The New York herald., 1877-11-20
DR. COkNING'S ART LECTURE.

The third lecture In Dr. Corning's very interesting
series on art was delivered yesterday morning
the large hall OF the Young Mems Christian Associa-
buldng. These lectures have become SO popular
tnat the small hal will longer hold tho audiences
which gather TO hear them. Tho lecture yesterday
the subject OF "Ancient Art in Greece" and
illustrated by photographs and AiDerypes Of Ia
temples, families and pieces of sculpture. These
illustrations impress the subjects OF descrp-
tion vividly on the mind OF the hearer, and arc
great attraction Aer the lecture the larger part Of
tho audience went upon tho platform to examine tho
photographs CLEAN Information from the lee
turer, which he impaired most graciously
La his lecture DIR. Corning hrst spoke OF the mys-
terious and incomprchensble phenomenon Of Gre
culture developing itself independently Of all
other culture, and OF tho Augustan age OF literature
dating back TO 200 years before Christ, when tho
wonderful epics Of Homer written, when, so Tar
as We know, art had no monuments OF importance.
The most important relic 0. that period is the lion
door OF Myccne, which represents the ovormasterng
influence OF the Orient on the art OF Greece, their
sculptures in the primitive period, the relief Of the
Temple OF Assos aud TO the well preserved metopes
from the Oldest Temple of silcnus. These
the memorials OF the childhood OF
Grecan art Another important TACT IN the moulding
OF Grecian tho grea; public attention paid to
physical strength anu comeliness, which was ec-
ment 40 i'm in their 81 b at Ia
menis were the standards OF chronological records.
within a little more than two centuries and IA halt
following Tie nrst oiympad is located the rudlmcnial
period OF Grecian art. Among tho most important
archecurcs OF This period was that Of The Temple
silcnus IN the island oil Sicily and tho first Par
thenon at Athens AS the palace was the proper
symbol OF Oriental dcspoism, tho
temple the symbol OF Grecan freedom. The
temple was not like the Christian sanctuary
Tor congregation and pubic discourse, but was
a home for the image OF tno divinity. to whom the
building dedicated, anu also depository oi tuo
public treasure Every possible device OF poly
chromy Was employed TO give effect to the various
architectural and scG plural members. The second
great Of Grccian art may be called the Egeantan,
30 denominated from their great monument, the
1Egina marbles, now III the museum OF sculpture in
Munich. Without any attempt at facial expression
these sculptures give wonderful showing by ply sical
action tho development OF muscle and limb. and tins
series OF sculptures may be regarded MS marking tho
transition from the primitive To the classic OF Gre
clan art. The OF classic aye oi GreciaD art
10 which come, may be traced to the glorious
victories by Greece over the PersiaDs, under
Xcrxcg l,s great representatve monuments stand
in history as symbols oil gritruJc the national
dcverance. These wonderful buildings were erected
on the Acropoils oil Athens, and the chief OF them
tho PartncnoD which lctinus the architect
and ihldas the sculptor The great scul ptures on
this building, on The pedimcnts Of The riezc and the
meapcs constitute In their present condition tho
called Eigin marbles, now IN tie Brush Museum.
which purchased from Lord Eigin by the English
nation ior about 100000 Other representative
monuments OF tho classic age OF Grccian arr were
named, which brought tho survey down to the third
great period, called The OF the Peoponncsinn war;
ol which scopas and Praxililes the great sculp
tors ana Ieuxs the great painter oi tins age Wo
come 10 tho closing period u Grccian art, winch
may be called the period Of Alexander the Great ~
which The Island OF Rhodes, having maintained lts
independence longer than tho other states o 1reccc
conserved tho bcf art monuments, oi when tne
world-lauci LAGOON IS The principal example We
have thus traced Grccian art through Hs rise ana its
glorious zenith Ito decline, and lts history term
VITA tho destruction Of Cornth by Mum1us, lac
years b. G.. when Grccian scuipfors werc reduced to
the rauk OF stonecuttcrs IN Rome. There are nvo
more lectures n this series. Tho next viii be doliv
cred Thursday; the subject 'Anclent Art In
Romc.r