DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4719#0386
MYBA.
359
□a
irtr
■ni--irDf!.-i
' mort importantoft::
to be little injured I
I fir over the jm
in its cliff: I j
Mm
Minor: mnclofi
crop of wheat mf
•iboutsiifeeto^
Ace. k®¥
ihs now ens
'on
::•: :■
could not have contained a single generation of the people.
The tombs are generally very large, and all appear to have
been for families ; some having small chambers, one leading
to the other, and some highly interesting from their interior
peculiarities of arrangement. The external ornaments are
here enriched by sculptured statues in the rocks around,
and these in the chaste style of the Lycians, whose language,
with one exception, is universal in the inscriptions here; but
the tombs are mostly without any inscription whatever.
Within the porticoes of several of the tombs (for many of
these, like those at Tlos and Pinara, have a lobby or porch)
are bas-reliefs in better preservation than those in other
cities. Some of these have additional interest, from retain-
ing the colours with which they were painted, and removing
another of the few doubts I still entertain of these people
having been connected with the ancient inhabitants of Etru-
ria. The custom of colouring their statues, as well as the
mode of doing it, and the similarity of the action of the
figures, will strike every one. The letters of the inscription
were painted alternately blue and red#. The sculpture upon
* The satisfaction which I derived on my return to Athens, in renew-
ing my acquaintance with the justly celebrated Professor Muller, has
made me more aware of the immense loss which Europe has sustained
by the death of one of her greatest scholars in all the vigour of life. I
wish that I could remember the many valuable remarks he made upon
the subject of my discoveries, in which he took a most lively interest.
On seeing the coloured drawing of this tomb, he expressed the following
opinion as to the mode of colouring adopted by the Greeks in their works
of art:—" The ancients painted their bas-reliefs : they only tinged their
statues; tinging the drapery, leaving the flesh part uncoloured; the
wounds and blood were stained, and the ear-rings and ornaments gilded.
Then temples were left white, but parts of the frieze and architectural
ornaments were coloured, but very minutely. Their temples of coarser
materials were plastered, and entirely coloured. The Parthenon frieze
was coloured, all the backgrounds of their bas-reliefs were painted."—
This was his opinion at Athens, June 26th, 1840.
359
□a
irtr
■ni--irDf!.-i
' mort importantoft::
to be little injured I
I fir over the jm
in its cliff: I j
Mm
Minor: mnclofi
crop of wheat mf
•iboutsiifeeto^
Ace. k®¥
ihs now ens
'on
::•: :■
could not have contained a single generation of the people.
The tombs are generally very large, and all appear to have
been for families ; some having small chambers, one leading
to the other, and some highly interesting from their interior
peculiarities of arrangement. The external ornaments are
here enriched by sculptured statues in the rocks around,
and these in the chaste style of the Lycians, whose language,
with one exception, is universal in the inscriptions here; but
the tombs are mostly without any inscription whatever.
Within the porticoes of several of the tombs (for many of
these, like those at Tlos and Pinara, have a lobby or porch)
are bas-reliefs in better preservation than those in other
cities. Some of these have additional interest, from retain-
ing the colours with which they were painted, and removing
another of the few doubts I still entertain of these people
having been connected with the ancient inhabitants of Etru-
ria. The custom of colouring their statues, as well as the
mode of doing it, and the similarity of the action of the
figures, will strike every one. The letters of the inscription
were painted alternately blue and red#. The sculpture upon
* The satisfaction which I derived on my return to Athens, in renew-
ing my acquaintance with the justly celebrated Professor Muller, has
made me more aware of the immense loss which Europe has sustained
by the death of one of her greatest scholars in all the vigour of life. I
wish that I could remember the many valuable remarks he made upon
the subject of my discoveries, in which he took a most lively interest.
On seeing the coloured drawing of this tomb, he expressed the following
opinion as to the mode of colouring adopted by the Greeks in their works
of art:—" The ancients painted their bas-reliefs : they only tinged their
statues; tinging the drapery, leaving the flesh part uncoloured; the
wounds and blood were stained, and the ear-rings and ornaments gilded.
Then temples were left white, but parts of the frieze and architectural
ornaments were coloured, but very minutely. Their temples of coarser
materials were plastered, and entirely coloured. The Parthenon frieze
was coloured, all the backgrounds of their bas-reliefs were painted."—
This was his opinion at Athens, June 26th, 1840.