The Philosophy of Fine Art, volume 3 (of 4): Hegel's Aesthetik
Georg Hegel · en
(_γ_) In consequence of this Greek art is throughout permeated with all
the blithesomeness of the Greek genius, and has found its satisfaction,
delight, and an object for its activity in a countless number of
gratifying situations. When it once had discovered a way from the
constraint of the abstractions of its presentment to an appreciation
of vital individuality, which is the unifying factor of the whole, its
joy in all that is indicative of life and cheerfulness became a real
thing, and artists became occupied with a great variety of subjects,
which, without glancing aside at anything suggestive of pain, horror,
distortion or injurious, fixed as its final limit unoffensive humanity
and remained thus. The ancients have in this respect executed much
of the greatest excellence. I will here only mention, among the many
mythological subjects of playful, that is playful in the most innocent
way, interest, the sports of Cupid, in which we already see a close
approach to the ordinary life of mankind, just as there were others in
which the vitality of the presentment is the main interest, and indeed
the very attempt to secure and execute such subject-matter itself
contributes this blithesomeness and innocence to the effect. In this
kind of way we may point out that the dice-players and satellite of
Polycleitus were thought quite as highly of as his Argive statue of
Here. The discus-throwers and racers of Myron were equally famous. How
dear to this folk, too, and admired is that youth in a seated posture
who extracts a thorn from his foot? There were many others of the same
type of production in great measure merely by name. We are face to face
with the fleeting moment of natural existence, which is here arrested
for ever by the sculptor.
(_b_) Beginning with examples such as the above of a movement towards
external objects, sculpture proceeds further in the representation of
situations, conflicts, and actions yet more involved with motion, and
at last arrives at the group. For with an increase of specific detail
in the action we have placed before us the more concrete animation,
which expands in contradiction, reactions, and thereby, too, in the
presence of several figures essentially related and intertwined with
each other.
(_α_) At first we have, however, merely tranquil juxtapositions, such
as, for example, the two colossal horse-tamers, which are set up in
Rome on Mount Cavallo, and indicate Castor and Pollux. The one statue
is commonly ascribed to Pheidias, the other to Praxiteles. There is,
however, no strong evidence for this, although the extraordinary
excellence of conception, and the no less exquisite thoroughness of
the execution justifies names as famous. Such are entirely independent
groups, which as yet express no real action, or the result of it, and
are wholly appropriate as representations of sculpture and public
exposition before the Parthenon, where it appears they were originally
placed.