the civilization of the renaissance in italy-第68章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ore　powerful　impression　of　the　figure　　described。　Dante　gives　us　nowhere　a　more　splendid　idea　of　his　Beatrice　　than　where　he　only　describes　the　influence　which　goes　forth　from　her　　upon　all　around。　But　here　we　have　not　to　treat　particularly　of　poetry；　　which　follows　its　own　laws　and　pursues　its　own　ends；　but　rather　of　the　　general　capacity　to　paint　in　words　real　or　imaginary　forms。

In　this　Boccaccio　is　a　masternot　in　the　'Decameron；'　where　the　　character　of　the　tales　forbids　lengthy　description；　but　in　the　　romances；　where　he　is　free　to　take　his　time。　In　his　'Ameto'　he　　describes　a　blonde　and　a　brunette　much　as　an　artist　a　hundred　years　　later　would　have　painted　themfor　here；　too；　culture　long　precedes　　art。　In　the　account　of　the　brunetteor；　strictly　speaking；　of　the　less　　blonde　of　the　twothere　are　touches　which　deserve　to　be　called　　classical。　In　the　words　'la　spaziosa　testa　e　distesa'　lies　the　feeling　　for　grander　forms；　which　go　beyond　a　graceful　prettiness；　the　eyebrows　　with　him　no　longer　resemble　two　bows；　as　in　the　Byzantine　ideal；　but　a　　single　wavy　line；　the　nose　seems　to　have　been　meant　to　be　aquiline；　the　　broad；　full　breast；　the　arms　of　moderate　length；　the　effect　of　the　　beautiful　hand；　as　it　lies　on　the　purple　mantleall　this　foretells　the　　sense　of　beauty　of　a　coming　time；　and　unconsciously　approaches　to　that　　of　classical　antiquity。　In　other　descriptions　Boccaccio　mentions　a　flat　　（not　medievally　rounded）　brow；　a　long；　earnest；　brown　eye；　and　round；　　not　hollowed　neck；　as　well　asin　a　very　modern　tonethe　'little　feet'　　and　the　'two　roguish　eyes'　of　a　black…haired　nymph。

