The Palace and Park: Its Natural History, and Its Portrait Gallery, Together with a Description of the Pompeian CourtLatham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
History
The Palace and Park: Its Natural History, and Its Portrait Gallery, Together with a Description of the Pompeian Court
Latham, R. G. (Robert Gordon)
Crystal Palace (Sydenham, London, England)
An inscription on the architrave informs us that this monument was
erected by Lysicrates of Kikyna, at his own expense, in order to
commemorate a musical triumph obtained by various members of his tribe
or clan, the Akamantis. The ancient Greeks were in the habit of holding
a species of musical tournament, in which the most celebrated masters of
the art vied with each other; in this particular case, the palm was
awarded to Theon, the flute-player, and the chorus of boys led by
Lysiades; the magistrate for the year being Evanectus. It was to
celebrate this triumph that the monument was erected. On the monument
was sculptured the story of Bacchus transforming the Tyrrhenian pirates
into dolphins, which was the subject of the music. A tripod was the
usual prize granted in these contests, and the victor either placed it
in one of the temples, or, as in the present instance, consecrated a
monument specially for its reception. It was placed on the summit.
Retracing our steps, we once more regain the Nave, and as we advance,
still keeping on the left side, past the front of the Egyptian Court, we
remark several antique statues, including the Antinous as Mercury, from
the Capitol at Rome (316), the Antinous as a Good Genius (314), and the
Adonis, from Capua (213).
From this point, extending throughout the façade of the Greek Court, are
ranged excellent examples of Greek sculpture, which the visitor may
compare with the subsequent works of the Roman sculptors, or of Greeks
settled at Rome, placed before the walls of the Roman Court. Amongst the
Greek statues we select the group of Silenus and a youthful Bacchus
(306), excellently treated and full of life; seated statues of
Demosthenes the Philosopher (308), and of Posidonius (307), on each side
of the first entrance to the Court; the Borghese Silenus (306); a
Bacchus and Faun (305); the fine group of the Wrestlers, from Florence
(304), the well-known Drunken Faun (295), from the Museum at Naples; and
the Apollo Sauroctonos (298), from the Vatican. Nor must we omit the
excellent seated statues (290, 291). On either side of the principal
entrance to the Greek Court will be found the beautiful Ceres (130), a
Vestal (142), the Amazon (302), and Polymnia (297).
In front of the Roman Court will be first noticed Meleager and his Dog
(289); the celebrated Antinous (288); the fine Mercury, from the Vatican
(287), and the same subject (288), from Naples. Before the first
entrance to the Court are placed the seated statues of Trajan (286), and
Agrippina (281).
The Mercury disguised as a Shepherd (285), and the Adonis (282), are
characteristic specimens of the ordinary Roman style.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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