The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-01-09
MnemOSyneS'
Pictures
La Madonna del saceo-Andrae del


Andrae del Sarto's Madonna of the
Sack, is one Of the few pictures that
is truly great, although time has done
it's best to wreck it. Perhaps this is
| because it is as beautiful in its photo
graphs as it is in the original; for the
picture itself Is badly damaged. These
losses, you do not observe in a photo
graph. You see the masterpiece of
Del Sarto, is one of the forescoes in
the Florentine Convent of the Nunzia-
to, and partially exposed, as all these
precious frescoes are. even the mild
Tuscan winters have worked a certain
havoc during the lapse of four hun
| dred years.
The Del Sacco, is a lunette, as they
call those pictures which are painted
over arches of doorways. 1t repre-
sents moment in the life of the Holy
Family during their flight into Egypt
| The Virgin is seated in the center,
and the Christ Child is about to climb
across her lap in order to get closer
to the magic fountain which he has
| just seen; while st. Joseph, half sup
ported on a sack. reads aloud from
the Holy Scriptures, all unconscious
that she and the Holy Child have be-
| held a miracle. This Is the whole
picture. Yet right here, in its exquis-
| tie sympathy the artist reached as
| high a level, as has even been OBJ
tanned in any fresco. The Madonna
del Sacco or the II Reposo, as it is
oftener called is remarkable for the
calm beauty of its composition and
its wonderful colofing, which four CEN
turtles have not succeeded in obliter-
ating.
Now there have been so many diff
ferent pictures of the Holy Family
painted, that they have been divided
into classes; and such as are called
in Italian I'll Reposo" or The Repose,
all refer to a wonderful incident of
the flight into Egypt when Joseph and
the Virgin Mary and the Child Jesus
halted on their journey for rest and
refreshment. The legend goes on to
say, that it was near the village of
Matarea; while they were resting
there, fountain sprang forth by mir
acle; and close by was sycamore
grove. 1t was beneath these trees that
the family found shade and protec-
ton.
This story has given a religious sig
nificance to the sycamore tree, by as
sociating it with the mother of our
back branches of it, as sacred relics
of their visit to the Fountain Of Mary,
as the spring is called to this day. OF
course the story is true; for if you
should visit Egypt you will be taken
to see this holy fountain, which is
only four miles outside of Cairo; and
is the scene of many pilgrimages.
The oil paintings of Andrea del Sar-
tO are very beautiful The finest
hangs in the Tribuna of the UffiZi
Gallery in Florence. 1t represents the
Virgin Mary with the Child Jesus in
her arms, while st. John and st. Fran
ces stand one on each side. The face
Of the Virgin here has the same beau
tiful features that ennoble the Ma
donna Of the Sack. In fact a study of
his works will convince you, that there
was only one woman in the world for
Andrae; and he immortalized the per-
lection of her beauty in all his later
work.
Yes, she was his wife; and he loved
her devotedly; but she brought much
sorrow into his life. So that Michael
Angelo himself said, that Del Carlo
would have painted better without
her, even as he would have been a |
happier man. For this heartless wom- |
an, vain as she was selfish, forced |
her husband, by the power of his pas
sion for her, to be false to his trust, |
his friends, and his oath. She wrecked |
his house of life; and when in 1880 !
he was stricken with a contagious |
disease she left him to die alone. He |
was buried without a prayer in the
convent of the Nunziati. where he had
painted his finest frescoes.
Now both are gone: land worms
have eaten them. But because a
genius loved her, she is immortal, and
her beauty still entrances. When she
smiles down upon you from her gol-
den frame, you half acquit the erring /
artist. His dear lady is mete rival,
for the sweet face Of the Sistine-
AS Browning said wisely and truly
"Raphael's Madonna is the better,
when you want to pray, even though
Andrae del Sarto's Virgin; was his