§Gi. 



COLOURED STATUES. 283 



of modern, compared to ancient Greek, art ; but it is no proof 

 that it was not done, and not done successfully, of old. 



It is true, that a statue does not stand in need of colour to 

 render it perfect as a work of art. It is not mere imitation 

 that is aimed at ; it is expression, which is the soul of repre- 

 sentation ; and our delight is to see how it expresses, rather 

 than how it imitates, the reality. On the other hand, this is 

 no argument against the use of colour : as it would not alter 

 those conditions ; otherwise, if colour is bad, because not re- 

 quired, in a statue, it must be bad in a picture, where it is also 

 not an indispensable adjunct. For the conventional tints of 

 some masters, or an engraving, or even an outline, may give 

 truth and expression without the natural colours. Nor would 

 instances of figures drawn by us in outline, or finished without 

 colour, suffice to prove at some future period, that we never 

 coloured the human figure. Yet this kind of argument is 

 used by those who disbelieve the Greek custom of colouring 

 statues ; ancient authors are quoted, who mention some un- 

 coloured statues; and the universal conclusion is drawn (from 

 such particular premises), that none were ever coloured by the 

 Greeks. Some, no doubt, were uncoloured, and some merely 

 stained, others were gilt, and others coated with wax were 

 polished by much rubbing. The staining and encaustic pro- 

 cesses were not unusual, and gilding was frequently resorted 

 to, especially in later times ; and Pliny (xxxvi. 4,) mentions 

 a statue of Janus, either by Scopas or by Praxiteles, which in 

 his time was quite hidden by the quantity of gold that covered 

 it. But this was certainly not the intention of the sculptor, 

 nor the custom of his day ; and the fact of certain statues 

 having been uncoloured would not disprove the employment 

 of colour in others, even if we had no positive evidences of it ; 

 and the practice of applying some tone, or coating, to the un- 

 coloured marble, may be attributed to the general prejudice 



