The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-02-10
HORSES OF ST. MARKS.
OBJECTS 0fCrRI0sITY AND INTEREST
TO ALL TOURISTS.
WORKS or ART or VENERABLE
ANTIQUITY
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES OF
THE BRIDE OF TuE ADRfATGC.
Enquiries RI garding These Travelled Tro
phics-Iiow the Bones If 81. Mark
Were saved From Besnorn-
tion-Ihe Winged Lion.

I -. MARX 4. lIdffltl- ana iNlll-IH nave
I gazed at them wish more than ordinary
s. curiosity, while the busy cicerone eN
b patiaied upon their imaginary beautic.
, md their cyentfui history. & few min
/ uies, perhaps, after leaving the front %.
The cathedral. over whose Yosii5ule these
p, relics are 10 De seen, lhe same obliging
parsonage viii be directing the attention
OF the visitor tO tls lion of s. Mark on
5 the top of column not very far OIL. Tho
latter may nave already learned lg0m ihe
p suide-books ali he ha, just been hcar.n-
from tho ioQuac'oIs director i'm the
meantime between che two Doc hes never
+ gotten az the whole truth in regard fo
these noted objects some how or other
he stranger Is apt 20 gen fixed or
his mind TIE idea that 10th these
representative images of the ANNA.
world must have like relation 90 the
= saint whose name they be.g The Cly
IF Venice BIAS been mnde famous hy ihe.f
presence. They have been lazed 90 these
many centuries. end talked and written
about until they have become neces-
,ary part N history and fhe heritage 0f
iTaditioH More than ihis. The Church
has received them into hall0WeG recOg-
milton and placed them upon her list OF
relies only Little less sacred than those
Of The saints themselves What. then.
would Venice do without tho horses. and
wh hat would sho De without inc presence
of her lion. Neither Ottle objects before
rs can be considered works of
art IN It's higher sense They have been
merely manufactured one is symbol
the full Interpretation OK which. i0 this
day, IS far from being understood bay
tlcolCgians or by tic czp0uuders OF the
Prophets vision The other forms
group, whose merits ss work OF au are
scarcely up Go medioCI.y. and which
from q short distance, might be as easily
mistaken bY casual observer for four
large dogs as for four horses. unless pre-
viously informed 90 the contrary. And
yet they have a history worthy Of our
notice, a history around which linrcrs
The interest OF doubt and the truth OF
incident. Time has made them ycner.
able. Centuries Of events have passed
+ within their view, and SD have d'W.ied
/ the place where they stand They have
/ graced be triumpLa of conQuerJrs aud
adorned imperial monuments They has
survived The fate or empires. and eldcl
Immortality to tir deeds 0i heroes. and
finally are now resting from tle Nicssi-
tudes on time. az revolutions and of 8u-
archy In The very bosom Ot tlo lhrrct
/ herself They are 0i Greek 0r .n
although supposed by some 90 be OF
Roman design. Ton what monument Oi
public building they were intended does
not seem % Dc known most probably for
The entrance TO some Orenta. arena iu
which clario, races bore a Conspicuous
part This idea Us suggested Hv the
order 50 which tle -four figures 0re M
ranged all 90 The front as d attached 90
chariot. Neither the outlines or express
sion OF these eiilsie- are good The an-
GENTS at their best. when COMPARED With
modern artists, did NOT succeed n ileI
equine sculptures Good effects were
produced by them on irieles. olt they
DO not seem o. have been able
10 sustain at once ils symmetry of oui-
line and freedom of action absolutely
demanded In p0rraying The n0blesI Of
animals. Il Is nor a difficult thing 20
initiate the lines OF beauty in the figure
of the horse bur it is quiC another mat
ter 20 inyost that same figure with life
The Roman horse w0s bulky; bad too
much body t0 bee feIi'e and graceful.
The Greek examples have much of the
latter qualify, but arc monoton0us or
wanting In expression. Soft is with the
Horses of 81. Marks They are said t0
be made of brass. and look very much as
il they had been des. uel bv au apDren
tice OF Demerius. Ae tlat uud manu-
factory of ornaments and slrinCs for The
Temple % Diana AZ fpAesus. and vb0
stirred up such tsrment against Paul
on a certain occasion in tlat city.
The brass OF that day was quito dIIeItu
from the anal gam now known OF tl-
same name. That was probably made
chiefly OF copper with q small proportion
Of tin, and, therefore should now De
described ai bronze Whatever The MAJ ,
terial was 10 has proved i0 be almost Inn ,
perishable. When first from the nsnds ,
OF the artist these antiques must have d
been heavily gilded. They show egi-
dences OF such treatment even az tli. B.
day and this fact should afford q hi0t r0
such workers ia gold as are the alt.sfsof b
y enice That something OF fhe Kind '-ht 3
now DO done towards restoring them o. g
their original condition About tho q
limo they ar9 supposed to have been I'll
made, the Greeks owned the island of q
cyprus, from out Of whose mines most d
of the copper then used was dug The O.
Island gels is name from this fact The Il
nations of the earth from the Ien0test p
lime had been sending % ils rock bound e.
ports for this Invaluable metal 500 urce.. b
.ary 10 their domestic economies and the IS
of commerce and aIt SO -
valuable has been this traffic that .he :
sland had FOR ages been Tie bone of c0n- y
ention between rival powers The To Isl
Drew and The Cha.dean, TIC IlIuicial 70
ne Egyptian, the Aosiem snd the Chris. o.
Jan by turns had ruled Its mills. out Of 0
which 70 dig brass M
The horses OF 81 Msiks weIe drst {.
-nown 10 history so iar as we ar. ip- n
omed co Alexandria P0mBey tine f
treat Is ssid 10 have found them There t
Turing bis cOnquests 10 tle East When Do
le returned 10 Rome. and was granted 90
fiumpD, he doubtless carried them with r
liner trophies TO grace Ais entry into the al.
feat capital Az that time aIt among pa
he Romans w8s chiefly illustrated m nh
Works Of stone and marble These f0riI 10,
Xample5 OF Oriental taste must have a.
Impressed The Roman public by their bt
arc ana uuIlFalled Drllaucv When ls
ext heard from they were Iouad deco. "a
ating one OF Ner0's triumYLal IN
rches. How long they remainsi er
D that particular place We know not. I'M
NJ they continued 10 be kent in io
.ome until the time Of Constantine "a
DO Great. When, early ia the fouub m
sntury, that monarch removed the seal N
empire 10 his new capital "a. Constan. ~
nopie, be took with him these already d.
Imous horses. lie must have valued fe
lem highly 10 have given them such m'
rominent recognition among all the of
her works Of art that in the course OF If
me had been accumuMuug at Rome. me-
rived al the capital of the eastern EN-. nm
re- they we're very appropriately placed mo
the hlpp0dr0me, where they remained .b
disturbed Tor many centuries Eight Of