,mary is seated and holding the child2 ,st4 ,anna stands behind1 resting her hands affectionately on the shoulders of the ,virgin4 ,in front1 at the feet of the ,virgin1 are two boys1 ,joseph and ,thaddeus2 and near them ,mary1 the daughter of ,cleophas1 holds the hand of her third son ,james ,minor4 ,to the right is ,mary ,salom1 holding in her arms her son ,john the ,evangelist1 and at her feet is her other son1 ,james ,major4 ,joseph1 ,zebedee1 and other members of the family1 stand around4 ,the same subject ,i have seen in illuminated ,,mss41 and in ,german prints4 ,it is worth remarking that all these appeared about the same time1 between #aeje and #aebj1 and that the subject afterwards disappeared2 from which ,i infer that it was not authorized by the ,church2 perhaps because the exact degree of relationship between these young apostles and the ,holy ,family was not clearly made out1 either by ,scripture or tradition4 ,in a composition by ,parmigiano1 ,christ is standing at his mother's knee2 ,elizabeth presents ,st4 ,john the ,baptist2 the other little ,st4 ,john kneels on a cushion4 ,behind the ,virgin are ,st4 ,joachim and ,st4 ,anna2 and behind ,elizabeth1 ,zebedee and ,mary ,salom1 the parents of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist4 ,in the centre1 ,joseph looks on with folded hands4 99 99 99 99 99 ,a catalogue raisonne of the ,holy ,families painted by distinguished artists including from two to six figures would fill volumes3 ,i shall content myself with directing attention to some few examples remarkable either for their celebrity1 their especial beauty1 or for some peculiarity1 whether commendable or not1 in the significance or the treatment4 ,the strictly domestic conception may be said to have begun with ,raphael and ,correggio2 and they afford the most perfect examples of the tender and the graceful in sentiment and action1 the softest parental feeling1 the loveliest forms of childhood4 ,of the purely natural and familiar treatment1 which came into fashion in the seventeenth century1 the pictures of ,guido1 ,rubens1 and ,murillo afford the most perfect specimens4 #a4 ,raphael4 7,louvre1 #cgg47 ,mary1 a noble queenly creature1 is seated1 and bends towards her ,child1 who is springing from his cradle to meet her embrace2 ,elizabeth presents ,st4 ,john2 and ,joseph1 leaning on his hand1 contemplates the group3 two beautiful angels scatter flowers from above4 ,this is the celebrated picture once supposed to have been executed expressly for ,francis ,i42 but later researches prove it to have been painted for ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 ,duke of ,urbino4#a ,footnote #a3 ,it appears from the correspondence relative to this picture and the ,st4 ,michael1 that both pictures were painted by order of this ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 the same who is figured in ,michael ,angelo's ,pensiero1 and that they were intended as presents to ,francis ,i4 7,see ,dr4 ,gaye's ,carteggio1 ii4 #adf1 and also the new ,catalogue of the ,louvre by ,f4 ,villot47 ,i have mentioned this ,holy ,family not as the finest of ,raphael's ,madonnas1 but because there is something peculiarly animated and dramatic in the motif1 considering the time at which it was painted4 ,it was my intention to have given here a complete list of ,raphael's ,holy ,families2 but this has been so well done in the last ,english edition of ,kugler's ,handbook1 that it has become superfluous as a repetition4 ,the series of minute and exquisite drawings by ,mr4 ,george ,scharf1 appended to ,kugler's ,catalogue1 renders it easy to recognize all the groups described in this and the preceding pages4 #b4 ,correggio4 ,mary holds the ,child upon her knee1 looking down upon him fondly4 ,styled1 from the introduction of the work-basket1 ,la ,vierge au ,panier4 ,a finished example of that soft1 yet joyful1 maternal feeling for which ,correggio was remarkable4 7,national ,gal4 #bc47 #c4 ,pinturicchio4 ,in a landscape1 ,mary and ,joseph are seated together2 near them are some loaves and a small cask of wine4 ,more in front the two children1 ,jesus and ,st4 ,john1 are walking arm in arm2 ,jesus holds a book and ,john a pitcher1 as if they were going to a well4 7,siena ,acad47 #d4 ,andrea del ,sarto4 ,the ,virgin is seated on the ground1 and holds the ,child2 the young ,st4 ,john is in the arms of ,st4 ,elizabeth1 and ,joseph is seen behind4 7,louvre1 #dci47 ,this picture1 another by the same painter in the ,national ,gallery1 a third in the collection of ,lord ,lansdowne1 and in general all the ,holy ,families of ,andrea1 may be cited as examples of fine execution and mistaken or defective character4 ,no sentiment1 no action1 connects the personages either with each other1 or with the spectator4 #e4 ,michael ,angelo4 ,the composition1 in the ,florence ,gallery1 styled a ,holy ,family1 appears to me a signal example of all that should be avoided4 ,it is1 as a conception1 neither religious nor domestic2 in execution and character exaggerated and offensive1 and in colour hard and dry4 ,another1 a bas-relief1 in which the ,child is shrinking from a bird held up by ,st4 ,john1 is very grand in the forms3 the mistake in sentiment1 as regards the bird1 ,i have pointed out in the ,introduction4 7,royal ,academy47 ,a third1 in which the ,child leans pensively on a book lying open on his mother's knee1 while she looks out on the spectator1 is more properly a ,mater ,amabilis4 ,there is an extraordinary fresco still preserved in the ,casa ,buonarotti at ,florence1 where it was painted on the wall by ,michael ,angelo1 and styled a ,holy ,family1 though the exact meaning of the subject has been often disputed4 ,it appears to me1 however1 very clear1 and one never before or since attempted by any other artist4 7,this fresco is engraved in the ,etruria ,pittrice47 ,mary is seated in the centre2 her ,child is reclining on the ground between her knees2 and the little ,st4 ,john holding his cross looks on him steadfastly4 ,a man coming forward seems to ask of ,mary1 ,whose son is this8 ,she most expressively puts aside ,joseph with her hand1 and looks up1 as if answering1 ,not the son of an earthly1 but of a heavenly ,father6 ,there are five other figures standing behind1 and the whole group is most significant4 #f4 ,albert ,durer4 ,the ,holy ,family seated under a tree2 the ,infant is about to spring from the knee of his mother into the outstretched arms of ,st4 ,anna2 ,joseph is seen behind with his hat in his hand2 and to the left sits the aged ,joachim contemplating the group4 #g4 ,mary appears to have just risen from her chair1 the ,child bends from her arms1 and a young and very little angel1 standing on tiptoe1 holds up to him a flower--other flowers in his lap3--a beautiful old ,german print4 #h4 ,giulio ,romano4 7,la ,madonna del ,bacino47 7,dresden ,gal47 ,the ,child stands in a basin1 and the young ,st4 ,john pours water upon him from a vase1 while ,mary washes him4 ,st4 ,elizabeth stands by1 holding a napkin2 ,st4 ,joseph1 behind1 is looking on4 ,notwithstanding the homeliness of the action1 there is here a religious and mysterious significance1 prefiguring the ,baptism4 #i4 ,n4 ,poussin4 ,mary1 assisted by angels1 washes and dresses her ,child4 7,gal4 of ,mr4 ,hope47 #aj4 ,v4 ,salimbeni4--,an ,interior4 ,mary and ,joseph are occupied by the ,child4 ,elizabeth is spinning4 ,more in front ,st4 ,john is carrying two puppies in the lappet of his coat1 and the dog is leaping up to him4 7,florence1 ,pitti ,pal47 ,this is one out of many instances in which the painter1 anxious to vary the oft-repeated subject1 and no longer restrained by refined taste or religious veneration1 has fallen into a most offensive impropriety4 #aa4 ,ippolito ,andreasi4 ,mary1 seated1 holds the ,infant ,christ between her knees2 ,elizabeth leans over the back of her chair2 ,joseph leans on his staff behind the ,virgin2 the little ,st4 ,john and an angel present grapes1 while four other angels are gathering and bringing them4 ,a branch of vine1 loaded with grapes1 is lying in the foreground4 ,christ looks like a young ,bacchus2 and there is something mannered and fantastic in the execution4 7,louvre1 #ch47 ,with this domestic scene is blended a strictly religious symbol1 ,i am the vine4 #ab4 ,murilio4 ,mary is in the act of swaddling her ,child 7,luke ii1 #g71 while two angels1 standing near him1 solace the divine ,infant with heavenly music4 7,madrid ,gal47 #ac4 ,rubens4 ,mary1 seated on the ground1 holds the ,child with a charming maternal expression1 a little from her1 gazing on him with rapturous earnestness1 while he looks up with responsive tenderness in her face4 ,his right hand rests on a cross presented by ,st4 ,john1 who is presented by ,st4 ,elizabeth4 ,wonderful for the intensely natural and domestic expression1 and the beauty of the execution4 7,florence1 ,pitti ,pal47 #ad4 ,d4 ,hopfer4 ,within the porch of a building1 ,mary is seated on one side1 reading intently4 ,st4 ,anna1 on the other side1 holds out her arms to the ,child1 who is sitting on the ground between them2 an angel looks in at the open door behind4 7,bartsch41 viii4 #dhc47 #ae4 ,rembrandt4 7,le ,mnage du ,menuisier47 ,a rustic interior4 ,mary1 seated in the centre1 is suckling her ,child4 ,st4 ,anna1 a fat ,flemish grandame1 has been reading the volume of the ,scriptures1 and bends forward in order to remove the covering and look in the ,infant's face4 ,a cradle is near4 ,joseph is seen at work in the background4 7,louvre47 #af4 ,le ,brun4 7,the ,benedicite47 ,mary1 the ,child1 and ,joseph1 are seated at a frugal repast4 ,joseph is in the act of reverently saying grace1 which gives to the picture the title by which it is known4#a ,footnote #a3 ,louvre1 ,ecole ,franaise #eg4 ,there is a celebrated engraving by ,edelinck4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is distinctly related that ,joseph brought up his foster-,son as a carpenter1 and that ,jesus exercised the craft of his reputed father4 ,in the ,church pictures1 we do not often meet with this touching and familiar aspect of the life of our ,saviour4 ,but in the small decorative pictures painted for the rich ecclesiastics1 and for private oratories1 and in the cheap prints which were prepared for distribution among the people1 and became especially popular during the religious reaction of the seventeenth century1 we find this homely version of the subject perpetually1 and often most pleasingly1 exhibited4 ,the greatest and wisest ,being who ever trod the earth was thus represented1 in the eyes of the poor artificer1 as ennobling and sanctifying labour and toil2 and the quiet domestic duties and affections were here elevated1 and hallowed1 by religious associations1 and adorned by all the graces of ,art4 ,even where the artistic treatment was not first-rate1 was not such as the painters--priests and poets as well as painters--of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries would have lent to such themes1--still if the sentiment and significance were but intelligible to those especially addressed1 the purpose was accomplished1 and the effect must have been good4 ,i have before me an example in a set of twelve prints1 executed in the ,netherlands1 exhibiting a sort of history of the childhood of ,christ1 and his training under the eye of his mother4 ,it is entitled ,jesu ,christi ,del ,domini ,salvatoris nostri ,infantia1 ,the ,infancy of our ,lord ,god and ,saviour ,jesus ,christ2 and the title-page is surrounded by a border composed of musical instruments1 spinning-wheels1 distaffs1 and other implements1 of female industry1 intermixed with all kinds of mason's and carpenter's tools4 ,to each print is appended a descriptive ,latin verse2 ,latin being chosen1 ,i suppose1 because the publication was intended for distribution in different countries1 and especially foreign missions1 and to be explained by the priests to the people4 #a4 ,the figure of ,christ is seen in a glory surrounded by cherubim1 c4 #b4 ,the ,virgin is seated on the hill of ,sion4 ,the ,infant in her lap1 with outspread arms1 looks up to a choir of angels1 and is singing with them4 #c4 ,jesus1 slumbering in his cradle1 is rocked by two angels1 while ,mary sits by1 engaged in needlework4#a ,footnote #a3 ,the ,latin stanza beneath1 is remarkable for its elegance1 and because it has been translated by ,coleridge1 who mentions that he found the print and the verse under it in a little inn in ,germany4 ,dormi1 ,jesu1 mater ridet1 ,qu tam dulcem somnum videt1 ,dormi1 ,jesu1 blandule6 ,si non dormis mater plorat1 ,inter fila cantans orat1 ,blande1 veni1 somnule6 ,sleep1 sweet babe6 my cares beguiling1 ,mother sits beside thee smiling1 ,sleep1 my darling1 tenderly6 ,if thou sleep not1 mother mourneth1 ,singing as her wheel she turneth ,come1 soft slumber1 balmily6 #d4 ,the interior of a carpenter's shop4 ,joseph is plying his work1 while ,joachim stands near him4 ,the ,virgin is measuring linen1 and ,st4 ,anna looks on4 ,two angels are at play with the ,infant ,christ1 who is blowing soap-bubbles4 #e4 ,while ,mary is preparing the family meal1 and watching a pot which is boiling on the fire1 ,joseph is seen behind chopping wood3 more in front1 ,jesus is sweeping together the chips1 and two angels are gathering them up4 #f4 ,mary is reeling off a skein of thread2 ,joseph is squaring a plank2 ,jesus is picking up the chips1 assisted by two angels4 #g4 ,mary is seated at her spinning-wheel2 ,joseph1 assisted by ,jesus1 is sawing through a large beam2 two angels looking on4 #h4 ,mary is spinning with a distaff2 behind1 ,joseph is sawing a beam1 on which ,jesus is standing above2 and two angels are lifting a plank4 #i4 ,joseph is seen building up the framework of a house1 assisted by an angel2 ,jesus is boring a hole with a large gimlet3 an angel helps him2 ,mary is winding thread4 #aj4 ,joseph is busy roofing in the house2 ,jesus1 assisted by the angels1 is carrying a beam of wood up a ladder2 below1 in front1 ,mary is carding wool or flax4 #aa4 ,joseph is building a boat1 assisted by ,jesus1 who has a hammer and chisel in his hand3 two angels help him4 ,the ,virgin is knitting a stocking2 and the new-built house is seen in the background4 #ab4 ,joseph is erecting a fence round a garden2 ,jesus1 assisted by the angels1 is fastening the palings together2 while ,mary is weaving garlands of roses4 ,justin ,martyr mentions1 as a tradition of his time1 that ,jesus assisted his foster-father in making yokes and ploughs4 ,in ,holland1 where these prints were published1 the substitution of the boat-building seems very natural4 ,st4 ,bonaventura1 the great ,franciscan theologian1 and a high authority in all that relates to the life and character of ,mary1 not only described her as a pattern of female industry1 but alludes particularly to the legend of the distaff1 and mentions a tradition1 that1 when in ,egypt1 the ,holy ,family was so reduced by poverty1 that ,mary begged from door to door the fine flax which she afterwards spun into a garment for her ,child4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as if to render the circle of maternal duties1 and thereby the maternal example1 more complete1 there are prints of ,mary leading her ,son to school4 ,i have seen one in which he carries his hornbook in his hand4 ,such representations1 though popular1 were condemned by the highest church authorities as nothing less than heretical4 ,the ,abb ,mry counts among the artistic errors which endanger the faith of good ,christians1 those pictures which represent ,mary or ,joseph instructing the ,infant ,christ2 as if all learning1 all science1 divine and human1 were not his by intuition1 and without any earthly teaching1 7v4 ,thologie des ,peintres47 ,a beautiful ,holy ,family1 by ,schidone1 is entitled1 ,the ,infant ,christ learning to read 7,bridgewater ,gal472 and we frequently meet with pictures in which the mother holds a book1 while the divine ,child1 with a serious intent expression1 turns over the leaves1 or points to the letters3 but ,i imagine that these1 and similar groups1 represent ,jesus instructing ,mary and ,joseph1 as he is recorded to have done4 ,there is also a very pretty legend1 in which he is represented as exciting the astonishment1 of the schoolmaster ,zaccheus by his premature wisdom4 ,on these1 and other details respecting the infancy of our ,saviour1 ,i shall have to say much more when treating of the ,history of ,christ4 ,,the ,,dispute ,,in ,,the ,,temple4 ,ital4 ,la ,disputa nel ,tempio4 ,fr4 ,jsus au milieu des ,docteurs4 ,the