Fra Filippo Lippi . left, the artisthas represented the ordination of St. Stephen bya bishop ^ assisted by five priests. The scene takesplace outside a church, surrounded by the deso-late landscape of the lunette. Kneeling before theconsecrating bishop, the youthful Levite kisses oneof the latters hands while the other is raised inbenediction. We next see the Proto-martyr comfort-ing and embracing a man in rich raiment, apparentlythe father of a youth who is represented chained toa pillar, being possessed of the devil, in a room ofthe stately palace near which the aifecting encountertakes plac
Fra Filippo Lippi . left, the artisthas represented the ordination of St. Stephen bya bishop ^ assisted by five priests. The scene takesplace outside a church, surrounded by the deso-late landscape of the lunette. Kneeling before theconsecrating bishop, the youthful Levite kisses oneof the latters hands while the other is raised inbenediction. We next see the Proto-martyr comfort-ing and embracing a man in rich raiment, apparentlythe father of a youth who is represented chained toa pillar, being possessed of the devil, in a room ofthe stately palace near which the aifecting encountertakes place. The exorcizing and casting out of theevil spirit are depicted with much dramatic force,especially natural being the gestures of surprise andjoy with which the parents of the sufferer hail hismiraculous liberation. The Disputation with the Jew^s, which follows,although very considerably damaged, may be re- ^ Op. cit., p. 32. ^ According to the legend, St. Stephen was ordained by theprince of the Apostles yNi«[esiiy of wifOBNiA UKl^NKTMENT OFnNlVRKSIlY KXTKXSION. PRATO 139 garded as the finest episode of this a raised seat outside the palace, listening sul-lenly and with evident disapproval to the impas-sioned words of the saint, who stands before themin a diofnified oratorical attitude, are the Scribes andPharisees. All around presses a motley crowd, sohostile to the speaker that it is with difficultyprevented by a herald from violently interruptingthe discussion. We cannot help comparing thistumultuous scene, full of life and movement, withFra Angelicos Preaching of St. Stephen in thechapel of Nicholas V at the Vatican. The Domini-can has represented the saint quietly holding forthto a group of wondering females seated at his feet;there is nothing, in this atmosphere of security andpeace, even remotely foreshadowing the tragic con-sequences of the youthful Levites Filippos conception of the scene, on the con-trary, is far more natura
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpublisherlondo, bookyear1901
