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Stray Thoughts On The Origin And Progress Of The Fine Arts.
STRAY THOUGHTS ON THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FINE ARTS .
BY DIAOOKAS . No . V . The dismemberment of the Macedonian Empire occasioned the decline of Grecian sculpture . Aa I have already statedthis decline extended over nearly 200
, years , but the fatal blow to the existence of Greek art was given by the success of the Roman arms , 146 years before Christ . The Romans sacked the famous city of Corinth and deprived it of all the art treasures it had accumulated . Athens was also conquered and subdued 86 years B . C ., and other cities soon shared the same fate .
The glory of Greece faded , and was spoken of as a thing of the past ; her g lorious works of art were left to the caprice of a people little qualified to appreciate them . The rude and warlike character of the Romans , conquerors of the world , was so little in harmony with the cultivation of the gentler arts of peace , that we cannot
be surprised to find the fine arts barely existing under their stern regime . Their thirst for conquest outweighed their passion for art ; the ivories of Greece and Efcruria , which they possessed , were only valued as trophies of conquest and victory , and were not regarded in tlie light of instruments by which their moral condition might be improved , or their barbarism , as a nation , modified . In the hands of the Romans the fine arts decreased rapidly ;
they possessed the finest works of Greece without possessing the genius or enthusiasm of their authors . Attem pts Avere made by Sylla , Pompey , and Cajsar to reinvigorate the progress of the fine arts . They collected gems , statues , & c , ancl invited to Rome the few remaining Grecian sculptors , who adorned Rome and many cities of Asia Minor with their works . During
the reign of Augustus the fine arts received a fresh impulse . He carefully collected the various masterpieces of sculpture , and placed them in prominent positions throughout the city . No expense was spared to procure works of merit . The names of all the sculptors who lived during this period were GreekchieflAthenian .
, y Pasiteles , Tropirus , and Evander were the most eminent , but although the arts were by these means in a measure revived , no new creative power was exhibited in the productions of this period ; eveiy new work served rather to show what had been , than presage any degree of eminence for futurity . Erom Augustus to Trajan , about
140 years , the principles and practice of the Greeks were closely followed . The taste and energy displayed by Trajan , Hadrian , and the Antonines caused this period to be accounted the golden era of scul p ture in Rome . The distinguishing characteristic of the ivories of this jieriod is minuteness of finish , disjdaying the work of the hand rather than the mind . The mechanical
dexterity of the artists displayed itself in careful working with the file , the chisel , and the drill , giving an air of studied refinement to the work , to the utter extinction of all characteristic or natural expression . After the death of Hadrian sculpture rapidly declined , though , during the time of the Antonines , works of considerable merit were executed . The best Roman
sculpture was that which adorned their public monuments , as the Trajan column , where the exploits of the Emperor are represented , iu one continuous relief from the base to the summit , and are crowned by a statue of Trajan himself . Tlie efforts of the Emperor Constantino to restore the feeling of admiration for art , which seemed to have forsaken Rome , were partially successful . He established schools of art and
distz-ibuted p rizes and privileges to distinguished students . By these means he succeeded in raising several considerable buildings , but in embellishing them he was obliged to have recourse to the sculptors of a former age . He sought afresh in the cities of Greece and Asia those gems of ancient art as were to be found yet
remaining . The productions of the artists of his own time , who wrought chiefly in metal , showed but too plainly that the spirit of ancient art was lost . Rome at this period had a profusion of works of art , 11 , 000 works of Greek and Etruscan sculpture adorned that imperial city . So plentiful were works of art that
Petroniusallud-, ing to them , said it ivas easier to meet a god in Rome than a man . The Goddess of Eortune being almost universall y worshipped , her statues were abundant . She was generally represented with a rudder in her right hand , while her left supported a cornucopia filled with fruits and corn—the rudder being a metaphorical allusion to
