168 The Picture Gallery of the Vatican. 



unhappy sufferer is seized with his most violent paroxysms, which 

 appear to cause great consternation among the disciples and to ren- 

 der them doubtful of their power; on which account they were after- 

 wards reproved by the Redeemer. The figure sitting in front of 

 the picture, holding a book, is St. Andrew, who is raising his open 

 hand, and seems to have his mind totally occupied and astonished. 

 The nearest disciple, who is directly above him, seems to say, "We 

 doubt our own powers ; our Master is on the summit of the mountain; 

 when He descends, He will cure him :" and he is pointing upwards, 

 with his hand to express this. The third disciple, who also has his 

 hand raised, appears to express the same as the other two who are 

 standing above him, and who display equal signs of consternation and 

 want of power; a similar expression is evident in the different atti- 

 tudes of the other disciples. The spectators, together with the father 

 of the possessed child, are making the most fervent prayers, and 

 seem not to understand the weakness of those who have already 

 worked so many miracles. 



It is said that the young woman kneeling alone in the centre is the 

 portrait of Raffaelle's mistress the Fornarina, whose likeness he has in- 

 troduced into almost'all his works, but never in a more beautiful man- 

 ner than here. Raffaelle was overtaken by death before he could finish 

 the lower part of this splendid painting. The possessed child, the father 

 and sister, who are pointing him out to the apostles, were finished by 

 Giulio Romano, the first and most successful of his scholars. Raffaelle 

 died in 1520, at the age of thirty-seven on Good Friday, which 

 was also his birth-day, and this picture was displayed to the public in 

 the Pantheon at the same time with his body. It is related that there 

 was scarcely a common mechanic who did not shed tears at the spec- 

 tacle. The famous painter Mengs gives it as his opinion that this 

 work of Raffaelle contains more beauty than all his other productions. 

 The expression is more noble and delicate, the light and shade are 

 better managed, the distances are more clearly marked, the touch is 

 finer, there is more variety in the draperies, more beauty in the heads, 

 more dignity in the style. With such merits it is generally esteemed 

 as the first picture in the world. It belonged to the church of San 

 Pietro in Montorio till it was sent to France in 1797. There is a 

 very fine mosaic copy of it in St. Peter's, but it is more diffuse and 

 less compressed than the original, and does not altogether give the 

 same effect. 



No. 16. Roman and Florentine School. The Adoration of the 

 Wise Men, by Perugino, Raffaelle, and Pinturicchio. 



No work in which Raffaelle merely assisted could have more grace 

 than this painting; and although it composition must be attributed 

 to Perugino, still as far as regards the execution, the most beautiful 

 parts, that is those which breathe the greatest race and softness, may 

 assuredly be adjudged to Raffaelle. On the other hand, it appears 

 that the figures, wnich are in an inferior style, and display less ele- 

 gance, are the work of Pinturicchio. Connoisseurs may attempt to 

 assign to each artist the exact portion which he has executed, but, 

 after all, such an appropriation must remain very uncertain. 



