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 see, 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 

 my 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, 

 255 