subject which we call the ,dispute in the ,temple1 or ,christ among the ,doctors1 is a scene of great importance in the life of the ,redeemer 7,luke ii4 #da1 #eb74 ,his appearance in the midst of the doctors1 at twelve years old1 when he sat hearing them and asking them questions1 and all who heard him were astonished at his understanding and his answers1 has been interpreted as the first manifestation of his high character as teacher of men1 as one come to throw a new light on the prophecies1-- ,for trailing clouds of glory had he come ,from heaven1 which was his home2 and also as instructing as that those who are to become teachers of men ought1 when young1 to listen to the voice of age and experience2 and that those who have grown old may learn lessons of wisdom from childish innocence4 ,such is the historical and scriptural representation4 ,but in the life of the ,virgin1 the whole scene changes its signification4 ,it is no longer the wisdom of the ,son1 it is the sorrow of the ,mother which is the principal theme4 ,in their journey home from ,jerusalem1 ,jesus has disappeared2 he who was the light of her eyes1 whose precious existence had been so often threatened1 has left her care1 and gone1 she knows not whither4 ,no fancy can imagine the doubts1 the apprehensions1 the possibilities of mischief1 the tremblings of heart1 which the holy ,virgin-mother feels thronging in her bosom4 ,for three days she seeks him in doubt and anguish4 7,jeremy ,taylor's ,life of ,christ47 ,at length he is found seated in the temple in the midst of the learned doctors1 hearing them1 and asking them questions4 ,and she said unto him1 ,son1 why hast thou thus dealt with us8 behold1 ,i and thy father have sought thee sorrowing4 ,and he said unto them1 ,how is it that ye sought me8 ,wise ye not that ,i must be about my ,father's business8 ,now there are two ways of representing this scene4 ,in all the earlier pictures it is chiefly with reference to the ,virgin ,mother3 it is one of the sorrowful mysteries of the ,rosary4 ,the ,child ,jesus sits in the temple1 teaching with hand uplifted2 the doctors round him turn over the leaves of their great books1 searching the law and the prophets4 ,some look up at the young inspired ,teacher--he who was above the law1 yet came to obey the law and fulfil the prophecies--with amazement4 ,conspicuous in front1 stand ,mary and ,joseph1 and she is in act to address to him the tender reproach1 ,i and thy father have sought thee sorrowing4 ,in the early examples she is a principal figure1 but in later pictures she is seen entering in the background2 and where the scene relates only to the life of ,christ1 the figures of ,joseph and ,mary are omitted altogether1 and the ,child teacher becomes the central1 or at least the chief1 personage in the group4 ,in a picture by ,giovanni da ,udine1 the subject is taken out of the region of the actual1 and treated altogether as a mystery4 ,in the centre sits the young ,redeemer1 his hand raised1 and surrounded by several of the ,jewish doctors2 while in front stand the four fathers of the ,church1 who flourished in the interval between the fourth and sixth centuries after ,christ2 and these1 holding their books1 point to ,jesus1 or look to him1 as to the source of their wisdom2--a beautiful and poetical version of the true significance of the story1 which the critics of the last century would call a chronological mistake4 7,venice1 ,academy47 ,but those representations which come under our especial consideration at present1 are such as represent the moment in which ,mary appears before her ,son4 ,the earliest instance of this treatment is a group by ,giotto4 ,dante cites the deportment of the ,virgin on this occasion1 and her mild reproach1 con atto dolce di madre1 as a signal lesson of gentleness and forbearance4 7,purgatorio1 c4 xv47 ,it is as if he had transferred the picture of ,giotto into his ,vision2 for it is as a picture1 not an action1 that it is introduced4 ,another1 by ,simon ,memmi1 in the ,roscoe ,collection at ,liverpool1 is conceived in a similar spirit4 ,in a picture by ,garofalo1 ,mary does not reproach her ,son1 but stands listening to him with her hands folded on her bosom4 ,in a large and fine composition by ,pinturicchio1 the doctors throw down their books before him1 while the ,virgin and ,joseph are entering on one side4 ,the subject is conspicuous in ,albert ,durer's ,life of the ,virgin1 where ,jesus is seated on high1 as one having authority1 teaching from a chair like that of a professor in a university1 and surrounded by the old bearded doctors2 and ,mary stands before her ,son in an attitude of expostulation4 ,after the restoration of ,jesus to his parents1 they conducted him home2 but his mother kept all these sayings in her heart4 ,the return to ,nazareth1 ,jesus walking humbly between ,joseph and ,mary1 was painted by ,rubens for the ,jesuit ,college at ,antwerp1 as a lesson to youth4 ,underneath is the text1 ,and he was subject unto them4#a ,footnote #a3 ,it has been called by mistake ,the ,return from ,egypt ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,joseph4 ,ital4 ,la ,morte di ,san ,giuseppe4 ,fr4 ,la ,mort de ,st4 ,joseph ,ger4 ,josef's ,tod4 ,between the journey to ,jerusalem and the public appearance of ,jesus1 chronologers place the death of ,joseph1 but the exact date is not ascertained3 some place it in the eighteenth year of the life of our ,saviour1 and others in his twenty-seventh year1 when1 as they assert1 ,joseph was one hundred and eleven years old4 ,i have already observed1 that the enthusiasm for the character of ,joseph1 and his popularity as a saint and patron of power1 date from the fifteenth century2 and late in the sixteenth century ,i find1 for the first time1 the death of ,joseph treated as a separate subject4 ,it appears that the supposed anniversary of his death 7,july #bj7 had long been regarded in the ,east as a solemn festival1 and that it was the custom to read publicly1 on this occasion1 some homily relating to his life and death4 ,the very curious ,arabian work1 entitled ,the ,history of ,joseph the ,carpenter1 is supposed to be one of these ancient homilies1 and1 in its original form1 as old as the fourth century4#a ,here the death of ,joseph is described with great detail1 and with many solemn and pathetic circumstances2 and the whole history is put into the mouth of ,jesus1 who is supposed to recite it to his disciples3 he describes the pious end of ,joseph2 he speaks of himself as being present1 and acknowledged by the dying man as ,redeemer and ,messiah1 and he proceeds to record the grief of ,mary3-- ,and my mother1 the ,virgin1 arose1 and she came nigh to me and said1 ',o my beloved ,son now must the good old man die6' and ,i answered and said unto her1 ',o my most dear mother1 needs must all created beings die2 and death will have his rights1 even over thee1 beloved mother2 but death to him and to thee is no death1 only the passage to eternal life2 and this body ,i have derived from thee shall also undergo death4' ,footnote #a3 ,the ,arabic ,,ms4 in the library at ,paris is of the year #abii1 and the ,coptic version as old as #acfg4 ,extracts from these were become current in the legends of the ,west1 about the fifteenth century4--,see the ,neu ,testamentlichen ,apokryphen1 edited in ,german by ,dr4 ,k4,f4 ,borberg4 ,and they sat1 the ,son and the mother1 beside ,joseph2 and ,jesus held his hand1 and watched the last breath of life trembling on his lips2 and ,mary touched his feet1 and they were cold2 and the daughters and the sons of ,joseph wept and sobbed around in their grief2 and then ,jesus adds tenderly1 ,i1 and my mother ,mary1 we wept with them4 ,then follows a truly ,oriental scene1 of the evil angels rising up with ,death1 and rejoicing in his power over the saint1 while ,jesus rebukes them2 and at his prayer ,god sends down ,michael1 prince of the angelic host1 and ,gabriel1 the herald of light1 to take possession of the departing spirit1 enfold it in a robe of brightness thereby to preserve it from the dark angels1 and carry it up into heaven4 ,this legend of the death of ,joseph was1 in many forms1 popular in the sixteenth century2 hence arose the custom of invoking him as ,intercessor to obtain a blessed and peaceful end1 so that he became1 in some sort1 the patron saint of death-beds2 and it is at this time we find the first representations of the death of ,joseph1 afterwards a popular subject in the churches and convents of the ,augustine canons and ,carmelite friars1 who had chosen him for their patron saint2 and also in family chapels consecrated to the memory or the repose of the dead4 ,the finest example ,i have seen1 is by ,carlo ,maratti1 in the ,vienna ,gallery4 ,st4 ,joseph is on a couch2 ,christ is seated near him2 and the ,virgin stands by with folded hands1 in a sad1 contemplative attitude4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i am not aware that the ,virgin has ever been introduced into any representation of the temptation or the baptism of our ,saviour4 ,these subjects1 so important and so picturesque1 are reserved till we enter upon the ,history of ,christ4 ,,the ,,marriage ,,at ,,cana ,,in ,,galilee4 ,ital4 ,le ,nozze di ,cana4 ,fr4 ,les ,noces de ,cana4 ,ger4 ,die ,hochzeit zu ,cana4 ,after his temptation and baptism1 the first manifestation of the divine mission and miraculous power of ,jesus was at the wedding feast at ,cana in ,galilee2 and those who had devoted themselves to the especial glorification of the ,virgin ,mother did not forget that it was at her request this first miracle was accomplished3--that out of her tender and sympathetic commiseration for the apparent want1 arose her appeal to him1--not1 indeed1 as requiring anything from him1 but1 looking to him with habitual dependence on his goodness and power4 ,she simply said1 ,they have no wine6 ,he replied1 ,woman1 what have ,i to do with thee8 ,mine hour is not yet come4 ,the term woman1 thus used1 sounds harsh to us2 but in the original is a term of respect4 ,nor did ,jesus intend any denial to the mother1 whom he regarded with dutiful and pious reverence3--it was merely an intimation that he was not yet entered into the period of miraculous power4 ,he anticipated it1 however1 for her sake1 and because of her request4 ,such is the view taken of this beautiful and dramatic incident by the early theologians2 and in the same spirit it has been interpreted by the painters4 ,the ,marriage at ,cana appears very seldom in the ancient representations taken from the ,gospel4 ,all the monkish institutions then prevalent discredited marriage2 and it is clear that this distinct consecration of the rite by the presence of the ,saviour and his mother did not find favour with the early patrons of art4 ,there is an old ,greek tradition1 that the ,marriage at ,cana was that of ,john the ,evangelist4 ,in the thirteenth century1 when the passionate enthusiasm for ,mary ,magdalene was at its height1 it was a popular article of belief1 that the ,marriage which ,jesus graced with his presence was that of ,john the ,evangelist and ,mary ,magdalene2 and that immediately after the wedding feast1 ,st4 ,john and ,mary1 devoting themselves to an austere and chaste religious life1 followed ,christ1 and ministered to him4 ,as a scene in the life of ,christ1 the ,marriage at ,cana1 is of course introduced incidentally2 but even here1 such were the monastic principles and prejudices1 that ,i find it difficult to point out any very early example4 ,in the ,manual of ,greek ,art1 published by ,didron1 the rules for the representation are thus laid down3--,a table2 around it ,scribes and ,pharisees2 one holds up a cup of wine1 and seems astonished4 ,in the midst1 the bride and bridegroom are seated together4 ,the bridegroom is to have 'grey hair and a round beard 7cheveux gris et barbe arrondie72 both are to be crowned with flowers2 behind them1 a servitor4 ,christ1 the ,virgin1 and ,joseph are to be on one side1 and on the other are six jars3 the attendants are in the act of filling them with water from leathern buckets4 ,the introduction of ,joseph is quite peculiar to ,greek art2 and the more curious1 that in the list of ,greek subjects there is not one from his life1 nor in which he is a conspicuous figure4 ,on the other hand1 the astonished ruler of the feast 7the ,architriclino71 so dramatic and so necessary to the comprehension of the scene1 is scarcely ever omitted4 ,the apostles whom we may imagine to be present1 are ,peter1 ,andrew1 ,james1 and ,john4 99 99 99 99 99 ,as a separate subject1 the ,marriage at ,cana first became popular in the ,venetian school1 and thence extended to the ,lombard and ,german schools of the same period--that is1 about the beginning of the sixteenth century4 ,the most beautiful representation ,i have ever seen is a fresco1 by ,luini1 in the church of ,san ,maurizio1 at ,milan4 ,it belongs to a convent of nuns2 and ,i imagine1 from its introduction there1 that it had a mystic signification1 and referred to a divine ,sposalizio4 ,in this sense1 the treatment is perfect4 ,there are just the number of figures necessary to tell the story1 and no more4 ,it is the bride who is here the conspicuous figure1 seated in the centre1 arrayed in spotless white1 and represented as a nun about to make her profession2 for this is evidently the intended signification4 ,the bridegroom is at her side1 and near to the spectator4 ,christ1 and the ,virgin are seated together1 and appear to be conversing4 ,a man presents a cup of wine4 ,including guests and attendants1 there are only twelve figures4 ,the only fault of this exquisite and graceful composition1 is the introduction of a cat and dog in front3 we feel that they ought to have been omitted1 as giving occasion for irreverent witticisms4#a ,footnote #a3 ,this beautiful fresco1 which is seldom seen1 being behind the altar1 was in a very ruined condition when ,i saw it last in #ahee4 ,in contrast with this picture1 and as a gorgeous specimen of the ,venetian style of treatment1 we may turn to the ,marriage at ,cana in the ,louvre1 originally painted to cover one side of the refectory of the convent of ,san ,giorgio ,maggiore at ,venice1 whence it was carried off by the ,french in #agif4 ,this immense picture is about thirty-six feet in length1 and about twenty feet in height1 and contains more than a hundred figures above life-size4 ,in the centre ,christ is seated1 and beside him the ,virgin ,mother4 ,both heads are merely commonplace1 and probably portraits1 like those of the other personages at the extremity of the table4 ,on the left are seated the bride and bridegroom4 ,in the foreground a company of musicians are performing a concert2 behind the table is a balustrade1 where are seen numerous servants occupied in cutting up the viands and serving dishes1 with attendants and spectators4 ,the chief action to be represented1 the astonishing miracle performed by him at whose command the fountain blushed into wine1 is here quite a secondary matter2 and the value of the picture lies in its magnitude and variety as a composition1 and the portraits of the historical characters and remarkable personages introduced1--,francis ,i41 his queen ,eleanora of ,austria1 ,charles ,v4 and others4 ,in the group of musicians in front we recognize ,titian and ,tintoretto1 old ,bassano1 and ,paolo himself4 ,the ,marriage at ,cana1 as a refectory subject1 had been unknown till this time3 it became popular1 and ,paolo afterwards repeated it several times4 ,the most beautiful of all1 to my feeling1 is that in the ,dresden ,gallery1 where the ruler of the feast1 holding up the glass of wine with admiration1 seems to exclaim1 ,thou hast kept the good wine until now4 ,in another1 which is at ,milan1 the ,virgin turns round to the attendant1 and desires him to obey her ,son2--,whatsoever he saith unto you1 do it6 ,as the ,marriage at ,cana belongs1 as a subject1 rather to the history of ,christ1 than to that of the ,virgin his mother1 ,i shall not enter into it further here1 but proceed4 99 99 99 99 99 ,after the marriage at ,cana in ,galilee1 which may be regarded as the commencement of the miraculous mission of our ,lord1 we do not hear anything of his mother1 the ,virgin1 till the time approached when he was to close his ministry by his death4 ,she is not once referred to by name in the ,gospels until the scene of the ,crucifixion4 ,we are indeed given to understand1 that in the journeys of our ,saviour1 and particularly when he went up from ,nazareth to ,jerusalem1 the women