HAT'S NATURAL PRINCIPLES OF BEAUTY.*
Ma. HAY announces this treatise "simply as complementary to the more elaborate works by which he has endeavoured to establish his theory of the beautiful in form." Its main points are the clear and detailed state- ment of the principles on which the author's system is based, and very explicit particulars of its verification by experiment. As the theory has not undergone any modification since the issue of the ." Geometric Beauty of the Human Figure," we need do no more than re- call to the reader's attention that, as here shortly expressed, "it consists in dividing the semicircle by 2, 3,5, and 7, and multiples of these primes, in the same arithmetical progression in which the monochord spontaneous- ly develops itself in the production of the harmonics of sound, and using the angles thus produced in applying harmonic proportion to plane figures through diagonal direction, instead of vertical and horizontal distance." This system, completed by the appropriation to each angle of its cognate curvilinear figure, embraces all formative art. For the human form' the fundamental angles adopted in pursuance of it are either 1-2, 8-15, 5-9, 9-18, 4-7, 7-12, or 3-5 of the semicircle, according to the proportional requirements of the figure, in a scale ranging from the extreme of female delicacy to that of masculine strength ; 1-2 for the proportions of the Venus. The skeleton, as determining the external form, was used to exemplify these principles in Mr. Hay's last work : here the external form itself is constructed on precisely the same basis, and the process is shown in diagrams of much delicacy and minuteness. We find nothing to ob- ject to the completeness of its application in the front figure ; but in the side-figure, some points, assuredly not unimportant to beauty, such as the slope of the bosom, remain undetermined : though it is certainly quite true that the fixing of the internal structure should prevent a designer from going far wrong in these respects.
Mr. Hay introduces us to the history of his experiments for verifying his theory as follows. "Being anxious to ascertain, in the first place, bow far this theoreti- cal figure agreed in its proportions with ordinary nature, arid, in the second, with those beautiful fragments of ancient Greek sculpture which have for so many centuries been considered the only perfect models of excellence to which the artist could refer, I resolved to enter upon a careful investigation. Feeling, however, that I could not look forward to any very satisfactory re- sult without having recourse to practical science, I made my wishes known to the Reverend P. Reiland, Professor of Mathematics, and to John Good- sir, Esq., Professor of Anatomy, both of the University of Edinburgh, and craved their advice and assistance. This they at once kindly agreed to afford me, by devoting their leisure to the subject during the summer vacations of their classes in 1851. And the valuable assistance thus offered in the search after truth, was not performed hastily, but with extreme care, occupying more or less their leisure time every week from June to October. "Confining ourselves in the mean time to the female form, as apparently based on the simplest fundamental angle, we directed our attention to the first object of inquiry, namely—whether this theoretical figure agreed so closely with ordinary nature as to warrant the conclusion, that the theory upon which it is constructed is a natural principle, universally developed in the structure of the human form, determining its general figure and proper-
The Natural Principles of Beauty as developed in the Human Figure. By 1). R. flay, rat.s.E. Published by Blackwood and Sons. tions ; and that, consequently, the endless variety found to exist among the forms of mankind may be considered simply as deviations, in various directions, from an exact development of a certain law of nature. "In order to determine this point, we commenced by procuring the mea- sures of the distances of several leading points in as many female models as we could obtain. The number of these living models amounted to six, most of whom were such as attend the life academies and private studios of artists."
The result of the test was a proximate agreement ; with consider- able discrepancies, of course, in various points, according to the dif- ference& between the models, chiefly in the length of the heed; but yield- ing, on an average, a comparison far from discouraging. In next testing ideal against ideal—Mr. Hay's against that of the Greeks as embodied in the Medieean Venus—much suientifie nicety was required in consequenoe of the vertical depression in the statue arising from its pose, and the true natural height had to be computed, through placing models accurately in position by the aid of a machine. The agreement here was exceedingly close ; the greatest discrepancy in any of the selected distances amounting to less than 1-4th of an inch as computed from one model, and to scarcely more than that fraction from another. A comparison of the Venus of Melos with the Venus de' Medici showed a system of proportion almost identical : from all which facts, with others noted in previous works, the author holds himself warranted, not without much show of reason, in con- cluding that a system of proportion similar to his own "had formed the basis of artistic education among the ancient Greeks at the period of their greatest excellence in the arts of design." Although—as we have already intimated our opinion—the perception and embodiment of beauty are something distinct from and quite above any msthetic system of proportion deduced from geometry, we cannot re- fuse to entertain Mr. Hay's system as of singular intrinsic excellence. The simplicity of his law, and its generality, impress themselves more deeply on the conviction with each time of enforcement. It produces all kinds of things—from pots and pans, candelabra, or pattern-decorations, to styles of architecture and human beings ; that much is certain. His theory proceeds from the idea that, in nature "everything is effected by means more simple than any other which could have been conceived" : an idea certainly consistent with whatever we can trace out or imagine of the all-wise framing of the universe. How far preceding theorists were from having so definite a principle at the core of their systems of human proportion, is proved, in an appendix to the present treatise, by extracts from Vitruvius, Jean Cousin, and Albert Duren The following relates to the latter; whose work Mr. Hay nevertheless considers "de- cidedly the best that has been produced on the lineal measurements of the human figure."
"Since the time of Vitruvius many attempts have been made to apply systematic proportions to the human figure. The first and most prominent of these is the work of Albert Durer, a distinguished painter and engraver of Nuremberg, of the fifteenth century. It was written in the German lan- guage; translated into Latin, and published at Nuremberg in 1632; trans- lated into French, and published at Paris in 15S7; and lastly, into Italian, and published at Venice in 1591. It is a work of great labour ; and is di- vided into four books, each of which is illustrated by numerous wood-en- gravings. In the first book the author gives the measurements of ten figures —five males and five females, of corresponding proportions. He CO111111e11005 his series with what he terms a stout villager, or peasant in good condition. The height of this figure is seven times the vertical length of his head, and his breadth at the shoulders little short of one-third of his full stature. Of this figure there are three outlines, giving a front, a side, and a back view ; the proportions of which are explained by upwards of eighty lineal measure- ments. A female figure to correspond is illustrated in the same manner. These figures, although very coarse specimens of the human form, are never- theless remarkably well drawn, and their proportions quite natural and con- sistent. The other figures in this book gradually arise from these squat specimens to the slender, ending with a figure so attenuated in his propor- tions that his stature is about ten times the vertical length of his head, and his breadth at the shoulders considerably leas than one fifth of his stature. The proportions of this figure, as well as of the others towards the conclusion of the first book, are explained by about one hundred lineal measurements."
• Spectator, 14th April 1849, p. 347; and 8th March 1551, p. 235.
Previous page
