,illustration3 ,madonna of ,castelfranco ,photogravure from the ,painting by ,giorgione in the ,parish ,church1 ,castelfranco ,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,,art ,,by ,,estelle ,m4 ,,hurll ,illustrated ,a mother is a mother still-- ,the holiest thing alive4 --,,coleridge4 ,,boston ,l4,c4 ,,page ,,and ,,company 7,,incorporated7 #ahih ,copyright1 #ahig ,,by ,l4,c4 ,,page ,,and ,,company 7,,incorporated7 ,,contents4 ,,chapter ,,preface ,,introduction ,i4 ,,the ,,portrait ,,madonna ,,ii4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,enthroned ,,iii4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,,the ,,sky ,,iv4 ,,the ,,pastoral ,,madonna ,v4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,a ,,home ,,environment ,,vi4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,of ,,love ,,vii4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,,adoration ,,viii4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,as ,,witness ,,bibliography ,,illustrations4 ,,giorgione ,madonna of ,castelfranco ,frontispiece ,parish ,church1 ,castelfranco4 ,,jacopo ,,bellini ,madonna and ,child ,venice ,academy4 ,,gabriel ,,max ,madonna and ,child ,,perugino ,madonna and ,saints 7,detail47 ,vatican ,gallery1 ,rome4 ,,giovanni ,,bellini ,madonna of ,san ,zaccaria4 7,detail47 ,church of ,san ,zaccaria1 ,venice4 ,,veronese ,madonna and ,saints ,venice ,academy4 ,,quentin ,,massys ,madonna and ,child ,berlin ,gallery4 ,,fra ,,angelico ,madonna della ,stella ,monastery of ,san ,marco1 ,florence4 ,,umbrian ,,school ,glorification of the ,virgin ,national ,gallery1 ,london4 ,,moretto ,madonna in ,glory ,church of ,san ,giorgio ,maggiore1 ,verona4 ,,spanish ,,school ,madonna on the ,crescent ,moon ,dresden ,gallery4 ,,bouguereau ,madonna of the ,angels ,,raphael ,madonna in the ,meadow ,belvedere ,gallery1 ,vienna4 ,,leonardo ,,da ,,vinci ,madonna of the ,rocks ,national ,gallery1 ,london4 ,,palma ,,vecchio ,santa ,conversazione ,belvedere ,gallery1 ,vienna4 ,,filippino ,,lippi ,madonna in a ,rose ,garden ,pitti ,gallery1 ,florence4 ,,schongauer ,holy ,family ,belvedere ,gallery1 ,vienna4 ,,raphael ,madonna dell' ,impannata ,pitti ,gallery1 ,florence4 ,,correggio ,madonna della ,scala ,parma ,gallery4 ,,titian ,madonna and ,saints4 7,detail47 ,belvedere ,gallery1 ,vienna4 ,d,ue,r,e,r ,madonna and ,child ,belvedere ,gallery1 ,vienna4 ,,bodenhausen ,madonna and ,child ,private ,gallery1 ,washington1 ,d4,c4 ,,andrea ,,della ,,robbia ,madonna in ,adoration ,national ,museum1 ,florence4 ,,lorenzo ,,di ,,credi ,nativity ,uffizi ,gallery1 ,florence4 ,,filippo ,,lippi ,madonna in ,adoration ,uffizi ,gallery1 ,florence4 ,,luigi ,,vivarini ,madonna and ,child #agi ,church of the ,redentore1 ,venice4 ,,giovanni ,,bellini ,madonna between ,st4 ,george and ,st4 ,paul4 7,detail47 ,venice ,academy4 ,,luini ,madonna with ,st4 ,barbara and ,st4 ,anthony ,brera ,gallery1 ,milan4 ,,botticelli ,madonna of the ,pomegranate ,uffizi ,gallery1 ,florence4 ,,murillo ,madonna and ,child ,pitti ,gallery1 ,florence4 ,,raphael ,sistine ,madonna ,dresden ,gallery4 ,,preface4 ,this little book is intended as a companion volume to ,child-,life in ,art1 and is a study of ,madonna art as a revelation of motherhood4 ,with the historical and legendary incidents in the life of the ,virgin it has nothing to do4 ,these subjects have been discussed comprehensively and finally in ,mrs4 ,jameson's splendid work on the ,legends of the ,madonna4 ,out of the great mass of ,madonna subjects are selected1 here1 only the idealized and devotional pictures of the ,mother and ,babe4 ,the methods of classifying such works are explained in the ,introduction4 ,great pains have been taken to choose as illustrations1 not only the pictures which are universal favorites1 but others which are less widely known and not easily accessible4 ,the cover was designed by ,miss ,isabelle ,a4 ,sinclair1 in the various colors appropriate to the ,virgin ,mary4 ,the lily is the ,virgin's flower1 la fleur de ,marie1 the highest symbol of her purity4 ,the gold border surrounding the panel is copied from the ornamentation of the mantle worn by ,botticelli's ,dresden ,madonna4 ,,estelle ,m4 ,,hurll4 ,new ,bedford1 ,mass41 ,may1 #ahig4 ,,introduction4 ,it is now about fifteen centuries since the ,madonna with her ,babe was first introduced into art1 and it is safe to say that1 throughout all this time1 the subject has been unrivalled in popularity4 ,it requires no very profound philosophy to discover the reason for this4 ,the ,madonna is the universal type of motherhood1 a subject which1 in its very nature1 appeals to all classes and conditions of people4 ,no one is too ignorant to understand it1 and none too wise to be superior to its charm4 ,the little child appreciates it as readily as the old man1 and both1 alike1 are drawn to it by an irresistible attraction4 ,thus1 century after century1 the artist has poured out his soul in this all-prevailing theme of mother love until we have an accumulation of ,madonna pictures so great that no one would dare to estimate their number4 ,it would seem that every conceivable type was long since exhausted2 but the end is not yet4 ,so long as we have mothers1 art will continue to produce ,madonnas4 ,with so much available material1 the student of ,madonna art would be discouraged at the outset were it not possible to approach the subject systematically4 ,even the vast number of ,madonna pictures becomes manageable when studied by some method of classification4 ,several plans are possible4 ,the historical student is naturally guided in his grouping by the periods in which the pictures were produced2 the critic1 by the technical schools which they represent4 ,besides these more scholarly methods1 are others1 founded on simpler and more obvious dividing lines4 ,such are the two proposed in the following pages1 forming1 respectively1 ,part ,i4 and ,part ,,ii4 of our little volume4 ,the first is based on the style of composition in which the picture is painted2 the second1 on the subject which it treats4 ,the first examines the mechanical arrangement of the figures2 the second asks1 what is the real relation between them8 ,the first deals with external characteristics2 the second1 with the inner significance4 ,proceeding by the first1 we ask1 what are the general styles of treatment in which ,madonna pictures have been rendered8 ,the answer names the following five classes3 #a4 ,the ,portrait ,madonna1 the figures in half-length against an indefinite background4 #b4 ,the ,madonna ,enthroned1 where the setting is some sort of a throne or dais4 #c4 ,the ,madonna in the ,sky or the ,madonna in ,gloria1 where the figures are set in the heavens1 as represented by a glory of light1 by clouds1 by a company of cherubs1 or by simple elevation above the earth's surface4 #d4 ,the ,pastoral ,madonna1 with a landscape background4 #e4 ,the ,madonna in a ,home ,environment1 where the setting is an interior4 ,the foregoing subjects are arranged in the order of historical development1 so far as is possible4 ,the first and last of the classes enumerated are so small1 compared with the others1 that they are somewhat insignificant in the whole number of ,madonna pictures4 ,yet1 in all probability1 it is along these lines that future art is most likely to develop the subject1 choosing the portrait ,madonna because of its universal adaptability1 and representing the ,madonna in her home1 in an effort to realize1 historically1 the ,new ,testament scenes4 ,of the remaining three1 the enthroned ,madonna is1 doubtless1 the largest class1 historically considered1 because of the long period through which it has been represented4 ,the pastoral and enskied ,madonnas were in high favor in the first period of their perfection4 ,our next question is concerned with the aspects of motherhood displayed in ,madonna pictures3 in what relation to her child has the ,madonna been represented8 ,the answer includes the following three subjects3 #a4 ,the ,madonna of ,love 7,the ,mater ,amabilis71 in which the relation is purely maternal4 ,the emphasis is upon a mother's natural affection as displayed towards her child4 #b4 ,the ,madonna in ,adoration 7,the ,madre ,pia71 in which the mother's attitude is one of humility1 contemplating her child with awe4 #c4 ,the ,madonna as ,witness1 in which the ,mother is preeminently the ,christ-bearer1 wearing the honors of her proud position as witness to her son's great destiny4 ,these subjects are mentioned in the order of philosophical climax1 and as we go from the first to the second1 and from the second to the third1 we advance farther and farther into the experience of motherhood4 ,at the same time there is an increase in the dignity of the ,madonna and in her importance as an individual4 ,in the ,mater ,amabilis she is subordinate to her child1 absorbed in him1 so to speak2 his infantine charms often overmatch her own beauty4 ,when she rises to the responsibilities of her high calling1 she is1 for the time being1 of equal interest and importance4 ,a,esthetically1 she is now even more attractive than her child1 whose seriousness1 in such pictures1 takes something from his childlikeness4 ,chronologically1 our list reads backwards1 as the religious aspect of ,mary's motherhood was the first treated in art1 while the naturalistic conception came last4 ,regarded as expressive of national characteristics1 the ,mater ,amabilis is the ,madonna best beloved in northern countries1 while the other two subjects belong specially to the art of the south4 ,it will be seen that any number of ,madonna pictures1 having been arranged in the five groups designated in ,part ,i41 may be gathered up and redistributed in the three classes of ,part ,,ii4 ,to make this clear1 the pictures mentioned in the first method of classification are frequently referred to a second time1 viewed from an entirely different standpoint4 ,since the lines of cleavage are so widely dissimilar in the two cases1 both methods of study are necessary to a complete understanding of a picture4 ,by the first1 we learn a convenient term of description by which we may casually designate a ,madonna2 by the second1 we find its highest meaning as a work of art1 and are admitted to some new secret of a mother's love4 ,,part ,i4 ,,madonnas ,,classed ,,by ,,the ,,style ,,of ,,composition4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,,art4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,the ,,portrait ,,madonna4 ,the first ,madonna pictures known to us are of the portrait style1 and are of ,byzantine or ,greek origin4 ,they were brought to ,rome and the western empire from ,constantinople 7the ancient ,byzantium71 the capital of the eastern empire1 where a new school of ,christian art had developed out of that of ancient ,greece4 ,justinian's conquest of ,italy sowed the new art-seed in a fertile field1 where it soon took root and multiplied rapidly4 ,there was1 however1 little or no improvement in the type for a long period2 it remained practically unchanged till the thirteenth century4 ,thus1 while a ,byzantine ,madonna is to be found in nearly every old church in ,italy1 to see one is to see all4 ,they are half-length figures against a background of gold leaf1 at first laid on solidly1 or1 at a somewhat later date1 studded with cherubs4 ,the ,virgin has a meagre1 ascetic countenance1 large1 ill-shaped eyes1 and an almost peevish expression2 her head is draped in a heavy1 dark blue veil1 falling in stiff folds4 ,unattractive as such pictures are to us from an artistic standpoint1 they inspire us with respect if not with reverence4 ,once objects of mingled devotion and admiration1 they are still regarded with awe by many who can no longer admire4 ,their real origin being lost in obscurity1 innumerable legends have arisen1 attributing them to miraculous agencies1 and also endowing them with power to work miracles4 ,there is an early and widespread tradition1 imported with the ,madonna from the ,east1 which makes ,st4 ,luke a painter4 ,it is said that he painted many portraits of the ,virgin1 and1 naturally1 all the churches possessing old ,byzantine pictures claim that they are genuine works from the hand of the evangelist4 ,there is one in the ,ara ,coeli at ,rome1 and another in ,s4 ,maria in ,cosmedino1 of which marvellous tales are told1 besides others of great sanctity in ,st4 ,mark's1 ,venice1 and in ,padua4 ,it would not be interesting to dwell1 in any detail1 upon these curious old pictures4 ,we would do better to take our first example from the art which1 though founded on ,byzantine types1 had begun to learn of nature4 ,such a picture we find in the ,venice ,academy1 by ,jacopo ,bellini1 painted at the beginning of the fifteenth century1 somewhat later than any corresponding picture could have been found elsewhere in ,italy1 as ,venice was chronologically behind the other art schools4 ,the background is a glory of cherub heads touched with gold hatching4 ,both mother and child wear heavy nimbi1 ornamented with gold4 ,these points recall ,byzantine work2 but the gentler face of the ,virgin1 and the graceful fall of her drapery1 show that we are in a different world of art4 ,the child is dressed in a little tunic1 in the primitive method4 ,with the dawn of the ,italian ,renaissance1 the old style of portrait ,madonna passed out of vogue4 ,more elaborate backgrounds were introduced from the growing resources of technique4 ,in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries1 pictures of the portrait style were comparatively rare4 ,raphael1 however1 was not above adopting this method1 as every lover of the ,granduca ,madonna will remember4 ,his friend ,bartolommeo also selected this style of composition for some of the loveliest of his works4 ,illustration3 ,,jacopo ,,bellini4--,,madonna ,,and ,,child4 ,the story of the friendship between these two men is full of interest4 ,at the time of ,raphael's first appearance in ,florence 7#aejd71 ,bartolommeo had been four years a monk1 and had laid aside1 apparently forever1 the brush he had previously wielded with such promise4 ,the young stranger sought the ,frate in his cell at ,san ,marco1 and soon found the way to his heart4 ,stimulated by this new friendship1 ,bartolommeo roused himself from lethargy and resumed the practice of art with increasing success4 ,it is pleasant to trace the influence which the two artists exerted upon each other4 ,the older man had experience and learning2 the younger had enthusiasm and genius4 ,now it happened that1 by nature1 ,bartolommeo was specially gifted in the arrangement of large compositions1 with many figures and stately architectural backgrounds4 ,it is by these that he is chiefly known to-day4 ,so it is the more interesting that1 when ,raphael's sweet simplicity first touched him1 he turned aside1 