DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.20658#0086
72
BEAUTY.
be long, and the hips wider than the shoulders, and should turn off as they do in the same Venus,
and go down rounding and lessening gradually to the knee. The knee should be even and well
rounded ; the legs straight, but varied by a proper rounding of the more fleshy part of them ;
and the feet finely turned white and little."
Expression forms the third and a most important part of beauty. By this is to be understood
the expression of the passions, or the changes and emotions of the mind, so far as they are visible
in our looks and gestures. This quality has its seat principally in the countenance, but the other
parts of the body concur therewith ; and, on some occasions there is not a member but is capable
of indicating a sensation of the mind : thus the arms, by their languishing fall or vehement exer-
tion, express weariness langour rage, &c. In the famous groupe of Laocoon we discover the pain
of one of the sons by the fingers; the same may be said of the toes of the dying gladiator. But
this part of expression, among civilized nations, is now little understood and attended to, on ac-
count of the artificial covering of dress. Custom however has not yet concealed the face : that
remains open to inspection; and it is there principally we are to trace the passions of the mind.
Numerous and various have been the disputes concerning the seat of the mind: her operations
and expressions are however more manifest. The eyes are her principal index : it is through
these she speaks, and in these we discover her various cogitations. Next to these the mouth and
eye-brows are her interpreters; and however they may be controuled by habit or affectation,
they will not upon all occasions preserve perfect neutrality. In the most reserved countenance,
and where the passion is artfully endeavoured to be concealed, the eye-brows, or the line just
above them, will often betray,the latent anger of the mind, even when the person uses his utmost
endeavours to conceal his emotion. This feature, by the different poets and delineators of the hu-
man passions, has been defined as the seat of almost every emotion of the soul. Homer makes the
eye-brows the seat of majesty ; Virgil of dejection ; Horace of modesty ; and Juvenal of pride :
this diversity of opinion arises from the active part this member takes in all the offices of expression.
If it be enquired which of the passions tend to the encrease or defect of beauty ? it may in general
be answered that all those of the tender and benevolent nature have the former effect; and those of
the cruel and unnatural kind the latter: premising atthe same time that the moderate kind of pas-
sions are hereunderstood: for the more extreme expressions are hurtful to the graces, and all excess
is deformity: thus an excessive joy may be too boisterous to be pleasing. On the contrary it may
be observed that some of the more disagreeable passions, when moderate, very often add to beauty.
In some female faces a certain portion of grief gives an inexpressible languishing charm to the coun-
tenance; and surprise, fear, anger, shame, concern, in a moderate degree,-are often beautiful. But
the most charming effect of the passions that can possibly be conceived or expressed by the pencil
is that produced by a judicious mixture of modesty sensibility and sweetness: each^f these passions,
separately considered,has a pleasing effect on the countenance: but when united in such a manner
as either to enliven or correct each other they give such a beautiful attraction to a pretty face as is
not to be expressed by any other of the passions separately or jointly. Of these in a female face
(for ib that sex expression has the greatest effect) modesty should in general be the most predomi-
nant : this is the prevailing passion expressed in the Venus of Medicis; it appears in her attitude,
in her looks, and in the turn of her head. In general it may be observed that all side faces have a
greater air of modesty thaufull ones, which is the reason why artists generally prefer that view of the
face.
BEAUTY.
be long, and the hips wider than the shoulders, and should turn off as they do in the same Venus,
and go down rounding and lessening gradually to the knee. The knee should be even and well
rounded ; the legs straight, but varied by a proper rounding of the more fleshy part of them ;
and the feet finely turned white and little."
Expression forms the third and a most important part of beauty. By this is to be understood
the expression of the passions, or the changes and emotions of the mind, so far as they are visible
in our looks and gestures. This quality has its seat principally in the countenance, but the other
parts of the body concur therewith ; and, on some occasions there is not a member but is capable
of indicating a sensation of the mind : thus the arms, by their languishing fall or vehement exer-
tion, express weariness langour rage, &c. In the famous groupe of Laocoon we discover the pain
of one of the sons by the fingers; the same may be said of the toes of the dying gladiator. But
this part of expression, among civilized nations, is now little understood and attended to, on ac-
count of the artificial covering of dress. Custom however has not yet concealed the face : that
remains open to inspection; and it is there principally we are to trace the passions of the mind.
Numerous and various have been the disputes concerning the seat of the mind: her operations
and expressions are however more manifest. The eyes are her principal index : it is through
these she speaks, and in these we discover her various cogitations. Next to these the mouth and
eye-brows are her interpreters; and however they may be controuled by habit or affectation,
they will not upon all occasions preserve perfect neutrality. In the most reserved countenance,
and where the passion is artfully endeavoured to be concealed, the eye-brows, or the line just
above them, will often betray,the latent anger of the mind, even when the person uses his utmost
endeavours to conceal his emotion. This feature, by the different poets and delineators of the hu-
man passions, has been defined as the seat of almost every emotion of the soul. Homer makes the
eye-brows the seat of majesty ; Virgil of dejection ; Horace of modesty ; and Juvenal of pride :
this diversity of opinion arises from the active part this member takes in all the offices of expression.
If it be enquired which of the passions tend to the encrease or defect of beauty ? it may in general
be answered that all those of the tender and benevolent nature have the former effect; and those of
the cruel and unnatural kind the latter: premising atthe same time that the moderate kind of pas-
sions are hereunderstood: for the more extreme expressions are hurtful to the graces, and all excess
is deformity: thus an excessive joy may be too boisterous to be pleasing. On the contrary it may
be observed that some of the more disagreeable passions, when moderate, very often add to beauty.
In some female faces a certain portion of grief gives an inexpressible languishing charm to the coun-
tenance; and surprise, fear, anger, shame, concern, in a moderate degree,-are often beautiful. But
the most charming effect of the passions that can possibly be conceived or expressed by the pencil
is that produced by a judicious mixture of modesty sensibility and sweetness: each^f these passions,
separately considered,has a pleasing effect on the countenance: but when united in such a manner
as either to enliven or correct each other they give such a beautiful attraction to a pretty face as is
not to be expressed by any other of the passions separately or jointly. Of these in a female face
(for ib that sex expression has the greatest effect) modesty should in general be the most predomi-
nant : this is the prevailing passion expressed in the Venus of Medicis; it appears in her attitude,
in her looks, and in the turn of her head. In general it may be observed that all side faces have a
greater air of modesty thaufull ones, which is the reason why artists generally prefer that view of the
face.