The Marble Faun Volume 1 - Page 75/130

"I do not own it," said Kenyon, "yet cannot utterly contradict you, as

regards the actual state of the art. But as long as the Carrara quarries

still yield pure blocks, and while my own country has marble mountains,

probably as fine in quality, I shall steadfastly believe that future

sculptors will revive this noblest of the beautiful arts, and people the

world with new shapes of delicate grace and massive grandeur. Perhaps,"

he added, smiling, "mankind will consent to wear a more manageable

costume; or, at worst, we sculptors shall get the skill to make

broadcloth transparent, and render a majestic human character visible

through the coats and trousers of the present day."

"Be it so!" said Miriam; "you are past my counsel. Show me the veiled

figure, which, I am afraid, I have criticised beforehand. To make

amends, I am in the mood to praise it now."

But, as Kenyon was about to take the cloth off the clay model, she laid

her hand on his arm.

"Tell me first what is the subject," said she, "for I have sometimes

incurred great displeasure from members of your brotherhood by being

too obtuse to puzzle out the purport of their productions. It is so

difficult, you know, to compress and define a character or story,

and make it patent at a glance, within the narrow scope attainable

by sculpture! Indeed, I fancy it is still the ordinary habit with

sculptors, first to finish their group of statuary,--in such development

as the particular block of marble will allow,--and then to choose the

subject; as John of Bologna did with his Rape of the Sabines. Have you

followed that good example?"

"No; my statue is intended for Cleopatra," replied Kenyon, a little

disturbed by Miriam's raillery. "The special epoch of her history you

must make out for yourself."

He drew away the cloth that had served to keep the moisture of the clay

model from being exhaled. The sitting figure of a woman was seen. She

was draped from head to foot in a costume minutely and scrupulously

studied from that of ancient Egypt, as revealed by the strange sculpture

of that country, its coins, drawings, painted mummy-cases, and whatever

other tokens have been dug out of its pyramids, graves, and catacombs.

Even the stiff Egyptian head-dress was adhered to, but had been softened

into a rich feminine adornment, without losing a particle of its

truth. Difficulties that might well have seemed insurmountable had been

courageously encountered and made flexible to purposes of grace and

dignity; so that Cleopatra sat attired in a garb proper to her historic

and queenly state, as a daughter of the Ptolemies, and yet such as

the beautiful woman would have put on as best adapted to heighten the

magnificence of her charms, and kindle a tropic fire in the cold eyes of

Octavius.