Article #512-1 | Gutenberg Articles

Excerpt

Excerpt from Mosses from an old manse, by Nathaniel Hawthorne

In a range with the curtain there were a number of other choice
pictures by artists of ancient days. Here was the famous cluster of
grapes by Zeuxis, so admirably depicted that it seemed as if the ripe
juice were bursting forth. As to the picture of the old woman by the
same illustrious painter, and which was so ludicrous that he himself
died with laughing at it, I cannot say that it particularly moved my
risibility. Ancient humor seems to have little power over modern
muscles. Here, also, was the horse painted by Apelles which living
horses neighed at; his first portrait of Alexander the Great, and his
last unfinished picture of Venus asleep. Each of these works of art,
together with others by Parrhasius, Timanthes, Polygnotus, Apollodorus,
Pausias, and Pamplulus, required more time and study than I could
bestow for the adequate perception of their merits. I shall therefore
leave them undescribed and uncriticised, nor attempt to settle the
question of superiority between ancient and modern art.

For the same reason I shall pass lightly over the specimens of antique
sculpture which this indefatigable and fortunate virtuoso had dug out
of the dust of fallen empires. Here was AEtion’s cedar statue of
AEsculapius, much decayed, and Alcon’s iron statue of Hercules,
lamentably rusted. Here was the statue of Victory, six feet high, which
the Jupiter Olympus of Phidias had held in his hand. Here was a
forefinger of the Colossus of Rhodes, seven feet in length. Here was
the Venus Urania of Phidias, and other images of male and female beauty
or grandeur, wrought by sculptors who appeared never to have debased
their souls by the sight of any meaner forms than those of gods or
godlike mortals. But the deep simplicity of these great works was not
to be comprehended by a mind excited and disturbed, as mine was, by the
various objects that had recently been presented to it. I therefore
turned away with merely a passing glance, resolving on some future
occasion to brood over each individual statue and picture until my
inmost spirit should feel their excellence. In this department, again,
I noticed the tendency to whimsical combinations and ludicrous
analogies which seemed to influence many of the arrangements of the
museum. The wooden statue so well known as the Palladium of Troy was
placed in close apposition with the wooden head of General Jackson,
which was stolen a few years since from the bows of the frigate
Constitution.

We had now completed the circuit of the spacious hall, and found
ourselves again near the door. Feeling somewhat wearied with the survey
of so many novelties and antiquities, I sat down upon Cowper’s sofa,
while the virtuoso threw himself carelessly into Rabelais’s easychair.
Casting my eyes upon the opposite wall, I was surprised to perceive the
shadow of a man flickering unsteadily across the wainscot, and looking
as if it were stirred by some breath of air that found its way through
the door or windows. No substantial figure was visible from which this
shadow might be thrown; nor, had there been such, was there any
sunshine that would have caused it to darken upon the wall.

Explanation

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Mosses from an Old Manse (1846) is a collection of short stories, sketches, and essays that blend history, allegory, and Gothic romance. The excerpt you’ve provided comes from "The Old Manse"—a semi-autobiographical piece describing Hawthorne’s time living in the historic Concord, Massachusetts, manse (formerly occupied by his ancestor, a Puritan judge, and later by Ralph Waldo Emerson). The passage is a satirical yet reflective tour of a fictional "museum" filled with legendary artworks, relics, and curiosities, serving as a meditation on art, time, the limits of human perception, and the absurdity of attempting to preserve or judge the past.

