sº- £33.8% gºº. -- º # Fº º *, * ~ * * **º º & ºf º º-º-º， º ！ w º º, º.s.： *（.*） Ō saesaeae 43， ∞ *、、'r sgwaraeſt güiñº， viņšſ， ， ， §. S. ，§. ſae ’， s.º. ， ！ ∞º.* §§• ∞ √& №， º e º . 3 & 2 & 3 ºf 2: 3 & e º Aº a 4 * [[III] ſ ȚUȚIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ſeveſe sººººººººº • •~~~~<！--~~~~ ~~~~ ~ ！!！！！!！!！！№ ae ae ae• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • sº, N.J. J. J. & "...g.J. 2 ſº J. J. V.' Mº ！ S №. 5 § S § S Jº JP iiſiſiſſiſſiſiſi Œ THE ANALYSIS OF BEAUTY S. - - - º - -- L º ºn - LL O ul D. | UD H 2. O Dr. Ll THE ANALNSIS OF BEAVITY BY VWILLIAM HOGARTH A REFFINT Including the Plates Formerly in Portfolio D ONE At THE SILVER LOTUS SHOP PITTS FIELD MASSACHUSETTS 19 O 9 ''O #72 lºod Copyright, 1908, by WILLIAM C. OSTRANDER * •: - NOTE The Analysis of Beauty, by William Hogarth, is frequently referred to and quoted by writers and teachers. Every art student has heard of Hogarth's line of beauty. In a vague way it is known to be a serpentine line resembling an elongated S; but few are familiar with Hogarth's explanations and theories, except through the references of others, and these must necessarily be incomplete and less satisfactory than a direct reference to the author's complete book. Former editions of this work are not available to the majority of art students, as it is only possible to find a copy of the book in the libraries of the larger cities where it is kept for reference only and not for circulation. It is very difficult to obtain a copy of any of the early editions at the present time, even at a high val- uation. This edition puts this valuable book within the reach of every art student. The Analysis of Beauty was first published in 1753. In this and in subsequent editions, the il- lustrations were grouped in two plates, each four- teen and a half inches by nineteen and a half inches. The largest illustration in each plate measured about nine and a half inches by seven- teen inches, and occupied the center of the plate; the margins outside of this on each plate were filled with about fifty smaller illustrations. i59264 8 ANALYSIS OF BIFAUTY These two plates were bound separately from the text and were very inconveniently arranged for reference. We have reproduced the small marginal illus- trations of the size of the originals and have grouped them on pages in juxtaposition to the text referring to them, and have reproduced each of the large center illustrations as a whole, reduced to fit a page of this book, and have also reproduced these illustrations sectionally, each section being of the Same scale as the original. - These full size sections are conveniently located for reference and the relation of each section to the whole may be easily seen by a reference to the reduced reproduction of the complete illus- tration. These changes in the arrangement of the illustrations necessitated a change in their refer- ence numbers. In reprinting the book we have reduced it to a more convenient size, not by abridg- ing the body of the work, but by using a modern book type, the only abridgment being in the Pre- face and the Introduction, and in the omission of some unimportant foot-notes. The important foot- notes have been incorporated in the body of the text. The only other changes have been in the spelling of a few words. Our aim has been to make only such changes as would render the book more convenient and val- uable to the reader and especially to the art student. THE PUBLISHERs. PREFACE The publishers of this edition felt that a Preface concisely stating the facts essential to a clear understanding of Hogarth's theories and his pur- pose in writing The Analysis of Beauty, would be preferable to a reprint of the long Preface and longer Introduction which appear in the earlier editions, both of which contain much which would be of little interest to the art student or general reader of to-day, as well as being unnecessary to an understanding of the scope and plan of the book or of the theories advanced. This plan seemed practicable except in the case of a section of the Introduction, dealing with the advantage of con- sidering objects merely as hollow shells. This subject is much more fully treated in the Intro- duction than in the chapters which follow and employs illustrations not used elsewhere. According to modern notions of the limits of an Introduction, this matter would more fittingly have constituted the first chapter of the book. For this reason, and because the matter would suffer by abridgment, this section of the Intro- duction will be found as the opening chapter of this book under the heading, The Conception of Form. In 1745, Hogarth published a frontispiece to his engraved works, in which he drew a serpentine- line lying on a painter's pallet, and placed under it 10 A NALYSIS OF BEAUTY the words, The Line of Beauty. It immediately gave rise to considerable discussion and in response to the frequent requests for an explanation, Hogarth wrote and published The Analysis of Beauty. He felt that his theory found corrobora- tion in the precept of Michael Angelo that a figure should always be made pyramidal, serpent-like and multiplied by one, two and three. He further refers to the torso of an antique statue, figure 1, plate 6, from which Michael Angelo is said to have discovered this principle which gave to his work a character equal to the best antiques. He quotes from Lamozzo, Du Fresnoy, and others in support of his theory that the greatest grace and life that a picture can have is the motion and spirit imparted by large flowing lines and that no forms express motion so well as those of the flame and the gliding, wavy lines of the serpent. One of the quotations from La- moZZO says: “The Grecians, in imitation of antiquity, searched out the truly renowned proportion, wherein the exact perfection of most exquisite beauty and Sweetness appeareth; dedicating the Same in a triangular glass unto Venus the goddess of divine beauty, from whence all the beauty of inferior things is derived.” Hogarth comments as follows: “If we suppose this passage to be authentic, may we not also imagine it probable, that the symbol in the tri- PRE FACE 11 angular glass might be similar to the line Michael Angelo recommended; especially, if it can be proved, that the triangular form of the glass, and the serpentine line itself, are the two most expres- sive figures that can be thought of to signify not only beauty and grace, but the whole order of form.” See figure on back of frontispiece. Hogarth further calls attention to the great number of Egyptian, Greek and Roman deities accompanied by some winding or twisted symbol such as a serpent or cornucopia, as in figures 1 and 2, plate 3. The purpose of the book is to determine that which constitutes beauty and grace in certain forms and lines and the reverse in others, and to consider the nature of the lines and their different combinations, so that the ideas of taste, expressed in the ever fluctuating styles, shall be true to the principles governing beauty and grace. In regard to the illustrations, the author hopes that they will not be regarded as being made by him as examples of beauty and grace, but only to point out to the reader what sort of objects he is to look for and examine in nature and in the works of great masters. In fact, he claims to have been purposely least accurate where most beauty might be expected, so that too much importance would not be given to the illustrations to the det- riment of a better understanding of the prin- ciples involved. W. C. O. Š s- se- = S$ & X. & §§ & N § § & - ^ | § J) ^. S. ºf ~. . & &\,X^XX SSX, & Sºxº~ . .” $º 3&º Supplementary to Plate 29 *::::A; 2.7-3-4-3 ** … , { |（}} s!!! PLATE CONTENTS THE CONCEPTION OF FORM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 CHAPTER I. Of Fitness . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 II. Of Variety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 III. Of Uniformity, Regularity, or Sym- metry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 * IV. Of Simplicity, or Distinctness. . . . . 43 • V. Of Intricacy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 * VI. Of Quantity. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57 VII. Of Lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 * VIII. Of what sort of Parts, and how Pleas- { ing Forms are composed. . . . . . . . 77 IX. Of Compositions with Waving Line . . 93 \'ºs--- Of Compositions with Serpentine Line 101 s I. Of Proportion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I 29 \, XII. Of Light and Shade, and the manner º in which objects are explained to º the eye by them. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1.59 XIII. Of Composition with regard to Light, - Shade and Colors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 175 XIV. Of Coloring. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 187 XV. Of the Face. In the highest Taste, and the reverse. As to Character and Expression. Of the manner in which the Lines of the Face alter from Infancy upwards, and show the different Ages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199 16 CONTENTS XVI. Of Attitude XVII. Of Action. 1. A new method of ac- quiring an easy and graceful move- ment of the Hands and Arms. 2. Of the Head, etc. 3. Of Danc- ing, particularly the Minuet. 4. Of Country-dancing; and, lastly, of Stage-action . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 225 Serpentine Lines in a Flower THE CONCEPTION | OF FORM In order to my being well understood, let every object under our consideration, be imagined to have its inward contents Scooped out so nicely, as to have nothing of it left but a thin shell, exactly corresponding, both in its inner and outer surface, to the shape of the object itself: and let us like- wise suppose this thin shell to be made up of very fine threads, closely connected together, and equally perceptible, whether the eye is supposed to ob- serve them from without, or within; and we shall find the ideas of the two surfaces of this shell will naturally coincide. The very word, shell, makes us seem to see both surfaces alike. * The use of this conceit, as it may be called by Some, will be seen to be very great, in the process of this work: and the oftener we think of objects in this shell-like manner, we shall facilitate and strengthen our conception of any particular part of the surface of an object we are viewing, by ac- quiring thereby a more perfect knowledge of the whole, to which it belongs: because the imagi- nation will naturally enter into the vacant space within this shell, and there at once, as from a centre, view the whole form within, and mark the opposite corresponding parts so strongly, as to retain the idea of the whole, and make us mas- ters of the meaning of every view of the object, as we walk round it, and view it from without. 