for the time1 from these elaborate plans and gave himself to the portrayal of the ,madonna in that simplest possible way1 the half-length portrait picture4 ,several of these he painted upon the walls of his own convent1 glorifying that dim place of prayer and fasting with visions of radiant and happy motherhood4 ,one of these may still be seen in the cell sometimes called the ,capella ,giovanato4 ,it instantly recalls the ,tempi ,madonna of ,raphael1 both in the pose of the figure and in the genuineness of feeling exhibited4 ,damp and decay have warred in vain against it1 and the modern visitor lingers before the ,mother and ,babe with hushed admiration4 ,two other similar frescoes have been removed to the ,academy4 ,they show the same motherly tenderness1 the same innocent and beautiful babyhood4 ,the mother holds her child close in her arms1 pressing her forehead to his1 or bending her cheek to receive his kiss4 ,he throws his little arm about her neck1 clinging to her veil or caressing her face4 ,besides this group of pictures by ,bartolommeo1 there are other scattered instances of portrait ,madonnas during the ,italian ,renaissance1 by men too great to be tied to the fashions of their day4 ,mantegna was such a painter1 and ,luini another4 ,all told1 however1 their pictures of this sort make up a class too rare to deserve longer description4 ,a century later1 the ,spanish school occasionally reverted to the same style of treatment4 ,a pair of notable pictures are the ,madonna of ,bethlehem1 by ,alonzo ,cano1 and the ,madonna of the ,napkin1 by ,murillo4 ,both are in ,seville1 the latter in the museum1 the former still hanging in its original place in the cathedral4 ,of ,cano's work1 a great authority#a on ,spanish art has written1 that1 in serene1 celestial beauty1 it is excelled by no image of the blessed ,mary ever devised in ,spain4 ,murillo's picture is better known1 and has a curious interest from its history4 ,the cook in the ,capuchin monastery1 where the artist had been painting1 begged a picture as a parting gift4 ,no canvas being at hand1 a napkin was offered instead1 on which the master painted a ,madonna1 unexcelled among his works in brilliancy of color4 ,footnote #a3 ,stirling-,maxwell1 in ,annals of the ,artists of ,spain4 ,illustration3 ,,gabriel ,,max4--,,madonna ,,and ,,child4 ,as the portrait picture was the first style of ,madonna known to art1 so1 also1 it is the last4 ,by a leap of nearly a thousand years1 we have returned1 in our own day1 to the method of the tenth century4 ,it is strange that what was once a matter of necessity should at last become an object of choice4 ,in the beginning of ,madonna art1 the limited resources of technique precluded any attempts to make a more elaborate setting4 ,such difficulties no longer stand in the way1 and where we now see a portrait ,madonna1 the artist has deliberately discarded all accessories in order better to idealize his theme4 ,take1 for instance1 the portrait ,madonnas by ,gabriel ,max4 ,here are no details to divert the attention from motherhood1 pure and simple4 ,we do not ask of the subject whether she is of high or of low estate1 a queen or a peasant4 ,we have only to look into the earnest1 loving face to read that here is a mother4 ,there are two pictures of this sort1 evidently studied from the same ,bohemian models4 ,in one1 the mother looks down at her babe2 in the other1 directly at the spectator1 with a singularly visionary expression4 ,when weary with the senseless repetition of the set compositions of past ages1 we turn with relief to a simple portrait mother like this1 at once the most primitive and the most advanced form of ,madonna art4 ,it is only another case where the simplest is the best4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,enthroned4 ,in every true home the mother is queen1 enthroned in the hearts of her loving children4 ,there is1 therefore1 a beautiful double significance1 which we should always have in mind1 in looking at the ,madonna enthroned4 ,according to the theological conception of the period in which it was first produced1 the picture stands for the ,virgin ,mother as ,queen of ,heaven4 ,understood typically1 it represents the exaltation of motherhood4 ,in the history of art development1 the enthroned ,madonna begins where the portrait ,madonna ends4 ,we may date it from the thirteenth century1 when ,cimabue1 of ,florence1 and ,guido1 of ,siena1 produced their famous pictures4 ,similar types had previously appeared in the mosaic decorations of churches1 but now1 for the first time1 they were worthily set forth in panel pictures4 ,the story of ,cimabue's ,madonna is one of the oft-told tales we like to hear repeated4 ,how on a certain day1 about #abgj1 ,charles of ,anjou was passing through ,florence2 how he honored the studio of ,cimabue by a visit2 how the ,madonna was then first uncovered2 how the people shouted so joyously that the street was thereafter named the ,borgo dei ,allegri2 and how the great picture was finally borne in triumphal procession to the church of ,santa ,maria ,novella1--all these are the scenes in the pretty drama4 ,the late ,sir ,frederick ,leighton has preserved for future centuries this story1 already six hundred years old1 in a charming pageant picture3 ,cimabue's ,madonna carried through the streets of ,florence4 ,this was the first work ever exhibited by the ,english artist1 and was an important step in the career which ended in the presidency of the ,royal ,academy4 ,cimabue's ,madonna still hangs in ,santa ,maria ,novella1 over the altar of the ,ruccellai chapel1 and thither many a pilgrim takes his way to honor the memory of the father of modern painting4 ,the throne is a sort of carved armchair1 very simple in form1 but richly overlaid with gold2 the surrounding background is filled with adoring angels4 ,here sits the ,madonna1 in stiff solemnity1 holding her child on her lap4 ,if we find it hard to admire her beauty1 we must note the superiority of the picture to its predecessors4 ,for the enthroned ,madonna in a really attractive and beautiful form1 we must pass at once to the period of full art development4 ,in the interval1 many variations upon the theme have been invented4 ,the throne may be of any size1 shape1 or material2 the composition may consist of any number of figures4 ,the ,madonna1 seated or standing1 is now the centre of an assembly of personages symmetrically grouped about her4 ,there is little or no unity of action among them2 each one is an independent figure4 ,the guard of honor may be composed of saints1 as in ,montagna's ,madonna1 of the ,brera1 ,milan2 or again it is a company of angels1 as in the ,berlin ,madonna1 attributed to ,botticelli1 similar to which is the picture by ,ghirlandajo in the ,uffizi ,gallery4 ,where saints are represented1 each one is marked by some special emblem1 the identification of which makes1 in itself1 an interesting study4 ,st4 ,peter's key1 ,st4 ,paul's sword1 ,st4 ,catherine's wheel1 and ,st4 ,barbara's tower soon become familiar symbols to those fond of this kind of lore4 ,among the idealized presences about the ,virgin's throne may sometimes be seen the prosaic figure of the donor1 whose munificence has made the picture possible4 ,this is well illustrated in the famous ,madonna of ,victory in the ,louvre1 painted in commemoration of the ,battle of ,fornovo1 where ,mantegna represents ,francesco ,gonzaga1 commander of the ,venetian forces1 kneeling at the ,virgin's feet4 ,a charming feature in many enthroned ,madonnas is the group of cherubs below1--one1 two1 or the mystic three4 ,they are not the exclusive possession of any single school of art2 ,bartolommeo and ,andrea del ,sarto of the ,florentines1 ,francia of the ,bolognese1 and ,bellini and ,cima of the ,venetians were particularly partial to them4 ,the treatment in ,northern ,italy gives them a more definite purpose in the composition than does that of ,florence1 for here they are always musicians1 playing on all sorts of instruments1--the violin1 the mandolin1 or the pipe4 ,bartolommeo was specially successful in the subject of the enthroned ,madonna1 having fine gifts of composition united with profound religious earnestness4 ,the great picture in the ,pitti gallery at ,florence may serve as a typical example4 ,andrea del ,sarto's chef-d'oeuvre--the ,madonna di ,san ,francesco 7,uffizi7--may also be assigned to this class1 although the arrangement is entirely novel4 ,the ,virgin1 holding the babe in her arms1 stands on a sort of pedestal1 carved at the corners with a design of harpies1 from which the picture is often known as the ,madonna of the ,harpies4 ,the pedestal throne is also seen in two of ,correggio's ,dresden pictures1 but here the ,virgin is seated1 with the child on her lap4 ,an exceedingly simple throne ,madonna is that of ,luini1 in the ,brera at ,milan1 where the ,virgin sits on a plain coping not at all high4 ,illustration3 ,,perugino4--,,madonna ,,and ,,saints4 7,,detail47 ,a beautiful ,madonna enthroned is by ,perugino1 in the ,vatican ,gallery at ,rome2 one of the artist's best works in power and vivacity of color4 ,the throne is an architectural structure of elegant simplicity of design1 apparently of carved and inlaid marble4 ,the ,virgin sits in quiet dignity1 her face bent towards the bishops at her right1 ,st4 ,costantius and ,st4 ,herculanus4 ,on the other side stand the youthful ,st4 ,laurence and ,st4 ,louis of ,toulouse4 ,although ,perugino was an exceedingly prolific artist1 he did not often choose this particular subject4 ,on this account the picture is especially interesting1 and also because it is the original model of well known works by two of the ,umbrian painter's most illustrious pupils4 ,many1 indeed1 were the apprentices trained in the famous bottega at ,perugia1 but1 among them all1 ,raphael and ,pinturicchio took the lead4 ,these were the two who honored their master by repeating1 with modifications of their own1 the beautiful composition of the ,vatican4 ,pinturicchio's picture is in the ,church of ,st4 ,andrea1 at ,perugia4 ,a charming feature1 which he introduced1 is a little ,st4 ,john1 standing at the foot of the throne4 ,raphael's picture is the so-called ,ansidei ,madonna1 of the ,national ,gallery1 ,london1 purchased by the ,english government1 in #ahhe1 for the fabulous price of ,l#gb1jjj4 ,the composition is here reduced to its simplest possible form1 with only one saint on each side1--,st4 ,nicholas on the right1 ,st4 ,john the ,baptist on the left4 ,the ,virgin and child give no attention to these personages1 but are absorbed in a book which is open on the ,mother's knee4 ,raphael had no great liking for this style of picture1 which was rather too formal for his taste4 ,it is noticeable that1 in the few instances where he painted it1 he took the suggestion1 as here1 from some previous work4 ,thus his ,madonna of ,st4 ,anthony1 also in the ,national ,gallery 7loaned by the ,king of ,naples71 was based upon an old picture by ,bernardino di ,mariotto1 according to the strict orders of the nuns for whose convent it was a commission4 ,the ,baldacchino ,madonna of the ,pitti1 at ,florence1 is closely akin to ,bartolommeo's composition in the same gallery4 ,glancing1 briefly1 at these scattered examples1 we learn that the enthroned ,madonna belongs to every school of ,italian art1 and exhibits an astonishing variety of forms4 ,probably it was in the ,north of ,italy that it flourished most4 ,the ,paduan ,school has its fine representation in ,mantegna's picture1 already referred to2 the ,brescian1 in ,moretto's ,madonna of ,s4 ,clemente2 the ,veronese1 in ,girolamo dai ,libri's splendid altar piece in ,san ,giorgio ,maggiore2 the ,bergamesque1 in ,lotto's ,madonna of ,s4 ,bartolommeo4 ,above all1 it was in ,venice1 the ,queen ,city of the ,adriatic1 that the enthroned ,madonna reached the greatest popularity3 the spirit of the composition was peculiarly adapted to the ,venetian love of pomp and ceremony4 ,to understand ,venetian art aright1 we must distinguish the character of the earlier and later periods4 ,with ,vivarini1 ,bellini1 and ,cima1 the ,madonna in ,trono was the expression of a devout religious feeling4 ,with ,titian1 ,tintoretto1 and ,veronese1 it was merely one among many popular art subjects4 ,thus arose two different general types4 ,the earlier ,madonna was a somewhat cold type of beauty2 the faultless regularity of her features and the imperturbable calm of her expression make her rather unapproachable2 but she shows a strong1 sweet purity of character1 worthy of profound respect4 ,one of ,cima's most important works is the ,madonna of this type in the ,venice ,academy4 ,high on a marble throne1 she sits under a pillared portico1 behind which stretches a pleasant landscape4 ,three saints stand on each side1--an old man1 a youth1 and a maiden4 ,on the steps sit two choristers playing the violin and mandolin4 ,palma's great altar-piece1 at ,vicenza1 is another splendid enthroned ,madonna4 ,attended by ,st4 ,george and ,st4 ,lucy1 and entertained by a musical angel seated at her feet1 the ,virgin supports her beautiful boy1 as he gives his blessing4 ,bellini's enthroned ,madonnas are known throughout the world4 ,the picture by which he established his fame was one of this class1 originally painted for a chapel in ,san ,giobbe1 but now hanging in the ,venice ,academy4 ,ruskin has pronounced it one of the greatest pictures ever painted in ,christendom in her central art power4 ,it is a large composition1 with three saints at each side1 and three choristers below4 ,the ,frari ,madonna is in a simpler vein1 and consists of three compartments1 the central one containing the ,virgin's throne4 ,the angioletti1 on the steps1 are probably the most popular of their charming class in ,venice4 ,illustration3 ,,giovanni ,,bellini4--,,madonna ,,of ,,san ,,zaccaria4 7,,detail47 ,the ,san ,zaccaria ,madonna was painted when ,bellini was over eighty years old1 and has certain technical qualities surpassing any the artist had previously attained4 ,the depth of light and shade is particularly remarkable2 the colors rich and harmonious4 ,the attendant saints are ,st4 ,lucy on the right1 a pretty blonde girl1 with ,st4 ,jerome beyond her1 absorbed in his ,bible2 opposite1 stand ,st4 ,catherine1 pensively looking down1 and ,st4 ,peter1 in profound meditation4 ,the entire picture1 both in conception and execution1 may be considered a representative example of the times4 ,following the ,bellini school1 and forming1 as it were1 a connecting link between the earlier and the later art1 was ,giorgione4 ,less than a score of existing works give witness to the rare spirit of this master1 who was spared to earth only thirty-four years4 ,these are of a quality to place him among the immortals4 ,the enthroned ,madonna is the