Context and Themes

Art and the Illusion of Reality The excerpt opens with a catalog of famous works from antiquity—paintings by Zeuxis (whose grapes were so lifelike birds pecked at them) and Apelles (whose horse deceived real horses). These references highlight the tension between art and reality, a recurring theme in Hawthorne’s work. The narrator admits he cannot fully appreciate these masterpieces, suggesting that art’s power is subjective and time-bound—what moved ancient audiences may leave modern ones cold (e.g., Zeuxis’s "ludicrous" old woman fails to amuse him). This reflects Hawthorne’s broader skepticism about the universality of artistic or moral truths.
The Decay of Time and Human Hubris The sculptures—rusted, decayed, or fragmented (e.g., the finger of the Colossus of Rhodes, the weathered Aesculapius)—symbolize the futility of human attempts to immortalize beauty or power. The Venus Urania, once divine, is now just another object in a cluttered collection. Hawthorne critiques the vanity of preservation: even the greatest works crumble, and their original significance fades. The juxtaposition of the Palladium of Troy (a sacred wooden statue that protected Troy) with the wooden head of Andrew Jackson (a stolen relic of American nationalism) is darkly humorous, equating mythic grandeur with modern political idolization.
The Limits of Perception The narrator is overwhelmed by the sheer volume of artifacts, unable to "comprehend" their "deep simplicity." His mind is "excited and disturbed," suggesting that true appreciation requires stillness and depth—qualities lacking in a world (or museum) that prioritizes accumulation over contemplation. This mirrors Hawthorne’s own ambivalence about the Romantic era’s obsession with the past (e.g., Emerson’s transcendentalism, the Gothic revival). The museum becomes a maze of fragmented history, where meaning is lost in the clutter.
The Supernatural and the Uncanny The passage ends with an eerie, unexplained shadow—a man’s silhouette with no source, moving as if "stirred by some breath of air." This ghostly image introduces the Gothic element Hawthorne often employs to suggest hidden truths or unresolved hauntings. The shadow may symbolize:
- The elusive nature of the past (history as a flickering, intangible presence).
- The narrator’s own psychological state (his exhaustion making him susceptible to illusions).
- A critique of materialism: despite the room’s tangible artifacts, the most compelling "presence" is immaterial.

Literary Devices

Ekphrasis (Art Description) Hawthorne employs ekphrasis—vivid descriptions of visual art—to explore themes of representation and reality. The paintings and sculptures are not just objects but mirrors of human ambition (e.g., Apelles’s Venus, left unfinished, hints at the incompleteness of all artistic endeavors).
Juxtaposition and Irony
- Ancient vs. Modern: The narrator’s indifference to Zeuxis’s humor contrasts with the legendary status of these works, underscoring how cultural context shapes meaning.
- Sacred vs. Profane: The Palladium (a divine protector) next to Jackson’s head (a political symbol) mocks the arbitrariness of what societies reverence.
- Grandeur vs. Decay: The "six-foot" Victory held by Phidias’s Jupiter is now just a small statue in a room, reducing myth to museum piece.
Symbolism
- The Shadow: Represents the intangible past, the subconscious, or the limits of human understanding. Its lack of a source suggests truths that cannot be pinned down.
- Cowper’s Sofa and Rabelais’s Easy Chair: The narrator rests on furniture tied to melancholy (Cowper, a depressed poet) and satire (Rabelais, a bawdy humorist), framing his exhaustion as both tragic and absurd.
Stream of Consciousness The narrator’s rambling, associative style mimics the overstimulation of the museum. His inability to focus reflects the modern condition—drowning in information, unable to synthesize meaning.

Significance

Critique of Romantic Nostalgia Hawthorne, writing during the American Renaissance, was surrounded by thinkers (like Emerson) who idealized the past. This passage satirizes the futility of nostalgia: the museum’s artifacts are dead relics, not living truths. The narrator’s failure to connect with them suggests that the past cannot be resurrected, only mythologized.
The Artist’s Dilemma As a writer, Hawthorne grappled with the pressure to create lasting art. The unfinished Venus and the rusted Hercules serve as memento mori for artists—no work escapes time’s corrosion. The shadow may also symbolize the elusive muse or the fear of irrelevance.
The Gothic Undercurrent The shadow’s appearance foreshadows Hawthorne’s darker tales (e.g., The Scarlet Letter, The House of the Seven Gables), where the past haunts the present. The museum, like the Old Manse itself, is a repository of ghosts—both literal and metaphorical.
Modern Resonance The passage feels strikingly contemporary in its critique of information overload and the commodification of culture. The narrator’s fatigue mirrors modern museum fatigue or the scrolling exhaustion of the digital age, where we consume art without absorption.

