The National Register.
London, England, 1809-09-03 00:00:00

k' 1.1171; ARTS.

The Statues of Tragedy and Comedy have been placed
in the niches prepared for them in the East front of the
new Theatre at. Covent-garden. The former is from the.
chissel of Mr. Boss', the latter bears the name of FLA XM N
on the pedestal. From these artists we expected figures
far superior to these both in design. and execution. if
extravagance in design is reprehensible, this classical fri-
gidity is still inure so. aassicai!—if by classical, an imi-
tation of ancient design is intended, we caunot help declar-
ing, that the works of ancient Greece arc vilified and in-
sulted by such affected jargon. Had we been called upon
to estimate the merits of these two sculptors, before the
present display of their contrasted productions, we should
have said that Haman had most science and most cor-
rected taste, but that Rossi had most natural genius. The
genius of Flaxman is a mere cast of an ancient figure • that
of Rossi is a model from the !rinds of nature. But, in.
their present performances, we think far more meanly of
the mental powers of both than we should have done.
The relievo of Rossi is poorly conceived, that of Flaxman
a jumble from the rehques of the ancients. In neither,
the execution deserves much commendation. Flaxman's
figures are square and inelegant: the matronly figure of
Thalia, as she presents herself to Menander and Aristo-
phanes, is unhappily imagined. It is a silly excuse to say,
that the Muse of Comedy has been found represented as a;
serious country wench, on sonic of the sculptured friezes
belonqing to the ruins at Athens : the question will be,
what is the most natural conception of the figure of
Comedy ? But Mr. Flaxman seems to form no idea of
what ins a:legorical heings should be, his only care is how
the ancients would have exhibited such figures. He hes
lost the natural in the classical; he will not trust to nature
and himself; tho ancients are to him nature, and he seems
scarcely to wish to be himself independently of them. la
the statue of Comedy, to which his name is affixed, we
have the figure of a broad shouldered country wench, with
her crook upon her shoulder, like a Shropshire lass jour-
neying with a pack at her back after the sweetheart, who
has loaded her with a nine month's trouble and deserted
her. A melancholy countenance, a clumsy figure, thick
heavy drapery, covering even her feet, are these charac-
teristics of the arguta Thalia:, Besides, what has the di-
vinity of modern Comedy to do with a.crook? Thalia
was designated by a crook among the ancients, because
she was supposed to preside over pastoral poetry ; but has
pastoral poetry any thing to do with the comedy of Bri-
tain ? It is not the Thalia of Virgil's Eclogues that we
expected to see in the front of Covent-garden Theatre,.
though many such a one, we doubt not, with a big belly
and a sulky face, of whom it might be said nee erubuit
sNlcas habitare, Thalia, may be frequently met with in
ilow-street:—it is a pity Mr. Flaxman has not placed his
miserable wench in the niche opposite the Brown Bear;
she would there, have had many admirers, well versed in
the classics of the place.
Enough of Thalia. Let us look at Rossi's figure of
Melpomene. Here we have less classical allusion, and,
therefore, nothing contrary to the nature of modern Co-
medy in the design. The figure of Tragedy is stately,—
she is looking upwards ; and she holds her arms folded,
with a dagger and a mask in her hand. This is all very
well ; but- her upward look ought to be more impassion-
ed,—her arms ought to be enfolded in the violence of agi-
tatlou, not in repose of case s—how her dagger and