The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1888-08-01
A HISTORY OF GREEK ART.


IN the history Of that most brilliant peo-
pie of antiquity, the Greeks, there Is
no chapter 40 fascinating and instructive
"a that which reeounis the origin and
development Of Greek architecture and
sculpture.
From the primitive temples OF wood
which were hardly more than log cabins,
sometimes decorated with metal plates,
10 The matchless perfection of the Par
thenon. from tho rude xvanoH, or wooden
statue OF . god, 10 DC Onrivallcd grace
and beauty OF tbs marble statues that
game fsoru the ehisd Of tPhidIas and his
school Il growth % but Ettis more than
two centuries. Let us briefly follow the
successive stages OF this wonderful devel-
opment and mark the influences and
Illustrations that made Greek art what II
is--tho highest achievement OF genius In
the creation OF types OF beauty, OF form
aud harmonious proportion.
The hrst question that one Is tempted to
a. / when one stands face 70 face with the
me- muments Of Greek art Is this What Is
the origin OF these artistic creationsi Are
they Crock from the start, or borrowed
front earlier Civilizations Winckelmann,
lha father OF scientific studies In ancient
art, Gays IN his history;
Ari. though born much later among the
Gree rs than among the orieutals, began
there with the humblest elements, aud II ex-
hibts a simplicity which easily conyinces as
that tie Greeks took nothing from the art OF
other nations but invented their own art.
Since Ninckelnann's time, however, Il
has been abnndantly proved that Greek
art at the outset was subject 70 oriental
Influences, and that II borrowed from
PhenlciA, Assyria and Egypt It's earliest
models a. well as It's knowledge OF meth
ods Of work aud technical SKIN. But the
merest glance sufilces 10 show the Inn
mense difference between the Greek and
oriental conception OF art and the superior
spirituality and freedom OF the Greek
architect and sculptor from the very first.
| The creative and beauty-loving genius
that could make graceful and light the
massive and gloomy members OF Egyptian
| architecture, and transform the incongru-
| Gus and fantastic forms OF Assyrian sculp'
ture into harmonious and natural types
this Is essentially and only native Greek.
| This transforming power OF the Greek
mind Is perhaps most easily TO be observed
In the development Of the three orders OF
| Greek architecture.
The prototype Of the Dorie order is 10
| be seen IN the temple Of Karnak In Egypt
| the capital, composed Of abacus and
echinus, 10 found IN Cyprus; and small
structures IN Aeia Minor show a pedimeni
Il N.saa Tn, tha Hrval
| opment Of the Doric order the col.
nnn grew more slender and the
| entablature diminished IN heaviness. Tho
capital became more convex-shaped
| through the change in the lines OF the
| echlnus. To measure this development
We need only 10 see a capital from the old
temple Of selnus or Of Corinth, and one
from the Parthcnon placed side by side
The Doric order became displaced In the
fourth century by the Ionic, which, as its
name indicates, originated in lonia. Ae.
cording 10 ancient writers the Ionic order
was used FOR the FIRST time in the temple
Of Ephesus, which was built about $50
3. O.
RECENT DISCOVERIES.
A Proto-Ionie type has recently been
discovered Ia various parts OF Asia Minor
and Ia Phenesia, and recent writer N
tho American Journal OF Archaeology tries
% prove that the Ionic capital, with III
volutes, originated in Egypt. The most
perfect specimens OF the Ionic order ar,
the charming temple Of Wingiess Victory
ana the Erechtheum on the Acropolis
The elegance aud wealth Of ornaments
ton displayed on the Erechtheum still ex
cite the admiration Of the heholder, IN
spite OF DETACHMENT AMI mutilation.
| The youngest OF tho three Greek orders
OF architecture IA the Corlnthian. Tn,
distinguishing feature OF this order is Oh,
beautiful capital, with rs acanthus leaves
Ii il generally believed that this capital
Invented by the genius OF Callmachu'
about 40 b C., was originally intended q
he constructed Of metal. Calllmachui
was the skilled worker IN metal, who mad,
the golden lamp OF the Temple Of Athcni
Polins IN Athens. The details OF III,
workmanship Of the capital seem 10 con
frn this theory. As for example the deer
concavity OF The acanthus leaves, and th'
hare OF the ornaments that fasten IN,
leaves 10 the calathus or hasket-shapeC
capital In such way as 10 hide the head
OF the nails. The Corinthian capital was
used Al irst for the decoration Of isolated
columns.
One OF the earliest specimens OF rs us,
a. 90 order FOR the decoration OF an ex
terror Il the choragic monument OF Lysi
crates I'm Athens, which dates from 33i
Is. G. The Corlnthian became the favorit,
order Of the Romans, who too soon learned
10 degrade this az well as the other ORDER
Of architecture by extraneous and con
fused ofnAmentation.
The harmonious combination of strength
and grace, OF solidity and hghtness, tn,
dellcacy and refinement that Is free from
pedAntry and that is not hnical, the
reasoned and rhythmlcal unityp OF the
entire structure OF temple with all II,
plastic adomments--to appreciate this
one must see The Parthenon and it,
sculptures.
No other people has ever 80 intimately
connected the sister arts OF architecture
and sculpture. The Crock temple must
not only contain the cult statue OF the
divinity, 10 whom II was dedicated, but
must be no less adorned with statues and
reliefs that serve to beautify the whole
and 70 illustrate the character OF the
structure. 30 the sculptured figures that
Oh the pediment and occupy the frieze OF
the temple both give and receive added
grace and significance; their full beauty
can be sceu only in atu, and without them
this most perfect temple lacks complete
ness
The development Of Greek architecture
and sculpture, therefore. IL 20 a certain
srtent simultaneous and independent
Both arts grow from q common root, the