3.  There is a lovely pastoral composition by Titian, in which Mary is seated under some trees, with Joseph leaning on his staff, and the Infant Christ standing between them:  the little St. John approaches with his lap full of cherries; and in the background a woman is seen gathering cherries.  This picture is called a Ripose; but the presence of St. John, and the cherry tree instead of the date tree, point out a different signification.  Angels presenting cherries on a plate is also a frequent circumstance, derived from the same legend.

4.  In a charming picture by Garofalo, Joseph is caressing the Child, while Mary—­a rather full figure, calm, matronly, and dignified, as is usual with Garofalo—­sits by, holding a book in her hand, from which she has just raised her eyes. (Windsor Gal.)

5.  In a family group by Murillo, Joseph, standing, holds the Infant pressed to his bosom; while Mary, seated near a cradle, holds out her arms to take it from him:  a carpenter’s bench is seen behind.

6.  A celebrated picture by Rembrandt, known as le Menage du Menuisier, exhibits a rustic interior; the Virgin is seated with the volume of the Scriptures open on her knees—­she turns, and lifting the coverlid of the cradle, contemplates the Infant asleep:  in the background Joseph is seen at his work; while angels hover above, keeping watch over the Holy Family.  Exquisite for the homely natural sentiment, and the depth of the colour and chiaro-oscuro.  (Petersburg.)

7.  Many who read these pages will remember the pretty little picture by Annibale Caracci, known as “le Raboteur."[1] It represents Joseph planing a board, while Jesus, a lovely boy about six or seven years old, stands by, watching the progress of his work.  Mary is seated on one side plying her needle.  The great fault of this picture is the subordinate and utterly commonplace character given to the Virgin Mother:  otherwise it is a very suggestive and dramatic subject, and one which might be usefully engraved in a cheap form for distribution.

[Footnote 1:  In the Coll. of the Earl of Suffolk, at Charlton.]

* * * * *

Sometimes, in a Holy Family of three figures, the third figure is neither St. John nor St. Joseph, but St. Anna.  Now, according to some early authorities, both Joachim and Anna died either before the marriage of Mary and Joseph, or at least before the return from Egypt.  Such, however, was the popularity of these family groups, and the desire to give them all possible variety, that the ancient version of the story was overruled by the prevailing taste, and St. Anna became an important personage.  One of the earliest groups in which the mother of the Virgin is introduced as a third personage, is a celebrated, but to my taste not a pleasing, composition, by Lionardo da Vinci, in which St. Anna is seated on a sort of chair, and the Virgin on her knees bends down towards the Infant Christ, who is sporting with a lamb. (Louvre, 481.)