sb. and a. [ad. L. statuārius adj. (also absol. as sb. masc., sculptor, and ellipt. fem. statuāria sc. ars, art of sculpture), f. statua STATUE sb. Cf. F. statuaire adj. and sb. masc. and fem. (sb. masc. from 14th c.), It. statuario adj. and sb. masc., statuaria sb. fem. (similarly Sp., Pg. estatuário, -ária).] A. sb.
1. One who practises the art of making statues, a sculptor of statues.
1581. Mulcaster, Positions, v. 35. If I … should seeme to contemne that principle, which brought forth … so many statuaries, so many architectes.
1607. Chapman, Bussy d’Ambois, I. i. 7. Vnskilfull statuaries, who suppose (In forging a Colossus) if they make him Stroddle enough … Their worke is goodly.
1631. Massinger, Emperor East, II. i. If Statuaries could By the foote of Hercules set downe punctually His whole dimensions.
1777. Johnson, Lett. to Mrs. Lucy Porter, 20 Nov., in Boswell (1831), IV. 63. Mr. Nollikens, the statuary, has had my direction to send you a cast of my head.
1814. Scott, Diary, 25 Aug., in Lockhart, III. vii. 237. I think a statuary might catch beautiful hints from the fanciful and romantic disposition of the stalactites.
1864. Tennyson, Boädicea, 64. Burn the palaces, break the works of the statuary.
1890. Daily News, 21 March, 5/4. Other cracks … may easily be discovered, and the statuary should be called in before the damage gets more serious.
2. Sculpture composed of statues, statues collectively. † Also pl., works of sculpture.
1673. [R. Leigh], Transp. Reh., 97. The image of episcopacy, like the statuaries in Pallas target.
1701. in Cath. Rec. Soc. Publ., VII. 106. We were … to see ye fine antient pieces of Statuary, of which there are several of the Passion.
1848. H. Rogers, Ess., I. vi. 305. The persons of the drama stand out in their appropriate characteristics as distinctly as the various forms in a group of Greek statuary.
3. The art of making statues, sculpture.
1563. Shute, Archit., B iij b. Neither in painting like Apelles nor Plastes, or Stattuary like vnto Miron or Policrates.
1704. Addison, Italy, Pref. The noblest productions of statuary and architecture.
1776. Johnson, in Boswell, 19 March. The value of statuary is owing to its difficulty. You would not value the finest head cut upon a carrot.
1839. Ure, Dict. Arts, 1009. It was he [Wedgewood] who first erected magnificent factories, where every resource of … science was made to co-operate with the arts of painting, sculpture, and statuary.
1840. Hood, Up the Rhine, 55. A painted wooden figure of a Dutchman…. This wooden statuary is, timberly speaking, quite a branch of the Dutch fine arts.
1846. Ellis, Elgin Marbles, I. 110. Statuary, or the art of making complete figures.
4. Comb.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Statuary-casting.
1914. Daily News, 15 Jan., 12. I was admitted to the inner sanctum of the statuary-makers’ haunts.
B. adj.
1. Of or pertaining to the making of statues.
1627. Hakewill, Apol., III. v. § 3. 198. And therefore Plato banished Poets from his common-wealth; and Moses,… both painting and the statuary Art.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 16 June 1683. Nor doubt I at all that he will prove as greate a master in the statuary art.
2. Consisting of statues or a statue; sculptured.
1629. Maxwell, trans. Herodian (1635), 120. He … presented them also to publicke view, in Statuarie Representations.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 64. Sir Francis Bacon … hath there a fair statuary monument erected for him of white Marble.
c. 1718. Penn, Tracts, Wks. 1726, I. 542. Which shows he [Orpheus] meant no Statuary Deity, but God that made the Heavens and the Earth.
1753. in Picton, L’pool. Munic. Rec. (1886), II. 159. The statuary work by him executed.
1892. Daily News, 13 May, 3/1. When Cato was offered statuary honours, he refused them on the ground that he would rather people asked why there was not a statue of Cato than why there was one.
† 3. fig. Resembling that of a statue; statuesque.
1759. Goldsm., Bee, No. 2, On our Theatres, ¶ 1. Actresses … who have … what connoisseurs call statuary grace, by which is meant elegance unconnected with motion.
4. Of materials: Suitable for statues or statuary work; esp. statuary marble (see quot. 1909), hence statuary vein, a variety of statuary marble (see quot. 1909).
1815. W. Bakewell, Introd. Geol., 87. The crystalline translucent qualities of statuary marble.
1823. W. Phillips, Introd. Min. (ed. 3), 152. Statuary Marble. The most celebrated statuary marble was found in the island of Paros, thence termed Parian marble.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., Statuary-brass, an alloy of copper, zinc, and tin, used for statuary, generally known as bronze.
1909. Renwick, Marble, 218. Statuary, a general name given to pure white marble, free from markings, but generally understood as meaning the best quality of Italian white marble. Ibid., Statuary Vein, white Italian marble having a statuary ground and fine blue veins traversing the formation.
attrib. 1881. W. S. Gilbert, Foggerty’s Fairy (1892), 26. A handsome statuary marble mantelpiece.
