The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 3 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik — Georg Hegel — John Shaqi
The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 3 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik
Georg Hegel · en
Among the goddesses I will only refer to Juno, Pallas, Diana, and
Aphrodite.
Just as Zeus among the masculine deities, so, too, Juno among the
feminine displays in her figure and its expression the greatest
dignity. The large circular-arched eyes are proud and commanding, in
like manner, too, the mouth by which she is at once recognized more
particularly in profile. Generally she presents the appearance of "a
queen, who will rule, is to be revered and must awaken devotion[186]."
Pallas, on the contrary, receives the expression of more austere
maidenhood and chastity. Tenderness, love, and every kind of womanly
weakness are kept away from her; her eyes are less expanded than
those of Here, less emphatically arched and somewhat downcast in the
tranquillity of reflection, just as her head is, which is not proudly
erect as in the case of the spouse of Zeus, although it is armed with
a helmet. A very similar type of maidenhood characterizes the figure of
Diana. She is, however, endowed with a more fascinating quality, more
lightly poised, more slender, albeit there is no self-conscious delight
in her charm. She is not given the pose of tranquil observation, but
is generally in motion, pressing forward as toward some object in her
vision.
Finally we have Aphrodite, the goddess of beauty as such, who is, along
with the Graces and the Hours, alone depicted by the Greek artists as
undraped and even here subject to exceptions. In her case nudity is
justified on the good ground that she expresses, above all, sensuous
beauty and its conquest, grace, attractiveness, tenderness, elevated
and tempered by spiritual qualities. Her eye, even in cases where a
more grave and lofty expression is emphasized, is smaller than that of
Pallas and Juno, not so much in length, but narrower by reason of the
lower eyelid being slightly raised, by which means Love's yearning look
is admirably expressed. She varies, however, very considerably in the
type expressed. In some cases her pose is more serious and powerful; in
others delicacy and tenderness are most insisted upon; her age, too,
is sometimes that of maidenhood, at other of riper years. Winckelmann
compares the Medicean Venus to a rose which blossoms in the fair light
of its own colour at daybreak. Uranian Aphrodite is, on the contrary,
indicated by a diadem which resembles that worn by Juno, and which
Venus victrix also wears.