. Great pictures, as seen and described by famous writers. y the surest, but also the most sub-lime. Why is such simple means so highly successful inexalting our feelings ? Why is it, when looking at thispicture, we have moments of divine oblivion in which wefancy ourselves in Heaven ? That is what we must trv topenetrate and comprehend. The principal figure of the picture is the Infant is no longer the graceful Bambino that we have so oftenseen in the arms of Raphaels Madonnas, gentle andencouraging to the eyes of mankind, or again he who, ere-while, in the Virgin zvith the Fish, lea
. Great pictures, as seen and described by famous writers. y the surest, but also the most sub-lime. Why is such simple means so highly successful inexalting our feelings ? Why is it, when looking at thispicture, we have moments of divine oblivion in which wefancy ourselves in Heaven ? That is what we must trv topenetrate and comprehend. The principal figure of the picture is the Infant is no longer the graceful Bambino that we have so oftenseen in the arms of Raphaels Madonnas, gentle andencouraging to the eyes of mankind, or again he who, ere-while, in the Virgin zvith the Fish, leaned towards the youngTobit; it is the God himself, it is the God of Justice andof the Last Day. In the most humble state of our flesh,beneath the veil of infancy, we see the terrifying splendourof infinite majesty in this picture. The divine Infantleaves between himself and us a place for fear, and inhis presence we experience something of the fear ofGod that Adam felt and that he transmitted to his attaining such heights of impression the means. The Sistine Madonna. Raphael. THE SISTINE MADONNA 47 employed by Raphael are of an incomprehensible Infant Jesus nestles familiarly in his mothers on a fold of the white veil that the Virgin supportswith her left hand, he leans against the Madonnas rightarm; his legs are crossed one above the other; the wholeof the left arm follows the bend of the body and the lefthand rests upon the right leg; at the same time, the rightshoulder being raised by Marys hand, the right arm is bentat the elbow and the hand grasps the Virgins veil. Thisattitude, so natural, so true, so unstudied, expresses grandeurand sovereignty. Nothing can be more elementary normore powerful. The light rests calmly upon every part ofthis beautiful body and all its members in such fine was never seen under such radiance. The Sonof God, in transporting to Heaven the terrestrial form ofhis infancy, has made it divine for
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, bookpublish, booksubjectpainting
