The herald., 1894-10-15
ART TALKS 5.


Mrs. Caswslps Instruotive Address at
| Marlborough School.
| A prospectus was sent out couple oil
weeks ago announcing q series of in
formal talks on Art History, to be given
by Mrs. George A. Caswel at the Marl-
borough school on successive Saturdays,
commencing day before yesterday. A
gratifyingly large number were present
on that date, whom the subject treated
Definitions, origin OF Art, Savage Tribes,
Art in Egypt, Pyramids, Sculpture APP
piled to Architecture, Ka Statues. etc.
Mrs. Caswell said all definitions were
difficult Just in proportion as they were
general, as beauty, religion, art, refine
msnt; euch definitions were mostly neg
ative.
AS science deals with the useful in
life, SO art ia the ornamental eide of lie.
Its origin, indeed, was love OF ornament;
as in clothing, which developed the arts
OF weaving, embroidering. lace making
Then sbelter. which produced architec-
ture and furnishing. Imagination wns
next appealed to. and poetry. music
sculpture, painting and more elaborate
or intricate architecture followed.
Savage tribes showed their love OF art
in tattooed akuila decorated war clu bs
and paddles. in the plated straw and
feather bands OF the Sandwich Islands.
in Navajo blankets and Indian baskets.
Some of the earliest pieces OF art were
in tombs or ornamental buildings, CYCLIC
pean walls, the pillars Of Central Amer
lea, pyramids, nuns houses.
Architecture is the art of ornamental
and ornamented building. Beauty in
proportion"
The history OF architecture may be
said to be included in the period from
the cave to the Alham bra; that of paint.
ing from Cimibue to Burns-Jones of
sculpture from Phidias to St. Gaudens.
Mrs. Caswell referred to the theory
that sculpture should be used only for
the decoration of architecture and sub
ordinated to it. The Egyptian love of
temples and tombs was the outgrowth of
their religion, as evidenced by the tenn
pies at Thebes, tombs at Memphis, on
the lett bank OF the Nile.
The pyramids. their construction,
plan and use, were carefully explained
and graphically described as being on
plateau, with the great sphinx at the
entrance to the plateau.
Ks. meaning double, the Ka st atues
were a duplicate, feature for feature,
made in Egyptian porcelain from one to
IL inches, 20 or more being often found
with the mummy.
The entire subject was profusely illus
trated by a profusion of Photographic,
and as Mrs. Caswell not only knows
what sne wants to say but how to say it
clearly and we'll, the address proved
highly intereating as well aH instructive.
Following is the list Of subjects for the
rest of the series:
First-Assyria, Ninevah and Babylon:
Monuments of Brahminism and Budd-
hism; rock-out temples, pagodas and vi
hal.
Third-Greek art: Tha Acropolis; a
few masterpieces Of sculpture.
Fourth-Early Christian and Byzan-
tine art: The catacombs; symbolism;
discussions as to representations Of
Christ; basilicas of San Cemente at
Rome, st. Paul outside the walls, and
Santa Maria Maggiore; baptistsries;
Byzantine churches OF st. Sophia at
Conatantinople, and St. Marks at
Venice,
Fiith--Florence and Florentine sculpt-
ors: Ghiberti; Donatelio; Della Robbia;
Michael Angelo.
Sixth-Canova, Thorwaldsen, fn-de.
steele sculptors.
Seventh-Gothic or pointed architec-
ture; definitions; constructive ornamen-
tations; early, middle and late Gothic;
typical cathedrals o! England, France,
Germany, Italy and Spain.
Eighth Raphael. tho master OF