Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . manifest fault to disturb the sublime tenorof the scene by representing Mary as starting up in alarm;for, in the first place, she was accustomed, as we have seen,to the perpetual ministry of angels, who daily and hourlyattended on her. It is, indeed, said that Mary, was troubled;but it was not the presence, but the saying of the angelwhich troubled her—it was the question how this should Luke, i. The attitude, therefore, which some painters havegiven to her, as if she had starte
Legends of the Madonna, as represented in the fine artsForming the third series of Sacred and legendary art . manifest fault to disturb the sublime tenorof the scene by representing Mary as starting up in alarm;for, in the first place, she was accustomed, as we have seen,to the perpetual ministry of angels, who daily and hourlyattended on her. It is, indeed, said that Mary, was troubled;but it was not the presence, but the saying of the angelwhich troubled her—it was the question how this should Luke, i. The attitude, therefore, which some painters havegiven to her, as if she had started from her seat, not only interror, but in indignation, is altogether misplaced. A signalinstance is the statue of the Virgin by Mocchi in the choirof the cathedral at Orvieto, so grand in itself, and yet sooffensive as a devotional figure. Misplaced is also, I think,the sort of timid shrinking surprise which is the expression insome pictures. The moment is much too awful, the expectancemuch too sublime for any such human, girlish emotions. Ifthe painter intend to express the moment in which the angel. A. del Sarto. 198 LEGENDS OF THE MADONNA. appears and utters the salutation,^Hail! then Marj maybe standing, and her looks directed towards him, as in a finemajestic Annunciation of Andrea del Sarto. Standing wasthe antique attitude of prayer; so that if we suppose her tohave been interrupted in her devotions, the attitude is stillappropriate. But if that moment be chosen in which sheexpressed her submission to the divine will, ^ Behold thehandmaid of the Lord! let it be unto me according to thyword! then she might surely kneel with bowled head, andfolded hands, and downcast eyes beneath th almighty attitude could be too humble to express that response;and Dante has given us, as the most perfect illustration of thevirtue of humility, the sentiment and attitude of Mary whensubmitting herself to the divine will. Purg. Trans. The angel (who came down to earthWith t
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