Truth and Beauty

6.
In his first week into the household of Iadmon Aesop was captivated by a marble statue that was set in a park. It shone here and there picked out of darkness by a full moon. He thought it must be that of Aphrodite in her perfection. His fancies were so aroused that he went next morning along that path to go to his work place. To his surprise he realized the statue was that of Medusa. Under that brash sunlight it was calculated to harrow any viewer. So masterly the sculptor had fashioned her form. On looking at it so many times since that initial shock, he realized his first impression under the moonlight was right after all. The horror of her face had its own beauty supplied by the skill of the unknown sculptor.
Remarkable that the sculptor could bring out a certain beauty in what may at superficial glance be seen an ugly subject! Aesop later on had ample opportunity to discuss Aesthetics with artists and sculptors. He would conclude what ordinary people thought of beauty was the freshness of youth. A mistaken notion. Such beauty what was present today and gone next day cannot sustain truth.
That truth of a sculptor’s art made even a horrible aspect of Medusa come alive. ‘Truth gets more mileage out of plain truth the seashells carry, despite these may have been trampled upon by wayfarer. To those with the seeing-eye these shells yield their secret’ so said a poet once and Aesop could understand.
“Gods of Olympus who made humans might see beauty in their wrinkles as well in that vitality shown in youth,” Aesop once spoke at the Babbler’s Club on his views of Aesthetics, ”But for us humans we need to train ourselves to look deeper. So some effort is needed.” Eyes are meant to look but a seeing-eye is yet another.
How an object fulfills in a way or performs in the way it is intended at all time has a beauty: It has character. ‘Humanity shown by man and woman in all circumstances must fit the purpose for which we are created.’ He had said on another occasion. Truth must be beauty indeed.
benny.
This is a selection from my book The Life of Aesop (www.lulu.com/content/344881)