This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1914 edition. Excerpt: ...wipe the blood from the feet of Christ. In the early twelfth century we find the scene represented in the Melissenda Psalter of the British Museum (Fig. 20), where the composition is simplified, and John replaces the Magdalen at the Virgin's side. Next after this must be placed the Freer miniature, which combines the compositions of the Psalter and the doors of St. Paul's, except that Nicodemus wears a sleeved tunic instead of the exomis of the Psalter, while Mary stands upon a pedestal, and is accompanied by the Magdalen. The Freer scene is typical of the Byzantine decadence in its contradictions--the circumstantial details and the spirited movement of Nicodemus contrasting with the mannered attitude of FIG. 20. The Descent From The Cross. Miniature Of tHE MElISSENDA Psalter IN tHE BRItISH MUSEUM. Mary and the artificial effect of the pedestal on which she stands. The feature which clearly puts the Freer miniature later than the Psalter is the omission of the angels, which seldom appear in the later versions; thus they arc omitted in a gospel of the Iviron monastery on Mt. Athos1 which Brockhaus dates "ungefahr aus dem 12. Jahrhundert." Here also two more distinctive features of the later composition are met with--the arms of Christ are both detached from the cross, and Nicodemus applies his pincers to the nails in the feet. Joseph clasps the body of Christ as before, but, with a curious effort at realism, his body is protected from the flowing blood by a towel worn over the shoulder. 1 Iviron 5 (Brockhaus, op. cit. p. 217 ff.). Cf. the similar composition on the doors of the cathedrals of Trani and Ravello in South Italy (Schulz. Denkmaler der Kunst in Unteritalien, pi. xxv). These doors date in the latter half of the twelfth...