subject of two1 one in the ,madrid ,gallery1 and another at ,castel-,franco4 ,they create an entirely distinct ,madonna ideal1--a poetic being1 who sits1 with drooping head and dreamy eyes1 as if seeing unspeakable visions4 ,the ,castel-,franco picture expresses the finest elements in ,venetian character4 ,every other composition seems elaborate and artificial when compared with the simplicity of this4 ,other ,madonnas seem almost coarse beside such delicacy4 ,the ,virgin's throne is of an unusual height1--a double plinth1--the upper step of which is somewhat above the heads of the attendant saints1 ,liberale and ,francis4 ,this simple1 compositional device emphasizes the effect of her pensive expression4 ,it is as if her high meditations set her apart from human companionship4 ,there is1 indeed1 something almost pathetic in her isolation1 but for the strength of character in her face4 ,the color scheme is as simple and beautiful as the underlying conception4 ,the ,virgin's tunic is of green1 and the mantle1 falling from the right shoulder and lying across her lap1 is red1 with deep shadows in its large folds4 ,the back of the seat is covered with a strip of red and gold embroidery4 ,the later period of ,venetian art is marked by a new ideal of the ,virgin4 ,she is now a magnificent creature of flesh and blood4 ,her face is proud and handsome2 her figure large1 well-proportioned1 and somewhat voluptuous4 ,no ,bethlehem stable ever sheltered this haughty beauty2 her home is in kings' palaces2 she belongs distinctly to the realm of wealth and worldliness4 ,she has never known sorrow1 anxiety1 or poverty2 life has brought her nothing but pleasure and luxury4 ,her throne stands no longer in the sacred place of some inner sanctuary1 where angel choristers make music4 ,it is an elevated platform1 at one side of the composition1 as in ,titian's ,pesaro altar-piece1 and ,veronese's ,madonna in the ,venice ,academy4 ,this gives an opportunity for a display of elaborate draperies1 such as we may see in ,veronese's picture4 ,the peculiar qualities of art in ,verona and ,venice are blended in ,paolo ,veronese4 ,no artist ever enjoyed more the splendors of color1 or combined them in more enchanting harmonies4 ,such gifts transform the commonest materials1 and1 though his ,virgin is a very ordinary woman1 she has undeniable charms4 ,an oft-copied figure1 in this picture1 is that of the little ,st4 ,john1 a universal favorite among child lovers4 ,illustration3 ,,veronese4--,,madonna ,,and ,,saints4 ,the reader must have remarked that1 though the fundamental idea of the enthroned ,madonna is that of queenship1 the ,virgin wears no crown in any of the pictures thus far cited2 the crowned ,madonna is not characteristic of ,italian art4 ,it is found occasionally in mosaics from the eighth to the eleventh centuries1 and in some of the early votive pictures1 but does not appear in the later period except in a few ,venetian pictures by ,giovanni da ,murano and ,carlo ,crivelli4 ,the same idea was often carried out by placing two hovering angels over the ,virgin's head1 holding the crown between them4 ,botticelli's ,madonna of the ,inkhorn is treated in this way4 ,the crown is essentially ,teutonic in origin and character4 ,turning to the representative art of ,germany and ,belgium1 we find the ,virgin almost invariably wearing a crown1 whether she sits on a throne1 or in a pastoral environment4 ,no better example could be named than the celebrated ,holbein ,madonna1 of ,darmstadt1 known chiefly through the copy in the ,dresden ,gallery4 ,here the imposing height of the ,virgin is rendered still more impressive by a high1 golden crown1 richly embossed and edged with pearls4 ,beneath this her blond hair falls loosely over her beautiful neck1 and gleams on the blue garment hanging over her shoulders4 ,strong and tender1 this noble figure sums up the finest elements in the ,madonna art of the ,north4 ,a simple and lovely form for the ,madonna's crown is the narrow golden fillet set with pearls1 singly or in clusters4 ,this is placed over the ,virgin's brow just at the edge of the hair1 which is otherwise unconfined4 ,this is seen on ,madonnas by ,van ,eyck 7,frankfort71 ,duerer 7woodcut of #aeac71 ,memling 7,bruges71 ,schongauer 7,munich74 ,illustration3 ,,quentin ,,massys4--,,madonna ,,and ,,child4 ,in the enthroned ,madonna by ,quentin ,massys1 in the ,berlin ,gallery1 we have many typical characteristics of ,northern art4 ,the throne itself is exceedingly rich1 ornamented with agate pillars with embossed capitals of gold4 ,the ,virgin has the fine features and earnest1 tender expression which recalls earlier ,flemish painters4 ,her dress falls in rich1 heavy folds upon the marble pavement4 ,but1 as with ,van ,eyck and ,memling1 ,holbein and ,schongauer1 fine clothes do not conceal her girlish simplicity or her loving heart4 ,a low table1 spread with food1 stands at the left1--a curious domestic element to introduce1 and thoroughly ,northern in realism4 ,considered as a symbol of the exaltation of motherhood1 there is no reason why the throne should go out of fashion2 but if it is to appear1 it must be used intelligently1 and with some adaptation to present modes of thought1 not servilely imitated from the forms of a by-gone age4 ,this is a fact too little appreciated by the artists of to-day4 ,many modern pictures could be cited--by ,bouguereau1 ,ittenbach1 and others--of enthroned ,madonnas in which is adopted the form1 but not the spirit1 of the ,italian ,rennaissance4 ,in such works1 the setting is a mere affectation entirely out of taste4 ,if we are to have a throne1 let us have a ,madonna who is a veritable queen4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,,the ,,sky4 7,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,,gloria47 ,we have seen that the first ,madonnas were painted against a background either of solid gold1 or of cherub figures1 and that the latter style of setting was continued in the early pictures of the enthroned ,madonna4 ,the effect was to idealize the subject1 and carry it into the region of the heavenly4 ,this was the germinal idea which grew into the ,madonna in ,gloria4 ,the glory was originally a sort of nimbus of a larger order1 surrounding the entire figure1 instead of merely the head4 ,it was oval in shape1 like the almond or mandorla4 ,a picture of this class is the famous ,madonna della ,stella1 of ,fra ,angelico4 ,it is in a beautiful ,gothic tabernacle1 which is the sole ornament of a cell in ,san ,marco1 ,florence4 ,at every step in these sacred precincts1 we meet some reminder of the ,angelic ,brother4 ,how the gray walls blossomed1 under his brush1 into forms and colors of eternal beauty6 ,after seeing the larger wall-paintings in corridors and refectory1 this little gem seems to epitomize his choicest gifts4 ,a rich frame1 fit setting for the jewel1 encloses an outer circle of adoring angels1 and within1 the central panel contains only the full length figure of the ,virgin with her child1 against a mandorla formed of golden rays running from centre to circumference4 ,the ,madonna is enveloped in a long1 dark blue cloak1 drawn around her head like a ,byzantine veil4 ,a single star gleams above her brow1 from which is derived the title of the picture4 ,she holds her child fondly1 and he1 with responsive affection1 nestles against his mother1 pressing his little face into her neck4 ,faithful to the standards of his predecessors1 and untouched by the new spirit of naturalism all about him1 the monk painter preserves1 in his conception1 the most sacred traditions of past ages1 and yet unites with them an element of love and tenderness which appeals strongly to every human heart4 ,illustration3 ,,fra ,,angelico4--,,madonna ,,della ,,stella4 ,it is but a step from this earlier form of the ,madonna in ,gloria to the more modern style of the ,madonna in the ,sky1 where the field of vision is enlarged1 and we see the ,virgin and child raised above the surface of the earth4 ,in some pictures1 her elevation is very slight4 ,there is a curious composition1 by ,andrea del ,sarto 7,berlin ,gallery71 where we are puzzled to know if the ,madonna is enthroned or enskied4 ,a flight of steps in the centre leads up as if to a throne1 but above these the ,virgin sits in a niche1 on a bank of clouds4 ,in ,correggio's ,madonna of ,st4 ,sebastian1 in the ,dresden ,gallery1 the ,virgin seems to be descending from heaven to earth with her babe1 and the surrounding clouds and cherubs rest literally upon the heads of the saints who are honored by the vision4 ,in other pictures the dividing line between earth and heaven is much more strongly marked4 ,we have a landscape below1 then a stratum of intervening air1 and1 in the upper sky1 the ,madonna with her child4 ,the lower part of the picture is occupied by a company of saints1 to whom the heavenly vision is vouchsafed2 or1 in rare cases1 by cherubs4 ,the ,virgin appears in a cloud of cherub heads1 or accompanied by a few child-angels4 ,there are a few pictures in which her mother1 ,st4 ,anne1 sits with her4 ,adoring seraphs sometimes attend1 one on each side1 or even sainted personages4 ,all these variations are exemplified in the pictures which we are to consider4 ,illustration3 ,,umbrian ,,school4--,,glorification ,,of ,,the ,,virgin4 ,the first has come down to us from the hand of some unknown ,umbrian painter4 ,in the ,national ,gallery1 ,london1 where it now hangs1 it was once attributed to ,lo ,spagna1 but is now entered in the catalogue as nameless4 ,it matters little whether or not we know the name of the master2 he could ask no higher tribute to his talent than the universal admiration which his picture commands4 ,in the foreground of a quiet ,umbrian landscape is a marble balcony1 on the railing of which sit two captivating little boy choristers4 ,one roguish fellow pipes on a trumpet1 while the other1 his face tip-tilted to the heavenly vision1 makes music on a small guitar4 ,above1 on a cloud1 sits the ,virgin1 with the sweet1 mystic smile on her face1 so characteristic of ,umbrian art4 ,she supports her babe with her right arm1 and in her left hand carries a lily stalk4 ,the child1 standing on his mother's knee and clinging to her neck1 turns his face out with sweet earnestness4 ,in clouds at the side1 tiny cherubs bear tapers1 while others1 floating above1 hold a large crown just over her head4 ,although we cannot limit this style of picture to any special locality1 it appears to have found much favor in the art of ,northern ,italy4 ,in the ,brescian school1 ,moretto was unusually fond of the subject4 ,his treatment of the theme is somewhat heavy2 there is little of the ethereal in his celestial vision1 either in the type of womanhood or in the style of arrangement4 ,in defiance of the law of gravitation1 he poses his upper figures so as to form a solid pyramid1 wide at the base1 and tapering abruptly to the apex4 ,illustration3 ,,moretto4--,,madonna ,,in ,,glory4 ,in the glorified ,madonna of ,st4 ,john the ,evangelist1 ,brescia1 the pyramidal effect is accentuated by curtains draped back on either side of the upper part of the composition4 ,in the ,madonna of ,san ,giorgio ,maggiore1 at ,verona1 we have a much more attractive picture4 ,the gloria encompassing the vision is clearly defined1 giving so strong an effect of the supernatural that we cease to judge the composition by ordinary standards of natural law4 ,the ,virgin's white veil flutters from her head as if caught by some heavenly breeze4 ,her cloak floats about her by the same mysterious force1 held in graceful festoons by winged cherub heads4 ,below is a group of five virgin martyrs1 with ,st4 ,cecilia in the centre1 wearing a crown of roses2 ,st4 ,lucia holds the awl1 the instrument of her torture1 looking down at ,st4 ,catherine1 who leans against her terrible wheel2 ,st4 ,agnes1 on the other side1 reads quietly from a book while she caresses her lamb1 and ,st4 ,barbara stands behind her1 with eyes lifted to the sky4 ,they are all splendid young ,amazons1 recalling ,moretto's fine ,st4 ,justina of the ,vienna ,gallery4 ,there is no trace of ascetism in their strong1 well-developed figures1 and in their faces no suggestion of an unhealthy pietism4 ,moretto's ideals were an anticipation of the most advanced ideas of the modern science of physical culture4 ,his ,madonna and saints derive their beauty neither from over refinement on the one hand1 nor from sensuous charms on the other1 but from sane and harmonious self-development4 ,the ,berlin ,gallery contains a third glorified ,madonna by the same painter1 treated as a ,holy ,family4 ,st4 ,elizabeth sits beside the ,virgin1 who holds her own boy on her right side1 while bending to embrace the little ,st4 ,john with the left arm4 ,so large a group is not appropriately treated in this way1 yet the picture is so fine a work of art as to disarm criticism4 ,still another representative of the ,brescian school must be considered in the person of ,savoldo4 ,born of a noble family1 and following painting as an amusement rather than as an actual profession1 his works are rare1 and one of the finest examples of his art is the ,glorification of the ,virgin1 in the ,brera ,gallery1 at ,milan4 ,the mandorla-shaped glory surrounds the ,virgin's figure1 studded with faintly discerned cherub heads4 ,on either side1 a musical angel is in adoration2 four saints stand on the earth below4 ,the entire conception is rendered with the utmost delicacy3 the grace and beauty of the ,madonna are of exactly the quality to make her appearance a beatific vision4 ,from ,brescia we turn to ,verona1 where we again find many pictures of the beautiful subject4 ,there are1 in the churches of ,verona1 at least three notable works1 by ,gianfrancesco ,caroto1 in this style4 ,one is in ,sant' ,anastasia1 another is in ,san ,giorgio1 and the third--the artist's best existing work--is in ,san ,fermo ,maggiore1 and shows the ,virgin's mother1 ,st4 ,anne1 seated with her in the clouds4 ,girolamo dai ,libri was a few years younger than ,caroto1 and at one period was1 to some extent1 an imitator of the latter4 ,beginning as a miniaturist1 he finally attained a high place among the ,veronese artists of the first order4 ,his characteristics can nowhere be seen to better advantage than in the ,madonna of ,st4 ,andrew and ,st4 ,peter1 in the ,verona ,gallery4 ,the ,virgin is in an oval glory1 edged all around with small1 fleecy clouds4 ,she has a beautiful1 matronly face1 with abundant hair1 smoothly brushed over her forehead4 ,the two apostles1 below1 are fine1 strong figures1 full of virility4 ,morando1 or ,cavazzola1 was1 doubtless1 the most gifted of the older school of ,verona1 possessing some of the best qualities of the later master1 ,paolo ,veronese4 ,we should not leave the school1 