Mater Amabilis.-- The Madonna of Love. Some consider this the most popular type of the Madonna in Art. The depiction of a mother's love is one of the most endearing themes of the artist for all humanity. Raphael's sublime depictions, of course, lead in this type with his Madonna Tempi (Munich), in which the Virgin Mother presses her lips to the Child's cheek. His Conestabile (Petrograd) and Ansedei Madonnas and Babe peering in companionship into the Book of Wisdom be long here, also the Holy Family of Francis. I. in which she stoops to lift the Child from the cradle and the Madonna della Sedia (chair Madonna) in the Pitti Gallery, Florence, em bracing the Infant. Correggio's in the Uffizi really belongs to this series with the Virgin stooping over the Babe, and his Madonna del Cesta (of the basket) in the Lon don National Gallery, named after the basket (testa) lying on the floor; and his Madonna del Latte (Petrograd), also his Madonna della Scala (of the Staircase) in Parma are surely of this category. Titian sometimes created such a Mother of Love as in his (Vierge au Lapin' (Louvre) in which she is calming a rabbit for her Child to play with, also the Madonna with Saints Ulfo and Brigida (Madrid) in which the Child is accepting a gift of flowers from the latter saint, and another in the Uffizi Gal lery. Of pictures portraying the Holy Mother suckling her Babe there are a number, best known perhaps being the Madonna of the Green Cushion (Louvre) by Andrea Solario. And the Mother watching the sleeping Babe is another phase of the theme treated by masters of art, such as Raphael's Madonna of the Diadem (Louvre), others by Guido Reni (Rome), Sassoferrato, Carlo Dolce, etc. And among northern artists the Mater Amabilis has beeh pictured by Diirer, Holbein (Meyer•Madonna), R' embrandt, Rubens, van Eyck, Schongauer. Among modern artists who have created fine pictures of this theme are Gabriel Max, Bouguereau, Carl Muller, N. Barabino, Dagnan Bouveret, Guay, Macomber, Bodenhausen.
Madonna in The Madonna in the Sky. These usually represent a landscape be low and the Madonna in the upper sky. In the Madonna dell Stella by Fra Angelico, in San Marco, Venice, a star is located over the head posed on the veil, the figure is full length sur rounded by a mandorla of golden rays. The Madonna of Saint Sebastian (Dresden) has a surrounding of cherubs and clouds with saints below. Moretto (Brescian school) treated the theme traditionally, but very lovely is his Ma donna of San Giorgio Maggiore, Verona, which shows very naturalistic effects in atmosphere above and depicts Saints Cecilia, Lucia, Cather ine, Agnes and Barbara beneath ; another of his is in the Berlin Gallery, a mandorla encompass ing Mother and Child. Three paintings on this subject are in Venice by Gianfrancesco Caroto, also one by Cavazolla (Morando) ; these all are of the Brescia school. Tintoretto and Titian produced creations of this theme. Raphael gave us the Foligno Madonna (Vatican), which is greatly admired, but his Sistine Madonna (Dresden) brings us to the apex of highest inspiration with its majestic full-length figure in perfect poise and the charm of the cherubs surpasses all found in other depictions. Later came the selection of the crescent moon on which artists posed the Madonna in Glory; the exponents of this style are Albrecht Diirer, Sassoferrato ( Vatican ) , Tintoretto ( Berlin ).
Modern painters of the theme are Bouguereau, Bodenhausen, Defregger, etc.
This is probably the most popular and touching conception of the Madonna in Art. Every Roman Catholic church has one. It is the representation of the Virgin display ing the complete sacrifice. Francia's beautiful conception of the theme is shown in his paint ing in the London National Gallery, in which the outstretched limp body of the Crucified One lies across the lap of the Holy Virgin while an angel on either side attends. Luini portrays the Head, crowned with thorns, falling back on the Mother's brow while she supports Him. The same scene with Saint John and Mary Magdalen attending is often termed a Pieta but correctly the groups should consist of Mother and the lifeless Savior, perhaps with angel or angels attending. Giovanni Bellini's i painting in the Ducal Palace, Venice, shows the Crucified One being raised from the tomb by Mary, His head resting on her face, Saint John holds up His arm; another by this master is in the Uffizi Gallery. Crivelli painted two very pathetic Pietas, one of which is in the Vatican. In the Pitti Palace is a Pieta by Fra Bartolommeo of most touching aspect. But Michelangelo's great group in the Vatican is said by many to be unsurpassed in its sublimity.
Mater Dolorosa.— The Divine Mother in anguish. This theme has called forth from the great painters facial expression of excruciating human agony of the most touching and pathetic depiction ever accomplished. The true pathos of sorrow displayed by the Spanish school is very prominent, Murillo's depictions excelling in their pictured anguish and tears. Tradition poses the hands clasped, the veil casting a shadow on the Virgin's head, the face, with its welling tears, glancing upward. At times the Madonna is placed at the foot of the Cross. For the most part the face is of middle age, except as with Michelangelo, who depicts youth and to a critic declared °Purity enjoys eternal youth"; Reni and later artists frequently depict a young maiden. Many of the paintings of the Mater Dolorosa type are but the head, others half-length figures. A beautiful ex ample of Quintin Matsys' is in the London Na tional Gallery. Many of the creations are dis figured by the unnecessary swords depicted as piercing the Virgin's bosom, referring, of course, to Simeon's prophesy.. They are sup posed to emphasize the pathetic subject — Van dyck uses the weapons.
Other phases of the Madonna theme pic tured by masters are many but space forbids further description. Of such are the subjects known in the art world under the titles: "Purification," Presentation to the Temple," °Assumption," °Last Judgment," "Seven Joys and Seven Sorrows of the Virgin," etc.
Bibliography.— Clay, Rev. J. G., 'The Virgin Mary and the Traditions of the Paint ers' (London 1873) ; Eckl, B., 'Die Madonna als Gegenstand christlicher Malerei und Skulp tut-) (Brixen 1883) ; Gruyer, F. A., 'Les Vierges de Raphael et l'iconographie de la Vierge' (3 vols., Paris 1869) ; Hurl', E. M., 'The Madonna in Arty (Boston 1897) ; Jame son, Mrs. Anna, 'The Legends of the Madonna' (Boston 1896) ; Jenner, Mrs. Henry, 'Our Lady in Art' (Chicago 1910) ; Schults, 'Die Legends vom Leben der Jungfrau Maria und ihre Darstellung in der bildenden Kunst des Mittclalters' (Leipzig 1879) ; Van Dycke, J. C., 'The Madonna in Art' (New York 1917).