The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1892-07-17

HOW OF creek exiIeS ana nrtlsts 10 Nho
| AchTmenlan court. attracted by its luxury
| and wealth. Mr.. Curzon directs attention to
| Greek forms in tho Persopolltan column. nj
ludlng to the 1onian volutes in the composite
| capital, and to the strings OF ovals and nj
| lets upon the base. Tho elasticity and frec-
dom Of the Hellenic genius may further be rec
ognized In tho movements and draperies OF
tho human body az depicted In the bas- reliefs
OF Persepolis. which are loss angular and con-
ventional than In any earlier Asiatic style. III
n moro minute correspondence cannot with
certainty be traced. It must be remembered In
the first place that the genius OF Greek art was
plastic. whereas that Of Persian art was struc-
tural: and. secondly. that while tho earlier
Achnm oman sovcreigns were rearing their pill
Jared halls and throne rooms on the platform
ut persepolls. Hellenic art was still undevcl-
oped and impeded by archaic traditions.
1t Is thus that Mr. Cnrzon would sum up the
| indebtedness OF Persia to foreign peoples and
styles. Nevertheless, he thinks The added
something OF her own: enough to lit hor art
to the ranks OF purely initiative school. The
Persepotan platform. though In Its origin
foreign idea, acquires dignity Of its own by
tho monumental dignity OF it's construction
For staircascs and thoir cnpacities for sculp.
tured display. the Egyptians car"d little and
the Greeks hardly at all. On tho other hand.
It Is when We come to the sculptures Of tho
staircascs at Fsrsepolis with their long process.
sionul panels. their Inscriptions and their fiS-
urcs TINT ascend the steps with the ascending
visitor: that we see the Persian architect Mt
his best. Similarly in tho case Of the rock
tombs: though tho idea was Egyptian the exc.
cution was original In point Of combined
majesty md skill. Above all, It is patent that
the Persian artist was making slow but
very perceptible advance along tho path
n
had left far behind tho stiff. and often ludi-
orous, conventionality OF the earlier styles;
the bizarre. the grotespuc. the disproportion-
ate, that form 30 distinot features OF Ecyp-
tian and Assyrinn architecture. were rele1ated
to a secondary place. But while the author OF
this book rundors to the Persian artist his due.
he does not overlook his limitations. both OF
theme and style. No one, he says, can wander
over the Persepolitnu platform from storied
stairway to stairway. from sculptured door
way to craven pier no ono can contemplate
the 1920 hewn figures in solemn redupllcation
upon the stone without q sense OF monotony ard
fatigue. Tho largest structural units are identi-
col. With but slight variations 1t Is always tho
same palace the same tomb. the samo flight
OF steps. tho same cornice and entablature. tho
same pillared hall. tho Same base and SHIFT and
capital. Everywhere the monarch is the
same. There is nothing to distinguish one
sovereign from another: nor. though the
features have been wantonly destroyed. does
it appear that the face was ever intended to be
| q likeness. On every bas-relief he performs
with proud reiteration the same royal func-
tions: he sits. or stands. or walks. or with Icy
composure plunges his dagger into tho belly
OF the same rampant beast His subjects pass
In long proce ssion to his presence. They repre-
sent different nationnlities. and are clad in
different CARDS: but there Is no variation In
their steady. ceremonious tramp. The royal
bodyEuard hold their lances, and bows. and
bucklers with the wel-trained rightly OF
| machines: one can scarcely conceive one
OF these stately Rutomatons suddenly bringing
his spear into rest. or letting an arrow
| whistle from tho string. The same criticism
applies to the choice OF theme. Nowhere here.
| as in the Egyptian and Assyrian sculptures.
do we see depicted upon the walls tho vicissi-
tudes OF armed conflict. battles. camps and
sieges. Sennacherib Strengthening his foes. the
pursuing car OF Harnesses Still less do We OBJ
servo scenes from peaceful life. whether it be
the pleasures Of the chase or the incidents OF
domestic existence. The bas-relicfs disclose
| no history. they perpetuate no exploit. they
| are guitless OF rlot or tale. Everything Is
| devoted, with unashamed repetition. to u
! single and that symbolical purpose. viz. the
delineation OF majesty in its most imperial
guise. the ponp and panoply o! him who was
we'll styled the Great King.
Let US turn from the Persia Of Darius to the
| Persia Of Abbas the Great, or. in other words.
| from Persepolis to Isahan. city existed on
| the site OF the last named town as early as AID.
SAL when Persia was conquered by the Calinh
| Omar. About three centuries later the town
| already known as Isfahnn was visited by an
Arab traveller. who described it rs q very
| Furnishing place. renowned for its silks and
fine linen. Early in the eleventh century l..
was taken by Mahmud Of Ghuzni. and ncxt
fell under the control OF the Seljuks. Fifty
| years later BENJAMIN OF Tude,a calls Isfahan
the capital Of the kingdom OF Persia. and says
that it contained $4,000 jews Jenghiz Khan
pinged it. but was outdone by Timnr. who, in
revenge for an attack made by the citizens
upon the garrison. ordered a general mo ssacre.
the fruits of which. In the shape o! 10 600 heads.
were piled up in pyramids Of skulls. About thu
time that Henry VII. was ascending the
throne Of England. "Srnhaun." us It was
called. was visited by the Yenetians Barbara
and Contarini. who found installed there tho
court OF Long lIasun OF tho White Sheep
| dynasty. Thus we arc brought down nearly
to the period when. always having been n
| capital city. Isfallan was promoted to the
|
piro by tho renowned Shah Abbas. or the
spacious ioniinions which no hal acquired.
which stretched from Georgin 10 Afghan
istan. Isfnhan WAS tho natural geographical
centre. The instincts of n prudent ccntraliza-
| tion commanded him to fix his capital
at spot where no would bo within
equal distance OF all corners OF his
| hugo possessions where. in reasona-
bio proximity to thu Persian Gulf. no
could at onco overlook ali tho maritime
provinces. control the foreign trade. and enter
into ehsy diplomatic relations with the potcn-
tGtcs OF Europe. Hence It WAS that Il new city.
approached by superb bridges and stately
avenues furnished with public buildings az
beautiful rs they were large. and embcllshed
by terraced gardens and palaces and ravilons.
srrnng into existence. Embassies foeked to
| the new capital from tho uttermost parts OF
Europe. and were received with all the spien.
| dor OF court immensely opuiont and
maintaining f. fanciiu nnd fastidious ETH