therefore1 without mentioning a remarkable contribution he added to this class of pictures in his latest altar-piece4 ,here the upper air is filled with a sacred company1 the ,virgin and child are attended by ,st4 ,francis and ,st4 ,anthony1 and surrounded by seven allegorical figures to represent the cardinal virtues4 ,below are six saints1 specially honored in the ,franciscan ,order4 ,the picture is called the finest production of the school in the first quarter of the sixteenth century4 ,in the ,venetian school1 ,titian and ,tintoretto both painted the subject of the ,madonna in glory1 but the pictures are not notable compared with many others from their hands4 ,from the ,north of ,italy we naturally turn next to the ,south1 to inquire what ,raphael was doing at the same period in ,rome4 ,occupied by many great works under the papal patronage1 he still found time for his favorite subject of the ,madonna1 painting some pictures in the styles already mastered1 and two for the first time in the style of the ,madonna in the sky4 ,illustration3 ,,spanish ,,school4--,,madonna ,,on ,,the ,,crescent ,,moon4 ,the first was the ,foligno ,madonna1 now in the ,vatican ,gallery4 ,it was painted in #aeaa for the pope's secretary1 ,sigismund ,conti1 as a thank-offering for having escaped the danger of a falling meteor at ,foligno4 ,no thoughtful observer can be slow to recognize the superiority of this composition over all others of its kind in point of unity4 ,here is no formal row of saints1 each absorbed in his or her own reflections1 apart from any common purpose4 ,on the contrary1 all unite in paying honor to the ,queen of ,heaven4 ,not less superior to his contemporaries was the painter's skill in arranging the figures of ,mother and child with such grace of equilibrium that they seem to float in the upper air4 ,in the ,sistine ,madonna1 ,raphael carried this form of composition to the highest perfection4 ,so simple and apparently unstudied is its beauty1 that we do not realize the masterliness of its art4 ,we seem to be standing before an altar1 or1 better still1 before an open window1 from which the curtains have been drawn aside1 allowing us to look directly into the heaven of heavens4 ,a cloud of cherub faces fills the air1 from the midst of which1 and advancing towards us1 is the ,virgin with her child4 ,the downward force of gravity is perfectly counterbalanced by the vital energy of her progress forward4 ,there is here no uncomfortable sense1 on the part of the spectator1 that natural law is disregarded4 ,while the seated ,madonna in glory seems often in danger of falling to earth1 this full-length figure in motion avoids any such solidity of effect4 ,the figures on either side are also so posed as to arouse no surprise at their presence4 ,we should have said beforehand that heavy pontifical robes would be absurdly incongruous in such a composition1 but ,raphael solves the problem so simply that few would suspect the difficulties4 ,the final touch of beauty is added in the cherub heads below1 recalling the naive charm of the similar figures in the ,umbrian picture we have considered4 ,illustration3 ,,bouguereau4--,,madonna ,,of ,,the ,,angels4 ,after the time of ,raphael1 a pretty form of ,madonna in glory was occasionally painted1 showing the ,virgin with her babe sitting above the crescent moon4 ,the conception appears more than once in the paintings of ,albert ,duerer1 and later1 artists of all schools adopted it4 ,sassoferrato's picture in the ,vatican ,gallery is a popular example4 ,tintoretto's1 in ,berlin1 is not so well known4 ,in the ,dresden ,gallery is a work1 by an unknown ,spanish painter of the seventeenth century1 differing from the others in that the ,virgin is standing1 as in the oft-repeated ,spanish pictures of the ,immaculate ,conception4 ,it is of pictures like this that our poet ,longfellow is speaking1 when he thus apostrophizes the ,virgin3 ,thou peerless queen of air1 ,as sandals to thy feet the silver moon dost wear4 ,the enskied ,madonna involves many technical difficulties of composition1 and demands a high order of artistic imagination4 ,it could hardly be called a frequent subject in the period of greatest artistic daring1 and no modern painter has shown any adequate understanding of the subject1 though there are not lacking those who have made the attempt4 ,bodenhausen1 ,defregger1 ,bouguereau1 have all followed ,raphael in representing the ,queen of ,heaven as a full-length figure in the sky2 but their conception has not the dignity corresponding to the style of treatment4 ,impatient and dissatisfied with such modern art1 we turn back to the old masters with new appreciation of their great gifts4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,the ,,pastoral ,,madonna4 ,it was many centuries before art1 at first devoted exclusively to figure painting1 turned to the study of natural scenery4 ,thus it was that ,madonna pictures1 of various kinds1 had long been established in popular favor before the idea of a landscape setting was introduced4 ,we need not look for interesting pictures of this class before the latter part of the fifteenth century1 and it was not until the sixteenth that the pastoral ,madonna1 in its highest form1 was first produced4 ,even then there was no great number which show a really sympathetic love of nature4 ,in the ideal pastoral1 the landscape entirely fills the picture1 and the figures are1 as it were1 an integral part of it4 ,such pictures are so rare that we write in golden letters the names of the few who have given us these treasures4 ,raphael's justly comes first in the list4 ,his earliest ,madonnas show his love of natural scenery1 in the charming glimpses of ,umbrian landscape1 which form the background4 ,these are treated1 as ,muentz points out1 with marked simplicity of outline and breadth of design4 ,they are1 however1 but the beginning of the great things that were to follow4 ,the young painter's sojourn in ,florence witnessed a marvellous development of his powers4 ,here he was surrounded by the greatest artists of his time1 and he was quick to absorb into himself something of excellence from them all4 ,his fertility of production was amazing4 ,in a period of four years 7#aejd-aejh71 interrupted by visits to ,perugia and ,urbino1 he produced about twenty ,madonnas1 in which we may trace the new influences affecting him4 ,leonardo da ,vinci was1 doubtless1 his greatest inspiration1 and it was from this master-student of nature that the young man learned1 with new enthusiasm1 the value of going directly to ,nature herself4 ,the fruit of this new study is a group of lovely pastoral ,madonnas1 which are entirely unique as ,nature idyls4 ,three of these are among the world's great favorites4 ,they are1 the ,belle ,jardiniere 7,the ,beautiful ,gardener71 of the ,louvre ,gallery1 ,paris2 the ,madonna in ,gruenen 7,the ,madonna in the ,meadow71 in the ,belvedere ,gallery1 ,vienna2 and the ,cardellino ,madonna 7,the ,madonna of the ,goldfinch71 of the ,uffizi1 ,florence4 ,we turn from one to another of these three beautiful pictures1 always in doubt as to which is the greatest4 ,fortunately1 it is a question which there is no occasion to decide1 as every lover of art may be the happy possessor of all three1 in that highest mode of possession attained by devoted study4 ,in each one we have the typical ,tuscan landscape1 filling the whole picture with its tranquil beauty4 ,the glad green earth blossoms with dainty flowers2 the fair blue sky above is reflected in the placid surface of a lake4 ,from its shores rise gently undulating hills1 where towers show the signs of happy activity4 ,in the foreground of this peaceful scene sits a beautiful woman with two charming children at her knee4 ,they belong to the landscape as naturally as the trees and flowers2 they partake of its tranquil1 placid happiness4 ,illustration3 ,,raphael4--,,madonna ,,in ,,the ,,meadow4 ,almost identical in general style of composition1 the three pictures show many points of dissimilarity when we come to a closer study of the figures4 ,considered as a type of womanly beauty1 the ,belle ,jardiniere is perhaps the most commonplace of the three ,virgins1 or1 to put it negatively1 the least attractive4 ,she is distinctly of the peasant class1 gentle1 amiable1 and entirely unassuming4 ,the ,madonna in the ,meadow is a maturer woman1 more dignified1 more beautiful4 ,the smooth braids of her hair are coiled about the head1 accentuating its lovely outline4 ,the falling mantle reveals the finely modelled shoulders4 ,the ,madonna of the ,goldfinch is a still higher type of loveliness1 uniting with gentle dignity a certain delicate1 high-bred grace1 which ,raphael alone could impart4 ,her face is charmingly framed in the soft hair which falls modestly about it4 ,one wonders if any modern coiffeur could invent so many styles of hair dressing as does this gifted young painter of the sixteenth century4 ,turning from the mother to the children1 we find the same general types repeated in the three pictures1 but with some difference of motif4 ,the ,christ-child of the ,belle ,jardiniere is looking up fondly to his mother4 ,in the ,vienna picture he is eagerly interested in the cross which the little ,st4 ,john gives him4 ,in the ,uffizi picture he is more serious1 and strokes the goldfinch with an air of abstraction1 meditating on the holy things his mother has been reading to him4 ,the arrangement of the three figures is the same in all the pictures1 and is so entirely simple that we forget the greatness of the art4 ,the ,virgin1 dominating the composition1 brings into unity the two smaller figures4 ,this unity is somewhat less perfect in the ,belle ,jardiniere1 because the little ,st4 ,john is almost neglected in the intense absorption of mother and child in each other4 ,once again1 in the later days at ,rome1 ,raphael recurred to the pastoral ,madonna type of this ,florentine period1 and painted the picture known as the ,casa ,alba ,madonna4 ,we have again the same smiling landscape and the same charming children1 but a ,virgin of an altogether new order4 ,a turbaned ,roman beauty of superb1 ,juno-like physique1 she does not belong to the idyllic character of her surroundings4 ,it is as if some brilliant exotic had been transplanted from her native haunts to quiet fields1 where hitherto the modest lily had bloomed alone4 ,as ,raphael's first inspiration for the pastoral ,madonna came from the influence of ,leonardo da ,vinci1 it is of interest to compare his work with that of the great ,lombard himself4 ,critics tell us that the ,madonna pictures in which he came nearest to his model are the ,madonna in the ,meadow and the ,holy ,family of the ,lamb4 7,madrid47 ,these we may place beside the ,madonna of the ,rocks1 which is the only entirely authentic ,da ,vinci ,madonna which we have4 ,it is only the skilled connoisseur who1 in travelling from ,paris to ,vienna1 and from ,vienna to ,madrid1 can hold in memory the qualities of technique which link together the three pictures2 but for general characteristics of composition1 the black and white reproductions may suffice4 ,leonardo availed himself of his intimate knowledge of ,nature to choose from her storehouse something which is unique rather than typical4 ,the rock grotto doubtless has a real counterpart1 but we must go far to find it4 ,in the river1 gleaming beyond1 we see the painter's characteristic treatment of water1 which ,raphael was glad to adopt4 ,the triangular arrangement of the figures1 the relation of the ,virgin to the children1 the simple1 childish beauty of the latter1 and their attitude towards each other--all these points suggest the source of ,raphael's similar conceptions4 ,the ,virgin's hair falls over her shoulders entirely unbound1 in gentle1 waving ripples4 ,illustration3 ,,leonardo ,,da ,,vinci4--,,madonna ,,of ,,the ,,rocks4 ,we do not need to be told1 though the historian has taken pains to record it1 that a feature of personal beauty by which ,leonardo was always greatly pleased was curled and waving hair4 ,we see it in the first touch of his hand when1 as a boy in the workshop of ,verrochio1 he painted the wavy-haired angel in his ,master's ,baptism2 and here1 again1 in the ,virgin1 we find it the crowning element of her mysterious loveliness4 ,we try in vain to penetrate the secret of her smile1--it is as evasive as it is enchanting4 ,and herein lies the distinguishing difference between ,leonardo and ,raphael4 ,the former is always mysterious and subtle2 the latter is always frank and ingenuous4 ,while both are true interpreters of nature1 ,leonardo reveals the rare and inexplicable1 ,raphael chooses the typical and familiar4 ,both are possessed of a strong sense of the harmony of nature with human life4 ,the smile of the ,virgin of the ,rocks is a part of the mystery of her shadowy environment2#b the serenity of the ,madonna in the ,meadow belongs to the atmosphere of the open fields4 ,footnote #b3 ,that the ,leonardesque smile requires a ,leonardesque setting is seen1 ,i think1 in the pictures by ,da ,vinci's imitators4 ,the ,madonna by ,sodoma1 recently added to the ,brera ,gallery at ,milan1 is an example in point4 ,here the inevitable smile of mystery seems meaningless in the sunny1 open landscape4 ,among others who were affected by the influence of ,leonardo--and chief of the ,lombards--was ,luini4 ,his pastoral ,madonna has1 however1 little in common with the landscapes of his master1 judging from the lovely example in the ,brera4 ,the group of figures is strikingly suggestive of ,da ,vinci1 but the quiet1 rural pasture in which the ,virgin sits is ,luini's own4 ,in the distance is a thick clump of trees1 finely drawn in stem and branch4 ,at one side is a shepherd's hut with a flock of sheep grazing near4 ,the child ,jesus reaches from his mother's lap to play with the lamb which the little ,st4 ,john has brought1 a motif similar to ,raphael's ,madrid picture1 and perhaps due1 in both painters1 to the example of ,leonardo4 ,it is said by the learned that during the period of the ,renaissance the love of nature received an immense impulse from the revival of the ,latin poets1 and that this impulse was felt most in the large cities4 ,in the pictures noted1 we have seen its effect in ,florentine and ,lombard art2 that it was also felt in isolated places1 we may see in some of ,correggio's work at ,parma1 at about the same time4 ,two1 at least1 of his ,madonna pictures are as famous for their beautiful landscapes as for the rare grace and charm of their figures4 ,these are the kneeling ,madonna1 of the ,uffizi1 and ,la ,zingarella1 at ,naples4 ,both show a perfect adaptation of the surroundings to the spirit of the scene4 ,in the first it is morning1 and the gladness of ,nature reflects the ,mother's rapturous joy in