Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . tion. The Virgin sits at the foot of the cross; beforeher, and half-sustained by her knees, lies the form of the G 42 LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA. dead Saviour, seen in front; his arms are held up by twoangels (unwinged, as is usual with Michael Angelo). TheVirgin looks up to heaven with an appealing expression; andin one engraving of this composition the cross is inscribedwith the words, Tu non pensi quanto sangue costa. Thereis no painting bj Michael Angelo himself, but many copiesand eng
Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . tion. The Virgin sits at the foot of the cross; beforeher, and half-sustained by her knees, lies the form of the G 42 LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA. dead Saviour, seen in front; his arms are held up by twoangels (unwinged, as is usual with Michael Angelo). TheVirgin looks up to heaven with an appealing expression; andin one engraving of this composition the cross is inscribedwith the words, Tu non pensi quanto sangue costa. Thereis no painting bj Michael Angelo himself, but many copiesand engravings of the drawing. A beautiful small copy, byMarcello Yenusti, is in the Queens Gallery. There is yet another version of the Pieta, quite mysticaland devotional in its significance,—but, to my feeling, morepainful and material than poetical. It is variously treated;for example; — 1. The dead Redeemer is seen half-lengthwithin the tomb ; his hands are extended to show his wounds;his eyes are closed, his head declined, his bleeding brow en-circled by thorns. On one side is the Virgin, on the other. 25 Pieta. (B. Angelico. St. John the Evangelist, in attitudes of profound grief andcommiseration. 2. The dead form, half emerging from the THE MATER DOLOROSA. 43 tomb, is sustained in the arms of the Mater Dolorosa. the Evangelist on the other side. There are sometimesangels. The Pieta thus conceived as a purely religious and idealimpersonation of the atoning Sacrifice is commonly placedover the altar of the sacrament; and in many altar-pieces itforms the centre of the predella, just in front where themass is celebrated, or on the door of the tabernacle, wherethe Host is deposited. When, with the Mater Dolorosa and St. John, Mary Mag-dalene is introduced with her dishevelled hair, the groupceases to be properly a Pieta, and becomes a representationrather than a symbol. There are also examples of a yet more complex but stillperfectly ideal and devotional treatment, in w
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