The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1883-01-07
some important respects unable 70 fulal the
demands Of monumental architecture.

some important respects unable 70 fulal the
demands Of monumental architecture.
Itshould also DO noted that though the funda-
mental principles Of vaulted construction were
known In Assyria. the capabilities OF the arch
we're not 30 recognized and developed as to ex-
ercse an influence upon the extent or form OF
enclosed spaces. Though 1t cannot be proved
that the Assyrians we're the original inventors
Of the arch Of wedgc.shaped stones. there are
no earlier Instances OF this manner Of building
known than those Of that country From II
small grave chamber discovered at Mugher,
we may conclude that the principle Of the true
arch had not boon discovered In the ancient
Chsldesn period. But even then there was IN
approach TO It. The roofing In this instance
was effected by q gradual projection Of hori-
zontal courses OF bricks until the opposite
sides nearly touched each other at
the top Of the gable thus formed.
On the other hand In the most ancient struc-
ture Of Assyris proper. the northwestern palace
OF Nimrod. there is perfect arch OF wedge
shaped stones. and In the same structure there
10 Y vault indisputably built upon the principle
OF the Gothic pointed arch. though here the
keystone 10 undeveloped. DR.. Won Rsbsr deems
1t not impossible that this pointed form may
have descended in uninterrupted tradition
from Mesopotamia to the Arabs. being brought
by them to Europe where 1t exercised such q
potent influence on medieval modes OF build
ing. 1t should be observed that the bricks Of
these vaulted Assyran channels are carefully
moulded to the more or less wedxe-like
form. determined by the size CT the arch
"a greater refinement than 10 practised by
modern masons. who use only rectangular
bricks, eiYecting the curve by the wedge
like shape Of the mortar joint. Never
theess Assyrian builders hesitated to apply
vaulted ceilings to spaces OF much greater span
than conduits. gates. and window spertures.
On the whole. however. Notwithstanding the
shortcomings noted. the Assyrian palace 10 pro-
nounced by the author Of this work more sat
isiactory building than the Egyptian temple.
The works Of the sculptor and tho painter
hold a more important place in the history Of
Assyrian art than do those OF the architect.
They were something more than mere deco
rative adjuncts to the architectural construc-
ton. and may oven be- said to have predominant
ed. 1t Is true that sculpture so concentrated
itself upon the field Of revetment reliefs. that II
appears rarely to have ventured upon tho exc
cution Of independent works. Statues in the
full round are extremely rare. and the few
known are nearly ~ similar to each other Us
are those OF Egypt. The famous winged
and man-faced bulls and lions which
ianked the larger portals as guardians
Of tho entrance form peculiar transit
tional step between the full round and relief
sculpture. On the sides OF the passage they
were executed in relief a. fur AS the heads. but
these were worked almost entirely free. and
projected from the main block. In the front
view the breast and four legs as we'll as the
head. appear in the round. The combination Of
round and relief carving exhibited In these
cherubim-for thus the commentators OF the
Bible call such forms-resulted In two abnormi-
ties. In the first place. the animals have five
legs as the side was allowed four. while the
front. besides the support which 1t had in COM
mon with the side demanded another leg that
II might not appear one- legged. In the second
place the monsters seem in the relief to be
striding and advancing. but In the front view
to be firmly standing still.
The true reliefs Of Assyra have one defect in
common with those Of Egypt. viz. that even
when an attempt is made to depict the human
figure in profile. the breast is often presented
in front view. Nevertheless this part Of the
body Is more commonly depicted in true pro-
lile by tho Assyrian artist The whole COM
position Us we'll as every detail Of Assyrian
sculpture. displays more direct study Of
nature than Ia shown in Egypt. where.
as we have seen. human figures were
modelled upon u canon founded more upon
convention than observation OF life. IN
stead OF holding himself aoof from reality. the
Assyran sculptor went beyond natural truth.
exaggerating and coarsening Animal forms
are represented with admirable vigor and cor
rectness. The conception OF n wounded lioness
In n relief from Coyund,ic is truly wonderful
There is the same lack OF perspective In the
Assvrian reliefs which 10 observed in the Egyp-
tian. Here. too. an effort is made TO express the
effect OF distance by piling things upon one
apot har which w ra n raalitv hah nd one n n
other. The landscape. too. is conventionalized
in q peculiar manner. Fields Of grain are des-
ignated by wavy lines. lakes and rivers by
spiral ripples. When trees are depicted on a
hill the trunks IRE made to diverge radialy. the
child-like art OF tho Assyrinns here betraying a
common error Of childhood. that more trees
can grow upon the increased surface OF hill
than upon a plain with an area equal to the
base OF a hill cone Events. moreover. are rep
resented in singularly naive manner unim-
portant figures being diminutive and less care
fully carved. while the chief actors in scene
not only tower above their fellow beings. but
even above trees and Notifications.
The few and unlmportant vestiges OF As
syrian wall painting add little material to the
history Of art. The human figures are some,
what more slender. than on the reliefs and
seem at times s to be,ray slight Egyptian
turesaSe than N in tho S case Q, the Egyptian
artist. the figures frequently covering each
in the Nile land. the tones OF color within the
| iirm outlines are without mobilization, differing
| only in tn. hues of the substances they repre-
were black some parts Of the dress. rs the
sandals and the ribbons, OF the tiara. were red.
| There Is no doubt that other tints. not
now recognizable were added, but II must not
| be taken for granted that the painting was "a
brilliant and decided ms some restoratons
stratrd that several metallic pigments were
known to the Assyrians. The red Is II. sub
| oxide Of copper; the white is an enamel Of oxi-
died tin. commonly believed to have been
| first employed by the Arabs Of northern Africa
in the eighth or ninth Christian century; the
lead which under the name Of Naples yellow
| has been supposed II modern invention the
| blue Is n combination OF copper and lead. also
praised IA a device OF recent date in its nppli-
| cation ~ o fux for glazing.
| The Reylsers' Eagllsh.