The
Veronese's wonderful _Madonna del Sorriso_ leaped to instant life; a
_smile_ full of the pathos of human suffering, tender in comprehension,
perfect in faith--this, which this moment of inspiration had revealed to
him, would he paint for the consolation of those who should kneel before
the altar of the Servi!
She was busy with the child, putting him gently on the ground as a
gondola approached; he, with his thought in intense realization, fixing
the peculiar beauty of these sunset clouds in his artist memory as sole
color-scheme of his picture; for this grave, sweet face, with its pale,
fair tones and profusion of soft brown hair, would not bear the vivid
draperies that the Veronese was wont to fashion--the mantle must be a
gray cloud, pink flushed, with delicate sunset borderings where it swept
away to shroud the child; the beauty of his creation should be in that
smile of exquisite compassion, and this wonderful sunset in which it
should glow forever!
It was a rare moment with the Veronese, in which he seemed lifted above
himself; the revelation of the face had seized him, translating him into
the poetic atmosphere which he rarely attained; the harmonies of the
vision were so perfect that they sufficed for the over-sumptuousness of
color and detail which were usually features of his conceptions.
Pages:
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39