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*Raphaelesque Cashacrou Madonna
Copyright © David G. Wilson
oil on canvas, dia. 46", 1993; Collection of the artist.
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*Raphaelesque Cashacrou Madonna
In Raphael's "Madonna della Sedia," I perceived Scottshead (Cashacrou),the south-westernmost village of Dominica, W.I. When one looks closely at an old master work of art, there is much to be perceived beyond the normal perceptive faculties of the casual observer. Leonardo da Vinci advised the artist to look deeper and perceive the plethora of hidden imagery within any image. In any image that one may scrutinize, there is a parallel universe which is not readily visible to the unsuspecting eye.
In that painting, I could perceive the traditional feast of St. Peter, the fisherman, wherein the fishermen process in their canoes. The steeple of the church is visible at right and is transformed into the hands of the youthful St. John, the baptist, holding the cross.
Nature is all encompassing and it not only embraces the natural, but also the supernatural and the spiritual. The trees, sea, sky and houses are juxtaposed stratigically to embrace the images of the Madonna, child and saint. This creates a mysterious apparition in a natural environment that alternates from the natural to the supernatural and collectively create an aura of spirituality.