Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . 49 Botticelli. day after day, to make an involuntary pause of Virgin, seated in a chair of state, but seen only to theknees, sustains her divine Son with one arm; four angels arein attendance, one of whom presents an ink-horn, anotherholds before her an open book, and she is in the act of writingthe Magnificat, My soul doth magnify the Lord! Thehead of the figure behind the Virgin is the portrait of Lo-renzo de Medici when a boy. In the original picture by Botticelli, th
Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . 49 Botticelli. day after day, to make an involuntary pause of Virgin, seated in a chair of state, but seen only to theknees, sustains her divine Son with one arm; four angels arein attendance, one of whom presents an ink-horn, anotherholds before her an open book, and she is in the act of writingthe Magnificat, My soul doth magnify the Lord! Thehead of the figure behind the Virgin is the portrait of Lo-renzo de Medici when a boy. In the original picture by Botticelli, there is absolutely nobeauty of feature, either in the Madonna, or the Child, or theangels, yet every face is full of dignity and character. 122 LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA. Bel. ,No. 1244. In a beautiful picture by Titian, the Virgin is enthroned onthe left, and on the right appear St. George and St. Laurenceas listening, while St. Jerome reads from his great small copy of this picture is at Titian. A family group is sometimes treated in this grand style,but the symmetry of the arrangement and the sentimentshow the picture to be devotional; as in this sketch (51.), wherethe Virgin is seated on a throne, with St. Joseph and on each side, and the little St. John adores theinfant Christ. Bel. The old German and Flemish painters, in treating theenthroned Madonna, sometimes introduced accessories whichno painter of the early Italian school would have descendedto ; and which tinge with a homely sentiment their mostexalted conceptions. Thus, I have seen a German Madonnaseated on a superb throne, and most elaborately and gorgeouslyarrayed, pressing her Child to her bosom with a truly ma- HALF-LENGTH ENTHRONED MADONNAS. 123 ternal air; while beside her, on a table, is a honeycomb, somebutter, a dish of fruit, and a glass of water. It is possiblethat in this case, as in the Virgin suckling her Child, theremay be a religious allusion:
Size: 1795px × 1392px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade18, booksubjectmaryblessedvirginsaint
