The Madonna in art . h. In some pic-tures, her elevation is very slight. Thereis a curious composition, by Andrea delSarto (Berlin Gallery), where we arepuzzled to know if the Madonna is en- 70 THE MADONNA IN ART. throned or enskied. A flight of stepsin the centre leads up as if to a throne,but above these the Virgin sits in aniche, on a bank of clouds. In Correggios Madonna of St. Sebas-tian, in the Dresden Gallery, the Virginseems to be descending from heaven toearth with her babe, and the surroundingclouds and cherubs rest literally upon theheads of the saints who are honored bythe vision.
The Madonna in art . h. In some pic-tures, her elevation is very slight. Thereis a curious composition, by Andrea delSarto (Berlin Gallery), where we arepuzzled to know if the Madonna is en- 70 THE MADONNA IN ART. throned or enskied. A flight of stepsin the centre leads up as if to a throne,but above these the Virgin sits in aniche, on a bank of clouds. In Correggios Madonna of St. Sebas-tian, in the Dresden Gallery, the Virginseems to be descending from heaven toearth with her babe, and the surroundingclouds and cherubs rest literally upon theheads of the saints who are honored bythe vision. In other pictures the dividing linebetween earth and heaven is much morestrongly marked. We have a landscapebelow, then a stratum of intervening air,and, in the upper sky, the Madonna withher child. The lower part of the pictureis occupied by a company of saints, towhom the heavenly vision is vouchsafed;or, in rare cases, by cherubs. The Virginappears in a cloud of cherub heads,or accompanied by a few child - Umiuuan School. — Glorification of the Virgin. THE MADONNA IN THE SKY. 73 There are a few pictures in which hermother, St. Anne, sits with her. Adoringseraphs sometimes attend, one on eachside, or even sainted personages. Allthese variations are exemplified in thepictures which we are to consider. The first has come down to us from thehand of some unknown Umbrian the National Gallery, London, whereit now hangs, it was once attributed toLo Spagna, but is now entered in thecatalogue as nameless. It matters littlewhether or not we know the name of themaster; he could ask no higher tribute tohis talent than the universal admirationwhich his picture commands. In the foreground of a quiet Umbrianlanscape is a marble balcony, on the rail-ing of which sit two captivating little boychoristers. One roguish fellow pipes on atrumpet, while the other, his face tip-tiltedto the heavenly vision, makes music on a 74 THE MADONNA IN ART. small guitar. Above, on a cloud
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade18, booksubjectmaryblessedvirginsaint
