250 FLORAL SYMBOLISM 



It was thus that Vasari united in one picture 

 the two universal mothers, the physical and 

 the spiritual, and his allegory was typical of 

 the mysticism of his day, for he tells us 

 that, being doubtful as to the due treatment 

 of the subject, he and his patron, Messer 

 Bindo, * took counsel with such of our common 

 friends as were men of letters,' and Vasari' s 

 friends included the fine flower of Italian 

 intellect. 



The picture, which is a good deal darkened 

 by time, and less interesting than the descrip- 

 tion leads one to expect, is still in its original 

 place in the Church of SS. Apostoli in 

 Florence. 



In some pictures, particularly those showing 

 the influence of MemUng, an attendant angel 

 holds the apple, holding it ready tiU the time 

 shall come when the Infant Saviour, with grow- 

 ing consciousness of His mission, holds forth His 

 hand to take it. 



But there are various ' Holy Families ' ' 

 of the early German school in which Saint Anne 



' Joos van Cleeve, Royal Gallery, Brussels; Wolf Trant, 

 National Museum, Munich. 



