At First Sight Of The Murillo Every One Exclaims
At Once, "Plow Beautiful!" - At Sight Of This They Are Silent.
Many are
at first disappointed; but the picture fastens the attention, and
grows upon the thoughts; while that of Murillo is dismissed with the
words of admiration on the lips.
This picture excited my ponderings and inquiries. There was a conflict
of emotion in that mother's face, and shadowed mysteriously in the
child's, of which I queried, "Was it fear? was it sorrow? was it
adoration and faith? was it a presage of the hour when a sword should
pierce through her own soul? Yet, with this, was there not a solemn
triumph in the thought that she alone, of all women, had been called
to that baptism of anguish? And in that infant face there seemed a
foreshadowing of the spirit which said, "Now is my soul troubled; and
what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour? But for this cause
came I unto this hour."
The deep-feeling soul which conceived this picture has spread over the
whole divine group a tender and transparent shadow of sorrow. It is
this idea of sorrow in heaven - sorrow, for the lost, in the heart of
God himself - which forms the most sacred mystery of Christianity; and
into this innermost temple of sorrow had Raphael penetrated. He is a
sacred poet, and his poetry has precisely that trait which Milton
lacks - tenderness and sympathy. This picture, so unattractive to the
fancy in merely physical recommendations, has formed a deeper part of
my inner consciousness than any I have yet seen. I can recall it with
perfect distinctness, and often return to ponder it in my heart.
In this room there was also the _chef-d'luvre_ of Correggio - his
celebrated Notte, or the Nativity of Jesus; and, that you may know
what I ought to have thought, I will quote you a sentence from Wilkie.
"All the powers of art are here united to make a perfect work. Here
the simplicity of the drawing of the Virgin and Child is shown in
contrast with the foreshortening of the group of angels - the strongest
unity of effect with the most perfect system of intricacy. The
emitting the light from the body of the child, though a supernatural
illusion, is eminently successful. The matchless beauty of the Virgin
and Child, the group of angels overhead, the daybreak in the sky, and
the whole arrangement of light and shadow, give it a right to be
considered, in conception at least, the greatest of his works."
I said before that light and shadow were Correggio's gods - that the
great purpose for which he lived, moved, and had his being, was to
show up light and shadow. Now, so long as he paints only indifferent
objects, - Nymphs, and Fauns, and mythologic divinities, - I had no
objection. Light and shadow are beautiful things, capable of a
thousand blendings, softenings, and harmonizings, which one loves to
have represented: the great Artist of all loves light and shadow; why
else does he play such a magical succession of changes upon them
through all creation? But for an artist to make the most solemn
mystery of religion a mere tributary to the exhibition of a trick of
art, is a piece of profanity. What was in this man's head when he
painted this representation of the hour when his Maker was made flesh
that he might redeem a world? Nothing but _chiaro-scuro_ and
foreshortening. This overwhelming scene would give him a fine chance
to do two things: first, to represent a phosphorescent light from the
body of the child; and second, to show off some foreshortened angels.
Now, as to these angels, I have simply to remark that I should prefer
a seraph's head to his heels; and that a group of archangels, kicking
from the canvas with such alarming vigor, however much it may
illustrate foreshortening, does not illustrate either glory to God in
the highest, or peace on earth and good will to men. Therefore I have
quarrelled with Correggio, as I always expected to do if he profaned
the divine mysteries. How could any one, who had a soul to understand
that most noble creation of Raphael, turn, the next moment, to admire
this?
Here also are six others of Correggio's most celebrated paintings.
They are all mere representations of the physical, with little of the
moral. His picture of the Virgin and Child represents simply a very
graceful, beautiful woman, holding a fine little child. His peculiar
excellences in the management of his lights and shades appear in all.
In one of the halls we found a Magdalen by Battoni, which gave me more
pleasure, on first sight, than any picture in the gallery. It is a
life-sized figure of the Magdalen stretched upon the ground, reading
an open Bible. I like it, first, because the figure is every way
beautiful and well proportioned; second, on account of an elevated
simplicity hi the arrangement and general effect. The dark, rocky
background throws out distinctly the beautiful figure, raised on one
elbow, her long, golden hair floating loosely down, as she bends
forward over her book with parted lips, slightly flushed cheek, and an
air of rapt and pleased attention. Though the neck and bosom are
exposed, yet there is an angelic seriousness and gravity in the
conception of the piece which would check an earthly thought. The
woman is of that high class about whom there might seem to be a
hovering angelic presence - the perfection of beauty and symmetry,
without a tinge of sensual attraction.
All these rooms are full of artists copying different paintings, - some
upon slabs of Dresden china, - producing pictures of exquisite, finish,
and very pretty as boudoir ornaments.
After exhausting this first room, we walked through the galleries,
which I will name, to give you some idea of their extent.
Two rooms, of old German and Dutch masters, are curious, - as
exhibiting the upward struggles of art.
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