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A History Of Greek Art

A History Of Greek Art image
Parent Issue
Day
22
Month
August
Year
1888
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

IN tho hltory of that most brilliant I pie of autlmiity, the Snak, ÜWW i I do ehapterio faBriuatlng anii instruetive as that hich recouiits tho origin and development oí üreek architecture and sculpture. Froni the primitive temples of wood wbich were harrtly more tban log cuhiiis, somettmes decorated with metal píate, to the matehless perfection of the Parthenon; from the rude xvanon, or wooden tutues of a ;od, to the unrivailci and beauty of the marblc Btatues tbat carne from the chisel of I'hidias and his ' school, i a growtb of but llttle more than two centurles. Let us briefly follow the successive stages of tUis wouderful development and mark the influences and insplrations that made Greek art what it Is- the higheet achieyement of genius in the crenüon of types of beauty, of fonu and harmunious proportlon. The flrtt uestkn! thatone is tempted to afli when one stnnds face to face with the monuments of Greck art is this: What is the orijfiu of these arlistic creations? Are rhey (reek from the start, or borrowcd from earlier civilizations? Wiuckulmann, tbc fathfr of icieuLiUc studies in aneient art, says iu hls hittory: Art, thoufh boni i:mch later amonn the Greek thaD aniuiiü the orientáis, becau iliere with the humbleït element, and it cxlilblU a siiiip.lleily wliich eusily convinces us iliat the G reeks tank nothto; from the art of otber natlons. lt mvented tlieir own art. Sluce Wiuekoliuaun's time, howeyer, It hos been abundautly proved that Greek art at the outset was subject to oriental ïnfliience, and that it borrowed from Phirnlcia, Assyria and Egypt lts earlie6t modele ae wel) as iks kuowlcdge of methodi of work and technlcal skill. But the nierest glanca sutllces to show the immense diiTeienee between the Greek and oriental conception of art and the superior spiriluality and freedom of the Greek architect and sculptor from the very first. Tbe creatlve and beauty-loving genius that could tnake graeeful and Ilght the masslve and gloomy members of Egyptian architecture, and transform the iQCOBgraous and fantastic forms of Assyriau 6culpture üito harmonlous and natural types - this Í6 essentially and only native Greek. This transforming power of the Greek mimi is peih.ine most casily to be observed in the dr elopment of the three orders of Greek architecture. '1 ne prototype of the Dorie order Is to be se in llic temple of Karuakin Egypt; the capital, composed of abacus and echinus, is found in Cyprus; and email siruct ures iu Asia Minor show a pediment eacloted with curved Unes. In the deveopment of the Doric order the column grow more slendir and the eutublature dimiuisbed In heavlness. The i became more conrex-ehapcd through the pbAOgf in the linea of the Bchlnu. To this developinein Vt iieed orly to see a capital from the old temple of Selinus or of Corjnth, and one i'rom the FurtluT.' n. plací I side liy side. The Dorie ordei tu L-ui.iedisp'.ai'i'd In tbe fourth century by tho lonlc, i idi, as its name irnlic:' a [onla. Apeording lo ancient liters the Iouic order lIh' lirst time in the templa of Ephesus, whieh was built about 5S0 Rr.fEXT DISCOVEICirS. A Floto-Tonic Upo ha rtrently been illscovercd in va:mu parU ( Acu Klooi and iu Phcc íifíia, and a rei ent wiiter iu the American JournfU oí ArcbaMlogy tries to prote that the kmic capital, wiih ilo voliute, orlginsted in Egypt. The most naeus oï toe tonta jrut-r hiw the charming temple of Wingless Victory and the Kiechlheum on tlie Acrópolis. The eleganco and wealth of ornamentation displayed on the hthcum .-till excite the udmiration of the beholiier, iu spite of defacenii ut and mutilation. The younge6t of the three Greek orders of architecture is the ('orinthian. The iliRtin.iuishing feature of this order is the beauttful capital, with its acanthus leayes. It is generally bc.ievcil that this capital, inveuted liy the genius of Callimaehus about HO B. C, was originally intendedto le constructed of metal. Callimaehus was the skliled worker in metal, who made the golden lamp oí the Temple of Athena l'oüas in Athons. The details of the workmannhip QÍ the capital seem to contlnn this thcory. As for example the deup i-oncavity of the acanthus leaves, and the shape of the ornamenta that fasten the leaves to the calathus or basket-shaped capital in such a way as to hide the hi-ads of the nails. The Corinthian capital was used at first for the decoratioo of Uolated columns. One of the earliest specimens of lts use as au order for the decoration of an exterior is the chorajiic monument of Lvsicrate In Athens, whieh dates from 335 B. C. The Corinthian became the