ORATION OF THE MAGI.
(San Marco, Florence.)]

There is a kind of reliquary in the Vatican Gallery, which represents
the Virgin seated, with the Child on her left arm. Her raised right
hand holds the rose, and at her feet kneel St. Dominic and St.
Catherine. Cavalcaselle supposes this to have been the fourth of the
reliquaries once in Santa Maria Novella, but it more probably belongs
to that small painting reproduced by Prof. Helbig,[18] in the _Revue
de l'Art Chretien_, in which Angelico has represented the death and
assumption of the Virgin.

The under part of the picture, representing the death of the Virgin,
recalls, in the general grouping of figures, the same subject now in
the Uffizi Gallery; but in this one, four Apostles are depicted in the
act of raising the bier, while the others surround the Christ, who
holds in His arms the soul of His Mother in the form of a babe. In the
upper part we see the Virgin with upraised arms, being received by
the Saviour who extends His hands as if in welcome. The type of the
Virgin recalls that of the small panel representing the "Adoration"
and "Annunciation." The Christ is, in the foreshortening and character
of the face, a repetition of that on the reliquary of the "Madonna
della Stella." The figure of the Virgin is incorporeal and
insignificant; but the angels who in varied attitudes dance around the
throne playing divers instruments, are charming and graceful.

In the ancient refectory of the Fiesolan convent Fra Angelico painted
a life-size Christ Crucified, with St. Dominic kneeling below clinging
passionately to the Cross. At the sides stand the Virgin and St. John
the Evangelist; there is also a figure of the saintly founder, but it
was either added later, or else has been badly restored and cannot be
taken as Fra Angelico's work. The picture has been removed from the
wall, and is now in the Museum of the Louvre; it is damaged in several
parts; the delicacy of colouring is lost, the background spoiled, and
only the figures of the Saviour, the Virgin, and the head of St. John
remain in tolerable condition.

The other fresco in the old chapter-house (this also has been removed
from the wall, and is now in the Hermitage at St. Petersburg),
represents the Virgin seated, with the Child on her knee, between St.
Dominic and St. Thomas Aquinas; all these figures show signs of
incompetent restoration, the outlines and drapery having been
repainted. Less spoiled perhaps by r