Sacramento daily record-union., 1882-01-21

hand, pushed aside the throne, saying.
Room for the great Raphael" Anyone
who has enjoyed the privilege of seeing
this marvel of art, can easily imagine how
the king then feasted his hungry and ad-
miring eyes upon its 'tender beauty and
radiant magni6cence, for they impress
every susceptible beholder SO, that the
longer he gazes the more entranced he be-
comes. The Virgin aud Child are repre-
sented in soft, gray, foamy clouds. st.
Sixtus stands on the right, and with rev.
erent, upturned countenance. commends
himself to her mercy. st. Barbara kneeis
at the left with folded hands, while her
beaming face represents the joyful enthu-
siasm of the redeemed. 'A curtain has Just
been drawn back, and apparently the vir-
gin issues from the depth of Heaven her
beautiful, sympathetic eyes embracing the
whole world in their gaze. Beneath are
the two well.known cherubs, pictures OF
THE SWEETEST INNOCENCE.
Professor Springer says that the attention
is usually concentrated upon the Virgin,
child and the angels, but that the saints
should not be overlooked contrasted
in age, sex, expression and movement, they
supplement each other with admirable
effect, and must be thought of in conuec-
tion with whole community of Chris
tians." The entire background is filed in
with dim angel faces, not discerned at first,
but which become very prominent after
careful and repeated study of this pure and
beautiful revelation. Well said the Eng
lish songstress, "What is art, but life upon
higher scale !" One withdraws from this
holy of holies, with an ardent desire to
know something of the history of the great
master who could call such a creation into
existence, and he learns that the great
Raphael was born at Urbino in the year
1883. His father, himself not an insig-
niticant artist, recognizing early in life the
talent of his son, gave him an education
adapted to the profession of an artist. After
the death of his father he entered the
school of Pietro Perugino, whose style of
work he initiated so perfectly that one
could hardly detect any difference between
the work of the master and that of the
pupil. He then studied in Florence and in
Rome, where his works were soon highly
esteemed, and his name and fame spread
not only over Italy, but
THE ENTIRE WORLD.
Francis l. of France ordered paintings
and would gladly have made Raphael his
court painter. The great Albrecht Durer,
for few of his hand drawings, presented
him with examples of his entire work. In
his manner of life he presented more the
appearance of Prince than painter he
dressed splendidly and occupied beauti-
fully furnished house. Although he never
married he was for long time engaged to
the Cardinals niece, Maria da Bibiena,
who is known by the name of Fornarina
and whom he immortalized by painting her
features in some of his no t beautiful pict.
ures. Raphael was of medium hight and
slender form, his features were regular and
prepossessing he had brown hair and eyes
of soft modest expression. The restless
activity of his spirit and the fervency Of
! his Imagination were too great for his ten
der frame, and he died in Rome at the age
of thirty. seven. His body was placed in
the Pantheon, where he had himself chosen
his tomb and chapel. His highly priced
works are found all over the civilized
world. OF his many Madonnas, one found
in England and the Sistine Madonna " hich
crowns the Dresden Gallery are said to
surpass them all. In the latter the holy
| Virgin bears the features of Fornarins, his
loved one. Raphael is famous for the in
finite richness of his fancy, symmetry OF
his compositions, happy distribution Of
light and shade and for his wonderful pro.
ductiveness. His coloring was ever rich
and harmonious he understood, as none
other how to secure the harmony of the
whole his representations of dgapery have
never been equaled. Althou1A Raphael
left many pupils, his school of art was,
soon after his death. extinguished in Rome
but his undying name and transcendeni
works will continue a source of delight, sc
| long as the world endures.