Essays on Life 



the central feature of Oropa ; it is the raison 

 d'etre of the whole place, and all else is a mere 

 incrustation, so to speak, around it. Accord- 

 ing to this image, then, which was carved by 

 St. Luke himself, and than which nothing can 

 be better authenticated, both the Madonna 

 and the infant Christ were as black as any- 

 thing can be conceived. It is not likely that 

 they were as black as they have been painted ; 

 no one yet ever was so black as that ; yet, 

 even allowing for some exaggeration on St. 

 Luke's part, they must have been exceedingly 

 black if the portrait is to be accepted ; and 

 uncompromisingly black they accordingly are 

 on most of the wayside chapels for many a 

 mile around Oropa. Yet in the chapels we 

 have been hitherto considering works in 

 which, as we know, the most punctilious 

 regard has been shown to accuracy both 

 the Virgin and Christ are uncompromisingly 

 white. As in the shops under the Colonnade 

 where devotional knick-knacks are sold, you 

 can buy a black china image or a white one, 

 whichever you like ; so with the pictures the 



black and white are placed side by side 



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