224 Royal Academy. 



In some transparent draperies, the limbs were seen as though 

 bare; the drapery, playing in beautiful creases over the bolder 



parts, adding the niagic of diversity to the, charms of beauty. 

 The lecture concluded with appeals to the Prophets of Michael 

 Angelo, the Apostles of Raphael and Albert Durer, and the Holy 

 Men ill Henry the Seventh's Chapel, as exhibiting the most sub- 

 lime conceptions expressed in drapery. 



March 23. — Mr. Flaxman delivered a concluding lecture, the 

 subject of which was Composithm. — The very earlv compositions 

 of Greece were generallv the representations of heroic subjects, 

 or of cclel)rations of rites, as the combat of Theseus and the Mi- 

 notaur, Hercules and the Centaur, Dejanira and Nessus, the rites 

 of Bacchus, &c. all under the influence of a rude character. 

 After the stores of Persia became the treasures of Greece, the 

 art was characterized by truth, Iieautv, and inspiration. It saw 

 its zenitii of perfection in the Jupiter and Minerva of Phidias. 

 When the Greeks were no longer free, tliose large compositions 

 which had astonished the world ceased to appear ; vet under tlie 

 influence of the same love for their country and its traditions, 

 they exercised their genius upon snialler works. The abasement 

 of sculpture in Italy was noticed. Upon turning again with in- 

 terest to Greece, it was observed, that the nation which had pro- 

 pagated by art the heathen traditions, was the one to exercise 

 its genius on subjects relative to the true religion. The parti- 

 culars of composition were entered into; its forms, as the pyra- 

 mid, the cone, the inverted cone, &c. Bas-relievo may be con- 

 sidered as |)ainti!ig without colour. The ancients held simplicity 

 in so higli respect, that in their bas-relievos they generallv placed 

 their figures all upon a line; vet, there are to be seen in some, 

 files of horses in perspective, with riders, without the least con- 

 fusion. The Professor then entered iiito some particulars of science, 

 especially tlie harmony of lines, and the effect of light and sha- 

 dow in sculpture. 



Mr. Flaxman divided sentiment in sculpture into three classes; 

 — the stiblime, which generally refers to the different acts of cre- 

 ation ; the heroic; and thirdly, tlie pathetic ; which is exempli- 

 fied in the Charities and Holy Families of Ivjichael Angelo. 



Comnients next followed upon some of the most sublime com- 

 positions that the world .as seen; the .ludgenient by Michael An- 

 gelo, and the Fall of'the P.eljel y^ngels bv Rubens. Here the be- 

 holder is thunderstruck, with the vastness of the coitf-eptions and 

 the tremendous precipitation of energy enveloped in clouds of 

 furious smoke. The work of Michael Angelo was the most con- 

 s unmate performance of the two, and was t!ie parent of Ru- 

 bens's. If Ilube.is held the superiority in profundity of colour, 

 skill of light and shade^ and breadth of masses, Michael Angelo 



far 