favorito order of the Romans, who too soon learued to degrade this as well as the otker orders of architecture by extraneous and confused ornamentation. The harmonlous combination of strength and grace, of 6olidity and lightness, the delicacy and rehuement that is free from podautry and that is not finlcal, the ''reatoned and rhythmical unity" of tho entire structure of a temple with all lts plastic adornments- to appreciate this one must sea the Farthenon and lts iculpture. No other people has ever so lntlmately connected the 6l6ter arts of architecture and culpture. The Greek temple must not only contaiuthe cult statue of the divinity, to whom it was dedicated, but must be no less adorned with statues and relief that serve to beautify the whole and to lllustrate the character of the structure. 8o the 6culptured figures that fill tho pcdiment and occupy the frleze of the temple both give and receive added graco and slgnillcance; thelr full beauty can be seen only iiíáiii, and without them this most perfect temple lacks completcness. The development of Greek architecture and culpture, therefore, is to a certain extent simultaneous and independcut. Both arts Rrow from a common root, the religlou idea. The flrst efforts of sculj)ture were devoted to representation of the god in human fonn. These were the soclled xuana, i. e., wooden figqres, made often of separate picecs, ciad in a garment as tightly-flttins as a s'ueath, with shut eyes, and anus hanning down, almost glued to the sides. These figures were kept carefully repaircd, were painted white and vermilliou and clothed in rich vestuienta. AB0HA1C STATUÁKT. The eirllest statues in marble, whlch date from a period not earlier than the latter hJf of the 6evcnth century, B. C, show many of the characteristirs of their prototypes in wood. As lllustrations, Uk tbe o-calkd early Apollo statues, tuch as tbat of 'ïiura, pinerrad in the museum of Athens, and that of Ibw, in the Glyptothek of Munich. A elaace at c these usures shows a gradual I ment; ia the more ancieut the arms are i scarcely separated from tb trunk i oí the body, later the; are bent i at the elbow and ftretched out The legs in the earliest specimens are not wTOQght out sepanitely; later we flnd boto Ltfl and feet linely chUeled In the rininil, Imt the etatue does not yel possess that light nd graceful posture of that more free treatment In whlch tht weight of the body reets upon one Ier while the other is free, gcntly bent anc touches the ground only wlth the ball of the foot or the toes. In the6e archaic statues the head i placed straight on the body without Inclinatlon or turn. The forehead is retreatiiiL', the nose protrudes, the cyes stand out. Later, wheu attention was to be directed to the spiritual expression of the eye, it was placed in a 6oeket, in imitation of nature. The mouth is closed in the earlier types, later partly open. A general feature of uil archaic statues Is the simper upon the face, whether gods or men, the dead or the living are to be represented. It is the Jfirst attempt to represent the soul-life and pringa from tb motive to give the fonn the appearance of friendlinesi and aniinatlon. The Influence of Egvptian art upon these primitivo statues is traceable in the unnaturally high posltion of the ears, the forward position of the left leg, the hanging down of the arms by the sides of the body, the narrowncss of the hips in distinction from the breadth of the shoulders and in the couventional treatment ol the hair with lts wavy bands and stifl Iocks. Among these archaic types are to be noted the seated statues whieh line the avenue from the harbor of Panormos to the sanctuary of Apollo near Müetus and which are to be seen In the Lycian room of the Briüsh museum. One of these is the portrait-figure, the oldest known in Greek art, of t'iaro.lcrdof Teichioussa. Wit li uil that is rude and stolid in this figure there is a certaiu advance to be murked in the details of the decoration which shows a decided Assyrian influence. Many of these details, however, it is evident from certain lacks and omiosions, were to be supplied by the application ol colors which ülled out and made clear what was left uuexpressed by the sculptor. Marking another atep in advance and especially interesting as evidence for the application of color to marble are the Archaic statues found imbedded in the soil on top of the Acrópolis about two yeara ago, and representing probably priestesses or atteudants of the temple of Athena. To be sure, the conveutional sinile still lingers upon the face, the treatment of the hair, with its three braids over eaeh shoulder, Is stiff, the eyes have not lost wholly their almond shape, yet the entire expression of the countenance and the treatment of the drapery show a I advance upon the