Part 5 (1/2)
IX
THE REST ON THE RETURN FROM EGYPT
(The Madonna della Scodella)
Before the child Jesus o years old, he was taken on a journey which at that tiht in a drea child and histhee word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy hiht to King Herod by the wisewhose star they had seen The idea of a strange ruler to usurp the throne alarmed Herod, and he deterly orders were given to slay all children in and near Bethlehem ”frohter was going on, the Holy Fae Here they lived, awaiting heavenly guidance for their return ”But when Herod was dead, behold an angel of the Lord appeareth in a drea child and his o into the land of Israel; for they are dead which sought the young child's life And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel”[21]
[Footnote 21: The quotations are froelist tells us of as doubtless an exciting, perhaps even a perilous adventure We may suppose both journeys to have been made by donkeys, the co mother and child must certainly have had to ride
As for Joseph, he was a sturdywas a matter of time Unused to luxuries, these simple folk trusted in Providence to supply their few needs by the way
Our picture illustrates an iypt to Israel It is the hour of the noonday rest, and the little coend relates how at such tis would gush forth out of the dry ground for their refreshment
Mary has seated herself on a bank by the stream, while Joseph plucks the fruit fro between the tatching Joseph, from whose outstretched hand he now takes the fruit At the sa back towards hisfor a drink of water She has a round basin (or _scodella_) which the fa-cup, and the child points to it with a coaxing s his hand on her wrist
[Illustration: THE REST ON THE RETURN FROM EGYPT (MADONNA DELLA SCODELLA) _Parma Gallery_]
Mary turns with fond pride towards the dear little face so near her own Her face is the sa in a mother's first ecstasy over her babe Here it has a maturer and more matronly look, but with no less sweetness Joseph, froenerous nature seeives thee and heavily built, a stalwart protector should perils beset them In spite of the thick draperies so cluure He holds here a place of proiven him by other painters
The child upon whom so much love is lavished is a tall, lithe boy with a well shaped head His hair is parted, and falls in loose curls on each side of a forehead which enius The face is delicate and sensitive, with a shy expression in the eyes
The family are not alone, for, all unseen by theels wait upon them A tall one in the rear takes care of the donkey Another little creature peeps fro the branches of the trees, borne upon little clouds which they have brought with the garhtily at the pal himself backward in the effort to bend it towards Joseph Two others sport together with interlocked arh the leaves The whole jocund company seem to fill the place with mirth They fulfil the proe over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways”
Certain characteristics of Correggio's art are well illustrated in the picture His delight in the foot is here ale of St Catherine” The three wayfarers travel with bare feet, and the aily in the air Drawn into see how decorative this feature of the picture is
The figures are cleverly grouped, that they may completely fill the tall, narrow panel The coonal plan Fro the palht hand of Mary, with the basin of water, runs the strongThe child links the two larger figures together, by stretching out a hand to each The group of cloud-borne angels above also follows a diagonal direction parallel to the larger group We shall presently see that the painter used the sa beyond the copse, where the donkey is tied, loomy and isolated It is an important principle of art to represent no enclosed place without a gliround
X
ECCE ho Messiah predicted that he should be ”despised and rejected of rief” How fully the prophecy was realized, we may read in the narrative of the trial and crucifixion of Jesus
The ene to the forovernor, Pontius Pilate, accusing hiive tribute to Caesar, saying that he hiovernor duly exaainst hio