Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . he first, very aged, in an oriental cos-tume, with a long grey beard, stands holding in his handan astronomical table; the next, a man in the prime of life,seems listening to him; the third, a youth, seated and lookingupwards, holds a compass. I have myself no doubt that thisbeautiful picture represents the three wise men of the East,watching on the Chaldean hills the appearance of the miracu-lous star, and that the light breaking in the far horizon,called in the German description the
Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . he first, very aged, in an oriental cos-tume, with a long grey beard, stands holding in his handan astronomical table; the next, a man in the prime of life,seems listening to him; the third, a youth, seated and lookingupwards, holds a compass. I have myself no doubt that thisbeautiful picture represents the three wise men of the East,watching on the Chaldean hills the appearance of the miracu-lous star, and that the light breaking in the far horizon,called in the German description the rising sun, is intendedto express the rising of the star of Jacob. In the sumptuouslandscape, and colour, and the picturesque rather than reli-gious treatment, this picture is quite Venetian. The inter-pretation here suggested I leave to the consideration of theobserver; and without allowing myself to be tempted on tofurther illustration, will only add, in conclusion, that I do notremember any Spanish picture of this subject remarkableeither for beauty or originality. THE PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE. 241. 115 Fra Bartolomeo. The Purification of the Virgin, the Present-ation, AND THE Circumcision of Christ. Ital. La Purificazione della B. Vergine. Ger. Die Darbrlngung imTempel. Die Beschneidung Christi. After the birth of her Son, Mary was careful to fulfil all theceremonies of the Mosaic law. As a first-born son, he was tobe redeemed by the offering of five shekels, or a pair of youngpigeons (in memory of the first-born of Egypt). But pre-viously, being born of the children of Abraham, the infantChrist was submitted to the sanguinary rite which sealed the I I 242 LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA. covenant of Abraham, and received the name of Jesus —y Bishop ««that name before which every knee was to bow, which was Taylor s ^ chri^/ *^ ^® ^^^ above the powers of magic, the mighty rites of sor- cerers, the secrets of Memphis, the drugs of Thessaly, thesilent and mysterious murmurs of
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade18, booksubjectmaryblessedvirginsaint
