painted with extraordinary animation, as are the horses which they are riding: the same may be said of the court of Cardinals, and of the grooms who bear the canopy over the head of the pontiff.[1] The latter. Pope Leo X., is on horseback, in full pontificals, and is no less truthfully portrayed than are the figures beforementioned. He is followed by numerous courtiers, the whole scene presenting an extremely beautiful spectacle, in which all-is finely appropriate to its place, and these details are exceedingly useful to those who practise our art, more particularly to such as are unprovided with the objects here represented.
About the same time a picture was executed by Raphael for Naples, and this was placed in the church of San Domenico, and in that chapel wherein is the crucifix which spoke to St. Thomas Aquinas. In this work, Raphael depicted Our Lady, San Girolamo, clothed in the vestments of a cardinal, and the angel Raphael, who is serving as the guide of the youthful Tobit.[2] For Leonello da Carpi, Lord of Meldola, who is still living, and has attained the age of more than ninety years, he painted a picture, the colouring of which is most admirable, and the beauty of the whole work very remarkable; it is indeed executed with so much force, and in a manner so exquisitely graceful withal, that I do not think the art could possibly produce or exhibit a finer work. There is a divinity in the countenance of Our Lady, and a modest humility in her attitude, than which it would not be possible to conceive anything more beautiful. The master has depicted her with folded hands, in adoration of the divine Child, who is seated on her lap, and is caressing a little St. John; the latter is also adoring the Redeemer:
- ↑ The choice of subject in this picture is sometimes said to have been intended as an allusion to the expulsion of the French from Italy, and the figure of Attila has been called a portrait of Louis XII., King of France, but these assertions do not appear to be well-founded. See Passavant, as above cited.
- ↑ This is the picture known as the Madonna del Pesce (of the Fish), and is now in the Escurial. The Chapel in which it was originally placed was one much resorted to by persons afflicted with diseases of the eyes; Tobit, with his fish, is therefore highly appropriate. St. Jerome, who holds a book in his hand, is also much in his place on this occasion, as being the translator of the book of Tobit. This is one of the works taken to Paris, where it was transferred from the panel to canvas; it is entirely by Raphael himself, and is considered to be one of his best works.
