_Anachronisms and Errors of Painters._--Perhaps the commonest of all
anachronisms of painters is that of representing St. John Baptist in a
Holy Family, himself a child, adoring the infant Saviour, and carrying a
slight cross or flag, with the motto "Ecce Agnus Dei." That John knew
our Lord as an eminently holy man is clear frown his expostulation, "I
have need to be baptized of Thee," &c.; but he himself most distinctly
assures us that it was not till he saw the Spirit descending on Jesus
like a dove that he knew him as the promised Messiah and Lamb of God.
I have seen an engraving from an old Master (perhaps some of your
correspondents may remember the painting itself) in which the mother of
Zebedee's children comes forward to beg the boon on their behalf, James
and John being represented as boys of seven or eight, one on each side
of her. These errors of painters are perhaps excusable when they
occurred at a time when the Bible was not in everybody's hands: but what
excuse can we make for artist's blunders now? The _Illustrated News_ has
lately given us prints from paintings by living artists, in one of
which, "Noah's Sacrifice," a couple of fat ducks figure as _clean_ fowl
at the foot of the altar; and in the other, the Five Wise and Five
Foolish Virgins have increased into two sevens; neither error being
apparently noticed by the editor. It is said that no sea piece, however
fine, is admitted to our exhibitions if the rigging is incorrect. Would
it not be quite as advisable to exclude Scripture pieces with palpable
blunders?