Mengs, Anton Raphael; Nibiano, José Nicolás de Azara de [Editor]; Mengs, Anton Raphael [Contr.]: The works of Anthony Raphael Mengs: first painter to His Catholic Majesty Charles III. (Band 2) (London: Faulder, 1796)

40 THE WORKS OF
10. The breads are certainly abundant, but a$
it they were drooping down, which hap-
pens with women of advanced age.
11. It does not appear to me that this figure re-
presents man in a dying date, but dead.
And the bread does not seem much swelled
with mufcles, but the dru&ure is solely
that of an active youth, as even now we
see (though seldom) in nature; but this
dructure depends more upon the bone of
the thorax, than upon the muscles ; yet
it appears to me that they ele&ed that
truth more in resemblance of the idea of
the subjedt which they wished to represent;
because their sydem, and art which
they added to truth, did not ever consid
either in the increase or change of truth,
but solely in the choice of the greated
beauty, and simplicity of the forms.
The Laocoon is represented as a strong,
healthy old man, convulsed by poison, and
nothing more ; but the Torso is, as I have
seen many times truth itself.
12. I believe if your Excellency will consider
well the words of Plutarch, you will not
be able to condemn them, becaufe it does
not appear to me, that he withes to say,
that painters neglected other parts, but
solely carries on the comparison of pain-
ters by saying that in making the images of
man, one applies oneself to express the
eyes and all the parts of the face, where,
as one might say, the soul resides, not