1S AN A LY SIS OF BEAUTY Thus the most perfect idea we can possibly ac- quire of a sphere, is by conceiving an infinite num-" ber of Straight rays of equal lengths, issuing from the centre, as from the eye, spreading every way alike; and circumscribed or wound about at their other extremities with close connected circular threads, or lines, forming a true spherical shell. But in the common way of taking the view of any opaque object, that part of its surface, which fronts the eye, is apt to occupy the mind alone, and the opposite, nay even every other part of it whatever, is left unthought of at that time: and the least motion we make to reconnoitre any other side of the object, confounds our first idea, for want of the connection of the two ideas, which the complete knowledge of the whole would nat- urally have given us, if we had considered it in the other way before. Another advantage of considering objects thus merely as shells composed of lines, is, that by these means we obtain the true and full idea of what is called the outlines of a figure, which has been confined within too narrow limits, by taking it only from drawings on paper; for in the example of the sphere given above, every one of the imag- inary circular threads has a right to be considered as an outline of the sphere, as well as those which divide the half, that is seen, from that which is not seen; and if the eye be supposed to move regularly round it, these threads will each of them THE CONCEPTION OF FORM 19 as regularly succeed one another in the Office of outlines—in the narrow and limited sense of the word—and the instant any one of these threads, during this motion of the eye, comes into sight on one side, its opposite thread is lost, and dis- appears on the other. He who will thus take the pains of acquiring perfect ideas of the dis- tances, bearings, and Oppositions of Several ma- terial points and lines in the surfaces of even the most irregular figures, will gradually arrive at the knack of recalling them into his mind when the objects themselves are not before him: and they will be as strong and perfect as those of the most plain and regular forms, such as cubes and spheres; and will be of infinite service to those who invent and draw from fancy, as well as enable those to be more correct who draw from the life. In this manner, therefore, I would desire the reader to assist his imagination as much as pos- sible, in considering every object, as if his eye were placed within it. As straight lines are easily conceived, the difficulty of following this method in the most simple and regular forms will be less than may be first imagined; and its use in the more compounded will be greater: as will be more fully shown when we come to speak of composition. But as figure 1, plate 8, may be of singular use to young designers in the study of the human form, the most complex and beautiful of all, in showing them a mechanical way of gaining the 20 AN ALY SIS OF BRAUTY opposite points in its surface, which never can be seen in one and the same view; it will be proper to explain the design of it in this place, as it may at the same time add some weight to what has been already said. It represents the trunk of a figure cast in soft wax, with one wire passed perpendicularly through its centre, another perpendicularly to the first, going in before and coming out in the middle of the back, and as many more as may be thought necessary, parallel to and at equal distances from these, and each other; as is marked by the sev- eral dots in the figure. Let these wires be so loose as to be taken out at pleasure, but not before all the parts of them, which appear out of the wax, are carefully painted close up to the wax, of a different color from those, that lie within it. By these means the horizontal and perpendicular con- tents of these parts of the body—by which I mean the distances of opposite points in the surface of these parts—through which the wires have passed, may be exactly known and compared with each Other; and the little holes, where the wires have pierced the wax, remaining on its surface, will mark Out the corresponding opposite points on the external muscles of the body; as well as assist and guide us to a readier conception of all the intervening parts. These points may be marked upon a marble figure with calipers properly used. The known method, many years made use of, THE CONCEPTION OF FORM 21 for the more exactly and expeditiously reducing drawings from large pictures, for engravings; or for enlarging designs, for painting ceilings and cupolas—by striking lines perpendicular to each Other, so as to make an equal number of squares on the paper designed for the copy, that has been first made on the original; by which means, the situation of every part of the picture is mechanic- ally seen, and easily transferred—may truly be said to be somewhat of the same kind with what has been here proposed, but that one is done upon a flat surface, the other upon a solid; and that the new scheme differs in its application, and may be of a much more useful and extensive nature than the old one. But it is time now to have done with the intro- duction: and I shall proceed to consider the fundamental principles, which are generally al- lowed to give elegance and beauty, when duly blended together, to compositions of all kinds whatever; and point out to my readers, the par- ticular force of each, in those compositions in nature and art, which seem most to please and entertain the eye, and give that grace and beauty, which is the subject of this inquiry. The prin- ciples I mean, are FITNESS, VARIETY, UNIFORMITY, SIMPLICITY, INTRICACY, and QUANTITY;-all which coöperate in the production of beauty, mutually correcting and restraining each other occasionally. CHAPTER I OF FITNESS - FITNESS of the parts to the design for which every individual thing is formed, either by art or nature, is first to be considered, as it is of the greatest consequence to the beauty of the whole. This is so evident, that even the sense of seeing, the great inlet of beauty, is itself so strongly biased by it, that if the mind, on account of this kind of value in a form, esteem it beautiful, though on all other considerations it be not so, the eye grows insensible of its want of beauty, and even begins to be pleased, especially after it has been a con- siderable time acquainted with it. It is well known, on the other hand, that forms of great elegance often disgust the eye by being improperly applied. Thus, twisted columns are undoubtedly ornamental; but as they convey an idea of weakness, they always displease, when they are improperly made use of as supports to any thing that is bulky, or appears heavy. The bulks and proportions of objects are gov- erned by fitness and propriety. It is this that has established the-size and proportion of chairs, tables, and all sorts of utensils and furniture. It is Chis that has fixed the dimensions of pillars, arches, etc. for the support of great weight, and SO regulated all the orders in architecture, as well 24 AN ALYSIS OF B E AUTY as the sizes of windows and doors, etc. Thus, though a building were ever so large, the steps of the stairs, the seats in the windows, must be continued of their usual heights, or they would lose their beauty with their fitness: and in ship- building the dimensions of every part are confined and regulated by fitness for sailing. When a ves- sel sails well, the sailors always call her a beauty: the two ideas have such a connection! The general dimensions of the parts of the human body are adapted thus to the uses they are designed for. The trunk is the most capacious, on account of the quantity of its contents, and the thigh is larger than the leg, because it has both the leg and foot to move, the leg only the foot, etc. Fitness of parts also constitutes and distin- guishes, in a great measure, the characteristics of objects; as, for example, the race-horse differs as much in quality, or character, from the war-horse, as to its figure, as the Hercules from the Mercury. The race-horse, having all its parts of such dimensions as best fit the purposes of speed, ac- quires, on that account, a consistent character of one sort of beauty. To illustrate this, suppose the beautiful head and the gracefully-turned neck of the war-horse were placed on the shoulders of the race-horse, instead of his own awkward straight one; it would disgust, and deform, instead of add- ing beauty; because the judgment would condemn it as unfit. w → ∞, ∞∞ m ≤ ≥ ≡ §§§§）=（?！?！?！！?！！！!！！! §§§§©® ∞∞ × ≤ ≥ ≡ ≈ ≠ ≤ ≥ ± №. ！！ ！！ ！！ ！！ ！！ ！！！！！!！！！！！•！ ſ ſ ſ ſ ！\， ， ）： ©©aeº. --№ •aº ！ ∞ Ā QA sa № ！= > º —º Ectº-GES --~~ -" zº = * ====- * 2º Ž % 33% º * º É 222 22%22 * Aº à % % 2. - º £32. arºº , sº arºº-º-º-º-º: Ž 2. º: * 32 º ºr.º.º.º.º.º.º.2 **** **.*.*.*.*.*.*. . . . . .ºz. º.º. * * * *. * * ** É †:2. * 22, 2º % Ø2% Ø 232 2.#º t ºà ſº ~ 3 º º 22 22:32: 22/22 aº Ø * 3 º% º º cººl--~d *Tºº"-º-º-º-º-º-º-º-ºrº & v a = --→ºr-º-º-º-º-º-º-º-º-º-º-º-º-º-º- ºr - - - - -º-º-º-º-º-º-º-º: **º-sºwººmsºmºsºmsºmºmºmºmºmºmºmº E LATE 25 OF LIGHT, SHADE AND COLORS 183 when lights and shades in a composition are scat- tered about in little spots, the eye is constantly disturbed, and the mind is uneasy, especially if you are eager to understand every object in the composition, as it is painful to the ear when any One is anxious to know what is said in company, where many are talking at the same time. v Simplicity, which I am last to speak of, in the disposition of a great variety, is best accomplished by following nature's constant rule, of dividing composition into three or five parts, or parcels, see Chapter IV, on Simplicity: the painters ac- cordingly divide theirs into foreground, middle- ground, and distance or background; which simplé 2 and distinct quantities mass together that variety which entertains the eye; as the different parts of base, tenor, and treble, in a composition in music, entertain the ear. Let these principles be reversed, or neglected, the light and shade will appear as disagreeable as figure 2, plate 25, whereas, were this to be a com- position of lights and shades only, properly dis- posed, though ranged under no particular figures, it might still have the pleasing effect of a picture. And here, as it would be endless to enter upon the different effects of lights and shades on lucid and transparent bodies, we shall leave them to the reader's observation, and so conclude this chapter. º >: CHAPTER XIV OF COLORING By the beauty of coloring, the painters mean that disposition of colors on objects, together with their proper shades, which appear at the same time both distinctly varied and artfully united, in compositions of any kind; but, by way of pre- eminence, it is generally understood of flesh color, when no other composition is named. To avoid confusion, and having already said enough of retiring shades, I shall now only de- scribe the nature and effect of the prime tint of flesh; for the composition of this, when rightly understood, comprehends everything that can be said of the coloring of all other objects whatever. And herein, as has been shown in Chapter VIII of the manner of composing pleasing forms, the whole process will depend upon the art of vary- ing; i. e. upon an artful manner of varying every color belonging to flesh, under the direction of the six fundamental principles there spoken of. But before we proceed to show in what manner these principles conduce to this design, we shall take a view of nature's curious ways of producing all sorts of complexions, which may help to further our conception of the principles of varying colors, so as to see why they cause the effect of beauty. 