followed and ministered to him 7,matt4 xxvii4 #ee1 ,luke1 viii4 #b73 and those who have written the life of the ,virgin for the edification of the people1 and those who have translated it into the various forms of art1 have taken it for granted that ,,she1 his mother1 could not have been absent or indifferent where others attended with affection and zeal3 but ,i do not remember any scene in which she is an actor1 or even a conspicuous figure4 ,among the carvings on the stalls at ,amiens1 there is one which represents the passage 7,matt4 xii4 #df47 wherein our ,saviour1 preaching in ,judea1 is told that his mother and his brethren stand without4 ,but he answering1 said to him that told him1 ',who is my mother8 and who are my brethren8' ,and he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples1 and said1 ',behold my mother and my brethren6' ,the composition exhibits on one side ,jesus standing and teaching his disciples2 while on the other1 through an open door1 we perceive the ,virgin and two or three others4 ,this representation is very rare4 ,the date of these stalls is the sixteenth century2 and such a group in a series of the life of the ,virgin could not1 ,i think1 have occurred in the fifteenth4 ,it would have been quite inconsistent with all the religious tendencies of that time1 to exhibit ,christ as preaching within1 while his divine and most glorious ,mother was standing without4 ,the theologians of the middle ages insist on the close and mystical relation which they assure us existed between ,christ and his mother3 however far separated1 there was constant communion between them2 and wherever he might be--in whatever acts of love1 or mercy1 or benign wisdom occupied for the good of man--there was also his mother1 present with him in the spirit4 ,i think we can trace the impress of this mysticism in some of the productions of the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries4 ,for example1 among the frescoes by ,angelico da ,fiesole in the cloisters of ,st4 ,mark1 at ,florence1 there is one of the ,transfiguration1 where the ,saviour stands glorified with arms outspread--a simple and sublime conception1--and on each side1 half figures of ,moses and ,elias3 lower down appear the ,virgin and ,st4 ,dominick4 ,there is also in the same series a fresco of the ,last ,supper as the ,eucharist1 in which the ,virgin is kneeling1 glorified1 on one side of the picture1 and appears as a partaker of the rite4 ,such a version of either subject must be regarded as wholly mystical and exceptional1 and ,i am not acquainted with any other instance4 ,,lo ,,spasimo4 ,o what avails me now that honour high1 ,to have conceived of ,god1 and that salute1 ',hail highly favoured among woman blest6 ,while ,i to sorrows am no less advanced1 ,and fears as eminent1 above the lot ,of other women by the birth ,i bore4 --,this is my favoured lot1 ,my exaltation to afflictions high4 ,,milton4 ,in the ,passion of our ,lord1 taken in connection with the life of the ,virgin ,mother1 there are three scenes in which she is associated with the action as an important1 if not a principal1 personage4 ,we are told in the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john 7chap4 xvii71 that ,christ took a solemn farewell of his disciples3 it is therefore supposed that he did not go up to his death without taking leave of his ,mother1--without preparing her for that grievous agony by all the comfort that his tender and celestial pity and superior nature could bestow4 ,this parting of ,christ and his ,mother before the ,crucifixion is a modern subject4 ,i am not acquainted with any example previous to the beginning of the sixteenth century4 ,the earliest ,i have met with is by ,albert ,durer1 in the series of the life of the ,virgin1 but there are probably examples more ancient1 or at least contemporary4 ,in ,albert ,durer's composition1 ,mary is sinking to the earth1 as if overcome with affliction1 and is sustained in the arms of two women2 she looks up with folded hands and streaming eyes to her ,son who stands before her2 he1 with one hand extended1 looks down upon her compassionately1 and seems to give her his last benediction4 ,i remember another instance1 by ,paul ,veronese1 full of that natural affectionate sentiment which belonged to the ,venetian school4 7,florence ,gal47 ,in a very beautiful picture by ,carotto of ,verona1 ,jesus kneels before his ,mother1 and receives her benediction before he departs3 this must be regarded as an impropriety1 a mistake in point of sentiment1 considering the peculiar relation between the two personages2 but it is a striking instance of the popular notions of the time respecting the high dignity of the ,virgin ,mother4 ,i have not seen it repeated4#a ,footnote #a3 ,verona1 ,san ,bernardino4 ,it is worth remarking1 with regard to this picture1 that the ,intendant of the ,convent rebuked the artist1 declaring that he had made the ,saviour show too little reverence for his ,mother1 seeing that he knelt to her on one knee only4--,see the anecdote in ,vasari1 vol4 i4 p4 #fea4 ,fl4 ,edit4 #ahch4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it appears from the ,gospel histories1 that the women who had attended upon ,christ during his ministry failed not in their truth and their love to the last4 ,in the various circumstances of the ,passion of our ,lord1 where the ,virgin ,mother figures as an important personage1 certain of these women are represented as always near her1 and sustaining her with a tender and respectful sympathy4 ,three are mentioned by name1--,mary ,magdalene2 ,mary the wife of ,cleophas2 and ,mary1 the mother of ,james and ,john4 ,martha1 the sister of ,mary ,magdalene1 is also included1 as ,i infer from her name1 which in several instances is inscribed in the nimbus encircling her head4 ,i have in another place given the story of ,martha1 and the legends which in the fourteenth century converted her into a very important character in sacred art1 7,first ,series of ,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 ,these women1 therefore1 form1 with the ,virgin1 the group of five female figures which are generally included in the scriptural scenes from the ,life of ,christ4 ,of course1 these incidents1 and more especially the ,procession to ,calvary1 and the ,crucifixion1 belong to another series of subjects1 which ,i shall have to treat hereafter in the ,history of our ,lord2 but they are also included in a series of the ,rosary1 as two of the mystical ,,sorrows2 and under this point of view ,i must draw attention to the peculiar treatment of the ,virgin in some remarkable examples1 which will serve as a guide to others4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,procession to ,calvary 7,il ,portamento della ,croce7 followed a path leading from the gate of ,jerusalem to ,mount ,calvary1 which has been kept in remembrance and sanctified as the ,via ,dolorosa1 and there is a certain spot near the summit of the hill1 where1 according to a very ancient tradition1 the ,virgin ,mother1 and the women her companions1 placed themselves to witness the sorrowful procession2 where the ,mother1 beholding her divine ,son dragged along1 all bleeding from the scourge1 and sinking under his cross1 in her extreme agony sank1 fainting1 to the earth4 ,this incident gave rise to one of the mournful festivals of the ,passion ,week1 under the title1 in ,french1 of ,notre ,dame du ,spasme or de la ,pamoison2 in ,italian ,la ,madonna dello ,spasimo1 or ,il ,pianto di ,maria2 and this is the title given to some of those representations in which the affliction of ,mary is a prominent part of the tragic interest of the scene4 ,she is sometimes sinking to the earth1 sustained by the women or by ,st4 ,john2 sometimes she stands with clasped hands1 mute and motionless with excess of anguish2 sometimes she stretches out her arms to her ,son1 as ,jesus1 sinking under the weight of his cross1 turns his benign eyes upon her1 and the others who follow him3 ,daughters of ,jerusalem1 weep not for me6 ,this is the moment chosen by ,raphael in that sublime composition celebrated under the title ,lo ,spasimo di ,sicilia 7,madrid ,gal472 so called because it was originally painted for the high altar of the church of the ,sicilian ,olivetans at ,palermo1 dedicated to the ,madonna dello ,spasimo4 ,it was thence removed1 by order of ,philip ,,iv4 of ,spain1 early in the seventeenth century1 and is now placed in the gallery at ,madrid4 ,here the group of the five women forms an important part of the picture1 occupying the foreground on the right4 ,the expression in the face of the ,mother1 stretching forth her arms to her ,son with a look of appealing agony1 has always been cited as one of the great examples of ,raphael's tragic power4 ,it is well known that in this composition the attitude of ,christ was suggested by the contemporary engraving of ,martin ,schoen2 but the prominence given to the group of women1 the dramatic propriety and pathetic grace in the action of each1 and the consummate skill shown in the arrangement of the whole1 belong only to ,raphael4#a ,in ,martin ,schoen's vivid composition1 the ,virgin1 and the women her companions1 are seen far off in the background1 crouching in the hollow way between two cliffs1 from which spot1 according to the old tradition1 they beheld the sad procession4 ,we have quite a contrary arrangement in an early composition by ,lucas van ,leyden4 ,the procession to ,calvary is seen moving along in the far distance1 while the foreground is occupied by two figures only1 ,mary in a trance of anguish sustained by the weeping ,st4 ,john4 ,footnote #a3 ,the veneration at all times entertained for this picture was probably enhanced by a remarkable fact in its history4 ,raphael painted it towards the close of the year #aeag1 and when finished1 it was embarked at the port of ,ostia1 to be consigned to ,palermo4 ,a storm came on1 the vessel foundered at sea1 and all was lost except the case containing this picture1 which was floated by the currents into the ,bay of ,genoa2 and1 on being landed1 the wondrous masterpiece of art was taken out unhurt4 ,the ,genoese at first refused to give it up1 insisting that it had been preserved and floated to their shores by the miraculous interposition of the blessed ,virgin herself2 and it required a positive mandate from the ,pope before they would restore it to the ,olivetan fathers4--,see ,passavant's ,rafael1 i4 #bib4 ,in a very fine ,portamento del ,croce1 by ,gaudenzio ,ferrari1 one of the soldiers or executioners1 in repulsing the sorrowful mother1 lifts up a stick as if to strike her2--a gratuitous act of ferocity1 which shocks at once the taste and the feelings1 and1 without adding anything to the pathos of the situation1 detracts from the religious dignity of the theme4 ,it is like the soldier kicking our ,saviour1 which ,i remember to have seen in a version of the subject by a much later painter1 ,daniele ,crespi4 ,murillo represents ,christ as fainting under the weight of the cross1 while the ,virgin sits on the ground by the way-side1 gazing on him with fixed eyes and folded hands1 and a look of unutterable anguish4#a ,footnote #a3 ,this picture1 remarkable for the intense expression1 was in the collection of ,lord ,orford1 and sold in ,june1 #ahef4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,ecce ,homo1 by ,correggio1 in our ,national ,gallery1 is treated in a very peculiar manner with reference to the ,virgin1 and is1 in fact1 another version of ,lo ,spasimo1 the fourth of her ineffable sorrows4 ,here ,christ1 as exhibited to the people by ,pilate1 is placed in the distance1 and is in all respects the least important part of the picture1 of which we have the real subject in the far more prominent figure of the ,virgin in the foreground4 ,at sight of the agony and degradation of her ,son1 she closes her eyes1 and is on the point of swooning4 ,the pathos of expression in the half-unconscious face and helpless1 almost lifeless hands1 which seem to seek support1 is particularly fine4 ,,the ,,crucifixion4 ,verum stabas1 optima ,mater1 juxta crucem ,filli tui1 non solum corpore1 sed mentis constatia4 ,this great subject belongs more particularly to the ,life of ,christ4 ,it is1 ,i observe1 always omitted in a series of the ,life of the ,virgin1 unless it be the ,rosary1 in which the ,vigil of the ,virgin by the ,cross is the fifth and greatest of the ,seven ,sorrows4 ,we cannot fail to remark1 that whether the ,crucifixion be treated as a mystery or as an event1 ,mary is always an important figure4 ,in the former case she stands alone on the right of the cross1 and ,st4 ,john on the left4#a ,she looks up with an expression of mingled grief and faith1 or bows her head upon her clasped hands in resignation4 ,in such a position she is the idealized ,mater ,dolorosa1 the ,daughter of ,jerusalem1 the personified ,church mourning for the great ,sacrifice2 and this view of the subject ,i have already discussed at length4 ,footnote #a3 ,it has been a question with the learned whether the ,virgin ,mary1 with ,st4 ,john1 ought not to stand on the left of the cross1 in allusion to ,psalm cxlii4 7always interpreted as prophetic of the ,passion of ,christ7 ver4 #d3 ,i looked on my right hand1 and be held1 but there was none who would know me4 ,on the other hand1 when the ,crucifixion is treated as a great historical event1 as a living scene acted before our eyes1 then the position and sentiment given to the ,virgin are altogether different1 but equally fixed by the traditions of art4 ,that she was present1 and near at hand1 we must presume from the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john1 who was an eye-witness2 and most of the theological writers infer that on this occasion her constancy and sublime faith were even greater than her grief1 and that her heroic fortitude elevated her equally above the weeping women and the timorous disciples4 ,this is not1 however1 the view which the modern painters have taken1 and even the most ancient examples exhibit the maternal grief for a while overcoming the constancy4 ,she is standing indeed1 but in a fainting attitude1 as if about to sink to the earth1 and is sustained in the arms of the two ,marys1 assisted1 sometimes1 but not generally1 by ,st4 ,john2 ,mary ,magdalene is usually embracing the foot of the cross4 ,with very little variation this is the visual treatment down to the beginning of the sixteenth century4 ,i do not know who was the first artist who placed the ,mother prostrate on the ground2 but it must be regarded as a fault1 and as detracting from the high religious dignity of the scene4 ,in all the greatest examples1 from ,cimabue1 ,giotto1 and ,pietro ,cavallini1 down to ,angelico1 ,masaccio1 and ,andrea ,mantegna1 and their contemporaries1 ,mary is uniformly standing4 ,in a ,crucifixion by ,martin ,schoen1 the ,virgin1 partly held up in the arms of ,st4 ,john1 embraces with fervour the foot of the cross3 a very rare and exceptional treatment1 for this is the proper place of ,mary ,magdalene4 ,in ,albert ,durer's composition1 she is just in the act of sinking to the ground in a very natural attitude1 as if her limbs had given way under her4 ,in ,tintoretto's celebrated ,crucifixion1 we have an example of the ,virgin placed on the ground1 which if not one of the earliest1 is one of the most striking of the more modern conceptions4 ,here the group at the foot of the cross is wonderfully dramatic and expressive1 but certainly the reverse of dignified4 ,mary lies fainting on the earth2 one arm is sustained by ,st4 ,john1 the other is round the neck of a woman who leans against the bosom of the ,virgin1 with eyes closed1 as if lost in grief4 ,mary ,magdalene and another look up to the crucified ,saviour1 and more in front a woman kneels wrapped up in a cloak1 and hides her face4 7,venice1 ,s4 ,rocco47 ,zani has noticed the impropriety here1 and in other instances1 of exhibiting the ,grandissima ,donna as prostrate1 and in a state of insensibility2 a style of treatment which1 in more ancient times1 would have been inadmissible4 ,the idea embodied by the artist should be that which ,bishop ,taylor has painted in words3--,by the cross stood the holy ,virgin ,mother1 upon whom old ,simeon's prophecy was now verified2 for now she felt a sword passing through her very soul4 ,she stood without clamour and womanish noises sad1 silent1 and with a modest grief1 deep as the waters of the abyss1 but smooth as the face of a pool2 full of love1 and patience1 and sorrow1 and hope6 ,to suppose