is covered with diamonds, and its plumes white and green. The horse is very ably designed, and his extreme whiteness relieved by the lively tones of his furniture. La Force wears a red habit, and a drapery of a yellow tint. The dress of Victory is green. Fame, whose attitude and features recal to the mind the "Last Judgment" of Michael Angelo, has a robe of a purple hue. The banner attached to her trumpet is white. The figures observable at a distance are drawn with spirit. The landscape and the plants, on the fore-ground of the picture, present the most judicious tints, and are touched with much firmness of pencil. 2 THE INCREDULITY OF ST. THOMAS. RUBENS. . THE subject of the picture before us will be found in the twentieth chapter of St. John. "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus, and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you. "But Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them when Jesus came. "The other disciples therefore said unto him, We have seen the Lord. But he said unto them, Except I shall see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and thrust my hand into his side, I will not believe. "And after eight days, again his disciples were within, and Thomas with them. Then came Jesus, the doors being shut, and stood in the midst, and said, Peace be unto you. "Then saith he to Thomas, Reach hither thy finger, and behold my hands; and reach hither thy hand, and thrust it into my side: and be not faithless, but believing. "And Thomas answered and said unto him, My Lord, and my God. "Jesus saith unto him, Thomas, because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." This picture, the figures of which are of the natural size, formed a part of the collection of paintings transported from Flanders to Paris. It appears to have been painted by Rubens, for Nicholas Rockox, burgo-master of the city of Antwerp, and a friend of the artist, the portraits of that magistrate and of his wife, forming part of the wings of the picture. These portraits are placed by the side of the picture in the Museum. |