236 REVIEWS AND PAMPHLETS ON ART

necessary in a full-sized drawing. His habit, almost constant, of surrounding the iris of the eye by a sharp black line, is, in small figures, perfectly successful, giving a transparency and tenderness not otherwise expressible. But on a larger scale it gives a stony stare to the eyeball, which not all the tenderness of the brow and mouth can conquer or redeem.

66. Further, in this particular instance, the ear has by accident been set too far black-(Fra Angelico, drawing only from feeling, was liable to gross errors of this kind,-often however, more beautiful than other men’s truths)-and the hair removed in consequence too far off the brow; in other respects the face is very noble-still more so that of the Christ. The child stands upon the Virgin’s knees,* one hand raised in the usual attitude of benediction, the other holding a globe. The face looks straightforward, quiet, Jupiter-like, and very sublime, owing to the smallness of the features in proportion to the head, the eyes being placed at about three-sevenths of the whole height, leaving four-sevenths for the brow, and themselves only in length about one-sixth of the breadth of the face, half closed, giving a peculiar appearance of repose. The hair is short, golden, symmetrically curled, statuesque in its contour; the mouth tender and full of life: the red cross of the glory about the head of an intense ruby enamel, almost fire colour; the dress brown, with golden girdle. In all the treatment Fra Angelico maintains his assertion of the authority of abstract imagination, which, depriving his subject of all material or actual being, contemplates is as retaining qualities eternal only-adorned by incorporeal splendour. The eyes of the beholder are supernaturally unsealed: and to this miraculous vision whatever is of the earth vanishes, and all things are seen endowed with an harmonious glory-the garments falling with strange, visionary grace, glowing with indefinite gold-the walls of

* In many pictures of Angelico, the Infant Christ appears self-supported-the Virgin not touching the child.

[Version 0.04: March 2008]