Falkener, Edward: Daedalus or the causes and principles of the excellence of Greek sculpture (London, 1860)

248

MODERN ART.

for the purpose of fixing the metal sword-belt, Ave
shall find that this leg is about one-sixth longer
than the other, D E, a quantity which is just equal
to what the limb loses in the act of bending.

Another peculiarity in the Panathenaic frieze,
but one resulting from another principle, is that
the men on foot are represented larger in pro-
portion than the horses and horsemen, and what is
still more extraordinary, that in many instances the
men sit below the level of the horse's back.1 This
was merely a contrivance of the artist to fill up the
ground of his composition as much as possible.
Thus, as Burke observes, a true artist puts a
generous deceit on the spectators. With this view
we sometimes find that he resorted to the expedient
of shortening the lower bones of the leg, that he
might give more importance to the body, and so
better fill up his ground.3

1 See an instance of a similar effect, treated of in the next
chapter, when describing the principles of the ancient bas-relief.

2 EafFaelle's celebrated picture of the Miraculous Draught of
Fishes is an adaptation of this principle. The apostles are twice
too big for the size of the boat; but if they had been smaller, the
painter could not have given sufficient importance to his subject.
The difficulty, however, might have been met, in great measure,
by making the boats project out of the picture on either side.