Paris: Grant Allen's Historical GuidesAllen, Grant
History
Paris: Grant Allen's Historical Guides
Allen, Grant
Paris (France) -- Description and travel; Paris (France) -- Guidebooks
While the Madonna herself usually occupies the central panel of
votive pictures, it sometimes happens that some =other saint=
is, on his own altar-piece, similarly enthroned; and in that
case he is flanked by brother saints, often more important in
themselves, but then and there subordinated to him. This special
honour under special circumstances is well seen in the case of
the St. Lawrence at the far end of the Salle des Primitifs.
Particular local saints often thus receive what might otherwise
appear undue recognition. For the same reason, minor saints in
the group surrounding a Madonna often obtain local brevet-rank
(if I may be allowed the simile) over others of far greater
general dignity, which they could not lay claim to in any other
connection. Thus, in the Nativity by Giulio Romano, to which I
called attention in connection with Mantegna’s Madonna, St.
Longinus (with his crystal vase) stood on Our Lady’s R, while
St. John was relegated to her L—a subordination of the greater
to the lesser saint which would only be possible in a chapel
actually dedicated to St. Longinus, and where he receives
peculiar honour. I now propose to escort you round a few rooms
of the Louvre, again calling attention very briefly, from this
point of view, to certain special Madonna features only.]
* * * * *
Now, go to the Louvre and test these remarks. Begin at the far end of
the Salle des Primitifs. The Cimabue and the Giottesque of the Madonna
and Angels we have already considered. Compare them again from our
present standpoint. Close to them on the R, beneath the large Giotto of
St. Francis, are two pretty little Madonnas, 1620 (I now give the large
upper numbers alone) and 1667. The first of these exhibits below two
tiny votaries—the small-sized donors—a Franciscan monk and a Dominican
nun, with the robes of their orders; the centre consists of St. Paul and
St. Catherine, as the attendant saints on the large Enthroned Virgin.
The second has the choir of angels, both surrounding and beneath the
throne, with St. Peter (keys), St. Paul (sword), St. John Baptist
(camel-hair) and St. Stephen or St. Vincent (robed as deacon). St. Peter
and St. Paul in 1625 are similar figures, once surrounding a central
panel, with the Madonna now missing. Compare with this 1666, with its
Enthroned Madonna of the early almond-eyed type, its group of angels
round the throne, and its two saints at the base, John Baptist and
Peter. Observe that the types of these also can be recognised. Each
saint has regular features of his own, which you can learn to know quite
as well as the symbols.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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