POINTS FROM WHICH THE PROPORTIONS ARE STUDIED. 357 



PART II. 



OBJECT AND UTILITY OF THE PROPORTIONS. 



Now that we have demonstrated the existence of the relations 

 existing among the different parts of the body, it will be easy to under- 

 stand what result cap be reached by seeking for the proportions of the 

 horse. The question at issue is to express in simple terms the relations 

 of the regions in such a manner as to establish the elements of beauty 

 which should here be looked upon as a reflection of perfection. Such a 

 study is most fruitful for one who wishes to succeed promptly in devel- 

 oping his " eye" and his judgment ; it is not less useful for the artist 

 anxious to impress his works with the stamp of accurate imitation. 



We do not wish to say by this that imitation is the supreme aim 

 of art and that the merit of artistic productions lies infallibly in their 

 accuracy. It is far from our intention to compare the artist to a pho- 

 tographic apparatus : this would be the ignoring of his personality, of 

 the very passion with which he sees the things of his domain ; it would 

 be the very negation of his talent. His work should, principally, 

 reflect movement and animation, the emotion he felt in the presence 

 of the subject which he wished to reproduce. He will be pardoned 

 for the want of physical resemblance in his conceptions, whilst he will 

 always be blamed for his want of sentiment or his absolute indiffer- 

 ence. But if we have been able to say with reason in this respect that 

 sincerity in art can replace truth, it is not less evident that the artist 

 who is at the same time accurate and sincere in his reproduction will 

 constantly excel him who has only one or the other of these qualities. 

 It is on this account that the study of proportions is of the greatest 

 necessity to him. 



CHAPTER I. 



POINTS OF VIEW FROM WHICH THE PROPORTIONS ARE STUDIED. 



UNTIL now, under the head of proportions, we have only treated 

 of the relations of length, of width, and of thickness of the constit- 

 uent parts of the body, and even this has been done in a very incom- 

 plete manner. This too exclusive view is certainly insufficient for one 