Close Reading of Key Lines

"Ancient humor seems to have little power over modern muscles."
- Meaning: Laughter, like art, is culturally contingent. What was hilarious to Zeuxis (a painter who died laughing at his own joke) falls flat now.
- Effect: Undercuts the idea of universal aesthetic standards, a Romantic ideal Hawthorne questions.
"Sculptors who appeared never to have debased their souls by the sight of any meaner forms than those of gods or godlike mortals."
- Meaning: Ancient artists idealized beauty, but their perfection is now inaccessible—either because modern eyes are "debased" or because the ideal itself is lost.
- Effect: Irony—Hawthorne, a moralist, suggests that purity of vision is impossible in a fallen world.
"The deep simplicity of these great works was not to be comprehended by a mind excited and disturbed."
- Meaning: True art requires stillness and depth, but the modern mind is too fragmented to achieve this.
- Effect: A critique of Romantic excess—Emerson’s "transcendental" moments are hard to sustain in reality.
"A shadow of a man flickering unsteadily across the wainscot."
- Meaning: The past is present but insubstantial, like a memory or a half-remembered dream.
- Effect: Leaves the reader with a Gothic chill, suggesting that history is not just "over" but lingering, unresolved.

Conclusion

This excerpt is a microcosm of Hawthorne’s genius: it blends satire, Gothic mystery, and philosophical depth while critiquing the illusions of art, history, and human perception. The museum becomes a metaphor for the mind—cluttered with relics, struggling to find meaning, and ultimately confronted by the shadows of what it cannot grasp. In Hawthorne’s world, the past is never dead; it flickers on the wall, seen but not understood.

Questions

Question 1

The narrator’s response to Zeuxis’s painting of the old woman—"I cannot say that it particularly moved my risibility"—primarily serves to:

A. underscore the narrator’s lack of sophistication in appreciating classical humor.
B. highlight the technical inferiority of ancient comedic art compared to modern satire.
C. suggest that the passage of time has rendered all ancient art emotionally inert.
D. imply that the narrator’s exhaustion has dulled his capacity for amusement.
E. illustrate the contextual and subjective nature of artistic reception across eras.

Question 2

The juxtaposition of the Palladium of Troy and the wooden head of General Jackson is most effectively interpreted as a commentary on:

A. the universal human impulse to venerate both mythic and historical figures.
B. the superiority of classical craftsmanship over modern political symbolism.
C. the narrator’s personal disdain for American nationalism in contrast to his reverence for antiquity.
D. the arbitrary and often absurd equivalence drawn between sacred relics and secular idols.
E. the inevitable decay of all material objects, regardless of their original cultural significance.

Question 3

The "shadow of a man flickering unsteadily across the wainscot" functions most plausibly in the passage as a:

A. supernatural intrusion, signaling the narrator’s descent into hallucination.
B. symbolic manifestation of the intangible, unresolved presence of history.
C. literal reflection caused by an unseen light source, emphasizing the narrator’s inattentiveness.
D. metaphor for the fleeting and illusory nature of artistic inspiration.
E. Gothic trope designed to foreshadow an impending physical or psychological threat.

Question 4

The narrator’s decision to "turn away" from the sculptures with "merely a passing glance" is best understood as a reflection of:

A. his aesthetic fatigue, rendering him incapable of engaging with complex art.
B. the inherent inferiority of sculpture as an art form compared to painting.
C. his deliberate rejection of classical ideals in favor of modern sensibilities.
D. the cognitive and emotional overload that prevents meaningful engagement with the past.
E. the physical decay of the artifacts, which makes them unworthy of prolonged attention.

Question 5

The passage’s closing image—the shadow—is most thematically resonant with which of the following ideas?

A. The inevitability of death as the ultimate arbiter of all human endeavors.
B. The persistence of the past as an elusive, haunting presence that resists full comprehension.
C. The narrator’s subconscious guilt over his failure to appreciate the museum’s treasures.
D. The futility of art to capture or preserve the essence of human experience.
E. The fragility of perception, which is easily distorted by external or psychological factors.

Solutions and Explanations

1) Correct answer: E

Why E is most correct: The narrator’s indifference to Zeuxis’s humor is not a personal failing (A) or a judgment on ancient art’s quality (B, C) but a demonstration that artistic impact is contingent on cultural and temporal context. Hawthorne underscores that what was hilarious in antiquity may not resonate today, emphasizing the subjective and evolving nature of aesthetic reception. This aligns with the passage’s broader critique of universalist claims about art.