A Portrait-study (3-5)

Polystratus There you acted your stony part to perfection. As you could neither follow her, nor make inquiries of the Smyrnaean, it only remains for you to describe her as best you can, on the chance of my recognizing her.

Lycinus You know not what you ask. It is not in the power of words—certainly not of my words—to portray such wondrous beauty; scarcely could an Apelles, a Zeuxis, a Parrhasius,— a Phidias or an Alcamenes, do justice to it; as for my flimsy workmanship, it will but insult the original.

Polystratus Well, never mind; what was she like? There can be no harm in trying your hand. What if the portrait be somewhat out of drawing?—the critic is your good friend.

Lycinus I think my best way out of it will be to call in the aid of some of the old masters I have named: let them fashion the likeness for me.

Polystratus Well, but—will they come? They have been dead so long.

Lycinus That is easily managed: but you must not mind answering me a few questions.

Polystratus You have but to ask.

Lycinus Were you ever at Cnidus?

Polystratus I was.

Lycinus Then you have seen the Aphrodite, of course?

Polystratus That masterpiece of Praxiteles’s art! I have.

Lycinus And heard the story they tell there,—of the man who fell in love with the statue, and contrived to get shut into the temple alone, and there enjoyed such favours as a statue is able to bestow.—But that is neither here nor there.—You have seen the Cnidian Aphrodite, anyhow; now I want to know whether you have also seen our own Aphrodite of the Gardens,—the Alcamenes.

Polystratus I must be a dullard of dullards, if that most exquisite of Alcamenes’s works had escaped my notice.

Lycinus I forbear to ask whether in the course of your many visits to the Acropolis you ever observed the Sosandra of Calamis[*].

Polystratus Frequently.

Lycinus That is really enough for my purpose. But I should just like to know what you consider to be Phidias’s best work.

Polystratus Can you ask?—The Lemnian Athene, which bears the artist’s own signature; oh, and of course the Amazon leaning on her spear.

Lycinus I approve your judgement. We shall have no need of other artists: I am now to cull from each of these its own peculiar beauty, and combine all in a single portrait.

Polystratus And how are you going to do that?

Lycinus It is quite simple. All we have to do is to hand over our several types to Reason, whose care it must be to unite them in the most harmonious fashion, with due regard to the consistency, as to the variety, of the result.

Polystratus To be sure; let Reason take her materials and begin.