her awakening babe4 ,a brilliant light floods the figures in the foreground and melts across the green slopes into the hazy distance of the sea-bound horizon4 ,in the second it is twilight1 and a calm stillness broods over all1 as under the feathery palms the ,mother bends1 watchful1 over her little one's slumbers4 ,such were the revelations of ,nature to the country-bred painter from the little town of ,correggio4 ,turning now to ,venice for our last examples1 we find that the love of natural scenery was remarkably strong in this city of water and sky1 where the very absence of verdure may have created a homesick longing for the green fields4 ,it was ,venetian art which originated that form of pastoral ,madonna known as the ,santa ,conversazione4 ,this is usually a long1 narrow picture1 showing a group of sacred personages1 against a landscape setting1 centering about the ,madonna and child4 ,the composition has none of the formality of the enthroned ,madonna4 ,an underlying unity of purpose and action binds all the figures together in natural and harmonious relations4 ,the acknowledged leader of this style of composition--the inventor indeed1 according to many--was ,palma ,vecchio4 ,it is curious that of a painter whose works are so widely admired1 almost nothing is known4 ,even the traditions which once lent color to his life have been shattered by the ruthless hand of the modern investigator4 ,the span of his life extended from #adhj to #aebh4 ,thus he came at the beginning of the century made glorious by ,titian1 and contributed not a little in his own way to its glory4 ,it is supposed that he studied under ,giovanni ,bellini1 and at one time was a friend and colleague of ,lorenzo ,lotto4 ,a child of the mountains--for he was born in ,serinalta--he never entirely lost the influence of his early surroundings4 ,to the last his figures are grave1 vigorous1 sometimes almost rude1 partaking of the characteristics of the everlasting hills4 ,perhaps it was these traits which made the ,santa ,conversazione a favorite composition with him4 ,he has an intense love of ,nature in her most luxuriant mood4 ,illustration3 ,,palma ,,vecchio4--,,santa ,,conversazione4 ,for a collection of ,palma's pictures1 we should choose at least four to represent his treatment of the ,santa ,conversazione3 those at ,naples1 ,dresden1 ,munich1 and ,vienna4 ,the ,naples picture is considered the most successful of ,palma's large pictures of this kind1 but it is not easy for the less critical observer to choose a favorite among the four4 ,one general formula describes them all3 a sunny landscape with hills clad in their greenest garb2 a tree in the foreground1 beneath which sits the ,virgin1 a comely1 country-bred matron1 who seems to have drawn her splendid vigor from the clear1 bright air4 ,on her lap she supports a sprightly little boy1 who is the centre of attention4 ,in the simpler compositions the ,madonna is at the left1 and at the right kneel or sit two saints4 ,one is a handsome young rustic1 unkempt and roughly clad1 sometimes figuring as ,st4 ,john the ,baptist1 and sometimes as ,st4 ,roch4 ,with him is contrasted a beautiful young female saint1 usually ,st4 ,catherine4 ,where the composition includes other figures1 the ,virgin is in the centre1 with the attendant personages symmetrically grouped on either side4 ,in the ,vienna picture the two additional figures at the left are the aged ,st4 ,celestin and a fine ,st4 ,barbara4 ,of all schools of painting1 the ,venetian is the least translatable into black and white1 so rich in colors is the palette which composed it4 ,this is especially true of ,palma1 and to understand aright his ,santa ,conversazione1 we must read into it the harmony of colors which it expresses1 the chords of blue1 red1 brown1 and green1 the shimmering lights and brilliant atmosphere4 ,illustration3 ,,filippino ,,lippi4--,,madonna ,,in ,a ,,rose ,,garden4 ,the subject of the ,santa ,conversazione should not be left without a brief reference to other ,venetians1 who added to the popularity of this charming style of picture4 ,berenson mentions seven by ,palma's pupil1 ,bonifazio ,veronese1 and one by his friend1 ,lorenzo ,lotto4 ,cima1 ,cariani1 ,paris ,bordone1 and last1 but not least1 the great ,titian1#c lent their gifts to the subject1 so that we have abundant evidence of the ,venetian love of natural scenery4 ,it remains to consider one more form of the pastoral ,madonna1 that which represents the ,virgin and child in a garden inclosed1 in allusion to the symbolism of ,solomon's ,song 7#d3ab74 ,the subject is found among the woodcuts of ,albert ,duerer1 but ,i have never seen it in any ,german painting4 ,footnote #c3 ,see particularly ,titian's works in the ,louvre1 of which the ,vierge au ,lapin is an especially charming pastoral4 ,in ,italian art there are two famous pictures of this class3 by ,francia1 in the ,munich ,gallery1 and by ,filippino ,lippi 7or so attributed71 in the ,pitti1 at ,florence4 ,in both the motif is the same3 in the foreground1 a square inclosure surrounded by a rose-hedge1 with a hilly landscape in the distance2 the ,virgin kneeling before her child in the centre4 ,filippino ,lippi's is one of those pictures whose beauty attracts crowds of admirers to the canvas4 ,copyists are kept busy1 repeating the composition for eager purchasers1 and it has made its way all over the world4 ,the circle of graceful angels who1 with the boy ,st4 ,john1 join the mother in adoring the ,christ-child1 is one of the chief attractions of the picture4 ,it is a pretty conceit that one of these angels showers rose leaves upon the babe4 ,the pastoral ,madonna is the sort of picture which can never be outgrown4 ,the charm of nature is as perennial as is the beauty of motherhood1 and the two are always in harmony4 ,here1 then1 is a proper subject for modern ,madonna art1 a field which has scarcely been opened by the artists of our own day4 ,such pastoral ,madonnas as have been painted within recent years are all more or less artificial in conception4 ,compared with the idyllic charm of the sixteenth century pictures1 they seem like pretty scenes in a well-mounted opera4 ,we are looking for better things4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,a ,,home ,,environment4 ,a subject so sacred as the ,madonna was long held in too great reverence to permit of any common or realistic treatment4 ,the pastoral setting brought the mother and her babe into somewhat closer and more human relations than had before been deemed possible2 but art was slow to presume any further upon this familiarity4 ,the ,madonna as a domestic subject1 represented in the interior of her home1 was hesitatingly adopted1 and has been so rarely treated1 even down to our own times1 as to form but a small group of pictures in the great body of art4 ,illustration3 ,,schongauer4--,,holy ,,family4 ,the ,northern painters naturally led the way4 ,peculiarly home-loving in their tastes1 their ideal woman is the hausfrau1 and it was with them no lowering of the ,madonna's dignity to represent her in this capacity4 ,a picture in the style of ,quentin ,massys hangs in the ,munich ,gallery1 and shows a ,flemish bedroom of the fifteenth century4 ,at the left stands the bed1 and on the right burns the fire1 with a kettle hanging over it4 ,the ,virgin sits alone with her babe at her breast4 ,more frequently a domestic scene of this sort includes other figures belonging to the ,holy ,family4 ,a typical ,german example is the picture by ,schongauer in the ,belvedere ,gallery at ,vienna4 ,the ,virgin is seated in homely surroundings1 intent upon a bunch of grapes which she holds in her hands1 and which she has taken from a basket standing on the floor beside her4 ,long1 waving hair falls over her shoulders2 a snowy kerchief is folded primly in the neck of her dress2 she is the impersonation of virgin modesty4 ,her baby boy stands on her lap1 nestling against his mother2 his eyes fixed on the fruit1 his eager little face glowing with pleasure4 ,beyond are seen the cattle1 which ,joseph is feeding4 ,he pauses at the door1 a bundle of hay in his arms1 to look in with fond pride at his young wife and her child4 ,schongauer's work belongs to the latter part of the fifteenth century1 and there was nothing similar to it in ,italy at the same period4 ,it is true that ,madonnas in domestic settings have been attributed to contemporaneous ,italians1 but they were probably by some ,flemish hand4 ,illustration3 ,,raphael4--,,madonna ,,dell' ,,impannata4 ,giulio ,romano1 a pupil of ,raphael1 was perhaps the first of the ,italians to give any domestic touch to the subject of the ,madonna and child4 ,his ,madonna della ,catina of the ,dresden ,gallery is well known4 ,it is so called from the basin in which the ,christ-child stands while the little ,st4 ,john pours in water from a pitcher for the bath4 ,another picture by the same artist shows the ,madonna seated with her child in the interior of a bedchamber4 ,this was one of the discoveries of the late ,senator ,giovanni ,morelli1 the critic1 and is in a private collection in ,dresden4 ,to ,giulio ,romano also1 according to recent criticism1 is due the domestic ,madonna known as the ,impannata1 and usually attributed to ,raphael4 ,it is probable that both artists had a hand in it1 the master in the arrangement of the composition1 the pupil in its execution4 ,a bed at one side is concealed by a green curtain4 ,in the rear is the cloth-covered window which gives the picture its name4 ,elizabeth and ,mary ,magdalene have brought home the child1 who springs to his mother's arms1 smiling back brightly at his friends4 ,one other ,madonna from ,raphael's brush 7the ,orleans7 has an interior setting1 but the domestic environment here is undoubtedly the work of some ,flemish painter of later date4 ,by the seventeenth century1 the ,holy ,family in a home environment can be found somewhat more often in various localities4 ,by the ,french painter ,mignard there is a well-known picture in the ,louvre called ,la ,vierge a la ,grappe4 ,by ,f4 ,barocci of ,urbino there is an example in the ,national ,gallery known as the ,madonna del ,gatto1 in which the child holds a bird out of the reach of a cat4 ,a similar motif1 certainly not a pleasant one1 is seen in ,murillo's ,holy ,family of the ,bird1 in ,madrid4 ,by ,salimbeni1 in the ,pitti1 is a ,holy ,family in an interior1 showing the boy ,jesus and his cousin ,st4 ,john playing with puppies4 ,rembrandt's domestic ,madonna pictures1 equally homely as to environment1 are by no means scenes of hilarity1 but rather of frugal contentment4 ,two similar works bear the title of ,le ,menage du ,menuisier--the ,carpenter's ,home4 ,in both1 the scene is the interior of a common room devoted to work and household purposes4 ,joseph is seen in the rear at his bench1 while the central figures are the mother and child4 ,in the ,louvre picture1 the ,virgin's mother is present1 caressing her grandchild1 who is held at his mother's breast4 ,the composition at ,st4 ,petersburg 7,hermitage ,gallery7 is simpler1 and shows the ,virgin contemplating her babe as he lies asleep in the cradle4 ,another well-known picture by ,rembrandt is in the ,munich ,gallery1 where again we have signs of the carpenter's toil1 but where the laborer has stopped for a moment to peep at the babe1 who has gone off to dreamland at his mother's breast and now sleeps sweetly in her lap4 ,let those who think such pictures too homely for a sacred theme compare them with the simplicity of the ,gospels4 ,,part ,,ii4 ,,madonnas ,,classed ,,according ,,to ,,their ,,significance ,,as ,,types ,,of ,,motherhood4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,of ,,love4 7,,the ,,mater ,,amabilis47 ,undoubtedly the most popular of all ,madonna subjects--certainly the most easily understood--is the ,mater ,amabilis4 ,the mother's mood may be read at a glance3 she is showing in one of a thousand tender ways her motherly affection for her child4 ,she clasps him in her arms1 holding him to her breast1 pressing her face to his1 kissing him1 caressing him1 or playing with him4 ,love is written in every line of her face2 love is the key-note of the picture4 ,the style of composition best adapted to such a theme is manifestly the simplest4 ,the more formal types of the enthroned and glorified ,madonnas are the least suitable for the display of maternal affection1 while the portrait ,madonna1 and the ,madonna in landscape or domestic scenes1 are readily conceived as the ,mater ,amabilis4 ,nevertheless1 these distinctions have not by any means been rigidly regarded in art4 ,this is manifest in some of the illustrations in ,part ,i41 as the ,enthroned ,madonna1 by ,quentin ,massys1 where the mother kisses her child1 and ,angelico's ,madonna in ,glory1 where she holds him to her cheek4 ,gathering our examples from so many methods of composition1 we are in the midst of a multitude of pictures which no man can number1 and which set forth every conceivable phase of motherliness4 ,let us make ,raphael our starting-point4 ,from the same master whose influence led him to the study of external nature1 he learned also the study of human nature4 ,to the interpretation of mother-love he brought all the fresh ardor of youth1 and a sunny temperament which saw only joy in the face of ,nature4 ,one after another of the series of his ,florentine pictures gives us a new glimpse of the loving relation between mother and child4 ,the ,belle ,jardiniere gazes into her boy's face in fond absorption4 ,the ,tempi ,madonna holds him to her heart1 pressing her lips to his soft cheek4 ,in the ,orleans and ,colonna pictures she smiles indulgently into his eyes as he lies across her lap1 plucking at the bosom of her dress4 ,other pictures show the two eagerly reading together from the ,book of ,wisdom 7,the ,conestabile and ,ansidei ,madonnas74 ,the painter's later work evinces a growing maturity of thought4 ,in the ,holy ,family of ,francis ,i41 how strong and tender is the mother's attitude1 as she stoops to lift her child from his cradle2 in the ,chair ,madonna1 how protecting is the capacious embrace with which she gathers him to herself in brooding love4 ,no technical artistic education is necessary for the appreciation of such pictures4 ,all who have known a mother's love look and understand1 and look again and are satisfied4 ,correggio touches the heart in much the same way2 he1 too1 saw the world through rose-colored glasses4 ,his interpretation of life is full of buoyant enjoyment4 ,beside the tranquil joy of ,raphael's ideals1 his figures express a tumultuous gladness1 an overflowing gayety4 ,this is the more curious because of the singular melancholy which is attributed to him4 ,the outer circumstances of his life moved in a quiet groove which was almost humdrum4 ,he