Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . n benediction, and theother extended. Such were the simple, majestic, and deco-rous effigies, the legitimate successors of the old architecturalmosaics, and usually placed over the high altar of a churchor chapel. The earliest examples which have been preservedare for that reason celebrated in the history of Art. The first is the enthroned Virgin of Guido da Siena, whopreceded Cimabue by twenty or thirty years. In this picture,the Byzantine conception and style of execution are adhered
Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . n benediction, and theother extended. Such were the simple, majestic, and deco-rous effigies, the legitimate successors of the old architecturalmosaics, and usually placed over the high altar of a churchor chapel. The earliest examples which have been preservedare for that reason celebrated in the history of Art. The first is the enthroned Virgin of Guido da Siena, whopreceded Cimabue by twenty or thirty years. In this picture,the Byzantine conception and style of execution are adhered to, yet with a softenedsentiment, a touch ofmore natural, life-likefeeling, particularly inthe head of the expression in theface of the Virgin struckme as very gentle andattractive; but it hasbeen, I am afraid, re-touched, so that wecannot be quite surethat we have the ori-ginal features. Fortu-nately Guido has placeda date on his work,MCCXXI., and also in-scribed on it a distich,which shows that hefelt, with some consciousness and self-complacency, hissuperiority to his Byzantine models : —. 70 LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA. Me Guido de Senis diebu8 depinxit amoenisQuern Christus lenis nullis velit angere poenis.^ Next we may refer to the two colossal Madonnas byCimabue, preserved at Florence. The firsts which waspainted for the Yallombrosian monks of the S. Trinita, isnow in the gallery of the academy. It has all the stiffnessand coldness of the Byzantine maniier. There are threeadoring angels on each side, disposed one above another, andfour prophets are placed below in separate niches, half-figures, holding in theirhands their propheticscrolls, as in the oldmosaic at Capua, al-ready described. Thesecond is preserved inthe Ruccellai chapel, inthe S. Maria Novella,in its original spite of its colossalsize, and formal attitude,and severe style, theface of this Madonna isvery striking, and hasbeen well described as sweet and unearthly,reminding you of asibyl. The
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade18, booksubjectmaryblessedvirginsaint
