DOI Heft:
No. 104 (November, 1901)
DOI Artikel:Anderton, Isabella Mary: The art of Domenico Morelli
DOI Seite / Zitierlink: https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.19874#0102
Domenico Morelli
the Saint is alone among
the rocks and trees. He
has crouched at the foot
of a precipice in a perfect
frenzy of terror, his crisped
fingers (rather suggested
by the play of light and
shade than distinctly
drawn) clutch at his cloak
and hold it tightly round
him, his eyes are fixed,
savagely fixed on the
Heaven whence alone he
expects aid in liberating
himself from his obses-
sions. His obsessions are
certainly very beautiful,
and, as befits the theme,
they are rather indicated
than painted with apparent
care. Morelli seems to
have dipped his brush in
light to paint the vision
which has finally driven
the saint from his mat;
and the mocking faces
which peer through the
trunks in the distance (in
the photograph they close
right in on the spectator)
are tantalisingly elusive.
Far removed from the
fierceness of St. Anthony
is the harmonious suavity of
the Madonna of the Golden
Stair. The original was
painted for Prof. Villari on
THE SICILIAN VESPERS BY DOMENICO MORELLI T- • rinnna
his marriage with Donna
Linda,theEnglishauthoress
who has translated his
An inspection of the Christ Walking the Waves, works, and who was already at one with him
Christ Tempted in the Wilderness, Christ Calling the in her enthusiastic furthering of the cause of
Disciples, and The Maries Going Up to Calvary, Italian liberty. It now hangs in Madame
gives a good idea of the Master's inspiration. To Villari's drawing-room, between Morelli's portrait
this group of pictures, full of religious pathos of the Professor and that of himself, near a
or passion, belong the faints' Daughter (a com- sketch for a seated Madonna, admirable for the
paratively early work), the Christ Mocked, with breadth and sureness of its colour-massing, and
its bold chiaro-oscuro and the stroke falling from three delicate pen-and-ink sketches of Arabs, one of
outside the picture; and the terrible Temp/a- which evidently suggested the picture (Arab Itn-
tion of S. Anthony. Of this last subject Morelli proviser) here reproduced. The Madonna is
has given us two versions. In one, the Saint superb in conception and execution. The stair-
is in his cell and stands rigidly looking down way which she is descending (light gold-coloured,
at the couch from which he has sprung in horror, with barely a touch of pink in a couple of scattered
In the second, that reproduced in this article, roses at her feet) leads the eye without interruption
90
the Saint is alone among
the rocks and trees. He
has crouched at the foot
of a precipice in a perfect
frenzy of terror, his crisped
fingers (rather suggested
by the play of light and
shade than distinctly
drawn) clutch at his cloak
and hold it tightly round
him, his eyes are fixed,
savagely fixed on the
Heaven whence alone he
expects aid in liberating
himself from his obses-
sions. His obsessions are
certainly very beautiful,
and, as befits the theme,
they are rather indicated
than painted with apparent
care. Morelli seems to
have dipped his brush in
light to paint the vision
which has finally driven
the saint from his mat;
and the mocking faces
which peer through the
trunks in the distance (in
the photograph they close
right in on the spectator)
are tantalisingly elusive.
Far removed from the
fierceness of St. Anthony
is the harmonious suavity of
the Madonna of the Golden
Stair. The original was
painted for Prof. Villari on
THE SICILIAN VESPERS BY DOMENICO MORELLI T- • rinnna
his marriage with Donna
Linda,theEnglishauthoress
who has translated his
An inspection of the Christ Walking the Waves, works, and who was already at one with him
Christ Tempted in the Wilderness, Christ Calling the in her enthusiastic furthering of the cause of
Disciples, and The Maries Going Up to Calvary, Italian liberty. It now hangs in Madame
gives a good idea of the Master's inspiration. To Villari's drawing-room, between Morelli's portrait
this group of pictures, full of religious pathos of the Professor and that of himself, near a
or passion, belong the faints' Daughter (a com- sketch for a seated Madonna, admirable for the
paratively early work), the Christ Mocked, with breadth and sureness of its colour-massing, and
its bold chiaro-oscuro and the stroke falling from three delicate pen-and-ink sketches of Arabs, one of
outside the picture; and the terrible Temp/a- which evidently suggested the picture (Arab Itn-
tion of S. Anthony. Of this last subject Morelli proviser) here reproduced. The Madonna is
has given us two versions. In one, the Saint superb in conception and execution. The stair-
is in his cell and stands rigidly looking down way which she is descending (light gold-coloured,
at the couch from which he has sprung in horror, with barely a touch of pink in a couple of scattered
In the second, that reproduced in this article, roses at her feet) leads the eye without interruption
90