New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-31
SECOND PA RT.
COLOSSAL SCULPTURE AND IT'S PRINCIPAL
EXAMPLES

SECOND PARI.
COLOSSAL SCULPTURE AND ITS PRINCIPAL
EXAMPLES.
III think that it may be timely TO examine briefly
the characteristics of colossal statuary, in view Of
tho IA that tho art hssfron tune to tino been the
object of criticism. Many persons 500 in 1t only a
striking production. and do not understand its
peculiar laws its dilicultie3 its artistic value.
Coloss al statuary does not consist simply in max
ing an enormous statue Ii ought to produce an
emotion in tho breast Of the spectator MT because
of It, volume blt5ooause its size Is in Keeping with
tho idea that IL nterprots and with the pace which
it ought to occupy IL should bs used only In
dealing with limited order OF doas. NJ Les
bazsilles In his work on the CoO3si has said with
reason: It is within ITS scope when 1t represents
power, majesty. ininity. 1t can lay claim to that
class Of effects which are produced in us by the
heaving Iof the bpundess tho following OF tho
wind tho rolling Of tho thunder"
Also NJ Charles Blanc, tho celebrated art critic,
| says on the same subject:
Colossal statuary calls for fac ultles Of peculiar
pnwec IL an ait OF an exceptional character.
which prssont' considerable d ih;dlties The artist
! who approaches these difficulties enters "A somDre
temple. peopled with mysteries 40 IS Drongnt
face TO face with struggles which Tow artists nave
experienced. No one can advise nm; nothing can
guido him except his instinct, his iaIt1 and ms
! courage Conception and execution . are
controlled by rigid and dlifcnlt laws Faults
oncei committed can be hidden by no saotcr
| fuge and if tho artist fails the d;pth
! of his fall il Commensurate with tho immens-
| ,ty of his aspirations Instead OF producing
| many works in winch no may attain success IN a
variety OF WAYS he exhlusts large part OF MS HE
! mon single task. on which n ponrs ont All MS
treasures OF passion OF study ana ot ehthus hs.n
| With these he must without pause Keep up MS
| ardor during long years-lCharles Blanc LII lie
| Temps.
Thsss wordssssm TO ma to answer in largo
| measure the criticisms of which colossal art Is
sometimes the object.
| Without wishing IN make a detailed study OF the
| colossal statues which have been produced. think
that il m ght bo interesting to tho reader to recall
RAPIDLY tho IN )st remarkable WORKS OF this kind OF
past times. Egypt incontestIbly gives rs on this
| point the most complete instruction. and Wa can
judse Egyptian colossal art with our own eyes.
To all those who have studied 1t Egyptian art has
| been the object of profound admiration. not only
In view OF the masses. the million, of kilogrammes
novel by tins Egyptian people. but on account OF
its concrsts aud majestic character in des gn and
| In form OF tho work, which We arc hlled
with profound emotion in prosencs OF these colossal
witnessed centuries old. OF q past that to US Is
| almost infinite, at whose feet so many generations,
| so many million existonccs. 80 many human glories,
| have rolled in tho dust Those granite beings In
their imperturbable majesty. seem to DO still listen
ing TO tho most remote antiquity. Their kindly and
| impossible glance seems 10 ignore tho present and
| 20 be- fixed upon an unlimited future These i'm
pressions ara not thoiresut simply Of q beautiful
spectacle, nor OF tho poetry ofshistorc romem-
brances They result from tho character of the
| form and the expression of the work in which the
design itself express after n fashion iniinity.
Ihave studied Egyptian art with the greatest
| attention. When was twonty years old travelled
in Egypt with the painters Jerome and Belly, aud
| several other friends, and I may say that this
country had a very considerable effect upon my
taste for sculpture of tho broad and decorative type
In 1868 went back with VI. do Lesseps and g'zed
again with the same pleasure on all those mar
yellous RUNS. and my convictions ;grew stronger
upon tho principles which arc there to be dis
covered Assyrian art also presents specimens OF
colossal sculpture of the finest kind, only its effect
less striking because the inost remaining types OF
this art are I'm bas reliefs The taste for colossal
art certainly made its way into Greece along wltu
many other artistic traditions which came from
Assyria as we'll from Egypt ArchBologsts
have often assorted this relationship. Phidias
| executed two colossal statues In which he sue
ceeled in uniting material grandeur with true
IDEAL of bcautyof FORM Tho statue of Minervatn the
parthenon measured thirty seven feet, and that
of the Oympian Jove forty feot They have both
been regarded as masterpieces OF chrys-eephantine
|
| iyory) All the ancient authors Pausanias, Plny.
| Onintilan, have spoken Of thsm with much onthus-
iasm and in terms which leave no doubt of the
value of those works and of the profound impression
which they produced on the Grecian world. The
other admired works of that period which have
como down to us permit US to consider them good
udges.
Tho most celebrated colossal statue OF antiquity
. | was the Colossus of Rhodes. We may considerlit
as having been very remarkable piece OF work.
Independently of tho fantastic legend OF tho snlps
which passed. between its outspread legs rms
Legend whose origin Is not older than the sixteenth
century. has been exploded by arch@ologsts; never
theless we may add to their observations demon
stration founded on simple good sense FIST III
the Colossus was placed with its logs apart ABOVE
the water, when 1t was osorthrown it would nave
fallen into the water. and the enormous fragments,
resembling caverns. of which Pliny speaks. would
not havo been gotten out, leaving within the stones
them selves enormous, which hs says he saw there
NorE.-A this period was expecting TO execute 9
status Of Egypt for the Suez Lighthouse even ad
before Isma Paoha project II WAS this that made az
evil disposed newspaper say, and others repeat That
, | eolO