Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1859-05-29

Great Ansique statue DIscovered.
/ Csreserrncs = ~ Loudor AiheuEumJ
Rowr. AprI 81 have Just returned from
4 drive u the Pea Poresi, and en- route met
d string of carriages, whose occupants were
evidently bent on The same object az mysef
Turning In through a wide gate on me ieri-
head side of The road, We found ourselves In a
large yard, lined I'll round with fragments Of
statues, eapitols end eolumns. But where Il
Z t5e Venus? We asked. We were immedia.ely
shown into a large room, which was crowded
with connoisscurs of art, al intent on the ex-
animation and admirstion % one. perhaps Of
the finest creation Of the sculutor that The
world has ever seen. IN fact Rome, nat y,
arfistie Rome. IL half mad on the subject 81 this
wonderful discovery. and wen Il may be 20,
for anything more perfect does not exist in the
most select e~allaries Of ItslY- The figure.
which T. iust i've feet one inch IN hight, repre-
esuts Venus eonceaiing Der beauties she IL
bending slightly forward. while the right
foot and leg are drawn back the right arm Il
bent inwards over The bosom, which the band
Affects 70 conceal, while the let arm IL bent
downward. and the marks remain on the
right thigh where the fingers rested. Ihe
head Is larger, I should say, than that a the
Venus de- Medieis, snd viii perhaps assist IN
deciding the controversy which has long ex-
isfed nste whether the latter head vas ancient
Of modern.
In the statue Of which I an sPeaking the
hair il bound on The top In a knot On the len.
and close 10 her, she has a dolphin, the tale Of
I which 4 erect. Nothing can exceed the beau
~ At the proportions Of these figures. or the
high finish Of the Workmanship The limbs
are polished, and rounded of Ike life, and on
walking round her. and examining the shoulder
/ and hack. Il was difficult almost not b Imagine
that It wa the real living figure. Unfortu-
nateiy, in digging out his wonderful statue,
the head and TIE arms were broken on, andthe
| left hand, and the fingers Of both hands, have
not been as vet found, though the most minute
search ia being made for them Aportion, too,
OF The nose has suffered. Sufficient, however,
I or the arms remains 20 enable any one 70 see
what was the precise pose Of them, and, as
eompsred with most remains OF ancient work
mauship, this statue may BE- pronounced per
feet. There were many or the hrst Judges OF
art present when was there this morning, and
all were in raptures, and pronounced It to be
one Of the finest specimens OF Greek seulp-
ture. The material Is Of the finest Parian
marble.
This beautiful statute 50 much resembles
that Of the Venus De Medieis, IN Florence that
one might almost regard y as the original OF
a reproduction Of il. Whether it be either one
or the other, or not, there can be no doubt tnat
The Venus q Rome viii take rs place 10 TIE
history of sculpture, as undoubtedly equal 10
| ANYTHING Inst the world has ever seen Tor ele-
gance Of form, beauty Of proposition, or ner-
feet finish II is only within the last hive DAYS
that the head and arms were discovered The
body was accidsntslly found a few days ear
lieT, while some men were sinking a we'll
There is, however, a little history belonging 70
Il, with which / an not r~eriectlV acquainteda az
vet, and which I must defer until ! have made
further Inquiries. On returning from ny
drive, I met the carriage Of H r NJ the
Prince Of Wales, who was also going down 10
visit this wonder of art. Since writing the
above report, 7 have been favored with he
opinions Of some % our most eminent sculp-
tors as 10 The statue Just brought 10 light.
at is very beautiful, p said one, sand nav pos
sibly be ? copy, by a Greek hand, OF he Venus
Dc Medicis, to which II is inferior. Il has two
faults-one IN The right ankle, which, on look
ing at it in front, is too slight, and another. the
knee" Il appears 10 me. however, that n
these are the only defects. which can be point-
ed ont, the statue must stili be very fne one.
By another artist Il was pointed out 70 me,
also, that On the left shoulder, rs well a. on
the right thigh, there are marks which Indicate
the spots on which the fingers rested. This
Circumstance, therefore, determines what has
been ALWAYS regarded as a defect and a dir
Guilty In the Venus de Medicis, In which though
the two arms are posed 80 as n conceal the
person, ths hands never touch the body The
arms and hands OF this figure were, a. IL well
known, added BY Bernini, and It has always
appeared 70 artists 20 be both awkward and
unnatural that the goddess never touches The
body which she shields. In the statue which
has lust been discovered, on the contrary the
finger marks are plainly disceTnible both on
the right thigh ard The left shoulder, or bosom.
L is a sufficiently fne statue 70 adopt as an
authority. and supposing It to be a copy, Il Is
to be hoped that some change viii be made In
the arms Of the Venus de Medieis.