Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-03-16
4. G.. BENEDICT, Editor.
Art Lecture. No. ).

uelVereu on tuesday evening, March otn,
by Prof. r. A. Rice, Professor OF Modern
Languages in the University. The custom
cry choice and cultivated audience filled the
lecture room. An easel at the left Of the
stand bore a large photograph of the statue
of the Apoxyomenos of Lysippus, procured
by Prof Rice from Rome for this lecture,
and photograph of the sculptures from
the pediment of the Temple of Psllas at
Kgina Upon smaller easel at bis right the
lecturer placed in succession photographs
of the most noted statues as he described
them in his lecture. Upon the wall behind the
stand hung some forty photographs of noted
antique marbles and bronzes, including the
Apollo Belviders, the Mercury of the
Vatican, Antinous, Discobulus, Dying
Gladiator, the Wrestlers. the Pallas of
Naples and OF the Vatican, and others, from
Prof. Rice's collection.
Two reduced plaster casts of the Hermes
o! the Vatican, and the Apollo, from the
group OF Pan teaching Apollo, graced the
corners Of the desk.
THE LECTURE.
Prof. rice, in introducing his subject.
laid down some Of the general principles OF
Art. The my of art lies in the combi-
ration OF the widely different elements of
form and idea in an object of beauty. The
informed idea and the idealized form admit
OF no enforcement. The preponderance OF
.h.. other nf fhasa alaDanfs Hafar-
m.nes he nature of its expression. Most
ma'eriGl and most closely bound to the
form i Architecture: Sculpture comes next
with added breath OF freedom. In painting,
tie tnO fnd most nearly equal measure.
puetry revcrses the proportion, and
Music. most ethereal of all, completes
the scale. lt Is what We bring to art, as
to our friend. that we receive again.
We 1--we in materialistic age. But to
the Greek. the gods were more gracious.
Works Of art net his eye at every turn. and
he lived among influences which brought
art 10 perfection never before attained and
never since repeated.
Prominent among these Influences was
the Gymnasium "a place of relaxation for
young and cid, In which the philosophers
met their Disciples here the poets recited
TIER verses, and where the young men, by
manly exercises under strict regulations,
were taught to develop sound minds in
sound bodies. Ii was moral as well as
physical training school, in which the
youth learned obedience, reverence, self
control. a. well as gained yigor of body,
lightness of step and grace of bearing.
Every muscle received share OF attention.
and To one set was developed to the neglect
of another. The result was symmetry of
40 of the hath nd of
froqgent anoIntings with oil, secured 1.-the
ness and elasticity. The unclothed skins
acquired the nut brown hue Of hardy health.
Thus training was the necessary prepare
ti"n for the great competitive games. in
which the victor's laurel wreath was the
highest human honor known TO the Greeks.
Grow with this, the victor was borne to
the shrine Of the divinity, where the wreath
was deposited, and religious element was
made TO peryade and dignity the whole sys-
TEN OF development
Proceeding to show the intimate connec-
tion between this gymnastic art, and
the art OF sculpture, the lecturer
noted the advantage which the Greeks en-
joyed from their familiarity with the IN
draped human form. With US q colder zone
and different education make the naked
body an unusual not to sey disagreeable
sight, and have led US 20 consider it the
snare OF corrupted Imagination. But this
view, just and necessary as it may
be in our modern life. has no truth |
when applied to the Greek sculptures /;
and he or she who raises this objection in
the presence OF an antique statue shows |
both ignorance of the laws of sculpture and |
n moral stand point which may be either |
narrowness. bigotry or contemplate |
hnrV
the representation of The living FIRMS |
as they were familiar, without thought
Of lndecency, to the eyes Of the
Greeks, in the gymnasium. the public
games ard the choric dances. The morals
of the States where these customs most
prevailed were purer than of those where
the people we're fond of flowing garments.
