Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-04-16
An Illustration of What Municipal
Sculpture Night Be.
FROM ME HISTORY OF OTHER LANDS
AT Played q Prominent Part In tho
Civic Life
/ GLIMPSE OF THE PAST

Kah Bitter In Municipal ARairs
The best Illustration OF what municipal
sculpture might be in our time 10 to be
found In examples showing what imports
ant part was assigned to it In former times.
The history Of ancient Egypt and its
rulers. as well a. OF the leading ideas Of
those times. can be retraced from the
sculptured relics surviving along the banks
OF the Nile these many Thousands Of year,
The sculptured pictures which cover the
columns OF the ancient temple OF Karnak
were to the people Of that day living oct.
ward signs OF all that was great and sa-
cred IN their national and religious life. In
them the Egyptian saw reproduced the
sacred rites Of his religion. the might and
prowess OF his rulers, and could thus. at al
times. recall to himself and to his childrci
the great past. The colossal sphinxea
couched beside still more colossal pyra-
mids. the gigantic tombstones of dead
kings, by their stolid features and trana al
pose. still tell the story OF a boundless
despotism and overweenpg hierarchy. and
Of the lasting impression made by them
upon the entire character and life OF Q
great human race.
Monuments Of Hellas.
Just as the greatness Of Egypt has been
recorded for all time to come by its Inn
perfshable monuments. 50 the charm OF the
lie and civilization Of ancient Helas has
been perpetuated by monuments. the spirit
OF which IL imperishable. What Homer
ana Sappho sung in living verse their fell
low artists recorded In no less living form
with their ch.sel and mallet. The Lion
Gate Of Mycenae and the sculpt Ired re.
mains OF tombs lying near II tell as much
In their way OF the life and deeds OF Ho-
meric times as Homer himself and the
Homeric Rhapsodists embody In their
epics. Even IL We did not have these rehcs
of stone We could know. from these songs
Row large part sculpture and its kindred
arts played In the life of those oeorles.
So IT came that, by the time CT Pericles,
the men of Athens were surrounds In all
their pursuits by q magnificent outward
demonstration OF their city's greatness.
and OF the highest civilization Of their age.
Spending their lives out of doors, as they
did. they could find the beauty that we
seek In our homes distributed throughout
the entire city; and thus they grew to con-
slider the city itself as their real home and
to be more concerned In IL than in their
own at best but casual dwelling place.
The magnificence OF their Acropolis-the
heart or their city-was something the
humblest citizen rejoiced and Look pride in.
From afar he was greeted py Athena Pro-
machos. the goddess OF his arts uDd
sciences. the defender and patron OF his
therefore. the ideal expression OF all the
city stood for and properly placed On it's
Acropolis. The statues and has roliefs,
adjoining the temples and publ, places
which surrounded her and SO harmoniously
affected the whole life of the city, could
not but leave permanent impression upon
the receptive minds Of all who had eyes to
behold them.
For All the People.
Athens was q democracy. where all that
was done or undertaken was meant for
the enjoyment and education OF the people
at large. The place that sculpture and art
held in this system OF popular education
is shown by numerous examples but q
small part Of which have survived until
our day.
The inevitable connection OF cause ana
effect in such q system OF national educa-
tion is shown by the much quoted incident
when the famous statue OF Athens was
about to be erected within the Parthenoa.
What would you have said Pericles to
the Athenian people, when IL came to vot-
Ing the expense for this monumental work.
stone and BRONZE or gold and ivory?" and
the people answered as with one voice. Let
1t be gold and ivory" decreeing at the
same time that whoever should propose to
devote any part Of these funds to the more
necessary war expenses should be 1on<
demned to death. This was the spirit di-
rectly engendered and fostered by a sys-
tenn OF national education which decreed
that there should be public readings Of
such poems as the Rhapsodies Of Homer
before the assembled populace. No won-
der that Athenian with the music Of
these powerful verses still ringing In his
ears-when turning to the temple Of his
tutelary goddess-should desire her eculp.
tured image to combine all that was best
in art and workmanship. Thus the noblest
OF inspirations were perpetuated In the ar
tfstic productions Of the day. and they in
turn fpSpira fiop Of oil he
and noble ideals to all those who came un-
der their spell.
In Ancient Rome.
The conception CT sculpture and Its scopa
in ancient Rome In the days of the repub.
lie. as well xs Of the empire. only differed
from that Of ancient Greece in its STAN
dard. There was Q similar agreement be-
tween the people and their rulers, were
they senator's, councils. priests or empe-
rcrs. to make the utmost of this art to
record and commemorate tie great deeds
and victories Of those who stood for the
glory OF Rome. Indeed, giorihcation, as
such, was an offset more sought for By the
Romans than by the Greeks, or even tho
Egyptians. and accordingly we find Ro-
man trtumphal arches and commemorative
columns bearing sculptures Of tremendous
power. telling stirring stories Of victories.
works OF art. with their high-sounding in
scrtptions. must have fncited the whole
people, and animated II by q heroic war.
IKE spirit. that shrunk from nothing for
the glory and triumph OF the Eternal City
Of the Seven Hills.
Its Part In Civil Lie.
It would 60 beyond our purpose to fur.
thee specify by striking examples the mis-
SIGN and scope OF civic sculpture during
the medieval times: sufElce II to say, that
after the turmoil OF the migration Of
peoples all over the European continent
Quoted down. sculpture not only recorded
but formed an integral part Of civic and
spiritual life OF the people. With the new
growth OF civic spirit animating peoples
aud rulers during the Renaissance, as we
al know. came . new outburst Of artistic
and literary creation. not a small part OF
which was devoted 10 sculpture II the
people OF thosA days were moved TO help
princes. despots and an arfstocracy to
amass monument upon monument. and en-
thuMasticaily threw themselves into the
arms OF the church, Swing II their best ef.
forts and the best work Of all those ages.
they did thin q true and spontaneous
exprssBion Of their own lie, sexpresg.ng thelp