Whether　the　fifteenth　century　has　left　any　written　account　of　its　ideal　　of　beauty；　I　am　not　able　to　say。　The　works　of　the　painters　and　　sculptors　do　not　render　such　an　account　as　unnecessary　as　might　appear　　at　first　sight；　since　possibly；　as　opposed　to　their　realism；　a　more　　ideal　type　might　have　been　favored　and　preserved　by　the　writers。　In　the　　sixteenth　century　Firenzuola　came　forward　with　his　remarkable　work　on　　female　beauty。　We　must　clearly　distinguish　in　it　what　he　had　learned　　from　old　authors　or　from　artists；　such　as　the　fixing　of　proportions　　according　to　the　length　of　the　head；　and　certain　abstract　conceptions。　　What　remains　is　his　own　genuine　observation；　illustrated　with　examples　　of　women　and　girls　from　Prato。　As　his　little　work　is　a　kind　of　lecture；　　delivered　before　the　women　of　this　citythat　is　to　say；　before　very　　severe　criticshe　must　have　kept　pretty　closely　to　the　truth。　His　　principle　is　avowedly　that　of　Zeuxis　and　of　Lucianto　piece　together　　an　ideal　beauty　out　of　a　number　of　beautiful　parts。　He　defines　the　　shades　of　color　which　occur　in　the　hair　and　skin；　and　gives　to　the　　'biondo'　the　preference；　as　the　most　beautiful　color　for　the　hair；　　understanding　by　it　a　soft　yellow；　inclining　to　brown。　He　requires　that　　the　hair　should　be　thick；　long；　and　locky；　the　forehead　serene；　and　　twice　as　broad　as　high；　the　skin　bright　and　clear　（candida）；　but　not　of　　a　dead　white　（bianchezza）；　the　eyebrows　dark；　silky；　most　strongly　　marked　in　the　middle；　and　shading　off　towards　the　ears　and　the　nose；　　the　white　of　the　eye　faintly　touched　with　blue；　the　iris　not　actually　　black；　though　all　the　poets　praise　'occhi　neri'　as　a　gift　of　Venus；　　despite　that　even　goddesses　were　known　for　their　eyes　of　heavenly　blue；　　and　that　soft；　joyous；　brown　eyes　were　admired　by　everybody。　The　eye　　itself　should　be　large　and　full　and　brought　well　forward；　the　lids　　white；　and　marked　with　almost　invisible　tiny　red　veins；　the　lashes　　neither　too　long；　nor　too　thick；　nor　too　dark。　The　hollow　round　the　eye　　should　have　the　same　color　as　the　cheek。　The　ear；　neither　too　large　nor　　too　small；　firmly　and　neatly　fitted　on；　should　show　a　stronger　color　in　　the　winding　than　in　the　even　parts；　with　an　edge　of　the　transparent　　ruddiness　of　the　pomegranate。　The　temples　must　be　white　and　even；　and　　for　the　most　perfect　beauty　ought　not　to　be　too　narrow。　The　red　should　　grow　deeper　as　the　cheek　gets　rounder。　The　nose；　which　chiefly　　determines　the　value　of　the　profile；　must　recede　gently　and　uniformly　　in　the　direction　of　the　eyes；　where　the　cartilage　ceases；　there　may　be　　a　slight　elevation；　but　not　so　marked　as　to　make　the　nose　aquiline；　　which　is　not　pleasing　in　women；　the　lower　part　must　be　less　strongly　　colored　than　the　ears；　but　not　of　a　chilly　whiteness；　and　the　middle　　partition　above　the　lips　lightly　tinted　with　red。　The　mouth；　our　author　　would　have　rather　small；　and　neither　projecting　to　a　point；　nor　quite　　flat；　with　the　lips　not　too　thin；　and　fitting　neatly　together；　an　　accidental　opening；　that　is；　when　the　woman　is　neither　speaking　nor　　laughing；　should　not　display　more　than　six　upper　teeth。　As　delicacies　　of　detail；　he　mentions　a　dimple　in　the　upper　lip；　a　certain　fullness　of　　the　under　lip；　and　a　tempting　smile　in　the　left　corner　of　the　mouth　and　so　on。　The　teeth　should　not　be　too　small；　regular；　well　marked　off　　from　one　another；　and　of　the　color　of　ivory；　and　the　gums　must　not　be　　too　dark　or　even　like　red　velvet。　The　chin　is　to　be　round；　neither　　pointed　nor　curved　outwards；　and　growing　slightly　red　as　it　rises；　its　　glory　is　the　dimple。　The　neck　should　be　white　and　round　and　rather　long　　than　short；　with　the　hollow　and　the　Adam's　apple　but　faintly　marked；　　and　the　skin　at　every　movement　must　show　pleasing　lines。　The　shoulders　　he　desires　broad；　and　in　the　breadth　of　the　bosom　sees　the　first　　condition　of　its　beauty。　No　bone　may　be　visible　upon　it；　its　fall　and　　swell　must　be　gentle　and　gradual；　its　color　'candidissimo。'　The　leg　　should　be　long　and　not　too　hard　in　the　lower　parts；　but　still　not　　without　flesh　on　the　shin；　which　must　be　provided　with　white；　full　　calves。　He　likes　the　foot　small；　but　not　bony；　the　instep　（it　seems）　　high；　and　the　color　white　as　alabaster。　The　arms　are　to　be　white；　and　　in　the　upper　parts　tinted　with　red；　in　their　consistence　fleshy　and　　muscular；　but　still　soft　as　those　of　Pallas；　when　she　stood　before　the　　shepherd　on　Mount　Idain　a　word；　ripe；　fresh；　and　firm。　The　hand　　should　be　white；　especially　towards　the　wrist；　but　large　and　plump；　　feeling　soft　as　silk；　the　rosy　palm　marked　with　a　few；　but　distinct　and　　not　intricate　lines；　the　elevations　in　it　should　be　not　too　great；　the　　space　between　thumb　and　forefinger　brightly　colored　and　without　　wrinkles；　the　fingers　long；　delicate；　and　scarcely　at　all　thinner　　towards　the　tips；　with　nails　clear；　even；　not　too　long　nor　to　square；　　and　cut　so　as　to　show　a　white　margin　about　the　breadth　of　a　knife's　　back。

Aesthetic　principles　of　a　general　character　occupy　a　very　subordinate　　place　to　these　particulars。　The　ultimate　principles　of　beauty；　　according　to　which　the　eye　judges　'senza　appello；'　are　for　Firenzuola　a　　secret；　as　he　frankly　confesses；　and　his　definitions　of　'Leggiadria；'　　'Grazia；'　'Aria；'　'Maesta；'　'Vaghezza；'　'Venusta；'　are　partly；　as　has　　been　remarked；　philological；　and　partly　vain　attempts　to　utter　the　　unutterable。　Laughter　he　prettily　defines；　probably　following　some　old　　author；　as　a　radiance　of　the　soul。　The　literature　of　all　countries　can；　　at　the　close　of　the　Middle　Ages；　show　single　attempts　to　lay　down　　theoretic　principles　of　beauty；　but　no　other　work　can　be　compared　to　　that　of　Firenzuola。　Brantome；　who　came　a　good　half…century　later；　is　a　　bungling　critic　by　his　side；　because　governed　by　lasciviousness　and　not　　by　a　sense　of　beauty。

Description　of　Human　Life

Among　the　new　discoveries　made　with　regard　to　man；　we　must　reckon；　in　　conclusion；　the　interest　taken　in　descriptions　of　the　daily　course　of　　human　life。

The　comical　and　satirical　literature　of　the　Middle　Ages　could　not　　dispense　with　pictures　of　everyday　events。　But　it　is　another　thing；　　when　the　Italians　of　the　Renaissance　dwelt　on　this　picture　for　its　own　　sakefor　its　inherent　interest　and　because　it　forms　part　of　that　　great；　universal　life　of　the　world　whose　magic　breath　they　felt　　everywhere　around　them。　Instead　of　and　together　with　the　satirical　　comedy；　which　wanders　through　houses；　villages；　and　streets；　seeking　　food　for　its　derision　in　parson；　peasant；　and　burgher；　we　now　see　in　　literature　the　beginnings　of　a　true　_genre；　_long　before　it　found　any　　expression　in　painting。