Apollo Preceding Hector with His Aegis, and Dispersing the Greeks. Fuzeli’s LecturesJohn Flaxm

Apollo Preceding Hector with His Aegis, and Dispersing the Greeks. Fuzeli’s LecturesJohn Flaxman (British; 1755–1826)early 18th century Graphite, black chalk, red chalk, watercolor, and gouache on medium, slightly textured, cream laid paper Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, ConnecticutPliny, says our critic, observes, that “in a statue of Paris by Euphranor you might discover at the same time, three different characters: the dignity of a judge of the goddesses, the lover of Helen and the conqueror of Achilles. A statue in which you endeavour to unite stately dignity, youthful elegance and stern valour, must surely possess none of these to any eminent degree.” … But may not dignity, elegance, and valour, or any other legitimate qualities, be visible at once in a figure without destroying the primary feature of its character, or impairing its expression? Let us appeal to the Apollo. Is he not a figure of character and expression, and does he not possess all three in a supreme degree? will it imply mediocrity of conception or confusion of character, if we were to say that his countenance, attitude, and form combines divine majesty, enchanting grace, and lofty indignation? yet not all three, one ideal whole irradiated the mind of the artist who conceived the divine semblance. He gave, no doubt, the preference of expression to the action in which the god is engaged, or rather, from the accomplishment of which he recedes with lofty and contemptuous ease. — This was the first impression he meant to make upon us; but what contemplation stops here? what hinders us when we consider the beauty of these features, the harmony of these forms, to find in them the abstract: of all his other qualities, to roam over the whole history of his achievements? we see him enter the celestial synod and all the gods rise at his august appearance; we see him sweep the plain after Daphne; precede Hector with the aegis and disperse the Greeks; strike Patroclus with his palm and decide his destiny. — And is the figure frigid because its great idea is inexhaustible? … Such was no doubt the Paris of Euphranor: he made his character so pregnant, that those who knew his history might trace in it the origin of all his future feats, though first impressed by the expression allotted to the predominant quality and moment.Henry Fuseli, “Lecture One,” Lectures on Painting Delivered at the Royal Academy March 1801 (London: J. Johnson, 1801) -- source link

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