that this noble creature lost all power over her emotions1 lost her consciousness of the high affliction she was called to suffer1 is quite unworthy of the grand ideal of womanly perfection here placed before us4 ,it is clear1 however1 that in the later representations1 the intense expression of maternal anguish in the hymn of the ,stabat ,mater gave the key to the prevailing sentiment4 ,and as it is sometimes easier to faint than to endure2 so it was easier for certain artists to express the pallor and prostration of insensibility1 than the sublime faith and fortitude which in that extremest hour of trial conquered even a mother's unutterable woe4 ,that most affecting moment1 in which the dying ,saviour recommends his ,mother to the care of the best beloved of his disciples1 ,i have never seen worthily treated4 ,there are1 however1 some few ,crucifixions in which ,i presume the idea to have been indicated2 as where the ,virgin stands leaning on ,st4 ,john1 with his sustaining arm reverently round her1 and both looking up to the ,saviour1 whose dying face is turned towards them4 ,there is an instance by ,albert ,durer 7the wood-cut in the ,large ,passion72 but the examples are so few as to be exceptional4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,descent ,,from ,,the ,,cross1 and the ,,deposition1 are two separate themes4 ,in the first1 according to the antique formula1 the ,virgin should stand2 for here1 as in the ,crucifixion1 she must be associated with the principal action1 and not1 by the excess of her grief1 disabled from taking her part in it4 ,in the old legend it is said1 that when ,joseph of ,arimathea and ,nicodemus wrenched out the nails which fastened the hands of our ,lord to the cross1 ,st4 ,john took them away secretly1 that his mother might not see them--affin que la ,vierge ,marie ne les veit pas1 crainte que le coeur ne lui amolist4 ,and then1 while ,nicodemus drew forth the nails which fastened his feet1 ,joseph of ,arimathea sustained the body1 so that the head and arms of the dead ,saviour hung over his shoulder4 ,and the afflicted ,mother1 seeing this1 arose on her feet and she took the bleeding hands of her ,son1 as they hung down1 and clasped them in her own1 and kissed him tenderly4 ,and then1 indeed1 she sank to the earth1 because of the great anguish she suffered1 lamenting her ,son1 whom the cruel ,jews had murdered4#a ,footnote #a3 ---- tant qu'il n'y a coeur si dur1 ni entendement d'homme qui n'y deust penser4 ',lasse1 mon confort6 m'amour et ma joye1 que les ,juifz ont faict mourir grand tort et sans cause pour ce qu'il leur monstrait leurs faltes et enseignoit leur saulvement6 ,o felons et mauvais ,juifz1 ne m'epargnez pas6 puisque vous crucifiez mon enfant crucifiez moy--moy qui suis sa dolente mere1 et me tuez d'aucune mort affin que je meure avec luy6' v4 ,the old ,french ,legend1 ,vie de ,notre-,dame la glorieuse ,vierge ,marie4 ,the first action described in this legend 7the afflicted ,mother embracing the arm of her ,son7 is precisely that which was adopted by the ,greek masters1 and by the early ,italians who followed them1 ,nicolo ,pisano1 ,cimabue1 ,giotto1 ,puccio ,capanna1 ,duccio di ,siena1 and others from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century4 ,but in later pictures1 the ,virgin in the extremity of her grief has sunk to the ground4 ,in an altar-piece by ,cigoli1 she is seated on the earth1 looking out of the picture1 as if appealing1 ,was ever sorrow like unto my sorrow8 while the crown of thorns lies before her4 ,this is very beautiful2 but even more touching is the group in the famous ,descent from the ,cross1 the masterpiece of ,daniel di ,volterra 7,rome1 ,trinit di ,monte73 here the fainting form of the ,virgin1 extended on the earth1 and the dying anguish in her face1 have never been exceeded1 and are1 in fact1 the chief merit of the picture4 ,in the famous ,descent at ,antwerp1 the masterpiece of ,rubens1 ,mary stands1 and supports the arm of her ,son as he is let down from the cross4 ,this is in accordance with the ancient version2 but her face and figure are the least effective part of this fine picture4 ,in a beautiful small composition1 a print1 attributed to ,albert ,durer1 there are only three figures4 ,joseph of ,arimathea stands on a ladder1 and detaches from the cross the dead form of the ,saviour1 who is received into the arms of his ,mother4 ,this is a form of the ,mater ,dolorosa which is very uncommon1 and must be regarded as exceptional1 and ideal1 unless we are to consider it as a study and an incomplete group4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,,deposition is properly that moment which succeeds the ,,descent from the ,cross2 when the dead form of ,christ is deposed or laid upon the ground1 resting on the lap of his ,mother1 and lamented by ,st4 ,john1 the ,magdalene1 and others4 ,the ideal and devotional form of this subject1 styled a ,piet1 may be intended to represent one of those festivals of the ,passion ,week which commemorate the participation of the holy ,virgin ,mother in the sufferings of her ,son4#a ,i have already spoken at length of this form of the ,mater ,dolorosa2 the historical version of the same subject is what we have now to consider1 but only so far as regards the figure of the ,virgin4 ,footnote #a3 ,c'est ce que l'on a jug propos d'appeler ,la ,compassion de la ,vierge1 autrement ,notre ,dame de ,piti4--,vide ,baillet1 ,les ,ftes ,mobiles4 ,in a ,deposition thus dramatically treated1 there are always from four to six or eight figures4 ,the principal group consists of the dead ,saviour and his ,mother4 ,she generally holds him embraced1 or bends over him contemplating his dead face1 or lays her cheek to his with an expression of unutterable grief and love3 in the antique conception she is generally fainting2 the insensibility1 the sinking of the whole frame through grief1 which in the ,crucifixion is misplaced1 both in regard to the religious feeling and the old tradition1 is here quite proper4#a ,thus she appears in the genuine ,greek and ,greco-,italian productions of the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries1 as well as in the two finest examples that could be cited in more modern times4 ,footnote #a3 ,the reason given is curious3--,perch quando ,ges pareva tormentato essendo vivo1 il dolore si partiva fr la santissima madre e lui2 ma quando poi egli era morto1 tutto il dolore rimaneva per la sconsolata madre4 #a4 ,in an exquisite composition by ,raphael1 usually styled a ,piet1 but properly a ,deposition1 there are six figures3 the extended form of ,christ2 the ,virgin swooning in the arms of ,mary ,salome and ,mary ,cleophas2 ,mary ,magdalene sustains the feet of ,christ1 while her sister ,martha raises the veil of the ,virgin1 as if to give her air2 ,st4 ,john stands by with clasped hands2 and ,joseph of ,arimathea looks on the sorrowing group with mingled grief and pity4#a ,footnote #a3 ,this wonderful drawing 7there is no finished picture7 was in the collection of ,count ,fries1 and then belonged to ,sir ,t4 ,lawrence4 ,there is a good engraving by ,agricola4 #b4 ,another1 an admirable and celebrated composition by ,annibale ,caracci1 known as the ,four ,marys1 omits ,martha and ,st4 ,john4 ,the attention of ,mary ,magdalene is fixed on the dead ,saviour2 the other two ,marys are occupied by the fainting ,mother4 7,castle ,howard47 ,on comparing this with ,raphael's conception1 we find more of common nature1 quite as much pathos1 but in the forms less of that pure poetic grace1 which softens at once1 and heightens the tragic effect4 ,besides ,joseph of ,arimathea1 we have sometimes ,nicodemus2 as in the very fine ,deposition by ,perugino1 and in one1 not loss fine1 by ,albert ,durer4 ,in a ,deposition by ,ambrogio ,lorenzetti1 ,lazarus1 whom ,jesus raised from the dead1 stands near his sister ,martha4 ,in a picture by ,vandyke1 the ,mother closes the eyes of the dead ,redeemer3 in a picture by ,rubens1 she removes a thorn from his wounded brow3--both natural and dramatic incidents very characteristic of these dramatic painters4 ,there are some fine examples of this subject in the old ,german school4 ,in spite of ungraceful forms1 quaint modern costumes1 and worse absurdities1 we often find motifs1 unknown in the ,italian school1 most profoundly felt1 though not always happily expressed1 ,i remember several instances in which the ,madonna does not sustain her ,son2 but kneeling on one side1 and1 with clasped hands1 she gazes on him with a look1 partly of devotion1 partly of resignation2 both the devotion and the resignation predominating over the maternal grief4 ,i have been asked1 why no painter has ever yet represented the ,great ,mother as raising her hands in thankfulness that her ,son had drank the cup--had finished the work appointed for him on earth8 ,this would have been worthy of the religions significance of the moment2 and ,i recommend the theme to the consideration of artists4#a ,footnote #a3 ,in the most modern ,deposition ,i have seen 7one of infinite beauty1 and new in arrangement1 by ,paul ,delaroche71 the ,virgin1 kneeling at some distance1 and a little above1 contemplates her dead ,son4 ,the expression and attitude are those of intense anguish1 and only anguish4 ,it is the bereaved ,mother2 it is a craving desolation1 which is in the highest degree human and tragic2 but it is not the truly religious conception4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the entombment follows1 and when treated as a strictly historical scene1 the ,virgin ,mother is always introduced1 though here as a less conspicuous figure1 and one less important to the action4 ,either she swoons1 which is the ancient ,greek conception2 or she follows1 with streaming eyes and clasped hands1 the pious disciples who bear the dead form of her ,son1 as in ,raphael's wonderful picture in the ,borghese ,palace1 and ,titian's1 hardly less beautiful1 in the ,louvre1 where the compassionate ,magdalene sustains her veiled and weeping figure2--or she stands by1 looking on disconsolate1 while the beloved ,son is laid in the tomb4 99 99 99 99 99 ,all these fine and important themes belong properly to a series of the ,history of ,christ4 ,in a series of the ,life of the ,virgin1 the incidents of the ,passion of our ,lord are generally omitted2 whereas1 in the cycle of subjects styled the ,,rosary1 the ,bearing of the ,cross1 the ,crucifixion1 and the ,deposition1 are included in the fourth and fifth of the ,sorrowful ,mysteries4 ,i shall have much more to say on these subjects when treating of the artistic representations from the ,history of ,christ4 ,i will only add here1 that their frequency as separate subjects1 and the preminence given to the figure of the ,virgin as the mother of ,pity1 are very suggestive and affecting when we come to consider their intention as well as their significance4 ,for1 in the first place1 they were in most instances the votive offerings of those who had lost the being most dear to them1 and thus appealed so the divine compassion of her who had felt that sword pierce through her own heart also4 ,in this sense they were often suspended as memorials in the chapels dedicated to the dead1 of which ,i will cite one very beautiful and touching example4 ,there is a votive ,deposition by ,giottino1 in which the general conception is that which belonged to the school1 and very like ,giotto's ,deposition in the ,arena at ,padua4 ,the dead ,christ is extended on a white shroud1 and embraced by the ,virgin2 at his feet kneels the ,magdalene1 with clasped hands and flowing hair2 ,mary ,salome kisses one of his hands1 and ,martha 7as ,i suppose7 the other2 the third ,mary1 with long hair1 and head dropping with grief1 is seated in front to the right4 ,in the background1 in the centre1 stands ,st4 ,john1 bending over the group in profound sorrow2 on his left hand ,joseph of ,arimathea stands with the vase of spices and ointments1 and the nails2 near him ,nicodemus4 ,on the right of ,st4 ,john kneels a beautiful young girl1 in the rich ,florentine costume1 who1 with a sorrowful earnestness and with her hands crossed over her bosom1 contemplates the dead ,saviour4 ,st4 ,romeo 7or ,san ,remigio7 patron of the church in which the picture was dedicated1 lays his hand paternally on her head2 beside her kneels a ,benedictine nun1 who in the game manner is presented by ,st4 ,benedict4 ,these two females1 sisters perhaps1 are the bereaved mourners who dedicated the picture1 certainly one of the finest of the ,giottesque school4#a ,footnote #a3 ,it is now in the gallery of the ,uffizii1 at ,florence4 ,in the ,florentine edition of ,vasari the name of the church in which this picture was originally placed is called ,san ,romeo1 who is ,st4 ,remi 7or ,remigio71 ,bishop of ,reims4 ,the painter1 ,giottino1 the greatest and the most interesting1 personally1 of the ,giottesque artists1 was1 as ,vasari says1 of a melancholy temperament1 and a lover of solitude2 more desirous of glory than of gain2 contented with little1 and thinking more of serving and gratifying others than of himself2 taking small care for himself1 and perpetually engrossed by the works he had undertaken4 ,he died of consumption1 in #acef1 at the age of thirty two4 ,secondly1 we find that the associations left in the minds of the people by the expeditions of the ,crusaders and the pilgrimages to the ,holy ,sepulchre1 rendered the ,deposition and the ,entombment particularly popular and impressive as subjects of art1 even down to a late period4 ,ce que la vaillante pe des ayeux avait glorieusement defendu1 le ciscaux des enfans aimait le rproduire1 leur pit l'honorer4 ,i think we may trace these associations in many examples1 particularly in a ,deposition by ,raphael1 of which there is a fine old engraving4 ,here1 in the centre1 stands a circular building1 such as the church at ,jerusalem was always described2 in front of which are seen the fainting ,virgin and the mournful women3 a grand and solemn group1 but poetically rather than historically treated4 99 99 99 99 99 ,in conclusion1 ,i must notice one more form of the ,mater ,dolorosa1 one of the dramatic conceptions of the later schools of art2 as far as ,i knew1 there exist no early examples4 ,in a picture by ,guercino 7,louvre71 the ,virgin and ,st4 ,peter lament the death of the ,saviour4 ,the ,mother1 with her clasped hands resting on her knees1 appears lost in resigned sorrow3 she mourns her ,son4 ,peter1 weeping1 as with a troubled grief1 seems to mourn at once his ,lord and ,master1 and his own weak denial4 ,this picture has the energetic feeling and utter want of poetic elevation which generally characterized ,guercino4 ,there is a similar group by ,ludovico ,caracci in the ,duonio at ,bologna4 ,in a picture by ,tiarini1 the ,madre ,addolorata is seated1 holding in her hand the crown of thorns2 ,mary ,magdalene kneels before her1 and ,st4 ,john stands by--both expressing the utmost veneration and sympathy4 ,these and similar groups are especially to be found in the later ,bologna school4 ,in all the instances known to me1 they have been painted for the ,dominicans1 and evidently intended to illustrate the sorrows of the ,rosary4 ,in one of the services of the ,passion ,week1 and in particular reference to the maternal anguish of the ,virgin1 it was usual to read1 as the ,epistle1 a selection from the first chapter of the ,lamentations of ,jeremiah1 eloquent in the language of desolation and grief4 ,the painters seemed to have filled their imagination with the images there presented2 and frequently in the ideal ,piet the daughter of ,jerusalem sits solitary1 with none to comfort her4 ,it is the contrary in the dramatic version3 the devotion of the women1 the solicitude of the affectionate ,magdalene1 and the filial reverence of ,st4 ,john1 whom the scriptural history associates with the ,virgin in a manner so affecting1 are never forgotten4 ,in obedience to the last command of his dying ,master1 ,john the ,evangelist-- ,he1 into whose keeping1 from the cross1 ,the mighty charge was given-- ,,dante4 conducted to his own dwelling the ,mother to whom he was henceforth to be as a ,son4 ,this beautiful subject1 ,john conducting the ,virgin to his home1 was quite unknown1 as far as ,i am aware1 in the earlier schools of art1 and appears first in the seventeenth century4 ,an eminent instance is a fine solemn group by ,zurbaran4 7,munich47 ,christ was laid in the sepulchre by night1 and here1 in the gray dawn1 ,john and the veiled ,virgin are seen as returning from the