Beauty: Illustrated Chiefly by an Analysis and Classification of Beauty in WomanWalker, Alexander
Philosophy
Beauty: Illustrated Chiefly by an Analysis and Classification of Beauty in Woman
Walker, Alexander
Beauty, Personal; Women
"These two masterpieces of art are seen together in the same apartment at
Rome, where the Antinous fills the spectator with admiration only, while
the Apollo strikes him with surprise, and, as travellers express
themselves, with an appearance of something more than human; which they of
course are always at a loss to describe: and this effect, they say, is the
more astonishing, as, upon examination, its disproportion is evident even
to a common eye. One of the best sculptors we have in England, who lately
went to see them, confirmed to me what has been now said, particularly as
to the legs and thighs being too long, and too large for the upper parts.
"Although, in very great works, we often see an inferior part neglected,
yet here it cannot be the case, because, in a fine statue, just proportion
is one of its essential beauties: therefore, it stands to reason, that
these limbs must have been lengthened on purpose, otherwise it might have
been easily avoided.
"So that if we examine the beauties of this figure thoroughly we may
reasonably conclude, that what has been hitherto thought so unaccountably
excellent in its general appearance, has been owing to what has seemed a
blemish in a part of it: but let us endeavor to make this matter as clear
as possible, as it may add more force to what has been said.
"Statues, by being bigger than life (as this one is, and larger than the
Antinous), always gain some nobleness in effect, according to the
principle of quantity, but this alone is not sufficient to give what is
properly to be called greatness in proportion.... Greatness of proportion
must be considered as depending on the application of quantity to those
parts of the body where it can give more scope to its grace in movement,
as to the neck for the larger and swanlike turns of the head, and to the
legs and thighs, for the more ample sway of all the upper parts together.
"By which we find that the Antinous being equally magnified to the
Apollo's height, would not sufficiently produce that superiority of
effect, as to greatness, so evidently seen in the latter. The additions
necessary to the production of this greatness in proportion, as it there
appears added to grace, must then be, by the proper application of them to
the parts mentioned only.
"I know not how farther to prove this matter than by appealing to the
reader's eye, and common observation, as before.... The Antinous being
allowed to have the justest proportion possible, let us see what addition,
upon the principle of quantity, can be made to it, without taking away
any of its beauty.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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