The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1875-02-05
Important and Interesting Discovery
of Art Treasures.


debris for the purpose of leveling tn,
newly marked out streets upon the rs
outline, split off a mass of earth will
their wedges, and, SIS it fell, out rolled
a female head of great beauty. The
cleanness of the fracture across the
neck, and the indications that the place
had never been disturbed since ruin
covered it, at once aroused expectation
of finding the remainder of the statue
or bust, whichever it might be. The
archaeological commission Immediately
set its men to work, ami within a shor
time a second head-the portrait of 1
man-was found, then the beautiful
nude body of the first, and directly af
terward its legs and plinth. A new
Venus of the purest Parian marble hat
been discovered. By this time it wai
dusk, but the men had become too ex
cited to think of leaving of. OF than
own accord they got torches, and con.
tinuing their work on into the night,
found bust of Commodus, altogether
unique in art.
On the following morning draped
female statue, broken across a little
above the knees, but without the head
and neck, which had been sculp.
tured separately to fit into the
drapery, was first discovered, and then
two statues of Tritons, as far as the hu-
man portions of the monsters were con-
cerned, that is, down to the hips. They
had not been broken off at that point,
but were terminated in such a manner
as would lead to the inference that the
tails were originally of bronze. Next,
the head of another Venus was found,
and Immediately considerable portion
of semi colossal statue of Bacchus,
which would also seem to have been
formed of different materials. The
portion discovered consists of the head,
the right arm, and the whole of the
front of the body down to the hips.
The back was evidently cut away at the
SAAAC NA4G4 bAlC WIN was bCul BbuECAg III
order to fit it into the drapery, which
was probably OF bronze. The left arm,
broken off at the shoulder, has not yet
been found. On Thursday morning a
second draped female statue was discov-
cred, of which, like the first, the head
and neck were sculptured separately,
to fit into tho drapery then two male
legs, which, from the similarity of the
marble to that of the head found on
the first day, probably formed parts of
the same statue and, lastly, so far as
the excavation has been carried, the
heads of two female statues-in all, six
statues, a bust of Commodus, a head
of Venus, and male portrait head,
and two legs, apparently portions of
the same statue.
The gem Of these pieces of sculpture,
all found together within the space of a
few square yards, is the Venus, as it is
called. It's only claim, however, to be
considered are presentation of the Paph-
ian divinity consists, like that of the
Capitoline Venus, in being perfectly
nude but instead of being statue of
a fully developed woman, it is that of
lovely girl of seventeen. To use the
words applied by Winkelmann to the
Venus de Medici, " 1t is like a lovely
rosebud bursting into bloom" and
might not inappropriately be called a
Psyche, did not the style of art suggest
an earlier period than the date of the
fable. She stands with both feet upon
the ground and close together, the left
a couple of inches further back, with
the heel very slightly raised. A moment
before she was erect, but she has
dropped into an easier position, with
the left knee bent forward and inwards
against the right. Her left hand is
resting on the knot of hair at the back
of her head, while her right holds the
fillet she has already passed several
times round it. In doing this she has
swayed a little over and down TO tie
right, bringing the left side forward.
The shoulders are we'll set back, and the
face is turned to the right and a little
showing from the front not
quite three quarter view. The result
of this action is the most beautiful flow
of line from every point of view.
The modelling is perfect, the contours
have that delicious softness given to the
gradually increasing fullness of ap-
preaching development, together with
all the beauty, charm and sweetness of
youth, virginity and innocence. Alto
gether it is the most perfect representa-
tion of pure, unconscious girlhood ]
ever beheld. On the ground at her
right is what appears to be a perfume
box, ornamented with flowers like
daisies, and upon slender kind of bal
aster, upon which her drapery has been
thrown. This, Of course, serves as the
support to the statue, but does not
intrude as closely Gpon the leg as the
vase and drapery which support the
Capitoline Venus. ] may be somewhat
unduly impressed by the first sight of
this "thing of beauty" but 1 am
inclined to think that il will take rank
above the MediceaA Venus. Judging
from the execution, which is slightly
unequal, and which, though good, is
inferior to the beauty of the conception
and modelling, here can be little doubt
that the statue is a copy, BIT from a
masterpiece. The marble, as / have
said, is Parian of the rarest quality.
The statue is broken across tho neck,
below the left and above the right knee,
and above the left ankle. The nose is
broken at the tip, and the
right arm has not yet been found.
THE queen of Englands daughters
are examples to the rest of the fashion
able world in industry and taste. At
the royal Swiss cottage each of the
princesses has a garden which she cul-
tivates with her own hands. They have
learned to cook, and they frequently
sit down to a meal prepared by one or
the other. Louise, wife of tho marquis
of Lorne, is a clever artist.