entombment1 and walking mournfully side by side4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we find the peculiar relation between the ,mother of ,christ and ,st4 ,john1 as her adopted son1 expressed in a very tender and ideal manner1 on one of the wings of an altar-piece1 attributed to ,taddeo ,gaddi4 7,berlin ,gal41 ,no4 #ajha47 ,mary and ,st4 ,john stand in front2 he holds one of her hands clasped in both his own1 with a most reverent and affectionate expression4 ,christ1 standing between them1 lays one hand on the shoulder of each2 the sentiment of this group is altogether very unusual2 and very remarkable4 ,,historical ,,subjects ,,part ,,iv4 ,,the ,,life ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,mary ,,from ,,the ,,resurrection ,,of ,,our ,,lord ,,to ,,the ,,assumption4 #a4 ,,the ,,apparition ,,of ,,christ ,,to ,,his ,,mother4 #b4 ,,the ,,ascension4 #c4 ,,the ,,descent ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost4 #d4 ,,the ,,death ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 #e4 ,,the ,,assumption ,,and ,,coronation4 ,,the ,,apparition ,,of ,,christ ,,to ,,his ,,mother4 ,the enthusiastic and increasing veneration for the ,madonna1 the large place she filled in the religious teaching of the ecclesiastics and the religious sentiments of the people1 are nowhere more apparent1 nor more strikingly exhibited1 than in the manner in which she was associated with the scenes which followed the ,passion2--the manner in which some incidents were suggested1 and treated with a peculiar reference to her1 and to her maternal feelings4 ,it is nowhere said that the ,virgin ,mother was one of the ,marys who visited the tomb on the morning of the resurrection1 and nowhere is she so represented4 ,but out of the human sympathy with that bereaved and longing heart1 arose the beautiful legend of the interview between ,christ and his ,mother after he had risen from the dead4 ,there existed a very ancient tradition 7it is mentioned by ,st4 ,ambrose in the fourth century1 as being then generally accepted by ,christians71 that ,christ1 after his return from ,hades1 visited his ,mother even before he appeared to ,mary ,magdalene in the garden4 ,it is not indeed so written in the ,gospel2 but what of that8 ,the reasoning which led to the conclusion was very simple4 ,he whose last earthly thought was for his ,mother would not leave her without that consolation it was in his power to give2 and what1 as a son1 it was his duty to do 7for the humanity of ,christ is never forgotten by those who most intensely believed in his divinity17 that1 of course1 he did do4 ,the story is thus related3--,mary1 when all was finished1 retired to her chamber1 and remained alone with her grief--not wailing1 not repining1 not hopeless1 but waiting for the fulfilment of the promise4 ,open before her lay the volume of the prophecies2 and she prayed earnestly1 and she said1 ,thou1 didst promise1 ,o my most dear ,son6 that thou wouldst rise again on the third day4 ,before yesterday was the day of darkness and bitterness1 and1 behold1 this is the third day4 ,return then to me thy ,mother2 ,o my ,son1 tarry not1 but come6 ,and while thus she prayed1 lo6 a bright company of angels1 who entered waving their palms and radiant with joy2 and they surrounded her1 kneeling and singing the triumphant ,easter hymn1 ,regina ,coeli ltare1 ,alleluia6#a ,and then came ,christ partly clothed in a white garment1 having in his left hand the standard of the cross1 as one just returned from the nether world1 and victorious over the powers of sin and death4 ,and with him came the patriarchs and prophets1 whose long-imprisoned spirits he had released from ,hades4#b ,all these knelt before the ,virgin1 and saluted her1 and blessed her1 and thanked her1 because through her had come their deliverance4 ,but1 for all this1 the ,mother was not comforted till she had heard the voice of her ,son4 ,then he1 raising his hand in benediction1 spoke and said1 ,i salute thee1 ,o my ,mother6 and she1 weeping tears of joy1 responded1 ,is it thou indeed1 my most dear ,son8 and she fell upon his neck1 and he embraced her tenderly1 and showed her the wounds he had received for sinful man4 ,then he bid her be comforted and weep no more1 for the pain of death had passed away1 and the gates of hell had not prevailed against him4 ,and she thanked him meekly on her knees1 for that he had been pleased to bring redemption to man1 and to make her the humble instrument of his great mercy4 ,and they sat and talked together1 until he took leave of her to return to the garden1 and to show himself to ,mary ,magdalene1 who1 next to his glorious ,mother1 had most need of consolation4#c ,footnote #a3 ,regina ,coeli ltare ,alleluia6 ,quia quem meruisti portare1 ,alleluia6 ,resurrexit sicut dixit1 ,alleluia6 ,ora pro nobis ,deum1 ,alleluia6 ,footnote #b3 ,the legend of the ,descent into ,hades 7or limbo71 often treated of in art1 will be given at length in the ,history of our ,lord4 ,footnote #c3 ,i have given the legend from various sources2 but there is something quite untranslatable and perfectly beautiful in the navet of the old ,italian version4 ,after describing the celestial music of the angels1 the rejoicing of the liberated patriarchs1 and the appearance of ,christ1 allegro1 e bello e tutto lucido1 it thus proceeds3 ,quando ella lo vidde1 gli and incontro ella ancora con le braccia aperte1 e quasi tramortita per l'allegrazza4 ,il benedetto ,ges l'abbraccio teneressimamente1 ed ella glidesse2 ',ahi1 figliuolo mio cordialissimo1 sei tu veramente il mio ,ges1 pur m'inganna l'affetto6' ',io sono il tuo figliuolo1 madre mia1 dolcissima1' disse il ,signore3 'cessino hormai le tue lagrime1 non fare ch'io ti veda pi di mala voglia1 ,gi son finiti li tuoi e li miei travagli e dolori insieme6' ,erano rimase alcune lagrime negli occhi della ,vergine4444 e per la grande allegrezza non poteva proferire parola alcuna 444 ma quando al fine pot parlare1 lo ringrazio per parte di tutto il genere humano1 per la redenzione1 operata e fatta1 per tutto generalmente4--v4 ,il ,perfetto ,legendario ,the pathetic sentiment1 and all the supernatural and mystical accompaniments of this beautiful myth of the early ages1 have been very inadequately rendered by the artists4 ,it is always treated as a plain matter-of-fact scene4 ,the ,virgin kneels2 the ,saviour1 bearing his standard1 stands before her2 and where the delivered patriarchs are introduced1 they are generally either ,adam and ,eve1 the authors of the fall or ,abraham and ,david1 the progenitors of ,christ and the ,virgin4 ,the patriarchs are omitted in the earliest instance ,i can refer to1 one of the carved panels of the stalls in the ,cathedral of ,amiens3 also in the composition by ,albert ,durer1 not included in his life of the ,virgin1 but forming one of the series of the ,passion4 ,guido has represented the scene in a very fine picture1 wherein an angel bears the standard of victory1 and behind our ,saviour are ,adam and ,eve4 7,dresden ,gal47 ,another example1 by ,guercino 7,cathedral1 ,cento71 is cited by ,goethe as an instance of that excellence in the expression of the natural and domestic affections which characterized the painter4 ,mary kneels before her ,son1 looking up in his face with unutterable affection2 he regards her with a calm1 sad look1 as if within his noble soul there still remained the recollection of his sufferings and hers1 outliving the pang of death1 the descent into the grave1 and which the resurrection had not yet dispelled4 ,this1 however1 is not the sentiment1 at once affectionate and joyously triumphant1 of the old legend4 ,i was pleased with a little picture in the ,lichtenstein ,gallery at ,vienna1 where the risen ,saviour1 standing before his ,mother1 points to the page of the book before her1 as if he said1 ,see you not that thus it is written8 7,luke xxiv4 #df47 ,behind ,jesus is ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist bearing the cup and the cross1 as the cup of sorrow and the cross of pain1 not the mere emblems4 ,there is another example1 by one of the ,caracci1 in the ,fitzwilliam ,collection at ,cambridge4 ,a picture by ,albano of this subject1 in which ,christ comes flying or floating on the air1 like an incorporeal being1 surrounded by little fluttering cherubim1 very much like ,cupids1 is an example of all that is most false and objectionable in feeling and treatment4 7,florence1 ,pitti ,pal47 ,the popularity of this scene in the ,bologna school of art arose1 ,i think1 from its being adopted as one of the subjects from the ,rosary1 the first of the five ,glorious ,mysteries2 therefore especially affected by the ,dominicans1 the great patrons of the ,caracci at that time4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,,ascension1 though one of the ,glorious ,mysteries1 was also accounted as the seventh and last of the sorrows of the ,virgin1 for she was then left alone on earth4 ,all the old legends represent her as present on this occasion1 and saying1 as she followed with uplifted eyes the soaring figure of ,christ1 ,my ,son1 remember me when thou comest to thy kingdom6 ,leave me not long after thee1 my ,son6 ,in ,giotto's composition in the chapel of the ,arena1 at ,padua1 she is by far the most prominent figure4 ,in almost all the late pictures of the ,ascension1 she is introduced with the other ,marys1 kneeling on one side1 or placed in the centre among the apostles4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,,descent ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,ghost is a strictly scriptural subject4 ,i have heard it said that the introduction of ,mary is not authorized by the scripture narrative4 ,i must observe1 however that1 without any wringing of the text for an especial purpose1 the passage might be so interpreted4 ,in the first chapter of the ,acts 7ver4 #ad71 after enumerating the apostles by name1 it is added1 ,these all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication1 with the women and ,mary the mother of ,jesus1 and with his brethren4 ,and in the commencement of the second chapter the narrative thus proceeds3 ,and when the day of ,pentecost was fully come1 they were all with one accord in one place4 ,the word all is1 in the ,concordance1 referred to the previous text 7ver4 #ad71 as including ,mary and the women3 thus they who were constant in their love were not refused a participation in the gifts of the ,spirit4 ,mary1 in her character of the divine ,mother of ,wisdom1 or even ,wisdom herself1#a did not1 perhaps1 need any accession of intellectual light2 but we must remember that the ,holy ,spirit was the ,comforter1 as well as the ,giver of wisdom2 therefore1 equally needed by those1 whether men or women1 who were all equally called upon to carry out the ministry of ,christ in love and service1 in doing and in suffering4 ,footnote #a3 ,the sublime eulogium of ,wisdom 7,prov4 viii4 #bb71 is1 in the ,roman ,catholic ,church1 applied to the ,virgin ,mary4 ,in the account of the apostles ,i have already described at length the various treatment and most celebrated examples of this subject1 and shall only make one or two observations with especial reference to the figure of the ,virgin4 ,it was in accordance with the feelings and convictions prevalent in the fifteenth century1 that if ,mary were admitted to be present1 she would take the principal place1 as ,queen and ,mother of the ,apostles 7,regina et ,mater ,apostolorum74 ,she is1 therefore1 usually placed either in front1 or in the centre on a raised seat or dais2 and often holding a book 7as the ,mater ,sapienti72 and she receives the divine affusion either with veiled lids and meek rejoicing2 or with uplifted eyes1 as one inspired1 she pours forth the hymn1 ,veni1 ,sancte ,spiritus4 ,i agree with the critics that1 as the ,spirit descended in form of cloven tongues of fire1 the emblem of the ,dove1 almost always introduced1 is here superfluous1 and1 indeed1 out of place4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i must mention here another subject altogether apocryphal1 and confined to the late ,spanish and ,italian schools3 ,the ,virgin receives the sacramental wafer from the hand of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist4 ,this is frequently misunderstood1 and styled the ,communion of ,mary ,magdalene4 ,but the long hair and uncovered head of the ,magdalene1 and the episcopal robe of ,st4 ,maximin1 are in general distinguishable from the veiled matronly head of the ,virgin ,mother1 and the deacon's vest of ,st4 ,john4 ,there is also a legend that ,mary received baptism from ,st4 ,peter2 but this is a subject ,i have never met with in art1 ancient or modern4 ,it may possibly exist4 ,i am not acquainted with any representations taken from the sojourn on earth of the ,blessed ,virgin from this time to the period of her death1 the date of which is uncertain4 ,it is1 however1 generally supposed to have taken place in the forty-eighth year of our era1 and about eleven years after the ,crucifixion1 therefore in her sixtieth year4 ,there is no distinct record1 either historical or legendary1 as to the manner in which she passed these years4 ,there are1 indeed1 floating traditions alluded to by the early theological writers1 that when the first persecution broke out at ,jerusalem1 ,mary accompanied ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist to ,ephesus1 and was attended thither by the faithful and affectionate ,mary ,magdalene4 ,also that she dwelt for some time on ,mount ,carmel1 in an oratory erected there by the prophet ,elijah1 and hence became the patroness of the ,carmelites1 under the title of ,our ,lady of ,mount ,carmel 7,la ,madonna del ,carmine1 or del ,carmelo74 ,if there exist any creations of the artists founded on these obscure traditions1 which is indeed most probable1 particularly in the edifices of the ,carmelites in ,spain1 ,i have not met with them4 99 99 99 99 99 ,it is related that before the apostles separated to obey the command of their divine ,master1 and preach the gospel to all the nations of the earth1 they took a solemn leave of the ,virgin ,mary1 and received her blessing4 ,this subject has been represented1 though not by any distinguished artist4 ,i remember such a picture1 apparently of the sixteenth century1 in the ,church of ,s4 ,maria-in-,capitolio at ,cologne1 and another1 by ,bissoni1 in the ,san ,giustina at ,padua4 7,sacred and ,legendary ,art47 ,,the ,,death ,,and ,,assumption ,of ,,the ,,virgin ,lat4 ,dormitio1 ,pausatio1 ,transitus1 ,assumptio1 ,b4 ,virginis4 ,ital4 ,il ,transito di ,maria4 ,il ,sonno della ,beata ,vergine4 ,l' ,assunzione4 ,fr4 ,la ,mort de la ,vierge4 ,l',assomption4 ,ger4 ,das ,absterben der ,maria4 ,maria ,himmelfahrt4 ,august1 #ac1 #ae4 ,we approach the closing scenes4 ,of all the representations consecrated to the glory of the ,virgin1 none have been more popular1 more multiplied through every form of art1 and more admirably treated1 than her death and apotheosis4 ,the latter in particular1 under the title of the ,assumption1 became the visible expression of a dogma of faith then universally received--namely1 the exaltation and deification of the ,virgin in the body as well as in the spirit4 ,as such it meets us at every turn in the edifices dedicated to her2 in painting over the altar1 in sculpture over the portal1 or gleaming upon us in light from the shining many-coloured windows4 ,sometimes the two subjects are combined1 and the death-scene 7,il transito di ,maria7 figured below1 is1 in fact1 only the transition to the blessedness and exaltation figured above4 ,but whether separate or combined1 the two scenes1 in themselves most beautiful and touching1--the extremes of the mournful and the majestic1 the dramatic and the ideal1--offered to the medieval artists such a breadth of space for the exhibition of feeling and fancy as no other subject afforded4 ,consequently1 among the examples handed down to us1 are to be found some of the most curious and important relics of the early schools1 while others rank among the grandest productions of the best ages of art4 ,for the proper understanding of these1 it is necessary to give the old apocryphal legend at some length2 for1 although the very curious and extravagant details of this legend were not authorized by the ,church as matters of fact or faith1 it is clear that the artists were permitted thence to derive their materials and their imagery4 ,in what manner they availed themselves of this permission1 and how far the wildly poetical circumstances