File:The art of the Vatican; a brief history of the palace, and an account of the principal works of art within its walls (1903) (14781284124).jpg

Identifier: cu31924020491316 (find matches)
Title: The art of the Vatican; a brief history of the palace, and an account of the principal works of art within its walls
Year: 1903 (1900s)
Authors: Potter, Mary Knight, d. 1915
Subjects: Vatican. Museo vaticano Art Art
Publisher: London, G. Bell
Contributing Library: Cornell University Library
Digitizing Sponsor: MSN

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Text Appearing Before Image:
und group shows John pouringthe water upon the head of Christ, a carefully andpainfully modelled nude figure. Over the Saviourshead is a dove, and above in the sky the Almighty,completely framed into a round filled with cherubsheads. The sky is sprinkled with more of these, andon each side is an adoring angel with flying draperies.In the middle distance, Christ is twice shown, bothtimes preaching from a height to enormous crowdssurging below. Many people also are watching thebaptism, and numbers of these are evidently por-traits. They have been repainted so many times,and are now so dark and grimy, that little remainsto show what they once were. The charm of thelandscape, however, is still felt, as well as thedecorative parts of the whole. The one that has so long been attributed toSignorelli, is Moses Giving the Laws to the People.On the right, raised on a stone platform, Moses, nowan old man, reads to a big concourse of the Israel-ites. Here are interesting, characteristic faces and
Text Appearing After Image:
cno ■S .2 H y Pj -c« S >< pq TLbc Sistine Cbapel 105 carefully studied forms, all executed with the tech-nical knowledge that Signorelli alone of that agewas supposed to possess. Almost merging into thiscrowd at the left, Moses, surrounded by the eldersand leaders, gives over his command to Aaron, whokneels in heavy-hearted reverence before him. Be-hind the central assemblage, Moses has been shownthe distant promised land, and, leaning heavilyupon his staff, is just turning from the directingangel. There are great pathos and originality in hisfine old figure, as with bent head he goes down thehill. Rarely lovely, too, is the angel above showingthe tottering old man the land he is never to reach.Finally, at the left, with only the sky and a fewscattered trees for background, they are laying thefaithful servant to his rest. Throughout the wholeof this composition the individual groups are fullof a feeling that never lacks inherent strength. As a composition, Christ Giving the K

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