THE 



QUARTERLY JOURNAL 



OF 



SCIENCE, LITERATURE, AND ART, 



On the Beauties contained in the Oval, and in the Elliptic 

 Curves, both simple and combined, generated from the same 

 Figure or Disk, By R. R. Reinagle, Esq., R. A, 



Being the subject of a Discourse delivered at the Royal Institution of 

 Great Britain. 



After an apposite discourse to introduce the subject, the first 

 course taken, was to demonstrate the advantages of understand- 

 ing the right use of geometrical terms in our descriptions of the 

 •varieties of shape, both in nature and art. 



Every thing deserving the title of beautiful, and every grand 

 object, assume an outline of definite character : these are to be 

 found in the different classes of geometrical figures ; the former 

 in undulating fines of elliptic curves, and grandeur in angular 

 dispositions of figure. All motion assumes a curved direction *. 

 The primary and leading object of the discourse was to prove 

 the fact of original beauty : and that a curved line was beautiful 

 in an abstract point of view, free from all associations. For 

 this purpose there were designed many diagrams on large black 

 painted boards. 



* A great number of geometrical diagrams were exhibited, from a 

 single line, to angles, squares, oblongs, circles, ovals, cones, cylinders, 

 spiral lines, and various serpentine lines, &c* 



JULY — OCT. 1827, B 