her supposed dominion over the affairs of the world , and . the cornucopia , a symbol of the plenty she bestowed on her favourites . After the period ofthe ascendancy ofthe Roman Emperors , one of the most common figures on Greek and Roman coins was the figure of this goddess . The Romans erected no less than twenty-five temples at
Rome to Fortune . It is somewhat strange that such a people as the Romans , distinguished as they were for manliness and perseverence , should have been the least remarkable of all nations for any originalit y in genius , especial ]; , ' in art , but their warlike character could not be trammelled doivn to peaceful pursuits . Sculpture was the peculiar province of the people they had
vanquished . They had no respect for art or artists , therefore , and considering them as little better than slaves , they were not likely to admire or practise successfull y the art itself . The profusion of works of art in Greece supplied them with abundant means to decorate their buildings , and consequently there was less inducement
to employ native artists to produce works ivhich were greatly inferior to those they had at hand . Some writers have said that the date of the beginning of modern art should be fixed at that period when painting and sculpture were made subservient to the illustration of subjects connected with Christian worship . Erom the time
of Constantino the arts slowl y revived , and an original school made itself apparent in the rude attempts of the early Christians . In those earl y days it was not uncommon for artists to unite painting , sculpture , and architecture ; but sculpture did not assume a distinct character till the time of Nicolo Pisano . He flourished about
1200 A . D . His works still adorn many cities of Italy . Magnificent marble jmlpits in the cathedrals of Pisa , Siena , and Orvieto , enriched with statues and lassi relicvi , illustrating the facts of scripture , arc lasting monuments of his skill . Pisano lived to an advanced ace , but , though several of his scholars produced works of more than average meritit was not till 1330 that a fit
, successor appeared in the person of his grandson , Andrew Pisano , who executed at Florence a work of great beauty in bronze , illustrating the life of St . John . It forms one of the gates of the baptistry in that city . The first school of design was established at Florence A . D . 1350 , and at the close of that century
sculpture once more had firm footing in Italy , ancl Italian artists , wandering over Germany , France , and England , left traces of their genius in many of the scul ptured ornaments of the Gothic edifices . Thus did art revive when tenderly miriured by the mild genius of Christianity , and 1 trust to be able to trace throughout the whole subsequent progress of the fine arts , distinct tokens of its benign influence .
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Stray Thoughts On The Origin And Progress Of The Fine Arts.
STRAY THOUGHTS ON THE ORIGIN AND PROGRESS OF THE FINE ARTS .
BY DIAOOKAS . No . V . The dismemberment of the Macedonian Empire occasioned the decline of Grecian sculpture . Aa I have already statedthis decline extended over nearly 200
, years , but the fatal blow to the existence of Greek art was given by the success of the Roman arms , 146 years before Christ . The Romans sacked the famous city of Corinth and deprived it of all the art treasures it had accumulated . Athens was also conquered and subdued 86 years B . C ., and other cities soon shared the same fate .
The glory of Greece faded , and was spoken of as a thing of the past ; her g lorious works of art were left to the caprice of a people little qualified to appreciate them . The rude and warlike character of the Romans , conquerors of the world , was so little in harmony with the cultivation of the gentler arts of peace , that we cannot
be surprised to find the fine arts barely existing under their stern regime . Their thirst for conquest outweighed their passion for art ; the ivories of Greece and Efcruria , which they possessed , were only valued as trophies of conquest and victory , and were not regarded in tlie light of instruments by which their moral condition might be improved , or their barbarism , as a nation , modified . In the hands of the Romans the fine arts decreased rapidly ;
they possessed the finest works of Greece without possessing the genius or enthusiasm of their authors . Attem pts Avere made by Sylla , Pompey , and Cajsar to reinvigorate the progress of the fine arts . They collected gems , statues , & c , ancl invited to Rome the few remaining Grecian sculptors , who adorned Rome and many cities of Asia Minor with their works . During
the reign of Augustus the fine arts received a fresh impulse . He carefully collected the various masterpieces of sculpture , and placed them in prominent positions throughout the city . No expense was spared to procure works of merit . The names of all the sculptors who lived during this period were GreekchieflAthenian .