188 ANALYSIS OF BEAUTY 1. It is well known, the fair young girl, the brown old man, and the negro–nay, all mankind, have the same appearance, and are alike disagreeable to the eye, when the upper skin is taken away: now to conceal so disagreeable an object, and to pro- duce that variety of complexions seen in the world, nature has contrived a transparent skin, called the cuticula, with a lining to it of a very extraordinary kind, called the cutis; which are both so thin that any little scald will make them blister, and peel off. These adhering skins are more or less trans- parent in some parts of the body than in others, and likewise different in different persons. The cuticula alone is like gold-beaters' skin, a little wet, but somewhat thinner, especially in fair young people, which would show the fat, lean, and all the blood-vessels, just as they lie under it, as through isinglass, were it not for its lining the cutis, which is so curiously constructed as to ex- hibit those things beneath it which are necessary to life and motion, in pleasing arrangements and dispositions of beauty. The cutis is composed of tender threads, like network, filled with different colored pigments. The white pigment serves to make the very fair complexion; yellow makes the brunette; brownish yellow, the ruddy brown; green yellow, the olive; dark brown, the mulatto; black, the negro. These different colored pigments, together with the dif- ferent meshes of the network, and the size of its OF COLORING 189 threads in this or that part, causes the variety of complexions. To illustrate this manner of its showing the rosy color of the cheek, and, in like manner, the bluish tints about the temple, etc. see the profile figure 1, plate 26, where you are to suppose the black strokes of the print to be the white threads of the network, and where the strokes are thick- est, and the part blackest, you are to suppose the flesh would be whitest; so that the lighter part of it stands for the vermilion color of the cheek, gradating every way. Some persons have the network so equally woven over the whole body, face and all, that the greatest heat or cold will hardly make them change their color; and these are seldom seen to blush, though ever so bashful, while the texture is so fine in some young women, that they redden, or turn pale, on the least occasion. I am apt to think the texture of this network is of a very tender kind, subject to damage many ways, but able to recover itself again, especially in youth. The fair, fat, healthy child, of three or four years old, has it in great perfection; most visible when it is moderately warm, but till that age somewhat imperfect. It is in this manner, then, that nature seems to do her work. And now let us see how by art the like appearance may be made and penciled on the surface of a uniformly colored statue of wax or 190 A NALYSIS OF BIFAUTY marble; by describing which operation we shall still more particularly point out what is to our present purpose: I mean the reason why the order nature has thus made use of should strike us with the idea of beauty; which, by the way, perhaps, may be of more use to some painters than they will care to own. There are but three original colors in painting, besides black and white, viz. red, yellow, and blue. Green and purple are compounded; the first of blue and yellow, the latter of red and blue; how- ever, these compounds being so distinctly different from the original colors, we will rank them as such. Figure 1, plate 24, represents, mixed up, as on a painter's pallet, scales of these five original colors, divided into seven classes—1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7,-4 is the medium, and most brilliant class, being that which will appear a firm red, when those of 5, 6, 7, would deviate into white, and those of 1, 2, 3, would sink into black, either by twilight, or at a moderate distance from the eye, which shows 4 to be brightest, and a more permanent color than the rest. But as white is nearest to light, it may be said to be equal, if not superior, in value as to beauty, with class 4; therefore, the classes 5, 6, 7, have, also, almost equal beauty with it too, because what they lose of their brilliancy and permanency of color, they gain from the white or light; whereas 3, 2, 1, absolutely lose their beauty by degrees, as they approach OF COLORING 191 nearer to black, the representative of darkness. Let us then, for distinction and preeminence sake, call class 4 of each color, bloom tints, or, if you please, virgin tints as the painters call them; and once more recollect, that in the disposition of colors, as well as of forms, variety, simflicity, distinctness, intricacy, uniformity, and quantity, direct in giving beauty to the coloring of the human frame, especially if we include the face, where uniformity and strong opposition of tints are required, as in the eyes and mouth, which call most for our attention. But for the general hue of flesh now to be described, variety, intricacy, and simplicity, are chiefly required. The value of the degrees of color being thus considered, and ranged in order upon the pallet, figure 1, plate 24, 1et us next apply them to a bust, figure 3, plate 24, of white marble, which may be supposed to let every tint sink into it, like a drop of ink sinks in and spreads itself upon coarse paper, whereby each tint will gradate all around. If you would have the neck of the bust tinged of a very florid and lively complexion, the pencil must be dipped in the bloom tints of each color as at No. 4; if for a less florid, in those of No. 5; if for a very fair, from No. 6; and so on till the marble would scarce be tinged at all: let, there- fore, No. 6 be our present choice, and begin with penciling on the red, as at r, the yellow tint at y, the blue tint at b, and the purple or lake tint at p. 192 A NALYSIS OF B E AUTY These four tints thus laid on, proceed to cover- ing the whole neck and breast, but still changing and varying the situations of the tints with One another, also causing their shapes and sizes to differ as much as possible; red must be oftenest repeated, yellow next often, purple-red next, and blue but seldom, except in particular parts, as the temples, backs of the hands, etc. where the larger veins show their branching shapes—some- times too distinctly—still varying those appear- ances. But there are, no doubt, infinite variations in nature, from what may be called the most beauti- ful order and disposition of the colors in flesh, not only in different persons, but in different parts of the same, all subject to the same principles in some degree or other. Now if we imagine this whole process to be made with the tender tints of class 7, as they are supposed to stand, red, yellow, blue, green, and purple, in line with each other; the general hue of the performance will be a seeming uniform prime tint, at any little distance, that is a very fair, transparent and pearl-like complexion; but never quite uniform as snow, ivory, marble or wax, like a poet's mistress, for either of these in living flesh, would in truth be hideous. - As in nature, by the general yellowish hue of the cuticula, the gradating of one color into an- other appears to be more delicately softened and united together; so will the colors we are supposed OF COLORING 193 to have been laying upon the bust, appear to be more united and mellowed by the oils they are ground in, which takes a yellowish cast after a little time, but is apt to do more mischief hereby than good; for which reason care is taken to pro- cure such oil as is clearest, and will best keep its color in oil painting. Notwithstanding the deep-rooted notion, even among the majority of painters themselves, that time is a great improver of good pictures, I will undertake to show, that nothing can be more absurd. Having mentioned above the whole effect of the oil, let us now see in what manner time operates on colors themselves; in order to discover if any changes in them can give a picture more union and harmony than has been in the power of a skilful master, with all his rules of art to do. When colors change at all, it must be somewhat in the manner following, for as they are made Some of metal, some of earth, some of stone, and Others of more perishable materials, time cannot operate on them otherwise than as by daily expe- rience we find it does, which is, that one changes darker, another lighter, one quite to a different color, while another, as ultramarine, will keep its natural brightness even in the fire. Therefore how is it possible that such different materials, ever variously changing—visibly after a certain time— should accidentally coincide with the artist's in- tention, and bring about the greater harmony of 194 AN ALYSIS OF BEAUTY the piece, when it is manifestly contrary to their nature, for do we not see in most collections that much time disunites, untunes, blackens, and by degrees destroys even the best preserved pictures? But if, for argument sake, we suppose, that the colors were to fall equally together, let us see what advantage this would give to any sort of com- position. We will begin with a flower-piece: when a master has painted a rose, a lily, an African, a gentian, or violet, with his best art, and brightest colors, how far short do they fall of the freshness and rich brilliancy of nature; and shall we wish to see them still lower, more faint, sullied, and dirtied by the hand of time, and then admire them as having gained an additional beauty, and call them mended and heightened, rather than