The grotesque in church art . ellence of theartistic management, which in the treatment of the mostunpromising subjects filled the composition with beautifullines. It was left to Hogarths genius to insist on the realityof the line of beauty as governing all loveliness, and hesuggests that a perceptive recognition of this existed on thepart of the classic sculptors. This applies to their work ingeneral, but he also mentions their frequent addition of some ARTISTIC QUALITY OF CHURCH GROTESQUES. 21 curved object connected with the subject, as though it were akind of key to the artistic compositio
The grotesque in church art . ellence of theartistic management, which in the treatment of the mostunpromising subjects filled the composition with beautifullines. It was left to Hogarths genius to insist on the realityof the line of beauty as governing all loveliness, and hesuggests that a perceptive recognition of this existed on thepart of the classic sculptors. This applies to their work ingeneral, but he also mentions their frequent addition of some ARTISTIC QUALITY OF CHURCH GROTESQUES. 21 curved object connected with the subject, as though it were akind of key to the artistic composition. Whether consciouslyor not, the ancients used many such adjunctive curved lines,and Hogarths conclusions cannot be styled fanciful. Thehelmet, plume, and serpent-edged aegis of Minerva, thedouble-bowed bolt and serpents of Jupiter, the ornaments ofthe trident, the aplustre and the twisted rope of Neptune, thebow and serpent of Apollo, the plume of Mars, the caduceusof Mercury, the ship-prow of Saturn, the gubernum or rudder. DOG AND BONE, CHRISTCHURCH, HAMPSHIRE. of Venus, the drinking horn of Pan, together with manyanother form to be observed in particular works of theancients, is each a definite and perfect example of the faultlessline. Now, to repeat, many—an infinite number—of theornaments of Gothic architecture, and not less the grotesquethan any other description, are likewise composed of the mostbeautiful lines conceivable, either entirely, or combined withlines of abrupt and ungraceful turn that seem to deliberatelyprovoke ones artistic protest; and yet the whole compositionshall, by its curious mixture of beauty and bizarre, its contrast 22 THE GROTESQUE IN CHURCH ART. of elegance with awkwardness, leave a real and unique senseof pleasure in the mind. Doubtless the root of this pleasureis the gratification of the mind at having secretly detecteditself responding to the call of art to exercise itself inappreciative discrimination. This may be unconsciouslydone ; a
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