Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1893-01-28

This statute renrescn,s a typical
work OF nn early period Of EgyUtian
sculpture. Later they hal fixed forms
aud types which remained unchanged
for three thousand years. 20 that Plato,
In his dry, could justly observe that
painting nud sculpture praciIced In
Egypt for 30 mary centuries had pro.
duoed nothing better at the end than
ut the beginning.
FcttcriJas Egy ptinn art was by the
dictates OF the priests ana prevented
from Tree NJ o itaneOus deve!opm snt T;
II had, however, elements OF power
and noble simplicity.
In tn. steieopiicin Views which I
shall show later, will point out som,
Of thes. CHARACTERISTICS 10 which | have
alluded.
Aspyrian sculpture never reached the
dignity OF statues, tut coDtented itself
with the representation ~ hunting
exploits IN low relief. Their modelling
of animals was very free sui uncon.
ventionaI in contrast 10 their treatment
Of the human form.
The next school Of sculpture that We
have 10 consider 10 the Creek. A.
though many authorities CLAIM thnt II
uuu M Oriktuui utseANIthN u ~ Nut
inter researches Ia archie )lOgy have
proved beyond a doubt that their ilrst
efforts were direct copies Of The art OF
T. ypt and the East. The Greeks diJ
MT invent sculpture. but we owe to
them the invention Of the beautiful.
In their sculpture we note the free and
spontaneous expression OF very bno
and subtle intellect. This charming
freed I'm OF mind added 20 this super
abundance Of inventive gaiety and
dolicscy OF perception resulted In the
Parthenon anu the Olypisn Jove. This
last 10 n quotation from M. raine.
Greek art was intellectual In con.
trast TO the morbid spiritual flights Of
Christian art during the fourteenth
aud tho first part Of the
fifteenth centuries. Everything 10 the
Greeks was joyous, and Ia the warm
sunshine where they could exercise
there bodies and minds, they came TO
a realization OF this-truth IL beauty,
anu b-auty istruib.
The Greek mind fevolted against the
vague or abstract and heuce II IN that
la all their works Of art you note u
taste for accurate aud defined con.
tours.
II was they who established the
architectural module, which according
to the diameter Of coIumn, deter
mines Its height, Its shape, Its base
aud capital, and besides this The
distance between the columns, and the
general economy OF the edificr.
They also established certain den.
mite measurements for their statutes:
thus their gods were eight heads In
height, while their heroes aud mOrtals
were but seven nni "a half.
THIS defining OF the menutsements
OF the bouy led the Greeks ~ make
their etatues typical men and wo.
men, rather than 10 make them
represent the hatacterlstics OF inJivid.
uni men and women. Thus while we
admire Greek art Tor lie perfection Of
form, We search In vain for the immor.
tai and Individual soul OF mau.
You have recognized already IN the
Greek mind the fundamental need Of
pure and fixed forms. Thus II Is that
tneir temples are direct ex preston OF
their national ideale.
The Greek temple was always placed
upon an eminence aud was the first
object that attracted attention on en-.
tering the city. It was visible from
every point on the plain and from
neighboring hills; vessels greeted 1t In
approaching the port; aud II stood out
In bold relief Ia the limpid atmosphere.
Ii IL not like media val cathedral,,
crowded and smothered by rows OF
houses, haii.concealed, inaccessible 10
the eye save In Its details and upper
sections.
Its full proportions appear at glance;
and IN order that there may bp no lack
OF distinctnoss OF impression 1t Ia AL
ways OF medium or small Dimensions.
In this respect II again differs from the
gigantic cathedrals whose naves could
contain the entire population OF city.
The Greek temple IN not n place OF
assembly, bat the special habltation OF
n God, often enclosing Ia its inner
shrino but a single statue.
Beside the delicate perception OF form
anu dimension. the Greek mind pos
sessed the sense Of security aDd power.
Thus It has been said that every temple
Ia Greeco would 10 intact ut the present
day, II the brutality or fanaticlsm OF
man had not supervencd TO destroy
them.
Finally, take into account all their
WORKS which place before mems
eyes perfect images Of manly force, OF
athletic perfection, OF militant virtue,
Of unaffected nobility, OF unalterable
serenity, ind you Will arrive at the
first conception OF their genius md
their art.
In fact the love anu worship OF this
lie, the sentiments VI human energy,
anu the necessity OF calmless and
gayety, led them TO execute works
comprohsnHible 10 every race anu aye,
"and which being human are eiernal.O
The next school vi sculpture to CON-
slider lie the early Christian, and that
like the art OF Greece IL founded on
copying an earlier art. Tho early
Christian, or as II Is POPULARITY styled
tue sculpture OF tho Renaissance be-
gan with Nicola pisano, aud ended
with Miohael Anglo. Previous TO
Nicola pissnO, scul plure was scarcely
worthy OF the name, and indeed Nicola
himself dii nothing worthy OF the
name until he saw some Fragments OF
the best period OF Greek sculpture. Ho
began Immediately 10 modify his style
in conformity to the broader way of
looking ut nature, and produced works
that are considered thoroughly fine.
His best known works are bnss.relief
papnels on the pulpits at Slena and
Pisa. The next sculptor OF note "
Andrea Oscagu a, u universal artist, n
Michael Angelo anticipated, and
lastly Gibertl, Donateiio, Della
Robbin, aud Sansovino, all OF Flor.
enuc. Lorenzo Gilbert IL chiefly
known as the author OF the celebrated