fouled, and in a manner destroyed? How absurd! In- stead of mellow and softened therefore, always read yellow and sullied, for this is doing time the destroyer, but common justice. Or shall we desire, to see complexions, which in life are often, literally, as brilliant as the flowers above mentioned, served in the like ungrateful manner? In a landscape, will the water be more transparent, or the sky shine with a greater lustre when imbrowned and darkened by decay? Surely no. I own it would be a pity that Mr. Addison's beautiful description of time at work in the gallery of pictures, and the following lines of Mr. Dryden, should want a suffi- cient foundation:- OF COLORING 195 For time shall with his ready pencil stand, Retouch your figures with his ripening hand; Mellow your colors, and imbrown the tint; Add every grace which time alone can grant; To future ages shall your fame convey, And give more beauties than he takes away. DRYDEN TO KNELLER. Were it not that the error they are built upon, has been a continual blight to the growth of the art, by misguiding both the proficient, and the encour- ager; and often compelling the former, contrary to his judgment, to imitate the damaged hue of decayed pictures; so that when his works undergo the like injuries, they must have a double remove from nature; which puts it in the power of the meanest observer to see his deficiencies. Whence another absurd notion has taken rise, viz. that the colors nowadays do not stand so well as formerly; whereas colors well prepared, in which there is but little art or expense, have and will always have, the same properties in every age, and without accidents, as damps, bad varnish, and the like, being laid separate and pure, will stand and keep together for many years in defiance of time itself. In proof of this, let any one take a view of the ceiling at Greenwich Hospital, painted by Sir James Thornhill, forty years ago, which still re- mains fresh, strong, and clear, as if it had been finished but yesterday: and although several French writers have so learnedly, and philosophi- 196 AN ALYSIS OF B B AlJTY cally proved, that the air of this island is too thick, or—too something, for the genius of a painter, yet France in all her palaces can hardly boast of a nobler, more judicious, or richer performance of its kind. Note, the upper end of the hall, where the royal family is painted, was left chiefly to the pen- cil of Mr. Andrea a foreigner, after the payment originally agreed upon for the work was so much reduced, as made it not worth Sir James's while to finish the whole with his own more masterly hand. Upon the whole we find, that the utmost beauty of coloring depends on the great principle of vary- ing, by all the means of varying, and on the proper and artful union of that variety; which may be farther proved by supposing the rules here laid down, all or any part of them, reversed. I am apt to believe, that the not knowing na- ture's artful, and intricate method of uniting colors for the production of the variegated composition, or prime tint of flesh, has made coloring, in the art of painting, a kind of mystery in all ages; insomuch, that it may fairly be said, out of the many thousands who have labored to attain it, not above ten or twelve painters have happily suc- ceeded therein: Corregio, who lived in a country village, and had nothing but the life to study after, is said almost to have stood alone for this particular excellence. Guido, who made beauty his chief aim, was always at a loss about it. Pous- sin Scarce ever obtained a glimpse of it, as is mani- OF COLORING 197 fest by his many different attempts: indeed France has not produced one remarkably good colorist. The lame excuse writers on painting have made for the many great masters that have failed in this particular, is, that they purposely deadened their colors, and kept them what they affectedly called chaste, that the correctness of their outlines might be seen to greater advantage. Whereas colors cannot be too brilliant if properly disposed, because the distinction of the parts are thereby made more perfect; as may be seen by compar- ing a marble bust with the variegated colors of the face either in the life, or well painted: it is true, uncomposed variety, either in the features or the limbs, as being daubed with many, or one color, will so confound the parts as to render them unintelligible. Rubens boldly, and in a masterly manner, kept his bloom tints bright, separate, and distinct, but sometimes too much so for easel or cabinet pic- tures; however, his manner was admirably well calculated for great works, to be seen at a con- siderable distance, such as his celebrated ceiling at Whitehall chapel: which, upon a nearer view, will illustrate what I have advanced with regard to the separate brightness of the tints; and show, what indeed is known to every painter, that had the colors there seen so bright and separate been all smoothed, and absolutely blended together, they would have produced a dirty grey instead 198 AN ALYSIS OF BBAUTY of flesh color. The difficulty then lies in bringing blue, the third original color, into flesh, on account of the vast variety introduced thereby; and this omitted, all the difficulty ceases; and a common sign painter, that lays his colors smooth, instantly becomes, in point of coloring, a Rubens, a Titian, or a Corregio. CHAPTER XV OF THE FACE Having thus spoken briefly of light, shade, and color, we now return to our lineal account of form, with regard to the face. Deferred from 1atter part of Chapter XI. It is an observation, that, out of the great number of faces that have been formed since the creation of the world, no two have been SO exactly alike, but that the usual and common discernment of the eye would discover a difference between them: therefore it is not unreasonable to suppose, that this discernment is still capable of further improvements by instructions from a methodical inquiry; which the ingenious Mr. Richardson, in his treatise on painting, terms the art of seeing. I shall begin with a description of such lines as compose the features of a face of the highest taste, and the reverse. See figure 1, plate 27, taken from an antique head, which stands in the first rank of estimation: in proof of this, Raphael, Urbin, and other great painters and sculptors, have imitated it for the characters of their heroes and other great men; and the old man's head, figure 5, plate 23, was modeled in clay, by Fia- mingo—and not inferior, in its taste of lines, to the best antique—for the use of Andrea Sacchi, after which model he painted all the heads in his 200 AN ALYSIS OF BR AUTY famous picture of St. Romoaldo's dream; and this picture has the reputation of being one of the best pictures in the world. r I must refer the reader to the casts of both these pieces of sculpture, wheich are to be found in the hands of the curious; because it is impos- sible to express all that I intend, with sufficient accuracy, in a print of this size, whatever pains might have been taken with it; or indeed in any print, were it ever so large. These examples are here chosen to exemplify and confirm the force of serpentine-lines in a face; and let it also be observed, that in these master- pieces of art, all the parts are otherwise consistent with the rules heretofore laid down: I shall therefore only show the effects and use of the line of beauty. One way of proving in what manner the serpen- tine-line appears to operate in this respect, may be by pressing several pieces of wire close up and down the different parts of the face and features of those casts; which wires will all come off so many serpentine-lines, as is partly marked in figure 1, plate 27, by the dotted lines. The beard and hair of the head, figure 5, plate 23, being a set of loose lines naturally, and therefore disposable at the painter's or sculptor's pleasure, are remarkably composed in this head of nothing else but a varied play of Serpentine-lines, twisting together in a flame-like manner. But as imperfections are easier to be imitated PLATE 27 OF THE FACE 203 than perfections, we shall now have it in our power to explain the latter more fully; by showing the reverse in several degrees, down to the most con- temptible meanness that lines can be formed into. In plate 27, figure 2 is the first degree of devia- tion from figure 1; where the lines are made straighter, and reduced in quantity; deviating still more in figure 3, more yet in figure 4, and yet more visibly in figure 5; figure 6, still more so; figure 1, plate 28, is totally divested of all lines of elegance, like a barber's block; and figure 2, plate 28, is composed merely of such plain lines as children make, when of themselves they begin to imitate in drawing a human face. It is evi- dent, the inimitable Butler was sensible of the mean and ridiculous effect of such kind of lines, by the description he gives of the shape of Hudi- bras's beard, figure 3, plate 28. In cut and dye so like a tile, A sudden view it would beguile. With regard to character and expression; we have daily many instances which confirm the com- mon received opinion, that the face is the index. of the mind; and this maxim is so rooted in us, we can scarce help—if our attention is a little raised—forming some particular conception of the person's mind whose face we are observing, even before we receive information by any other means. How often is it said, on the slightest view, that 204 ANALYSIS OF BEAUTY such a one looks like a good-natured man, that he has an honest open countenance, or looks like a cunning rogue; a man of sense, or a fool, etc. And how are our eyes riveted to the aspects of kings and heroes, murderers and saints; and as we contemplate their deeds, seldom fail making application to their looks. It is reasonable to believe that aspect to be a true and legible repre- sentation of the mind, which gives everyone the same idea at first sight; and is afterwards con- firmed in fact: for instance, all concur in the same opinion, at first sight, of a downright idiot. There is but little to be seen by children's faces, more than that they are heavy or lively; and scarcely that unless they are in motion. Very handsome faces of almost any age, will hide a foolish or a wicked mind till they betray them- selves by their actions or their words: yet the frequent awkward movements of the muscles of the fool's face, though ever so handsome, are apt in time to leave such traces up and down it, as will distinguish a defect of mind upon examina- tion: but the bad man, if he be a hypocrite, may so manage his muscles, by teaching them to con- tradict his heart, that little of his mind can be gathered from his countenance, so that the char- acter of a hypocrite is entirely out of the power of the pencil, without some adjoining circumstance to discover him as smiling and stabbing at the same time, or the like. ', （ )8 ●&SR: ~ſ （S&§§ № § № =ſae ► ：*.