passed his days in comparative obscurity at ,parma1 far from the great art influences of his time4 ,but isolation seemed the better to develop his rare individuality4 ,he was the architect of his own fortunes1 and wrought out independently a style peculiar to himself4 ,his most famous ,madonna pictures are large compositions1 crowded with figures of extravagant attitudes and expression4 ,the fame of these more pretentious works rests not so much upon their inner significance as upon their splendid technique4 ,they are unsurpassed for masterly handling of color1 and for triumphs of chiaroscuro4 ,there are better qualities of sentiment in the smaller pictures1 where the mother is alone with her child4 ,it is here that we find something worthy to compare with ,raphael4 ,there are several of these1 produced in rapid succession during the period when the artist was engaged upon the frescoes of ,s4 ,giovanni 7,parma71 and soon after marriage had opened his heart to sweet1 domestic influences4 ,the first was the ,uffizi picture1 so widely known and loved4 ,the mother has gathered up her mantle so that it covers her head and drops at one side on a step1 forming a soft1 blue cushion for the babe4 ,here the little darling lies1 looking up into his mother's face4 ,kneeling on the step below1 she bends over him1 with her hands playfully outstretched1 in a transport of maternal affection4 ,following this came the picture now in the ,national ,gallery1 called the ,madonna della ,cesta1 from the basket that lies on the ground4 ,it is a domestic scene in the outer air3 the mother is dressing her babe1 and smilingly arrests his hand1 which1 on a sudden impulse1 he has stretched towards some coveted object4 ,the same face is almost exactly repeated in the ,madonna of the ,hermitage ,gallery 7,st4 ,petersburg71 who offers her breast to her boy1 at that moment turning about to receive some fruit presented by a child angel4 ,there are two duplicates of this picture in other galleries4 ,the ,zingarella 7the ,gypsy7 is so called from the gypsy turban worn by the ,madonna4 ,the mother1 supposed to be painted from the artist's wife1 sits with the child asleep on her lap4 ,with motherly tenderness she bends so closely over him that her forehead touches his little head4 ,it is unfortunate that this beautiful work is not better known4 ,it is in the ,naples ,gallery4 ,a comparison of these pictures discloses a remarkable variety in action and grouping4 ,on the other hand1 the ,madonnas are quite similar in general type4 ,with the exception of the ,zingarella1 who is the most motherly1 they are all in a playful mood4 ,the same playfulness1 but of a more sweet and motherly kind1 lights the face of the ,madonna della ,scala4 ,the composition is somewhat in the portrait style1 showing the mother in half length1 seated under a sort of canopy4 ,the babe clings closely to her neck1 turning about at the spectator with a glance half shy and half mischievous4 ,his coyness awakens a smile of tender amusement in the gentle1 young face above him4 ,the picture has an interesting history4 ,it was originally painted in fresco over the eastern gate of ,parma1 where ,vasari saw and admired it4 ,in after years1 the wall which it decorated was incorporated into a small new church1 of which it formed the rear wall4 ,to accommodate the high level of the ,madonna1 the building was somewhat elevated1 and1 being entered by a flight of steps1 was known as ,s4 ,maria della ,scala 7of the staircase74 ,the name attached itself to the picture even after the church was destroyed 7in #ahab71 and the fresco removed to the town gallery4 ,the marks of defacement which it bears are due to the votive offerings which were formerly fastened upon it1--among them1 a silver crown worn by the ,madonna as late as the eighteenth century4 ,though such scars injure its artistic beauty1 they add not a little to the romantic interest which invests it4 ,illustration3 ,,correggio4--,,madonna ,,della ,,scala4 ,beside such names as ,raphael and ,correggio1 history furnishes but one other worthy of comparison for the portrayal of the ,mater ,amabilis--it is ,titian4 ,his ,madonna is by no means uniformly motherly4 ,there are times when we look in vain for any softening of her aristocratic features2 when her stately dignity seems quite incompatible with demonstrativeness4#d ,but when love melts her heart how gracious is her unbending1 how winning her smile6 ,once she goes so far as to play in the fields with her little boy1 quieting a rabbit with one hand for him to admire4 7,la ,vierge au ,lapin1 ,louvre47 ,in other pictures she holds him lying across her lap1 smiling thoughtfully upon him4 ,such an one is the ,madonna with ,sts4 ,ulfo and ,brigida1 in the ,madrid ,gallery4 ,the child is taking the flowers ,st4 ,brigida offers him1 and his mother looks down with the pleased expression of fond pride4 ,again1 when her babe holds his two little hands full of the roses his cousin ,st4 ,john has brought him1 she smiles gently at the eagerness of the two children4 7,uffizi ,gallery47 ,footnote #d3 ,see the ,madonna of the ,cherries in the ,belvedere at ,vienna1 and the ,madonna and ,saints in the ,dresden ,gallery4 ,illustration3 ,,titian4--,,madonna ,,and ,,saints4 7,,detail47 ,another similar composition reveals a still sweeter intimacy between mother and son4 ,the babe stretches out his hand coaxingly towards his mother's breast1 but she draws her veil about her1 gently denying his appeal4 ,a more beautiful mother1 or a more bewitching babe1 it were hard to find4 ,three fine half-length figures of saints complete this composition1 each of great interest and individuality1 but not necessary to the unity of action--the ,madonna alone making a complete picture4 ,there are two copies of this work1 one in the ,belvedere at ,vienna1 and one in the ,louvre at ,paris4 ,the motif of this picture is not unique in art1 as will have been remarked in passing4 ,the first duty of maternity1 and one of its purest joys1 is to sustain the newborn life at the mother's breast4 ,a coarse interpretation of the subject desecrates a holy shrine1 while a delicate rendering1 such as ,raphael's or ,titian's1 invests it with a new beauty4 ,other pictures of this class should be mentioned in the same connection4 ,there is one in the ,hermitage ,gallery at ,st4 ,petersburg1 attributed by late critics to the little-known painter1 ,bernardino de' ,conti4 ,the ,madonna's face1 her hair drawn smoothly over her temples1 has a beautiful matronliness4 ,still another is the ,madonna of the ,green ,cushion1 by ,solario1 in the ,louvre4 ,here the babe lies on a cushion before his mother1 who bends over him ecstatically1 her fair young face aglow with maternal love as she sees his contentment4 ,we have noticed that in one of ,corregio's pictures the babe lies asleep on his mother's lap4 ,it is interesting to trace this pretty motif through other works of art4 ,no phase of motherhood is more touching than the watchful care which guards the child while he sleeps2 nor is infancy ever more appealing than in peaceful and innocent slumber4 ,mrs4 ,browning understood this well1 when she wrote her beautiful poem interpreting the thoughts of the ,virgin ,mary to the ,child ,jesus4 ,hopes and fears1 joy and pity1 are alternately stirred in the heart of the watcher1 as she bends over the tiny face1 scanning every change that flits across it4 ,each verse suggests a subject for a picture4 ,we should naturally expect that ,raphael would not overlook so beautiful a theme as the mother watching her sleeping child4 ,nor are we disappointed4 ,the ,madonna of the ,diadem1 in the ,louvre1 belongs to this class of pictures4 ,like the pastoral ,madonnas of the ,florentine period1 it includes the figure of the little ,st4 ,john1 to whom1 in this instance1 the proud mother is showing her babe1 daintily lifting the veil which covers his face4 ,the seventeenth century produced many pictures of this class2 among them1 a beautiful work by ,guido ,reni1 in ,rome1 deserves mention1 being executed with greater care than was usual with him4 ,sassoferrato and ,carlo ,dolce frequently painted the subject4 ,their ,madonnas often seem affected1 not to say sentimental1 after the simpler and nobler types of the earlier period4 ,but nowhere is their peculiar sweetness more appropriate than beside a sleeping babe4 ,the ,corsini picture by ,carlo ,dolce is an exquisite nursery scene4 ,its popularity depends more1 perhaps1 upon the babe than the mother4 ,like ,lady ,isobel's child in another poem of motherhood by ,mrs4 ,browning1 he sleeps-- ,fast1 warm1 as if its mother's smile1 ,laden with love's dewy weight1 ,and red as rose of ,harpocrate1 ,dropt upon its eyelids1 pressed ,lashes to cheek in a sealed rest4 ,in ,northern ,madonna art1 the ,mater ,amabilis is the preeminent subject4 ,this fact is due partly to the ,german theological tendency to subordinate the mother to her divine ,son1 but more especially to the characteristic domesticity of ,teutonic peoples4 ,from ,van ,eyck and ,schongauer1 through ,duerer and ,holbein1 down to ,rembrandt and ,rubens1 we trace this strongly marked predilection in every style of composition1 regardless of proprieties4 ,van ,eyck does not hesitate to occupy his richly dressed enthroned ,madonna at ,frankfort with giving her breast to her babe1 and ,duerer portrays the same maternal duties in the ,virgin on the ,crescent ,moon4 ,holbein's ,meyer ,madonna1 splendid with her jewelled crown1 is not less motherly than ,schongauer's young ,virgin sitting in a rude stable4 ,rembrandt in humble ,dutch interiors1 ,rubens in numerous ,holy ,families modelled upon the ,flemish life about him always conceive of the ,virgin ,mother as delighting in her maternal cares4 ,as has been said of ,duerer's ,madonna1--and the description applies equally well to many others in the ,north1--,she suckles her son with a calm feeling of happiness2 she gazes upon him with admiration as he lies upon her lap2 she caresses him and presses him to her bosom without a thought whether it is becoming to her1 or whether she is being admired4 ,illustration3 ,d,ue,r,e,r4--,,madonna ,,and ,,child4 ,this entire absence of posing on the part of the ,german ,virgin is one of the most admirable elements in this art4 ,this characteristic is perfectly illustrated in ,duerer's portrait ,madonna of the ,belvedere ,gallery1 at ,vienna4 ,this is an excellent specimen of the master1 who1 alone of the ,germans1 is considered the peer of his great ,italian contemporaries4 ,frankly admired both by ,titian and ,raphael1 he has in common with them the supreme gift of seeing and reproducing natural human affections4 ,his work1 however1 is as thoroughly ,german as theirs is ,italian4 ,the ,madonna of this picture has the round1 maidenly face of the typical ,german ideal4 ,a transparent veil droops over the flowing hair1 covered by a blue drapery above4 ,the mother holds her child high in her arms1 bending her face over him4 ,the babe is a beautiful little fellow1 full of vivacity4 ,he holds up a pear gleefully1 to meet his mother's smile4 ,the picture is painted with great delicacy of finish4 ,the ,mater ,amabilis is the subject par excellence of modern ,madonna art4 ,carrying on its surface so much beauty and significance1 it is naturally attractive to all figure painters4 ,while other ,madonna subjects are too often beyond the comprehension of either the artist or his patron1 this falls within the range of both4 ,the shop windows are full of pretty pictures of this kind1 in all styles of treatment4 ,there are the portrait ,madonnas by ,gabriel ,max1 already mentioned1 and pastoral ,madonnas by ,bouguereau1 by ,carl ,mueller1 by ,n4 ,barabino1 and by ,dagnan-,bouveret4 ,others carry the subject into the more formal compositions of the enthroned and enskied ,madonnas1 being1 as we have seen1 not without illustrious predecessors among the old masters4 ,of these we have ,guay's ,mater ,amabilis1 where the mother leans from her throne to support her child1 playing on the step below with his cousin1 ,st4 ,john2 and ,mary ,l4 ,macomber's picture1 where the enthroned ,madonna folds her babe in her protecting arms1 as if to shield him from impending evil4 ,illustration3 ,,bodenhausen4--,,madonna ,,and ,,child4 ,by ,bodenhausen we have the extremely popular ,mater ,amabilis in ,gloria1 where a girlish young mother1 her long hair streaming about her1 stands in upper air1 poised above the great ball of the earth1 holding her sweet babe to her heart4 ,pictures like these constantly reiterate the story of a mother's love--an old1 old story1 which begins again with every new birth4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,in ,,adoration4 7,,the ,,madre ,,pia47 ,the first tender joys of a mother's love are strangely mingled with awe4 ,her babe is a precious gift of ,god1 which she receives into trembling hands4 ,a new sense of responsibility presses upon her with almost overwhelming force4 ,hers is the highest honor given unto woman2 she accepts it with solemn joy1 deeming herself all too unworthy4 ,this spirit of humility has been idealized in art1 in the form of ,madonna known as the ,madre ,pia4 ,it represents the ,virgin ,mary adoring her son4 ,sometimes she kneels before him1 sometimes she sits with clasped hands1 holding him in her lap4 ,whatever the variation in attitude1 the thought is the same3 it is an expression of that higher1 finer aspect of motherhood which regards infancy as an object not only of love1 but of reverent humility4 ,it is a recognition of the great mystery of life which invests even the helpless babe with a dignity commanding respect4 ,a picture with so serious an intention can never be widely understood4 ,the meaning is too subtile for the casual observer4 ,an outgrowth of mediaeval pietism1 it was superseded by more popular subjects1 and has never since been revived4 ,the subject had its origin as an idealized nativity1 set in pastoral surroundings which suggest the ,bethlehem manger4 ,theologically it represented the ,virgin as the first worshipper of her divine ,son4 ,but though the sacred mystery of ,mary's experience sets her forever apart as blessed among women1 she is the type of true motherhood in all generations4 ,the ,madonna in ,adoration is1 properly speaking1 a fifteenth century subject4 ,it belongs primarily to that most mystic of all schools of art1 the ,umbrian1 centering in the town of ,perugia4 ,nowhere else was painting so distinctly an adjunct of religious services1 chiefly designed to aid the worshipper in prayer and contemplation4 ,as an exponent of the typical qualities of the ,perugian school stands the artist who is known by its name1 ,perugino4 ,his favorite subject is the ,madre ,pia1 and his best picture of the kind is the ,madonna of the ,national ,gallery4 ,having once seen her here1 the traveller recognizes her again and again in other galleries1 in the many replicas of this charming composition4 ,the ,madonna kneels in the foreground1 adoring with folded hands the child1 who is supported in a sitting posture on the ground1 by a guardian angel4 ,the ,virgin's face is full of fervent and exalted emotion4 ,perugino had no direct imitator of his ,madre ,pia1 but his ,bolognese admirer ,francia treated the subject in a way that readily suggests the source of his inspiration4 ,his ,madonna of the ,rose ,garden in ,munich instantly recalls ,perugino4 ,the artist has1 however1 chosen a novel motif in representing the moment when the ,virgin is just sinking on her knees1 as if overcome by emotion4 ,between the ,umbrian school and the ,florentine1 a reciprocal influence was exerted4 ,if the latter taught the former many secrets of composition and technical execution1 the ,umbrians in turn imparted something of their mysticism to their more matter-of-fact neighbors4 ,while the ,umbrian school of the fifteenth century was occupied with the ,madre ,pia1 ,florence also was devoted to the same subject4 ,sculpture led the race1 and in the front ranks was ,luca della ,robbia1 founder of the school which bears his family name4 ,beginning as a worker in marble1 his inventive genius presently wrought out a style of sculpture peculiarly his own4 ,this was the enamelled terra-cotta bas-relief showing pure white figures against a background of pale blue4 ,they were made chiefly in circular medallions1 lunettes1 and tabernacles1 and were scattered throughout the churches and homes of ,tuscany4 ,associated with ,luca in his work was his nephew ,andrea1 who1 in turn1 had three sculptor sons1 ,giovanni1 ,girolamo1 and ,luca ,,ii4 ,so great was the demand for their ware that the ,della ,robbia studios became a veritable manufactory from which hundreds of pieces went forth4 ,of these1 a goodly number represent the ,madonna in ,adoration4 ,while it is difficult to trace every one of these with absolute correctness to its individual author1 the majority seem to be by ,andrea1 who1 as it would appear1 had a special fondness for the subject4 ,it must be acknowledged that the nephew is inferior to his uncle in his ideal of the ,virgin1 less original than ,luca in his conceptions1 and less noble in his results4 ,his work1 notwithstanding1 has many charming qualities1 which are specially appropriate to the character of the particular subject under consideration4 ,there is1 indeed1 a peculiar value in low relief1 for purposes of idealization4 ,it has an effect of spiritualizing the material1 and giving the figures an ethereal appearance4 ,andrea profited by this advantage1 and1 in addition1 showed great delicacy of judgment in subduing curves and retaining simplicity in his lines4 ,we may see all this in the popular tabernacle which he designed1 and of which there are at least five1 and probably more1 copies4 ,the ,madonna kneels prayerfully before her babe1 who lies on the ground by some lily stalks4 ,in the sky above are two cherubim and hands holding a crown4 ,there is a girlish grace in the kneeling figure1 and a rare sweetness in the face1 entirely free from sentimentality4 ,a severe simplicity of drapery1 and the absence of all unnecessary accessories1 are points of excellence worth noting4 ,the composition was sometimes varied by the introduction of different figures in the sky1 other cherubim1 or the head of the ,almighty1 with the ,dove4 ,only second in popularity to this was ,andrea's circular medallion of the ,nativity1 with the ,virgin and ,st4 ,john in adoration4 ,there are two copies of this in the ,florentine ,academy1 one in the ,louvre1 and one in ,berlin4 ,the effect of crowding so many figures into a small compass is not so pleasing as the classical simplicity of the former composition4 ,illustration3 ,,andrea ,,della ,,robbia4--,,madonna ,,in ,,adoration4 ,contemporary with the ,della ,robbias was another ,florentine family of artists equally numerous4 ,of the five ,rossellini1 ,antonio is of greatest interest to us1 as a sculptor who had some qualities in common with the famous porcelain workers4 ,like them1 he had a special gift for the ,madonna in ,adoration4 ,we can see this subject in his best style of treatment1 in the beautiful ,nativity in ,san ,miniato1 which may be regarded as one of the most charming productions of the best period of ,tuscan art4#e ,the tourist will consider it a rich reward for his climb to the quaint old church on the ramparts overhanging the ,arno4 ,if perchance his wanderings lead him1 on another occasion1 to the hill rising on the opposite side1 he will find1 in the ,cathedral of ,fiesole1 a fitting companion in the altar-piece by ,mino da ,fiesole4 ,this is a decidedly unique rendering of the ,madre ,pia4 ,the ,virgin kneels in a niche1 facing the spectator1 adoring the ,christ-child1 who sits on the steps below her1 turning to the little ,baptist1 who kneels at one side on a still lower step4 ,footnote #e3 ,c4,c4 ,perkins1 in ,tuscan ,sculptors4 ,illustration3 ,,lorenzo ,,di ,,credi4--,,nativity4 ,passing from the sculpture of ,florence to its painting1 it is fitting that we mention first of all the friend and fellow-pupil of the ,umbrian ,perugino1 ,lorenzo di ,credi4 ,the two had much in common4 ,trained together in the workshop of the sculptor ,verrocchio1 in those days of intense religious stress1 they both became followers of the prophet-prior of ,san ,marco1 ,savonarola4 ,their religious earnestness naturally found expression in the beautiful subject of the ,madre ,pia4 ,the ,florentine artist1 though not less devout than his friend1 introduces into his work an element of joy1 characteristic of his surroundings1 and more attractive than the somewhat melancholy types of ,umbria4 ,his ,adoration1 in the ,uffizi1 is an admirable example of his best work4 ,following the fashion made popular by the ,della ,robbias1 the artist chose for his composition the round picture1 or tondo4 ,by this elimination of unnecessary corners1 the attention centres in the beautiful figure of the ,virgin1 which occupies a large portion of the circle4 ,in exquisite keeping with the modest loveliness of her face1 a delicate1 transparent veil is knotted over her smooth hair1 and falls over the round curves of her neck4 ,in expression and attitude she is the perfect impersonation of the spirit of humility1 joyfully submissive to her high calling1 reverently acknowledging her unworthiness4 ,this picture may be taken as a typical example of the subject in ,florentine painting4 ,lorenzo himself repeated the composition many times1 and numerous other works could be mentioned1 strikingly similar in treatment1 by ,ghirlandajo1 in the ,florence ,academy2 by ,signorelli1 in the ,national ,gallery2 by ,albertinelli1 in the ,pitti2 by ,filippo ,lippi1 in the ,berlin ,gallery2 by ,filippino ,lippi1 in the ,pitti2 and so on through the list4 ,in many cases the subject seems to have been chosen1 not so much from any devotional spirit on the part of the painter1 as from force of imitation of the prevailing ,florentine fashion4 ,this is especially true in the case of ,filippo ,lippi1 who does not bear the best of reputations4 ,although a brother in the ,carmelite monastery1 his love of worldly pleasures often led him astray1 if we are to believe the gossip of the old annalists4 ,we may allow much for the exaggerations of scandal1 but still be forced to admit that his candid realism is plain evidence of a closer study of nature than of theology4 ,browning has given us a fine analysis of his character in the poem bearing his name1 ,fra ,lippo ,lippi4 ,the artist monk1 caught in the streets of the city on his return from some midnight revel1 explains his constant quarrel with the rules of art laid down by ecclesiastical authorities4 ,they insist that his business is to the souls of men1 and that it is quite from the mark of painting to make faces1 arms1 legs1 and bodies like the true4 ,on his part1 he claims that it will not help the interpretation of soul1 by painting body ill4 ,an intense lover of every beautiful line and color in ,god's world1 he believes that these things are given us to be thankful for1 not to pass over or despise4 ,obliged to devote himself to a class of subjects with which he had little sympathy1 he compromised with his critics by adopting the traditional forms of composition1 and treating them after the manner of genre painters1 in types drawn from the ordinary life about him4 ,the kneeling ,madre ,pia he painted three times3 two of the pictures are in the ,florence ,academy1 and the third and best is in the ,berlin ,gallery4 ,illustration3 ,,filippo ,,lippi4--,,madonna ,,in ,,adoration4 ,in the ,madonna of the ,uffizi1 he broke away somewhat from tradition1 and rendered quite a new version of the subject4 ,the ,virgin is seated with folded hands1 adoring her child1 who is held up before her by two boy angels4 ,his type of childhood is by no means pretty1 though altogether natural4 ,the ,virgin cannot be called either intellectual or spiritual1 but where1 as a noted critic has asked1 can we find a face more winsome and appealing8 ,certainly she is a lovely woman1 and ,if you get simple beauty and naught else1 ,that's somewhat3 and you'll find the soul you have missed ,within yourself1 when you return him thanks4 ,the idea of the seated ,madre ,pia1 comparatively rare in ,florentine art1 is quite frequent in northern ,italy4 ,sometimes the setting is a landscape1 in the foreground of which the ,madonna sits adoring the babe lying on her lap4 ,examples are by ,basaiti 7,paduan71 in the ,national ,gallery1 and by a painter of ,titian's school1 in ,berlin4 ,much more common is the enthroned ,madonna in ,adoration1 and for this we may turn to the pictures of the ,vivarini1 ,bartolommeo and ,luigi1 or ,alvise4 ,these men were of ,muranese origin1 and in the very beginning of ,venetian art-history were at the head of their profession1 until finally eclipsed by the rival family of the ,bellini4 ,among their works1 we find by each one at least three pictures of the type described4 ,as the most worthy of description1 we may select the altar-piece by ,luigi1 in the ,church of the ,redentore4 ,as it is one of the most popular ,madonnas in ,venice1 no collection is complete without it4 ,a green curtain forms the background1 against which the plain marble throne-chair is brought into relief4 ,the ,virgin sits wrapt in her own thoughts1 an impersonation of tranquil dignity4 ,a heavy wimple falls low over her forehead1 entirely concealing her hair1 and with its severe simplicity accentuating the chaste beauty of her face4 ,two fascinating little cherubs sit on a parapet in front1 playing on lutes2 and1 lulled by their gentle music1 the sweet babe sleeps on1 serenely unconscious of it all4 ,illustration3 ,,luigi ,,vivarini4--,,madonna ,,and ,,child4 ,before such pictures as this1 gleaming in the dim light of quiet chapels1 many a heart1 before unbelieving1 may learn a new reverence for the mysterious sanctity of motherhood4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,the ,,madonna ,,as ,,witness4 ,in proportion to a mother's ideals and ambitions for her child does her love take on a higher and purer aspect4 ,the noblest mother is the most unselfish2 she regards her child as a sacred charge1 only temporarily committed to her keeping4 ,her care is to nurture and train him for his part in life2 this is the object of her constant endeavor4 ,thus she comes to look upon him as hers and yet not hers4 ,in one sense he is her very own2 in another1 he belongs to the universal life which he is to serve4 ,there is no conflict between the two ideas2 they are the obverse sides of one great truth4 ,both must be recognized for a complete understanding of life4 ,what is true of all motherhood finds a supreme illustration in the character of the ,virgin ,mary4 ,she understood from the first that her son had a great mission to fulfil1 that his work had somewhat to do with a mighty kingdom4 ,never for a moment did she lose sight of these things as she pondered them in her heart4 ,her highest joy was to present him to the world for the fulfilment of his calling4 ,as a subject of art1 this phase of the ,madonna's character requires a mode of treatment quite unlike that of the ,mater ,amabilis or the ,madre ,pia4 ,the attitude and expression of the ,virgin are appropriate to her office as the ,christ-bearer4 ,both mother and child1 no longer absorbed in each other1 direct their glance towards the people to whom he is given for a witness4 7,isaiah #ee3d47 ,these may be the spectators looking at the picture1 or the saints and votaries filling the composition4 ,the mother's lap is the throne for the child1 from which1 standing or sitting1 he gives his royal blessing4 ,it will be readily understood that so lofty a theme can not be common in art4 ,in our own day1 it has1 with the ,madre ,pia1 passed almost entirely out of the range of art subjects2 modern painters do not try such heights4 ,franz ,defregger is alone in having made an honest and earnest effort1 not without success1 to express his conception of the theme4 ,to his ,enthroned ,madonna at ,doelsach1 and his less well-known ,madonna in ,glory1 let us pay this passing word of honor4 ,to approach our subject in the most systematic way1 we will go back to the beginnings of ,madonna art4 ,mrs4 ,jameson tells us that the group of ,virgin and ,son was1 in its first intention1 a theological symbol1 and not a representation4 ,it was a device set up in the orthodox churches as a definite formalization of a creed4 ,the first ,madonnas showed none of the aspects of ordinary motherhood in attitude1 gesture1 or expression4 ,the theological element in the picture was the first consideration4 ,we may take as a representative case the ,virgin ,nike-peja 7of ,victory71 supposed to be the same which ,eudocia1 wife of the ,emperor ,theodosius ,,ii41 discovered in her travels in ,palestine1 and sent to ,constantinople1 whence it was finally brought to ,st4 ,mark's1 ,venice4 ,the ,virgin--a half-length figure--holds the child in front of her1 like a doll1 as if exhibiting him to the gaze of the worshippers before the altar over which the picture hung4 ,both faces look directly out at the spectator1 with grave and stiff solemnity4 ,the progress of painting1 and the growing love of beauty1 at length wrought a change4 ,the time came when art saw the possibility of uniting1 with the religious conception of previous centuries1 a more natural ideal of motherhood4 ,thus1 while the ,madonna continues to be preeminently a witness of her son's greatness1 it is not at the sacrifice of motherly tenderness4 ,in ,venetian art-history1 ,giovanni ,bellini stands at the period