Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-12-09

AS Christmas approaches the pictures
of the Madonna are brought out, and
from the high priced picture shops and
pawn dealers window, there peers the
face of the Holy Lady who, once a year
reminds us of the most sacred scenes
OF sacred history.
Painters from all time since the
Christian advent. have attempted the
getting the face which, of all others,
must be the purest and hottest. 1t
must not only look like the Madonna;
it must be the Madonna, not a glance
lackin, not a feature discordant. Such
is the Holy Mother, as we picture her
in sacred history.
When Leonardo da Vinci took up 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 a face; he wandered
by day through the poor quarters. But
he found the model for his Madonna
among the rich; a wealthy of
Rome, a truly good woman, sat for him,
with her infant child and her IVA purity
supplied the expression. while the enthus-
iasm of Raphael lent the divine aftlatus.
Painters nowadays seldom attempt
the Madonna. 1t has been so eNquisitely
done and comes down to us in the great
paintings. with all the harsh tints SO
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. and
they paint dear sweet innocent girlhood.
leaving the Sainthood Of the Mother Of
God with the masters who did it for them
long ago.
Most Of the Madonnas Of four hum
dred years ago We're painted in the
churches, upon the walls, and here the
painters worked faithfully day and
hight, month in and month out. eating
little, sieepless for days and nights at q
stretch. seeking ever the divine feeling.
hoping always for divine guidance: and
so they toiled on until the painting was
completed.
The earliest masterpiece Of the Ma
donna and Child of which we have rec
ord is that of Giovanni Beliini. who
lived 142S to 1916.
Reliini. under the shadow Of the altar.
painted the grave face Of he mother
Of Christ. 1t is a thoughtful face. The
Child was serious. with intent conscious
ness Of the future.
Taine afterward said that the work
Of Eellini was the crowning Of religious
art.
While Bellini was painting, for Bel
liri was Italian. Petro Perugino,, who
llNru 1ffO " lJ-o. was d!So pdliIlfHS.
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
14T7, and for nearly half a century he
painted. Titan lived a tranquil life
unto his hundredth year, and the records
tell us that he painted for eighty years.
During hat time he turned out from his
patient hand the happiest, healthiest,
most religious pictures that ever came
from a painters brush. Titan had a calm
and steadfast will which shows now in
his paintings. He turned off noble,
splendid, masterpieces, of which the Ma
donna surrounded by the four saints, is
the most beautiful.
1t gave to the artist an opportunity for
rich color. of which he awaited himself.
Raphael worked in Rome, where he
left his Madonnas and their peculiar
type nave become to be recognized as
THE Madonna. The one in the nation
al gallery is the most characteristic. 1t
shows the peaceful, pure face of the Nir-
gin, With the happy smiling Child on her
bosom. His hands are nesting on her
robe. Both have the beautiful joyful