for it approaches the circle in the even flow of its
curvature. This is, roughly, the line of the contour of a face, and you
may note how much painters who have excelled in grace have insisted on
it in their portraits. Gainsborough and Vandyke are striking, instances.

[Illustration: Diagram VII.

EGG AND DART MOULDING FROM ONE OF THE CARYATIDES FROM THE ERECHTHEUM IN
THE BRITISH MUSEUM]

The line of a profile is often one of great beauty, only here the
variety is apt to overbalance the unity or run of the line. The most
beautiful profiles are usually those in which variety is subordinated
to the unity of the contour. I fancy the Greeks felt this when they did
away with the hollow above the nose, making the line of the forehead
run, with but little interruption, to the tip of the nose. The unity of
line is increased, and the variety made more interesting. The idea that
this was the common Greek type is, I should imagine, untrue, for their
portrait statues do not show it. It does occur in nature at rare
intervals, and in most Western nationalities, but I do not think there
is much evidence of its ever having been a common type anywhere.

[Illustration: Diagram VIII.

ILLUSTRATING VARIETY IN SYMMETRY

Note how the hollows marked A are opposed by fullnesses marked B.]

In drawing or painting a profile this run or unity of the line is the
thing to feel, if you would express its particular beauty. This is best
done in the case of a painting by finally drawing it with the brush from
the background side, after having painted all the variety there is of
tone and colour on the face side of the line. As the background usually
varies little, the swing of the brush is not hampered on this side as it
is on the other. I have seen students worried to distraction trying to
paint the profile line from the face side, fearing to lose the drawing
by going over the edge. With the edge blurred out from the face side, it
is easy to come with a brush full of the colour the background is
immediately against the face (a different colour usually from what it is
further away), and draw it with some decision and conviction, care being
taken to note all the variations on the edge, where the sharpnesses come
and where the edge is more lost, &c.

[Sidenote: Variety in Symmetry.]

The contours of the limbs illustrate another form of line variety--what
may be called "Variety in Symmetry." While roughly speaking the limbs
are symmetrical, each