n her knee, has his
hand raised in act to bless. It is well modelled, and of a more pleasing
type than usual.

In 1507 was painted another very important work--the altar-piece in the
church of S. Medardo in Arcevia, a splendid _Ancona_, still in its
original Gothic frame. The Virgin is of the same tender type as in the
Brera and Florence Academy pictures, but with an added stateliness and
gravity. In the centre panel she sits enthroned, with the Child on her
knee, clad in an embroidered robe, on the breast of which are two naked
cherubs. On the left stand S. Medardo and S. Sebastian, on the right S.
Andrew and S. Rock, each figure separated, as in the old polyptychs, by
the pilasters of the frame. Above is God the Father, with two Saints on
either side, left S. Paul and S. John the Baptist, right S. Peter and S.
James of Camerino. Each of the side pilasters of the frame is divided
into seven small spaces, each containing the half figure of a saint, the
work of assistants. The effect of the whole painting is of great
splendour, the colours are of glowing depth, and the richness enhanced
by the low relief in gilded gesso of some of the brocades. But with
all its state and dignity, perhaps the most important part of the
altar-piece is the _predella_ with its five beautiful pictures, flanked
on either side by the arms of Arcevia. As colour these are remarkably
fine and are treated with more care and less rapidity than Signorelli
usually gave to _predella_ work, while retaining the same breadth and
freedom of general effect. "The Annunciation," with its beautiful
perspective, is one of his best compositions of this subject, in which
he is always so successful. "The Nativity" recalls that of the Uffizi
_predella_; "The Adoration of the Magi" is a fine rendering of the
scene, but the two last are the most interesting as well as being the
best in workmanship. In "The Flight into Egypt" the painter has
evidently been influenced by the engravings of Albrecht Duerer, and has
painted the little fortified town of the background very much in his
manner. "The Murder of the Innocents" contains two figures in splendid
action, the executioners, one with his dagger raised in act to strike,
the other holding the child up by the leg--both magnificent studies of
the nude, and worthy of the painter of the Orvieto frescoes.

[Illustration:

[_In possession of Mr Jarvis,
New Haven, U.S.A._

THE ADORATION OF THE MAGI]

Very inferior is th