Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1899-12-23
MANY MADONNAS.
The Work Of the Masters Hard to
Select From.
Augusta is Madonna Something Of the
Madonna History.

AS the approach of Christmas he
| came evident by the tastes of tn
| people purchasing works of art an,
| fancy pictures, (Whether the two ca,
be classed under one head or not is ;
| question: it became more and NOR,
| evident that. this was to be a season
| of Madonnas, so the dealers in art sun
plies say. From the high priced pic
lures to the Perry prints the demand
has been for Madonnas, this year. ant
everyone seems to have q differen
| idea of the way Madonna SHOULD
look. consequently everyone pur
| chased painting or reproduction Of
| some different artist. The Perry
prints and other prints of a similar
| nature have been greatly in demand
and probably of all classes Of picture.
the Madonna is the raging thing.
1t seems that painters from the early
| Christian days have attempted tr
paint the ideal Madonna, and the result
is that today we of Augusta have oul
selection of their works Some we dis
like and of others we are fond Few
of the painters have succeeded in
getting OF all others, the picture that
seems to be the purer and holier. II
must be the Madonna, and it must
look like the Madonna. Not a dis
cordant feature of the face must be
present. 1t must look as we in our
own minds picture the Madonna OF
sacred history.
There seems to be no particular
painters works selected" remarked G.
w. Quimby, the other day. "AIl have
different tastes in the Madonnas as
they have in everything else and they
purchase to suit these tastes"
When Leonardo da Ninci took IN his
brush to paint the Mother of Christ he
said to his own godmother: LET me
look into your face as you looked at
me when you held me before the font
at my baptism" When Raphael would
have painted her he walked through
the silent streets of Italy by night
searching for face; he wandered by
day through the poor quarters. But
he found the model for his Madonna
among the rich; q wealthy woman Of
Rome; truly good woman, sat for
him with her infant child and her own
purity supplied the expression, while
the enthusiasm Of Raphael lent the
divine afIlatus.
Painters nowadays seldom attempt
the Madonna. 1t has been SO exquis-
itely done and comes down to US in the
great paintings, with all the harsh
tints 50 softened by time that it seems
an idle task for them to attempt to
duplicate these works Of art; much
less to excel them. So they paint
childhood, that nearest Of all to the
Madonna face, ana they paint dear.
sweet innocent sirlhood, leaving the
Sainthood Of the Mother of God with
the masters who did il for them long
ago.
Most of the Madonnas of 400 years
ago We're painted in the churches. upon
the walls. and here the painters
worked faithfully day ana night.
month in and month out. eating little.
sleepless for days ana nights for il
stretch, seeking ever the Divine feel
ing, hoping always for Divine guild
ance; and 50 they toilcd on until the
painting was completed.
The earliest masterpiece Of the Ma
donna ana Child of which we have re-
cord is that of Giovanni Bellini. who
lived 1928 to 1916.
Bellini under the shadow of the
altar, painted the grave face Of the
Mother of Christ. 1t is thoughtful
face. The Child was serious. with in
tent consciousness of the future.
Taine afterward said that the work
of B"llini was the browning Of relig-
iOus art.
While Bellini was painting, for Bel
lini was Italian. Petro Perugino. who
lived 1446 to 1923, was also painting
He used his brush gladly and rapidly.
His was a joyful Madonna with a
Child. who rejoiced that he had come
into the world.
Titan. the famous, began life in 1477.
and for nearly half century he paint
ed. Titan lived a tranquil life unto
his hundredth year. and the records
tell us that he painted for so years.
During that time he turned out from
his patient hand the happiest, healthi-
est, most religious pictures that ever
came from q painters brush. Titan
had 4 calm ana steadfast will which
shows now in his paintings. He turned
off noble, splendid masterpieces. Of
which the Madonna, surrounded by the
four saints is the most beautiful
1t gave to the artist an opportunity
for rich color, Of which he availed
himself
Raphael worked in Rome, where he
left his Madonnas and their peculiar
type nav come to be recognized as
The" Madonna. The one in the ma
tional gallery is the most charactcris-
tic. 1t shows the peaceful, pure face
of the Virgin with the happy, smiling
Child on her bosom. His hands are
nesting on her robe. Both have the
beautiful, joyful faces which. to many
form the true idea of the Madonna.
The next Madonna painter was An
drea del Sarto, who lived from 14S6 to
1881 Browning calls him the faultlcss
painter.
Del Sarto's work is in the Pitt pal
ace. and is an example of true art.
Corrcgio lived from 1894 to 1854, only
short life, but long enough to make
himself immortal. Those who have
seen his work describe it as being de
lfghtful. smiling and graceful and his
Madonna is pretty woman, one whom
you could love.
Then came Hans HOlbein. whose life
dates from 1897 to l543 His Madonna
is a tall cold one, for he was a court
painter to Henry VIII, and he strovc
to make his Madonnas as little human
| I1IIch in