*= *（….………！！！ S§§§§?? ∞： §§ SS Ş` ）ſae PLATE 28 OF THE FACE 207 It is by the natural and unaffected movements of the muscles, caused by the passions of the mind, that every man’s character would in some measure be written in his face, by the time he arrives at forty years of age, were it not for cer- tain accidents which often, though not always, prevent it. For the ill-natured man, by frequently frowning, and pouting out the muscles of his mouth, does in time bring those parts to a con- stant state of the appearance of ill-nature, which might have been prevented by the constant affecta- tion of a smile; and so of the other passions: though there are some that do not affect the muscles at all simply of themselves, as love and hope. But lest I should be thought to lay too great a stress on outward show, like a physiognomist, take this with you, that it is acknowledged there are so many different causes which produce the same kind of movements and appearances of the features, and so many thwartings by accidental shapes in the make of faces, that the old adage, fronti nulla fides, will ever stand its ground upon the whole; and for very wise reasons nature has thought fit it should. But, on the other hand, as in many particular cases, we receive information from the expressions of the countenance, whât follows is meant to give a lineal description of the language written therein. It may not be amiss just to look over the pas- sions of the mind, from tranquillity to extreme *. 208 ANALYSIS OF B E AUTY despair; as they are in order described in the common drawing book, called, Le Brun's Passions of the Mind; selected from that great master's works for the use of learners; where you may have a compendious view of all the common ex- pressions at once. And although these are but imperfect copies, they will answer our purpose in this place better than any other thing I can refer you to; because the passions are there ranged in succession, and distinctly marked with lines only, the shadows being omitted. Some features are formed so as to make this or that expression of a passion more or less legible; for example, the little narrow Chinese eye suits a loving or laughing expression best, as a large full eye does those of fierceness and astonishment; and round rising muscles will appear with some degree of cheerfulness even in sorrow: the features thus suiting with the expressions that have been often repeated in the face, at length mark it with such lines as sufficiently distinguish the character of the mind. The ancients in their 1owest characters have shown as much judgment, and as great a degree of taste in the management and twisting of the lines of them, as in their statues of a sublimer kind; in the former, varying only from the pre- cise line of grace in some parts where the character or action required it. The dying gladiator and the dancing form, the former a slave, the latter a OF THE FACE 209 wild clown, are sculptured in as high a taste of lines as the Antinous or the Apollo; with this difference, that the precise line of grace abounds more in the last two: notwithstanding which it is generally allowed there is equal merit in the former, as there is near as much judgment required for the execution of them. Human nature can hardly be represented more debased than in the character of the Silenus, figure 2, plate 11, where the bulging-line, No. 7, shown in figure 1, plate 16, runs through all the features of the face, as well as the other parts of his swinish body: whereas in the satyr of the wood, though the ancients have joined the brute with the man, we still see pre- served an elegant display of serpentine-lines, that make it a graceful figure. Indeed the works of art have need of the whole advantage of this line to make up for its other deficiencies: for though in nature's works the line of beauty is often neglected, or mixed with plain lines, yet so far are they from being defective on this account, that by this means there is exhibited that infinite variety of human forms which always distinguishes the hand of nature from the limited and insufficient one of art; and as thus she, for the sake of variety, upon the whole, deviates sometimes into plain and inelegant lines, if the poor artist is but able now and then to correct and give a better taste to some particular part of what he imitates, by having learned so to do from 210 ANALYSIS OF BEAUTY her more perfect works, or copying from those that have, ten to one he grows vain upon it, and fancies himself a nature-mender: not considering, that even in these the meanest of her works, she is never wholly destitute of such lines of beauty and other delicacies, as are not only beyond his narrow reach, but are seen wanting even in the most celebrated attempts to rival her. But to return. As to what we call plain lines, there is this remarkable effect constantly produced by them, that being more or less conspicuous in any kind of character or expression of the face, they bring along with them certain degrees of a foolish or ridiculous aspect. It is the inelegance of these lines, which more properly belonging to inanimate bodies, being seen where lines of more beauty and taste are expected, that renders the face silly and ridiculous. Children in infancy have movements in the muscles of their faces peculiar to their age, as an uninformed and unmeaning stare, an open mouth, and simple grin: all which expressions are chiefly formed of plain curves, and these movements and expressions idiots are apt to retain; so that in time they mark their faces with these uncouth lines; and when the lines coincide and agree with the natural forms of the features, it becomes a more apparent and confirmed character of an idiot. These plain shapes last mentioned, sometimes hap- pen to people of the best sense, to some when the OF THE FACE 211 features are at rest, to others when they are put in motion; which a variety of constant regular movements, proceeding from a good understand- ing, and fashioned by a genteel education, will often by degrees correct into lines of more elegance. That particular expression likewise of the face, or movement of a feature which becomes one person, shall be disagreeable in another, just as such expressions or turns chance to fall in with lines of beauty, or the reverse; for this reason there are pretty frowns and disagreeable smiles: the lines that form a pleasing smile about the cor- ners of the mouth have gentle windings, figure 5, plate 28, but lose their beauty in the full laugh, figure 6, plate 28. The expression of excessive laughter, oftener than any other, gives a sensible face a silly or disagreeable look, as it is apt to form regular plain lines about the mouth, like a parenthesis, which sometimes appears like crying; as, on the contrary, I remember to have seen a beggar who had clouted up his head very artfully, and whose visage was thin and pale enough to excite pity, but his features were otherwise so unfortunately formed for his purpose, that what he intended for a grin of pain and misery, was rather a joyous laugh. It is strange that nature has afforded us so many lines and shapes to indicate the deficiencies and blemishes of the mind, while there are none at all that point out the perfections of it beyond _^ f 212 AN ALYSIS OF B E AUTY the appearance of common sense and placidity. Deportment, words, and actions, must speak the good, the wise, the witty, the humane, the gener- ous, the merciful, and the brave. Nor are gravity and solemn looks always signs of wisdom: the mind much occupied with trifles will occasion as grave and sagacious an aspect, as if it were charged with matters of the utmost moment; the balance-master's attention to a single point, in order to preserve his balance, may look as wise at that time as the greatest philosopher in the depth of his studies. All that the ancient sculptors could do, notwith- standing their enthusiastic endeavors to raise the characters of their deities to aspects of sagacity above human, was to give them features of beauty. Their god of wisdom has no more in his look than a handsome manliness; the Jupiter is carried somewhat higher, by giving it a little more severity than the Apollo, by a larger prominency of brow gently bending in seeming thoughtfulness, with an ample beard, which being added to the noble quantity of its other lines, invests that capital piece of sculpture with uncommon dignity, which, in the mysterious language of a profound connois- Seur, is styled a divine idea, inconceivably great, and above nature. Lastly, I shall show in what manner the lines of the face alter from infancy upwards, and specify the different ages. We are now to pay most attention to simplicity, as the difference of ages we OF THE FACE 213 are about to speak of, turn chiefly upon the use made of this principle in a greater or less degree, in the form of the lines. From infancy till the body has done growing, the contents both of the body and the face, and every part of their surface, are daily changing into more variety, till they obtain a certain medium—see Chapter XI, on proportion, and figures 1 and 2, plate 23—from which medium, figure 3, plate 29, if we re- turn back to infancy, we shall see the variety de- creasing, till by degrees that simplicity in the form, which gave variety its due limits, deviates into same- ness; so that all the parts of the face may be circum- scribed in several circles, figure 1, plate 29. Two in- termediate ages are shown at the end of the Preface. But there is another very extraordinary circum- stance, perhaps never taken notice of before in this light, which nature has given us to distinguish One age from another by; which is, that though every feature grows larger and longer, till the whole person has done growing, the sight of the eye still keeps its original size; I mean the pupil, with its iris or ring; for the diameter of this circle continues still the same, and so becomes a fixed measure by which we, as it were, insensibly com- pare the daily perceived growings of the other parts of the face, and thereby determine a young person’s age. You may sometimes find this part of the eye in a new born infant, fully as large as in a man of six feet; nay, sometimes larger, see 214 A NALYSIS OF B E AUTY figure 4, plate 29, and figure 4, plate 28, which last represents three different sizes of the pupil of the eye; the least was exactly taken from the eye of a large-featured man, aged 105, the biggest, from one of