The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-02-27 00:00:00

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Last re;elit .7. PLAIMAN. etsq. ILA. the Pee- •
rem°, of Sculpture, delivered his Second Lecteirr
at the Royal Acadeiu,s. • The i'rofemor eons,
mewed lei. discourse by stating to the students.
that that when they considered the ravages or
and still loom compendious destruction of war ill
the eastern countries, by winch the works of Per-
sepolis, of Memphis, and of Ll4bylon, were scarcely
known. Mid those of. A lexarideir, of Athens, and
of Elvin:6,omi si ll ill telligibly —when they cole•i-
tiered that eat of the •11.000 Grecian and Et; iss.
Call works of art, which Loperial Rome; the inis-
tress of the world, in her merieliale glory possessed,
Only six statues remained entire 111 the time of
Luittutus IV. Carly in the 15th century—alien
they also recollected the loss of the ancirut libra-
ries by Turkish devastatiou, they Ihight be di..
prised to think that the moneineerets of ancient
grandeur were lost for ever. On inquiry, however,
the fact wits found different from the appearance.
and by, a wonderful providence, the Sculpture of
rise time of the Pythagorean. she A ristoteleati, noel
other 111Mo:se:pliers. was preserved in description,
us the work. of JOHN ALBERT PAIIRICIUs,
would be found the moon! of the Eastern. the
Arabic, the Greek, the Roman, the Persian, need
the Egyptian works. in regular classification. The
miraculous recovery also of 700 Clerk and Roman
woe ks, at Pompeii and flerculaneuen, together
with the daily, increasing cabinets of gems and
tnedals, furnish the studeut with almost an over-
grown abundance. of models to stimulate his veer-
tions—perlutps more would rather tend to over-
whelm titan assist his geuius..
The present-iuquiry would be direCted to the
origin of Sculpture iu Greece. This was at first
said to be confined to the rude representation
in stone nod coed of the twelve divinities then
worshipped. Exumptes of these figures would lie
f d ill ancient bronze. in their best fiaisherl state,
they had a deadens romid the head, on which there
was a sort of engraving like that on the tomb pf An A
siestuoil the ernes were fixed downwards. close to
the sole of the body, and the legs cloie together.
About 1,300 years before the Christian ere, Sculp-
ture hereto to attract sitiversal attention ; and at-
Lus, the friend of Tnirseus. is described hi'
OttiooltUS SICULUC, by l'Ausantas, mid others.
its a distinguished artist ; of his style. some idea
miry be formed from the small bronze figures
ill the British Musesirii, represeistieg the naked
ifereades advancisig with the right arm ready
to strike, and ins the left the shield of the lion's
skin. This shelved that euergy and strong feeling
were studied in those early ages in the statues ef
which there figures must be copies. 'The early
Greeks employed the arts ill the rePresentaf of
their choruses. Paus.sti 'As saw the celebrated
statue of Minerva, by LEEnstus. front which the
Greek corgis are taken ; but it mast he observed,
that though they ;awe energy to their figarraat doe
period, they wanted distiuctive sod characteristic
expression ; their figures had all the same faces.
and were outs distinguishable firm each other.
the Jupiter by his thunderbolt. the Neptune
by the trident. and the Hercades by the bow and
juilm.- By the variants descripiimei of these works,
it eimeartol that they possessed elaborate finishing.
is modulating locks of hair. and straight, stiff, format
folds of drapery, but with little attention to style
of features. It was agreed. front a variety of
ceases. that the study of Patiatieg preceded that of
Sculpture in a perfect state—mid that the latter
hail not extended its bound, before the time of
PLINT had selected the history of tho
art from the best Greek writer i• in chronological
order; front this it would be leen. that the arts
struggled to gain ground during a, tempestuous
sad uncertain period of 800 yeas before the time
of Pennies. The wars of Thebes and Troy
obstructed their growth. but the battles of
MARATMON and SALAMIS, which destroyed the
Persian power and established the Greek, awoke
the genius of the latter. Temples were then raised
girth et magnificence unknown before; Excite Ins.
tURIPIDES. and SOPIROCLE* then flourished in
dramatic poetry ; corporeal exercises gave vigour.
grace. anal beauty to the human frame; Pulpits
celebrated it by his works, and Smuts., with
the wisest philosophers and etatertnen, cotabiss.
ed to raise the grandeur of the state. The dia.
racier of Greece was thus raised in proportion to
the abasement of Penis. After the horning of
Athens by XERXES. PERICLES employed PIIIDIAII
to work at and superintend the re-edifying the
city. The superior genius of this great artist as is
painter before he practised sculpture. gave a soft..
ness and delicacy to his figures, which soon este.
blished a style very different from that it proceeded,
and whirls was stiff rather than dignified. and the
drapery arranged rather in geometric lines than in
the simple form and beauty of nature. The Pro-
flow here quoted the splendid testimony borne to
Pitioles said Isis works by I'LINY, QVISTILLIAII.
AO other writers. The magnificent temple derii.
cried to Minerva, at Athens, from which the Elgin
marbles were teken, would immortalise his Nem
Here the Professor described the dimensions of
the pediments, sod the different allegorical sub-
jects of which the bar-relievos consisted; such Of
the mythological processions. the contests between
the Lapithey owl (Aviators. Within the Temple
was erected a statue of Minerva, made of ivory and
gold. and 39 feet iii height, holding a victory in
one hand► and a spear in the other. PLATO mid.
• the eyes of the statue were composed of immense
precious stones. But the pettiest work of PHIDI AS
was. the Jwpiter on his Throne, Mending Victory
se the Movie Centimes. This great statue was
also of ivory, gold, and preriouestoites. and justly
comideeed as one of the seven wonders of the world.
and would, in itself (sent may hereafter). be a tit
sellejece, from the accounts acid &swinge that re.
misused of it, for furnishing • separate Lecture.
There were 'weasel bronze simnel' from this
subject, and the marble one at Mr. Hoye's,
anti the Minerva in the Hell of the Aca.
deity, may he copies from the (blither' works of
• PIII9IAR in this Temple. lei commenting upon
11.717 form of ea-t "hrs gstryealet otals;Pee:oldt:::::totohelayPirsoi
male beauty; of this Is. instanced the two cele-
brated statues of Veers, ea often risentioiwd in the
old writes., the one dna prtl. an I the other Halter',
her wised§ teammates sums had been offered lay
Sates awl SUVerotKioll of antiquity. It was from