Method for Learning

The Nile. Plate 79.

The figure of the Nile, whose proportions are given in this Plate, possesses some beauty, though it is not of the highest order; the style is grand and the shapes are beautiful. However, it is a nature, one might say, puffed up and round, with little of truths treated with finesse. This figure is located at the Capitol.

The Flayed Little Horse. Plate 80.

We will complete these Antiquities with the proportions of the flayed little horse, which is seen at Ville Matuei, represented in Plate 80. The figure is divided by the usual lines, and these lines are further subdivided into six smaller parts. Thus, after all we have said before about the measurements and subdivisions of all previous figures, it is unnecessary to dwell further on this one.

We do not discuss several other highly esteemed Antiquities here, such as Venus, nicknamed the Shell, which is a masterpiece of beauty and is draped with admirable delicacy: The Squatting Venus: the Wrestlers found in the cabinet of the Grand Duke in Florence, forming the most ingenious and well-linked group known among the Antiquities; one also discovers a deep knowledge of Anatomy and muscle action. The Faun holding a pastoral flute, treated skillfully and with all possible finesse. The Rotator, which represents a man sharpening a knife; a figure of excellent character, and visible here.

Translation Notes:

Antiques refers to classical artworks from antiquity, often valued for their historical significance and aesthetic qualities. Boursouflée translates as "puffed up," referring to an exaggerated style. Flayed horse typically determines anatomical studies of horses with exposed musculature to study their structure. The Capitol here likely refers to the Capitol in Rome where such statues may be housed.