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tvtiich, or with its component parts (whfn properly under, 

 ftooil), the greater luiniber of the exccllcricits ot its clifs 

 are univciTallv aflociatcd. The fame may be aderted of any 

 fpecics of objcdts, whtii compared « ith any other fpecies of 

 its kind ; and that objecl may be jiilUy ellcemcd a " (landard 

 of beauty," with the whole appear ince, or witli the compo- 

 nent parts of which (when properly nndcrftood), all the ex- 

 cellencies of its kind are " univerfallv" affociated. 



Beautv, \i\ \\\it Arts of Defign. Whatever of beauty or 

 perfeftion btcomes an objcA of contemplation to our minds, 

 whether it be purely mental or perceived throujrh the medium 

 of ourfenfes, mud be derived from the btautful and perfeft 

 itfelf, and may be traced back towards its Divine fource. 

 However diverfified, it proceeds from this fource, and dir. ds 

 us where to fcek the principles and pei-feclion of all fcience 

 and art, of all things metaphyfical, phyfical, and moral, 

 which by their mutual conneftion and harmony declare their 

 common relation and origin ; therefore what is called beauty 

 in the arts of painting and fculpture mult be fought for in its 

 principles, metaphyfical, phyfical, and moral. In this re- 

 fearch wc (liould do well to take thofe philofophers for our 

 guides, who were the oracles of Greece, in the times when 

 painting and fculpture attained their highell excellence. In 

 the dialogue between Socrates and the fculptor Clito. (Xeno- 

 phon's Memorabilia,) Socrates concludes " that llatuary 

 mud reprcfent the aftions of the foul by form." And in the 

 former part of the fame dialogue Parrhaiias and Socrates 

 agree, that the good and evil qualities of the foul may be 

 reprcfented in the llgures of man by painting. Plato, in his 

 dialogues, reafons to the fame purpofe, and declares that the 

 good and beautiful are one. 



Arillotle (DeMor. 1. iv. c. 7. t. iii. p. 49. DePoet. c.7. 

 t. ii. p. 658.) obferves, that beauty is order in grandeur. 

 Order fuppofes fymmeti-y, fitnefs, and harmony ; and in 

 grandeur are compriled fiinplicity, unity, and majefty. How- 

 ever, in his catalogue of virtues and their families, as well as 

 of the oppofitc vices and their families, Ariftotle concurs with 

 Plato in acknowledging the relation between beauty and good- 

 iitfs, evil and deformity. Indeed, it has been one of the great 

 obje£ls of philofophy, through all the ancient fchools, to trace 

 and demonilrate not only the likenefs but the identity of 

 beauty and goodncfs. Among the Platonifts and the Py- 

 thagoreans, malignity was abandoned, goodnefs or the julb, 

 and intellett or wifdom cultivated, becaufe by this means, 

 man is elevated to a nearer approach to the divinity. 

 Fortitude and temperance were the virtues of the (loics and 

 early epicureans, becaufe the one raifes man above common 

 fears and wants, and the other gives him better health and 

 enjoyment of his faculties. Thefe conclufions are convincing, 

 and their illuflrations may be drawn in great abundance from 

 the hiflory and condition of the human race. Does any one 

 fupply the wants of his fellow creatures, and raife them from 

 dillrefs to a ftate of comfort ? In performing thefe and fucli 

 good acls his cxprefTion is fo tender, and his manner fo gentle, 

 that all prefcnt fympathlze in his feelings, and love the be- 

 nefaftor. If any one (hews a magnanimous contempt of 

 danger in a good caufe, or manfully refills the temptation to 

 an evil aft, in fo doing his features and manner exprefs dig- 

 nity and fortitude, which infpire the beholders with awe and 

 refpeft. We look with delight on the florid complexion of 

 a perfon in high health, but with concern and difguft at a 

 pallid colour and flaccid ikin, becaufe they are figns of dif- 

 eafe and decay. We are picafed to fee a ftout and well made 

 perfon, becaufe fuch a figure befpeaks great ftrcngth and 

 agility. We are likev.'ife pleafed to fee a more flender figure of 

 agreeable and harmonious proportions, becaufe in it fufficient 

 Arengthis united with varied elegance of attitude. Hence, aa 

 alnaoll every circumftance of ourexiftence funiilhes examples 



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to the fame purpofe,might we not define the beauty of the hu- 

 man perfon in the following termn ? " Goodnefs, or vii tue and 

 wifdom, in a human form bell fuited to their expreihons and 

 exertions." It would be as abfurd as prefuniptuous for us to 

 attempt entering the councils of Infinite Wifdom to difcovcr 

 why the figure of man was made inch as it is and no other. 