with which the old tradition was gradually invested1 were allowed to enter into the forms of art1 we shall afterwards consider4 ,,the ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,death ,,and ,,assumption ,,of ,,the ,,most ,,glorious ,,virgin ,,mary4 ,mary dwelt in the house of ,john upon ,mount ,sion looking for the fulfilment of the promise of deliverance1 and she spent her days in visiting those places which had been hallowed by the baptism1 the sufferings1 the burial and resurrection of her divine ,son1 but more particularly the tomb wherein he was laid4 ,and she did not this as seeking the living among the dead1 but for consolation and for remembrance4 ,and on a certain day2 the heart of the ,virgin1 being filled with an inexpressible longing to behold her ,son1 melted away within her1 and she wept abundantly4 ,and lo6 an angel appeared before her clothed in light as with a garment4 ,and he saluted her1 and said1 ,hail1 ,o ,mary6 blessed by him who hath given salvation to ,israel ,i bring thee here a branch of palm gathered in ,paradise2 command that it be carried before thy bier in the day of thy death2 for in three days they soul shall leave thy body1 and though shalt enter into ,paradise1 where thy ,son awaits thy coming4 ,mary1 answering1 said1 ,if ,i have found grace in thy eyes1 tell me first what is thy name2 and grant that the apostles my brethren may be reunited to me before ,i die1 that in their presence ,i may give up my soul to ,god4 ,also1 ,i pray thee1 that my soul1 when delivered from my body1 may not be affrighted by any spirit of darkness1 nor any evil angel be allowed to have any power over me4 ,and the angel said1 ,why dost thou ask my name8 ,my name is the ,great and the ,wonderful4 ,and now doubt not that all the apostles shall be reunited1 to thee this day2 for he who in former times transported the prophet ,habakkuk from ,judea to ,jerusalem by the hair of his head1 can as easily bring hither the apostles4 ,and fear thou not the evil spirit1 for hast thou not bruised his head and destroyed his kingdom8 ,and having said these words1 the angel departed into heaven2 and the palm branch which he had left behind him shed light from every leaf1 and sparkled as the stars of the morning4 ,then ,mary lighted1 the lamps and prepared her bed1 and waited until the hour was come4 ,and in the same instant ,john1 who was preaching at ,ephesus1 and ,peter1 who was preaching at ,antioch1 and all the other apostles who were dispersed in different parts of the world1 were suddenly caught up as by a miraculous power1 and found themselves before the door of the habitation of ,mary4 ,when ,mary saw them all assembled round her1 she blessed and thanked the ,lord1 and she placed in the hands of ,st4 ,john the shining palm1 and desired that he should bear it before her at the time of her burial4 ,then ,mary1 kneeling down1 made her prayer to the ,lord her ,son1 and the others prayed with her2 then she laid herself down in her bed and composed herself for death4 ,and ,john wept bitterly4 ,and about the third hour of the night1 as ,peter stood at the head of the bed and ,john at the foot1 and the other apostles around1 a mighty sound filled the house1 and a delicious perfume filled the chamber4 ,and ,jesus himself appeared accompanied by an innumerable company of angels1 patriarchs1 and prophets2 all these surrounded the bed of the ,virgin1 singing hymns of joy4 ,and ,jesus said to his ,mother1 ,arise1 my beloved1 mine elect6 come with me from ,lebanon1 my espoused6 receive the crown that is destined for thee6 ,and ,mary1 answering1 said1 ,my heart is ready2 for it was written of me that ,i should do thy will6 ,then all the angels and blessed spirits who accompanied ,jesus began to sing and rejoice4 ,and the soul of ,mary left her body1 and was received into the arms of her ,son2 and together they ascended into heaven4#a ,and the apostles looked up1 saying1 ,oh most prudent ,virgin1 remember us when thou comest to glory6 and the angels1 who received her into heaven1 sung these words1 ,who is this that cometh up from the wilderness leaning upon her ,beloved8 she is fairer than all the daughters of ,jerusalem4 ,footnote #a3 ,in the later ,french legend1 it is the angel ,michael who takes charge of the departing soul4 ,ecce ,dominus venit cum multitudine angelorum2 et ,jsus ,christ vint en grande compaignie d'anges2 entre lesquels estoit ,sainct ,michel1 et quand la ,vierge ,marie le veit elle dit1 ',benoist soit ,jsus ,christ car il ne m'a pas oublie4' ,quand elle eut ce dit elle rendit l'esprit1 lequel ,sainct ,michel print4 ,but the body of ,mary remained upon the earth2 and three among the virgins prepared to wash and clothe it in a shroud2 but such a glory of light surrounded her form1 that though they touched it they could not see it1 and no human eye beheld those chaste and sacred limbs unclothed4 ,then the apostles took her up reverently and placed her upon a bier1 and ,john1 carrying the celestial palm1 went before4 ,peter sung the #aadth ,psalm1 ,in exitu ,israel de ,egypto1 domus ,jacob de populo barbaro1 and the angels followed after1 also singing4 ,the wicked ,jews1 hearing these melodious voices1 ran together2 and the high-priest1 being seized with fury1 laid his hands upon the bier intending to overturn it on the earth2 but both his arms were suddenly dried up1 so that he could not move them1 and he was overcome with fear2 and he prayed to ,st4 ,peter for help1 and ,peter said1 ,have faith in ,jesus ,christ1 and his ,mother1 and thon shalt be healed2 and it was so4 ,then they went on and laid the ,virgin in a tomb in the ,valley of ,jehoshaphat4#a ,footnote #a3 ,or ,gethsemane4 ,i must observe here1 that in the genuine oriental legend1 it is ,michael the ,archangel who hews off the hands of the audacious ,jew1 which were afterwards1 at the intercession of ,st4 ,peter1 reunited to his body4 ,and on the third day1 ,jesus said to the angels1 ,what honour shall ,i confer on her who was my mother on earth1 and brought me forth8 ,and they answered1 ,lord1 suffer not that body which was thy temple and thy dwelling to see corruption2 but place her beside thee on thy throne in heaven4 ,and ,jesus consented2 and the ,archangel ,michael brought unto the ,lord1 the glorious soul of our ,lady4 ,and the ,lord said1 ,rise up1 my dove1 my undefiled1 for thou shalt not remain in the darkness of the grave1 nor shall thou see corruption2 and immediately the soul of ,mary rejoined her body1 and she arose up glorious from the tomb1 and ascended into heaven surrounded and welcomed by troops of angels1 blowing their silver trumpets1 touching their golden lutes1 singing1 and rejoicing as they sung1 ,who is she that riseth as the morning1 fair as the moon1 clear as the sun1 and terrible as an army with banners8 7,cant4 vi4 #aj47 ,but one among the apostles was absent2 and when he arrived soon after1 he would not believe in the resurrection of the ,virgin2 and this apostle was the same ,thomas1 who had formerly been slow to believe in the resurrection of the ,lord2 and he desired that the tomb should be opened before him2 and when it was opened it was found to be full of lilies and roses4 ,then ,thomas1 looking up to heaven1 beheld the ,virgin bodily1 in a glory of light1 slowly mounting towards the heaven2 and she1 for the assurance of his faith1 flung down to him her girdle1 the same which is to this day preserved in the cathedral of ,prato4 ,and there were present at the death of the ,virgin ,mary1 besides the twelve apostles1 ,dionysius the ,areopagite1 ,timotheus1 and ,hierotheus2 and of the women1 ,mary ,salome1 ,mary ,cleophas1#a and a faithful handmaid whose name was ,savia4 ,footnote #a3 ,according to the ,french legend1 ,mary ,magdalene and her sister ,martha were also present4 99 99 99 99 99 ,this legend of the ,death and ,assumption of the ,virgin has afforded to the artists seven distinct scenes4 #a4 ,the ,angel1 bearing the palm1 announces to ,mary her approaching death4 ,the announcing angel is usually supposed to be ,gabriel1 but it is properly ,michael1 the angel of death4 #b4 ,she takes leave of the ,apostles4 #c4 ,her ,death4 #d4 ,she is borne to the ,sepulchre4 #e4 ,her ,entombment4 #f4 ,her ,assumption1 where she rises triumphant and glorious1 like unto the morning 7quasi aurora consurgens74 #g4 ,her ,coronation in heaven1 where she takes her place beside her ,son4 ,in early art1 particularly in the ,gothic sculpture1 two or more of these subjects are generally grouped together4 ,sometimes we have the death-scene and the entombment on a line below1 and1 above these1 the coronation or the assumption1 as over the portal of ,notre ,dame at ,paris1 and in many other instances2 or we have first her death1 above this1 her assumption1 and1 above all1 her coronation2 as over the portal at ,amiens and elsewhere4 99 99 99 99 99 ,i shall now take these subjects in their order4 ,the angel announcing to ,mary her approaching death has been rarely treated4 ,in general1 ,mary is seated or standing1 and the angel kneels before her1 bearing the starry palm brought from ,paradise4 ,in the frescoes at ,orvieto1 and in the bas-relief of ,oreagna1#a the angel comes flying downwards with the palm4 ,in a predella by ,fra ,filippo ,lippi1 the angel kneels1 reverently presenting a taper1 which the ,virgin receives with majestic grace2 ,st4 ,peter stands behind4 ,it was the custom to place a taper in the hand of a dying person2 and as the palm is also given sometimes to the angel of the incarnation1 while the taper can have but one meaning1 the significance of the scene is here fixed beyond the possibility of mistake1 though there is a departure from the literal details of the old legend4 ,there is in the ,munich ,gallery a curious ,german example of this subject by ,hans ,schauffelein4 ,footnote #a3 ,on the beautiful shrine in ,or-,san-,michele1 at ,florence4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the death of the ,virgin is styled in ,byzantine and old ,italian art the ,sleep of the ,virgin1 ,il ,sonno della ,madonna2 for it was an old superstition1 subsequently rejected as heretical1 that she did not really die after the manner of common mortals1 only fell asleep till her resurrection4 ,therefore1 perhaps1 it is1 that in the early pictures we have before us1 not so much a scene or action1 as a sort of mysterious rite2 it is not the ,virgin dead or dying in her bed2 she only slumbers in preparation for her entombment2 while in the later pictures1 we have a death-bed scene with all the usual dramatic and pathetic accessories4 ,in one sense or the other1 the theme has been constantly treated1 from the earliest ages of the revival of art down to the seventeenth century4 ,in the most ancient examples which are derived from the ,greek school1 it is always represented with a mystical and solemn simplicity1 adhering closely to the old legend1 and to the formula laid down in the ,greek ,manual4 ,there is such a picture in the ,wallerstein ,collection at ,kensington ,palace4 ,the couch or bier is in the centre of the picture1 and ,mary lies upon it wrapped in a veil and mantle with closed eyes and hands crossed over her bosom4 ,the twelve apostles stand round in attitudes of grief angels attend bearing tapers4 ,behind the extended form of the ,virgin is the figure of ,christ2 a glorious red seraph with expanded wings hovers above his head4 ,he holds in his arms the soul of the ,virgin in likeness of a new-born child4 ,on each side stand ,st4 ,dionysius the ,areopagite1 and ,st4 ,timothy1 ,bishop of ,ephesas1 in episcopal robes4 ,in front1 the archangel ,michael bends forward to strike off the hands of the high-priest ,adonijah1 who had attempted to profane the bier4 7,this last circumstance is rarely expressed1 except in the ,byzantine pictures2 for in the ,italian legend1 the hands of the intruder wither and adhere to the bed or shrine47 ,in the picture just described2 all is at once simple1 and formal1 and solemn1 and supernatural2 it is a very perfect example in its way of the genuine ,byzantine treatment4 ,there is a similar picture in the ,christian museum of the ,vatican4 ,another 7the date about the first half of the fourteenth century1 as ,i think7 is curious from the introduction of the women4#a ,the ,virgin lies on an embroidered sheet held reverently by angels2 at the feet and at the head other angels bear tapers2 ,christ receives the departing soul1 which stretches out its arms2 ,st4 ,john kneels in front1 and ,st4 ,peter reads the service2 the other apostles are behind him1 and there are three women4 ,the execution of this curious picture is extremely rude1 but the heads very fine4 ,cimabue painted the ,death of the ,virgin at ,assisi4 ,there is a beautiful example by ,giotto1 where two lovely angels stand at the head and two at the feet1 sustaining the pall on which she lies2 another most exquisite by ,angelico in the ,florence ,gallery2 another most beautiful and pathetic by ,taddeo ,bartoli in the ,palazzo ,publico at ,siena4 ,footnote #a3 ,at present in the collection of ,mr4 ,bromley1 of ,wootten4 ,the custom of representing ,christ as standing by the couch or tomb of his mother1 in the act of receiving her soul1 continued down to the fifteenth century1 at least with slight deviations from the original conception4 ,the later treatment is quite different4 ,the solemn mysterious sleep1 the transition from one life to another1 became a familiar death-bed scene with the usual moving accompaniments4 ,but even while avoiding the supernatural incidents1 the ,italians gave to the representation much ideal elegance2 for instance1 in the beautiful fresco by ,ghirlandajo4 7,florence1 ,s4 ,maria-,novella47 99 99 99 99 99 ,in the old ,german school we have that homely matter-of-fact feeling1 and dramatic expression1 and defiance of all chronological propriety1 which belonged to the time and school4 ,the composition by ,albert ,durer1 in his series of the ,life of the ,virgin1 has great beauty and simplicity of expression1 and in the arrangement a degree of grandeur and repose which has caused it to be often copied and reproduced as a picture1 though the original form is merely that of a wood-cut4#a ,in the centre is a bedstead with a canopy1 on which ,mary lies fronting the spectator1 her eyes half closed4 ,on the left of the bed stands ,st4 ,peter1 habited as a bishop3 he places a taper in her dying hand2 another apostle holds the asperge with which to sprinkle her with holy water3 another reads the service4 ,in the foreground is a priest bearing a cross1 and another with incense2 and on the right1 the other apostles in attitudes of devotion and grief4 ,footnote #a3 ,there is one such copy in the ,sutherland ,gallery2 and another in the ,munich ,gallery1 ,cabinet viii4 #afa4 ,another picture by ,albert ,durer1 once in the ,fries ,gallery1 at ,vienna1 unites1 in a most remarkable manner1 all the legendary and supernatural incidents with the most intense and homely reality4 ,it appears to have been painted for the ,emperor ,maximilian1 as a tribute to the memory of his first wife1 the interesting ,maria of ,burgundy4 ,the disposition of the bed is the same as in the wood-cut1 the foot towards the spectator4 ,the face of the dying ,virgin is that of the young duchess4 ,on the right1 her son1 afterwards ,philip of ,spain1 and father of ,charles ,v41 stands as the young ,st4 ,john1 and presents the taper2 the other apostles are seen around1 most of them praying2 ,st4 ,peter1 habited as bishop1 reads from an open book 7this is the portrait of ,george ,zlatkonia1 bishop of ,vienna1 the friend and counsellor of ,maximilian72 behind him1 as one of the apostles1 ,maximilian himself1 with head bowed down1 as in sorrow4 ,three ecclesiastics are seen entering by an open door1 bearing the cross1 the censer1 and the holy water4 ,over the bed is seen the figure of ,christ2 in his arms1 the soul of the ,virgin1 in likeness of an infant with clasped hands2 and above all1 in an open glory and like a vision1 her reception and coronation in heaven4 ,upon a scroll over her head1 are the words1 ,surge propera1 amica mea2 veni de ,libano1 veni coronaberis4 7,cant4 iv4 #h47 ,three among the hovering angels bear scrolls1 on one of which is inscribed the text from the ,canticles1 ,qu est ista qu progreditur quasi aurora consurgens1 pulchra ut luna1 electa ut sol1 terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata8 7,cant4 vi4 #aj27 on another1 ,qu est ista qu ascendit de deserto deliciis affluens super dilectum suum8 7,cant4 viii4 #e27 and on the