Beauty Part 27

From the eyebrows to the bottom of the nose, three parts.

From the bottom of the nose, to that of the chin, three parts.

From the bottom of the chin to the depression between the clavicles, four parts, three minutes and a half.

From the depression between the clavicles to the lowest part of the breast, ten parts, five minutes.

From the lowest part of the breast to the middle of the navel, eight parts, three minutes.

From the middle of the navel to the base of the belly and beginning of the thighs, eleven parts, four minutes and a half.

From the bottom of the belly to the middle of the kneepan, eighteen parts, two minutes.

From the middle of the kneepan to the beginning of the flank, twenty-seven parts, three minutes.

From the middle of the kneepan to the ground, twenty-five parts, three minutes.

The greatest height of the foot, three parts, five minutes and a half.

From the neck of the leg to the end of the toes, nine parts and half a minute.

From the commencement of the humerus to the elbow, twenty parts, two minutes.

From the elbow to the beginning of the hand, fourteen parts.

The greatest breadth of the forearm, five parts.

The greatest breadth of the arm, four parts, five minutes.

From the depression between the clavicles to the beginning of the deltoid, six parts, four minutes.

From the depression between the clavicles to the point of the nipple, ten parts and half a minute.

Between the points of the nipples, eleven parts, two minutes.

The breadth of the torso, at the level of the lowest part of the breast, fifteen parts, four minutes and a half.

The least breadth of the torso, at the commencement of the flanks, fourteen parts, one minute.

The greatest breadth of the torso, at the bottom of the flanks, seventeen parts, five minutes.

The breadth from the trochanter of one thigh to that of the other, nineteen parts, three minutes.

The greatest breadth of the thigh, nine parts, five minutes.

The greatest breadth of the knee, six parts.

The greatest breadth of the calf of the leg, six parts, three minutes and a half.

The breadth from one ankle to another, four parts.

The least breadth of the foot, three parts, three minutes and a half.

The greatest breadth of the foot, five parts and one minute.

The arms of the Venus de Medici, it should be observed, are of modern construction, and unworthy of the figure.

The VENUS OF NAPLES is of altogether a different species of beauty.

That figure represents an ample and rather voluptuous matron, in an att.i.tude of scarcely surpa.s.sable grace. The character of the face is beautiful, in profile especially, and its expression is grave. The mouth has much of nature about it, resembling greatly in character that feature as seen in Southern Europe; but its expression, though tender, is somewhat serious or fretful.

It presents, however, many faults. The head is monstrous. The neck is equally so, as well as coa.r.s.e. The forehead, eyes, nose, and cheeks, present none of the finely-calculated details, which surprise and delight us in the Venus de Medici. The mammae are not true.

After these, the androgynous being, called the VENUS OF ARLES, is scarcely worthy of being mentioned. She derives some grandeur from antique character and symmetry, and some from her masculine features. The head is monstrous; the neck horrid; the nose heavy; the mouth contemptuous.

Upon the whole, neither the graceful matron of Naples, nor the manlike woman of the Louvre, can be brought into compet.i.tion with the Venus de Medici.

CHAPTER XX.

DEFECTS OF BEAUTY.

_Defects of the Locomotive System._

1. If the whole figure be either too broad or too tall; because, the first is inelegant, and the last unfeminine. Persons who are too tall are generally ill at ease and dest.i.tute of grace, a greater misfortune to a woman than to a man.--Too low a stature is a defect less disagreeable, especially for women. If, however, on the one side, it gives prettiness, on the other, it deprives of all imposing appearance.

2. If the bones, except those of the pelvis, be not proportionally small; because, in woman, this portion of the locomotive system ought to be completely subordinate to the vital.

3. If the ligaments, and the articulations they form, be not proportionally small; because, in woman, this portion of the locomotive system ought also to be completely subordinate to the vital.

Either of the last two defects will produce what is termed clumsiness.

4. If the muscles, generally more slender, feeble, soft and yielding than in man, be not large around the pelvis, and delicate elsewhere; because, this is necessary, for reasons which will be afterward a.s.signed, as well as to permit the ease and suppleness of the movements.

5. If, in a mature female, the length of the neck, compared with the trunk, be not proportionally somewhat less than in the male; because, in her, the subordination of the locomotive system, the predominance of the vital, and the dependance of the mental, are naturally connected with the shorter vertebrae and shorter course of the vessels of the neck.

(The following defects, from 6 to 15 inclusive, have necessarily a reference also to the vital system; because, the form and capacity of the cavities here spoken of, as formed by the osseous frame of the locomotive system, have an obvious relation to the vital organs, which these cavities are destined to contain.)

6. If the upper part of the body (exclusive of the bosom) be proportionally more, and the lower part of the body less prominent, than in man, so that, when she stands perfectly upright or lies on the back, the s.p.a.ce between the b.r.e.a.s.t.s is more prominent than the mons veneris; because, such conformation is injurious to impregnation, gestation, and parturition.

7. If the shoulders seem wider than the haunches; because, this appearance generally arises from the narrowness of the pelvis, and its consequent unfitness for gestation and parturition.

8. If, on the contrary, the shoulders be much narrower than the pelvis; because, this indicates extreme weakness of the locomotive system.