255 



NATURE IN THE LOUVRE, 



Turning to the left on entering the Louvre, I found 

 myself at. once among the sculpture, which is on the 

 ground-floor. Except that the Venus of Milo was in 

 the collection, I had no knowledge of what I was about 

 to sec, but stepped into an unknown world of statuary. 

 Somewhat indifferently I glanced up and then down, 

 and instantly my coolness was succeeded by delight, for 

 there, in the centre of the gallery, was a statue in the 

 sense in which I understand the word — the beautiful 

 made tangible in human form. I said at once, 'That is 

 ;/// statue. There lies all Paris for me ; I shall find 

 nothing further.' I was then at least thirty yards dis- 

 tant, with the view partly broken, but it was impossible 

 to doubt or question lines such as those. On a gradual 

 approach the limbs become more defined, and the torso 

 grows, and becomes more and more human— this is one 

 of the remarkable circumstances connected with the 

 statue. There is life in the wide hips, chest, and 

 shoulders ; so marvellous is the illusion that not only 

 the parts that remain appear animated, but the imagi- 

 nation restores the missing and mutilated pieces, and the 

 statue seems entire. I did not see that the hand was 

 missing and the arms gone ; the idea of form suggested 

 by the existing portions was carried on over these, and 

 filled the vacant places. 



Going nearer, the large hips grow from stone to life, 



