In that case he generally suffers from the defect of most realists; that of not being realistic enough.
He does not really think out his own impressions thoroughly; or he would generally find they are not so disappointing after all.
A humorous soldier told me that he came from Derbyshire, and that he did not think much of the Pyramid because it was not so tall as the Peak.

I pointed out to him that he was really offering the tallest possible tribute to a work of man in comparing it to a mountain; even if he thought it was a rather small mountain.
I suggested that it was a rather large tombstone.

I appealed to those with whom I debated in that district, as to whether they would not be faintly surprised to find such a monument during their quiet rambles in a country churchyard.

I asked whether each one of them, if he had such a tombstone in the family, would not feel it natural, if hardly necessary, to point it out; and that with a certain pride.

The same principle of the higher realism applies to those who are disappointed with the sight of the Sphinx.
The Sphinx really exceeds expectations because it escapes expectations.
Monuments commonly look impressive when they are high and often when they are distant.