325. _Symbols in Painting._--In a painting of the Crucifixion by Guido
(?) the following accessories are introduced, the meaning of which I
cannot discover: the persons present are four, two of whom are evidently
the Virgin and St. John; but the other two, who are both old men, are
doubtful. On the ground, at the foot of the cross, is a skull and some
bones; and at one side of the picture is a monster, somewhat like a
gigantic toad, with his foot on a book; and at the other side lies a
bell, with a twisted cord attached to it: the monster and the skull
might be symbolical of sin and death, but what can the bell mean? It is
a singular object for an artist to have introduced without some
particular meaning; but the only instance I know of its use, is in the
pictures of St. Anthony (in the fourth century), who is generally
represented with a bell in his hand. Perhaps some of your correspondents
may be able to explain its meaning in this painting. Can the handbell
rung in Roman Catholic churches at the elevation of the host have any
connexion with the subject in question?