The Madonna in art . is one of this sweetcompany, and perhaps the loveliest ofthem all. Both she and her beautiful boyare full of gentle earnestness, and if they 204 THE MADONNA IN ART. are too simple-minded to realize what isin store for them, they are none the lessready to do the Fathers will. One more picture remains for us toconsider as an illustration of the Ma-donna as Witness. Had we mentionedit first, nothing further could have beensaid on the subject. The Sistine Madonnais the greatest ever produced, from everypoint of view. We have already notedthe superiority of its artistic composi
The Madonna in art . is one of this sweetcompany, and perhaps the loveliest ofthem all. Both she and her beautiful boyare full of gentle earnestness, and if they 204 THE MADONNA IN ART. are too simple-minded to realize what isin store for them, they are none the lessready to do the Fathers will. One more picture remains for us toconsider as an illustration of the Ma-donna as Witness. Had we mentionedit first, nothing further could have beensaid on the subject. The Sistine Madonnais the greatest ever produced, from everypoint of view. We have already notedthe superiority of its artistic compositionover all other enskied Madonnas, and arethe more ready to appreciate its highermerits; for its strongest hold upon ouradmiration is in its moral and religioussignificance. Its theme is the transfigur-ation of loving and consecrated mother-hood. Mother and child, united in love,move towards the glorious consummationof the heavenly kingdom. It has been said that Raphael madeno preparatory studies for this Madonna,. Raphael. — Sistine Madonna. THE MADONNA AS WITNESS. 20y but, in a larger sense, he spent his lifein preparation for it. He had begunby imitating the mystic sweetness ofPeruginos types, drawn by an intuitivedelicacy of perception to this spiritualidealism, while yet too inexperienced toexpress any originality. Then, by aninevitable reaction, he threw himself intothe creation of a purely naturalistic Ma-donna, and carried the Mater Amabilis toits utmost perfection. Having masteredall the secrets of womans beauty, hereturned once more to the higher realmof idealism to send forth his maturedconception of the Madonna as the Christ-bearer. The Sistine Madonna is above allwords of praise; all extravagance of ex-pression is silenced before her is the beauty of symmetrically de-veloped womanhood; the perfect poise ofher figure is not more marked than the 208 THE MADONNA IN ART. perfect poise of her character. Not onefalse note, not one exaggerated emphasis
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