The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, November 1883: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle.Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
History
The Chautauquan, Vol. 04, November 1883: A Monthly Magazine Devoted to the Promotion of True Culture.; Organ of the Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle.
Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle
Chautauqua Institution -- Periodicals; Chautauqua Literary and Scientific Circle -- Periodicals
The Augustan age (B. C. 36-A. D. 14), favorable as it was to
literature, only contributed to the multiplying of copies of the Greek
statues, such as we see in so many instances, some of which are of
great excellence, and inestimable as reliable evidence of fine Greek
sculpture. These copies were sometimes varied by the sculptor in some
immaterial point of detail.
Nero (A. D. 54-68) is said to have adorned his Golden House with no
less than 500 statues, brought from Delphi. In the Baths of Titus,
still in existence (they were built on the ground of the house and
gardens of Mæcenas), many valuable statues have been discovered. The
Arch of Titus furnishes an excellent example of bas-relief of that
time, in it the golden candlestick and other spoils from the temple of
Jerusalem are shown.
Hadrian (A. D. 117-138) encouraged the reproduction of the Greek
statues, with great success as regards execution, for his famous villa
at Tivoli, and besides these are the statues of his favorite Antinous,
which are the most original works of the time. Hadrian’s imperial
and liberal promotion of sculpture, gave an immense impetus to the
production of statues of every form. All the towns of Greece which he
favored made bronze portrait statues of him, which were placed in the
temple of Jupiter Olympius at Athens, and the enclosure round more than
half a mile in extent was filled with its many statues.
The learned Varro speaks of Arcesilaus as the sculptor of Venus
Genetrix, in the forum of Cæsar, and of a beautiful marble group of
Cupids playing with a lioness, some leading her, others beating her
with their sandals, others offering her wine to drink from horns.
Under the Antonines arose the outrageous fashion of representing noble
Romans and their wives as deities, and this was carried so far that
the men are not unfrequently nude as if heroic. The bas-reliefs on the
arch of Septimus Severus at Rome, and that which goes by the name of
Constantine—though made chiefly of reliefs belonging to one raised in
honor of Trajan—show the poor condition of sculpture at that time. The
numerous sarcophagi, some made by Greek sculptors for the Roman market,
and others by those working at Rome, are other examples of the feeble
style of imitators and workmen actuated by no knowledge or feeling of
art. Some of these are still to be seen in the collections at Rome,
with mythological subjects, the heads being left unfinished, so that
the portraits of the family could be carved when required.
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.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account