DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.5065#0011
II.
CHARACTER OF THE BRONZES AS WORKS OF ART.
We now pass to considerations, much more interesting and instructive, suggested to us by
this work, and relating to the higher qualities of art. After having repeatedly contemplated
these Bronzes, an individual of great intelligence and experience affirmed, that he had never
seen anything which had more evidently, and more powerfully, convinced him of the high
superiority of the Greeks over all other people in the arts of design. The Author of this
work would not express the same sentiment, had he not in his favour the constantly uniform
judgment of numerous artists of distinguished talent, who often, and attentively, examined these
bronzes in Italy and elsewhere. A great number of comparisons has confirmed him in the same
opinion, and he does not hesitate, therefore, to declare, that he knows of no finer relief in
bronze, now existing, nor of any one more adapted to convey a judgment of the finest style of
the Greeks, and of their extraordinary pre-eminence in the technical parts of the art. It is
indeed true that the Museo Borbonico at Naples, the richest in the world in antique bronzes,
since the discovery of the treasures at Herculaneum and at Pompeii, possesses many remarkable
monuments of this material ; and Rome, Florence and Venice, have likewise some important
relics of the same kind ; but the author is not acquainted with any ancient relief in bronze,
which is of so high a style, and of such perfect execution.6
Let us first consider the composition and design of the two groups. Both plates present
the male figures as conquerors ; those of the two women as overthrown and nearly vanquished,
although still vigorously defending themselves. Each victor casts on the vanquished female
a fierce insulting look, presses her side with his knee, seizes her by the hair, and appears
disposed to strike the mortal blow. In each bronze the woman, half thrown down, bends
one knee towards the earth, which causes one of her legs to lie back under her, and to
appear upon a foreshortened scale, whilst the other is stretched out. According to the
usual costume observed on Greek monuments of the most flourishing time of art, the heroes
have merely a helmet upon the head, a large buckler on the left arm, and a wide freely
flowing drapery thrown over the same arm ; in other respects they are entirely naked. The
Amazons have the head uncovered, a light tunic passed over the right shoulder, and which,
fastened round the body by a girdle, leaves naked the greatest part of the breast and arms,
and terminates above the knees. They wear laced buskins, which reach just up to the calf,
and are lapped over in front in a triangular form. Their shields are completely oval, without
a notch, and have ornaments on the two sides. The Amazon of No. I. holds such a shield
on the left arm ; in each plate is seen a similar shield lying upon the ground, and which
is behind the feet of the two combatants.
By these details we have indicated the principal features of a composition, which is at
once simple and grand. We must further observe, that the lines blend into each other
in the most graceful manner. There is nowhere anything tame, insignificant, or void of
6 The best Greek bas-relief in bronze hitherto known is that, which Mr. Hawkins found in Epirus nearly forty
years ago, I believe, and which Mr. Millingen has published in his Ancient Unedited Monuments, Plate XII. and
p. 21. It has also been further illustrated in the lid. Vol. of the Select Specimens published by the Society, 1835,
Plate XX. This group is indeed of exquisite workmanship, but of a style and execution very different from those of
the Bronzes of Siris
CHARACTER OF THE BRONZES AS WORKS OF ART.
We now pass to considerations, much more interesting and instructive, suggested to us by
this work, and relating to the higher qualities of art. After having repeatedly contemplated
these Bronzes, an individual of great intelligence and experience affirmed, that he had never
seen anything which had more evidently, and more powerfully, convinced him of the high
superiority of the Greeks over all other people in the arts of design. The Author of this
work would not express the same sentiment, had he not in his favour the constantly uniform
judgment of numerous artists of distinguished talent, who often, and attentively, examined these
bronzes in Italy and elsewhere. A great number of comparisons has confirmed him in the same
opinion, and he does not hesitate, therefore, to declare, that he knows of no finer relief in
bronze, now existing, nor of any one more adapted to convey a judgment of the finest style of
the Greeks, and of their extraordinary pre-eminence in the technical parts of the art. It is
indeed true that the Museo Borbonico at Naples, the richest in the world in antique bronzes,
since the discovery of the treasures at Herculaneum and at Pompeii, possesses many remarkable
monuments of this material ; and Rome, Florence and Venice, have likewise some important
relics of the same kind ; but the author is not acquainted with any ancient relief in bronze,
which is of so high a style, and of such perfect execution.6
Let us first consider the composition and design of the two groups. Both plates present
the male figures as conquerors ; those of the two women as overthrown and nearly vanquished,
although still vigorously defending themselves. Each victor casts on the vanquished female
a fierce insulting look, presses her side with his knee, seizes her by the hair, and appears
disposed to strike the mortal blow. In each bronze the woman, half thrown down, bends
one knee towards the earth, which causes one of her legs to lie back under her, and to
appear upon a foreshortened scale, whilst the other is stretched out. According to the
usual costume observed on Greek monuments of the most flourishing time of art, the heroes
have merely a helmet upon the head, a large buckler on the left arm, and a wide freely
flowing drapery thrown over the same arm ; in other respects they are entirely naked. The
Amazons have the head uncovered, a light tunic passed over the right shoulder, and which,
fastened round the body by a girdle, leaves naked the greatest part of the breast and arms,
and terminates above the knees. They wear laced buskins, which reach just up to the calf,
and are lapped over in front in a triangular form. Their shields are completely oval, without
a notch, and have ornaments on the two sides. The Amazon of No. I. holds such a shield
on the left arm ; in each plate is seen a similar shield lying upon the ground, and which
is behind the feet of the two combatants.
By these details we have indicated the principal features of a composition, which is at
once simple and grand. We must further observe, that the lines blend into each other
in the most graceful manner. There is nowhere anything tame, insignificant, or void of
6 The best Greek bas-relief in bronze hitherto known is that, which Mr. Hawkins found in Epirus nearly forty
years ago, I believe, and which Mr. Millingen has published in his Ancient Unedited Monuments, Plate XII. and
p. 21. It has also been further illustrated in the lid. Vol. of the Select Specimens published by the Society, 1835,
Plate XX. This group is indeed of exquisite workmanship, but of a style and execution very different from those of
the Bronzes of Siris