Essays on Life 



him and talking to him, is among the best 

 figures ; some of the disappointed suitors who 

 are breaking their wands are also very good. 



The angel in the Annunciation chapel, 

 which comes next in order, is a fine, burly, 

 ship's - figurehead, commercial-hotel sort of 

 being enough, but the Virgin is very ordinary. 

 There is no real hair and no fresco background, 

 only three dingy old blistered pictures of no 

 interest whatever. 



In the visit of Mary to Elizabeth there are 

 three pleasing subordinate lady attendants, two 

 to the left and one to the right of the principal 

 figures ; but these figures themselves are not 

 satisfactory. There is no fresco background. 

 Some of the figures have real hair and some 

 terra cotta. 



In the Circumcision and Purification chapel 

 for both these events seem contemplated in 

 the one that follows there are doves, but 

 there is neither dog nor knife. Still Simeon, 

 who has the infant Saviour in his arms, is 

 looking at him in a way which can only mean 

 that, knife or no knife, the matter is not going 

 to end here. At Varallo they have now got a 



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