The laying aside of the covering in the
usage ct the Greeks. was q help to pure
thoughts as well as help to bodily cul-
ture. We value this physical culture. even
In our day, IN which the value OF vigorous
health. OF the endurance of trained muscles,
the glory, winning the boat-race by half
length alter months Of srduous prepare
siOn, the victory of the heroic virtues of
laIih, patience, self conquest and un-
hlnching resolution, are beginning TO be
But among the Greeks this
enhanced by national sentiment ard
cnnsecrated by the national religion. A
direct connection with the plastic art was
made by the custom which awarded to the
victor in the Olympic
game. the honor Of having his own por-
placed in the sacred enclosure
The gymnasium was Of course the fayorite
resort Of the sculptors-where they could
'tudy IN all the phases of repOse or action,
human iorms artlstlcally cultivated. Under
'h'se influences there grew up an ideal of
manly beauty whose perfection remains the
Wonder OF the world. In making his reli-
,ion beautiful. the Greek made il human.
Inc divine was humsnized, the human be-
;ame DIVINE. While the statues of their gods
we're models OF manly beauty or strength.
here Is always something more, a dignity and
'race, distinguishing them from the gym
lsstlc statues which preserved the more dis
lnctlveiy human characteristics Contrast
ng these types, the lecturer described the
Mercury OF the Vatican, which STANDS as it
we're midway between the human and the
iNlre- The. head with its short curling
iair; the broad breast; the slender VET
powerful frame; the quiet poise. show the
'Udy framed IN gymnastic exercises, but
ess developed than in the gymnastic
lEtnfs. Ii l. the ideal OF youthful beauty.
rarely has Greek art surpassed the soulful
'eauiy oil the tUrm. On the brow sits the
perpetual sunshine Of 0lympian exi.terce
Iho eye look out as from an unapproach-
'bie itmutenoss; Vet around the mouth |
here fingers a god-like friendliness, over
wien a shadow "a OF sorrow IL cast, 80 ma
ural IN one who secs countless souls pass
INTO oblivion. 1t is the type os an immor-
al being, IN musing wonder at the changing
Procession Of human life, "wbile, " as
iOmer says. the ages roll away"
A step higher is the Apollo, " no puuishes
nan Tor sIn, and destroys monsters and re
'eliiou- spirits Here is the highest centre OF
be Divine and human In these A. well A. in ,,
be Meleager: the Mars Of the Villa Ludpylsi
attributed by some to Lysippu-, and by
Tiers to skOpus) in the Hereui,s torso,
nd other ancient sculptures, We ste the IF. !
sct oil the gymnastlc art on sculpture.
1hlch bad 10 fullest expression 10 the /
heseus Of the Parthenon the Apoxyomcnos.
nd the bronze Hermes Of the Nap,e- mu- i
,um. c
The lecturer drew a sharp distinction be.
"een The y mnastlc training, and that Of
he sthiete-the former resulting in cultIya-
on OF mind a well as body the latter de-
Ited to the Development solely Of muscle,
le Excess q which destroyed the harmo-
lous combination Of strength and grace.
he latter was the training OF the prize n
Rhter. Ia Ws- degradation of the gym q
isilc art, and 1t gave rise to different 4
as Of statues. If which the Farnese Her =
lies l. the type. 10 this the muscles and N
ms are swollen the flesh Is piled in =
asses: the small head is set on short. >,
mex neck which forms nearly a straight !"
ne with the back; the low forehead in
eases .hc Expression of mere anima!ity. D
be athlete statues mark a decline in Greek
I. as well a. a degradation in the sorinl al
e; We may admire such maryels Of "
ulptnre ~ the Hercules, the Laocc,op. IL
ID the Torso Belvidere. but we must re. IT
Rmber thar the artists who carved them at
ere bot clever artizans in comparison 10
IN tie great masters, Myron, Phidiss. .,
'lycletus. SkOpuS, Praxiteles, and Ly.ip, Il
-, none oil Whose works remain IL /. a
'lancboly fact that not one of the highest al
oducts OF Greek art survives. III
we h9d the meaning of the word "an-
lue disclosed 70 us, if anywhere, in the