DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18825#0123
lect. v.] of the human figure. Q?
Well might he be called a son of god, well
might that sublime, that insuperable commendation
be given them, u in the image of god created he
them." With regret we quit the contemplation of
this lovely image, to drop a tear over the effects of
Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world and all our woe,
With loss of Eden-
But, notwithstanding disease and calamity are now
incident to man, there yet remain, in the struc-
ture and formation of the human figure, sufficient
evidence of wonderful skill, to justify our attention ;
and sufficient, beauty, to excite our admiration.
It is surprising that any person conversant with
that wonderful building the human frame, should be
unaffected by the omniscient contrivance it exem-
plifies ; that combination of fitness, variety, and
symmetry ; those indispensable principles of beauty !
" Such a performance as this, can only be the pro-
duction of a Divine Author," said, and said well,
the illustrious Galen.
We have-partly prepared our auditory for consi-
dering the figure and the head as distinct; and as
nothing contributes more to the acquisition of clear
ideas on any subject than an orderly distribution and
consideration of it, we shall now attempt that or-
derly distribution.
It is usual, among Artists, to divide the human
figure into three parts; the head, the body, and
the members which move on the body ; as this di-
vision is extremely simple, and every way proper,
Edit. 7. O we
Well might he be called a son of god, well
might that sublime, that insuperable commendation
be given them, u in the image of god created he
them." With regret we quit the contemplation of
this lovely image, to drop a tear over the effects of
Man's first disobedience, and the fruit
Of that forbidden tree, whose mortal taste
Brought death into the world and all our woe,
With loss of Eden-
But, notwithstanding disease and calamity are now
incident to man, there yet remain, in the struc-
ture and formation of the human figure, sufficient
evidence of wonderful skill, to justify our attention ;
and sufficient, beauty, to excite our admiration.
It is surprising that any person conversant with
that wonderful building the human frame, should be
unaffected by the omniscient contrivance it exem-
plifies ; that combination of fitness, variety, and
symmetry ; those indispensable principles of beauty !
" Such a performance as this, can only be the pro-
duction of a Divine Author," said, and said well,
the illustrious Galen.
We have-partly prepared our auditory for consi-
dering the figure and the head as distinct; and as
nothing contributes more to the acquisition of clear
ideas on any subject than an orderly distribution and
consideration of it, we shall now attempt that or-
derly distribution.
It is usual, among Artists, to divide the human
figure into three parts; the head, the body, and
the members which move on the body ; as this di-
vision is extremely simple, and every way proper,
Edit. 7. O we