National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-04-09
THE YENniS DI MILO.

The Nation Of last Thursday contains 3 letter
from Paris which makes some strange statements
about the worlds finest statue. It was found, as
everybody knows, in two pieces. M Ravsisson
one of the officials Of the Louvre Museum, now
claims to have discovered that the Venus was
originally made In two pieces, which were fastened
together with wooden pegs, and that the two
parts have not been accurately replaced. The
upper half inclines too much forward and on one
side. The Greeks generally put their statues on
uneven surfaces Of natural ground. The restor-
of the Venus Of Milo put the soles Of the feet
in o horizontal position, and %, NJ. Ravaisson
says, spoiled the statue. He has placed two plas-
forecasts side by side one Of which represents the
Venus as she is, the other as she would be- If the
body were thrown back into better equilibrium.
The latter is said to be decidedly the best. The
present awkward stoop disappears entirely.
The question Of the true position of the missing
arms remain. N. Rayaisson believes that the
Venus stood by Mars. The battle is ended. Her
foot is on the helmet of Mars victim. She Is dis
srming her brother-god. One Of his hands is on
his sword the other seizes his shoulderbelt from
behind. The group has been put in plaster. The
arms, thus arranged, 1T precisely with the body
Of the statue. -- B..
So far runs the letter. The correspondence Of
arms and body by no means proves NJ. Ravais-
sons theory, like correspondence exists when
the arms are put in wholly different positions.
At the Vienna Exposition Q Greek sculptor ex-
hibted his idea of the original Venus di Milo. It
was o statue, in dszIlingly-white, pure MARBLE
Of the goddess admiring herself and her golden
earring in an oval mirror which she held before
her. The Greek based his rendering on Homer
He said that the blind bard constantly gave Venus
two attributes. She was golden" and greedy
Of admiration" Greek sculptors followed Homer.
They took their idea of the goddess from him,
and put in marble what he had put in words.
Hence they represented her, in the best DAYS Of
art, either attracting the admiration Of others
or as admiring herself, and they gave her golden
coronets and other adornmelts. Tho face Of the
Venus di Milo, said the modern sculptor, repre-
SCENTS an innocent glad surprise ut her own beauty
Hence she must be seeing II. She cannot be look
ing in . pool. She must then hold before her o
mirror, probably made OF burnished steel. The
earnings satisfy the adjective golden" and give
the goddess something beside herself TO admire.
Another theory is that the statue does not rep
resent Venus ct all, but Minerva. It Is said that
the right foot originally rested on tortoise, and
that the Goddess OF Wisdom was often thus repre-
sented Some Of those who find Minerva in the
matchlcss form say that the goddess held sword
and shield in her hands Others give her more
pacific smblems. The shield theory has ut least
this much OF support: that there is . mark on the
right knee, which looks-to believers eyes-as II
the shield held by the right hand had rested
there The fact, however, that the figure repre-
sents Venus may be safely taken on trust BY peo-
pie who have never studied tho status. II Is
taken on reason BY most Of those who have.
There are dosen Greek statues in existence
which are modelled after the Venus df Milo, and
which undoubtedly represent the Goddess Of
Love- The Museum at Naples contains . small
and exquisite copy in bronze, found at Pompeii,
in which the arms are outstretched, IS II in bene
diction. .r tI
The Nation's letter partly tells the curious