when the old was just merging into the new4 ,we have already seen how greatly he and his contemporaries differed from the painters of a later time4 ,taking advantage of all the progressive methods of the day1 they did not relinquish the religious spirit of their predecessors1 hence their work embodies the best elements of the old and new4 ,as we examine the ,bellini ,madonnas1 one after another1 we can not fail to notice how delicately they interpret the relation of the mother to her child4 ,loving and gracious as she is1 she is not the ,mater ,amabilis3 she is too preoccupied1 though not too cold for caresses4 ,neither is she the ,madre ,pia1 though by no means lacking in humility4 ,her thoughts are of the future1 rather than of the present4 ,true to a mother's instinct1 she encircles her child with a protecting arm1 but her face is turned1 not to his1 but to the world4 ,both are looking steadfastly forward to the great work before them4 ,their eyes have the far-seeing look of those absorbed in noble dreams4 ,their faces are full of sweet earnestness1 not of the ascetic sort1 but joyful1 with a calm1 tranquil gladness4 ,this description applies almost equally well to a half-dozen or more of ,bellini's ,madonnas1 in various styles of composition4 ,for the sake of definiteness1 we may specify the ,madonna between ,st4 ,paul and ,st4 ,george in the ,venice ,academy4 ,the ,virgin is in half-length1 against a scarlet curtain1 supporting the child1 who stands on the coping of a balcony4 ,in technical qualities alone1 the picture is a notable one for precision of drawing1 breadth of light and shade1 and brilliant color4 ,in ,christian sentiment it is among the rare treasures of ,italian art4 ,the ,national ,gallery and the ,brera contain others which are very similar in style and conception4 ,the three enthroned ,madonnas which have already been noticed are not less remarkable for religious significance4 ,there is a peculiar freshness and vivacity in the ,san ,giobbe picture4 ,both ,virgin and child are alert and eager1 welcoming the future with smiling and youthful enthusiasm4 ,the ,frari ,madonna is of a more subdued type1 but is not less true to her ideal4 ,the ,virgin of ,san ,zaccaria is more thoughtful and reflective1 but she holds her child up bravely1 that he may give his blessing to mankind4 ,illustration3 ,,giovanni ,,bellini4--,,madonna ,,between ,,st4 ,,george ,,and ,,st4 ,,paul4 7,,detail47 ,it will have been noticed that the throne is an especially appropriate setting for the ,madonna as ,witness4 ,it is one of the functions of royalty that the queen should show the prince to his people4 ,we therefore turn naturally to this class of pictures for examples4 ,to those of ,bellini just cited we may add1 from the others mentioned in the second chapter1 the ,madonnas by ,cima1 by ,palma1 and by ,montagna in ,venetian ,art2 and by ,luini and by ,botticelli in the ,lombard and ,florentine schools respectively4 ,luini's picture is one which readily touches the heart4 ,the ,virgin unites the sweetness of fresh1 young motherhood with womanly dignity of character4 ,her smile has nothing of mystery in it2 it is simply sweet and winning4 ,the ,christ-child is a lovely boy1 steadying himself against his mother's breast1 and yet with an air of self-reliance4 ,the two understand each other well4 ,illustration3 ,,luini4--,,madonna ,,with ,,st4 ,,barbara ,,and ,,st4 ,,anthony4 ,one could hardly imagine two more dissimilar spirits than ,luini and ,botticelli4 ,to ,luini's ,virgin1 the consciousness of her son's greatness is a proud honor1 accepted seriously1 but gladly4 ,to ,botticelli1 on the other hand1 it brings a profound melancholy4 ,this is so marked that at first sight almost every one is repelled by ,botticelli1 and yields only after long familiarity to the mysterious fascination of the sad-eyed ,madonna1 who holds her babe almost listlessly1 as her head droops with the weight of her sorrow4 ,her expression is the same whatever her attitude1 when she presses her babe to her bosom as the ,mater ,amabilis 7in the ,borghese ,gallery at ,rome1 in the ,dresden ,gallery1 and ,louvre71 or when1 as witness to her son's destiny1 she holds him forth to be seen of men4 ,it is in this last capacity that her mood is most intelligible4 ,she seems oppressed rather than humbled by her honors2 reluctant1 rather than glad to assume them2 yet1 with proud dignity1 determined to do her part1 though her heart break in the doing4 ,her nature is too deep to accept the joy without counting the cost1 and her vision looks beyond ,bethlehem to ,calvary4 ,this is well illustrated in the picture of the ,berlin ,gallery4#f ,the queen mother rises with the prince to receive the homage of humanity4 ,the boy1 old beyond his years1 gravely raises his right hand to bless his people1 the other still clinging1 with infantile grace1 to the dress of his mother4 ,lovely1 rose-crowned angels hold court on either side1 bearing lighted tapers in jars of roses4 ,footnote #f3 ,the ,berlin ,gallery contains two ,enthroned ,madonnas attributed to ,botticelli4 ,the description here1 and on page #dj makes it clear that the reference is to the picture numbered #ajb4 ,this does not appear in ,berenson's list of ,botticelli's works1 but is treated as authentic by ,crowe and ,cavalcaselle4 ,the ,madonna of the ,pomegranate is another work by ,botticelli which belongs in this class of pictures4 ,it is a tondo in the ,uffizi1 showing the figures in half length4 ,the ,virgin1 encircled by angels1 holds the child half reclining on her lap4 ,her face is inexpressibly sad1 and the child shares her mood1 as he raises his little hand to bless the spectator4 ,two angels bear the ,virgin's flowers1 roses and lilies2 two others hold books4 ,they bend towards the queen as the petals of a rose bend towards the centre1 with the serious grace peculiar to ,botticelli4 ,illustration3 ,,botticelli4--,,madonna ,,of ,,the ,,pomegranate 4 ,in connection with the peculiar type of melancholy exhibited on the face of ,botticelli's ,madonna1 it will be of interest to refer to the work of ,francia4 ,the two artists were1 in some points1 kindred spirits2 both felt the burden of life's mystery and sorrow4 ,francia1 as we have seen1 imbibed from the works of ,perugino something of the spirit of mysticism common to the ,umbrian school4 ,but while there is a certain resemblance between his ,madonna and ,perugino's1 the former has less of sentimentality than the latter1 and more real melancholy4 ,like ,botticelli's ,virgin1 she acts her part half-heartedly1 as if the sword had already begun to pierce her heart4 ,francia's favorite ,madonna subjects were of the higher order1 the ,madre ,pia and the ,madonna as ,witness4 ,in treating the latter1 his ,christ-child is always in keeping with the mother1 a grave little fellow who gives the blessing with almost touching dignity4 ,enthroned ,madonnas illustrating the theme are those of the ,hermitage at ,st4 ,petersburg1 of the ,belvedere at ,vienna1 and the famous ,bentivoglio ,madonna in ,s4 ,jacopo ,maggiore at ,bologna4 ,the last-named is one of the works which enable us to understand ,raphael's high praise of the ,bolognese master4 ,it is a noble composition1 full of strong religious feeling4 ,illustration3 ,,murillo4--,,madonna ,,and ,,child4 ,it is a long leap from the fifteenth to the seventeenth centuries1 taking us from a period of genuine religious fervor in art1 into an age of artificial imitation4 ,in the midst of the decadence of old ideals and the birth of art methods entirely new1 arose one who seemed to be the reincarnation of the old spirit in a form peculiar to his age and race4 ,this was ,murillo1 the peasant-painter of ,spain1 than whom was never artist more pious1 not even excepting the angelic brother of ,san ,marco4 ,he alone in the seventeenth century kept alive the pure flame of religious fervor1 which had burned within the devout ,italians of the early school4 ,through all his pictures of the ,virgin and child we can see that the ,madonna as the ,christ-bearer is the ideal he always has in view4 ,he falls short of it1 not through any lack of earnestness1 but because his type of womanhood is incapable of expressing such lofty idealism4 ,his virgins are modelled upon the simple ,andalusian maidens1 sweet1 timid1 dark-eyed creatures4 ,their faces glow with gentle affection as they look wistfully out of the picture1 or raise their eyes to heaven1 as if dimly discerning the heights which they have never reached4 ,the ,pitti ,madonna is one of this sweet company1 and perhaps the loveliest of them all4 ,both she and her beautiful boy are full of gentle earnestness1 and if they are too simple-minded to realize what is in store for them1 they are none the less ready to do the ,father's will4 ,one more picture remains for us to consider as an illustration of the ,madonna as ,witness4 ,had we mentioned it first1 nothing further could have been said on the subject4 ,the ,sistine ,madonna is the greatest ever produced1 from every point of view4 ,we have already noted the superiority of its artistic composition over all other enskied ,madonnas1 and are the more ready to appreciate its higher merits2 for its strongest hold upon our admiration is in its moral and religious significance4 ,its theme is the transfiguration of loving and consecrated motherhood4 ,mother and child1 united in love1 move towards the glorious consummation of the heavenly kingdom4 ,illustration3 ,,raphael4--,,sistine ,,madonna4 ,it has been said that ,raphael made no preparatory studies for this ,madonna1 but1 in a larger sense1 he spent his life in preparation for it4 ,he had begun by imitating the mystic sweetness of ,perugino's types1 drawn by an intuitive delicacy of perception to this spiritual idealism1 while yet too inexperienced to express any originality4 ,then1 by an inevitable reaction1 he threw himself into the creation of a purely naturalistic ,madonna1 and carried the ,mater ,amabilis to its utmost perfection4 ,having mastered all the secrets of woman's beauty1 he returned once more to the higher realm of idealism to send forth his matured conception of the ,madonna as the ,christ-bearer4 ,the ,sistine ,madonna is above all words of praise2 all extravagance of expression is silenced before her simplicity4 ,hers is the beauty of symmetrically developed womanhood2 the perfect poise of her figure is not more marked than the perfect poise of her character4 ,not one false note1 not one exaggerated emphasis1 jars upon the harmony of body1 soul1 and spirit4 ,confident1 but entirely unassuming2 serious1 but without sadness2 joyous1 but not to mirthfulness2 eager1 but without haste2 she moves steadily forward with steps timed to the rhythmic music of the spheres4 ,the child is no burden1 but a part of her very being4 ,the two are one in love1 thought1 and purpose4 ,sharing the secret of his sacred calling1 the mother bears her son forth to meet his glorious destiny4 ,art can pay no higher tribute to ,mary1 the ,mother of ,jesus1 than to show her in this phase of her motherhood4 ,we sympathize with her maternal tenderness1 lavishing fond caresses upon her child4 ,we go still deeper into her experience when we see her bowed in sweet humility before the cares and duties she is called upon to assume4 ,but we are admitted to the most cherished aspirations of her soul1 when we see her oblivious of self1 carrying her child forth to the service of humanity4 ,it is thus that she becomes one of his witnesses unto the people2 it is thus that all generations shall call her blessed4 ,,bibliography4 ,,mrs4 ,,anna ,,jameson3 ,the ,legends of the ,madonna4 ,boston1 #ahif4 ,,crowe ,,and ,,cavalcaselle3 ,history of ,painting in ,italy4 ,london1 #ahfd4 ,history of ,painting in ,north ,italy4 ,london1 #ahga4 ,titian3 ,his ,life and ,times4 ,london1 #ahgg4 ,,kugler3 ,handbook of the ,italian ,schools1 revised by ,a4,h4 ,layard4 ,london1 #ahhg4 ,handbook of the ,german1 ,flemish1 and ,dutch ,schools1 revised by ,j4,a4 ,crowe4 ,london1 #ahhi4 ,,morelli3 ,critical ,studies of the ,italian ,painters4 ,translated by ,constance ,jocelyn ,ffoulkes4 ,london1 #ahib4 ,j4,a4 ,,symonds3 ,renaissance in ,italy3 ,the ,fine ,arts4 ,new ,york1 #ahhh4 ,,walter ,h4 ,,pater3 ,studies in the ,history of the ,renaissance4 ,london1 #ahgc4 ,,bernhard ,,berenson3 ,the ,venetian ,painters of the ,renaissance4 ,new ,york1 #ahid4 ,the ,florentine ,painters of the ,renaissance4 ,new ,york1 #ahif4 ,,karl ,,karoly3 ,a ,guide to the ,paintings of ,florence4 ,london and ,new ,york1 #ahic4 ,a ,guide to the ,paintings of ,venice4 ,london and ,new ,york1 #ahie4 ,c4,c4 ,,perkins3 ,tuscan ,sculptors4 ,london1 #ahfd4 ,,cavalucci ,,et ,,molinier3 ,les ,della ,robbia3 leur vie et leur oeuvre4 ,paris1 #ahhd4 ,,eugene ,m,ue,n,t,z3 ,raphael4 ,translated by ,walter ,armstrong4 ,london1 #ahhb4 ,,index ,,of ,,artists4 ,albertinelli1 ,madonna in the ,pitti1 #agb4 ,angelico1 ,fra1 ,madonna della ,stella1 #ff-fi1 #acb4 ,barabino1 ,n41 ,mater ,amabilis1 #aed4 ,barocci1 ,f41 ,madonna del ,gatto1 #abf4 ,bartolommeo1 ,madonna in the ,capella ,giovanato1 #cj2 ,madonnas in the ,florence ,academy1 #ca2 ,enthroned ,madonna in the ,pitti1 #db1 #dg4 ,basaiti1 ,madonna in the ,national ,gallery1 #agg4 ,bellini1 ,giovanni1 ,madonna of ,san ,giobbe1 #ej1 #ahh2 ,frari ,madonna1 #ej1 #aia2 ,madonna of ,san ,zaccaria1 #ej-ec1 #aia2 ,madonna between ,st4 ,paul and ,st4 ,george1 #ahh2 ,madonna in the ,national ,gallery1 #ahh2 ,madonna in the ,brera1 #ahh4 ,bellini1 ,jacopo1 ,madonna in the ,venice ,academy1 #be4 ,bodenhausen1 ,madonna1 #ij1 #aed4 ,bonifazio ,veronese1 ,seven pictures of the ,santa ,conversazione1 #aae4 ,botticelli1 ,enthroned ,madonna at ,berlin1 #dj1 #aia1 #aie1 #aif2 ,madonna in the ,borghese1 #aie2 ,madonna in the ,dresden ,gallery1 #aie2 ,madonna in the ,louvre1 #aie2 ,madonna of the ,pomegranate1 #aif2 ,madonna of the ,inkhorn1 #ei4 ,bouguereau1 ,enthroned ,madonna1 #fd2 ,madonna of the ,angels1 #ij2 ,mater ,amabilis1 #aed4 ,byzantine ,madonna in the ,ara ,coeli1 #be2 in ,s4 ,maria in ,cosmedino1 #be2 in ,st4 ,mark's1 #be1 #ahe2 at ,padua1 #be4 ,cano1 ,alonzo1 ,madonna of ,bethlehem1 #cb4 ,caroto1 ,gianfrancesco1 ,madonna in ,sant' ,anastasia1 #hj2 ,madonna in ,san ,giorgio1 #hj2 ,madonna in ,san ,fermo ,maggiore1 #hj4 ,cavazzola1 see ,morando4 ,cima1 ,enthroned ,madonna in the ,venice ,academy1 #di1 #aia4 ,cimabue1 ,ruccellai ,madonna1 #ch-ci4 ,conti1 ,bernardino de'1 ,madonna in the ,hermitage ,gallery1 #adf4 ,correggio1 ,madonnas in ,dresden1 #de2 ,madonna of ,st4 ,sebastian1 #gj2 ,madonna in the ,uffizi1 #ajf1 #acf2 ,la ,zingarella1 #ajf1 #acg1 #adf2 ,madonna della ,cesta1 #acf2 ,madonna della ,scala1 #ach1 #ada4 ,credi1 ,lorenzo di1 ,nativity in the ,uffizi1 #aga4 ,crivelli1 ,carlo1 ,use 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