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Untitled Article
fine arts , wrought for the benefit of the whole community , and at the expense of that community . Whenever a man Evinced high talent , the whole community felt proud of him , for some of his reputation was reflected upon each individual ; and the stimulus was not a slight one , when the artist felt that the eyes of all his countrymen , and those of many of the women , were upon him ,
and that all his wants were provided for at the public expense . There was also another thing ; the artists of Greece had probably such models to work from as few people have since possessed . Whoever looks upon their remnants of art that are left to us , must believe that living models served for them , so perfect are they in form . Everything in Greece conspired to produce this : a race of human beings , probably originally very handsome ,- —a
fine * climate , free institutions , the intimacy between the sexes regulated by affection only , wholesome food , gymnastic exercises , frequent bathing , simple garments , free from ligatures , and a considerable amount of general knowledge , communicated by the philosophers and orators , at public lectures and harangues . All these things must have had a great effect in producing the finest d ^/ elopment of which the human form is capable . By the
bye , I have often marvelled that , amidst the Grecian fashions which have been revived amongst us , that most commodious one of the fluted short tunic has not been adopted , so striking as is the resemblance of the modern frock to it , in all but its comfort The ancient tunic is certainly the most graceful , beside * possessing several other advantages . The modern frock is , to the individual body , what the bed of Procrustes was to his captives . On a hot
day or a cold one , before meals or after , in health or out of health , fat or lean , with many or few under-garments , the same measure of waist must be maintained which the cutter of garments has seen fitting to bestow . A handsome tunic and girdle would obviate all this absurdity , to the great increase of comfort , and certainly to the great improvement of the fig ure , if that can be any inducement to the setters of fashions to adopt a rational
garment . In the specimens of Greek art we see no absurdities ; and the reason seems to be , that they copied from nature . Their gods and goddesses were all human beings ; and their architecture was all of simple form t whereof the types might mostly be found iti nature . They were not fantastic in their works of art ; their
taste was pure , and they produced none of the monstrosities which India and other countries have so fruitfully furnished forth . Their perception of the beautiful evinced the most refined and cultivated imagination , combined with a judgment for the most part based on utility , esj > eciaHy public utility , which held forth the only lure to ambition . We know little of their domestic arrangements , but it is most probable that they were of a very rude Kind , which circumstance gave a still further impulse to seek B 2
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Qti the Staie of the Fine Arts in England . $
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), Jan. 2, 1833, page 3, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2606/page/3/
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