DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.18732#0217
i 58 j
in her countenance. This confummate artift. was
afraid of difturbing her features too much, knowing
full well, that the point where he was to expect the
moft fympathy was there, where diflrefs co-operated
with beauty, and where our pity met our love. Had
he fought it one flep farther, in exprejjim, he had
loft it. It is unjuft, you will fay, that men fhould
not fympathife with homely women in diftrefs, in
the fame degree as they do with the beautiful. That
is very true; but it is the bufinefs of the fculptor to
apply his art to men as he finds them, not as they
ought to be. Befide, this princi-ple has full force,
and is fhiclly true, only in fculpture and painting.
For, in real life, a woman may engage a man's
efteem and affections by a thoufand fine qualities,
and a thoufand endearing ties, though fhe is entirely
deficient in beauty.
" This Villa is alfo enriched by one of the mofr.
animated ftatues in the world, and which, in ths
opinion of many men of tafle, comes neareft, and in
the judgment of feme, equals the Apollo of the
Vatican. I mean the ftatue of the fighting Gladia-
tor. It is difficult, however, to compare two pieces
whofe merits are Co different. The Apollo is full of
grace, majefty, and eonfeious fuperiority; he has
fhot his arrow, and knows its fuccefs. There is,
indeed, a ftrong expreffion of indignation, which
opens his lips, diftends his noftrils, and contracts
his brows; but it is the indignation of a fuperior
being, who punifh.es while he fcorns the efforts of his
enemy. The Gladiator, on the contrary, full of fire
and youthful courage, oppofes an enemy that he does
not fear; but whom, it is evident, he thinks worthy
of
in her countenance. This confummate artift. was
afraid of difturbing her features too much, knowing
full well, that the point where he was to expect the
moft fympathy was there, where diflrefs co-operated
with beauty, and where our pity met our love. Had
he fought it one flep farther, in exprejjim, he had
loft it. It is unjuft, you will fay, that men fhould
not fympathife with homely women in diftrefs, in
the fame degree as they do with the beautiful. That
is very true; but it is the bufinefs of the fculptor to
apply his art to men as he finds them, not as they
ought to be. Befide, this princi-ple has full force,
and is fhiclly true, only in fculpture and painting.
For, in real life, a woman may engage a man's
efteem and affections by a thoufand fine qualities,
and a thoufand endearing ties, though fhe is entirely
deficient in beauty.
" This Villa is alfo enriched by one of the mofr.
animated ftatues in the world, and which, in ths
opinion of many men of tafle, comes neareft, and in
the judgment of feme, equals the Apollo of the
Vatican. I mean the ftatue of the fighting Gladia-
tor. It is difficult, however, to compare two pieces
whofe merits are Co different. The Apollo is full of
grace, majefty, and eonfeious fuperiority; he has
fhot his arrow, and knows its fuccefs. There is,
indeed, a ftrong expreffion of indignation, which
opens his lips, diftends his noftrils, and contracts
his brows; but it is the indignation of a fuperior
being, who punifh.es while he fcorns the efforts of his
enemy. The Gladiator, on the contrary, full of fire
and youthful courage, oppofes an enemy that he does
not fear; but whom, it is evident, he thinks worthy
of