, y Pasiteles , Tropirus , and Evander were the most eminent , but although the arts were by these means in a measure revived , no new creative power was exhibited in the productions of this period ; eveiy new work served rather to show what had been , than presage any degree of eminence for futurity . Erom Augustus to Trajan , about
140 years , the principles and practice of the Greeks were closely followed . The taste and energy displayed by Trajan , Hadrian , and the Antonines caused this period to be accounted the golden era of scul p ture in Rome . The distinguishing characteristic of the ivories of this jieriod is minuteness of finish , disjdaying the work of the hand rather than the mind . The mechanical
dexterity of the artists displayed itself in careful working with the file , the chisel , and the drill , giving an air of studied refinement to the work , to the utter extinction of all characteristic or natural expression . After the death of Hadrian sculpture rapidly declined , though , during the time of the Antonines , works of considerable merit were executed . The best Roman
sculpture was that which adorned their public monuments , as the Trajan column , where the exploits of the Emperor are represented , iu one continuous relief from the base to the summit , and are crowned by a statue of Trajan himself . Tlie efforts of the Emperor Constantino to restore the feeling of admiration for art , which seemed to have forsaken Rome , were partially successful . He established schools of art and
distz-ibuted p rizes and privileges to distinguished students . By these means he succeeded in raising several considerable buildings , but in embellishing them he was obliged to have recourse to the sculptors of a former age . He sought afresh in the cities of Greece and Asia those gems of ancient art as were to be found yet
remaining . The productions of the artists of his own time , who wrought chiefly in metal , showed but too plainly that the spirit of ancient art was lost . Rome at this period had a profusion of works of art , 11 , 000 works of Greek and Etruscan sculpture adorned that imperial city . So plentiful were works of art that
Petroniusallud-, ing to them , said it ivas easier to meet a god in Rome than a man . The Goddess of Eortune being almost universall y worshipped , her statues were abundant . She was generally represented with a rudder in her right hand , while her left supported a cornucopia filled with fruits and corn—the rudder being a metaphorical allusion to
her supposed dominion over the affairs of the world , and . the cornucopia , a symbol of the plenty she bestowed on her favourites . After the period ofthe ascendancy ofthe Roman Emperors , one of the most common figures on Greek and Roman coins was the figure of this goddess . The Romans erected no less than twenty-five temples at
Rome to Fortune . It is somewhat strange that such a people as the Romans , distinguished as they were for manliness and perseverence , should have been the least remarkable of all nations for any originalit y in genius , especial ]; , ' in art , but their warlike character could not be trammelled doivn to peaceful pursuits . Sculpture was the peculiar province of the people they had
vanquished . They had no respect for art or artists , therefore , and considering them as little better than slaves , they were not likely to admire or practise successfull y the art itself . The profusion of works of art in Greece supplied them with abundant means to decorate their buildings , and consequently there was less inducement
to employ native artists to produce works ivhich were greatly inferior to those they had at hand . Some writers have said that the date of the beginning of modern art should be fixed at that period when painting and sculpture were made subservient to the illustration of subjects connected with Christian worship . Erom the time
of Constantino the arts slowl y revived , and an original school made itself apparent in the rude attempts of the early Christians . In those earl y days it was not uncommon for artists to unite painting , sculpture , and architecture ; but sculpture did not assume a distinct character till the time of Nicolo Pisano . He flourished about
1200 A . D . His works still adorn many cities of Italy . Magnificent marble jmlpits in the cathedrals of Pisa , Siena , and Orvieto , enriched with statues and lassi relicvi , illustrating the facts of scripture , arc lasting monuments of his skill . Pisano lived to an advanced ace , but , though several of his scholars produced works of more than average meritit was not till 1330 that a fit
, successor appeared in the person of his grandson , Andrew Pisano , who executed at Florence a work of great beauty in bronze , illustrating the life of St . John . It forms one of the gates of the baptistry in that city . The first school of design was established at Florence A . D . 1350 , and at the close of that century
sculpture once more had firm footing in Italy , ancl Italian artists , wandering over Germany , France , and England , left traces of their genius in many of the scul ptured ornaments of the Gothic edifices . Thus did art revive when tenderly miriured by the mild genius of Christianity , and 1 trust to be able to trace throughout the whole subsequent progress of the fine arts , distinct tokens of its benign influence .