SCULPTURE. 



will conlequently be expeAed. Sitting, lying, running, or 

 ftriking, will nearly comprehend the whole extent of the 

 artift's variety in a fingle Itntue or has relief. In this ftate 

 of improvement it is in vain for us to expeA any difcrimina- 

 tion between the charafters of gods and men ; they were 

 all repreiented by the fame forms : and Jupiter, Hercules, 

 Mercury, and Neptune, were only known from each other 

 by the thunderbolt, the bow, the caduceus, or the trident. 



According to the general improvement of fcience, as the 

 obfervation of the courfe of the heavenly bodies, the divi- 

 fiojis of land, and marking out the plans for building on the 

 ground, had introduced lome praftical application of geo- 

 metrical lines and figures, which muft precede obfervations on 

 the balance and motion of bodies ; and as fomething more 

 like anatomical knowledge was obtained from the facrifice 

 of animals, or obfervations on the dead left on the field of 

 battle, or a human fl<eleton cafually found : as thefe aflill- 

 ances afforded light on the llrufture and movements of man ; 

 io the artilt, applying principles as he became mailer of 

 them, copied his example with more accuracy, and repre- 

 fented the parts more in detail. 



The next Hate of improvement we (hall obfcrve is a nearer 

 copy of ordinary nature, in which the hair, however, is 

 ftraight, the eyes full, the eye-lids gently marked, the bottom 

 of the nofe and the line of the mouth curved upwards at 

 the corners, giving a kind of finite to the face ; the breall 

 a little more prominent ; fome indication of the mufcles 

 of the abdomen by crofs parallel lines ; the hollow in the 

 loins behind, and the general form of the blade-bones, more 

 natural ; more diftinftion between the breadth of the upper 

 and lower portions of the thigh ; the general forms of the 

 feet and hand?, more accurate according to their angles and 

 divifions ; and the biceps mufcle marked in the arm, and 

 the elbow. Specimens of thefe diffi^rent fteps of improve- 

 ment may be feen on the Greek painted vafes, particularly 

 thofe which have black figures on them. There arc alio many 

 fmall bronzes, which are dcmonftrations of the fame pro- 

 grefs of improvement. 



In the age of Phidias, when geometry had made confi- 

 derable advances, as we find by the writnigs of Plato, when 

 anatomical reiearclics had been profecuted with iuccefs by 

 Hippocrates, in addition to the advantages of feeing the 

 human figure in more perfedion, from the eilablilhmcnt of 

 regular government, the more regular fupplies of agricul- 

 ture for living, and other improvements in civilization moft 

 favourable to the beauty of the human figure : — with thefe 

 advantages, the human figure was reprefented with the dif- 

 tindtion of youthful beauty and elegant proportion, as well as 

 with the Itrength and agility which indicates a rather fpare 

 diet and great excrcife, of which the rtatue called Thcfeus in 

 lord Elgin's coUeftion is an example. 



It is remarkable, that perfonal beauty of countenance and 

 elegance of form frequently occur in works about the time the 

 Parthenon was built ; although in the fame works there is an 

 evident want of proportion and perfpeftive in fome of the 

 parts, with the moll carelefs confufion of the drapery. But 

 we mult remember that the courfe to excellence is progreflivc, 

 even to the greatell genius, and that all arts are perfcited by 

 the accumulation of difcoveries and long prafticc. 



Having mentioned the firit dawnings of beauty in Grecian 

 fculpture, this will be the place for fnme enquiry concerning 

 that beauty which fo eminently dillinguilhed their belt 

 works. A people long acquainted with the naked human 

 form, and tlie exertions of the human figure, would praiiti- 

 cally learn, that a particular make was favourable to a parti- 

 cular exertion, as long legs were favourable to walking and 



running : broad (boulders and a full che(l were accompanied 

 by ftrength. The obfervations of phyficians would affiil in 

 afcertaining the more convenient form of all other parts of 

 the body and limbs for Itrength and exertion ; then enquiries 

 into the animal economy of the body would aflill their de- 

 terminations relating to health or ficknef-;, in the whole or 

 the parts, according to outward appearances. All this 

 would aflift the artilt in the determination of what he fhould 

 choofe and what he (hould rejeft in his imitations. The 

 bloom of youth, the prime of manhood, and the parts beft 

 formed for all the ufes and exertions of the body, would 

 become his ftandard example for the mod fortunate attempts 

 of his art ; and having proceeded thus far, he would be 

 able the more readily to dillinguifli the various characters of 

 tender infancy, the venerable folcmnity of advanced age, and 

 the graceful forms of female elegance. 



But other dillinftionsand other charafteriftfcs ftill remain 

 for the artilt to become acquainted with, to qualify him for 

 the extenfive reprelentation of gods, demigods, and heroes, 

 human creatures and infernal beings ; and this could not be 

 done by the fimple reprefentation of common forms and 

 common exprelTions, fuch as continually prefeatcd themfelves, 

 but by a feleftion from nature of whatever was moll excel- 

 lent in form, accommodated to the higheil qualities of mind, 

 to reprefent the higher orders of beings, and their oppofitcs 

 in tlioie which are below humanity, and partaking of noxious 

 and infernal nature. 



Mere form, however harmonious in its proportions, or 

 beautiful m the fmoothnefs and perfeftion of its finilhed fur- 

 face, without the exprcffion of fentimcnt and aclion, is but 

 dead, and no other than a corpfe which has been quitted by 

 its immortal fpirit ; therefore the artill's great and moft im- 

 portant interell, after he had obtained the geometrical forms 

 of body, was to watch the (Irongell moll decided emotions 

 of mind, in order to give animation to his works. It was 

 his concern to inveftigate and reprelent decidedly the 

 llrongeft aff^eftions, conjugal, parental, focial, and filial ; 

 the fentiments of piety and religion ; the incitements of paf- 

 fion in their different degrees, whether of love or hatred ; for 

 by thefe means only his works fallened on the kindred affec- 

 tions of the fpedtator, and obtained his elleem. 



The Greek artills who gave thefe firft mental improve- 

 ments to their works, fouglit for nobility of leiitimcnt and 

 dillintl charafters of gods and heroes from the writings of 

 Homer ; illullratcd by the fpeculatioiis of Pythagoras and 

 Plato upon the effcntial qualities of divinity, in their omni- 

 potence and extent, and the limited powers of humanity, 

 derived and finite. 



From thefe they learned that all bodily perfcAions and 

 beauty were derived from mental beauty and perfection ; 

 that as forms which cxprefled healthful bi>dies and their parts 

 were the moll perfed, as far as form and animal power ex- 

 tend ; Io the exprcffiuns of the moll perfed mental qualities 

 added the moil perfed animation of beauty to thole terms, 

 and gave the moft perfed charadcrs of magnanimity, juf- 

 tice, benevolence, and dignity to the faces and figures of their 

 divinities, and in an inferior degree to their heroes : and 

 whatever perfedion of face or pcrfon they would expifft, 

 they found could only be done by the frntinient of that vir- 

 tue and beauty of men by which it was immediately caufcd. 



.hipiter, the chief of their gods, was reprelentod in the 

 molt perted human form ; powerfid in his make, benign i" 

 his countenance, and of that mature age when wildoni is 

 unitetl to the full develop.nient of the bodily powers. His 

 full beard and abundant flowing hair are confillent with the 

 greateit dignity the human head is capable of ;2Hd the lion- 



