El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1919-02-22
Noted Paintings by Famous Artists:
"Santa Note" BY Corregio, of Italy

oar art stimulus in Italy, as is evil
l dent, was religion. The Italians
fervently painted the life Of the
Christ-Child and loved to search out
types OF Italian women to represent
the Virgin. OF all the subjects re-
lating TO her life none have proved
more popular than that Of the Ma
tivity or santa Note" Treated IN
various ways. with the stable and
manger pictured Ideally At times and
sometimes ridiculOusly, painters have
We'd with one another in giving an
original Interpretation OF the subject
II Is refreshing TO look at COrreg-
gio's treatment Of the Holy Night
Its Distinguishing beauty is the il
Elimination OF the entire scene by the
light streaming from the Holy Child
The composition is simple II is night
and the scene Is only made visible by
the supernatural light coming from
the Child, who lies on q bundle OF
straw. The Mother encircles the in
FAINT in her arms and bends tenderly
over him Her face is lighted by the
radiance OF the Child. In the back
ground are two shepherds, who haYe
come to render homage 10 the King.
ST. Joseph is leading an ass from the
stable. 4 shepherdess. who has two
turtle doves in a basket, in confusion
does not know how to depart, and so
covers her face with her hand TO hide
herself from the splendor Of the
young Jesus In the upper part OF the
painting, opposite TO the Madonna. is
a band OF angels. who are Illuminated
by the reflected rsdiance OF Jesus
Artistic Quality Exemplified.
IN this picture Santa Notte," the
artistic quality for which COrregsio
is noted. is strikingly exemplified-
He excelled in "Chia-OscurO," or the
art OF light and shade. an art which
"a IA oh II
picture seem to be enveloped in light
and air, as in the actual world The
contrast between the bright light in
the center OF COrreggio's picture. and
the surrounding darkness give vivid
reality to the figures a critic in
describing II, sees a symbolic mean
ing In the lighting effect. arguing
that Christ Is the light OF the world. %
hence his form is the source OF IL
Elimination. The picture was orig
inallv called The Nativity" but when
the Italians first saw II they were
so struck by the power with which
the effect Of midnight was produced.
that they called It La Note" or The
Night"
Correggio proved to be a worthy
successor to the artist Raphael. al
though he is not considered equal 70
the genius OF the latter. He had good
educational advantages he was born
in a small town called COrreggio.
from which he got his name. II was
the custom OF the Italians TO give
names to people befitting them in
some PECULIARLY. So Il was that An
tonic Alegri from Correggio came TO
be known 20 the world by another
name. His father being a fairly
prosperous merchant. he received a
good education in the required sub
jects. Of which art happened 10 be
one The young CorregEio evinced
nrTH IN fnaa La arHnH
feet that his father sent him to an
uncle who gave him his first instruc-
tons IN the art
A style Of His Own.
Afterwards he studied in the great
school OF Andrea Mantegna and after
gaining from II the valuable knowl-
edge OF re-shorteninE. he withdrew
TO perfect a style all his own His
individual genius expressed itself in
movement. variety. and above all. the
most delicate graduation OF light and
shadow.
Like most OF the famous artists OF
that day, CorregEio soon found a pa
tron among the aristocracy in the no
bleman. duke GOnzaZa- For some
years he was favored by the duke.
living in Aantua- Many OF his best
pictures were made while there But
he did not enter into the pleasures OF
the court On the contrary. he led
singularly quiet life. wholly sepa-
rated from all competition with other
masters Of his time Not that At his
age he was not impressed by its
splendor. FOR he was only 16. but he
absorbed quietly new ideas and i'm
pressions which manifested them
selves in his later works. he was
wOrshipper OF physical beauty. par
ticularly that OF women and children.
To portray charm. not character, was
his mission" II has been said that
only two artists have ever painted
the smile OF woman .enuario de