Blackwood's Edinburgh magazine, Vol. 76, No. 467, September 1854Various
History
Blackwood's Edinburgh magazine, Vol. 76, No. 467, September 1854
Various
England -- Periodicals; Scotland -- Periodicals
Much is made of the notices of Pausanias, who, in the 177th year of the
Christian era, travelled over Greece. Mr (afterwards Sir Uvedale) Price,
in 1780 published “an accurate bill of fare of so sumptuous an
entertainment,” in relation to the temples, statues, and paintings
remaining in Greece in the time of Pausanias. We have thought it worth
while to look over this bill of fare, and to extract all that is said
about painted statues. Page 45: “In the great square, where there are
several temples, there are the statues of the Ephesian Diana, and of
Bacchus in wood—all the parts of which are gilt with gold, except the
faces, which are coloured with vermilion.” Immediately follows—“There is
a Temple of Fortune with her statue, which is an upright figure of
Parian marble”—Nothing about painting this! Page 177–78: “In Ægina there
is a Temple of Jupiter, in which there is his statue of Pentelican
marble, in a sitting posture, and one of Minerva in wood, which is gilt
with gold, and adorned with various colours; but the head, hands, and
feet are of ivory.” “At Philoe there are the temples of Bacchus and
Diana: the statue of the goddess is in brass, and she is taking an arrow
out of her quiver; but that of Bacchus is of wood, and is painted of a
ruddy colour.” It is only the wooden are painted! Page 199: “In Phigalia
there is a Temple of Diana Sospita, with her statue in marble; and in
Gymnasium there is a statue of Mercury, and likewise a Temple of Bacchus
Acratophorus with his statue—the upper part of which is painted with
vermilion, but the lower part is covered by the ivy and laurel that
grows over it.” This is the statue mentioned in the historical evidence,
where it says “_the body being of gilded wood_.” There is no doubt it
was so—but in fairness we must say, that, having examined the original
passage in Pausanias (_Arcad._, lib. viii. cap. 89), we find no mention
of the material of which it was made. Here it will be observed that in
no instance does Pausanias speak of a marble statue painted.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account