Identifier: greatpicturesassx00sing (find matches)
Title: Great pictures, as seen and described by famous writers
Year: 1899 (1890s)
Authors: Singleton, Esther, d. 1930, ed. and tr
Subjects: Painting
Publisher: New York : Dodd, Mead and Company
Contributing Library: Boston Public Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

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h, his hair golden, short, crisplycurled. He is seated high on his lion throne; two elderson each side beneath him, the whole group forming a towerof solemn shade. I have alluded, elsewhere, to the princi-ple on which all the best composers act, of supportingthese lofty groups by some vigorous mass of foundation.This column of noble shade is curiously sustained. Afalconer leans forward from the left-hand side, bearing onhis wrist a snow-white falcon, its wings spread, and bril-liantly relieved against the purple robe of one of the elders.It touches with its wings one of the golden lions of thethrone, on which the light also flashes strongly; thus form-ing, together with it, the lion and eagle symbol, whichis the type of Christ, throughout mediaeval work. Inorder to show the meaning of this symbol, and that Solomonis typically invested with the Christian royalty, one of theelders by a bold anachronism, holds a jewel in his hand inthe shape of a cross, with which he (hv accident of ges-
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The Queen of Sheba. Veronese. THE QUEEN OF SHEBA 17 ture) points to Solomon ; his other hand is laid on an openbook. The group opposite, of which the Queen forms thecentre, is also painted with Veroneses highest skill; butcontains no point of interest bearing on our present subject,except its connection by a chain of descending emotion.The Queen is wholly oppressed and subdued; kneeling, andnearly fainting, she looks up to Solomon with tears in hereyes; he, startled by fear for her, stoops forward from thethrone, opening his right hand, as if to support her, so asalmost to drop the sceptre. At her side her first maid ofhonour is kneeling also, but does not care about Solomon ;and is gathering up her dress that it may not be crushed;and looking back to encourage a negro girl, who, carryingtwo toy-birds, made of enamel and jewels, for presentationto the King, is frightened at seeing her Queen fainting,and does not know what she ought to do; while lastly, theQueens dog, another of the li

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