. Sacred and legendary art . bute;or she is leaning on it as a ped-estal. In a beautiful picture of theVan Eyck school which I saw inthe museum at Rouen, represent-ing the Virgin and Child thronedin the midst of female saints, is seated on the left ofthe Madonna, bending over abook, and wearing on her head a rich and tasteful diadem ofgems and gold, the front of which is worked into the formof a triple tower. I have seen the tower modelled in gold,suspended in a golden chain from her girdle. I have seen several pictures of St. Barbara in which sheholds a feather in her hand; general
. Sacred and legendary art . bute;or she is leaning on it as a ped-estal. In a beautiful picture of theVan Eyck school which I saw inthe museum at Rouen, represent-ing the Virgin and Child thronedin the midst of female saints, is seated on the left ofthe Madonna, bending over abook, and wearing on her head a rich and tasteful diadem ofgems and gold, the front of which is worked into the formof a triple tower. I have seen the tower modelled in gold,suspended in a golden chain from her girdle. I have seen several pictures of St. Barbara in which sheholds a feather in her hand; generally a peacocks feather. Ihave never met with any explanation of this attribute ; andam inclined to believe, as it is only found in the German pic-tures, that it refers to an old German version of her legend,which relates that when St. Barbara was scourged by her father,the angels changed the rods into feathers. The expression of the head varies with the fancy of thepainter; but in the best pictures, at least in all those that. St. Barbara (Palma) 486 THE VIRGIN PATRONESSES aspire to character, the countenance and attitude convey theidea of thoughtfulness, dignity, and power. Luini, in a frescogroup in the Brera, where she stands opposite to St. Anthony,has given her this expression of i umilta siijperhaP Domen- ichino has given her this look,with large lustrous eyes, full ofinspiration. 1. The most heautiful of thesingle figures to which I can referis the chef-dceuvre of Palma Yec-chio, placed over the altar of in the Church of SantaMaria Formosa at Venice. She isstanding in a majestic attitude,looking upwards with inspired eyes,and an expression like a wears a tunic or robe of arich warm brown, with a mantleof crimson; and a white veil istwisted in her diadem and amongthe tresses of her pale golden hair:the whole picture is one glow ofcolor, life, and beauty ; I neversaw a combination of expressionand color at once so soft, so sober,and so splendid. Cannon
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