third1 ,qu est ista qu ascendit super dilectum suum ut virgula fumi8 7,cant4 iii4 #f47 ,this picture bears the date #aeah4 ,if it be true1 as is1 indeed1 most apparent1 that it was painted by order of ,maximilian nearly forty years after the loss of the young wife he so tenderly loved1 and only one year before his own death1 there is something very touching in it as a memorial4 ,the ingenious and tender compliment implied by making ,mary of ,burgundy the real object of those mystic texts consecrated to the glory of the ,,mater ,,dei1 verges1 perhaps1 on the profane2 but it was not so intended2 it was merely that combination of the pious1 and the poetical1 and the sentimental1 which was one of the characteristics of the time1 in literature1 as well as in art4 7,heller's ,albrecht ,drer p4 #bfa47 ,the picture by ,jan ,schoreel1 one of the great ornaments of the ,boissere ,gallery1#a is remarkable for its intense reality and splendour of colour4 ,the heads are full of character2 that of the ,virgin in particular1 who seems1 with half-closed eyes1 in act to breathe away her soul in rapture4 ,the altar near the bed1 having on it figures of ,moses and ,aaron1 is1 however1 a serious fault and incongruity in this fine painting4 ,footnote #a3 ,munich 7#gj74 ,the admirable lithograph by ,strixner is well known4 ,i must observe that ,mary is not always dead or dying3 she is sometimes preparing for death1 in the act of prayer at the foot of her couch1 with the apostles standing round1 as in a very fine picture by ,martin ,schaffner1 where she kneels with a lovely expression1 sustained in the arms of ,st4 ,john1 while ,st4 ,peter holds the gospel open before her4 7,munich ,gal47 ,sometimes she is sitting up in her bed1 and reading from the ,book of the ,scripture1 which is always held by ,st4 ,peter4 ,in a picture by ,cola della ,matrice1 the ,death of the ,virgin is treated at once in a mystical and dramatic style4 ,enveloped in a dark blue mantle spangled with golden stars1 she lies extended on a couch2 ,st4 ,peter1 in a splendid scarlet cope as bishop1 reads the service2 ,st4 ,john1 holding the palm1 weeps bitterly4 ,in front1 and kneeling before the coach or bier1 appear the three great ,dominican saints as witnesses of the religious mystery2 in the centre1 ,st4 ,dominick2 on the left1 ,st4 ,catherine of ,siena2 and on the right1 ,st4 ,thomas ,aquinas4 ,in a compartment above is the ,assumption4 7,rome1 ,capitol47 99 99 99 99 99 ,among the later ,italian examples1 where the old legendary accessories are generally omitted1 there are some of peculiar elegance4 ,one by ,ludovico ,caracci1 another by ,domenichino1 and a third by ,carlo ,maratti1 are treated1 if not with much of poetry or religious sentiment1 yet with great dignity and pathos4 ,i must mention one more1 because of its history and celebrity3 ,caravaggio1 of whom it was said that he always painted like a ruffian1 because he was a ruffian1 was also a genius in his way1 and for a few months he became the fashion at ,rome1 and was even patronized by some of the higher ecclesiastics4 ,he painted for the church of la ,scala in ,trastevere a picture of the ,death of the ,virgin1 wonderful for the intense natural expression1 and in the same degree grotesque from its impropriety4 ,mary1 instead of being decently veiled1 lies extended with long scattered hair2 the strongly marked features and large proportions of the figure are those of a woman of the ,trastevere4#a ,the apostles stand around2 one or two of them--,i must use the word--blubber aloud3 ,peter thrusts his fists into his eyes to keep back the tears2 a woman seated in front cries and sobs2 nothing can be more real1 nor more utterly vulgar4 ,the ecclesiastics for whom the picture was executed were so scandalized1 that they refused to hang it up in their church4 ,it was purchased by the ,duke of ,mantua1 and1 with the rest of the ,mantuan ,gallery1 came afterwards into the possession of our unfortunate ,charles ,i4 ,on the dispersion of his pictures1 it found its way into the ,louvre1 where it now is4 ,it has been often engraved4 ,footnote #a3 ,the face has a swollen look1 and it was said that his model had been a common woman whose features were swelled by intoxication4 7,louvre1 #cb47 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,apostles ,,carry ,,the ,,body ,,of ,,the ,,virgin ,,to ,,the ,,tomb4 ,this is a very uncommon subject4 ,there is a most beautiful example by ,taddeo ,bartoli 7,siena1 ,pal4 ,publico71 full of profound religious feeling4 ,there is a small engraving by ,bonasoni1 in a series of the ,life of the ,virgin1 apparently after ,parmigiano1 in which the apostles bear her on their shoulders over rocky ground1 and appear to be descending into the ,valley of ,jehoshaphat3 underneath are these lines3-- ,portan gli uomini santi in su le spalle ,al ,sepolcro il corpo di ,maria ,di ,josaphat nella famosa valle4 ,there is another picture of this subject by ,ludovico ,caracci1 at ,parma4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,entombment4 ,in the early pictures1 there is little distinction between this subject and the ,death of the ,virgin4 ,if the figure of ,christ stand over the recumbent form1 holding in his arms the emancipated soul1 then it is the ,transito--the death or sleep2 but when a sarcophagus is in the centre of the picture1 and the body lies extended above it on a sort of sheet or pall held by angels or apostles1 it may be determined that it is the ,entombment of the ,virgin after her death4 ,in a small and very beautiful picture by ,angelico1 we have distinctly this representation4#a ,she lies1 like one asleep1 on a white pall1 held reverently by the mourners4 ,they prepare to lay her in a marble sarcophagus4 ,st4 ,john1 bearing the starry palm1 appears to address a man in a doctor's cap and gown1 evidently intended for ,dionysius the ,areopagite4 ,above1 in the sky1 the soul of the ,virgin1 surrounded by most graceful angels1 is received into heaven4 ,this group is distinguished from the group below1 by being painted in a dreamy bluish tint1 like solidified light1 or like a vision4 ,footnote #a3 ,this picture1 now in the possession of ,w4 ,fuller ,maitland1 ,esq41 was exhibited in the ,british ,institution in the summer of #aheb4 ,it is engraved in the ,etruria ,pittrice4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,the ,,assumption4 ,the old painters distinguish between the ,assumption of the soul and the ,assumption of the body of the ,virgin4 ,in the first instance1 at the moment the soul is separated from the body1 ,christ receives it into his keeping1 standing in person either beside her death-bed or above it4 ,but in the ,assumption properly so called1 we have the moment wherein the soul of the ,virgin is reunited to her body1 which1 at the command of ,christ1 rises up from the tomb4 ,of all the themes of sacred art there is not one more complete and beautiful than this1 in what it represents1 and in what it suggests4 ,earth and its sorrows1 death and the grave1 are left below2 and the pure spirit of the ,mother again clothed in its unspotted tabernacle1 surrounded by angelic harmonies1 and sustained by wings of cherubim and seraphim1 soars upwards to meet her ,son1 and to be reunited to him forever4 99 99 99 99 99 ,we must consider this fine subject under two aspects4 ,the first is purely ideal and devotional2 it is simply the expression of a dogma of faith1 ,assumpta est ,maria ,virgo in ,coelum4 ,the figure of the ,virgin is seen within an almond-shaped aureole 7the mandorla71 not unfrequently crowned as well as veiled1 her hands joined1 her white robe falling round her feet 7for in all the early pictures the dress of the ,virgin is white1 often spangled with stars71 and thus she seems to cleave the air upwards1 while adoring angels surround the glory of light within which she is enshrined4 ,such are the figures which are placed in sculpture over the portals of the churches dedicated to her1 as at ,florence4#a ,she is not always standing and upright1 but seated on a throne1 placed within an aureole of light1 and borne by angels1 as over the door of the ,campo ,santo at ,pisa4 ,i am not sure that such figures are properly styled the ,assumption2 they rather exhibit in an ideal form the glorification of the ,virgin1 another version of the same idea expressed in the ,incoronata4 ,she is here ,varia ,virgo ,assumpta1 or1 in ,italian1 ,l',assunta2 she has taken upon her the glory of immortality1 though not yet crowned4 ,footnote #a3 ,the ,santa ,maria del ,fiore1--the ,duomo4 ,but when the ,assumption is presented to us as the final scene of her life1 and expresses1 as it were1 a progressive action--when she has left the empty tomb1 and the wondering1 weeping apostles on the earth below1 and rises like the morning 7quasi aurora surgens7 from the night of the grave1--then we have the ,assumption of the ,virgin in its dramatic and historical form1 the final act and consummation of her visible and earthly life4 ,as the ,church had never settled in what manner she was translated into heaven1 only pronouncing it heresy to doubt the fact itself1 the field was in great measure left open to the artists4 ,the tomb below1 the figure of the ,virgin floating in mid-air1 and the opening heavens above1 such is the general conception fixed by the traditions of art2 but to give some idea of the manner in which this has been varied1 ,i shall describe a few examples4 #a4 ,giunta ,pisano1 #abcj4 7,assisi1 ,s4 ,franceso47 ,christ and the ,virgin ascend together in a seated attitude upborne by clouds and surrounded by angels2 his arm is round her4 ,the empty tomb1 with the apostles and others1 below4 ,the idea is here taken from the ,canticles 7ch4 viii471 ,who is this that ariseth from the wilderness leaning upon her beloved8 #b4 ,andrea ,orcagna1 #acei4 7,bas-relief1 ,or-,san-,michele1 ,florence47 ,the ,virgin ,mary is seated on a rich throne within the ,mandorla1 which is borne upwards by four angels1 while two are playing on musical instruments4 ,immediately below the ,virgin1 on the right1 is the figure of ,st4 ,thomas1 with hands outstretched1 receiving the mystic girdle3 below is the entombment2 ,mary lies extended on a pall above a sarcophagus4 ,in the centre stands ,christ1 holding in his arms the emancipated soul2 he is attended by eight angels4 ,st4 ,john is at the head of the ,virgin1 and near him an angel swings a censer2 ,st4 ,james bends and kisses her hand2 ,st4 ,peter reads as usual2 and the other apostles stand round1 with ,dionysius1 ,timothy1 and ,hierotheus1 distinguished from the apostles by wearing turbans and caps4 ,the whole most beautifully treated4 ,i have been minutely exact in describing the details of this composition1 because it will be useful as a key to many others of the early ,tuscan school1 both in sculpture and painting2 for example1 the fine bas-relief by ,nanni over the south door of the ,duomo at ,florence1 represents ,st4 ,thomas in the same manner kneeling outside the aureole and receiving the girdle2 but the entombment below is omitted4 ,these sculptures were executed at the time when the enthusiasm for the ,sacratissima ,cintola della ,madonna prevailed throughout the length and breadth of ,tuscany1 and ,prato had become a place of pilgrimage4 ,this story of the ,girdle was one of the legends imported from the ,east4 ,it had certainly a ,greek origin2#a and1 according to the ,greek formula1 ,st4 ,thomas is to be figured apart in the clouds1 on the right of the ,virgin1 and in the act of receiving the girdle4 ,such is the approved arrangement till the end of the fourteenth century2 afterwards we find ,st4 ,thomas placed below among the other apostles4 ,footnote #a3 ,it may be found in the ,greek ,menologium1 iii4 p4 #bbe ,,the ,,legend ,,of ,,the ,,holy ,,girdle4 ,an account of the ,assumption would be imperfect without some notice of the western legend1 which relates the subsequent history of the ,girdle1 and its arrival in ,italy1 as represented in the frescoes of ,agnolo ,gaddi at ,prato4#a ,footnote #a3 ,notizie istoriche intorno alla ,sacratissima ,cintola di ,maria ,vergine1 che si conserva1 nella ,citt di ,prato1 dal ,dottore ,giuseppe ,bianchini di ,prato1 #agie4 ,the chapel della ,sacratissima ,cintola was erected from the designs of ,giovanni ,pisano about #acbj4 ,this most sacred relic had long been deposited under the high altar of the principal chapel1 and held in great veneration2 but in the year #acab1 a native of ,prato1 whose name was ,musciatino1 conceived the idea of carrying it off1 and selling it in ,florence4 ,the attempt was discovered2 the unhappy thief suffered a cruel death2 and the people of ,prato resolved to provide for the future custody of the precious relic a new and inviolable shrine4 ,the chapel is in the form of a parallelogram1 three sides of which are painted1 the other being separated from the choir by a bronze gate of most exquisite workmanship1 designed by ,ghiberti1 or1 as others say1 by ,brunelleschi1 and executed partly by ,simone ,donatello4 ,on the wall1 to the left as we enter1 is a series of subjects from the ,life of the ,virgin1 beginning1 as usual1 with the ,rejection of ,joachim from the temple1 and ending with the ,nativity of our ,saviour4 ,the end of the chapel is filled up by the ,assumption of the ,virgin1 the tomb being seen below1 surrounded by the apostles2 and above it the ,virgin1 as she floats into heaven1 is in the act of loosening her girdle1 which ,st4 ,thomas1 devoutly kneeling1 stretches out his arms to receive4 ,above this1 a circular window exhibits1 in stained glass1 the ,coronation of the ,virgin1 surrounded by a glory of angels4 ,on the third wall to the right we have the subsequent ,history of the ,girdle1 in six compartments4 ,st4 ,thomas1 on the eve of his departure to fulfil his mission as apostle in the far ,east1 intrusts the precious girdle to the care of one of his disciples1 who receives it from his hands in an ecstasy of amazement and devotion4 ,the deposit remains1 for a thousand years1 shrouded from the eyes of the profane2 and the next scene shows us the manner in which it reached the city of ,prato4 ,a certain ,michael of the ,dogomari family in ,prato1 joined1 with a party of his young townsmen1 the crusade in #ajif4 ,but1 instead of returning to his native country after the war was over1 this same ,michael took up the trade of a merchant1 travelling from land to land in pursuit of gain1 until he came to the city of ,jerusalem1 and lodged in the house of a ,greek priest1 to whom the custody of the sacred relic had descended from a long line of ancestry2 and this priest1 according to the custom of the oriental church1 was married1 and had one fair daughter1 and no more1 the which he loved passing well1 so well1 that he had intrusted to her care the venerable girdle4 ,now it chanced that ,michael1 lodging in the same house1 became enamoured of the maiden1 and not being able to obtain the consent of her father to their marriage1 he had recourse to the mother1 who1 moved by the tears and entreaties of the daughter1 not only permitted their union1 but bestowed on her the girdle as a dowry1 and assisted the young lovers in their flight4 ,in accordance with this story1 we have1 in the third compartment1 the ,marriage of ,michael with the ,eastern ,maiden1 and then the ,voyage from the ,holy ,land to the ,shores of ,tuscany4 ,on the deck of the vessel1 and at the foot of the mast1 is placed the casket containing the relic1 to which the mariners attribute their prosperous voyage to the shores of ,italy4 ,then ,michael is seen disembarking at ,pisa1 and1 with his casket reverently carried in his hands1 he reenters the paternal mansion in the city of ,prato4 ,then we have a scene of wonder4 ,michael is extended on his bed in profound sleep4 ,an angel at his head1 and another at his feet1 are about to lift him up2 for1 says the story1 ,michael was so jealous of his treasure1 that not only he kindled a lamp every night in its honour1 but1 fearing he should be robbed of it1 he placed it under his bed1 which action1 though suggested by his profound sense of its value1 offended his guardian angels1 who every night lifted him from his bed and placed him on the bare earth1 which nightly infliction this pious man endured rather than risk the loss of his invaluable relic4 ,but after some years ,michael fell sick and died4 ,in the last compartment we have the scene of his death4 ,the bishop ,uberto kneels at his side1 and receives from him the sacred girdle1 with a solemn injunction to