45O 



is excellent fur this purpose, as the chisel cuts it more neatly ami 

 easily than any other wood. 



The ancients made statues out of almost every different kind of 

 wood. At Sicyon was a statue of Apollo made of box ; the statue 

 of Diana at Fphesus was of cedar. As these two sorts of wood are 

 extremely hard and undecaying ; and as cedar, in particular, is of 

 such a nature, as, according to Pliny, to be nearly indestructible, 

 the ancients preferred them for the images of their divinities. 



In the temple built on mount Cyllcne in honour of Mercury, 

 Pausanias relates, that there was a statue of that god made of 

 citron- wood, eight feet in height. This wood was also much 

 esteemed. 



The cypress likewise, being a wood not apt to spoil, nor to be 

 damaged by worms, was also used for statues ; as were the palm- 

 tree, olive, and ebony, of which latter, according to Pliny's ac- 

 count, there was another statue of Diana at Ephesus. 



Several other kinds of wood were equally employed for this 

 purpose, even the vine, of which the same author says there were 

 tatues of Jupiter, Juno, and Diana. 



Felibien speaks of a French artist at Florence, of the name of 

 Janni, who executed several statues in wood, in a style of finishing 

 equal to maible, and particularly one of St. Rocque, which Vasaii 

 considered as a marvellous production. 



The beauty of sculpture in wood consists in the tender manner of 

 cutting the wood, free from all appearance of hardness or dryness. 



For any work of large dimensions, even though it consists 

 of a single figure; it is better to join together several smaller 

 pieces of wood than to make the whole of a single large piece; 

 which is more liable to warp and crack, on account of its not 

 being always dry at heart, although it appears perfectly dry on the 

 outside. 



No wood can be properly fit for works of this kind that has not 

 beeu cut at least ten years before. 



The tools used for sculpture in wood are the same as those of 

 the joiner or cabinet-maker. 



Of sculpture in stone and marble. For sculpture in marble 

 and other stone, the artist must make use of tools made of good steel, 

 well tempered, and of strength proportioned to the hardness of the 

 material. 



