Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1885-07-25
ON A FEW REMARKABLE STATUES.

The conception of monumental work
seems to be characteristic of certain
degree of advancement in the civiliza-
ton of peoples. The ancients erected
many immense works in honor of their
divinities. With them the majesty of a
god often seemed to depend upon the
size of his image; but the latter always
sought to express power and majesty.
The most imposing statues were given
to the most powerful and dreaded gods.
In ancient Egypt colossi formed an
essential decoration of the great tenn
Piles and palaces. They were represen-
ted IN q calm AID uniform attitude,
either seated or standing, the bust
straight, the legs close together, the
arms close to the body, and the hands
extended upon the thighs or resting up
on the knees.
All details that were judged useless
were suppressed without consideration
in order to bring into prominence the
simplicity of the lines and the extent of
the surfaces. The style WIS sober,
broad and severe, and if the statues
represented individuals, it was man al
ready stripped of his terrestrial charac-
ter and arrived at the divine state.
Aside from its great pyramids, Its 100
feet high obelisk, its gigantic .tombs,
and its innumerable and enormous
sphinxes, Egypt was covered with
statues l60 feet in height, carved out of
a single block of stone.
Herodotus mentions a colossus of
Osiris which was SO feet in height. A
few years ago there was exhumed at
Memphis granite statue OF Ramses H., ,
which must have been 40 feet in height.
Before the entrance TO the palace of
Luxor there were seated four similar
colossi 40 feet in height. Near Gour-
nah there are still to be seen the frag-
ments of gigantic statue of Ralnses
the Great, represented seated. 1t was
cut from single piece of rose granite,
and must have keen 81 feet in height
and have weighed more than 1000 900
pounds.
Finally, we may cite the two colossi
of Memnon, which, although seated,
each measured more than 62 feet in
height, and, with their pedestal, had a
weight of more than $500. 900 pounds
The Egyptians employed stone almost
exclusively, although they were ac-
quainted with the art OF casting and
working bronze.
The Greeks likewise erected many
statues to their divinities, which were
in most cases of bronze, or covered
with plates of gold and ivory. Their
most celebrated sculptors adopted the
colossal type. The Minerva of Phidias
was 81 feet in height. Iureality it was
u wooden statue supported by an inter-
nal trus ing of iron, and covered with
golden plate repOusse with the hammer
and chased, and with plates of finely
carved ivory. 1t was SO accurately fit
ted together that it was impossible to
detect The joints.
The celebrated Jupiter Olympus of
the same sculptor was likewise of gold
and ivory. The god was represented
seated, and was 40 feet in height.
Phidias also constructed several CO.
lOssal Minervas, one of which, the
Athena OF Promachos, was SO OF 60 feet
in height.
The famous colossus of Rhodes, the
work of Chares of Lindus, was erected
300 years before Christ, in honor of
Apollo. 1t was of bronze, and passed
for one of the seven wonders of the
world. Its feet rested upon the two
moles which formed the entrance to the
harbor, and ships passed full sail be-
tween its legs. 1t was 105 feet in
height, and everything in equal proper
tion, and few could clasp around its
thumb. 1t took II years to make it.
A winding stair case ran to the top,
from which could easily be discerned