‘world. 
150 Monthly Retrospect 
Mutilated as the statues are, 
without heads, without arms, without 
legs, and their surface impaired by the 
corrosive influence of the air and rain, 
they still hold their place in the classes 
of the most perfect art, and fully an- 
swer the mighty fame of the age in which 
they were produced, and of thé all-ac- 
complished sculptor under whose super- 
intendance (and probably from whose 
: designs) they were wrought. 
-Beus. 
The statue of Tuesrus represents the 
hero seated on a lion’s or tiger's skin, 
The large, majestic forms of: the limbs, 
indieate his elevated character. The 
neck rises from the trunk like a beauti- 
ufithe head is com= 
ful column; the air 
pod mmMenified.” The chest, back. » 
thighs, all have the same large and massy © 
shape. In nothing they deviate from 
nature, except in their coos so 
entire a correspondence of beautiful 
limbs being seldom found in real life.* 
Tt is to be remarked that. this «statue, 
executed under the eye of the immortal 
Phidias, is not of that species of form 
which artists and connoisseurs have de- 
nominated édecl, It exhibitsa pure and 
intelligent representation of beautiful 
nature. Sucli as Theseus is here shown, 
such Theseus might have been. 
The fragment of exquisite sculpture, 
known by the appellation of the Lorsa of 
Michel Angelo, of which a cast is placed 
near to the Theseus, has here a happy 
effect in contributing to shew the contrast 
of the two modes of ante inate 
and the ideal. Both speeimens may be 
regarded as at the summit of their clai 
may be justly auestioned when ames 
markabile for their superior beauties, are tist in the very “ torrent, temp 
a Juno ; two groups, viz. Dia @-  @$ it were, whirlwind of passion, bey 
tona ; and Ceres und Proserp fa Cas erance that gave it smoothness.” 
f E. has several times pro- 
lance ef some of our famous 
pugilists in his gallery, for the purpose of 
comparing them with the forms of the The- 
The Royal Academicians have been 
invited to this interesting exhibition, and 
the general report is consistent with the 
above remark. The body of Gregsor, for in- 
stanee, is said to yield nothing to the Greek _ 
hero in strength or symmetry: his legs are 
ot of equal beauty, bi 
of the Fine Arts. — [Sept. 1, 
nephora, or Basket-carrier, which pro- 
babiy served asthe support of a column. 
Of ali these, the last only retains its 
head. ‘The regret felt at the mutilated 
state of the others is heightened by the - 
exquisite beauty of the rewaining forms. 
In each of them the disposition of the 
drapery, the character of the limbs, the 
apparent softness of the flesh, the air of 
the, whole figure unvaryingly appropriate 
to the particular attitude, ave of that 
eminent quality that claims the admira- 
tion of the spectator, and the reverence 
of the student. - The drapery of the Ca- 
nephora is not of the same superior de- 
scription; it is dry aid still, and though 
the folds are ve ye we 
fail in the appe 
Pe 
ance of lightness. 
A draped figure of Vielory, and an In- | 
dian Bacchus, as well some others, 
are well worthy of attention, : 
Besides these larger statues, the cole 
lection contains a vast suite of alto-re- 
lievos, representing the Battle of the La- 
pithe and the C 
tioned, anid of ‘bas: : 
processional train on @ 
‘The latter have the t D 
d id. The for- 
cient scul ak 
mer ate singularly bold and mas.’ 
terly: they are remarkable for the beaa- 
tiful proportions and select forms’ of the 
young men, and of the equine part of 
the Centaurs, as well as for the curious 
character uniformly preserved in thehu- 
men iy the heads being closely 
stuck on the shoulders with little or no 
intervention of neck, and the faces con- 
“sider: 
imilar to each other, and all 
ofan ol ad goes character. 2 
: ese figures, if they conta no posi- 
e evidence of the band of any particus 
nasier, very clearly demonstvate the 
ool in which they were execated. The 
the remaining part. of this collec- 
absolute riglit to sovereignty and legis- 
lature in. the, province of architecture, 
Monuments of other kinds also serve to 
compiete 
-* yo #7 
atter tT 
sply wrought, they 
ys 
