you would experience from the natural object itself. For instance
of the first, in this representation of a rainbow,[26] the artist has no
hope that, by the black lines of engraving, he can deceive you into any
belief of the rainbow's being there, but he gives indication enough of
what he intends, to enable you to supply the rest of the idea yourself,
providing always you know beforehand what a rainbow is like. But in this
drawing of the falls of Terni,[27] the painter has strained his skill to
the utmost to give an actually deceptive resemblance of the iris,
dawning and fading among the foam. So far as he has not actually
deceived you, it is not because he would not have done so if he could;
but only because his colors and science have fallen short of his desire.
They have fallen so little short, that, in a good light, you may all but
believe the foam, and the sunshine are drifting and changing among the
rocks.

127. And after looking a little while, you will begin to regret that
they are not so: you will feel that, lovely as the drawing is, you would
like far better to see the real place, and the goats skipping among the
rocks, and the spray floating above the fall. And this is the true sign
of the greatest art--to part voluntarily with its greatness;--to make
_itself_ poor and unnoticed; but so to exalt and set forth its theme,
that you may be fain to see the theme instead of it. So that you have
never enough admired a great workman's doing, till you have begun to
despise it. The best homage that could be paid to the Athena of Phidias
would be to desire rather to see the living goddess; and the loveliest
Madonnas of Christian art fall short of their due power, if they do not
make their beholders sick at heart to see the living Virgin.

128. We have then, for our requirement of the finest art, (sculpture, or
anything else,) that it shall be so like the thing it represents as to
please those who best know or can conceive the original; and, if
possible, please them deceptively--its final triumph being to deceive
even the wise; and (the Greeks thought) to please even the Immortals,
who were so wise as to be undeceivable. So that you get the Greek, thus
far entirely true, idea of perfectness in sculpture, expressed to you by
what Phalaris says, at first sight of the bull of Perilaus, "It only
wanted motion and bellowing to seem alive; and as soon as I saw it, I
cried out, it ought to be sent to the god,"--to Apollo, for