preserve it in the cathedral church of the city1 and to present it from time to time for the veneration of the people1 which injunction ,uberto most piously fulfilled2 and we see him carrying it1 attended by priests bearing torches1 in solemn procession to the chapel1 in which it has ever since remained4 ,agnolo ,gaddi was but a second-rate artist1 even for his time1 yet these frescoes1 in spite of the feebleness and general inaccuracy of the drawing1 are attractive from a certain nave grace2 and the romantic and curious details of the legend have lent them so much of interest1 that1 as ,lord ,lindsay says1 when standing on the spot one really feels indisposed for criticism4#a ,footnote #a3 ,m4 ,rio is more poetical4 ,comme j'entendais raconter cette lgende pour la premire fois1 il me semblait que le tableau rflchissait une partie de la posie qu'elle renferme4 ,cet amour d'outre mer ml aux aventures chevaleresques d'une croisade1 cette relique prcieuse donne pour dot une pauvre fille1 la dvotion des deux poux pour ce gage rvr de leur bonheur1 leur dpart clandestin1 leur navigation prospre avec des dauphins qui leur font cortge la surface des eaux1 leur arrive ,prato et les miracles rpts qui1 joints une maladie mortelle1 arrachrent enfin de la bouche du moribond une dclaration publique la suite de laquelle la ceinture sacre fut dpose dans la cathdrale1 tout ce mlange de passion romanesque et de pit nave1 avait effac pour moi les imperfections techniques qui au raient pu frapper une observateur de sang-froid4 ,the exact date of the frescoes executed by ,agnolo ,gaddi is not known1 but1 according to ,vasari1 he was called to ,prato after #acdh4 ,an inscription in the chapel refers them to the year #acij1 a date too late to be relied on4 ,the story of ,michele di ,prato ,i have never seen elsewhere2 but just as the vicinity of ,cologne1 the shrine of the ,three ,kings1 had rendered the ,adoration of the ,magi one of the popular themes in early ,german and ,flemish art2 so the vicinity of ,prato rendered the legend of ,st4 ,thomas a favourite theme of the ,florentine school1 and introduced it wherever the influence of that school had extended4 ,the fine fresco by ,mainardi1 in the ,baroncelli ,chapel1 is an instance2 and ,i must cite one yet finer1 that by ,ghirlandajo in the choir of ,s4 ,maria-,novella3 in this last-mentioned example1 the ,virgin stands erect in star-bespangled drapery and closely veiled4 ,we now proceed to other examples of the treatment of the ,assumption4 #c4 ,taddeo ,bartoli1 #adac4 ,he has represented the moment in which the soul is reunited to the body4 ,clothed in a starry robe she appears in the very act and attitude of one rising up from a reclining position1 which is most beautifully expressed1 as if she were partly lifted up upon the expanded many-coloured wings of a cluster of angels1 and partly drawn up1 as it were1 by the attractive power of ,christ1 who1 floating above her1 takes her clasped hands in both his4 ,the intense1 yet tender ecstasy in her face1 the mild spiritual benignity in his1 are quite indescribable1 and fix the picture in the heart and the memory as one of the finest religious conceptions extant4 7,siena1 ,palazzo ,publico47 ,i imagine this action of ,christ taking her hands in both his1 must be founded on some ancient ,greek model1 for ,i have seen the same motif in other pictures1 ,german and ,italian2 but in none so tenderly or so happily expressed4 #d4 ,domenico di ,bartolo1 #adcj4 ,a large altar-piece4 ,mary seated on a throne1 within a glory of encircling cherubim of a glowing red1 and about thirty more angels1 some adoring1 others playing on musical instruments1 is borne upwards4 ,her hands are joined in prayer1 her head veiled and crowned1 and she wears a white robe1 embroidered with golden flowers4 ,above1 in the opening heaven1 is the figure of ,christ1 young and beardless 7 l'antique71 with outstretched arms1 surrounded by the spirits of the blessed4 ,below1 of a diminutive size1 as if seen from a distant height1 is the tomb surrounded by the apostles1 ,st4 ,thomas holding the girdle4 ,this is one of the most remarkable and important pictures of the ,siena school1 out of ,siena1 with which ,i am acquainted4 7,berlin ,gal41 #aabb47 #e4 ,ghirlandajo1 #adge4 ,the ,virgin stands in star-spangled drapery1 with a long white veil1 and hands joined1 as she floats upwards4 ,she is sustained by four seraphim4 7,florence1 ,s4 ,maria-,novella47 #f4 ,raphael1 #aeaf4 ,the ,virgin is seated within the horns of a crescent moon1 her hands joined4 ,on each side an angel stands bearing a flaming torch2 the empty tomb and the eleven apostles below4 ,this composition is engraved after ,raphael by an anonymous master 7,le ,maitre au d74 ,it is majestic and graceful1 but peculiar for the time4 ,the two angels1 or rather genii1 bearing torches on each side1 impart to the whole something of the air of a heathen apotheosis4 #g4 ,albert ,durer4 ,the apostles kneel or stand round the empty tomb2 while ,mary1 soaring upwards1 is received into heaven by her ,son2 an angel on each side4 #h4 ,gaudenzio ,ferrari1 #aebe4 ,mary1 in a white robe spangled with stars1 rises upward as if cleaving the air in an erect position1 with her hands extended1 but not raised1 and a beautiful expression of mild rapture1 as if uttering the words attributed to her1 ,my heart is ready2 many angels1 some of whom bear tapers1 around her4 ,one angel presents the end of the girdle to ,st4 ,thomas2 the other apostles and the empty tomb lower down4 7,vercelli1 ,s4 ,cristofore47 #i4 ,correggio4 ,cupola of the ,duomo at ,parma1 #aecj4 ,this is1 perhaps1 one of the earliest instances of the ,assumption applied as a grand piece of scenic decoration2 at all events we have nothing in this luxuriant composition of the solemn simplicity of the older conception4 ,in the highest part of the ,cupola1 where the strongest light falls1 ,christ1 a violently foreshortened figure1 precipitates himself downwards to meet the ascending ,madonna1 who1 reclining amid clouds1 and surrounded by an innumerable company of angels1 extends her arms towards him4 ,one glow of heavenly rapture is diffused over all2 but the scene is vast1 confused1 almost tumultuous4 ,below1 all round the dome1 as if standing on a balcony1 appear the apostles4 #aj4 ,titian1 #aedj 7about74 ,in the ,assumption at ,venice1 a picture of world-wide celebrity1 and1 in its way1 of unequalled beauty1 we have another signal departure from all the old traditions4 ,the noble figure of the ,virgin in a flood of golden light is borne1 or rather impelled1 upwards with such rapidity1 that her veil and drapery are disturbed by the motion4 ,her feet are uncovered1 a circumstance inadmissible in ancient art2 and her drapery1 instead of being white1 is of the usual blue and crimson1 her appropriate colours in life4 ,her attitude1 with outspread arms--her face1 not indeed a young or lovely face1 but something far better1 sublime and powerful in the expression of rapture--the divinely beautiful and childish1 yet devout1 unearthly little angels around her--the grand apostles below--and the splendour of colour over all--render this picture an enchantment at once to the senses and the imagination2 to me the effect was like music4 #aa4 ,palma ,vecchio1 #aece4 7,venice ,acad47 ,the ,virgin looks down1 not upwards1 as is usual1 and is in the act of taking off her girdle to bestow it on ,st4 ,thomas1 who1 with ten other apostles1 stands below4 #ab4 ,annibale ,caracci1 #afjj4 7,bologna ,gal47 ,the ,virgin amid a crowd of youthful angels1 and sustained by clouds1 is placed across the picture with extended arms4 ,below is the tomb 7of sculptured marble7 and eleven apostles1 one of whom1 with an astonished air1 lifts from the sepulchre a handful of roses4 ,there is another picture wonderfully fine in the same style by ,agostino ,caracci4 ,this fashion of varying the attitude of the ,virgin was carried in the later schools to every excess of affectation4 ,in a picture by ,lanfranco4 she cleaves the air like a swimmer1 which is detestable4 #ac4 ,rubens painted at least twelve ,assumptions with characteristic verve and movement4 ,some of these1 if not very solemn or poetical1 convey very happily the idea of a renovated life4 ,the largest and most splendid as a scenic composition is in the ,muse at ,brussels4 ,more beautiful1 and1 indeed1 quite unusually poetical for ,rubens1 is the small ,assumption in the ,queen's ,gallery1 a finished sketch for the larger picture4 ,the majestic ,virgin1 arrayed in white and blue drapery1 rises with outstretched arms1 surrounded by a choir of angels2 below1 the apostles and the women either follow with upward gaze the soaring ecstatic figure1 or look with surprise at the flowers which spring within the empty tomb4 ,in another ,assumption by ,rubens1 one of the women exhibits the miraculous flowers in her apron1 or in a cloth1 ,i forget which2 but the whole conception1 like too many of his religious subjects1 borders on the vulgar and familiar4 #ad4 ,guido1 as it is well known1 excelled in this fine subject1--,i mean1 according to the taste and manner of his time and school4 ,his ascending ,madonnas have a sort of arial elegance1 which is very attractive2 but they are too nymph-like4 ,we must be careful to distinguish in his pictures 7and all similar pictures painted after #afae7 between the ,assumption and the ,immaculate ,conception2 it is a difference in sentiment which ,i have already pointed out4 ,the small finished sketch by ,guido in our ,national ,gallery is an ,assumption and ,coronation together3 the ,madonna is received into heaven as ,regina ,angelorum4 ,the fine large ,assumption in the ,munich ,gallery may be regarded as the best example of ,guido's manner of treating this theme4 ,his picture in the ,bridgewater ,gallery1 often styled an ,assumption1 is an ,immaculate ,conception4 ,the same observations would apply to ,poussin1 with1 however1 more of majesty4 ,his ,virgins are usually seated or reclining1 and in general we have a fine landscape beneath4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,assumption1 like the ,annunciation1 the ,nativity1 and other historical themes1 may1 through ideal accessories1 assume a purely devotional form4 ,it ceases then to be a fact or an event1 and becomes a vision or a mystery1 adored by votaries1 to which attendant saints bear witness4 ,of this style of treatment there are many beautiful examples4 #a4 ,early ,florentine1 about #adej4 7,coll4 of ,fuller ,maitland1 ,esq47 ,the ,virgin1 seated1 elegantly draped in white1 and with pale-blue ornaments in her hair1 rises within a glory sustained by six angels2 below is the tomb full of flowers and in front1 kneeling1 ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,jerome4 #b4 ,ambrogio ,borgognone--#aejf4 7,milan1 ,brera47 ,she stands1 floating upwards ,in a fine attitude3 two angels crown her2 others sustain her2 others sound their trumpets4 ,below are the apostles and empty tomb2 at each side1 ,st4 ,ambrose and ,st4 ,augustine2 behind them1 ,st4 ,cosimo and ,st4 ,damian2 the introduction of these saintly apothecaries stamps the picture as an ex-voto--perhaps against the plague4 ,it is very fine1 expressive1 and curious4 #c4 ,f4 ,granacci4 #aecj4a ,the ,virgin1 ascending in glory1 presents her girdle to ,st4 ,thomas1 who kneels3 on each1 side1 standing as witnesses4 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 as patron of ,florence1 ,st4 ,laurence1 as patron of ,lorenzo de' ,medici1 and the two apostles1 ,st4 ,bartholomew and ,st4 ,james4 ,footnote #a3 ,in the ,casa ,ruccellai 787 ,engraved in the ,etruria ,pittrice4 #d4 ,andrea del ,sarto1 #aebj4 7,florence1 ,pitti ,pal47 ,she is seated amid vapoury clouds1 arrayed in white3 on each side adoring angels3 below1 the tomb with the apostles1 a fine solemn group3 and hi front1 ,st4 ,nicholas1 and that interesting penitent saint1 ,st4 ,margaret of ,cortona4 7,legends of the ,monastic ,orders47 ,the head of the ,virgin is the likeness of ,andrea's infamous wife2 otherwise this is a magnificent picture4 99 99 99 99 99 ,the ,coronation of the ,virgin follows the ,assumption4 ,in some instances1 this final consummation of her glorious destiny supersedes1 or rather includes1 her ascension into heaven4 ,as ,i have already observed1 it is necessary to distinguish this scenic ,coronation from the mystical ,,incoronata1 properly so called1 which is the triumph of the allegorical church1 and altogether an allegorical and devotional theme2 whereas1 the scenic ,coronation is the last event in a series of the ,life of the ,virgin4 ,here we have before us1 not merely the court of heaven1 its argent fields peopled with celestial spirits1 and the sublime personification of the glorified ,church exhibited as a vision1 and quite apart from all real1 all human associations2 but we have rather the triumph of the human mother2--the lowly woman lifted into immortality4 ,the earth and its sepulchre1 the bearded apostles beneath1 show us that1 like her ,son1 she has ascended into glory by the dim portal of the grave1 and entered into felicity by the path of pain4 ,her ,son1 next to whom she has taken her seat1 has himself wiped the tears from her eyes1 and set the resplendent crown upon her head2 the ,father blesses her2 the ,holy ,spirit bears witness2 cherubim and seraphim welcome her1 and salute her as their queen4 ,so ,dante1-- ,at their joy ,and carol smiles the ,lovely ,one of heaven1 ,that joy is in the eyes of all the blest4 ,thus1 then1 we must distinguish3-- #a4 ,the ,coronation of the ,virgin is a strictly devotional subject where she is attended1 not merely by angels and patriarchs1 but by canonized saints and martyrs1 by fathers and doctors of the ,church1 heads of religious orders in monkish dresses1 patrons and votaries4 #b4 ,it is a dramatic and historical subject when it is the last scene in a series of the ,life of the ,virgin2 when the death-bed1 or the tomb1 or the wondering apostles1 and weeping women1 are figured on the earth below4 ,of the former treatment1 ,i have spoken at length4 ,it is that most commonly met with in early pictures and altar-pieces4 ,with regard to the historical treatment1 it is more rare as a separate subject1 but there are some celebrated examples both in church decoration and in pictures4 #a4 ,in the apsis of the ,duomo at ,spoleto1 we have1 below1 the death of the ,virgin in the usual manner1 that is1 the ,byzantine conception treated in the ,italian style1 with ,christ receiving her soul1 and over it the ,coronation4 ,the ,virgin kneels in a white robe1 spangled with golden flowers2 and ,christ1 who is here represented rather as the ,father than the ,son1 crowns her as queen of heaven4 #b4 ,the composition by ,albert ,durer1 which concludes his fine series of wood-cuts1 the ,life1 of the ,virgin is very grand and singular4 ,on the earth is the empty tomb2 near it the bier2 around stand the twelve apostles1 all looking up amazed4 ,there is no allusion to the girdle1 which1 indeed1 is seldom found in northern art4 ,above1 the ,virgin floating in the air1 with the rainbow under her feet1 is crowned by the ,father and the ,son1 while over her head hovers the holy ,dove4 #c4 ,in the ,vatican is the ,coronation attributed to ,raphael4 ,that he designed the cartoon1 and began the altar-piece1 for the nuns of ,monte-,luce near ,perugia1 seems beyond all doubt2 but it is equally certain that the picture as we see it was painted almost entirely by his pupils ,giulo ,romano and ,gian ,francesco ,penni4 ,here we have the tomb below1 filled with flowers2 and around it the twelve apostles2 ,john and his brother ,james1 in front1 looking up2 behind ,john1 ,st4 ,peter2 more in the background1 ,st4 ,thomas holds the girdle4 ,above is the throne set in heaven1 whereon the ,virgin1 mild and beautiful1 sits beside her divine ,son1 and with joined hands1 and veiled head1 and eyes meekly cast down1 bends to receive the golden coronet he is about to place on her brow4 ,the ,dove is omitted1 but eight seraphim1 with rainbow-tinted wings1 hover above her head4 ,on the right1 a most graceful angel strikes the tambourine2 on the left1 another1 equally graceful1 sounds the viol2 and1 amidst a flood of light1 hosts of celestial and rejoicing spirits fill up the background4 ,thus1 in highest heaven1 yet not out of sight of earth1 in beatitude past utterance1 in blessed fruition of all that faith creates and love desires1 amid angel hymns and starry glories1 ends the pictured life of ,mary1 ,,mother ,,of ,,our ,,lord4 ,,the ,,end4