twenty, who had this part larger than ordinary; and the other is the common size. If this part of the eye in the pictures of Charles II and James II painted by Vandyke at Kensington, were to be measured with a pair of compasses, and compared with their pictures painted by Lilly when they were men, the diameters would be found in both pictures respectively the same. In infancy the faces of boys and girls have no visible difference, but as they grow up, the features of the boy get the start, and grow faster in pro- portion to the ring of the eye, than those of the girl, which shows the distinction of the sex in the face. Boys who have larger features than ordi- nary, in proportion to the rings of their eyes, are what we call manly-featured children; as those who have the contrary, look more childish and younger than they really are. It is this proportion of the features with the eyes, that makes women, when they are dressed in men's clothes, look so young and boyish: but as nature does not always stick close to these particulars, we may be mistaken both in sexes and ages. By these obvious appearances, and the differ- ences of the whole size, we easily judge of ages till twenty, but not with such certainty afterwards; ...th w %. º % º º \ \ % ſº Ø º 22 % | PLATE 29 OF THE FACE 217 for the alterations from that age are of a different kind, subject to other changes by growing fatter or leaner, which, it is well known, often give a different turn to the look of the person, with re- gard to age. The hair of the head, which encompasses a face as a frame does a picture, and contrasts with its uniform color the variegated inclosed composition, adding more or less beauty thereto, according as it is disposed by the rules of art, is another indica- tion of advanced age. What remains to be said on the different appear- ances of ages, being less pleasing than what has gone before, shall be described with more brevity. In the age from twenty to thirty, barring accidents, there appears but little change, either in the colors or the lines of the face; for though the bloom tints may go off a little, yet, on the other hand, the make of the features often attain a sort of settled firmness in them, aided by an air of acquired sensi- bility; which makes ample amends for that loss, and keeps beauty till thirty pretty much upon a par; after this time, as the alternations grow more and more visible, we perceive the sweet simplicity of many rounding parts of the face, begin to break into dented shapes, with more sudden turns about the muscles, occasioned by their many repeated movements; as also by dividing the broad parts, and thereby taking off the large sweeps of the Ser- pentine-lines; the shades of beauty also conse- 218 A NALYSIS OF B E AUTY quently suffering in their softness. Something of what is here meant between the two ages of thirty and fifty, see in figures, 5 and 6, plate 29 and what further havoc time continues to make after the age of fifty, is too remarkable to need describ- ing: the strokes and cuts he then lays on are plain enough; however, in spite of all his malice, those lineaments that have once been elegant, retain their flowing turns in venerable age, leaving to the 1ast a comely piece of ruins. . CHAPTER XVI OF ATTITUDE y Such dispositions of the body and limbs as ap- pear most graceful when seen at rest, depend upon gentle winding contrasts, mostly governed by the precise serpentine-line, which, in attitudes of authority, are more extended and spreading than ordinary, but reduced somewhat below the medium of grace, in those of negligence and ease: and as much exaggerated in insolent and proud carriage, or in distortions of pain, see figure 2, plate 7 as lessened and contracted into plain and parallel lines, to express meanness, awkwardness and submission. The general idea of an action, as well as of an attitude, may be given with a pencil in very few lines. It is easy to conceive that the attitude of a person upon the cross, may be fully signified by the two straight lines of the cross; so the extended manner of St. Andrew's crucifixion is wholly under- stood by the X like cross. Thus, as two or three lines at first are sufficient to show the intention of an attitude, I will take this opportunity of presenting my reader, who may have been at the trouble of following me thus far, with the sketch of a country dance, in the manner I began to set out the design; in Order to show how few lines are necessary to impress the first thoughts, as to different attitudes; see figure 220 A NALYSIS OF B E AUTY 1, plate 30, which describe, in some measure, the several figures and actions, mostly of the ridiculous kind, that are represented in the chief part of the frontispiece. The most amiable person may deform his general appearance by throwing his body and limbs into plain lines, but such lines appear still in a more disagreeable light in people of a particular make; I have therefore chosen such figures as I thought would agree best with my first score of lines, figure 1. The two parts of curves at the right, served for the figures of the old woman and her partner at the farther end of the room. The curve and two straight lines at right angles, gave the hint for the fat man's sprawling posture. I next resolved to keep a figure within the bounds of a circle, which produced the upper part of the fat woman, between the fat man and the awkward one in the bag wig, for whom I had made a sort of an X. The prim 1ady, his partner, in the riding habit, by pecking back her elbows, as they call it, from the waist upwards, made a tolerable D, with a straight line under it, to signify the scanty stiffness of her petticoat; and a Z stood for the angular position the body makes with the legs and thighs of the affected fellow in the tye-wig; the upper part of his plump partner was confined to an O, and this changed into P, served as a hint for the straight lines behind. The uniform diamond of a card, was filled up by the flying dress, etc. of the little ? %%%%% PLATE 3 O OF A TTITU DE 223 capering figure in the Spencer-wig; while a double L marked the parallel position of his poking part- ner's hands and arms; and lastly, the two waving lines were drawn for the more genteel turns of the two figures at the hither end. The best representation in a picture, of even the most elegant dancing, as every figure is rather a suspended action in it, than an attitude, must be always somewhat unnatural and ridiculous; for were it possible in a real dance to fix every person at one instant of time, as in a picture, not one in twenty would appear to be graceful, though each were ever so much so in their movements; nor could the figure of the dance itself be at all understood. The dancing room is also ornamented purposely with such statues and pictures as may serve to a farther illustration. Henry the Eighth, in the first niche from the musicians, makes a perfect X with his legs and arms; and the position of Charles the First, in the first picture, is composed of less varied lines than the statue of Edward the Sixth, in the second niche, and the medal over his head is in the like kind of lines; but that over Queen Elizabeth, in the third niche, as well as her figure, is in the contrary; so are also the two other wooden figures at the end. Likewise the comical posture of astonishment, expressed by following the direc- tion of one plain curve, as the dotted line in a French print of Sancho, where Don Quixote de- 224 A NALYSIS OF BEAUTY molishes the puppet show, figure 1, plate 31 is a good contrast to the effect of the serpentine-lines in the fine turn of the Samaritan woman, figure 2, plate 31, taken from one of the best pictures An- nibal Carrache ever painted. CHAPTER XVII OF ACTION To the amazing variety of forms made still in- finitely more various in appearance by light, shade, and color, nature has added another way of increas- ing that variety, still more to enhance the value of all her compositions. This is accomplished by means of action; the fullest display of which is put into the power of the human species, and which is equally subject to the same principles with re- gard to the effects of beauty, or the reverse, as govern all the former compositions; as is partly seen in chapter XI on proportion. My business here shall be, in as concise a manner as possible, to particularize the application of these principles to the movement of the body and therewith finish this system of variety in forms and actions. There is no one but would wish to have it in his power to be genteel and graceful in the carriage of his person, could it be attained with little trouble and expense of time. The usual methods relied on for this purpose among well-bred people, takes up a considerable part of their time: even those of the first rank have no other resource in these matters, than to dancing-masters, and fencing- masters: dancing and fencing are undoubtedly proper, and very necessary accomplishments; yet are they frequently very imperfect in bringing 226 A NALYSIS OF BEAUTY \ about the business of graceful deportment. For although the muscles of the body may attain a pliancy by these exercises, and the limbs, by the elegant movement in dancing, acquire a facility in moving gracefully, yet, for want of knowing the meaning of every grace, and whereon it depends, affectations and misapplications often follow. Action is a sort of language which perhaps, one time or other, may come to be taught by a kind of grammar rules; but, at present, is only got by rote and imitation: and, contrary to most other copyings or imitations, people of rank and fortune generally excel their originals, the dancing-masters, in easy behavior and unaffected grace; as a sense of superiority makes them act without constraint; especially when their persons are well turned. If so, what can be more conducive to that freedom and necessary courage which make acquired grace seem easy and natural, than the being able to demonstrate when we are actually just and proper in the least movement we perform; whereas, for , want of such certainty in the mind, if one of the most finished gentlemen at court were to appear as an actor on the public stage, he would find himself at a loss how to move properly, and be stiff, narrow, and awkward, in representing even his own character: the uncertainty of being right would naturally give him some of that restraint which the uneducated common people general- ly have when they appear before their betters. OF ACTION 227 It is known that bodies in motion always de- scribe some line or other in the air, as the whirling round of a fire-brand apparently makes a circle, the waterfall part of a curve, the arrow and bullet, by the swiftness of their motions, nearly a straight line; waving lines are formed by the pleasing move- ment of a ship on the waves. Now in order to obtain a just idea of action, at the same time to he judiciously satisfied of being in the right in what we do, let us begin with imagining a line formed in the air by any supposed point at the end of a limb or part that is moved, or made by the whole part, or limb; or by the whole body together. And that thus much of movements may be con- ceived at once is evident, on the least recollection, for whoever has seen a fine Arabian war horse, unbacked and at liberty, and in a wanton trot, cannot but remember what a large waving line his rising, and at the same time pressing forward, cuts through the air; the equal continuation of which, is varied by his curveting from side to side; while his long mane and tail play about in Serpentine 1m OvermentS. After thus having formed the idea of all move- ments being as lines, it will not be difficult to con- ceive, that grace in action depends upon the same principles as have been shown to produce it in forms. The next thing that offers itself to our consid- eration is the force of habit and custom in action; for a great deal depends thereon. 