Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-10-02
Restnrinr Sfntucs.

In the current number of the Revue DIES Deux
Mondes, NJ RavaissOn discusses the old ques-
ton of the original form and position of the
Venus of Milo, which he thinks may be solved
more easily now, since some pieces of plaster
have come off during the burial of the statue,
and the original joints have once more become
apparent. He returns to the theory OF Quatre'
mere de Quincy, according to which the figure
formed part OF group representing Venus dis
arming Mars. AT the same time he strongly dcpre-
Gates the ban barous habit of so-called restora-
tion"-a habit which, he says, was still in vogue
VI hen the Venus of Milo first came 10 the Lou
vrc. At that time all the antiques used TO be
"repaired" and ''made like new" First the
wanting pieces were rcpacedhy bits taken from
other antique statues A great number of statues
carry to this day heads upon their shoulders
which do not belong to them heads some
times of totally different periods and moreover,
as illsftting DIS Cat be,
Without leaving the Louvre, more than one
Greek statue may be seen surmounted by
head belonging TO a Roman one, and many a
statue of nod or goddess with the head of an en-
tircly different male or female deity. When
ever there was no antique bit handy, Other
pieces had to supply the want sometimes
derived from tho thitel of q common artist
sometimes from that of n mastef-a Monitor
soil, Guglelmo della Porta, or at times Michael
Angelo Hence also the Louvre boasts of an
Apollo of archaic Greek style, who, by dint of
the attributes supplied to him, has been turn
ed into a Bonus Eventus, deity of the low
Roman period, and of wounded Amazon,
whose tunic, invariably lifted up over the
knee of the ancents, has been replaced by
long, many-foded robe. Yet even when the
restoration Is made with knowledge and taste,
it cannot but produce want of harmony and
break up the unity of style and execution, the
more so as the antique portions have generally
been touched up to make them fit in with the
Testorations and their new aspect. Thus the
"Dine ChassereSse" was restored by Parthe-
envy Preur, who not only supplied the missing
portions, but touched up" all the ancient
parts as well.
The same is the case with regard to the Pallas
of Veetri, AMI many OF the most beautiful
Europe, more especially the Vatican, such as
the Apollo of Belvedere, the LAGOON and the
Venus of Medici. Hence it has happened that
in comparing sculptures since brought to
light, which have not been retouched in this
manner and still bear the unmutilatcd impress
sion of the Greeks chisel, some have been led
to underestimate the age of many long cele-
brated works, and TO trace their origin to the
so-caled Roman period when execution had be-
come much enlcebled. And yet some portions
of repcas of these same statues, which have
fortunately been preserved intact, prove incon-
testably their genuine Greek workmanship. NJ.
Ravisson advises the removal of all the Gin
provements" hitherto wrought upon the Venus
of Milo; and, except one or two little touches,
perhaps, about the eXtremities of the nose and
lips, which are absolutely necessary, that hence
forth the statue should be exhibited in the orig
inal form in which il was found