typealready de6cribed. Tlie next 6tage of progress is marked by the fiocnlled Mgtattta marbles, preserved in tbe gallerie8 of Munich. We observe in tiloso figure a certain constraint. The full expressiou of feeling and freedom of nmvciiiint has not yet been reached, but a long step has leen taken from the stift ;:i..l wooden posture of the eurlier types. The anatomy of these héroes is a marvel : iicss and realism. Details of the muscles and other refinements of the surf ace oí the body are not negiecttd. The uarrowuess of the flanks is doubtless a eonces6ion to the oíd tradition, and a lcanuess of certain figure also lends an archaic touch. Especially noticeable, however, is the superior treatment ot the body as comparecí with that oí the face. The large protruding chin, the conventional arrangement of the hair and the staring eyes remind us of the earlier period. But thls contrast remains. Greek sculpture proceeds by a way directly opposite to the modern. With us modenis the flrst and great alm is to make the head as perfect and life-like as po6sible; the Greeks began with the body. To represent this as perfectly as possible, true to the life, was tbe flrst object. It was reserved for a later period to make the life of the soul and spirit as tangible as possible. MAN TBE MEASURB. Thf8 supreme attention of Greek art to the body was doubtless a result of the physical training, by means of which perfect form and graceful movement were to be attained. But what is especially to be observed are the varied postures, the fine attitudes and the harmonious arrangement of the entire Ëginitan group. From this group, which critica place Boon after'the close of the Persian wars, to the school of Phidias, is a short step in time but a long stride in the advancement of the sculptor's art. The limits of this article forbid any discussion of the characteristics of the age of Pericles and Phidias - the golden age of Athenian literature and art. Nor eau we do more than hint at the natioual inspirotions of this period, that saw Athens placed at the head of the Hellenic states and made the Greek feel for the Uret and only time that they were the proud masters of the world. It was a time of great deeds, high purposes, noble thoughts and profound feelingg. Piudar in lyric song, -lEschylus iu tragedy, l'hidias in sculpture, and Ictinus in architecture were kindred spirit through whose being pulsated the gloriou life of the nation. Phidias marks in eculpture the hlghest point of elevatlon of thought, majesty of figure and harmony of proportlon. Ilis imraedWte predecessoi-s, Kalamis and Myron, contributed their share to the purfection and beauty of the art of this period. Kalamis excelled as a seulptor of hor6es, and the varied movement, easy posture and spirited bcaring of the horses on the frieze of the Parthenon he may wcll claim as a certain tribute to his genlus. But to Myron is duo the pralse of breaking all (etters of earlier tradition and investing his statues with a naturalness and freedora of movement hitherto unattuim il. He especially eicelled in the representatlonof liguresin motion and action. Rhvthm and symmetry of form and movement, the ability to catch and hold fast for the moment the swiftest and subtlest movement of the human body, iu running or jumping or throwing the discus; this was the characteristic feature of the genius ol Myron. Like an arrow shot from a strong bow, full of speed and tensión is the famous Discobalos. Thegenius of Phidias seems to have been as many sided and colossal as that of Michael Augelo. It is in the decoration of i beautiful temple like the Parthenon, the representation of a mighty statue like that af Athena Promachos at Atheus in bronze, ar of Zeus of Olympia, in chryselephan;ine, and iu the portrayal of serene aud majestic groups of divinities, like those if the ueiliments of tho Partheuon, that we fiud the essential features' 3f the art of Phidias. Of the icanty remains of his handiwoik authiuc eives us eo ad.eo.uate an iils ot his lofty genius as the groups of the peclimonts of the Parthenon, of which the eastero and best preserved constltutes ono of the chlef glories of the collcction of marbles in the British museum. A G artist in 6ceing these statues for the tirst (me ie reported to have 6aid: "TlJ Men formed as if iu strict accord Vttb uature, aud yet I have ncver had the good fortune to behold 6uch forms i" nature; they are belnga of a htgher sphere." Wliat strikes the beholder espeelally in these figures is not only the nobility oí the expression of the face, the dignity and ralmness of the bearing, but the ineffable grace and airiness of tu.j entire group, and the complete mastery of the arrangement within the Unes and toglM of the field of the gable. Of all the preserved remafns of