228 A NALYSIS OF BIBAUTY The peculiar movements of each person, as the gait in walking, are particularized in such lines as each part describes by the habits they have con- tracted. The nature and power of habit may be fully conceived by the following familiar instance, as the motions of one part of the body may serve to explain those of the whole. Observe that whatever habit the fingers get in the use of the pen, you see exactly delineated to the eye by the shapes of the letters. Were the movements of every writer's fingers to be precisely the same, one hand-writing would not be known from another, but as the fingers naturally fall into, Or acquire different habits of moving, every hand- writing is visibly different. Which movements must tally with the letters, though they are too quick and too small to be as perfectly traced by the eye; but this shows what nice differences are caused, and constantly retained, by habitual movements. It may be remarked, that all useful habitual motions, such as are readiest to serve the necessary purposes of life, are those made up of plain lines, i.e. straight and circular lines, which most animals have in common with mankind, though not in so extensive a degree: the monkey from his make has it sufficiently in his power to be graceful, but as reason is required for this purpose, it would be impossible to bring him to move genteelly. Though I have said that the ordinary actions of the body are performed in plain lines, I mean only OF ACTION 229 comparatively so with those of studied movements in the serpentine-line, for as all our muscles are ever ready to act, when one part is moved, as a hand, Or arm, by its proper movers, for raising up or drawing down, the adjacent muscles act in some degree in correspondence with them: therefore our most common movements are but seldom per- formed in such absolutely mean lines, as those of jointed dolls and puppets. A man must have a good deal of practice to be able to mimic such very straight or round motions, which being incompat- ible with the human form, are therefore ridiculous. Let it be observed that graceful movements in serpentine-lines, are used but occasionally, and rather at times of leisure, than constantly applied to every action we make. The whole business of life may be carried on without them, they being, properly speaking, only the ornamental part of gesture; and therefore not being naturally famil- iarized by necessity, must be acquired by precept or imitation, and reduced to habit by frequent repetitions. Precept is the means I should recom- mend as the most expeditious and effectual way. But before we proceed to the method I have to propose, for the more ready and sure way of ac- customing the limbs to a facility in the ornamental way of moving; I should observe, that quick time gives it spirit and vivacity, as slow time, gravity and solemnity; and further, that the latter of these allows the eye an opportunity of seeing the 230 A NALYSIS OF BEAUTY line of grace to advantage, as in the address of heroes on the stage, or in any solemn act of cere- mony; and that although time in movement is reduced to certain rules for dancing, it is left more at large and at discretion for deportment. We come now to offer an odd, but perhaps effi- cacious method of acquiring a habit of moving in the lines of grace and beauty. Let any one chalk the line shown in figure 3, plate 31, on a flat surface, beginning at either end, and he will move his hand and arm in a beautiful direction, but if he chalks the same sort of line on an ogee-moulding of a foot or two in breadth, as the dotted line on figure 4, plate 31, his hand must move in that more beautiful direction, which is distinguished by the name of grace; and accord- ing to the quantity given to those lines, greatness will be added to grace, and the movement will be more or less noble. Gentle movements of this sort thus understood, may be made at any time and anywhere, which, by frequent repetitions, will become so familiar to the parts so exercised, that on proper occasion they make them as it were of their own accord. The pleasing effect of this manner of moving the hand, is seen when a fan is presented grace- fully or genteelly to a lady, both in the hand moving forward and in its return; but care must be taken that the line of movement be but gentle, as No. 3, figure 1, plate 16, and not • - ，-==№\ |--~~~~| Fº=№ssº）ſſſſſſſ №ĒāēĒĻſſº >§№šĒ@*ĒĻ №¿№º±√（||||. ¿?§§ ſº §， PLATE 3 | OF ACTION 233 too S-like and twirling, as No. 7 in the same figure: which excess would be affected and ridiculous. Daily practising these movements with the hands and arms, as also with such other parts of the body as are capable of them, will in a short time ren- der the whole person graceful and easy at pleasure. As to the motions of the head; the awe most children are in before strangers, till they come to a certain age, is the cause of their dropping and drawing their chins down into their breasts, and looking under their foreheads, as if conscious of their weakness, or of something wrong about them. To prevent this awkward shyness, parents and tu- tors are continually teasing them to hold up their heads, which if they get them to do, it is with dif- ficulty, and of course in so constrained a manner that it gives the children pain, so that they natur- ally take all opportunities of easing themselves by holding down their heads; which posture would be full as uneasy to them, were it not a relief from restraint: and there is another misfortune in hold- ing down the head, that it is apt to make them bend too much in the back; when this happens to be the case, they then have recourse to steel- collars, and other iron machines; all which shack- lings are repugnant to nature, and may make the body grow crooked. This daily fatigue both to the children and the parents may be avoided, and an ugly habit prevented, at a proper age, by fast- ening a ribbon to a quantity of platted hair, or to 234 A NALYSIS OF B E AUTY | the cap, so as it may be kept fast in its place, and the other end to the back of the coat, as figure 5, plate 31, of such a length as may prevent them drawing their chins into their necks; which ribbon will always leave the head at liberty to move in any direction but this awkward one they are so apt to fall into. But till children arrive at a reasoning age, it will be difficult by any means to teach them more grace than what is natural to every well made child at liberty. The grace of the upper parts of the body is most engaging, and sensible well made people in any station naturally have it in a great degree; therefore rules, unless they are simple and easily retained and practised, are of little use; but, rather are of disservice. Holding the head erect is but occasionally right, a proper recline of it may be as graceful; but true elegance is mostly seen in the moving it from one position to another. And this may be attained by a sensibility within yourself, though you have not a sight of what you do by looking in the glass, when with your head assisted by a sway of the body in order to give it more scope, you endeavor to make that very serpentine-line in the air, which the hands have been before taught to do by the help of the ogee-moulding: and I will venture to say, a few careful repetitions at first setting out will make this OF ACTION 235 movement as easy to the head as to the hands and arms. The most graceful bow is got by the head's moving in this direction, as it goes downward and rises up again. Some awkward imitators of this elegant way of bowing, for want of knowing what they were about, have seemed to bow with wry necks. The low solemn bow to majesty should have but a very little twist, if any, as more becom- ing gravity and submission. The clownish nod in a sudden straight line is quite the reverse of these spoken of. The most elegant and respectful courtesy has a gentle, or small degree of the above graceful bow- ing of the head as the person sinks, and rises, and retreats. If it should be said, that a fine courtesy consists in no more than in being erect in person at the time of sinking and rising; Madam Cathe- rine in clock-work, or the dancing bears led about the streets for a show, must be allowed to make as good a courtesy as anybody. It is necessary in bowing and courtesying to shun an exact sameness at all times; for however graceful it may be on some occasions, at other times it may seem formal and improper. Shakes- speare seems to have meant the above spoken of Ornamental manner of bowing, in Enobar- bus's description of Cleopatra's waiting women— And made their bends adornings—Act 2. Of Dancing. The minuet is allowed by the 236 A NALYSIS OF B E AUTY dancing-masters themselves to be the perfection of all dancing, I Once heard an eminent dancing master say, that the minuet had been the study of his whole life, and that he had been indefatiga- ble in the pursuit of its beauties, yet at last he could only say with Socrates, he knew nothing: adding, that I was happy in my profession as a painter, in that some bounds might be set to the study of it. No doubt, as the minuet contains in it a composed variety of as many movements in the serpentine-lines as can well be put together in distinct quantities, it is a fine composition of 1movements. The ordinary undulating motion of the body in common walking—as may be plainly seen by the waving line, which the shadow a man's head makes against a wall as he is walking between it and the afternoon sun—is augmented