Morning journal and courier., 1892-02-24
IN THE ART SCHOOL.

Professor HOPpin Discourses on the ssInhuence of Athletic Games on Greek Scalpture.o
 Professor James M. Hoppin, professor | of the history of art in the Yale School of | Fine Arts, delivered very interesting | lecture yesterday afternoon on the ''In- fuence of Athletic Games on Greek Sculpture" The lecture was illustrated by the stereopticon as he proceeded, showing numerous pictures of the best specimens of old Greek sculpture. In his remarks he said: "To understand Greek athletic games it is necessary for us to understand the gymnasium which played so important part in the development of athletes. We should understand it as training. It was not a life of enjoyment but school for self-control and conduct. Here young men received their training for war, for in those days to exist was to contend. At first gymnastic exercises were held wher- ever there was an open space but as the exercises acquired importance the .gymna- sium was built and soon it was constructed large enough so that all the arm bearing citizens of the city could drill | within it's walls. It was generally dedi- cated to some divinity, so statues, etc., were not wanting. Among the exercises most practiced by the Greeks were the running race, leaping, throwing the discus and wrestling The foot race was held to be the principal game, and was carried to the greatest length 3y the Greeks. Those who | took part in it were always naked except l fllet around the brow. Leaping was simply practiced by springing of the mus 1o1ao fho rpoo O l lar sport, and wrestling was developed 1 into an art. And oftentimes skill bore off | the prize from mere strength. That sculp- | tors made use of the study of the nude which athletic games afforded is shown by numberless statues of hero fighters. fear that we may never again l have such sculptors. Our sculptors copy from them, but they copied from nature. There are subtle relations between body l and mind which can never be disregarded l if any lasting intellectual result would be | attained.
 Gymnastic training in our universities sential part of our education and will be
 more generally diffused. Sculpture ir
 Greece was product of national life. A
 statue was not made to be admired as {
 work of art, but as factor of their every
 day associations. Athletic games infu
 ence art in not only that they afford
 the best manner of studying
 the nude, but in that the bes
 artists were employed to make statues O.
 the victors, thus affording wonderful
 stimulus to art. Many of these statue
 thus made were set up in consecratet
 places. There may be said, therefore, tt
 be three influences of athletic games ol
 art: First, they kept alive the old spiri
 of art; second, brought to the front tn
 best sculptors, besides affording this grea
 stimulus; and third, they gave opportuni
 ty for constant and accurate study of tn
 human body. The great intrinsic value o
 the Greek statues is that they have certail indefnsble beauty of pose and position
 which has been equalled by the sculptor of no other people. No one can tell wha
 the Venus of Milo does. There is no wei
 defined act. She lives. And this give
 the key to ancient art. The ancient sculI |, tor shows us not only the perfect body, :, ,bu
 within we feel that there is the perfec mind"
 Professor Hoppin then gave shol sketch of the sculptors, Phidias, the great
 est of the Greek sculptors, Polyclytus, hi
 fellow student and contemporary, and My
 ron, and their works. Among the picture thrown upon the canvas were the Glad
 ators, Venus of Milo, the Wrestlers, Hers
 Achilles, Antinous and several others. Next week he will make 8 further stud of the subject.