The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1894-11-25
The Ladies' Literary Club.

On Friday, November %, the art sec
ton of the club was represented by
Miss Mccormick and Mrs. Miller. The
former gave The Origin of Greek Art
and the influences which led to the
high development upon Grecian Soil,
and the latter spoke of ''The Works OF
the Archaic Period
Miss Mccormick said that the influ-
ences were many which led to the ad-
vancement of art in Greece, among
which may be named its geographical
features, climate and scenery. To these
was beautiful nature as a founda-
ton to draw from; but John Lord
says: 1.-The mere contemplation of ma
ture is not enough for art. Savages
have no art at all-grim when they
live amid grand mountains and the
ever-cIanging sea- Greece was divld-
ed among twenty-five tribes, each hav-
ing it's individual characteristics, and
all this diversity made a very versatile
people who in turn created many-Slded
arts Then there were bonds of uni
on, and there were limits developed by
climate and nature which were COM
mon to ALL Their mode of government
and the national games were also
sources of union. Art was universally
loved The plastic temperament of the
Greeks and their love of nature int1u-
enced the arts. In fact. all the Gus
toms and characteristics of Grecian
life influenced them; so circumstances
We're favorable.
The Grecian religion-mytholo
was one of the greatest sources of de-
velopment in art. The real objects of
worship were beauty, grace and heroic
strength. Grecian mythology is full of
artistic poetry.
External influences were also brought
to bear upon the development of art.
The Greeks were not absolutely orig
inal.
Perhaps in no country has literature
had such an effect upon art as in
Greece Much has been written upon
those principles upon which art is sup
posed to be founded. 1t is difficult to
conceive beauty or grace by definition
as difficult as to define love or any
other ultimate sentiment of the soul.
Speaking of the perfection in art at
tanned by the Greeks, Max Muller says:
How the Greeks came to be what
they were, and how alone of all. other
nations they opened almost every
mine of thought that has since been
worked by mankind-how they invent
ed and perfected almost every kind of
poetry and prose which has since been
cultivated Dy the greatest InIuuS OIL our
race-how they laid the founda ton of
the principal acts and sciences. and in
some of their achieved triumphs never
since equalled, is problem which nei-
Their historian or philosopher has as
yet been able to solve.
THE Greek mind comes like Athena
from the head of Zens, suddenly, full
grown, with unexampled intellectual
vigor and activity"
of tha works of tho 10 10 raariod
Mrs. Miller said: Greek art is divided
into four great periods: The Archaic
period, the Phidian period, the period
of Scopas and Praxiteles, and the
Hillenistic period The Archaic period
is sub-divided into three parts the
prehistoric, the early Archaic and the
Advanced Archaic. OF the prehistoric
period nothing is known except
through the heroic poems and the leg
ends Of the country From the Homer
ic poems we gather that the splendor
of Babylonian, Assyrian and Persian
palaces were known to Greece. Metal
work took first place among the arts
at this early day, but it was of the
simplest kind Carving was confined
almost entirely TO the ornamental
ton of domestic utensils.
and images Of the gods. The Oldest
age of Greece had no idols. Their gods
were represented by symbols These
symbols were followed by human fig
ufess carved in wood, but very stiff and
lifeless. The legends say of Deadalus
and his followers, that they put life
and movement into the dead forms,
separating the feet, and detauhing the
arms from the body. This bring us to
the end of the Eighth century, when
we find ourselves upon firmer ground,
and when the authentic history of
Greek art begins. There is very little
of interest in the early Archaic period,
the works being Ct ude and faulty Cast
ing. in bronze was known 1000 years
before Christ, at Egyptian and As
syrian works show
About the middle of the Seventh
century the man Ne works rose to ar
tistic importance At the close of the
Sixth century, the Advanced Archaic
period begins, when the art students
threw off their letters, and breathed
with more freedom. Aristocle5 was the
founder of an important school, but
there was still -up.er lack of expression
The figures still wore the same stiff
smile as those of AN earlier period In
the Phidian periol, Greek art reached
it's greatest ( ERECTION. i. Calamis,
Pythagueas and AMyron are the then
greatest artists ST this period. With