in dancing into a larger quantity of waving by means of the minuet- step, which is so contrived as to raise the body by gentle degrees somewhat higher than Ordinary, and sink it again in the same manner lower in the going on of the dance. The figure of the minuet- path on the floor is also composed of serpentine lines, as figure 2, plate 30, varying a little with the fashion: when the parties, by means of this step, rise and fall most smoothly in time, and free from sudden starting and dropping they come nearest to Shakespeare's idea of the beauty of dancing, in the following lines: OF ACTION 237 What you do, Still betters what is done, When you do dance, I wish you A wave o' th' sea, that you might ever do Nothing but that; move still, still so, And own no other function. WINTER’s TALE. The other beauties belonging to this dance, are the turns of the head, and twist of the body in passing each other, as also gentle bowing and pre- senting hands in the manner before described, all which together displays the greatest variety of movements in serpentine lines imaginable, keeping equal pace with musical time. There are other dances that entertain merely because they are composed of variety of move- ments, and performed in proper time, but the less they consist of serpentine or waving lines, the lower they are in the estimation of dancing-masters: for, as has been shown, when the form of the body is divested of its serpentine lines, it becomes ridic- ulous as a human figure; so likewise, when all movements in such lines are excluded in a dance, it becomes low, grotesque, and comical; but how- ever, being, as was said, composed of variety, made consistent with some character, and executed with agility, it nevertheless is very entertaining. Such are Italian peasant dances, etc. But such uncouth contortions of the body as are allowable in a man would disgust in a woman; as the ex- tremely graceful, so very alluring in this sex, is 238 A NALYSIS OF B E AUTY nauseous in the other; even the minuet-grace in a man would hardly be approved, but as the main drift of it represents repeated addresses to the lady. There is a much greater consistency in the dances of the Italian theatre than of the French, notwithstanding dancing seems to be the genius of that nation; the following distinctly marked characters were originally from Italy; and if we consider them lineally as to their particular move- ments, we shall see wherein their humor consists. The attitudes of the harlequin are ingeniously composed of certain little, quick movements of the head, hands, and feet, some of which shoot out as it were from the body in straight lines, or are twirled about in little circles. Scaramouch is gravely absurd, as the character is intended, in over-stretched tedious movements of unnatural lengths of lines: these two characters seem to have been contrived by conceiving a direct opposition of movements. Pierrot's movements and attitudes are chiefly in perpendiculars and parallels, so is his figure and dress. Punchinello is droll by being the reverse of all elegance, both as to movement, and figure, the beauty of variety is totally, and comically excluded from this character in every respect; his limbs are raised and let fall almost altogether at one time, in parallel directions, asif his seemingly fewer jointsthan ordinary, were no better than the hinges of a door. OF ACTION 239 Dances that represent provincial characters, as these above do, or very low people, such as gar- deners, sailors, etc. in merriment, are generally most entertaining on the stage: the Italians have lately added great pleasantry and humor to several French dances, particularly the wooden-shoe dance, in which there is a continual shifting from one atti- tude in plain lines to another; both the man and the woman often fix themselves comically in uni- form positions, and frequently start in equal time into angular forms, one of which remarkably repre- sents two W’s in a line, as in figure 4, plate 30: these sort of dances, a little raised, especially on the woman's side, in expressing elegant wantonness —which is the true spirit of dancing—have of late years been most delightfully done, and seem at present to have got the better of pompous unmean- ing grand ballets; serious dancing being even a contradiction in terms. Of Country Dancing. The lines which a number of people together form in country or figure dancing, make a delightful play upon the eye, es- pecially when the whole figure is to be seen at one view, as at the playhouse from the gallery; the beauty of this kind of mystic-dancing, as the poets term it, depends upon moving in a composed va- riety of lines, chiefly serpentine, governed by the principles of intricacy, etc. the dances of barbarians are always represented without these movements being only composed of wild skipping, jumping, 240 A NALYSIS OF B E AUTY and turning round, or running backward and for ward, with convulsive shrugs, and distorted gestures. One of the most pleasing movements in country dancing, and which answers to all the principles of varying at once, is what is called the hay; the figure of it altogether, is a cypher of S’s, or a num- ber of serpentine-lines interlacing, or intervolving each other, which suppose traced on the floor, the lines would appear as figure 3, plate 30. Milton in his Paradise Lost, describing the angels dancing about the sacred hill, pictures the whole idea in words; Mystical dance! Mazes intricate, Eccentric, intervolv’d yet regular Then most, when most irregular they seem. I shall venture, lastly, to say a word or two of stage action. From what has been said of habitu- ally moving in waving lines, it may possibly be found that if stage action, particularly the graceful, were to be studied lineally, it might be more speed- ily and accurately acquired by the help of the foregoing principles than the methods hitherto taken. It is known that common deportment, such as may pass for elegant and proper off the stage, would no more be thought sufficient upon it, than the dialogue of common polite con- versation would be accurate or spirited enough for the language of a play. So that trusting to chance only, will not do. The actions of every scene ought to be as much as possible a complete composition of well-varied movements, considered as such ab- OF ACTION 241 stractedly, and apart from what may be merely relative to the sense of the words. Action Con- sidered with regard to assisting the author's mean- ing, by enforcing the sentiments or raising the passions, must be left entirely to the judgment of the performer, we only pretend to show how the limbs may be made to have an equal readiness to move in all such directions as may be acquired. What I would have understood by action, ab- stractedly and apart from its giving force to the meaning of the words, may be better conceived by supposing a foreigner, who is a thorough master of all the effects of action, at one of our theatres, but quite ignorant of the language of the play; it is evident his sentiments, under such limitations, would chiefly arise from what he might distinguish by the lines of the movements belonging to each character; the actions of an old man, if proper, or not, would be visible to him at once, and he would judge of low and odd characters, by the inelegant lines which we have already shown to belong to the characters of punch, harlequin, pier- rot, or the clown; so he would also form his judg- ment of the graceful acting of a fine gentleman, or hero, by the elegance of their movements in such lines of grace and beauty as have been suffi- ciently described. See chapters V, VI, VII, VIII on the composition of forms. Where note, that as the whole of beauty depends upon continually varying, the same must be observed with regard 242 A NALYSIS OF BIBAUTY to genteel and elegant acting: and as plain space makes a considerable part of beauty in form, so cessation of movement in acting is as absolutely necessary; and in my opinion much wanted on most stages, to relieve the eye from what Shake- speare calls, continually sawing the air. The actress has sufficient grace with fewer actions, and those in less extended lines than the actor; for as the lines that compose the Venus are simpler and more gently flowing, than those that compose the Apollo, so must her movements be in like proportion. And here it may not be improper to take notice of a mischief that attends copied actions on the stage; they are often confined to certain sets and numbers, which being repeated, and growing stale to the audience, become at last subject to mimicry and ridicule, which would hardly be the case, if an actor were possessed of such general principles as include a knowledge of the effects of all the movements that the body is capable of. The comedian, whose business it is to imitate the actions belonging to particular characters in nature, may also find his account in the knowl- edge of lines; for whatever he copies from the life, by these principles may be strengthened, altered, and adjusted as his judgment shall direct, and the part the author has given him shall require. THE END. ANNOUNCEMENT. Our plans for the current year include the publication of a series of Art Text Books by William C. Ostrander, formerly instructor at the Technical Schools of the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York. In addition to his work as an instructor, Mr. Ostrander, has had long experience as a designer and art worker, during which he has trained many young men and women assistants to do effic- ient practical art work. He is, therefore, un- usually well qualified to understand the needs of the teacher and the student, as well as the technical requirements of the users of art work. These books, will, unquestionably, be valuable to all interested in the study and development of practically applied art work. We also have in preparation a number of aids in the form of charts and devices to demonstrate some of the problems that every teacher and student must meet in the study of art, the verbal explanation of which is materially aided by an ocular demonstration. If you are interested in these, and will send your name and address, we will be pleased to send notices and further informa- tion as the books, etc., appear. THE SILVER LOTUS SHOP, PITTSFIELD, MAss. January, 1909. **~~~~~~~~~~~~...~--J *----º- +...+----- * -- ~~~~x"º-º-º-º-º->e, c. --- ~~...~ ***~ 3. *, *.*.* --> **** - * *\", -: . ..., , --, ...."---estrº-ºxº~~~~~~~~ **** .*.*-ra-º. *- Jºr-2 rºs-is-e-ºr-º-º-es” “” **tº ...-J., x-r---, -r-, **** * 9, 2001 APR 3 0200 *- s-ºr---> -->2--ºr " - tº--> SEP24 193 : } LIBRARY * *№gº. ’ ， º sº ſº. . . s.º.º. «» ， º - º.º. s.,*\s, º „º º.ſ. ， *、、、:（$3