 We might as well inquire why fuch a particular number of 

 worlds were made in or out of our fy (Icm fubjeft to fuch laws 

 of gravity, motion, and revolution ? But taking man as he is, 

 whether we confider tlic (acuities of his foul, the component 

 parts of hisbody,or the combined operations of both, the mind 

 is overwhelmed with the (hipendous and wonderful llruftureof 

 the parts, and the harmony, beauty, and utility of I'lc whole. 



Whilft we are confidering beauty in the works of painting 

 and fculpture, it will be proper to remember that the word 

 by which the Greeks cxprefFcd this quality was KAA^O^, 

 fair, handfome, beautiful, which applied extenfively to almoft 

 any being or thing giving pleafure in confequence of its 

 goodnefs. According, therefore, to this ule of the term, we 

 Ihall inveftigate human beauty in both ffxes, and their feveral 

 diiluiftions of cha'artcr. The human figure is wonderfully 

 fuited to its various offices and employments, as well in its 

 internal flruftur'i as in its outward form. The mechanical 

 powei s, the geometrical figures, the motion and weight of 

 fluids, and the operations of chemiftry, are continually en- 

 gaged in its fupport and renewal ; uniting an accumulation 

 of force with a fimpiicity of operation truly wonderful, 

 and contributing in their efFcdls and appearances to the 

 beauty of the outward form, which in the prefent inquiry is 

 to be the objeft of attention. The head contains the brain, 

 which fends neves to all parts of the body and limbs, and 

 tlic organs of four feiifes ; this is the fuperior member of the 

 figure, and f om its elevated (lation, by means of the under- 

 (landing and will, direfts and determines the adts of all the 

 inferior parts. The body, which contains in its cavity thofe 

 parts which iupply the animal funftions, is alio a center from 

 which, and upon which, the five extremities aft. The arms 

 are fupporttd on the body in a manner moH fa\'ourable to 

 all exertions ot llrength, and with their hands are fo formed, 

 tliat thefe exertions may be alfo employed in the mod diffi- 

 cult and curious labours. The legs llrongly fupport the 

 fuperftrufture ; when clofed refembliiig two pillars, when 

 extended, like the tiiangular arch, and when nectfiary, 

 fwiftly conveying the perlon from place to place. It is pro- 

 per to mike thelc general remarks, becaufe, as we proceed, 

 we fhall find how dillinguifliing ah ingredient utility is in the 

 compofition of beauty. After this flight view of the advan- 

 tageous complication of powers and fimplicity of operation 

 in the human form, let us confider its beautiful cffcft, ani- 

 mated by goodnefs, and informed by wifdom ; and as what 

 has been faid in this part of the article relates to the arts of 

 defign, we fliall produce illullrations from the antique fculp- 

 ture and painting The ancients afligned the firll clafs of 



beauty to the fuperior divinities, the fecoiid to heroes, and 

 the third to fauns. Other divinities and genii feem to have 

 partaken more or lefs of thefe clafTes. Mere portraits cannot 

 be enumerated in either, becaufe they are but faithful repre- 

 fentations of ordinary nature. Of the fuperior gods, the 

 Saturnian family pofiefs the rank of fublimity in the KaAo; 

 or beautiful. In the fine head of Jupiter (lately in the pope's 

 mufeum, now in the national gallery at Paris,) the hair rifes 

 from the forehead, and defcends in abuiidant flowing locks 

 on each fide of his face and neck to the fhoulders ; his fore- 

 head is mufmlar, expreflive of great itrength ; his nofe and 

 cheeks are correfpondent ; his eyes and mouth exprefs bene- 

 volence ; his wife and ferious brow, his placid countenance, 

 and full beard, inlpire reverence and awe. His figure is the 

 might'ujl of tjie fuperior gods. His right arm moderately 

 5 raifed 



