[Footnote: Consult the discussion in Rodin's _L'Art_, chap. VII.]
For this, the portrait bust is the most appropriate medium of
expression. By separating the head, the natural seat of mind, from the
rest of the body, the rivalry between the beauty of soul and form is
obviated. How much sculpture can do in this way is shown by the work
of the Greeks and Romans in ancient times, and by such men as Houdon
and Rodin among the moderns. Think of the intense and concentrated
expression of thought and emotion in the "Voltaire" of Houdon and the
"Dalou" of Rodin! Success depends largely upon the modeling of the
subtle lines of the face, where the more highly specialized workings
of the mind leave their impress. Whatever of character the face may
express can be expressed over again in its image. Of course the unique
responses of mind to definite situations, such as, for example, the
conversation of a man with his fellows, cannot be portrayed in
sculpture, which isolates the individual. But the characteristic mood
and attitude, the permanent residuum and condition of these responses,
can be portrayed; and this constitutes personality or character. As
Schopenhauer declared, the character of a man is better revealed in
the face when he is in repose than when he is responding to other men,
for there is always a certain amount of dissimulation or insincerity
in social intercourse. The impossibility of rendering the color and
animation of the eye constitutes a real deficiency, but, as has often
been pointed out, this is partly minimized through the fact that the
expression of the eye depends largely upon the brows; by itself, the
eye is inexpressive.
Pages:
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305
306
307
308
309
310
311
312
313
314
315
316