ancient Greek sculpture nothing so closely approximates the pcdiment groups of the parthenon in Attic flnene6s of feeliug and loveliness as the relief tliat adorned the balustrade of the temple uf Y. Vietory, BOtnetimes called tlie Nike frleie, irom th row of figures representing goddesses of victoi-y in all attitudes of graceful poslurc and tiïumphtut motion. constitute this relief. From the later Imitators of Phldias origínate those exquisita sepulchral reliëfs that seem steeped as it were in the Atlic beauty-loving spirit, full of "noble toplieitj and ealm grandeur." Such are the beautiful 6epulcher monuments of Dezileut of Hegcso that etill grace the ancieut resting place oí the dead at Athens. THE GRAND STYLB. If the school of Phldias wrought especlallv in the noble and grand 6tyle, the next school, that of Praxiteles, Skopas and Lysippus, affected especially the win 6ome and graeeiul style. As befng more in keeplog with this style, the sculptors of this period chose less lolty subjects ior tln-ir art. Zeus, Alhena and llera were superseded as favorito dívinities for representation by liermcs, Aphrodite and Dlonysus. A subtle taste for the sensational and the voluptuous began to manifest itself. The noblest specimens of tliis period, uch as the Crispían Aphrodíte and the Ilermes of Praxiteles (recently found in the excavations at Olympia), the Niobe i;roup of Skopas, and the Atnazonrelief of the mausoleum from llallcarnassus, to be seen iu the liritish museum, give evidence of an exquisite touch aud a delicate beauty and a suntle pal hos, which is just ou the verge of suiretiting the ease with which this style could pass over iiito the sensational and merely physical type of beauty. But this tendency becomes more pronounced in Lysippus, whose fertility oí invention and prolitic skill are nttested by the greatest variety of subjects. The uuraber of hls works is said to have been no less than uiteen hundred, aniong which were to be found large groups, statues of gods and héroes, portrait flgurw, bigas, hunting scènes, persontflcatioM of abstracts ideas, such u tairoi, or "the right inovenient for action," and other genre representatlons. After Lysippus, who flourished In the time oí Alexander the Great, Greek art 6peedily declined. No new principie of technic and uo new idea seeiu to have been introduced iuto the plastic art of the Greeks after this. The spiritual leadership of Athens In art departed with the loss of her pclitical independenee. Antioch, Pergamon and Alexandria becamo the centres of art culture. It was the age of extravagance and imitation. In this period belong the colossal and the realiótic creatious of the Khodlan school, which took delight in such groups as tbr so-called Farnese buil and the Laoeoon, aud in single tiijures of hug proportions such as the Farnese Hercules aud the Colossus of Rhodes. But the old 6plrit which made beauty of form and eraco of movement, combined with simple naturalness.tliuacme aud goal of all endeavor, dled hard. It survives all affectations and struggles to assert itself iu the midst of strivings after shallow effect and extravagance. To it we owe such statues as that of the Apollo Belvidere and the Venus of Milos, both of which give evHence of poetic couception, and beauty of touch and finish. But we miss In them the simplicity and dlgnity of better days; they are tooconcious of their beauty; the rcfinement and elegance of their attire and equipment proclaim a somewhat degenerate taste. In later duys the Greek spirit fcgaln trlumphed when the archaistic 6culpture, modeled especially ín Rome, sought to reproduce the graces and catch the spirit of the genius of Phidias and Praxiteles. But it was all in vain - copies they were, but nothing more; the spirit had forever lied. When we contémplate the geniuBOf the Greeks as illustrated in the various departments of intellectual and esthetic activity, I thlnk we shall agreo with Symonds (chapter 12, "The Greök Poets," eecond series) and take sculpture as the characteristie Hellenic art. In closlng this hasty sketch of the development of Gieek architecture and sculpture, let me say with him: "Everything tends to confirm the original perception that the simplicity of form, the purity of design, the self-restraint, and the parsimony both of expression and material, imposed by sculpture on the artist, were obsorved as laws by the Greeks in their mental activity, and more especially in thtir arts. It is this which diilerentiates ILjem from the romantic nations. When, therefore, we undertake to speak of the genius of Greek art, we are justifled In givtng the first place to sculpture, and in assuming that sculpture strikes the keynote of the whole music."

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Ann Arbor Courier
Old News