The Madonna in art . , surrounding theentire figure, instead of merely the was oval in shape, like the almond ormandorla. 65 66 THE MADONNA IN ART. A picture of this class is the famousMadonna della Stella, of Fra is in a beautiful Gothic tabernacle,which is the sole ornament of a cell inSan Marco, Florence. At every step inthese sacred precincts, we meet somereminder of the Angelic Brother. Howthe gray walls blossomed, under his brush,into forms and colors of eternal beauty!After seeing the larger wall-paintings incorridors and refectory, this little gemseems to epitomize
The Madonna in art . , surrounding theentire figure, instead of merely the was oval in shape, like the almond ormandorla. 65 66 THE MADONNA IN ART. A picture of this class is the famousMadonna della Stella, of Fra is in a beautiful Gothic tabernacle,which is the sole ornament of a cell inSan Marco, Florence. At every step inthese sacred precincts, we meet somereminder of the Angelic Brother. Howthe gray walls blossomed, under his brush,into forms and colors of eternal beauty!After seeing the larger wall-paintings incorridors and refectory, this little gemseems to epitomize his choicest gifts. Arich frame, fit setting for the jewel, en-closes an outer circle of adoring angels,and within, the central panel containsonly the full length figure of the Virginwith her child, against a mandorla formedof golden rays running from centre to cir-cumference. The Madonna is envelopedin a long, dark blue cloak, drawn aroundher head like a Byzantine veil. A singlestar gleams above her brow, from which. Fra Angelico.— Madonna della Stella. THE MADONNA IN THE SKY. 69 is derived the title of the picture. Sheholds her child fondly, and he, with re-sponsive affection, nestles against hismother, pressing his little face into herneck. Faithful to the standards of hispredecessors, and untouched by the newspirit of naturalism all about him, themonk painter preserves, in his conception,the most sacred traditions of past ages,and yet unites with them an elementof love and tenderness which appealsstrongly to every human heart. It is but a step from this earlier formof the Madonna in Gloria to the moremodern style of the Madonna in the Sky,where the field of vision is enlarged, andwe see the Virgin and child raised abovethe surface of the earth. In some pic-tures, her elevation is very slight. Thereis a curious composition, by Andrea delSarto (Berlin Gallery), where we arepuzzled to know if the Madonna is en- 70 THE MADONNA IN ART. throned or enskied. A flight of stepsin t
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade18, booksubjectmaryblessedvirginsaint
